Columbus Africentric Prek - 5

Welcome back to another exciting year at CAEC Prek - 5. I hope this newsletter finds you all in good health and high spirits. As we begin this new academic year, I want to extend a warm and heartfelt welcome to our returning students and a special greeting to all our new students and their families.

We are thrilled to open our doors once again and create a nurturing environment that fosters academic excellence, personal growth, and a strong sense of community. At CAEC, we believe that every student has unique talents and potential, and our dedicated team of educators is committed to helping each individual shine bright and achieve their goals.

This year, we have exciting plans and initiatives in store to enhance the overall learning experience for our students. As always, we encourage active involvement from parents and guardians in their child's education. We firmly believe that a strong partnership between the school and families greatly contributes to a student's success. Open communication and regular engagement with teachers and school staff are vital to fostering a supportive and thriving learning environment.

Safety remains our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining a secure and healthy campus for everyone. We will continue to adhere to all recommended health and safety guidelines to ensure a safe and comfortable learning environment for all.

All PreK - 5 students must wear purple polo shirts and khaki bottoms. Students are not permitted to wear jackets, hoodies or coats in the building throughout the school year. Students are not permitted to carry purses, fanny packs, and or cell phones on their persons. These items will need to be put in their cubbies or lockers (5th graders). Student can wear long sleeve purple polo shirts, but they cannot wear long sleeve shirts under their short sleeve purple polo shirts (unless it is purple). Prek-5 grade students who desire to wear layers over their polos during the day throughout our campus will have the option to purchase school (CAEC) sweaters, cardigans and sweatshirts. Note: These are the only layered options for students who wish to layer over their purple polo shirt. These layer options must be purchased from School Closet/School Days Uniforms online at:

www.schoolcloset.com or you can visit the store at 73 N. Stygler Road, Gahanna, Ohio 43230. Optional logo polos are also available for purchase.

Throughout the year, we will keep you informed about various school events, academic milestones, and important updates through ClassDojo, our school website, newsletters, and parent-teacher conferences. If you ever have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We are here to support you in every way possible. Please make sure you have access to the Parent Portal and that all of your information is up to date.

Let us work together to make this academic year a memorable and successful one for our students. I am confident that, with the dedication of our exceptional staff, the support of our parents and guardians, and the hard work of our students, we will achieve great heights.

Go Nubians!

At the Africentric we L.E.A.D.:

(L) We Listen to Learn; (E) Excel in Every Area; (A) We Attend Every Day; and (D) We Demonstrate Respect!

The staff lined the walkways at CAEC to welcome the students back to school on August 21st. Students were greeted with cheers and hugs as they entered the building. Channel 6 was also there to captured first day of school highlights.

Charity Newsies provides children enrolled in school from Kindergarten through 12th grade in Franklin County with brand new clothing. We serve children by providing them with socks, underwear, pants, shirts, a coat, hat and gloves. Children attending schools with dress code requirements receive compliant clothing. For children who attend schools with uniform requirements, Charity Newsies provides a uniform voucher.

The Charity Newsies Clothe-A-Child program is designed for families in need of back-to-school clothing assistance. Qualifying families may submit one application per child per school year. Applications are submitted on-line only. In-person applications are no longer accepted.

Click the link below to fill out an application today!

Any questions regarding the application or the Clothe-A-Child program should be directed to:

clothing@charitynewsies.com.

Did you know the ESL Department has a designated call center in over seven foreign languages? Please see the link below in the event that there is a need for assistance in another language.

Parents and Caregivers will be asked to update the link used to access the CCS Parent Portal on or before December 21, 2024. Families will need to completely log out of the Infinite Campus App (if they are accessing information on a cell phone) and log back in using the new link provided below. Families may also be asked to download an updated version of the Parent Portal App in order to access information with the new link.

More questions? please see the information link below or call the fact line at: 614-221-3228

New Look to Infinite Campus

Infinite Campus has a new look and feel! Users can now toggle a switch to replace their existing Infinite Campus with a new user interface and navigational structure.

This new Infinite Campus experiences a similar look as the Parent and Student Portals. It contains all the same tools as the current Infinite Campus but includes several improvements.

For the Taco Seasoning:

2 tablespoons onion powder

2 tablespoons garlic powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Pizzas:

1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for brushing

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts

1 16-ounce tube pizza dough

All-purpose flour, for dusting

1 cup shredded mozzarella

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar

1 avocado

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1 tablespoon diced red onion

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup fresh salsa

1/2 cup sour cream

1. Make the taco seasoning: Mix all of the ingredients with 1 tablespoon each salt and black pepper in a bowl.
2. Prepare the pizza: Mix 2 tablespoons of the taco seasoning and the canola oil in a shallow bowl. Pound the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap to 1/4 inch thick. Add the chicken to the bowl, turning to coat, and marinate 30 minutes.
3. Preheat a grill to medium high. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Let cool, then cut into bite-size pieces.
4. Divide the dough into 3 pieces. Roll out each on a floured surface into an 8-inch round. Brush with canola oil, sprinkle with taco seasoning and grill until crisp, 3 to 5 minutes per side; remove from the grill.
5. Mix the cheeses in a bowl, then sprinkle on the crusts and top with the chicken. Return the pizzas to the grill, and cook until the cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, mix the avocado, lime juice, cumin, chili powder, red onion, and salt and pepper to taste. Top the pizzas with the avocado mixture, salsa, sour cream and cilantro.

A young girl stops to call out all the sights and sounds on her morning trip to pre-school, but that’s not what makes her late—it is her dad’s goodbye hug.

• September 2 - Labor Day All School Closed

• September 18 - Professional Development Day

Website: https://www.ccsoh.us/africentricearlycollege

Location: 3223 Allegheny Avenue, Columbus, OH, USA
Phone: (614) 365-8675

My job as the Family Ambassador is to ensure that your child(s) has a great learning experience at Columbus Africentric Early College PreK-5 (CAEC). I'll do this by providing you with information about school policies, procedures, programs and activities. Please contact me if I can be of any assistance to you.

Email: kdobbins@columbus.k12.oh.us

Phone: (740) 808-9727