Charger Weekly Update

Dear Charger Families,

The time to relax and recharge is near! We hope you have a fun and restful Winter Recess next week. School will be closed from Monday, February 19, through Friday, February 23, 2024. We will see you back on Monday, February 26, 2024.

We want to remind you that the Cherry Chase Drama Club will present this year's drama performance, The Big One Oh! Jr. on Thursday, February 29, and Friday, March 1, at 5:00 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. in the multipurpose room. Seating is first come, first served, and no tickets are required this year. Please come and support our students.

Also, we want to make sure you know these events have been added to our calendar for 5th-grade families ONLY:

1. Math Pathways Info Session - This Zoom webinar will discuss the math course pathways available to students at Sunnyvale Middle School. Current 5th-grade families are encouraged to attend if they have questions regarding math courses and the options available to students. We will cover some essential math-specific topics at the general Incoming 6th Grade Information Sessions, but not in as much detail as we will at this event.

February 26th - Math Pathways Zoom Webinar*:

https://sesd-org.zoom.us/j/95550372985

*Spanish translation will be provided

2. 6th-grade Informational Sessions -5th-grade families are invited to attend an informational session on March 7 from 5 pm to 6 pm at the Cherry Chase Multipurpose room to learn more about Sunnyvale Middle School and what to expect as a 6th-grade family. Topics covered include classes, the bell schedule, student activities, family involvement, and more.

This week, the district office notified our 5th-grade families about the approaching annual state Physical Fitness Test for grades 5. Here is a copy of the Physical Fitness Letter to Families. Here is some general information about the Physical Fitness Test (PFT):

Assessment window: March 1 - March 29

Test components: Each of the test components below is required. Most components have two options for fulfilling the requirement, except for Trunk Extensor and Ab Strength, which only have one completion option.

• Aerobic Capacity: one-mile run/walk or PACER

• Abdominal strength and endurance: Curl-up

• Upper body strength and endurance: pushups, pull-ups modified, flex arm hang

• Trunk extensor: trunk lift

• Flexibility: sit and reach, shoulder stretch

Thank you for your continued partnership and commitment to our students' success. Together, we can support children's best interests and keep our values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and partnership at the center of everything we do.

I hope you have a great Winter Recess!

Best Regards,

Gloria Marchant-Principal

On December 14, 2023, the Board approved the NEW Academic Calendar for the 2024-2025 school year. Please take some time to review the 2024-2025 Academic Calendar to notice the changes made, which include:

• Monday, August 19, 2024: The student's first day of school is on a Monday rather than a Wednesday.
• 2024 TLD (Teacher Learning Days) will be on Wednesdays rather than Tuesdays. These TLDs will take place once a month on the second Wednesday of the month. Students will have a late start time on TLDs. (The Elementary TLDs are held eight times during the school year and will occur on the following dates:

  • September 11, 2024

  • October 9, 2024

  • November 6, 2024

  • January 15, 2025,

  • February 12, 2025

  • March 12, 2025

  • April 9, 2025

  • May 14, 2025

• The 2024 Thanksgiving Break will be a whole week (November 25-November 29)

As you may be aware, 2024 is an election year. There are several national, state, and local measures on the ballot. Measure C is on the ballot specifically for Sunnyvale Schools. Measure C is a $214 million school bond to fund renovating and modernizing the Sunnyvale School District schools.

Columbia Middle School and Sunnyvale Middle School libraries are designated as voting centers. The Sunnyvale Library and City Hall are also Ballot Drop locations. For more information, including finding a ballot drop-off or a voting center, please check out the SSD Website: https://www.sesd.org/domain/1270.

If you are a registered voter in the District, please make sure you either Vote By Mail or go to the polls and vote on March 5. We have fact sheets available about Measure C, voter registration cards available if you still need to register, or you can register online here, and we are available to answer questions about Measure C.

Please take a look at the wonderful work you've made possible. With your support of our Facilities Master Plan (FMP), you help us provide the best to our students from the ground up.

Please remember to vote on March 5! Thank you.

Effective emergency response requires training for students and staff, safety plans that govern the appropriate response, and strong leadership to determine the best response to a situation. At Cherry Chase Elementary, we use a variety of strategies and techniques to ensure students and staff are well prepared for emergencies, including:

• Comprehensive School Safety Plan (CSSP)
• Site Emergency Action Plan (ICS-Incident Command System)
• Staff Training
• Emergency Drills

Sunnyvale School District sets emergency drill requirements for all schools following the Education Code and best practices in emergency response. Drill scenarios include fire, earthquake, lockdown, and Run-Hide-Defend. All schools complete the drills and then conduct a debrief to collect feedback on what would improve the response. Please mark your calendar with these dates:

March 21, 2024

Earthquake and Fire Drill 1:00 pm

April 23, 2024

Fire Drill 2:15 pm

May 16, 2023

Fire Drill 12:50 pm

June 18, 2024

Fire Drill 9:00 am

Fire drills last between 5-7 minutes

Earthquake drills last between 5-10 min

Run Hide Defend/Lockdown lasts between 30-40 min

We recommend you talk to your child about emergency preparedness and why we prepare and conduct drills.

