Recent wildfires in Los Angeles have served as a stark reminder of the urgent need for climate change awareness and sustainable practices worldwide. These devastating events highlight the critical conversations we must have about our environment and the steps we can take to mitigate the impact of climate change.

We are proud to have a dedicated group at Cherry Crest called SOAP (Students Organized Against Pollution). Under the guidance of Mrs. Stedman and Ms. Heath, SOAP meets monthly to discuss and set our sustainability goals. They are currently working on developing educational resources for classrooms, which will be presented in April. The ongoing fires emphasize the significance of their efforts, and we commend them for their dedication and service to our community.

In addition, the founder of SOAP recently reached out to explore ways to raise funds for local climate change organizations and initiatives. We are excited to collaborate on a plan to support this important idea.

Way to go, SOAP! Your commitment to sustainability is inspiring, and we are proud of all your hard work.

Join Mrs. Stedman on 2/7 on teams at 9-10 AM

Join the meeting now

October Principal Coffee Link

November Principal Coffee Link

December Principal Coffee Link

January Principal Coffee Link (New!)

1/13 Bridle Trail Community Meeting 6:30pm – 8:30pm in Cafeteria

1/16 Advanced Learning Testing -Grade 5

1/17 Open Transfer and Choice School ’25-26 SY applications due before 4pm

1/20 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Day Observance – No School

1/21 Fire/Evacuation Drill 1:20pm – 1:40pm

1/22 PTSA AMC 8 Math 4:30 – 5:30pm in Cafeteria

1/24 PTSA Festival of Cultures 6pm – 8pm in Café/Gym

1/28 PTSA General Meeting 7:00-8:00pm Cafeteria

1/29 Lunar New Year – Year of the Snake

1/29 MLK/Black History Month Assembly 8:15am – 9:00am in Cafeteria/Gym

1/31 Revised End of First Semester

1/31 Passport Club 11:00am – 12:30pm in Lobby

2/7 SAVE THE DATE - School Dance 6:30-8 pm (See flyer below)

Please note:

Friday, 3/28 Make-up day for November closure

Monday, 6/23 – Last Day of School (date change)

How to register:

• make payment here: https://givebutter.com/IJN3xs ($20 per student)

• student registration url: https://maa.edvistas.com/datamate/testRegister.aspx?id=bd5c84e9-47c0-436b-9d7f-91e2c7521de9 (*required, otherwise you won't be approved to attend the contest)

Registration deadline:

• Jan 15th, 2025

Requirement for student:

• Grade 3, Grade 4 and Grade 5

• Must be a PTSA member

Competition Details:

• Event: AMC 8 2025 Math Competition
• Date: Wednesday, January 22
• Schedule:
• 4:00 PM – Setup
• 4:30 PM – 5:10 PM – Competition
• 5:30 PM – Exit the building
• Location: CCE Cafeteria

Join us at the Cherry Crest Festival of Cultures on Friday, January 24th from 6-8pm to celebrate the diversity of our community! Share your cultural heritage through food, crafts, and pictures, and learn about others’ traditions, languages, history, geography, and games.

To participate, please Sign up by January 9th, 2025. Space is limited so hurry up! All food items must include ingredients for possible allergens.

Our committee will follow up with you on event details and preparation instructions. Thank you for helping us showcase the rich diversity of the Cherry Crest community!

Questions? Please contact Sarit Egozi or Carrolyn Sami at festivalofcultures@cherrycrest-ptsa.org

Science Olympiad is the premier team STEM competition in the nation. We are pleased to bring this new after school extracurricular activity to CCE this semester. This will be our inaugural year at CCE, and will be introducing competition material for next academic year's Science Olympiad. Currently open to 3rd-5th graders only. Classes will be held on Tuesdays in the Art Room, from 3:30-4:20PM. Fee: $30.00, Registration Deadline is 1/14/2025.

Tuesdays, 3:30pm – 4:15pm

Jan 14, 21, 28,

Feb 4, 11, 25,

Mar 4, 11, 18, 25

In Art Room

Parents’ responsibility:

• By participating, parents agree students are not allowed to wait at school for program to begin at 3:30pm.
• Parents agree to arrive by minimum 10 minutes before session ends and wait outside for student’s dismissal.

• Parents will be responsible to contacting group organizers of any early pick up.

Registration here: https://givebutter.com/TBEkya

This soccer summer camp is open to students between the ages of 6 and 17, of all playing levels from beginner to advanced. The camp will be hosted at Highland Middle School July 14-18, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (with an option to extend the time from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).

The Real Madrid Foundation is offering thirteen scholarships, and there will be additional scholarships added if funding is available. To request a scholarship, please fill out this FORM before January 12, 2025. On January 24, you will receive an email if you have been granted the scholarship. Click here to register.

We are excited to announce that we will be adding a new Parent Partnership Program component to our Bellevue Digital Discovery elementary to support elementary age students and families who engage in homebased learning. This new program component will serve students through an Alternative Learning Experience model which includes a personalized learning plan developed in partnership with the student, teacher and family. Students will engage in learning at home, online and in-person at our new Bellevue Discovery learning lab. Together with members of the community, Kristin Tinder and Tom Duenwald are leading the co-creation of this new program component of Bellevue Digital Discovery.

We invite interested families to learn more at our upcoming Bellevue Discovery Open House, January 13 at 6:00 p.m. online, or to contact us directly at ppp@bsd405.org

Enrollment for the 25-26 school year for this Bellevue Discovery program begins Monday, December 9, and the link to enroll can be found on the Enroll at BSD webpage.

Thank you in advance for your support of this new program in BSD as we continue to diversify our learning options to meet student needs.

The Open Transfer, Choice School and Choice Program Application period for the 2024-2025 school year will close on Friday, January 17, 2025. Students and families are invited to learn more about Bellevue School District schools and programs during the final week of school open houses. The following open houses will take place over the next weeks.

· January 13, 2025 – Ardmore Elementary School Open House, 5:00 – 6:00 p.m.

· January 13, 2025 – Tillicum Middle School Open House, 5:45 – 8:00 p.m.

· January 13, 2025 – Bellevue Digital Discovery Open House, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

· January 14, 2025 – Enatai Elementary School Open House, 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

· January 14, 2025 – Newport High School Open House, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

· January 14, 2025 – International School Open House, 6:30 – 7:30 p.m.

· January 15, 2025 – Medina Elementary School Open House, 5:30 – 6:30 p.m.

· January 15, 2025 – Sammamish High School Open House, 6:30 – 8:00 p.m.

· January 16, 2025 – Bellevue High School Open House, 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Free Money Management Workshops at the Bellevue Family Hub

Community partners Bellevue LifeSpring and Hopelink will hold upcoming family workshops on the topic of money management basics. The sessions will provide tips and tools to help families manage their budget, understand banking essentials, and improve financial credit. Childcare and snacks provided and virtual sessions available. Learn more at Bellevue Family Hub locations at Stevenson Elementary School or Highland Middle School or visit the Bellevue LIfeSpring website for additional event details.

Session in Spanish

Wednesday, January 29, 2025

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Session in English

Thursday, January 30, 2025

5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

The location for both sessions is Stevenson Elementary School (14220 NE 8th Street, Bellevue, WA 98007).

Prearranged absence forms should be completed at least two weeks in advance for approval. Please email cherrycrestattendance@bsd405.org for access to the form and for any questions you may have.

Attendance Matters: Understanding School Avoidance

School avoidance is when a child refuses to attend school or has difficulty remaining in school the entire day. It can start by missing a day or two sporadically over a few of your child’s school years and slowly increase from there.

School avoidance may look like:

• Full day absences from school
• