Weekly Outlook
January 22nd - January 26th
This is a B Week
Upcoming Events
- January 22nd - January 26th: National School Choice Week - Spirit Days below
- January 24th: Middle School "Sock Hop" 3 - 4:30pm - sign up below
- January 25th: Narrative Distribution
- January 26th: Professional Day - No School for Students
- January 29th: Community & Engagement Meeting
- January 31st: Advocacy Day in Annapolis
- February 2nd - February 9th: Penny Wars - see info below
- February 9th: Chili Bingo
School Spirit Days: January 22nd - 25th
CCSA needs you!
Click on the link below to see the public comments from this past Wednesday's Board of Education 24-25 budget hearing. First up is the Teacher's Association rep speaking about the impact of this budget for teachers. Second and then third are our own CPCS advocates! Check it out! It's not too scary and you too can help us out by speaking up at the County Commissioners Public Forum on January 30th at 6:30. Influencing them to fully fund the Board of Education budget and investing in our children and education will help CPCS!
We Had an Exciting Week here at CPCS.....
Dr. Smith Came to visit our Leadership Group
And our 5th Graders
Inclement Weather
If this week is any indicator of what the rest of the winter will be like...please note this very important detail! Normally, CPCS follows the school system guidance for inclement weather days. However, IF THERE IS A 2 HOUR DELAY ON A DAY WHEN CPCS HAS AN EARLY DISMISSAL, CPCS WILL NOT DISMISS EARLY. We will have a regular 3:00 dismissal, and students should report to school at the time indicated by the SMCPS inclement weather announcement. Stay safe and warm!
We Need Tennis Balls
We are in need of tennis balls again - used or new. We use these to cover our chair and table legs so our floors don't get scratch. Please drop them off to the main office.
Middle School Sock Hop - January 24th
To celebrate School Choice Week, our Student Council is hosting our 1st Sock Hop for middle school students on Wednesday, January 24th right after school until 4:30pm. We are looking for volunteers to help chaperone, send in snacks, set up, etc. Click here to sign up.
Dance Dismissal Procedures:
Pick up for the Sock Hop will follow the same procedures as our last middle school dance.
If you are the parent/guardian of a 6th grader, please park in the front of the school and walk up to the front door to pick up your child.
If you are the parent/guardian of a 7th or 8th grader, please park in the back of the school and walk to the gym door to pick up your child.
If you have a child in both groups, please park in front with the 6th graders.
Charter Renewal for CPCS - The Alliance Needs Your Support
CPCS Families,
As you know, The Chesapeake Charter School Alliance is currently undergoing a Charter renewal for CPCS and we are looking for community support.
CCSA is looking for volunteers that would like to attend the Charter School Advocacy Day in Annapolis to meet with our state representatives and show support for Maryland's Charter Schools. This is critical this year as the state considers a bill to offer financial support for Charter School Facilities. If you are interested in joining this full-day event on January 31, please let us know by filling out this Advocacy Day sign up and we will reach out with more information as we get it.
Our School Board, County Executive Board, and our State Legislative Representatives could benefit from a bit of understanding about what this school means to our community. For more details, please see the new letters attached as they have been updated with additional information from Maryland Alliance for Public Charter Schools and we removed a bad link in the legislative letter. Additional representative contact information is also linked. We encourage you to consider sharing your thoughts about the school with these folks as they consider our charter renewal and facilities funding legislation. The attached letters are intended to be a place for you to start. Be sure to personalize or delete that prompt from the letters before sending and of course you can write one from your own personal perspective altogether.
Thank you for your support of CPCS and its mission.
Sincerely,
Kevin Emerson
CCSA Board Chair
Facilities One Pager
Charter Starter One Pager
New: Exemption Codes in Schoology
Exemption Codes are used in Schoology to keep Families, Teachers and Students informed about the grades in the gradebook. Click here for an overview of the Exception Codes that you might see in the gradebook and what they mean.
Attendance Matters
CPCS Families,
School attendance has a huge impact on a student’s academic success. Even as children grow older and more independent, families play a key role in making sure students get to school safely every day. Regular and consistent attendance is important to your child’s academic success, future high school graduation, and college and career readiness. In addition, attendance is factored into the “report card” for every school as a part of the report card reported out by the Maryland State Department of Education. As a general rule, students are at-risk for chronic absenteeism, habitual truancy if their absences consist of the following: 8 or more days of school in any marking period, 15 days per semester, or 20 days per school year. Students who miss more than 26 days per year may be recommended for retention. CPCS follows these procedures:
Sending attendance letter to parent
Conference with student and/or parent
Referral to outside agencies and Interagency Committee on School Attendance (ICSA)
If/when your child has a planned absence of more than 5 days, written approval must be obtained from Administration, 7 days prior to the absence. Absence reasons which are not listed on the “Lawful” list will be marked as unlawful (unexcused).
Ultimately, our goal is for students to come to school so please work with us to make that happen for your child. If you need support, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Thank you-
CPCS Administration
Read the article below to see what you can do
Lost and Found Update
The Lost and Found Rack has reached max capacity. It's piling on the floor and beginning to overflow onto nearby counters.
