Cragin Community Update

Kindness Month Recap from Mr. Rodriguez, Our Principal

What an incredible month of kindness we've had at Cragin! From exciting events to new faces, February has been full of heartwarming moments, and I want to thank everyone for their participation and support!

First off, our Chili Night Cook-Off was a huge success! Families came together to enjoy delicious chili, great music, and lively conversations. It was an amazing time for our Cragin community to bond and share in the fun! 🌶️🎉

Our Student Council truly shone this month with their Kind Mail, Kind Notes activity. Students wrote thoughtful notes to one another, spreading kindness and making sure everyone felt appreciated. It was wonderful to see so many students engaged in this meaningful tradition, just in time for Valentine's Day! 💌💖

We also hosted our Kinder Kick-Off event for families, where future kindergartners had the chance to explore our classrooms and meet our amazing teachers. It was fantastic seeing so many new families excited about the journey ahead. 👶🚀

In honor of Black History Month, we had a beautiful display in the Library Hallway to celebrate the incredible contributions of Black leaders, athletes, artists, and scientists. A big thank you to all the parents who helped bring this display to life and who continue to make our school community more fun and exciting! 🌟

A big thank you to all the parents who participated in our Parent-Teacher Conferences this month! Your involvement is invaluable in supporting our students' success and growth, and we appreciate the time you took to connect with our teachers. 👏

Lastly, we’re thrilled to introduce our new counselor Ms. Sara Rotenberger and new library assistant Joseph Mayhew to the Cragin family! They’re both excited to get to know our students and contribute to making Cragin an even better place to learn and grow. 🌟

We would also love for you to join us at our upcoming Cafecitos / Coffee Talk and PTO meetings! It’s a great way to stay involved, share ideas, and continue working together to make this school year unforgettable.

Thank you, Cragin families, for making Kindness Month so special. Let’s keep this positive energy going as we continue to work together to create a nurturing and supportive environment for our students!

Warm regards,

Principal Rodriguez

• Monday, February 3rd
• Cafecito @8:45am Room 5
• Monday, February 3rd
• Family Engagement Meeting @9:45am Room 5
• Tuesday, February 4th
• Kick - Off @9:00am
• Friday, February 7th
• PTO Chilli Cook Off @5:30-7:00pm Cafeteria
• Tuesday, February 11th
• PTO Meeting @5:15pm Library
• Thursday, February 13th - Friday, February 14th
• Parent Teacher Conferences - Early Dismissal @11:45am
• Tuesday, February 18th
• PRE-K Field Trip @9am
• Thursday, February 20th - Friday February 21st
• Rodeo Break - NO CLASSES
• Friday, February 28th
• Cougar Store @11am - 12:45pm Cafeteria

• Monday, Monday 3rd
• Cafecito @8:45am Room 5

• Monday, March 3rd - Thursday, March 6th
• Make - Up Assessments
• Monday, March 3rd - Thursday, March 6th
• Spirit Week
• Monday, March 3rd - Dr. Seuss Day - Dress up as Dr. Seuss or your Favorite Book Character
• Tuesday, March 4th - Animal Print Day - Dress in your favorite animal print or dress as your favorite animal
• Wednesday, March 5th - Tie Dye and or Flower Day - Dress in Tie Dye or wear your favorite Flower Spring outfit - or both!
• Thursday, March 6th - Pajama Day- Dress in your favorite Pajama!
• Tuesday, March 4th
• JA Day
• Wednesday, March 5th
• Student Council @3:30pm VIA Zoom
• Friday, March 7th
• Grading Day - NO SCHOOL
• Monday, March 10th - Friday, March 14th
• SPRING BREAK - NO SCHOOL
• Monday, March 17th
• First Day of 4th Quarter
• Monday, March 17th - Friday, March 21st
• Love of Reading Week
• Scholastic Book Fair 10:30am-3:00pm - Library
• Tuesday, March 18th
• PTO Meeting @5:15pm Library
• Thursday, March 20th
• Spring Pictures 8:00am - 1:00pm Cafeteria
• Friday, March 21st
• 3rd Quarter (K-2 Grades) Awards Assembly @9:30am Cafeteria
• 3rd Quarter (3-5 Grades) Awards Assembly @1:30pm Cafeteria
• Tuesday, March 25th
• PTO Peter Piper Pizza Fundraiser @5:00pm - 8:00pm (4120 N. Oracle Rd.)
• Wednesday, March 26th
• PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY - NO SCHOOL
• Thursday, March 27
• Promotion Pictures 8:00am-12:30pm -TBA
• Pre-K Camp Cooper Field Trip @9:00am
• Friday, March 28
• Cougar Store @11:00am-1:00pm
• Friday, March 28
• Study Safari Night @5:30pm - 7:00pm - Cafeteria and Courtyard

