Cheetah Chatter

1510 W. 14th Street, Eugene, Ore. 97402

School Office Hours 7:30 am-3:00 pm

541-790-5300

carey_k@4j.lane.edu

http://chavez.4j.lane.edu

facebook.com/CesarChavezCheetahs

Dear Chávez Families,

As you probably have heard, starting March 14, masks will become optional at school. Of course, anyone can still wear a mask in any situation, and we will continue to provide masks for those who request them. You can read more about this change here: Face Masks Become Optional in Mid-March.

While masks will be optional and quarantine rules are changing, the numerous other strategies that 4J has enacted to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in school buildings will remain in place, including physical distancing, increased ventilation, a continued emphasis on hand hygiene, and keeping the building closed to non-essential visitors. Here is a helpful graphic that outlines 4J’s Layered Prevention Measures.

I know that this change will be met with a wide variety of reactions from students, parents, and staff. Emotions will range from relief and excitement to stress and worry. We will stay strong as a Cheetah Family by respecting individual choices. We have been through so much together, and I am confident that we will come through this new phase stronger as a community.

Best to you and your family,

Ms. Pearson

Chávez Principal

The Chávez Walking School Bus kicked off on March 2 and will happen every Wednesday and Friday in March. Come join us! The route starts at 1649 Arthur St at 7:25 am. You will walk up to 14th and then on to Chávez Elementary, to arrive around 7:45 am. More details can be found here: English and Spanish.

If you have any questions, you may call Sarah Mazze, 4J Safe Routes to School Coordinator at (541) 516-0887 or email mazze_s@4j.lane.edu or Kevin Fletcher, fletcher_k@4j.lane.edu.

March 9 Walking School Bus

March 11 Walking School Bus

March 11 Schoolwide Read-In

March 14 Face Coverings Become Optional in 4J Schools

March 14-17 Read Across America Spirit Week & Dress Up Days

March 16 Walking School Bus

March 17 Chávez Carnival, 6:30-7:15 via Zoom

March 18 No School - Teacher Work Day

March 21-25 No School - Spring Break

March 30 Larry Itliong Library Dedication

March 31 Conscious Discipline Family Night #3, 6:00-7:00pm via Zoom

https://www.4j.lane.edu/calendars/elementary2021/

Click here to read the PACK Newsletter. (hay un botón de traducción para aquellos que quieran ver esto en español).

This month, the PACK is planning and organizing the Chávez Carnival, coming up on March 17th.

New members always welcome! Email for more info: chavezcheetahpack@gmail.com

ACE Award Nominations are open! Chávez has an exceptional team who make a difference for students every day and are worthy of recognition. Now is the time to recognize them! Nominations can be made in four categories: teachers & licensed specialists, administrators & supervisors, classified staff, and volunteers. Nominations are due by March 31st. Linked here is the ACE Awards Webpage and the ACE Awards Nomination Form. There is no limit to the number of people you can nominate.

Students bringing cell phones to school are expected to turn them off and put them away while at school. This includes the talk/text features on Smart watches. All communication between families and students at school continues to take place through the office phone.

Parents and guardians, please call the office at 541-790-5300 if you need to speak to your child or get a message to your child. Do not call or text them while they are at school. If your child calls or texts you via their cell phone or Smart watch, please encourage them to end the call and speak to an adult about using a school phone. The adults at school need to know if there is an issue going on with a student that requires assistance.

Thank you. We appreciate your support in keeping our students safe and focused on their learning.

Each Chávez student will receive a COVID-19 home testing kit (containing two tests) to bring home this month. Students and their families are encouraged to use these tests if they develop symptoms consistent with COVID-19 or who have had a known exposure to COVID-19 during Spring Break. There will be an informational flyer sent home along with the tests. This is a collaborative effort between Oregon Department of Education and Oregon Health Authority. These test kits are going to students at all Title One schools in Oregon.

FB4K Eugene-Springfield is a non-profit organization geared toward helping all kids ride into a happier, healthier childhood by providing bikes to those most in need.

The Lost & Found is currently spread out on the bleachers in the gym with the hopes of kids claiming their items as they are in PE. Ms. Terri will leave it there until Spring Break, at which time all items will be donated. Please help us in encouraging your child to take a look if they have items they are missing. Thank you.

Getting to school can be tough. These tips can help students overcome obstacles and be in school – with help from others. Stay tuned as each month, we offer another Attendance Tip from every-day-matters.org.

TIP #1: BUILD RELATIONSHIPS

Students do best in a safe and welcoming environment. Schools and families can help with this by:

• Ensuring every student is connected with an adult within his or her school who can watch for issues and help with solutions.
• Building relationships with classmates and peers.
• Planning for success by having attendance goals and addressing possible obstacles in advance.

It's been another wonderful month with classroom visits, small groups, and our second Conscious Discipline Parent Night on Feb. 24. We have one more Conscious Discipline Parent Night scheduled for this school year, Mar. 31, from 6:00-7:00pm via Zoom. Stay tuned for invitations! We will resume the series next year.

On March 30, I'm looking forward to our school's Larry Itliong Library dedication. Some of our 5th graders are hard at work learning and writing about this iconic Filipino-American labor organizer whose work was foundational to that of César Chávez and Dolores Huerta.

I know this is a heavy time in the world and wanted to offer a resource from Dr. Laura Markham on How to Talk With Your Child About the War in Ukraine for those who are interested.

In terms of SEL (Social Emotional Learning), we will continue our focus on kindness, and this month most grade levels will be learning more about how to identify and regulate our emotions. I've included a visual above from our SecondStep curriculum.

I wanted to share a couple opportunities for those who are interested:

1. I've been in communication with Courageous Kids about partnering for an onsite grief support group for students in grades 1-5 who have experienced the loss of a loved one. It'll be a one-hour group for 8 weeks, and I hope to get that going sometime after Spring Break. Please let me know if you feel your child may benefit from participating in this group. Multiple students are already on my radar and I will reach out to parents/guardians for permission before we begin.

2. Ms. Angie and I recently met on Zoom with representatives from Project Avary, a national program for supporting youth (ages 8-18) with incarcerated parents. They are offering a free online program and we would love to help you connect with them if you think this may be a support for your child.

Finally, I've continued to update my virtual office where you'll find a variety of resources, especially in the caregiver corner. Please feel free to reach out to me if you would like to discuss your student or family's needs. I'm available via email: sell_s@4j.lane.edu or by phone at 541-790-5383 (direct office line), though just a heads-up I'm out the week of March. 7.

Wishing you well,

Ms. Shannon

Shannon Sell, LCSW (she/her – why pronouns matter)

School Social Worker I Chávez Elementary School
Eugene School District 4J
sell_s@4j.lane.edu I 541.790.5383

Check out this Oregon Department of Transportation video featuring our crosswalk!

The video focuses on the infrastructure improvements at Chávez. 4J Safe Routes To School Coordinator Sarah Mazze and a local parent advocate are both interviewed about what it took to get the crosswalk put in at Chambers and 15th.

The February Site Council Meeting focused on sharing input and ideas for Read Across America celebration activities. We also looked at our year long Event Calendar and talked about how to increase Family Engagement with school. Site Council does not meet in March; the next Site Council meeting will be April 25th.

This month in AVID, teachers are learning about new approaches to support students in their growth as writers. One way to help kids get started is to use a graphic organizer. During our April 1st Professional Development Friday, AVID Teacher Leaders will teach their colleagues about the 4-Square Writing strategy.