• Students need to wear their House shirts or House colors tomorrow. We are going to announce the winner of House points in the morning and have several activities planned.
• If you drive your kids to school, please leave a few minutes earlier than usual in the morning. If you are late, you may be frustrated with having to park and walk a long distance.
• If you need to park at the school in the morning, please use the north parking lot. (This is the lot on the primary side, closest to the new subdivision that is being built.)

• 8:30 - EAST Senior Walk - This is always a special time for seniors and our elementary kids love cheering them on as they come back through Creekside one final time.

• Teachers have activities planned this week to celebrate the hard work that has been accomplished this year. Attendance will be taken every day.

• Friday, May 26th is a full school day.
• 5th-grade Promotion Ceremonies will begin at 8:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m.

• Yearbooks will be on sale this week until all are sold. They are $40.

• Students will be bringing home summer bridge backpacks this week. These are provided by the district and are a great way to keep practicing learned skills.

Please, please, please take a few moments and re-enroll your child for the fall. We will not place students on class lists until re-enrollment is completed. You don't want to miss out on summer letters and information, so take care of re-enrollment now. If you have questions, please call Mrs. Amy Phillips.

Thank you to our PTO for a wonderful field day!

Have a great summer!

~DR

Now for a few announcements:

• The 5th-grade archery field trip is postponed until Wednesday.
• Please pay any money owed to the cafeteria by May 26th. If you have any questions or need to know your balance, please contact Mrs. Crissy Garner, cafeteria manager.
• Tuesday is 4th Grade Alabama History Wax Museum at 8:45 a.m. Please come by if you have a 4th grader and see these famous Alabamians.
• We also have the Rodeo Clown and friends coming by at 10:30 Tuesday morning.
• Field Day is scheduled for Friday, May 19th for CES. We are looking forward to a fun day. Don't forget to send money for Kona Ice.
• Monday, May 22nd will be the East Limestone Senior Walk at Creekside.

Have you re-enrolled your child for the 2023-2024 school year? Snapcodes were emailed to the email address we have on file. Please check your email and contact the school if you did not receive it. EVERY STUDENT must re-enroll. We will not add students' names to class lists for the fall until re-enrollment is complete. If your child is a 5th grader going to East next year, they also must re-enroll and they must have their immunizations updated. Directions for enrollment may be found on the Creekside Elementary or the Limestone County Schools websites.

These last 4 weeks are very important. Teachers will be finishing up teaching new standards and reviewing standards taught throughout the year. Students will complete STAR end-of-year testing. I can't wait to see the growth in our students this year. Teachers are still taking grades and looking for students to complete assignments. Whether it's written work, Successmaker, IXL, or reading to take tests for AR points, it's important that students complete all assignments when they are assigned. The last day of school, May 26th is scheduled as a full school day. This is a change from previous years. We are required to take attendance that day.

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Please show some love to our fantastic teachers this week! PTO provided some ideas and teachers and staff will appreciate any act of kindness.

Friday, May 5th is National School Lunch Hero Day. We have a group of ladies who work hard every day to serve breakfast and lunch at Creekside. Please help us show them how much they are appreciated.

Have a GREAT week!

~DR

We are finished with ACAP testing, and we have a VERY busy month ahead. It's hard to believe we are finishing up another school year. Please encourage your child to keep working hard. We still have lots of learning to do to prepare for the next grade, along with end-of-year DIBELS and STAR testing. It is a GREAT feeling when you look at a class's growth and see that they have surpassed expectations. We are closing those gaps in learning that COVID created for so many of our kids.

Snocones have been rescheduled for 3rd and 4th grades until Monday and Tuesday.

Next week is Teacher and Staff Appreciation Week. Please join us in letting all of our Creekside staff, from teachers to custodians, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, aides, and office staff how much we love and appreciate them for being part of our Creekside family.

Stay dry and safe tonight. I look forward to seeing lots of hats in the morning!

~DR

This Thursday, April 20th, please join us in celebrating our students' creativity and talent at our Art and Music night! From 5:00-7:00 PM, there will be an art gallery walk throughout the hallways featuring over 1,000 pieces of artwork from kindergarten through 5th grade. At 6:15 in the primary gym, there will be a 4th and 5th-grade chorus performance. We would love for you all to come and enjoy their talent!

Progress reports will be sent home Friday. Please remind students that as the year winds down, it is important that they focus on their grades. Please make every effort to be at school, on time, each day.

Have a GREAT week!

~DR

You'll notice some new fencing around the school. Thank you to our PTO and thank you for your help with our annual Fun Run that made this possible.

We have 8 weeks of school left and many things planned for the end of the year. First up is our annual state testing, ACAP. The test is broken into sessions, so please note testing times if you have appointments to schedule.

Last week was filled with tragic news, including a horrific school shooting in Nashville and violent storms. Please know that everyone at Creekside takes school safety seriously. We review our safety protocols with teachers and staff often. We have drills regularly so that we know what to do in an emergency situation. Your child's safety is our number one concern. News stories like these remind us to review and make sure that we are all doing our part every day to keep everyone safe. If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me anytime.

Let's have a fantastic week!

~DR

Spring pictures will be made Tuesday, March 14th. We will also be taking Beta Club, CNN, and Creekside Chiefs group pictures on Tuesday. Bring your best smiles.

Friday, March 17th, report cards will go home.

East Limestone Fundraisers

• March 18th- Mother-Son SuperHero Dance (info below)
• Egg My Yard - Deadline and limited # available ( info below)

Creekside Family Picnics are planned for March 20th, 21st, and 22nd.

3rd grade is on Monday, March 20th from 11:00-12:00.

4th grade is on Tuesday, March 21st from 11:30-12:30.

5th grade is on Wednesday, March 22nd from 12:00-1:00.

• Please do not ask for children from different grades to attend on a day other than their designated grade level day.
• We need to keep these as full academic days for students. They will have a longer lunch than usual and will need to return to class with their teacher promptly when their time is over.
• Please DO NOT check your child out for the rest of the day.
• Parents will meet their children on the soccer field.

EVERY MINUTE COUNTS!

Thursday, March 23rd is a 1/2 day for students. Teachers will be scheduling parent conferences for the afternoon and evening.

Friday, March 24th students will be out of school and can start their spring breaks a little early as teachers have professional development that day.

March 27-31st is spring break.

ACAP TESTING begins April 5th. Review the attached state testing calendar and make every effort for your child to be at school during testing times and during the upcoming weeks as we prepare.

• Make sure appointments are not scheduled during testing times.
• We cannot interrupt a testing session for a student to check out.
• Encourage your child to relax and do their very best each day.
• Make sure they get plenty of rest and eat a good breakfast on the day of their tests.

*** Note: Most testing sessions are between 45 minutes to 60 minutes in length. Test security requires time for teachers to check materials in and out as well.

One more thing... Limestone County is in the process of selecting a new ELA (reading, grammar, and writing) textbook/program. Samples are set up in the elementary lobby. We would love to hear from you. Please stop by anytime this week when you have time to look through some of the samples. Leave us your comments on the choices.

It's going to be COLD every morning this week. Don't put those coats up yet.

Have a GREAT week!

~DR

Our Read Across America Week was cut short so we invite everyone to wear their House shirts or house colors tomorrow.

We're kicking off our spring book fair tomorrow. Mrs. Norton could use some volunteers to help out this week in the library. If you can spend the day, or help for a few hours, please let us know. You may email Mrs. Brooke Norton or call the school for details.

Wednesday, March 8th is the Elementary Scholars Bowl competition.

5th grade parents, Wednesday, March 8th is also Middle School Parent Night at East Limestone. It is from 4:00- 6:00 in the ELHS cafeteria.

Friday, March 10th is the end of the 3rd nine weeks of school.

Spring Pictures will be made on Tuesday, March 14th.

We're looking forward to an awesome week!

~DR

Spring always gets busy and this year is no different. Here's a mid-week memo with some important information.

Creekside Family Picnic Information-

Mrs. Terah Neilson, our parent liaison, is excited about seeing Creekside families have some fun together and so are we. Please help us ensure that we can continue with our regular school days by following these guidelines:

• 3/20 is for 3rd grade, 3/21 is for 4th grade, and 3/22 is for 5th grade.
• Please do not ask to mix grade levels by having children from different grades attend on a different day.
• We need to keep these as full academic days for students. They will have a longer lunch than usual and will need to return to class with their teacher promptly when their time is over.
• Please DO NOT check your child out for the rest of the day.

