Chadds Ford Elementary School
Monthly Newsletter
October Newsletter
While the start of the school year was most unusual we ended September in typical fall fashion. Thank you to every Charger family for your support and patience as we navigated uncertainty together. What makes us a special community is the way we come together as one.
There is much to celebrate this fall, throughout the newsletter notice October spirit days, Book Fair and many other events! A major milestone to celebrate is UCFSD has turned 100 years old! To commemorate this special event join our community at the Centennial Parade!
Please note the change of schedule for Friday, October 6th:
Friday, October 6th - Early dismissal for Centennial Parade -
- Pre-1st - 5th Grade: 2:30 p.m. dismissal
- Modified Kindergarten Schedule:
- AM K: 9:10 a.m. - 11:10 a.m.
- PM K: 12:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
- YCare closes at 2:30 p.m.
Charge on Chargers for a wonderful month ahead!
Core Essentials
CFES explores and teaches concepts to help our students develop strong character. The Core Essentials program infuses the social-emotional learning competencies with each of our monthly values.
Thank you for support to engage in conversations at home that enhance the learning at home about the Core Essential traits we will be learning this school year. Our hope is that our Charger students will embody these skills and traits to build their character and succeed in life.
☑Competencies addressed throughout the year: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision-Making
☑ Big Idea Values addressed throughout the year: creativity, friendship, integrity, gratitude, generosity, responsibility, kindness, peace, patience, and commitment
During the month of October, our students will be focusing on the concept of integrity. Integrity is defined as choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do. Chat with your child about navigating situations that require you to act with integrity and discuss how you can support practicing this skill with your child. The resources below provide helpful tips on getting the conversations started at home.
School Updates
Attendance Alerts - attendance, travel plans, and dismissal changes should be communicated on Powerschool and to cfeattendance@ucfsd.net, and please cc the homeroom teacher. All changes to dismissal plans should be submitted before 2:30 pm to ensure a safe dismissal process.
Attendance Reminder for Requested Assignments- 2022-2023 Parent Handbook
If a student is absent from school two days or more days due to illness or injury, homework assignments may be requested by contacting the school. Parents are asked to contact the elementary school before 10:00 A.M. Assignments will be available by the close on the day following the request. Missed assignments for one day of absence can be provided upon the students return to school.
School Schedule Reminder:
- School starts at 9:10 am and dismissal is at 3:40 pm
- AM Kindergarten reports from 9:10 am - 11:45 am
- PM Kindergarten reports from 1:05 pm -3:40 pm
Important Transportation Note:
A huge shoutout and thank you for honoring and following procedures for the car line. We appreciate your help in maintaining a safe campus for all. As a reminder: If you are a picking up a car rider and arrive on campus before 3:15 pm for a 3:35 pm dismissal you will be asked to wait in the lower gravel lot. The crowded car line poses safety concerns and challenges for late in the day deliveries to the school that need to access the back of the building. Please make note and plan accordingly, car riders will still be dismissed starting at 3:35 pm.
Thank you for your patience with the arrival and dismissal procedures. Safety on campus is extremely important. You can assist in the process by:
- Please stay attentive and pull forward to maximize our car line capacity.
- Stay in your vehicle and advance forward in the loading zone between the cones.
- Drop off and pick up can occur anywhere between the orange cones, pulling forward helps expedite the process.
- If you need more time before your journey home please pull into an open parking space or proceed to the lower gravel lot, this will allow the car line to flow smoothly and quickly.
- Please be mindful of staff entering and leaving the parking areas, you can help by leaving space for parking as needed.
- Keep a watchful eye on traffic control and flow, watch for staff in yellow vests and signs to direct traffic.
- Remember the speed limit on school grounds is 15 MPH!
- When on the driveway entering and exiting the school please yield to the school buses on the smaller bridge area.
Safety Drills - we participate in monthly safety drills to ensure are practices are relevant, timely, and proactive. Being prepared and responsive is paramount to the safety of our students and school. Our monthly safety drills will occur to practice and refine our processes. Please chat with your child about preparedness and the importance of drills at home. Please review the attached flyer and review the website, https://iloveuguys.org/The-Standard-Response-Protocol.html
Communication - Please regularly check your email or voicemail for updates from the school for any upcoming communications or weather-related events that may impact the school day.
It is important that you review your Parent Portal in Powerschool. All information for your child and family is stored in this portal for communications. A helpful area to review is under the 'Forms' section. In this section, you will find pertinent forms (FERPA, Acceptable Use, etc.) which link permissions to your child that the school references frequently. As a family keeping your portal updated ensures that you receive communications from the school and district. In addition, the school will follow your preferences indicated in the portal. Take a moment to check the portal. Reach out to the main office at Chadds Ford if you need further support.
Staying connected is an important part of the home and school partnership. We appreciate working and growing with our families to create a strong bond that benefits your child. Please keep in mind the school day is busy and it will take some time for staff to respond to emails and calls. We are in this together, your support and understanding are paramount to our success as a team!
From the Nurse's Office - Mrs. Hocking
Updates:
Unionville High School is once again partnering with the Chester County Health Department to host a community flu vaccine clinic. The Unionville Flu Clinic will take place on Thursday, October 12 from 3:00pm to 6:45pm at Unionville High School. All families, staff and members of the community are encouraged to attend and receive a flu vaccine from the Health Department.