Feb 1st, 2025 - March 1st, 2025

For Black History Month, we proudly displayed a special exhibit in the Library Hallway, where families and classrooms had the opportunity to visit and learn about the incredible Black leaders who have shaped our country throughout history. The display highlighted the profound impact these individuals have had across various fields, including sports, entertainment, science, mathematics, and more.

In addition to honoring historical leaders, we also showcased famous athletes, celebrities, actors, scientists, mathematicians, and other important figures who have made significant contributions to our society.

Black History Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the rich history, culture, and achievements of Black Americans. It’s a reminder of the struggles and triumphs that have shaped our nation and continues to inspire future generations.

We’re grateful for the chance to learn and reflect on these powerful stories together as a community!

Thank you to the parents who helped made this displayed possible!

2/4/2025

9am-11am

We had an amazing time at the District-wide Kinder Kickoff event here at Cragin Elementary on February 4th! 🎉 From 9-11 a.m., families were invited to explore our kinder classrooms, enjoy a brief but informative presentation in the library, and take a fun tour of the school.

The event was a great opportunity for future Cragin students and their families to get a sneak peek into what school life will be like! Plus, we had fun coloring pages for everyone to take home as a special memento.

A big thank you to everyone who joined us for this exciting event! We’re so happy to show families why Cragin is the perfect place for your child’s first school experience. We can’t wait to welcome our new kindergartners this fall!

02/07/2025

On February 7th, Cragin families came together for an unforgettable night at our Chili Cook-Off, hosted by Cragin PTO! 🌶️🎉

From 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM, we had an amazing time filled with excitement, music, and fun! 🎶 Everyone showed up in their best Western (cowboy/cowgirl) outfits and enjoyed a fantastic chili competition, a lively dance party, and activities for the whole family! 💃🕺

The Chili Competition was a hit, with delicious entries in three categories:

• Traditional 🌶️

• Spicy 🔥

• Vegetarian 🥑

We had so many tasty submissions that we barely had any leftovers! A huge thank you to all the participants for bringing such delicious chili.

And a special shout-out to all the Parents who participated in the Chili Competition, Family Engagement for all the wonderful decorations and Student Council for the Kind Letter activity, To Mr. Rodriguez for being the Night's MC and DJ and PTO for organizing the Chili Tasting Competition! You all helped make this event a success – your support made it all possible! 💖

What a fantastic way to warm up and create lasting memories with the Cragin family! Until next time! 🤠

Chili Cook Off Winners!

We need YOU to help support and strengthen our amazing school community! Whether you're a parent, grandparent, or guardian, everyone is WELCOME to join our groups and get involved in making Cragin even better! 🤝

Your ideas, energy, and support can make a huge impact—and we can't do it without YOU!

Let’s come together and make the rest of this school year INCREDIBLE! 💪

Don’t miss out on the chance to be a part of something amazing!

WANTED for being too KIND!

Kids in their best Western Gear!

02/13/2025 - 02/14/2025

Thank you to all the families who joined us for the Parent-Teacher Conferences! It was a wonderful opportunity for parents and teachers to connect, discuss student progress, and collaborate on ways to support our students' growth. 📚✨

We loved seeing so many of you engaged in meaningful conversations about your child's learning journey and goals for the future. Your involvement is key to creating a positive and supportive school community, and we’re so grateful for your continued partnership!

