Cedar Forest Chronicle
February 28, 2021
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Principal's Corner
It was a wonderful week having students back in the building for a successful transition back to in person learning. All our students did an outstanding job remembering the expectations in the building and classrooms. This week is Read Across America week. We are excited to share some fun activities and spirit days with our students.
Read Across America Week
Monday - Reading is amazing and so are YOU! Dress in your favorite outfit.
Tuesday - Reading is relaxing- Dress in jammies to get cozy as you read.
Wednesday - Reading gives us superpowers- Dress up as a superhero.
Thursday - Reading is active- Dress up to celebrate how you like to be active.
Friday - Reading is for sharing- Bring a book to share with a friend.
Thank you as always for your support of our entire school community. If you have any questions or concerns at anytime, please do not hesitate to reach out to any member of our administrative team.
Warmly,
Allison Langridge
A message from the Superintendent
With March upon us, we are just two weeks from completing the 3rd academic quarter prior to Spring Break. We experienced a good transition back to our pre-k-12 hybrid learning mode. The past few weeks have been impacted by frequent and abundant wintry weather conditions. Hopefully, the next week will be free from additional disruptions!
On Tuesday afternoon, we shared a media release detailing our school division’s being designated as one of the Top Employers in America by Forbes Magazine. If you have not had an opportunity to read the release, it is linked here.
Below are some announcements and reminders as we look to the week ahead.
Announcements & Reminders
We are back in full hybrid in-person learning again. Our entire staff has been so glad to see our students and families back in our schools and buildings this week!
We apologize for any confusion on Tuesday related to the decision to move from an in-person delay to a delayed virtual learning day (synchronous). The road conditions that morning were very unexpected and did not improve quickly enough for us to move forward with safe in-person learning. We are continuing to review our inclement weather codes that are used to communicate the status of school and 12 month employees; specifically, to better align them to our new ability to support both synchronous and asynchronous instruction.
Our COVID-19 Dashboard is updated daily and can be viewed in the Return to Learn section on each school’s website or by clicking this link: SCPS COVID-19 Dashboard. Also, on our webpage is a link to the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) Dashboard. This site provides data and statistics regarding COVID-19 positivity rates and cases per 100,000 by locality, region, and state.
FY2022 Budget Information & upcoming critical dates:
This past Tuesday, the School Board Chair Ms. Dawn Shelley and Vice Chair Dr. Lorita Daniels presented the approved school board budget request to the county Board of Supervisors. To access the presentation, you can click on this link.
Please see the detailed calendar of additional dates critical to the process here: FY 2022 Approved Critical Budget Dates.
School Board meetings can be viewed online at https://www.regionalwebtv.com/spotsysb. Meetings are live-streamed. Recordings of each meeting may be accessed at the same link. Additionally, meetings may be viewed on cable channels: Comcast Channel 17, Cox Channel 18, and Verizon Channel 36.
Currently, our school counselors are scheduling our middle and high school students for the 2021-2020 school year. Please contact your child’s school if you have any questions or need support with scheduling. The latest Family Connection webinar is available for viewing and focuses on Academic and Career Planning for middle and high school students. Be sure to check it out at https://amsva.wistia.com/projects/7ofldfzadl.
Expanded Summer School draft plans are underway. This year’s plans include a focus on skill development and social emotional learning through a project based approach. Additionally, we have expanded our support to students with disabilities as well. We hope to have the plan completed within the next couple of weeks.
The 2021-2022 Board approved Instructional Calendar is linked here.
This year’s Race for Education will be virtual. This family-friendly 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk raises funds to enhance the quality and impact of student learning experiences in Spotsylvania County Public Schools (SCPS) through the Spotsylvania Education Foundation (SEF). Participants will complete their 5K or 1 Mile during April 16-18. All participants will be eligible for prizes and one elementary, one middle, and one high school will each receive $300 for the most school participation. For complete details or to register for the race go to: https://runsignup.com/Race/VA/Fredericksburg/SpotsyRaceForEducation.
Looking for a way to support our families in need? We’re excited to announce our new partnership with @purposity! To support our mission, just download the Purposity app and follow Spotsylvania County Public Schools. Your donations will help fill the shelves of our Treasure House, which directly supports our students in need. To get started, download the Purposity app in the App Store or Google Play and be sure to follow us.
Have a great week!
Dr. S. Scott Baker
Spring Picture Day Information
We are excited to share that Spring picture day will be held this week.