Although it's looking tidy right now, this high-traffic area is out of space. We would love to return all these items to their owners. However, a majority of them are not labeled.
Which leaves us no choice.....
ALL items will be cleared out by the END OF JANUARY
Approved uniforms will be recycled into our CPCS uniform closet. Any other remaining items will be locally donated.
PLEASE have your child(ren) claim their belongings before this happens!
Labels. Labels. LABELS.
PLEASE label your children's belongings.
Elective Session 2
Save the dates for Spring Electives
It’s spring elective time! Electives are a choice based opportunity for CPCS students, community, and families to come together and share or participate in multi-age, project-based opportunities. The students love having the chance to learn from someone other than their classroom teachers. Below you will find more information as well as an opportunity for you or someone you know to volunteer. Check-it-out!
Sign up to help with grades 2-5 here: Electives Spring 2024 If you want to help with K, 1, or 6-8 please email Angela Funya at agfunya@smcps.org. For additional questions or assistance with activities for your elective please reach out to Alisa (alisab.volz@gmail.com) or Christina (cmfowlkes1@gmail.com)
2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23, 3/1, 3/8, 3/15, 3/22
Spotlight on Special Education
How Can You Help?
Become a Registered Volunteer
Volunteer applications are open for the 2023 - 2024 school year.. Both new and previously registered volunteers must complete a new volunteer application every school year.
CONTACT our Volunteer Coordinator, Christina Jones at cpcsvolunteers@gmail.com to get on the distribution list for all of the volunteer opportunities at CPCS
WE NEED SUBSTITUTES AND ARE HAPPY TO TRAIN YOU! (There is a virtual training on February 9th) Apply here: Substitutes
CHESAPEAKE CHARTER SCHOOL ALLIANCE
Join Our Family Ambassador Team!
Are you passionate about Chesapeake Public Charter School and want to make a positive impact on new families starting in the 2024-2025 school year? We invite you to become a Family Ambassador!
Family Ambassadors play a crucial role in welcoming and supporting new families as they join our school community. You'll help them navigate the exciting journey of becoming part of our wonderful CPCS family.
Save the Date: Monday, January 29th Time: 5:30 PM (EST) Location: Virtual Zoom Meeting
During our meeting, we'll discuss the Family Ambassador role and its importance in engaging new families. We'll also gather valuable insights to create an effective communication hub for our newcomers.
Don't Miss Out: Click here to RSVP and secure your spot in our virtual meeting. You'll receive the Zoom link once you've registered.
Let's work together to create a warm and welcoming environment for our new families. Your support and enthusiasm can make a world of difference!
We can't wait to see you there!
Warm regards, Chesapeake Public Charter School Community & Engagement Committee
Counseling Corner
Virtue focus of the month: Compassion
At home, support our community focus by talking about, modeling, and recognizing the following behaviors that align with this month's virtue. We are very much working on teaching and recognizing ways to communicate and problem-solve effectively. If you click here, you can access the slide decks for classroom counseling lessons that were taught this month!
focusing attention on the person who is speaking
resolving conflicts with or without an adult's help
listening respectfully to peers and adults
Community Took Talks
We are excited to offer two informative Tool Talks in February. Please check them out and RSVP if you are interested in attending. Replays will be available on our Support Services website, but the Q&A sessions will not - join us so you don't miss out on those rich discussions. RSVP here!
CPCS CARES Packages
Looking for student support?
Materials Fee
Cafeteria Staff Nominations
Did the cafeteria staff go above and beyond for a student or staff member? Fill out this form to nominate them for one of our awards!
MySchoolBucks
MySchoolBucks is an online payment service that provides a convenient way for parents/guardians to pay for school-related purchases such as lunches by using their credit/debit card or electronic check. Please use this link to for more information on how to sign up for a MySchoolBucks account if they do not already have one.
This offering will help us learn strategies that will empower our kids to handle these difficult situations. There are three time slots available. Register here!
Harris Teeter - TOGETHER IN EDUCATION - Passive Fundraiser Update
Chesapeake Public Charter School
Vision - Our vision is a safe and joyful atmosphere which includes compassion and respect for others, and where students become critical thinkers, life-long learners, and global citizens.
CCSA/CPCS DEI Vision Statement 2022-2023-
The Chesapeake Charter School Alliance, and the Chesapeake Public Charter School are motivated by the understanding that students are most successful when diverse experiences, backgrounds, abilities, and interests, in our students and staff alike, are celebrated and respected. We value, strive to create and sustain a diverse environment where each member of our school family is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged, while also being heard, respected, and represented. Each CPCS student is provided with developmentally appropriate resources, supports, and interventions to foster their success while learning in a community committed to holding itself accountable for educational excellence and equity.
Email: jmrayford@smcps.org
Website: https://cpcs.smcps.org/
Location: 20945 Great Mills Road, Lexington Park, MD, USA
Phone: 301-863-9585
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chesapeakecharteralliance
Twitter: @CPCS_SMCPS