Charger Weekly Update #18

This holiday season, I want to extend my warmest wishes to all of you. This time of year invites us to reflect on the many achievements and meaningful moments we have shared, as well as to express our gratitude for the students, families, teachers, and staff who bring so much life and inspiration to our community.

Thank you for your support, dedication, and partnership in fostering a thriving learning environment for every student. Your commitment to Cherry Chase and the care you demonstrate for one another form the foundation of our success.

I hope this season brings you moments of joy, rest, and connection with your loved ones. Whether you celebrate with family and friends or spend time in quiet reflection, may your days be filled with happiness and peace.

December is a wonderful time to express how much we care for those we love. Throughout this month, we emphasize the character trait of caring, and we are fortunate to be part of such a compassionate and kind community. We also wish to celebrate the various holidays that our community will observe this month.

Advent: December 1–December 24 - Christianity

The Advent Season encourages us to prepare our hearts and homes for Christ's birth in today's world. It serves as a time for faith communities and families to remember the true meaning of Jesus's birth through prayer, reflection, special music, and good deeds. Christians traditionally pray, sing, and light an additional candle each Advent Sunday, continuing until all the candles are lit on the fourth Sunday. A fifth white candle, known as the Christ candle, often remains unlit in the center of the wreath; it is illuminated only on Christmas Eve.

Hanukkah December 25 through January 2-Judaism

Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights commemorates the Maccabean recapture and rededication of the Jerusalem Temple. Believers light the eight-candle menorah and come together for special readings singing.

Simbang Gabi December 16— Christian

This holiday is a Filipino Catholic tradition. It consists of nine Masses leading up to Christmas. It’s a time of concentrated prayer and preparation for Christmas. During the Mass, people will be in procession with star-shaped lanterns, which represent the star that guided the three wise men to Bethlehem to see the child Jesus in the manger.

Solstice December 21— Yule, Litha, Wicca/pagan

Yule is the holiday that acknowledges the winter solstice, when the North Pole tilts away from the sun, creating the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.

Christmas December 25-Christianity

Every year, on 25 December, people around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. The message of Christmas is timeless. It is about the birth of God’s Son, Jesus, and how he came to give us love, hope, and joy. That message doesn’t change from year to year. It's a day—and season—filled with Christmas carols, tree decorating, gift-giving, and parties.

Kwanzaa December 26–January 1African–American

Created founded in 1966 by Maulana Ron Karenga, Kwanzaa is an African-American and Pan-African holiday that celebrates history, values, family, community, and culture. The ideas and concepts of Kwanzaa are expressed in Swahili, one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa. According to Karenga, the name Kwanzaa comes from the Swahili phrase "matunda ya kwanza," which means "first fruits." The "First Fruits" festival in Southern Africa is celebrated in December and January, coinciding with the southern solstice. Karenga was partly inspired by an account he read of the Zulu festival Umkhosi Wokweshwama.

In the spirit of holidays, I encourage all of you to reach out to a community member, a friend, a neighbor, or a peer and celebrate our traditions. I wish you a safe, restful, and joyous holiday season!

Next week will go fast, and we decided not to publish a newsletter next week. The next Charger Weekly Update will go out on Friday, January 10, 2025.

We want to remind parents to check the “LOST AND FOUND” to look for student's personal belongings that may have been left behind on campus. We will donate any items left in the “LOST AND FOUND” on Thursday, December 19, 2024.

Our 4th and 5th grade drama program will end on December 19, 2024. So Emily Wooten, our Drama teacher, will leave us as she starts the Drama program at other elementary schools in SSD in January. We want to thank Emily for working hard to assemble a Drama program at a moment's notice. Her hard work did not go unnoticed. Thank you!

In January, we will welcome Christell Paras, our music teacher, to Cherry Chase.

This holiday season, I will be traveling with my family to my native country, Chile, for a family reunion. I am very excited to visit childhood friends and the places I hold dear in my heart. It has been nine years since my last visit. So, I will be out of the office from January 6 through January 10, 2025, and will be back on January 13, 2025.

Your engagement and support are the cornerstones of our success, and we continue to look forward to the beautiful experiences this school year still has to bring.

Best Regards,

Gloria Marchant-Principal

Calendar of Events

Here is the link to the 2024-2025 Cherry Chase Elementary Calendar. As we prepare for another exciting academic journey, we want to highlight some important dates and upcoming events to ensure a smooth transition for our students. Please take time to review the information listed below:

• December 19 NWEA Family Reports will be sent home
• December 19 Any remaining "Lost and Found" items will be donated
• December 20 Teacher Non-Duty Day- No School
• December 23-31 Holiday Recess- No School

January

• January 1-3 Holiday Recess- No School
• January 6 Back to School at 8 am
• January 7 PTA Board Meeting at 7 pm
• January SEA Rep Council Meeting
• January 10 Friday Flag
• January 14 Dismissal- Teacher Learning Day (TLD) at 12:45 pm
• January 14 School Site Council (SSC) Meeting at 3 pm in the Library
• January 15 PTA Association Meeting at 7 pm (virtual)
• January 16 ELAC at 8:15 am
• January 17 Friday Flag
• January 17 Coffee with the Principal at 8:45 am-SSD Strategic Plan-Promise and Student Profile
• January 20 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day- No School
• January 21 Staff Development Day- No School for Students
• January 23 Fire Drill at 10:20 am
• January 24 Friday Flag
• January 24 STEAM Night
• January 31 Friday Flag- Citizen of the Month
• January 31 Lunar New Year Celebration

Noon Aides Help Needed!

