The First Day Facts report, which you can check out by clicking on the image above, highlights what's new this school year and what you need to do before the first day.
FIRST DAY: The first day of school is Thursday, Aug. 1. Parents of younger students are welcome to walk their child to their classroom on the first day. The calendar for the school year is online here. School start and end times are unchanged from last school year and are online here.
FIRST-DAY FORMS: Please activate your ParentVUE account (you received an email July 1 with your ParentVUE Account Activation link) and complete the first-day forms including updating your child's emergency contacts. You will access these online forms by clicking the "Student Enrollment or Current Student Verification" link under your child's name in ParentVUE. NOTE: For parents of current students, in order to move past the Documents page in the forms, please click all the boxes for "No changes or I will deliver a hard copy to the school instead of uploading it." Parents of current students do not need to submit documents unless they have changes to report (new address, new custody agreement, new medical forms, etc.) -- clicking these boxes is required, due to the system set-up, in order to complete the verification process; the documents only are required for enrollment of students new to CCSD this school year. If you need assistance, please email enrollment.support@cherokee.incidentiq.com.
INFORMATION: Synergy is our new student information system and replaces Aspen. Synergy's ParentVUE website and app offer parents access to their children's emergency contacts and attendance information. Parents will continue to have access to assignments and grading updates through Canvas; information on how to use Canvas to support your child's learning is online here. Parents will continue to receive school communications through ParentSquare and CCSD emergency notifications through SchoolMessenger; you will automatically receive emails from ParentSquare and SchoolMessenger at the email addresses we have on file for your child; you can customize how you receive ParentSquare messages through its website or app and you can sign up for SchoolMessenger emergency texts online here.
SCHEDULES: Parents who have activated their ParentVUE account and completed first-day forms (see First-Day Forms information above) will see their students' schedules in their ParentVUE account on July 25 by the end of the day. Students will be able to access their schedule by the end of the day on July 25 through StudentVUE; they can access their StudentVUE account beginning July 24 by logging into this website using their Rapid ID login and password (the same login students use to access Canvas). If students need password reset help, it's online here.
DRESS CODE: Last school year, appropriate school attire guidelines were left to each local school to develop, communicate, and monitor, which led to inconsistency from school to school. The new five standards for this school year elevate clarity and consistency for administrators, educators, and students:
• Students cannot wear clothing or jewelry that depicts or promotes vulgarity, profanity, hate speech, pornography, nudity, sex, alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, other controlled substances or gang identifiers or any other clothing or jewelry that creates an actual disruption.
• Students can wear “hoodies” hooded shirts and sweatshirts, but they cannot wear the hood over their head while on campus. Other headwear that obscures a student’s face, neck and ears also is prohibited.
• Students can wear shorts and skirts of reasonable length and that are always visible.
• Student clothing must cover underwear, private parts, buttocks, and midriff.
• Students can wear strapless garments, but they must be worn with a jacket or similar clothing over them.
Circumstances will determine the level of discipline. Parent notification or counseling with student and/or parents to include the opportunity to correct dress is appropriate for the first offense. Punishment for subsequent violations is at the principal’s discretion. Learn more in the Code of Conduct posted online here.
CELL PHONE RULES: New this school year, students will continue to be permitted to have a cell phone or personal device with them at school, but as a standard practice, will now be expected to keep their device in silent mode and stored out of sight.
Cell phones/smart devices/earbuds must be:
• Stored out of sight and in silent mode as a standard practice.
• May be used during instructional time only for academic reasons with direction from the teacher and authorization from the principal.
• In high school, cell phones/smart devices/earbuds may be used in hallways, transitions, the cafeteria and before and after school. In middle school, devices may only be used before and after school. In elementary school, devices should not be used – including not on the bus.
• Shall not violate the Bring Your Learning Device (BYLD) guidelines.
• Shall not be used for photography or recording, unless at the direction of a teacher or administrator for academic purpose.
• Shall not be used for photographing, recording, or transmitting of profane, vulgar, inappropriate, or threatening material.
• Shall not be used for photographing, recording, or transmitting of a fight, assault, sexual material, drug-related material, or gang-related material.
For the first violation of most of these new expectations, disciplinary action is at the discretion of the principal, depending on the circumstances.
For the first violation related to profane or vulgar material, disciplinary action includes in-school suspension or alternative school and 10-day prohibition of possessing a cell phone or smart device on school property (including school buses). For the first violation related to a fight, assault, sexual material, drug-related material, or gang-related material, disciplinary action includes suspension and/or expulsion or long-term reassignment to ACE Academy and 30-day prohibition of possessing a cell phone or smart device on school property (including school buses). Learn more in the Code of Conduct posted online here.
OPEN HOUSES AND SCHOOL SUPPLY LISTS: Walk-Throughs & Open Houses are scheduled at various times on Friday, July 26, and Monday, July 29, with the schedule posted online here. The events are an opportunity to find your child's classrooms, meet teachers and staff, learn your child's bus number and schedule (also available online as noted below), drop off school supplies (school supply lists are online here) and join the PTA.
BUSES: The Bus Stop Look-Up website will open on Wednesday, July 24, so you can check your child's bus stop times for pick up and drop off. The Versatrans My Stop Bus Tracking System website and app, which allow you to track your child's bus on its way to the bus stop each morning and afternoon, will begin working when buses roll on Thursday, Aug. 1.
MEALS: Meal prices have not changed for students this school year. LINQ Connect is CCSD School Nutrition’s system for accepting online payments into your child's meal account and for listing menu items, nutritional info and allergens. The money you had left in your child's meal account at the end of last school year remains in your account for use this school year. If you haven't already created an account, you can set up a LINQ Connect account online here or by downloading the app; it's a simple process - you will need your children's student IDs (number they use to purchase meals in the cafeteria). You can continue to send checks or cash to your child's school for their meal account. The free and reduced price meal application also is available through LINQ Connect.
AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM: Rates for our After School Program, offered until 6 p.m. Mondays-Fridays at elementary schools, remain at $12 per student per day if registering for a full week with advance registration (by midnight on Sunday each week). CCSD offers online advance registration and online payment at https://ccsd.graystep.com, which also allows parents to check their balance. The rate for a single day of attendance with advance registration is $15 per student per day. While online advance registration is required, parents can continue to send checks into the school for payment if they prefer. Drop-in care (not scheduled in advance) is $20 per student per day.
COMING SOON: The new edition of our Class Act magazine, which is filled with CCSD news and important information, will come home in your child's backpack the first week of school. It also will be posted on our website at www.cherokeek12.net.