EVERY MINUTE COUNTS!

ACAP TESTING Calendar- Review the attached state testing calendar and make every effort to make sure your child is at school during testing times.

• Make sure appointments are not scheduled during testing times.
• We cannot interrupt a testing session for a student to check out.
• Encourage your child to relax and do their very best each day.
• Make sure they get plenty of rest and eat a good breakfast on the day of their tests.

*** Note: Most testing sessions are between 45 minutes to 60 minutes in length. Test security requires time for teachers to check materials in and out as well.

East Limestone Fundraisers

• March 18th- Mother-Son SuperHero Dance (info below)
• Egg My Yard - Deadline and limited # available ( info below)

This week is also Read Across America Week. Our theme this year is, "Reading is for Everyone". At Creekside, we have 6 Houses creating 1 Family. (See info below.)

Attendance is so very important all year, but even more so at this time of year as we work to make sure every student has mastered standards for the next grade and is ready for state testing. Please make every effort to be sure your child is well-rested and at school every day.

For lunch this week, see the menu below.

It's great to be a chief!

~DR

Hello, Creekside, and Happy Presidents' Day! I hope you have all enjoyed your 3-day weekend. Which presidents do you remember from your childhood? Talk to your kids about those memories and who you feel is the most influential president of your lifetime. Who knows? We may have a future national leader walking the halls of Creekside.

Have a GREAT week!

~DR

4th GRADE PARENTS- REMEMBER, plans are being made now for the 5th grade D.C. trip in November. The incentive to register for $49 and save $75 expires on Tuesday, January 31st. You can register online at https://worldstrides.com/. The trip ID is 205499. Contact Mrs. Rachel McAtee if you have questions.

PTO is selling Candygrams. They are $3. Forms are attached to the newsletter or from your child's teacher. Students are always so excited to receive candygrams.

Mark your calendars for our next PTO meeting on Feb. 9th.

Have a GREAT week!

~DR

Hello Creekside! We have been busy looking at mid-year data and we are SO proud of the growth and progress of Creekside students. Parents, there are a few things you can do to help your child be even more successful at school.

• Read with your child every day.
• Ask questions about reading that students are doing independently. Who? What? Where? When? Why? How?
• Practice math facts. (addition, subtraction, multiplication)
• Cooking a meal together, and following a recipe practices reading and math skills.

Menu change for this week: Monday we will have Chinese chicken and rice or chicken bites.

Please remember that only clear, plastic water bottles may be brought to school and they may only contain water.

Students who want to eat breakfast at school must go directly to the cafeteria when they get off the bus or out of their car.

If you are visiting Starbucks or Dunkin' before school, those foods and drinks must be finished before children come into the school. The only breakfast items allowed at school are what the cafeteria serves. Anything else should be finished before students enter the building.

If you are not getting the school remind messages please join by going to https://www.remind.com/join/chiefs3-5. That way you can see all things I mention on these calls. You may also see the newsletter by going to https://www.smore.com/ysmj42

Are you planning a vacation? The school calendars for the next two years have been approved. You can see those in the SMORE newsletter or on the Limestone County or Creekside websites. Please plan vacations during times when your child is not in school.

Thank you for all you do to help Creekside be an AMAZING school! Have a great week!

This week we will be finishing up the first semester. Please encourage your child to do their best on assessments and to finish any incomplete assignments. We know everyone is getting excited about our time off, but we need to finish strong by making sure all work is done.

Thursday is our Polar Express Day. Everyone is welcome to wear pajamas that meet the system's dress code. Please wear shoes that are appropriate for p.e.

Friday is a full school day. Class Christmas parties will be after lunch. Your child's teacher can give you a specific time.

I hope each of you has a wonderful holiday season! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

We only have 3 weeks left in this semester. Help us encourage students to think, work hard, and make good choices as we finish out the first half of the school year.

Tuesday, November 29th will be the last day for tutoring for 3rd graders this semester. Tutoring is canceled for December 1st due to the Athens Christmas Parade. Tutoring will resume for 3rd graders who qualify on Tuesday, January 10th.

Please remember that only clear, plastic water bottles may be brought to school and they may only contain water.

Students who want to eat breakfast at school must go directly to the cafeteria when they get off the bus or out of their car.

If you are visiting Starbucks or Dunkin' before school, those foods and drinks must be finished before children come into the school. The only breakfast items allowed at school are what the cafeteria serves. Anything else should be finished before students enter the building.

If you are not getting the school remind messages please join by going to https://www.remind.com/join/chiefs3-5. That way you can see all things I mention on these calls. You may also see the newsletter by going to https://www.smore.com/ysmj42

The school calendars for the next two years have been approved. You can see those in the SMORE newsletter or on the Limestone County or Creekside websites.

Thank you for all you do to help Creekside be an AMAZING school! Have a great week!

We began allowing students to bring water bottles during a heat wave a few years ago. That has grown into some kids bringing some pretty elaborate water bottles, along with coming to school with Starbucks, Dunkin' Donuts, hot chocolate, and various drinks, including Gatorade, Powerade, and energy drinks. We have refillable water stations on all our water fountains. We ask that you help us by scaling back to a clear, plastic water bottle and only allowing your child to bring water in those bottles. If you are visiting Starbucks or Dunkin' before school, those foods and drinks must be finished before children come into the school. The only breakfast items allowed at school are what the cafeteria serves. Anything else should be finished before students enter the building.

Monday, November 21st is an e-learning day for students. Teachers will provide you with info on assignments for students to complete. Tuesday - Friday are Thanksgiving Holidays. I know many of you travel during the Thanksgiving break. I'm wishing you a Happy Thanksgiving and Safe Travels whether near or far.

I am thankful for our Creekside Community!

~DR

Hello Creekside! This week we have our Beta Club Induction and our Veterans Day Breakfast and class visits on Thursday, November 10th. Please contact your child's teacher if you need more information on either of these events. Schools will be closed on Friday, November 11th in honor of Veterans Day.

We are excited to announce that Creekside will be serving our traditional Thanksgiving meal this year. Due to our large enrollment, our wonderful cafeteria staff has agreed to prepare this meal on two days. We have very limited space so we suggest that families limit visitors to one or two people if possible.

Thursday, November 17th will be designated for visitors of K, 2nd, and 4th-grade students.

Friday, November 18th will be designated for visitors of 1st, 3rd, and 5th-grade students.

If you or a family member would like to join us for lunch on one of these days, please send money by your child to Mrs. April (CPS) or Mrs. Amanda (CES) at the front desk for a prepaid ticket. Tickets are $5.00. Please send the correct amount, cash only. (Our cafeteria is not set up to take check cards or credit cards.) We will send your ticket home to you with your child after we receive payment. Pre-sale tickets are available until Thursday, November 10th. These pre-sales allow us to better plan for our Thanksgiving meal so the sooner you can purchase your tickets, the better. We look forward to seeing you.

We also need volunteers to help in the cafeteria on those days. If you are available and willing to help, please contact Terah Neilson, our parent liaison.

Tomorrow is the last day for Spirit Orders. Please check the newsletter for the link.

It's not too late to be on our Veterans Wall of Fame. The students love this! If you are a veteran, please share your info with us. The link is in the newsletter.

Have a FANTASTIC week!

We've had lots of fun with dress-up days the past few weeks. Tomorrow 3rd and 4th graders may wear their Halloween costumes with a few guidelines.

• Costumes must meet the dress code.
• No face masks
• No face paint
• No accessories (wands, canes, hats, witch's brooms, etc.)

Remember to shop our online Spirit Wear store to help with layering up and showing your Creekside school spirit. The deadline for ordering is Nov. 7th. Find the link on the SMORE newsletter.

Information is also available for ALL Kids insurance, ordering Lifetouch school pics, and Limestone County's Kids and Kin program. This program offers classes and resources for grandparents or other family members who are raising children in the absence of their parents.

Nov. 11th- No School

Nov. 17th, Thursday- Thanksgiving lunch for grades K, 2, and 4

Nov. 18th, Friday- Thanksgiving lunch for grades 1, 3, and 5

Nov. 21-25- E-Learning/Thanksgiving Holidays

School calendars for 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 are attached. Please plan trips and vacations during times when we are not in school.

Have a GREAT week!

DR

If you are not getting the school remind messages please join by going to https://www.remind.com/join/chiefs3-5. That way you can see all things I mention on these calls. You may also see the newsletter by going to https://www.smore.com/ysmj42

Thank you for getting those Boosterthon pledges turned in quickly. Our families are simply amazing!

