The CPES BobChat

This week, most all of our students will take their Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) assessment on Tuesday and Thursday. Third through fifth grades will have the statewide SC READY test starting the week after Spring Break. Some children stress too much over tests and some children don't take them seriously at all. Neither end of the spectrum is good. How can we encourage them to have the right mindset about tests? 1. Help them know their best effort is good enough. We want our children to believe they can do hard things with confidence. As parents and teachers, we simply expect their best effort on assessments/in ballgames/during performances so we can see what they know and are able to do. John Wooden (of UCLA Basketball Fame) said, “Success comes from knowing that you did your best to become the best that you capable of becoming.” That's a great goal for working through hard questions on a test as well as in life. 2. Help them remember to take their time and be careful. Very few of our assessments are timed. Our best effort on important tasks come when we are methodical and check our work as we go. It takes effort and self control to closely read questions and passages and then review answers. No one gets an award for finishing first. Rushing through any project can lead to mistakes that have consequences. Tests are simply another way to exercise perseverance muscles. 3. Help them know that tests matter.... Assessments help teachers understand the strengths and weaknesses of children so they can better know what and how to teach them in the future. Beyond that, they enable us to reflect on our work as educators and see what we're teaching well and how we can improve. In all of life, test scores determine if we qualify for future opportunities like getting a job or driving a car or becoming a lifeguard. They are a necessary part of life. As adults, we want to model having a positive attitude towards them so that our children see tests as stepping stones rather than stumbling blocks. 4. ...but tests don't define who they are. We want our children to get good scores but they are also gifted in so many different ways. Every child has unique talents and abilities to share with the world. They may or may not be reflected on a 45 question test in school. All of us are much, much more than our performances. I know I've said this before, but our children are important because of who they are not what they do. At the end of the day, a test is an event. It is not a designation nor a label nor an assigned destination. Our children must know this in order to develop a healthy sense of value and worth.

Tests are a reality and they are probably not going away anytime soon. We face all kinds of tests in life and in school. Let's lead our children well so they can have a balanced perspective about tests.

Strength and Blessings,

Mr. Maness

1. Notes and Reminders--a. Absence Documentation--Please send notes and documentation for absences to Mrs. Motz at the following email address: mailto:CPAbsenceDocumentation@rhmail.org Mrs. Motz (who is at our front reception desk) will handle attendance for us through the end of the year. b. Snack List Reminder--Parents, please remember the only kinds of snacks that can be sent to school are those on the District Approved Snack List which is on one of the buttons below. This is for the safety of our students. c. Birthday Invitations--It is our school policy that we do not distribute birthday invitations by students or our teachers at school. This can be an interruption to teaching and learning. d. Smart Watches--Please remind your child that a smart watch can only be used at school as a timekeeping tool. It should never be used as a communication device. This is a district policy.

2. Staff Appreciation Week (April 28-May 2) Our staff at Cherry Park are HOLLYWOOD STARS!! We will be celebrating staff appreciation week from April 28th to May 2nd. The week is full of food trucks, tasty treats, themed snacks and more surprises. Help us make our CPES staff feel like red carpet movie stars and sign up to donate items or to volunteer and donate your time.

Room temperature items such as chips, popcorn seasoning, sodas, water, etc. (anything that doesn't have to be refrigerated can be dropped off anytime from now until 4/28 to the front office with your name written on it. Please keep in mind spring break is the week before so nothing will be able to be dropped off.

Refrigerated items need to be dropped off on Monday 4/28 by the end of the day to the front office with your name written on it. Please keep in mind spring break is the week before so nothing will be able to be dropped off prior to that.

Everyone has made this year such a success volunteering, donating items and helping to spoil the staff at Cherry Park Elementary. That makes YOU a hollywood star too and I couldn't be more grateful for your help.

If you have any questions please email me at brittanirayfield@gmail.com

Thank you,

Staff Appreciation Committee"

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D49A4A923AAFBC70-50735527-staff

3. In Person and Online Art Show--Our In Person CPES Art Show will be Tuesday, April 15 from 5:00-7:00 PM and every student will have a framed piece in it. The framed pieces will be available for sale that evening (and if not purchased, they will be sent home later with students.) If families would like to see and/or purchase the artwork online, you can click on the following site: https://artomestore.com/collections/cherryparkelemschooloflanguageimmersion29730 The online art show will be from April 7-20. Artwork online is organized by student name, grade level and teacher.

