Cheetah Chatter
César E. Chávez Elementary School
October 2020
1510 W. 14th Street, Eugene, Or. 97402
School Office Hours 8:00 am-3:30 pm541-790-5300
facebook.com/CesarChavezCheetahs
A Message From Ms. Pearson
October 2020
Dear Parents and Families,
The Chávez staff has been so excited to connect with students again! We are also so grateful for all that parents are doing to support your students and us. We know this isn’t easy. Please note that teachers have daily Office Hours when you can log in for homework help and overall guidance.
Please be sure to scroll to the end of this newsletter to read the 4J Technology Use Guidelines. There is important info there about what students may and may not do online, as well as the policy for replacing 4J tech items that are damaged or lost.
Now that our schedule "Slow Rollout" is over, the time students spend online at school is set and will be consistent moving forward. Please see the "Daily Zoom Schedules Explained" charts and information below. As always, contact your child's classroom teacher with questions about the daily schedule, or anything else.
Thank you all for your hard work and partnership in making Distance Learning happen! We miss seeing everyone here on campus, and it is so great to see those little faces on the Zoom screen. Please be safe, and as always, reach out to us if you need anything.
Sincerely,
Ms. Deirdre Pearson, Principal
Daily Zoom Schedules Explained
Zooming this Week...and Beyond!
Starting on October 19th, students should be attending a full day of zoom classes. Students have “BLUE TIME,” “GREEN TIME,” and “YELLOW TIME” on their daily schedule, plus daily PE or Music. Here is a breakdown of what you can expect for each color. We ask that students attend their LIVE Blue and Green Time each day.
BLUE TIME - live on Zoom:
Whole class community building time, social-emotional learning time, and a time for announcements and instructions about what to expect for the upcoming day.
Small group instruction and enrichment
GREEN TIME - live on Zoom:
This is the main “core content” time. New Math, Reading, and Writing concepts are taught at this time, along with Foundational Skills. Movement Breaks and Brain Breaks are built in!
For your convenience, these daily lessons are posted on Seesaw and can also be completed on demand, if that works best for your family.
YELLOW TIME - on demand:
This is a time to practice math and reading skills, and is done 100% on demand.
PE/MUSIC TIME - live & on demand:
PE and Music are offered daily. Some sessions are live with students, and on some days, the lessons are pre-recorded. This is a wonderful opportunity to get some song and movement into your day. Attendance is strongly encouraged!
OFFICE HOURS - live on Zoom:
Teachers are available to help with assignments and answer questions. Students and/or parents can log in to get 1-on-1 help.
Spotlight On....
Ms. Maria Gomez-Leon
Our Super Amazing Office Staff
Ms. Angie Gee
Call us with any questions or concerns you may have. We are still here for you and can’t wait to be together again!
Fall Conferences
Fall Conferences are scheduled for Wednesday, October 29th from 4:00pm - 8:00pm and Thursday, October 30th from 8am - 8pm. There will be no school on Thursday, Oct. 29th or Friday, Oct. 30th. Teachers are emailing conference sign-up information, which will be similar to how we scheduled conferences at the start of the year.
Meeting with your child’s teacher should help build a strong partnership between the teacher and your family. This partnership is needed if you and their teacher are to reach your common goal: helping your child get the best education possible, which is especially important during distance learning.
Conferences will be different this year, and not just because they’ll be on Zoom. In previous years, when conferences were in person, the focus was on grades, assessments, and class assignments. This year, the focus will be on how your child is adjusting to the distance learning format and giving time for a conversation about your child.
Be sure to talk to your child before the conference. Find out what they think of school this year and find out why. What parts do they enjoy? What parts are a challenge? Also, ask your child if there is anything they would like you to talk about with their teacher. Make sure your child doesn’t worry about the meeting. Help them understand that you and their teacher are meeting together in order to help them.
Attendance is very important in distance learning. Here are a few tips on how to help your child be engaged in school:
Make a space
Create a special, personalized corner of a room dedicated to learning, creating, and reading. Use a movable box or crate if space is precious. Let your kid help prepare the space for school, even if that just means putting a decorated pencil box next to the device they'll be using. Getting the space ready will help them get ready to learn.
Set a routine
Have them follow a routine as if they're going to school (getting dressed, brushing teeth, etc.) instead of lying in bed in their pajamas, which could lead to less learning.Younger students need more structure, so make sure to let them know what to expect. You can create a visual schedule they can follow. Older students can use a calendar, planner, or chalkboard to keep track of what's happening each day.