Report cards went home Friday so if you haven't seen your child's, have them check their backpack. Speaking of backpacks, now would be a GREAT time to clean them out. I'll include some info in the newsletter. Backpacks should not weigh more than 10% of a child's total body weight. Cleaning out all the extra supplies, toys, jackets, and old papers should lighten them up considerably.

We are planning a Veteran's Day Breakfast with opportunities for Veterans to visit classrooms. This is one of our favorite events of the year and we don't want anyone to be left out. If you need more information, please contact your child's teacher or Mrs. Martin.

Our 2nd quarter will be full of fun events and lots of learning.

Oct. 24-28- CES Book Fair and Red Ribbon Week (more info below)

Oct. 25- Yearbook Picture Make-up Day *** AND don't forget to order school pics! Save those memories. Ordering info may be found below.***

Oct. 28- Family Resource Room Open House (see flyer below)

Oct. 29- Creekside Trunk-or-Treat, 5-7 p.m. (see link below)

Nov. 7- Spirit Orders Due (click below for more info)

Nov. 10- Creekside Veterans Day Event (morning) info coming soon

Nov. 11- Veteran's Day, no school

Nov. 21-25- E-Learning/ Thanksgiving Holidays- no school

To Review:

Monday- Be Brave, Be Bold, Be You- Wear Red to kick off Book Fair and Red Ribbon Week

Menu change for Monday- Chicken Bites, Potato Rounds, Roll, Fruit

Plan for pumpkin decorating (due Thursday) and book character dress-up day (Friday)

Tuesday- Picture Make-up Day for any students who were absent or who are new to our school since fall pics were made. These are for the yearbook. Also, you can still order fall pics through Lifetouch. Preserve those memories. It's also mismatched clothes day, so depending on your picture status, you may just want to wear mismatched socks.

Wednesday- Work it Out Wednesday- Wear your Workout clothes

Thursday- Pumpkins are due in the library for pumpkin decorating contest. It's also My Future's so Bright... Day so wear bright colors or sunglasses

Friday- Book Character Dress up day

DON'T STOP HERE. KEEP SCROLLING FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

It is hard to believe that we are wrapping up the first quarter of the school year. This week at Creekside:

• Please check with your child's teacher and sign up for a parent/teacher conference.
• Thursday, October 6th is a 1/2 day for students. We will dismiss at 11:10 a.m.
• Friday, October 7th- No school for students. Happy Fall Break!

Please scroll through this newsletter for information on:

• Lifetouch School Pictures- don't miss out on ordering
• ALL Kids Insurance for students
• October Lunch and Breakfast menus

Have a GREAT week!

For those new to Creekside, BOOSTERTHON is our only big fundraiser each year.

Parents who wish to attend the Fun Run may meet classes at the soccer fields. You will need to park in the north parking lot. Please do not park in the grass near the soccer fields or in the parking lot in front of the elementary school, due to so many students moving through those areas.

It's going to be a GREAT week! This is also the last full week of this 9 weeks. Now, that is hard to believe. Talk to your children and check PowerSchool to make sure they have completed any make-up work and turned in all assignments. Our teachers look forward to meeting with you on Parenting day, October 6th. Students will attend 1/2 day on October 6th and we'll meet with parents that afternoon and evening.

Creekside Elementary families!

Tomorrow we have our SafeDefend lock-down drill. If your child has an appointment and needs to check out, please do so before 12:30. We will not be able to check students out during the drill. We are sorry for any inconvenience.

If your child was on free or reduced lunch last year, today ended the 30-day grace period. If you have not filled out a new application, your child's account changed to a payment account today. You may still complete an application for this school year. Go to this link,
MySchoolBucks or come by the school if you need assistance.

We enjoyed seeing all of our visitors last week during Grandparents Week. We served 498 meals to visitors. Thank you to our awesome cafeteria staff and our volunteers who helped us keep everything running smoothly.

We’re only ONE day away from our Creekside Elementary Fun Run Kick Off and our students and staff are so excited! We’re looking forward to having fun and building community together.

⭐️ Log into MYBOOSTER.COM today to get started! ⭐️

Register & share today to help our school reach our goal of $45,000 for students & staff.

PLUS, register before tonight. Any parent/guardian who registers their student before 09/20/2022 will be entered to win a (REGISTRATION PRIZE, if applicable.)

Check out this 30-second video about our upcoming event >> Click for Fun!

Thank you for supporting our school - we are grateful for our amazing school community!

*** PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU LOOK BELOW THIS MESSAGE FOR MORE UPDATES AND INFO.

We've got another BIG week with a PTO meeting, Family Game Night, and Grandparents Week. We're also getting ready to kick off BOOSTERTHON, our BIG fundraiser for the year.

Did you see your child's progress report? They were sent home Friday so if you haven't seen your child's yet, check those bookbags and folders.

Monday night- PTO meeting 5:00; Family Game Night 5:30-7:00

As a reminder, we'd like for grandparents to try to use the following schedule to visit for lunch. We understand that there may be special circumstances where you will need to come on a different day. Please let your child's classroom teacher know of any changes.

Monday is for 3rd-grade girls and their grandparents.

Tuesday is for 3rd-grade boys and their grandparents.

Wednesday is for 4th-grade girls and their grandparents.

Thursday is for 4th-grade boys and their grandparents.

Friday is for 5th-grade boys and girls.

A few changes were made to the September lunch menu to better serve Grandparents Week. Please use the updated menu shown below. This week on Monday we will have country steak with gravy, mashed potatoes, roasted broccoli, buttered roll, and fruit. On Tuesday we will have hamburgers/cheeseburgers with fixings, potato rounds, buttered corn, and fruit. Wednesday we will have lasagna roll, tossed salad, buttered corn, garlic breadstick,, and fruit. On Thursday we will have spicy or regular chicken with white sauce, creamed potatoes, green peas, buttered roll, and fruit. Friday we will have pizza, tossed salad, harvest punch, mini rice Krispy, and fruit.

Creekside Elementary families,

The day is here! You can now register for our Creekside Elementary Fun Run! Our goal is to raise $45,000 for school needs. Registering is easy and free!

⭐️ Register Now On MYBOOSTER.COM ⭐️

Just for registering, you can enter our PARENT SWEEPSTAKES to a {REG_PRIZE}. In order to be eligible for the drawing, you must register before kickoff on 09/20/2022.

Be sure to check out the easy sharing functions on MYBOOSTER.COM to let others know how they can help support our school.

Thank you for working with us to make our school stronger. We are grateful for your support!

We want to make sure that every student has all of their needs met. Mrs. Terah Neilson is our parent liaison. Please call her if you have any questions or know of any needs for your own family or others. We will be sending out letters for Full Tummy bags this week. Please watch for this info. We keep this as confidential and low-key as possible and want to assist any and all students who have needs.

We have a busy month ahead.

• Sept. 9th- East Limestone will come over for our first pep rally.
• Sept. 9th- Progress Reports will be sent home
• Sept. 12th- 5:00- PTO Meeting; 5:30-6:30 Family Game Night- COME FOR THE PTO MEETING AND STAY FOR THE FUN!
• Sept. 12th-16th- Grandparents' Week at Creekside
• Sept. 15th- flu shots for students- forms must be completed
• Sept. 20th- BOOSTERTHON KICK-OFF
• Sept. 28th- BOOSTERTHON EVENT

Cafeteria News- Remember that everyone may get a free breakfast at school each day. Students need to be on time for school in order to get breakfast.

Any parent who wants to join their child for lunch in the cafeteria will need to do the following:

• Check with your child's teacher for their specific lunchtime.
• Bring your ID and check in at the elementary office for a visitor's pass.
• Once you get your pass, you may wait on the bench outside the cafeteria for your child.
• We hope to have a guest table available where you and your child may eat.

• Please do not bring in food from restaurants (Chick-Fil-A, Burger King, Subway, etc.)

• Tuesdays- K and 3rd-grade

• Wednesdays- 1st and 4th-grade

• Thursdays- 2nd and 5th-grade

Friday, August 26th is School Picture Day. The Picture Day ID is shown in the newsletter and will allow you to go ahead and order pictures as soon as you'd like. You can have them sent directly to your home.

Creekside Extended Day is open and ready to provide your child with a safe and fun place to stay after school. Check the newsletter for forms or contact Karl Carter or Terri Black.

Have a GREAT week!

