THE NEWSLETTER

Dear CCS Families, Caregivers and Charlotte Community,

As we get ready to break for the week of Thanksgiving, we have much to be thankful for! Our CCS school community has been both the recipient and benefactor of great things this week!

• CCS was awarded a $500 grant from the ExxonMobil Education Alliance. The use of the $500 Educational Alliance grant is left to the discretion of the school officials with a focus on math and science. This grant may be used to purchase equipment from a school's "wish list," set up a program or fund a “special project”. CCS is appreciative of this grant - we have received it in the past and utilized it to supplement the curricular offerings for students at CCS.
• K-4 classrooms gathered items for food baskets for the Charlotte Food Shelf this week and sent them off today!
• Our very first CCS STEM Night was enjoyed by all. Thank you to Steve Flint and our CCS PTO for creating this hands-on evening filled with inquiry, discovery and lots of memories. Several CVU students volunteered to lend a hand so stations could align with our hands-on explorations.
• On Thursday and Friday of this week, we had to narrow our bus transportation to three buses and three drivers. This created a bit of chaos and some hardships from families to accommodate getting kids to and from school differently. I apologize for any inconvenience and wish to express tremendous gratitude from all of our drivers to you for your help navigating this challenge.
• CCS currently has 17 students matched with mentors from around our community and many more students on a waiting list. Our mentors spend about an hour a week hanging out with a student doing things that bring joy to both. Whether it’s baking up some treats, sewing a new fashion trend, throwing a football on the fields, there is room for all Charlotte caring residents to join in this investment in our youth. If you are interested in learning more…email Kate Rooney at krooney@cvsdvt.org
• A group of Omega students took time over the weekend to make 31 quarts of soup for the Charlotte Food Shelf with donated chicken from The Golden Apple Farm and donated vegetables from Sweet Roots. We thank the students who donated their time and cooking skills and the local farms who donated the food for taking care of our community.

We will be using this time over break to reflect on the many things we are thankful for here at CCS and our greater community and look forward to seeing everyone when we return.

With lots of gratitude,

Jen, Amanda, and Beth

The lost and found acquires many new items throughout the week. Please have your child(ren) check frequently. If you stop by CCS during the school day, please check it out for any missing family items. We hate to give away your items.

Any left over items will be donated before the start of Thanksgiving Break (Friday, Nov 17th).

• Mon, Nov 20th through Fri, Nov 24th - Thanksgiving Break - NO SCHOOL
  
• Wed, Nov 29th - Early Release Day (1:45pm)
• Wed, Dec 6th - Early Release Day (1:45pm)
  
• Sat, Dec 9th - PTO Holiday Market, MPR & Gym, 10:00am - 2:00pm
• Wed, Dec 13th - Early Release Day (1:45pm)
  
• Wed, Dec 13th - 5-8 Winter Concert & Art Walk, MPR, 6:00pm - 7:30 (see below for details)
• Wed, Dec 20th - Early Release Day (1:45pm)
• Mon, Dec 25th through Fri, Dec 29th - Early Winter Break - NO SCHOOL
• Mon, Jan 1st - New Year's Day - NO SCHOOL
• Mon, Jan 15th - Martin Luther King Jr's Birthday - NO SCHOOL

Do you love to throw a football, referee a “world-cup soccer game” or enjoy a giggle listening to the creative stories of our youngest learners? How do you feel about the need for all children to have daily opportunities to run, play and enjoy all sorts of Vermont weather? Can you support peers through a play-based conflict, focusing on compromising and perspective-taking? We have a fabulous team of 3-4 staff who supervise all CCS students through a rotation of recess from 10:45-1:00. Having extra folks to support this outdoor priority is needed to buffer staff absenteeism, to positively impact the youth on the playground, and to help cover the various activities that kids enjoy across our campus. If you are interested in supporting this, please reach out to Amanda Riggleman by emailing ariggleman@cvsdvt.org . All volunteers would need to go through the fingerprint process as CVSD volunteers. Volunteering at CCS Website Link"

A CCS parent reached out asking about supporting a Spelling Club for kids using materials from the Scripps Spelling Bee. We’ve had a number of students in grades 3-8 interested in participating in a spelling club during their lunch/recess block. All students curious about working with words and rich literature would be invited to join. We are ironing out some details which include finding few parents to volunteer to support this endeavor. The commitment would be two days a week from 11:00-1:00 (actual days still being determined). If we can get this underway, students who excel at our local spelling could proceed to a larger arena of students who love to work with words. If you are interested in supporting this, please email jroth@cvsdvt.org with your availability. All volunteers would need to go through the fingerprint process as CVSD volunteers. Volunteering at CCS Website Link"

Please mark your calendars for Wednesday, Dec 13, 2023. The annual 5-8 Winter Concert will take place in the Multi Purpose Room at CCS at 6:30 pm. The concert will feature the grade 5-8 chorus, jazz band and grades 5-8 concert bands. All performers should arrive at 6:00 pm and meet in the band room.

Also, at 6:00 pm we invite you to enjoy the K-8 Art Walk in the east end of the building. This exciting event is free and open to the public. We hope to see you there.

We would love to provide Mr. Sanchez with questions from parents and caregivers in advance of the meeting; please send along any/all questions to your grade rep or Damaris Herlihy. We encourage as many caregivers as possible to join in person, but we will have the option of listening in remotely by GoogleMeet.

Don’t forget: You can read a summary of the first community Connections series here.

The PTO's holiday market is now accepting applications for vendor booths. Join us Saturday, December 9 from 10am-2pm at CCS. We will have two gyms filled with vendors, a children's DIY craft area, several on site food options as well as a silent auction and raffle. All vendor registration fees from the holiday market will go to the CCS PTO to support a variety of student enrichment programs, including but not limited to STEM, theater, athletics, as well as our community Emergency Care Fund. Please contact us at ccsholidaymarket@gmail.com with any questions.

Mark your calendar! The CVU Holiday Craft Fair is scheduled for Saturday, November 25th from 9am to 4pm! With 150 vendors, you'll find something for everyone on your holiday shopping list. And you can grab lunch and support the CVU Band. See you there!!

The Charlotte Library is planning for the future and we need your input to better understand how to serve the needs of our community. Our first step is a town-wide survey. We hope to hear from as many of you as possible, whether you're a regular library user, don't visit often or have never been to the library before. You can access the survey using the QR code listed below or fill out a paper survey available around town. Questions? Please contact Margaret at the library.

• Athletics
• Bus Schedules / Routes
• CCS Handbook
• Connecting Youth Mentoring
• CVSD Divsersity, Equity and Inclusion
• CVSD Handbook
• CVSD School Board
• Food Service and Menu
• Health Office
• MySchoolBucks
• Volunteer at CCS

• Access Community Education Classes and Registration
• Charlotte Food Shelf
• Charlotte Public Libary

• Charlotte Recreation Department

Jen Roth, Lead Principal

Amanda Riggleman, Assistant Principal

Beth Slater, Director of Special Services