Let’s keep the momentum going as we work together to help our students thrive! 🌟

02/20/2025- 02/21/2025

Rodeo Break Photos coming soon in March Newsletter

Hello Cragin Cougars!

We want to thank everyone who participated in our Kind Letter activity, organized by Cragin's Student Council! This special event, which began last week and continued through this week, was a fantastic way to spread kindness around our school.

Students, staff members, and volunteers all took part in writing kind letters to one another, and the letters were delivered on February 14th. It was a wonderful opportunity to practice writing while spreading positivity throughout our Cragin community! 💌

A huge thank you to everyone who took the time to write and send a letter. We hope it brightened someone's day! We also Thank the parent volunteers to came and helped decorating the mailbox and help sort the mail!

If you have any questions or ideas for future activities, don’t hesitate to reach out to a Student Council member, Ms. Jackie, or Ms. Karina.

Best regards,
Cragin Student Council

Join us once a month for a fun and energizing Cup of Coffee with Mr. Rodriguez! ☕ Whether you're a long-time Cragin parent or a newcomer, we welcome YOU to come chat, share your ideas, and be part of the conversation that helps make our school even better!

This is your chance to bring new ideas, offer feedback, and be a voice that counts in shaping the activities and programs that benefit our kiddos and the whole community! 🌟 We’re all about working together to make this year AMAZING—and the more voices, the better!

Come on down, grab a coffee, and get ready to join in on the fun, creativity, and excitement. Let’s make the rest of the school year unforgettable! 🎉 Don’t miss out—we can’t wait to hear from YOU! 🙌

See you there!

Parent volunteers are welcome on Campus! If you are interested in volunteering, please contact our office manager (Ms. Lupita Rivera-Madrid) or our Community Liaison (Ms. Karina Acuña) to learn how you can volunteer throughout the year. We also highly encourage families to attend PTO Meetings and Cafecitos / Coffee Talks to learn ways how you can support our school. Please register as volunteers on the TUSD website (https://jobs.tusd1.org/volunteer) as the process takes a few weeks. For all non-parental volunteers, please contact the front office before registering as a volunteer so we can explain the process and coordinate.

Reminders

Please sign-in at the front office anytime you are on campus.

PTO Board Members

• President - Liz Niemeyer
• VP - Pat Schwichtenberg
• Secretary - Liz Niemeyer (Interim)
• Treasurer - Jonathan Niemeyer

Mondays - Friday

7:30am - 8:15am

Students enter through front office door until 8:00am

Arrivals after 8:00am use parent drop - off

All Students are eligible.

We will need 21st CCLC application filled out.

If your child has allergies, needs to take medication at school, or has any other health concerns, please contact our Health Assistant as soon as possible. This will help us ensure your child's health and safety while at school.

Thank you for keeping us informed!

Riley Volpe BSN, RN

riley.volpe@tusd1.org

Jackie Freed Health Assistant

jacqueline.freed@tusd1.org

Health Office

520-232-6717

The regular school attendance of a child of school age is required by state law. Regular school attendance is essential for success in school; therefore, absences shall be excused only for necessary and important reasons. Such reasons include illness, bereavement, other family emergencies, and observance of major religious holidays of the family's faith.

In the event of a necessary absence known in advance, the parent is expected to inform the school; if the absence is caused by emergency, such as illness, the parent is expected to telephone the school office. When a student returns to school following any absence, a note of explanation from the parent is required.

When Absent from School

State law mandates that the school record reasons for all student absences. Therefore, when a student is absent, it will be necessary for the parent to call the school on or before the day of the absence in order to advise the school as to the reason for the absence. When it is impossible to call on the day of the absence, the school should be notified on the morning the student returns, in time for the student to obtain an admission slip prior to the student's first class. All absences not verified by parental or administrative authorization will remain unexcused.

If a parent does not have access to a phone, either at home or at work, a note will be accepted for verification purposes.