Remember that everyone may eat breakfast for free, but lunches are not free this year. You can add money to your child's lunch account through MySchoolBucks. We also invite you to complete the free or reduced lunch application. All of this information is in the Back to School Info that was sent on Remind and I will resend the newsletter tonight.

Creekside Bus 66 will be doubled tomorrow morning. Expect delays in pickup times. We ask for your patience as we are actively recruiting new drivers to fill open positions.

Please be patient in car line. We have lots of new families. It's always hot and crowded the first few days. Pay attention to Officer Amy and staff as they direct you through the line.

We are looking forward to a Fantastic Year!

If you haven't completed a free/reduced lunch application, please check out the QR code in the newsletter or pick up an application in the front office. Your child's teacher can send you an application too. Let us know how to help you.

WE NEED BUS DRIVERS! Thank you for your patience with our buses. If you or anyone you know is interested in becoming a school bus driver, please contact the Limestone County Schools transportation department.

Let's have some fun with East vs Athens Week. Creekside Dress up days are listed below.

The link below for Back to School Info for Parents has lots of information. Please refer to it often.

Thank you for entrusting us with your children. We are off to a great start of a phenomenal year of learning and fun!

~DR

It's hard to believe that we're ending another school year, but here we are. Thank you for all of your support throughout the year.

Thursday, May 26th is a half-day for students. We will dismiss at 11:10

Open House for the Fall of 2022 will be Tuesday, August 2nd from 4:00- 6:00.

Have a GREAT Summer!

Tomorrow our 4th-grade students will celebrate famous Alabamians with their "Wax Museum Projects". From 10:30-11:30 classes and parents may tour the 4th-grade hall to see some life-like representations of some famous individuals from Alabama history.

We will also wrap up STAR Reading and Math tests this week. We want everyone to do their very best on these assessments so we can see how much academic growth has been achieved by each student this year and make plans for the summer and next year.

Encourage your students to make sure they are doing their best work these last two weeks of school. Teachers are trying to make learning fun and finish up some important grades too. There's no time to waste as we enter the final stretch of the school year.

Let's have a TERRIFIC week!

Our year is quickly winding down. We still have some classes finishing the end of the year STAR Reading and math tests. I'm amazed at the growth that we're seeing in students who have already completed testing. Teachers are still busy making sure every student is ready for the next grade. Remind your kids that there are still lessons to be learned and that excellent behavior is very important.

We're looking forward to our elementary field day this Friday, May 13th.

Thank you to Lindsay Lane East for cooking for teachers and staff on Friday. Hibachi was enjoyed by everyone. We're looking forward to our teacher and staff lunch tomorrow from Fairview Baptist. Thank you for taking care of us!

This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. The SMORE newsletter contains ideas for things to do for teachers this week, but don't let the list limit you in making our teachers feel special.

Friday is Field Day for Creekside Elementary. Primary will have their field day on Thursday. There is a link for parents to volunteer in the newsletter too. We need you to help make our field day GREAT!

Remember to check messages from teachers. We still have lots of learning to do along with some fun activities to wrap up this year.

Have a GREAT week!

Field Day is coming up on May 6th. If you haven't signed up to volunteer, the link will be available in the SMORE newsletter or you can visit Creekside PTO's Facebook page.

We are excited to be finished with state testing and we know our students did their very best. We have two big assessments left for the year. 3rd grade will begin DIBELS testing this week. Then on May 2nd, we will begin the end-of-year STAR reading and math assessments. These assessments are important because they let us see immediately the growth that students have achieved for the year.

For lunch this week, we will be swapping Monday and Tuesday's menus.

Monday, April 25th Tuesday, April 26th

Hamburgers/Cheeseburger Country Steak w/gravy

Lettuce, Tomato, Dill slices Creamed Potatoes

Potato Wedges Green Peas

Baked Beans Roll

Fruit Fruit

Let's have a wonderful week!

We will be swapping meals on Monday and Tuesday this week. Monday (4-11-22) we will be serving pork sandwiches. Tuesday (4-12-22) we will be serving cheesy pull-apart bread.

PTO Meeting is tomorrow evening at 5:00. Rita's will be with us serving sweet treats.

This week we're continuing our ACAP state testing. Tomorrow third and fourth grades and other small groups will begin completing ELA testing. This is the reading and language arts part of the test. We can't wait to see what an awesome job our Creekside kids do on this test.

We're planning our first in-person PTO meeting for April 11th. Please make plans to attend.

It's hard to believe we have less than two months left in this school year. Let's continue to work to make this a great learning year for our students.

Have a great week!

Thursday, March 24th- Parent Conferences 1:00- 6:00

Friday, March 25- NO School for Students- Happy Spring Break

April 11- PTO meeting

We had a GREAT time during Read Across America last week. Let's keep that momentum going and add a little math too. Commit to reading with your child for twenty minutes every day and spending some time practicing math facts.

As the weather gets warmer, students are anxious to pull out those shorts and t-shirts and I don't blame them. Please take a few minutes and have your own little fashion show. Have students try on shorts and shirts to see what may no longer meet Limestone County Dress Code:

Shorts, skirts, and dresses too short in length are not allowed. A general guide to length is that the item should fall below the tips of the fingers when arms are fully extended to the side; however, due to physical differences in some students, this guide may mean some items are still too short. The entire hemline of athletic-cut shorts should fall below the fingertips.

The full dress code can be found in the LCS Student Handbook on p. 65. (www.lcsk12.org)

PTO Meeting Date Change- We are going to reschedule our meeting for after Spring Break. Our hope is that we can meet in person! The date is still up in the air but we are considering April 11th.

10Christy Boggs, Brittney Durham and 8 others

We are looking forward to a fun Read Across America Week and a terrific Scholastic Spring Book Fair! Remember to continue with the reading challenge. Reading logs are due Friday, March 4th.

School begins at 7:35. This means that students should be in their classrooms, ready to begin instruction at 7:35. The car line has been running a little slow lately. Please remember that if you arrive at 7:35 or later, you will need to park and walk in with your child. Mornings are hard, but let's work together to make each day a positive start for our kids. They deserve it!

Breakfast is free and available for all students. Students who wish to eat breakfast at school should report to the cafeteria FIRST, as soon as they arrive on campus. At 7:20, students will be released to go to their classrooms. Students who arrive on campus after 7:20 may still go by the cafeteria for a grab and go breakfast to take to their classrooms.

February 21, 2022

Read Across America and our book fair begins Monday, February, 28th. Attached to the newsletter, you will see some of the fun days we have planned.

By the way, research shows that reading for just 20 minutes a night with your child will expose them to more vocabulary and help improve their comprehension. For adults, reading 20 minutes per night reduces stress, anxiety, and the chances of suffering from insomnia. EVERYBODY WINS!!! So find some fun new books or dig out your old favorites and enjoy this time together.

Congratulations to all of our 3 on 3 basketball teams and their spectators. Lots of fun was had by the teams and their classmates who cheered them on.

Congratulations to our new Jr. Beta Club members. We know they are going to continue to be great leaders in our school.

We are in what most consider the most critical academic time of the year. Teachers are working hard to create lessons, with many of these lessons containing new content. We know that we have from now until spring break to really make sure that students are mastering standards. ACAP state testing begins right after spring break. Please help us by reminding your children of expectations at school for good behavior and attentiveness.

2/28/22- Read Across American and Spring Book Fair Kick-Off

3/4/22- Reading Logs Due; Read Across American and Book Fair End

3/5/22- Continue that habit of reading with your child for 20 minutes each night.

3/7/22- PTO Meeting

3/21, 3/22- 4th Grade Field Trip to Montgomery (1 group on Mon. and 1 on Tues.)

3/24/22- Half Day for Students

3/25/22- No School for Students- HAPPY SPRING BREAK!

4/4/22- EVERYONE RETURNS TO SCHOOL

Lunch menu is attached below!

Thanks for all you do to make Creekside THE BEST PLACE TO BE!!!

Dana Rhinehart

Tomorrow night at 5:00, please we will have our virtual PTO meeting via Facebook Live. Like our Creekside PTO page and you'll be able to join us.

Our teachers are anxious to teach students and get them prepared for ACAP testing at the end of March. Please help us by reminding students about paying attention and following directions while at school. Also, plan fun reading times with your child every night and maybe a few minutes reviewing math facts. Just 15-20 minutes a night will help your child grow.

We are looking forward to everyone feeling better and being back at school this week! Our attendance for students and faculty was better by the end of last week. If your child has been absent, please send in any doctor's notes or parent notes and encourage your child to get make-up work completed.