Staying focused
Breaks are really important, especially for kids with learning and attention issues, so make sure to build those in and break assignments into smaller pieces.
Get help when you need it
Communicate with the teacher about how things are going. Everyone's doing their best, AND it's important for teachers to know what's working and not working for your kid so they can get the help they need.
**Reminder: If your child needs to miss school, please call the office to let them know**
DATES TO KNOW
October Dates to Remember
Oct. 13 Site Council 4:00 - 5:00
Oct. 20 PACK Meeting 6:00 - 7:00
Oct. 23 No School — Professional Development/Planning Day
Oct. 28 Monster Mash Zoom Bash (see flyer above!)
Oct. 28 Wednesday Conference Times from 4:00pm - 8:00pm
Oct. 29 Thursday Conference Times from 8:00am - 8:00pm
Oct. 29–30 No School — Fall Conferences
TITLE ONE TESTING NEWS
Eugene 4j School District Testing Announcement
The Eugene 4j School District administers both reading and math assessments to each of our students three times a year; fall, winter, and spring. Students scoring below the 20th percentile may be recommended, by the building-level team, to receive instructional interventions in reading and/or math. Students receiving interventions will have their progress monitored during regular intervals. At our school, all students will receive the same number of minutes of reading instruction and instruction in the area of mathematics, each day, as described in the document, 4J_Coronavirus_ReturnToSchool_SampleSchedules_Elementary_ 2020-08-24(1).pdf, available through the 4J school district website and shared with families prior to the start of instruction during Comprehensive Distance Learning. If 4J returns to school buildings in a hybrid or regular schedule, all students in our school will all receive the same number of minutes of reading instruction and instruction in the area of mathematics, each day, as described in future 4J school day schedules. Parents/guardians will be notified if their child is recommended to receive additional reading or math instruction.
Welcome Pre- Kindergartners
We’re excited to announce that a new pre-Kindergarten program will be located on the Chávez campus starting later this fall. You may notice some construction has been taking place. A new modular building to house the pre-K program has been placed in the southwest corner of the school grounds, beyond the playground and covered play area.
The pre-K program will be operated by Head Start and Early Childhood CARES (a University of Oregon program). Chávez students will not be interacting with the pre-K students, and they will use their own classrooms and playground for separate meals and recess. We are coordinating with them to stagger drop-off and pick-up times so as not to add more traffic when we return to on-site learning.
The pre-K program will primarily serve neighborhood children (future Chávez students!) and we are happy to welcome them to our campus. Due to different state regulations governing pre-K programs, they plan to return to in-person learning before the school-age children may return.
If you would like more information about the pre-K program, please call either Head Start (541-747-2425) or EC CARES (541-735-1766). And, please don’t hesitate to contact Ms. Pearson if you have questions or concerns.
Walk and Roll
AVID CORNER
Goal Setting for a New School Year: Begin With the End in Mind
As an AVID school, we know the importance of goal-setting (and celebrating meeting those goals)! Now is a good time to talk with your child about setting a GOAL for how he or she wants to grow this year.
One way to set goals is to BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND. Picture yourself at the end of the year. How would you like to grow as a person and be different than you are now? Example: Would you like to be more focused on your schoolwork? More organized? More helpful to others?
Brainstorm actions you can start taking today to make it to your GOAL for growth. Draw pictures of yourself doing those things, or make a list. Think of one to three things to do to achieve your goal.
Cheetah Pack News
Site Council News
Site Council is the governing body of our school. It is made up of parent representatives, teacher representatives, one classified representative, and the principal. Site Council meets once a month to discuss school curriculum, school structure, staff development plans and training options, the school calendar, and other concerns parents and teachers may have. Each month, we will share information from our meetings here in the Cheetah Chatter. Site Council meetings are always open to the public. Please contact Principal Pearson for more info.
2020-21 Site Council Members: Teachers Chai’enne Lucas, Whitney Oliver, Alice Williamson, and Marie Vendrasco; School Secretary Angie Gee; Principal Deirdre Pearson; Parents Jacy Berg and Laura Farthing.
TECHNOLOGY HELP
- Parents and students, go to https://technologysupport.4j.lane.edu/ to view online materials and instructions for iPads, App Troubleshooting/Tutorials, and Internet/Hotspots.
- To get help with a technology issue, click HERE to submit a Help Request ticket to our 4J Tech Team. Someone will read your message and contact you.
- To leave a voicemail at our support line, call 541-790-7770 or 541-790-7531 for Spanish.