Regular participation in classroom activities fosters critical thinking, communication skills, and responsibility, all of which are essential skills for future employment. Good attendance in school is also part of the self-discipline that we try to instill in our students to enable them to act as responsible members of the community.

Definitions:

• Attendance: The presence of each student in scheduled instruction.
• Excessive Absence: 10% or more of the required attendance days (180 days).
• Tardy: Not in the classroom by the time the bell rings.
• Register of Attendance: Any written or electronic record maintained for the purpose of recording the attendance, absence, tardiness, or early departure of a student.
• Scheduled Instruction: Every period that a student is scheduled to attend actual instruction or their designated learning environment of study.
• Truancy: An unexcused absence of a child who is between six and sixteen years of age for at least one class period during the day from compulsory school.
• Truant Child: A child who is between six and sixteen years of age and who is not in attendance at a public or private school during the hours that school is in session, unless excused.
• Habitually Truant: Is a child who is truant for at least five school days within a school year.
• Excused Absence: Absences that the parents/guardians have documented/authorized with time and reason.
• Unexcused Absence: Absence without approval of parents/guardians is considered truancy and unexcused.

For guidance on setting up and using the ParentVUE app, please check the link below.

Parents, you can now easily report your child’s absence using ParentVue. This streamlines communication with our attendance office and allows you to directly input the reason for the absence. To self-report, just follow these steps:

1. Log into ParentVue on the app or your computer.
2. Click on the "Attendance" tab in the left column (or tap the blue "Report Absence" button with the bell icon in the app).
3. In the top right corner of the page, click the blue link labeled "Report Absence."
4. Select the dates using the calendar and choose the reason for the absence from the drop-down menu.
5. You can also add notes or upload a doctor's note, then click "Save."

If you prefer, you can still call Ms. Lori Munday at (520) 232-6702. Thank you for keeping us informed about all absences!

If you use the parent drop-off bay before school, please remember that the gate opens at 8:00am and learning time begins at 8:30a.m. The gate will close promptly at 8:35 a.m. If you arrive after 8:35 a.m., please walk your student to the front office for a late slip. In case you find yourself inside the building after 8:35 a.m., please use the front office exit to leave the campus. Breakfast is served from 8:00 to 8:30 a.m., so be sure to bring your students on time to ensure they don’t miss their morning meal and are ready for a successful day ahead!

Pick up time is at 2:45pm. If you use are parent pick-up bay after school, please remember to stay in your vehicle and we will bring your student to you. If you would like to get out and greet your child, please park in the parking lot, we have plenty of parking. Also, a good tip to avoid long waits in the pick-up bay is to arrive a few minutes after the rush. Thank you for your patience and cooperation as we get our cougars connected with you.

Daily Schedule

School Hours

8:00am - 2:45pm

Main Office Hours

8:00am - 4:00pm

Cafeteria Hours

(Breakfast)

8:00am - 8:30am

(Lunch)

11:00am - 12:50pm

Warning Bell

8:30am

Late Bell

8:35am

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday

2:45pm

Wednesday

1:45pm

Kindergarden 11:00am - 11:35am

1st Grade 11:15am - 11:50am

2nd Grade 11:30 - 12:05am

3rd Grade 11:45am - 12:20pm

4th Grade 12:00pm - 12:35pm

5th Grade 12:15pm - 12:50pm

Parent - Teacher Conference

11:45am

September 18th-20th, 2024

February 13th-14th, 2025

Kindergarden 10:00am - 10:10am

1st Grade 10:10am - 10:20am

2nd Grade 10:20am - 10:30am

3rd Grade 10:30am - 10:40am

4th Grade 10:40am - 10:50am

5th Grade 10:50am - 11:00am

2945 N. Tucson Blvd.

Tucson, AZ 85716

Office Hours: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday – Friday

Phone

520-232-6700 – Attendance

520-232-6700 – Office

520-232-6701 – Fax

The mission of Cragin Elementary School, in partnership with parents and the Cragin community, is to assure each student receives an engaging, rigorous and comprehensive education.