February 7th at 5:00 is the new date for our virtual PTO meeting on Facebook Live.

Look at the info below to order Creekside Spirit Gear and Candy Grams.

Let's have a Great Week!

I hope this finds you all staying warm and healthy. Tomorrow, Monday, January 24th will be a virtual learning day for students. Teachers will contact you with information on assignments. Students know how to log onto Google Classroom and find assignments there. If students don't have access to a device, encourage them to read books. Revisiting their favorite storybooks is still a great way to practice fluency. Hopefully, they have their library books in their bookbags. Practice math facts. All students benefit from practicing addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts. The faster and more automatic those facts become, the easier other math skills will be. Helping you make dinner and following recipes is also great for math and reading skills. We need this to be a learning day for students and can't wait to hear about all they do tomorrow.

After-school tutoring will now begin on February 1, 2022. You must have completed a form to participate.

4th-grade parents,

There is still time to sign up for the 5th grade trip to Washington D.C. and other historical venues. There is a $100 discount right now when you register. Email Mrs. Abbie Broam for more details.

Mark your calendars for a virtual PTO meeting on February 7th at 5:00 p.m. via Facebook Live. We look forward to working with PTO to have some fun activities for students and staff this year.

Parents, we are now in the 3rd nine weeks of the school year. This is a critical time for students. Once spring activities begin, it's often a challenge to teach essential skills. Creekside students are always on top in achievement, but we know there are gaps to be filled due to COVID and extended absences. Please remind students of behavior expectations. Teachers are working extra hard to make sure that every student understands all the essential standards. This requires more small group instruction and other students working independently on skills through IXL and Savvas math, and other programs and reading independently to improve their reading levels.

Also, please review the COVID guidelines. If you have any questions about whether to send your child to school, Nurse Lacey is happy to answer your questions.

Again, stay warm and stay healthy! We look forward to seeing you Tuesday!

Hi Parents!

Great news! Due to additional interest, the registration deadline for the trip to Washington, D.C. has been extended– don’t miss out on the fun! Here is a link to the DC PowerPoint presentation in case you missed the parent meeting.

If you’ve already registered, please send this note to a friend who hasn’t! If you haven’t registered, there’s still time to save $100 off the trip price and extend your payments so they’re smaller! You can register by paying just a $49 deposit. It’s easy to sign up:

• Online – at www.worldstrides.org Your Trip ID is 199951
• By phone – call the WorldStrides Customer Service Team at 1-800-468-5899
• By mail – use the student invitation you received

Gift of Education is a great tool for your children to use to invite family and friends to give toward their education travel program. It also gives them the chance to receive a unique gift while giving them ownership in their fundraising. All of the money given through this goes directly to the student's account. All student's need is their account number, found on an invoice or by logging into their personal MyTrip page. I know grandparents and relatives appreciate the extra effort when students write them personally asking for a donation to their trip. Letter templates can be found on the website.

I hope your child can join us in October!

Best,

Mrs. Broam

Report cards will come home Tuesday.

We continue to monitor students and staff with COVID symptoms. Remind your child that they must wear masks on school buses. We also need to wash hands and use sanitizer often and social distance as much as possible. If you would like for your child to wear a mask, that is fine too.

Next Monday, January 17th, we are out of school for Martin Luther King Jr Day.

Let's have a great week and ROLL TIDE!!!

As we begin the 3rd quarter of the school year, we hope everyone will return to school focused and ready to learn. Report cards will go home Friday.

COVID remains in the headlines. Please monitor your child for fever or other symptoms and contact Nurse Lacey if you have any questions.

Again, welcome back!

Hello and Happy last week of school for 2021!

Students will have a half-day on Friday, December 17th.

Students will return to school on Wednesday, January 5, 2022.

As I'm sure most of you have seen, Kentucky was hit by terrible storms over the weekend. Creekside PTO would like to partner with you all in blessing those affected by the storms. We are requesting spare change from students, faculty, and friends. Buckets will be set up in the elementary and primary offices Monday - Thursday. We will then take the money and donate it to the Mayfield School District Family Resource Centers to help families affected by the storms. Thank you in advance for thinking of others.

Merry Christmas!

• DIBELS benchmark testing and progress monitoring- DIBELS measures fluency and helps us diagnose errors in reading that may affect comprehension.
• STAR Reading and Math Assessments- Students take these tests at the beginning, middle, and end of the year. The results help us determine growth and where gaps in learning are so that we can address individual student needs. It is very important that students focus and do their best on these assessments.

REMEMBER, STUDENTS MAY WEAR RED OR GREEN TOMORROW TO CELEBRATE THE COUNTDOWN TO THE HOLIDAYS!

• Nov. 10th- Veterans Day Parade at Creekside at 9:00 a.m. A link to the form with details and information is attached to the red button above.
• Nov. 12th- Spelling Bee Preliminaries- We always have fierce competition. Good luck to all our participants.
• Nov. 11th- NO school- Visit a veteran or talk to your children about veterans in your family and community.
• Nov. 17th- 4th Grade Parents-Meeting Wednesday, November 17, 2021, at 6:30 PM in the Creekside Elementary cafeteria.
  
• Nov. 18th- PROGRESS REPORTS GO HOME
• Nov. 22nd- E-learning Day for students and teachers- Teachers will be sending out more information about assignments the week of the 18th.
• Nov. 23rd- Nov. 28th- Thanksgiving Holidays
• Order your yearbook now. Information is linked below.

Have a great week! To all of our Creekside parents who are veterans, thank you for your service to our great nation.

DR

My door is always open. Creekside Elementary and Creekside Primary are unique and amazing schools in Limestone County. Mr. Scott, Mrs. Adams, Mrs. Martin, and I try to make decisions to keep our students and staff healthy and safe. The biggest difference between us and other schools (besides our AWESOMENESS) is our size. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to call, email, or stop by and see me. I'll be happy to talk to you.

November is a great month to teach our kids about gratitude, being thankful, and the uniqueness of our families. Tell your kids stories about your families.

I am thankful for each of you and our entire Creekside staff.

Much love,

Dana Rhinehart

Mark your calendars. We kick off our Book Fair on Monday, October 25th. We have some fun activities planned in conjunction with the book fair. (See below.)

Picture make-up day is Tuesday, October 26th.

Creekside Families! We had an incredible time during our Dance Fit!

We’re proud of our students, families, teachers, business sponsors, staff, and so many more. It’s been an incredible event, and with your help, we were able to raise $41,000!

Thank you for your help and generosity. Thank you for your sacrifice during this time. Our school is stronger with your donations and amazing support!

*Donating STILL open for anyone to donate until 10/5 for those who would like to continue to share/give.*

Thank you again for your support and care for our school!

CreeksideFamilies!

The weekend is almost over! ! I hope you enjoyed some much-deserved relaxation this weekend.

Thank you for every share and donation you all have contributed to our fundraiser. We appreciate everyone’s support as we raise funds for Outdoor Classrooms and New Classroom Technology. If you haven’t registered your student onmybooster.com, it’s easy to do this weekend.

Then, consider sharing with extended family and friends. And if you are able to, consider making a donation as well. Every share and donation adds up to make a BIG difference for our school.

If your family does get a donation this weekend, you’ll be part of the Weekend Challenge! Any student that gets$2 per minute​or a total of $60 in NEW donations logged on mybooster.com receives a BONUS prize.

Thank you for supporting our school.

Have a great weekend!

Creekside Families!

We’re only 1 day away from our Creekside Dance Fit and we are so excited! We’re looking forward to having fun and building community together.

Donating officially opened on mybooster.com, and you can support our school in 3 steps:

1. REGISTER your student(s) on mybooster.com today. It takes 30 seconds!

2. SHARE with 5 family/friends using the SHARE tools on mybooster.com (Facebook, Text Message or Email). Students can earn rewards just for sharing from mybooster.com.

3. GIVE a donation if you are able to give.

Key dates to remember:

⭐️ Donating Opens - TODAY!

Register on MYBOOSTER.COM, Share, & Give!

⭐️ Event Kick Off - 9/20

⭐️ Event Day - 9/28
SAVE THE DATE!

Every share and donation makes a difference! And, don’t forget…

• All students get to participate in the Event day, regardless of financial participation

• Students will experience an incredible character development program. They’ll be learning about the importance of curiosity, confidence, humility, practice, and endurance by following along with Sports City Worldwide! Check out the trailer here: https://vimeo.com/569056182/a3547ba2ee

Thank you for supporting our school - we are grateful for our amazing school community!

