Colt Crusader
A newsletter for the families of CFES - Spring Break Edition
Weekly Edition
2828 Pleasant Acres Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23453
757-648-2240
http://www.christopherfarmses.vbschools.com
Follow us on Twitter @cfescolts
Principal: Robyn Backer , @Robyn Backer
Asst. Principal: Patti Porter, @sunsetzzz15
Message From Ms. Backer, Our Principal
By now, you have all received information from Dr. Spence on the transition to Phase II for Virginia Beach City Public Schools. Phase II will be our Emergency Learning Plan. Beginning April 27th, we will shift to an emergency learning plan model that will address only essential standards. We want to ensure that we are continuing to stay as connected with our students and families while maintaining a high level of quality instruction.
The overall goal of Phase II: Emergency Learning Plan is to -
- ENGAGE students at the highest possible level with aligned, meaningful learning
- ENHANCE student understandings through high-quality virtual teaching and meaningful feedback
- EMPOWER students in their learning process
- ENSURE that the needs of all our learners are met to the best of our collective ability
When we return from Spring Break, we will have a Professional Learning day for staff on Monday. Tuesday through Friday will continue as Continuity of Learning, with days 19-22. These plans will be linked on the google documents that will be sent out Tuesday morning. Your teachers will continue to post daily lessons and morning messages for you!
On April 27th, we will transition to the Emergency Learning Plan. After Spring Break, you will receive more information from me and from your child's teacher about the roll out, weekly schedule and weekly teacher/students expectations. As always, if you have any questions, you can reach out to me or your child's teacher.
In the meantime, we hope you and your family have a wonderful Spring Break. Our entire community - students, parents, teachers, parents/guardians/caretakers - have all been working so hard. We deserve this much needed break. Rest, relax, recharge - we will see you in a week!
-Ms. Backer
Week Ahead
Monday, April 20nd
Spirit Day - “Crazy Camo” Day - Wear camouflage
Professional Learning Day for all teachers - no new learning plans for students today
Tuesday, April 21st
Spirit Day - “My military parent/caregiver is a Superhero” Day – Dress as a superhero
Continuity of Learning Day #19
School Open by Appointment Only
Wednesday, April 22nd - Earth Day!
Spirit Day - “Purple Up” Day -Wear purple to represent all military services
Continuity of Learning Day #20
9:30 - Ms. Backer's Read Aloud
School Open by Appointment Only
Thursday, April 23rd
Spirit Day - “ We Love our Earth” Day -Wear blue/green or Earth friendly sayings
Continuity of Learning Day #21
Friday, April 24th
Spirit Day - “Proud to be American Day“ Wear stripes and stars or Red, White & Blue
Continuity of Learning Day #22
Quarter 3 & Report Cards
Instruction in the 4th Quarter
The Emergency Learning Plan for Elementary Schools will serve as our guideline to meet the instructional needs of students at CFES. The school division has selected essential objectives for grade-level understanding in language arts, math, science, and social studies. These essential objectives will be the focus of our teaching for Quarter 4.
Teachers will keep track and monitor which students regularly participate in instruction in Quarter 4. They will report to administration those students who do not participate.
The school division has created a weekly schedule to meet the needs of our students and ensure we are providing high quality instruction. Each week, teachers will be expected to provide online instruction and assign instructional activities that will be aligned to the online instruction provided. Teachers will also continue to be available via office hours to help students on Tuesdays through Fridays. Office hours will be adjusted to 30 minutes a day.
Specialists (music, PE, dance, art, counselors) will provide optional instructional activities. These activities will continue to be provided weekly through the Colt Crusader. Remember, your students can engage in this activities at any time that works for you!
Quarter 4, Grading, & Report Cards
All elementary students will receive a report card for quarter 4 with all of the objectives grayed out. The date for the end of the quarter and for the distribution of quarter 4 report cards will be communicated at a later date.
Yearbook Update - Only a couple more DAYS!
Due to school closures, there are changes to ordering the 2019-2020 Yearbook. All yearbooks must be ordered online by April 13th, 2020. We will not be able to accept any orders after that date. Also, we will not be able to accept cash or check purchases. After April 13th, there will not be an opportunity to purchase a yearbook as there will not be any extra copies printed. To order your child's yearbook online go to https://ybpay.lifetouch.com/Order/SelectJob?jobNumber=7733220&utm_source=exacttarget&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PUB20YBFEB_NB-R1&utm_content=main and enter the yearbook ID code 7733220 before the April 13th deadline. If you have any further questions please contact Tennys Kane at Tennys.Kane@vbschools.com Once the yearbooks are in, we will communicate via Alertnow and Newsletters on the pick up procedure. We are hoping to arrange pick up for yearbooks in early June.
Calling all talent, calling all talent! Virtual Talent Show for all CFES students!
Calling all talent, calling all talent! This is your child’s time to shine and showcase their talents. Whether it be singing, dancing, a gymnastics routine, a musical instrument, acting, standup comedy or anything else. All talents are welcome!!! Any student wanting to participate will have the opportunity.
A student may only perform in one act and each act must be no longer than 2 minutes. If you are performing in a group act, each student must fill out this form. We will combine them by the name of the act.
Update on Lifetouch Pictures
Lunch Money Accounts Update
All refunds are being processed through OFS Central. Parents and Guardians can log into their School Café and there is an announcement there with a link to a refund form. If you do not see this link parents/guardians can send an e-mail to VBFOODS@vbschools.com.
Please note know that the school lunch funds follow each child so no need for refund if staying within VBCPS and just changing schools. The students will be able to access those funds in the fall.
MOVING BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR?
If your family is moving before the end of the year and has VBCPS materials (Chromebook, math workbook, or library books, etc.), please email Ma. Backer at Rsbacker@vbschools.com
to arrange for a time to drop off the materials at school.
Military Families
We are doing our best to try to meet our children's social/emotional needs through Schoology with our school counselors, Mrs. Yoshida and Mrs. Beda. Not being with the children regularly in the building certainly presents some challenges when meeting these needs. We wanted to make sure you were aware, military-connected families can access free, confidential counseling either by phone, video, or online chat through Military One Source. Interested families can contact them by phone at 1-800-342-9647. They can also access Families Overcoming Under Stress (FOCUS) which provides resiliency training for families. The program helps families manage feelings, improve communication, problem solve, and set goals over a number of sessions. If a family is interested in scheduling a video teleconference appointment, more information can be found here: https://focusproject.org/telefocus.
One additional resource for military students is Military Kids Connect which is an online community for kids, ages 6-17. This site provides videos, tips, and forums on how to cope with the challenges of military life. There are sections on Feelings, Military Life, Health and Wellness, and Caring for Youth. They also have a message board for kids to connect with to share their experiences and offer suggestions. It is safe and secure and all the content is moderated. You can access the site here: https://militarykidsconnect.health.mil.
WAYS TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH CFES HAPPENINGS:
- Check our website weekly: https://christopherfarmses.vbschools.com
- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cfescolts
- Download the VBSCHOOLS app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
- Make sure the school has your updated phone number and email address in order to receive Alert Now communications
- Follow your child's progress on Parent Portal: https://www.vbschools.com/parents/parent_portal
Proud Principal
Email: robyn.backer@vbschools.com
Website: https://christopherfarmses.vbschools.com/
Location: Christopher Farms Elementary School 2828 Pleasant Acres Drive Virginia Beach, Virginia 234
Phone: (757) 648-2240
Twitter: @RobynBacker