4. Welcome to the Family Drop In for New Students on May 1 from 5:30-6:30 PM--We look forward to welcoming all our new students that will start with us this fall. This is a chance for new families to come and meet teachers, see classrooms and ask any questions. Please pass this on to any new families.

5. SC READY Testing Dates--Parents of 3rd, 4th and 5th Graders, please note the days for SC READY which is our statewide test. Please mark these on your calendar. Please do not schedule any appointments for your child for these days.

Writing--Wednesday, April 30 (Note, this is the Wednesday after Spring Break. We need all students at school on Monday and Tuesday for final preparations that week.)

Reading Day 1--Wednesday, May 7

Reading Day 2--Thursday, May 8

Math--Tuesday, May 13

Science (4th Grade Only)--Thursday, May 15

6. Kindergarten End of Year Programs--Will be Friday, May 9. Pope and Lopes are at 8:00 AM, Doyle and Kiker are at 9:00 AM and Smith and Notaro are at 10:00 AM. Please park in the lower Cherry Road Lot or on the right hand side of the drive. Programs will last about 30 minutes each. Please bring your ID in order to sign in. We hope you can come.

7. 2025-2026 PTO Officer Nominations--Please click on the button below to submit a nomination for the 2025-2026 Slate of Executive Officers for Cherry Park's PTO. The vote will be held at April's regularly scheduled PTO meeting on April 14, 2025.

All nominations must be submitted by Friday, April 11 to be included on the ballot.

8. Field Day--Will be Monday, May 19 for K-2nd and Tuesday, May 20 for 3rd-5th. It will be across the street at Cherry Park (the park.) For safety and security reasons, the only adults who will be admitted to attend are our prescreened volunteers. Please be sure your screening is up to date. If you volunteer, please know that it will not be possible for you to bring your younger children. (Again, this is for safety and security reasons.) Signups are available below and we appreciate your support with our Field Days. The Volunteer Screening Application is below as well.

April 6-12--Come See Me Festival

April 7-20--CPES Online Art Show (See information above)

April 8--MAP Testing (Reading or Math. Your child's teachers will decide.)

April 10--MAP Testing (Reading or Math. Your child's teachers will decide.)

April 15--5:00-7:00 Art Show (All students will have artwork in the show.)

April 17--6:00 Fourth Grade Music Performance

April 21-25--Spring Break

April 28-May 2--Staff Appreciation Week

April 30--SC READY Writing Test (3rd-5th Grades)

May 1--5:30-6:30 PM Welcome to the Family Drop-In (For families of new students coming this fall).

May 7-8--SC READY Reading Day 1 and 2 (3rd-5th Grades)

May 9--Kindergarten End of Year Programs (8:00-11:00 See schedule above)

May 11--Mother's Day

May 13--SC READY Math (3rd-5th Grades)

May 15--SC READY Science (4th Grade)

May 19--K-2nd Field Day

May 20--3rd-5th Field Day

May 21--9:00 Fifth Grade Recognition (Sullivan Auditorium)

May 22-23 Half Days for Students (May 23 is the last day of school)

School Improvement Council--This group seeks to determine how Cherry Park Elementary can be the best school it can be. It is a sounding board and feedback group for the school and district. Members are elected for two year terms. Members of this year's Council include Chelsea Eichorn, Jennifer Hutchinson, Matthew Query, Bernice Huskins, Heather Kagey, and Emily Parrish. Ex-Officio Members are Mr. Maness (Principal) and Mrs. Futrelle (Assistant Principal). Meetings are held at Cherry Park on the second Monday of each month at 5:30 PM. All parents are invited to attend.

Parent Teacher Organization--This group has three main goals: Raising funds for the school, appreciating the staff and securing volunteers as needed. The Cherry Park PTO is a 501c3 tax deductible organization. Meetings are held at Cherry Park on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 PM (right after the SIC meetings.) All parents are invited to attend. All financial records are distributed and updated at each month's meeting. Officers this year are Amanda Winters (President), Emmanuel Daniel (Vice-President), Celia Kerr (Secretary) and Shannon Martin/Caroline Stubbs (Co-Treasurers). We appreciate all of our sponsors (above) who contributed to our Bobcat Dash this year.

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