It is 2021 East Limestone “Homecoming Week”!! Dress-Up Days are listed below! Attire must be within the school dress code. Show your Indian Pride by joining in for these fun themes! #tribepride #ELHSfootball

The Homecoming Parade is on Thursday, September 16, 2021, at 6 pm. The parade route will start at Oak Leaf Subdivision and end at the school. The parade will be followed by a community-wide Pep Rally on the football field! Everyone is welcome! #FearTheSpear

• If you ask a teacher to have make-up work prepared for your child, please pick it up in a timely manner.
• Make-up work is HARD for everyone involved. Please remember:
• Teachers will make available any missed work to students in grades K-5 and/or their parents. It should be completed by the student and returned to the teacher by the end of the 5th school day following the absence.
  
• Please check the LCS calendars for the 2021 and 2022 school years when planning trips and vacations.
• Students have three school days to bring in a written excuse for an absence. Please see the LCS Student Handbook at www.lcsk12.org for information on excused absences and chronic absenteeism.

Our lunch menus are subject to change due to shortages and unavailable items. With that being said, this week the cafeteria plans to serve chicken wings or pizza tomorrow and hot dogs or pulled pork sandwiches on Wednesday. Thursday is deli sandwich or hotpocket, and Friday is corn dogs. (full menus provided below)

We still have some families who have not re-enrolled their students through PowerSchool. If you are having trouble, come to the school or call us and we'll be happy to help you.

Flu shots are Thursday for students who returned forms.

Have a GREAT week!

• Please contact Nurse Lacey if your child is quarantined. This will help us get attendance coded correctly and we can check in to see how your family is doing. Her email is lacey.blakely@lcsk12.org.
• The newest guideline states that if a student or staff member in a class tests positive for COVID-19, then all students in the class will have a letter sent home. It will be left up to parents/guardians to decide to quarantine or not.
• Masks are still highly recommended but are not required.
• Masks are required on school buses.
• Below is a copy of the letter that will be sent home if someone in a class tests positive.

Phase 2 of our PowerSchool online re-enrollment began Thursday. If you did not receive an email during Phase 1 of re-enrollment, your student should have brought a letter home on Thursday. These letters have a specific link, Snapcode, and online enrollment instructions. For further instructions on how to enroll, visit lcsk12.org. We need everyone who has not enrolled through PowerSchool to do so as soon as possible. Check those bookbags for letters and other info.

Also, if you have not completed a free/reduced lunch application, please do that too. While everyone gets free breakfast and lunch this year, the information is still needed.

Please complete the free/reduced lunch application. ALL students will receive free breakfast and lunch this year. Accurate free/reduced lunch percentages are needed for grants and other funding.

Check this newsletter often for updates and information. The red bars you see below contain links to more information. PLEASE PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE CAR LINE INFO.

If you have not signed up for Bus Reminds to get bus updates, please go to www.creeksideelem.org to sign up for those. We will try to keep you updated if there are issues with late buses. Also, for our bus riders, we need elementary students to go directly to the buses. Primary teachers walk their classes to the buses so there is no need for anyone to go pick up siblings. They can wait for younger siblings on the bus. Masks are required if your child is riding a school bus.

For car riders: If you have children in elementary and primary, and your primary students are in 1st or 2nd grade, please consider using the elementary car line in the afternoons. If you are making a change to the elementary car line, please let the office and your children's teachers know. Thank you.

Fall Picture Day is Friday, August 27th.

School Times

• 7:05 - Buses unload and student drop off begins

• 7:35 - Tardy bell rings and instruction begins

• 2:40 - End of the school day

Masks

• Masking is highly recommended for all students and employees but not required. Individuals will not need to quarantine if they meet the 3 feet or more social distancing guidance and all individuals are wearing a mask.

Monitoring the health of students

• Parents are strongly encouraged to monitor their child before sending to school and keep their child home if they show any signs of being sick

• We will not be taking student temperatures on a daily basis

• As students show symptoms we will take temperatures and contact parents as needed

• Students with a fever will be sent home and cannot return to school until 24 hours fever free (per student handbook)

• Parents should contact the school nurse immediately if their child tests positive for COVID

Cleaning and Sanitizing

• Creekside staff will be cleaning and sanitizing classrooms and other areas of our school more often and will be using the latest technology in sanitizing.

Field Trips

• We will be scheduling regular Field Trips as in the past

Extended Day

• Creekside will not be offering Extended Day or any type of afterschool care this school year

Buses

• If you need information concerning your bus number please let your teacher know or call Creekside @ 256-233-6452 for more information

Visitors

• At this time we will not be allowing visitors for lunch or classroom visits

• We will be evaluating each week and plan to be back to normal operations soon

Check-ins and Check-outs

• If you arrive after 7:35 you must park and walk your child to the front door of the building

• Our office staff will be there to assist you

• If you need to check your child out, please come to the front office and someone will assist you. A

• Please do not call ahead of time to ask for your child to be waiting on you.

Thank you for all you do as parents to help with the health and safety of our students.

This week in the cafeteria, Manager Mrs. Violet says, "Monday will be POT LUCK DAY! We will have a little bit of EVERYTHING! So please come see what the SURPRISE will BE!!!"

Breakfast: Cinni Minis

Tuesday: Breaded Steak Pattie on Sandwich bun, Mashed Potatoes, Fruit, Milk

Breakfast: Muffins

Wednesday: Turkey Roast Sandwich & Turkey Sandwich, Chips, Carrots, Fruit, Milk

Thursday: Ham&Cheese Sandwich, Chips, Carrots, Fruit, Milk

On Wednesday, we will hold our 5th grade promotion ceremonies. Each student received 4 tickets. Please remind guests that they will need their tickets to enter. We will have tables set up for each teacher's class. If you plan on checking your child out, a sign-out sheet will be on the teacher's table. Sign them out before the ceremony.

Summer SOAR program begins June 21st for 3rd graders whose parents registered for this summer reading program.

Thank you for entrusting us with your children this year. It was scary at first and there were lots of unknowns but together we have handled everything the pandemic threw at us.

I love you all! Have a GREAT summer!

Wow – we’ve had a tremendous response to our spring educational travel adventure to Washington, D.C., and New York City. The bus is quickly filling up so don’t miss the fun! Please take a moment and register for only $99 and find out if you qualify for any of the FREE $2.5 million that’s available to families with an adjusted gross income of $85,000 or less. If you don’t ask for some of the money, someone else will!

Here is a personalized website about our trip: Creekside's 2021 Washington, DC program. If you’ve already registered, be sure to send this to two friends and remind them to register!

• Online – at www.worldstrides.org Our Trip ID is 191976
• By phone – call the WorldStrides Customer Service Team at 1-800-468-5899
• By mail – use the student invitation you received

Please be sure to purchase the Full Refund Program to protect your account.

Let me know if you have any questions!

Warmly,

Mrs. Broam

9-7-2020

Hey! This is Dana Rhinehart, principal at Creekside Elementary. I hope you've all had a great Labor Day weekend. Here's some information for the upcoming week at Creekside.

This is homecoming week at East Limestone and to join the fun, students and staff are invited to join in the dress-up days. Tuesday is Twin Day, Wednesday is USA Day, Thursday is Jersey Day, and Friday is Decade Day.

September 9th- Flu shots will be available for students at Creekside. Please send forms in for flu shots if you have not already done so. For virtual students, information on when and where you may get flu shots will be posted on the website and we’ll get the information to the virtual teachers.

Progress reports will go home Friday.

October 7th is make-up day for pictures.

Yearbooks have been delivered. We have a very limited supply of yearbooks to sell. They are $40 and will be sold on a first come basis.

Please keep looking for Creekside library books and return them to the school.

For lunch Tuesday we will have corn dogs and tater tots. Wednesday we'll have cheeseburgers and chips, Thursday we'll have steak nuggets, creamed potatoes, and biscuits, and on Friday we'll have pizza.

Check out the school newsletter of Facebook, Twitter, or Remind for more details.

Have a GREAT week!

Hello Creekside Families!

It's hard to believe that we are ending our school year. Please understand that decisions that are made are in an effort to keep everyone safe and healthy. This is not how any of us would like to end the year.

Important information for closing out the school year:

• May 19-22: Each teacher will come to school on one of these days.

• Teachers will bag up and label all of your child’s personal belongings.

• Items will be placed on tables in front of the school.

• Teachers will notify you when items are ready for pick up.