Registration is required. Once registered, please print and complete the vaccine consent form (spanish version) and bring it with you when you arrive for your vaccine on October 12.
Vaccines are available regardless of insurance status, however, Individuals with private health insurance should bring their cards for billing. For those without insurance or with insurance that does not cover the flu vaccine, a regular 4-strain flu shot will be provided at no cost. Children with Medical Assistance insurance plans will also receive the vaccination at no cost.
Please visit chesco.org/flu to register for an appointment and access more information, consent forms, and Vaccine Information Statements.
- Snacks! - remember to send in a healthy snack with your student daily. Research confirms that hunger can negatively impact academic performance.
- REMINDER if you sent your student in with an Emergency medication example, Epipen/inhaler, UPDATED action plans are needed for each school year. Links to plan are below. Forms can also be found on UCF webpage -> Quicklinks -> Nurse/Health Services
If you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out to the school nurse, mhocking@ucfsd.net
From the School Counselor - Ms. Campanaro
Teaching Kids About Boundaries
Written by: Rae Jacobson
Link to full article: https://childmind.org/article/teaching-kids-boundaries-empathy/
Learning how to be more empathetic can be a big help for kids when it comes to social interactions, but it’s equally important to help your child learn to advocate for themselves and their boundaries when other kids are being pushy, aggressive or just thoughtless.
Helping your child make a plan for what to do when someone isn’t respecting their feelings or boundaries will give your child the chance to practice standing up for themselves.
For example, you could ask, “What are some ways you could let Jeremy know you don’t like it when he hugs you without asking?” Go over some simple phrases your child can use to advocate for themselves: “Please stop.” “I don’t like that.” “It’s my turn now.”
Practice at home by making a list of "Get-A-Grown-Up scenarios"
Examples could include:
Hitting, or pushing, or even a kid who’s just playing too rough
A child who won’t take no for an answer
A situation where they feel unsafe or uncomfortable.
For example, if their friends want to climb a fence into someone else’s yard or want to play on a busy road
Helping kids get comfortable advocating for their boundaries early will help them do so in the future when the stakes can be much higher.
Contact Ms. Campanaro - dcampanaro@ucfsd.net
Breakfast and Lunch Program
Children need healthy meals to learn. Free breakfast is available to all students who wish to participate. Breakfast is served in the cafeteria upon student arrival. Lunch is available for all students who wish to purchase ($3.00). Meal requirements are put in place to ensure that the food items contribute to a sufficient and healthy meal for each child. The webpage has a wealth of information about our meal program, click the button below.
Calling all Chargers - First In Math
Be on the lookout for information from homeroom teachers about the First in Math app. Chargers will be working hard to build math fluency and problem solving skills. We will be computing our way to the goal of acquiring 1 million stickers in the First In Math program by May 3, 2024. If we make our goal, there will be a special celebration day planned for the students! Keep those math minds going and solve those problems!
Check out this video of our students sharing information about the program.
First In Math - click on the hyperlink
CFES Walking and Learning Trail
Thank you PTO for your support and funding for signage on the trail which was installed this summer. We look forward to our students, staff, and community enjoying our walking and learning trail!
Walking and Learning Trail - click on the hyperlink
Reminders from our Librarian - Mrs. Price
Birthday Books, If you would like more information about Birthday Books, please click here and print out the form. You can submit forms to the library.
Stocking the Food Cupboard!
Chadds Ford Elementary Chargers are committed to supporting service projects. Thank you PTO for organizing the September food collection for KACS (Kennett Area Community Service) Food Cupboard. Students will be sorting and preparing the donations for KASC. We are extremely proud of our Charger community for their contributions to this wonderful organization. Supporting a variety of organizations and making thoughtful donations to important causes is one way that Chargers contribute to society. Stay tuned for upcoming projects throughout the year.
Greenhouse Installation at Chadds Ford
Ms. Doyer started with a vision of environmental learning and connecting our students to nature. After submitting a proposal four years ago, 5th grade teacher Ms. Doyer is finally able to see her vision come together. With the generous support and donations from our community partners Chadds Ford PTO, Unionville-Chadds Ford Education Foundation, Dockstader Foundation and school fundraising efforts we have met our goal to purchase a 16x20 greenhouse for our school. This wonderful addition to our school grounds will provide our staff and students with endless hand-on learning experiences that will connect us to environmental learning and sustainability. We are extremely excited for this new venture.
The components of the greenhouse are expected to be delivered soon. We are anticipating an install date of Friday, October 20th. We are relying on community volunteers from the Master Gardeners of Chester County to support our installation efforts. We could use an expert to assist the team. If you have experience with building or projects of this scope we would appreciate your insight, help, and expertise. Please contact dclark@ucfsd.net to explore how you can contribute to this amazing project.
PTO News
The PTO meeting is on Wednesday, October 4th at 9:30 am at the school. We welcome all to attend, sign in at the office with your identification such as a driver's license for a visitor's pass. There are many great ways to get involved and be a part of the Charger spirit! Please consider how you can be a part of the PTO in this upcoming school year.