Group 1 students will have their picture taken in school on Monday, March 1st.
Group 2 students will have their picture taken in school on Friday, March 5th.
Virtual students can come to school on Wednesday, March 3rd between 9am and 1pm. to have their pictures taken.
Yearbook Orders
Virtual Math Night
Note from our Nurse
Facts about COVID-19 to discuss with children:
Try to keep information simple and remind them that health and school officials are working hard to keep everyone safe and healthy.
What is COVID-19?
COVID-19 is the short name for “coronavirus disease 2019.” It is a new virus. Scientists and doctors are still learning about it.
Recently, this virus has made a lot of people sick. Scientists and doctors are trying to learn more so they can help people who get sick.
Doctors and health experts are working hard to help people stay healthy.
What can I do so that I don’t get COVID-19?
- You can practice healthy habits at home, school, and play to help protect against the spread of COVID-19.
What happens if you get sick with COVID-19?
COVID-19 can look different in different people. For many people, being sick with COVID-19 would be a little bit like having the flu. People can get a fever, cough, or have a hard time taking deep breaths. Most people who have gotten COVID-19 have not gotten very sick. Only a small group of people who get it have had more serious problems.
If you do get sick, it doesn’t mean you have COVID-19. People can get sick from all kinds of germs. What’s important to remember is that if you do get sick, the adults at home will help get you any help that you need.
If you suspect your child may have COVID-19, call the healthcare facility to let them know before you bring your child in to see them.
Instruction Highlight
Because many reading skills are transferable, students who learn to read in English and their home language develop stronger literacy gains. The more exposure they have in phonological awareness, vocabulary memorization, and other metalinguistic skills in both languages, the faster they'll learn to read!
Therefore, read with and to your child every day for at least 15 minutes. You can read to your child in your home language and also encourage your child to read to you in English.
The Central Rappahannock Library offers families free access to books in many different languages. They even have an entire section devoted to books in Spanish! They have many resources and books at all levels in Spanish and other languages: https://www.librarypoint.org/resources/en-espanol/
It is free to check out books from the library. The only thing that you will need to check out books is a library card. Library cards are free and typically you can register to get one by visiting the library between 9:00-5:00. If you have a library card but lost it, please visit https://www.librarypoint.org/card/.
Because of covid, our local libraries are only checking out books through curbside delivery. If this option doesn’t work for you, encourage your child to check out books in English and their home language from our Cedar Forest Elementary School library!
Social Emotional Learning
Does your child need help focusing or calming down when they are upset about something? Something new you can try is practicing mindfulness! When we teach mindfulness to kids, we equip them with tools to build self-esteem, manage stress, and improve focus. There are a wide range of mindfulness practices that you can try at home with your child! It can be as simple as practicing different deep breathing exercises or as advanced as following along to guided meditations. Explore this website below to learn more about mindfulness and to test out a few techniques to see what your child likes best!
A note from Mrs. Ramey
Spotsylvania County is holding an art contest to celebrate its 300th anniversary!
The Kids’ Art Contest is open to Spotsylvania residents ages 5-18. Artwork submissions will be accepted through April 3rd, 2021. This is the PERFECT time for students to express your creativity with a fun, socially distanced activity to commemorate the 300th Anniversary of our County! The contest is accepting entries in all medias (drawing, painting, digital, watercolor, etc.) You can find more information by visiting https://www.spotsylvania.va.us/1997/Kids-Art-Contest.Weis & Publix Partnership
House Program
This week the Orange House (Integrity) takes back the lead! Ask your students how they earn house points in their classroom, and how they have shown Wolf Pride.
Additional Resources for Enrichment
Click here for the February activities. Click here for the Spanish version.
Library Curbside Pick Up
Curbside pickup for library books will continue for virtual students on Wednesdays only. Please contact Mrs. Crandol at jcrandol@spotsylvania.k12.va.us for more information if needed.
Updated Information from Food Services
For students accessing in person learning, breakfast and lunch is available for free for all students.
For additional information please visit the food service website by clicking here.
Our Building is Open
Contact Information
Holly Taylor, Assistant Principal
William Bart Nave, Administrative Intern
Email: alangridge@spotsylvania.k12.va.us
Website: https://www.spotsylvania.k12.va.us/CedarForest
Location: 3412 Massaponax Church Road, Fredericksburg, VA, USA
Phone: (540) 834-4569
Facebook: facebook.com/pages/Cedar-ForestElementary/589720827801019
Twitter: @CedarForestES