• BRING ALL TEXTBOOKS AND LIBRARY BOOKS TO SCHOOL WHEN YOU COME TO PICK UP PERSONAL ITEMS.

• Place books in tubs and close lids.

Limestone County Schools will not be holding awards/graduation ceremonies for 5th grade or kindergarten. We know this will be a big disappointment to some. Again, please understand that decisions were made in consideration of the health and safety of everyone and we had to consider the difficulty that groups of elementary students would have in maintaining social distancing.

Please join me in welcoming Mrs. Beck Martin as Creekside Elementary's new assistant principal. We are beyond excited to add Mrs. Martin to our Creekside Family!

Take care and enjoy the sunshine.

We'll talk to you soon.

I hope this finds you all doing well. This week is Teacher Appreciation Week. Please show our exceptional Creekside teachers some extra love this week. I cannot begin to tell you how much I appreciate each of them and all they have done over the past few weeks to make sure that students are still learning and know that we love them.

Here are a few important reminders for this week:

• May 8th- Last day of instruction for this school year
• May 8- 12- Return paper packets IF you have not been sending pics of work to teachers

• Paper Packets-
  

• IF you have been emailing or texting pictures of student work to teachers, you DO NOT need to return the work packet.

• 5TH GRADE, TEAR ALL WORKBOOK PAGES OUT OF WORKBOOKS. DO NOT RETURN WORKBOOKS TO SCHOOL.

• ALL WORK SHOULD BE PLACED BACK IN THE LARGE ENVELOPE OR A LARGE ZIPLOC BAG.

• LABEL PACKET WITH THE STUDENT’S FIRST AND LAST NAME AND THEIR TEACHER’S NAME.

• RETURN TO SCHOOL AND PLACE IN GRADE LEVEL TUB.

BOOKS, LIBRARY BOOKS, RECORDERS

• Gather any textbooks and library books and keep them in a safe place for now so they won’t be lost or damaged.

• 4th-grade recorders that are home should be washed/sanitized and put in a safe place so they can be used again next year.

• PLEASE DO NOT RETURN THESE ITEMS TO SCHOOL AT THIS TIME.

Continue to monitor social media and calls for school information.

Have a GREAT week!

DR

Meals are available at Athens Elementary again this week on Monday and Thursday from 10:00-12:00.

Teachers throughout our system are busy creating resources for you to use at home. Each red bar below is a link to a different SMORE newsletter with ideas, activities, and resources to help keep students learning and keep minds sharp. Check them out.

Have a GREAT week! I love and miss you more than you know!

Dana Rhinehart

With the release of the public health order on April 3rd, there will be no meal service at Limestone County Schools. A drive-thru service is available to anyone 18 and under at Athens Elementary School on Monday and Thursday from 10:00-12:00. A child must be present. Two breakfast and two lunch meals will be given to the student each Monday and Thursday to cover two days of meals. Thank you to our local churches for helping provide these meals. Parents, please let your child's teacher know if you have needs and we will try our best to help you.

Teachers were allowed to return to their classrooms this week for a quick visit to pick up materials. It is still completely overwhelming to have to close our campus. But, Creekside teachers are ROCK STARS! They have been busy preparing packets and finding ways to connect with all of you. On Tuesday, instruction begins. I can't wait to hear how everything goes on this new adventure.

Stay safe and stay healthy! We miss you all!!

Hello! This is Dana Rhinehart, principal at Creekside Elementary. It’s been 2 weeks now since we’ve been in school and I sure do miss seeing everyone. This coming week is Spring Break. I hope there will be some sunshine to enjoy while we continue to practice social distancing.

Limestone County Schools district staff and teachers have been working hard on a plan for the remainder of the school year. The details will be ironed out this week. You will receive an important message from your child’s teacher in the next day or two and we would appreciate your quick response.

Please check the school website, FB, or Twitter for up to date information. Check out Creekside Reads on Instagram for some fun stories. If you have not signed up for the school Remind, Text the message @danarh to the number 81010. I think it might be fun to set up a zoom meeting with students and/or parents and I’d send the link on Remind. So again, if you haven’t signed up for the Creekside Elementary parent Remind, text the message @danarh to the number 81010.

Have a GREAT SPRING BREAK! Stay safe and stay healthy!

Apple and other smart watches may only be used for telling time during school hours. They must be placed in backpacks or given to the teacher during testing.

The 1st time a student is caught playing games or texting the student will be asked to take the watch off and put it in their backpack.

A 2nd offense will result in the teacher taking the watch until the end of the day.

A 3rd offense will result in the watch being taken to the principal and the parent will be called to pick it up at a convenient time for both parties.

We understand that these are expensive devices and great communication tools, but they can also be a distraction. These devices may not be connected to our WiFi using BYOD or guest. With all the devices on our campus, our network will not support extra smart devices. Remember that you may always call the school office if you need to get a message to your child during the day.

Plus, we want all our students here. It makes us very happy when classes get their tent on the wall for perfect attendance and teachers know everyone is present for instruction.

Speaking of the Book Fair, check out the link on the PTO Facebook page to volunteer at the book fair.

Tuesday is Spring Picture Day. We will be taking individual pics, class pics, and club pics. Wear your best SMILE. Tuesday is also "Wear Sunglasses Day", but not for pictures.

Wednesday is "Wear Wacky Clothes Day".

Thursday is "Twin Day". If you don't have a friend to twin with, no worries. Wear your Creekside Fun Run shirt and you'll have lots of twins!

Friday is "Wear your Favorite College Shirt or colors".

Surveys- We need YOU to complete surveys for our Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence visit. Here's the link- https://assessment.blueribbonschools.com/ Now, all you need to do is dig through that folder or backpack for the letter with the unique code so you can complete the surveys. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Oh, you can warn your kids a little early. During March, my Irish cousins send these little leprechauns to play and cause mischief. I managed to capture 24 of them and got them into the STEM lab where they are now hiding from me. I'm hoping students will help me find them while they're visiting the book fair so I can send them back to their homes.

Tomorrow is the last day to order Autism t-shirts. Please support our special ed department by purchasing one of these shirts. (Details below)

Pre-K registration continues. (Details below)

Another exciting event for us is that Creekside Elementary and Creekside Primary have been chosen to go through the process to become National Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence. Parent surveys will come home tomorrow. We would appreciate your help in completing these surveys. If you have a student in each school, please complete a survey for each school. (More info can be found below.)

Pre-K Registration continues. (More info below)

Autism t-shirts are on sale now. (More info below)

Upcoming Dates:

2-24-2020 - Parent surveys for Blue Ribbon Schools of Excellence go home.

2-24-2020 - Creekside PTO Meeting- 5:00 p.m.

2-26-2020 - 1/2 day for Students

2-28-2020 4th grade field trip to Montgomery

3/2 - 3/6/2020 - Read Across America

Upcoming Dates:

2-10 & 2-11-2020 - Limestone County will continue superintendent interviews at 6:00 p.m. at the Career Tech Center.

2-13-2020 - Creekside Junior Beta Club Induction- 9:00 a.m. We are excited to have so many

deserving students to be inducted into the Beta Club. Please remember that each student may bring only 2 guests due to our limited space.

2-17-2020 - No School- Presidents' Day

2-18-2020 - Limestone County School Board Meeting at Creekside- 6:00- cafeteria

2-21 & 2-28-2020 4th grade field trip to Montgomery

2-24-2020 - Creekside PTO Meeting- 5:00 p.m.

We've had a few cases of the flu and strep reported. Please let us know if your child is confirmed with strep or flu. Please remind children to practice good hygiene habits. We hope everyone stays healthy.

This is the last week to register to play softball and baseball through ELAA. Register at www.elaa.club. Registration closes 1/31/2020.

The lunch menu is attached below.

Have a GREAT week!

January 28th and 29th- 4th-grade vision screenings- Consent forms will be sent home.

February 12th- Vaccine Clinic- Info will be sent home.

-Ms. Hains

Reserve a copy of the 2020 Creekside Elementary School yearbook today!

Blood, sweat, and tears.
Friends, jokes, and successes.

It’s all preserved in the yearbook.

ORDER NOW

We are excited about welcoming everyone back to school Monday morning. We hope everyone is rested and ready for the second semester.

Our continuous improvement goals this year are to increase student proficiency in reading comprehension, math, and to decrease chronic absenteeism.

It's GREAT to be a CREEKSIDE CHIEF!