We appreciate the hard work of our noon aides. We have to fill several noon aide vacancies. If you are interested in applying for these vacancies, please email Mrs. Brett at Kristin.Brett@sesd.org

Details:

Compensation: 1.5 hours per day

Schedule: 11:10 am to 12:40 pm

Mrs. Brett provides monthly training sessions to all noon aides.

We invite all parents to attend our Coffee with the Principal sessions in the Multipurpose Room. We'll cover many essential topics, from school safety to academic progress, 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 2024-2025 Coffee with the Principal dates, topics, and links to the presentation:

August 15, 9:00 am-Welcome to incoming TK/Kindergarten Families

August 19, 8:30 am-Welcome Back Chargers

September 13, 8:45 am-What to Expect During Conference Week

October 11, 8:45 am-Emergency Protocols

November 15, 8:45 am-Report Cards and NWEA Reports-Canceled

January 17, 8:45 am-SSD Strategic Plan-Promise and Student Profile

March 14, 8:45 am-TBD

May 16, 8:45 am-TBD

We are excited to continue our partnership with Playworks, which helps kids stay active and build valuable life skills through play. We want to welcome back Playworks coach Fethiye Okan-Kolak and Team Up Coach Tommy Courtney, who will support students during recess, Class Game Time, and the Junior Coach Program. This year, we will share Playworks updates through the weekly bulletin. Here is the link to the Playworks Weekly Update (updated weekly)

Sunnyvale School District has contracted Pacific Health Clinics (formerly CHAC) to provide school-based counseling to students. We want to welcome Neguin Ghadessi to Cherry Chase. She will be in room 36 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays during the school day.

Our counseling caseload is currently full, and students will be added to a waitlist. For students referred to counseling, the counselor will contact families to get consent, let them know they are on the waitlist, and provide outside counseling resources.

Please contact Kristin Brett at Kristin.brett@sesd.org if you have any questions.

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

On August 14, 2024, first responders trained all staff members on ICS, lockdown, and the Run Hide Defend protocols.

We shared the Cherry Chase Elementary Emergency Protocols and ICS response with our families at Coffee with the Principal on October 11, 2023, at 8:45 a.m.

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:

October 16-Lockdown Drill at 9:00 am-COMPLETED

October 17-The Great ShakeOut at 10:25 am-COMPLETED

November 19-Fire Drill at 1:30 pm-COMPLETED

December 12-Fire Drill at 2:15 pm

January 23-Fire Drill at 10:30 am

February 13-Earthquake and Fire Drill at 10:30 am

March 5-Fire Drill at 12:40 pm

April 24-Fire Drill at 1:30 pm

May 24-Fire Drill at 1 pm

June 5-Fire Drill at 10:30 am

Fire drills last between 5-7 minutes.

Earthquake drills last between 5-10 minutes

Run Hide Defend/Lockdown lasts between 10-15 minutes

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://www.earthquakecountry.org/sevensteps/

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

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Skinner's legislation in 2022, which established a universal meal program for all K-12 public school students. Therefore, SSD will continue to offer free breakfast and lunch at school. The menus will continue to be updated each month. You can find the updated monthly food menus using this link.

For more information, click on California Universal Meals.

Mrs. Cosey's 3rd-grade class had the highest Direct Appeal participation!

Thank you to the 193 families who have become PTA members! We appreciate your support.

LET'S SEE IF WE CAN GET 10 MORE FAMILIES TO JOIN THIS WEEK!

Join the PTA to show your support of our students. Just $10/individual or $15/family.

As a PTA member, you have a say in how we support our school and our children. We understand that everyone's schedule is different, so while we encourage attending meetings and volunteering, we respect that it's optional. Become a PTA Member Today!

Field trips are coming up soon, so consider becoming a parent volunteer.

Please remember that all volunteers on campus must be cleared through the district annually. Here’s what you need to know:

• TB Clearance: Required and valid for four years. Ensure yours is up to date.
• New Volunteers: Start by filling out the application here.
• Returning Volunteers: To update your information, simply log in here using the "I already have a username" option. Your previous TB clearance is already on file.
• Fingerprinting: Only necessary if you plan to chaperone field trips or have one-on-one student contact.

For more information on how to get involved, please visit the PTA Website.

Cherry Chase Bell Schedule 2024-2025

Cherry Chase School Map 2024-2025

Parent-Student Handbook

PTA Website

1138 Heatherstone Way, Sunnyvale, CA 94087

(408) 522-8241 Main Office/Attendance