Cottonwood News

Welcome to December! I hope your Thanksgiving break was relaxing and your Thanksgiving day was spent with all of your favorite people!

Now, we have a fast three weeks before Christmas break! We already have programs scheduled, singers coming, crafts ordered, and lots of FUN planned. I encourage you to keep an eye on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/CottonwoodElementary), our school webpage (cottonwood.usd385.org), and this newsletter, so you know what's happening here at CES!

We finished up November celebrating teachers with amazing grants funded by your generosity with the fundraiser. Twenty-plus teachers received grants totaling over $12,000! We continue to be grateful for our amazing PTO, which makes sure our teachers have what they need so your students get the best education possible.

A couple reminders with car lines and drop-offs....

When you drop-off in the morning, if you want to stay in your car and do a quick drop-off, please use the back (north) doors. If you'd rather walk your child up to the drive, please use the front (south) entrance. You cannot drive up and drop off in the front, due to buses. In the afternoon, you MUST have your car number showing when you come to pick up your child. If you don't have your number, please come to the front, park your car in a parking spot, and meet your child at the entrance. While these nuances can feel annoying, they are for the safety of students and staff. As always, please reach out to your child's teacher or to the front office if you have questions or concerns.

We hope your December is full of fun times as we celebrate the end of 2024 and an amazing first semester here at CES!

With education at heart,

Dr. Michelle Adler

Recess is held outside whenever possible. We all need fresh air and the chance to run around. With much cooler weather approaching, we will monitor wind chills and the temperature before going outside. Please make sure your child dresses appropriately for cold weather. Coats, hats, and gloves are sometimes a must!

We will begin our in-house skating program on January 6th, 2025. A permission slip came home with your child before Thanksgiving break. A permission slip must be turned in for your child to participate. They are due by December 9th.

The fee for this unit is $9.00 per student. The fee includes delivery and pickup of the equipment and use of the skates for the duration of the skating unit. Skatetime provides wrist guards for each student during the program. Students may bring helmets, elbow pads, and/or kneepads for extra safety precautions. Due to insurance purposes, we will use Skatetime skates exclusively.

Our Cottonwood Spelling Bee will be held on Thursday, January 23rd at 9:00 am in the cafeteria. The students chosen to represent our school are studying hard and we wish them the best!! 🤩

Best of luck to all of our spellers:

3rd grade: June Broderick, Alex Evans, Reese Karasek, Layken Michler, Maggie Relihan, Wrigley Pipes

4th grade: Makenna Jamerson, Elam Larsen, Jackson Peterson, Ava Shea, Audrey Underwood

5th grade: Taylor Armstrong, Nicole Bramhall, Callan Carrier, Cambrie Morris, Jase Pena, Roderick Pipes, Cordelia Sutter

The December Counselor theme is: Generosity. Is the virtue of not being tied down by concerns about one's possessions? Generosity leads to charity and forgiveness. Please ask your child what this means to them.

We are also working on our Safer, Smarter Kids Unit.

K - Establishing a Trusted Triangle and Think, Feel and Act

1 - Safety Stop Sign and I Mean Business Voice and Guiding Voice and Think, Feel and Act
2 - Being aware of your surroundings and Making a P.L.A.N.

3 - Body Boundaries and Personal Space

4 - Respecting Boundaries

5 - Privacy

School Supplies: If your child is running out of school supplies and you need assistance, please contact me.

Parenting Tips for the Holiday Season: Please spend extra time with your child. Help them to truly understand the reason for the season. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the materialistic aspect that we forget to teach the kids the real meaning. Share stories of your childhood to teach them holiday tradition.

It is easy to be thankful for the good things. During the holidays, remember all the things that you have to be thankful for:

-Be thankful when you don't know...it gives you the opportunity to learn.

-Be thankful for the difficult times...during those times you grow.

-Be thankful for limitations...they give opportunities for improvement.

-Be thankful for a new challenge...it will build strength and character.

-Be thankful for mistakes...they teach valuable lessons.

STUCO is providing gifts for the Children's Sunlight Advocacy Center. Remember to have your gifts here by December 13th.

Please let me know if your family is in need of help for the holidays. I know it can be a difficult time.

Also, if your child is struggling, I'm happy to help in any way that I can.

Have a safe and Happy Holiday Season!!!

Marcie Faust-LCPC/NBCC

Cottonwood Counselor
316-218-4620 ext. 2

faustm@usd385.org

Hope your Thanksgiving break was happy and healthy! As we continue to enter into the cold weather season, please make sure your students are dressed for outdoor recess; hats, gloves, and winter jackets.

It's also not too late to consider getting a booster for the COVID vaccine and the Flu vaccine. The CDC has reported an increase in Mycoplasma Pneumonia, also known as 'walking pneumonia.' Symptoms include fever, sore throat, headache, fatigue, and a cough that starts dry, then develops thick mucus. The cough may last for weeks. Treatment is with antibiotics. Please remember to contact the health office of any positive test results for Influenza, Strep throat, and Pink eye.

Currently, the health office is needing the following clothing items: new or gently used underwear for boys; sizes 5-6 and 8-10 and boys' pants, size 8-10.

Thank you!

Denis Rebel, school nurse
rebeld@usd385.org

Emily Graber, health clerk
grabere@usd385.org

December 6 - Explorations
December 13 - Explorations
December 17 - Orchestra/Band Concert

December 20 - End of 2nd quarter; early dismissal at 1:45 pm

December 23-Jan 3 - Christmas Break
January 1 - HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

January 6 - Students return to School

Cottonwood has several ways in which we try to communicate our news and views to the world. You can download the Andover Schools Mobile App in either iTunes or Google. We use School Messenger to share upcoming activities through phone calls and emails. If you have suggestions on how to help communicate our learning and teaching, please don't hesitate to email me at adlerm@usd385.org.

School website: http://cottonwood.usd385.org/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CottonwoodElementary

PTO Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cottonwoodelementarypto/

Andover Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndoverSchools

Peachjar-- Peachjar is an “electronic backpack” system where schools post calendars, activity information from enrichment providers, and school letters. This system is used exclusively for distribution of school-approved fliers. Your email address will not be shared or used for any other purpose.

Email: adlerm@usd385.org
Website: http://cottonwood.usd385.org/
Location: 1747 N Andover Rd, Andover, KS, United States
Phone: 316-218-4620