Also, I hope you have a family emergency plan in case of a natural disaster or other disasters. It is always a good idea to be prepared for anything. Here are some links that can help you get started.

https://www.ready.gov/be-informed

https://speaker.asmdc.org/earthquake-preparedness-checklist

https://www.earthquakecountry.org/sevensteps/

https://www.earthquakeauthority.com/California-Earthquake-Risk/Personal-Preparedness

We invite all parents to join us for our Coffee with the Principal sessions in the Multipurpose Room. We'll cover many essential topics, and your presence is invaluable. We hope to see you there!

We want to thank our PTA volunteers for setting up the coffee and treats for these events.

Below are the 2022-2023 Coffee with the Principal dates topics:

March 15 Understanding Neurodiversity

May 17 Transition to Middle School

Links to Coffee with the Principal Presentations

August 14-15 Welcome to Cherry Chase Elementary

September 22 New Phonics and Math Curriculum

November 17 Emergency Protocols

January 19 Student Data and Student Supports at Cherry Chase Elementary

We hope you have enjoyed our Friday Flag assemblies. Below is the schedule for the upcoming Friday flag assemblies through MARCH:

• February 23-NO SCHOOL
• March 1: Ms. Penrose's First Grade Class
  
• March 8: Ms. Moreno's First Grade Class
• March 15: Mrs. Byrd's First Grade Class
• March 22: Administrators-WATA
• March 29: Mrs. Pierik's Kindergarten Class-COM

Here is the link to the 2023-2024 Cherry Chase Elementary Calendar. As we prepare for another exciting academic journey, we want to highlight some important dates and upcoming events:

FEBRUARY

February 9: Friday Flag Assembly at 8:15 am

February 13: Fire Drill at 1:30 pm

February 16: Friday Flag Assembly-COM at 8:15 am

February 16: Tri 2 Benchmark Assessment Window closes

February 19-23: Winter Recess-NO SCHOOL

February 29: Drama Play from 5 pm and 7 pm in the Multipurpose Room

MARCH

March 1: Drama Play from 5 pm and 7 pm in the Multipurpose Room

March 1: Friday Flag Assembly at 8:15 am

Marc 1: Trimester 2 ends (TK-5)

March 5 Dismissal- at 12:45 pm-Teacher Learning Day (TLD)

March 5: School Site Council (SSC) Meeting at 2:45 - 3:45 pm

March 5: PTA Board Meeting at 7:00 pm

March 8: Friday Flag Assembly at 8:15 am

March 8: Report Cards / IEP Progress Reports sent home

March 14: SSD Board Meeting at 7 pm

March 15: Friday Flag Assembly at 8:15 am

March 15: Coffee With the Principal at 8:45 am in the Multipurpose room

March 15: Starting Arts Rotation #3 Ends-8 Weeks

March 20: PTA Association Meeting at 7 pm

March 21: Earthquake and Fire Drill at 1:00 pm

March 21: ELAC Meeting at 8:15 am

March 22: Friday Flag Assembly-WAT Announcements at 8:15 am

March 22: Walk-a-Thon and Auction

March 25: Starting Arts Rotation #4 Starts-6 Weeks

March 29: Friday Flag Assembly and COMat 8:15 am

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Skinner's legislation in 2022 that established a universal meal program for all K-12 public school students. For more information, click on California Universal Meals.

Therefore, SSD will continue to offer free breakfast and lunch at school.

The SSD menus will continue to be updated each month. The updated monthly food menus can be found using this link.

Food Distribution at Vargas Elementary

11:00 am to 2:00 pm

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Update from Food Services

We have heard from some parents that the cafeteria is running out of lunch options, and their child is not eating lunch because the option they wanted was unavailable. We want you to know that food is available free of charge for all students every day. The cafeteria staff works diligently and has never run out of food, resulting in students not having food available. They also make sure that there is always a vegetarian option available.

We also want to clarify that when the preferred meal is out/unavailable, some students choose not to eat because they do not like or want to want what is available. Parents, we need your support. If you know your child is a "picky eater, " please pack them a snack or food if you think they may not like what is being served in the cafeteria to ensure they are eating throughout the day.

Please remember that school starts each day at 8:15 a.m. The gates open at 8:00 a.m., and we encourage all of our families to drop off their students early to avoid traffic.

We will lock the gates at 8:15 a.m. Students arriving after 8:15 a.m. should come to the office for a tardy pass before going to their classroom.

If your student is absent from school for any reason, please report your student's absence by calling the office at (408) 522-8241 or emailing cherrychasefrontoffice@sesd.org. In your message, include the following information:

• Student Name
• Parent Name
• Teacher Name
• Grade Level
• Reason for Absence

Thank you for communicating with the school that your child is absent!

Walk-a-thon T-shirts on SALE NOW!

All Cherry Chase students will receive a “Walk N' Roll” themed T-shirt for this year’s Walk-A-Thon on March 22nd — no purchase necessary!

Family members and friends, you can also show Charger Pride by purchasing a Walk-A-Thon shirt of your very own here. Don’t miss out on this limited opportunity!

SALE ENDS: February, 12th

Questions? Contact watshirts@cherrychasepta.org.

Cherry Chase 2023-2024 Bell Schedule

Parent-Student Handbook

1138 Heatherstone Way, Sunnyvale, CA 94087

(408) 522-8241 Main Office/Attendance