Here are a few reminders for the week:

• Be weather aware Monday. All after school activities have been canceled.
• Junior Beta Service Project - They are collecting canned goods, toiletries, baby items, and other supplies for the New Futures Family Lodge. More info is posted below.
• Tuesday, December 17th- Drama Club Performance @ 6:30 p.m.
• Thursday, December 19th- Polar Express Day
• Friday, December 20th- Christmas Parties @ 9:00; half day for students

LOST AND FOUND- We have lots of sweatshirts, jackets, coats, and other items that need to be claimed before Christmas break. All items not claimed will be donated at the end of the day on Dec. 19th.

Mark your calendars... It's almost time for Creekside 4th & 5th Grade Chorus! We will begin rehearsals after school on Wednesday, January 15. Keep an eye out for chorus permission forms which will go home on January 6. If you love to sing, work hard and have fun, please join us! --Ms. Hains

Keep scrolling for more info and pics from last week!

Merry Christmas!

Supper with Santa Update: Tuesday will be the last day to purchase Supper with Santa tickets online. Tickets are $10 per person. Everyone must have a ticket to enter. The first seating is full. The second seating begins at 6:45 and has about 100 tickets left. Chick-fil-A will be the dinner with your choice of nuggets or a sandwich. The Chick-fil-A cow and Santa will be there. A photographer will be there and you can have an electronic print sent to you for $2. We'll also have cookie decorating, letter writing to Santa, cookie decorating and vendors, including Rita's. Come have fun with Creekside PTO Thursday night.

Upcoming Dates:

Dec. 12th- Alabama author Laura Murray will visit with 4th graders

Dec. 12th- Supper with Santa

Dec. 13th- Spelling Bee Finals

Dec. 17th- Drama Performances (in school for students and 6:30 p.m. for friends and family)

Dec. 20th- 1/2 day for students; Christmas parties at 9:00 a.m.

Assessments:

DIBELS testing- 3rd grade completed testing last week and 4th and 5th grade will continue progress monitoring.

The STAR Reading and Math Assessment window is January 5- February 6. We will not test before Christmas Break.

It's Cool To Be Kind:

Our wall is filling up with snowflakes and snowmen as teachers identify students being kind or doing something nice without being prompted.

Assessments:

DIBELS testing begins this week to assess each student's growth in reading fluency.

Students will also take the STAR Reading and STAR Math assessments again before Dec. 20th. Unlike the Scantron testing program that we've used the past several years, the STAR assessments only take about 20-30 minutes for students to take. We use this data at Creekside to analyze the growth of individual students and the system uses the data to monitor progress at schools toward school and system goals for achievement. This will help us make sure we keep the "A" we received on the state report card. I'm still so proud of our students, faculty, and staff for this accomplishment.

Leaders:

Please encourage children to do their best, stay focused, and continue to be leaders with great behavior. Teachers have lots of engaging lessons to teach and fun activities too. It's such an exciting time of year but we also have some work to finish before the holidays.

Lunch for December 2nd is chicken tenders or chicken wings. The December menus will be posted soon.

Upcoming Dates:

Dec. 12th- Alabama author Laura Murray will visit with 4th graders

Dec. 12th- Supper with Santa

Dec. 13th- Spelling Bee Finals

Dec. 17th- Drama Performances (in school for students and 6:30 p.m. for friends and family)

Dec. 20th- 1/2 day for students; Christmas parties at 9:00 a.m.

Tuesday is Holiday Picture Day so everyone wear your best smile for holiday pictures.

4th-grade parents listen up: There will be a meeting on Tuesday night at 6:00 p.m. in the cafeteria to discuss next year’s Washington D.C. trip. This trip is an awesome experience for 5th grade students and we need more participation in order to continue planning it.

Creekside is applying to become a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. As part of this process, we need your help and input. Students will bring home a letter with survey information tomorrow. Please use the unique code in this letter to complete the survey. It’s important that we have a high percentage of survey completion, so please complete the surveys as soon as possible. We will have evaluators on campus Nov. 12th and 13th to see all the wonderful things happening at Creekside.

On Friday, November 8th we will honor our Veterans with breakfast and a special time together. If you need more information, please contact your child’s teacher or Mrs. Nona Adams.

For lunch this week,

Monday we will have spicy or regular chicken sandwiches, taco soup with corn chips, and fresh veggies with dip.

Tuesday we’ll have crispitos with cheese sauce or hot pocket pizza.

Wednesday we will have chicken stew with crackers or deli turkey and ham sandwich, with a half toasted grilled cheese for the stew.

Thursday we’ll have BBQ pork sliders or hamburgers and onion rings,

and on Friday we’ll have a pizza bar or chef salad with baked apples and cookies.

Schools will be closed next Monday, November 11th in observance of Veterans Day.

Have a GREAT week!

It's GREAT to be a Creekside Chief! We received an A on the state report card! We had fun with a successful Boosterthon and now we're celebrating Fall Festival and Red Ribbon Week. With all that's happening, we need to remember that our focus is on Continuous Improvement for Creekside. We want to continue loving students as we also work on improving reading proficiency, math proficiency, and attendance. We want to improve that 91/A and most of all make sure that all of our students are successful.

Fall Festival and the 4th/5th-grade dance are tomorrow (Monday night).

You may enter through the elementary office or the cafeteria entrance.

Bracelets for all access to the Fall Festival will be $10.

We will have a goldfish game where you can win a live goldfish, cake walk, drink toss, inflatables, and many more games. We also have 16 vendors signed up so please come out and have a great time that night.

4th and 5th Grade Dance- The dance is from 6:00- 7:30 and the cost is $10 per student. The costume contest will be at 6:30. No knives, fake guns, or other weapons. They will be taken at the door if brought in. Please, no scary costumes. Parents may stay for the costume contest. The winner will receive a gift card. All parents must come back inside to pick their students up. Please be there by 7:30. No one will be allowed to walk out to the parking lot without a parent. The dance is for 4th and 5th grade students only.

Concessions will be sold.

This week is Red Ribbon Week. Monday is "We are "red-y" to say no to drugs. Wear red.

Tuesday is I'm a "Jean-ious": I'm drug free. Wear something blue jean.

Wednesday is "Drugs can't find me". Wear camo.

Thursday is "Drugs are Scary. Say Boo to drugs." Wear orange and black.

Friday is "Wake up Drug Free." Wear pajamas.

Holiday pictures will be made November 5th.

Our Veteran's Day breakfast for Veterans will be November 8th.

We'll jump back in next week and kick-off our Boosterthon Fun Run Fundraiser. October is going to be BUSY, so get your calendars ready.

Tuesday, October 15th

• Picture Day IF your child was absent for school pictures on August 20th.
• Boosterthon Pep Rallies Pre-K- 2 @ 1:15, 3-5 @ 2:00
• 4:30- PTO Meeting featuring Boosterthon info and some special storytellers
• 5:30- 5th Grade D.C. Trip Mandatory Meeting for all participants

Wednesday, October 16th Wear RED to support Dyslexia Awareness.

October 22nd- Spelling Bee Forms are due

October 23rd- Storytelling Festival- 3rd and 4th Grades

October 24th- BOOSTERTHON FUN RUN

October 25th- Spelling Bee Preliminaries

October 28th- November 1st- Red Ribbon Week

November 8th- Veteran's Day Program

We've been having a few technical issues lately with our website and all call service. If you have not signed up for the elementary remind, Text the message @danarh to the number 81010. Also, check the Creekside Elementary Facebook and Twitter for info.

This Wednesday, September 25th is a half-day for students. Creekside will dismiss at 11:10. Remember, we will not have Extended Day on Wednesday either. This is a professional development day for teachers and staff.

We are celebrating homecoming with East Limestone this week with dress-up days. Tuesday is Twinning Tuesday (twins/ dynamic duos). Wednesday is Blind the Eagles Day. (wear neon). Thursday is Jersey Day. Friday is Blackout or East Attire.

Lost and Found- We will be donating items left in lost and found at the end of each nine weeks. Students pass the lost and found rack on the way to and from lunch every day. Please message your child's teacher if they need to stop and look for something. We have a ton of jackets, lunch boxes and a great pair of glasses. All unclaimed items will be donated during fall break.

Tuesday's lunch will be pulled pork sandwich or deli ham and cheese sandwich with coleslaw, baked beans, ice cream cup, and peaches. Wednesday will be a grab and go lunch. Thursday will be a cheeseburger or hamburger with potato chips, pudding, and mandarin oranges. Friday will be a pizza bar or fish sandwich.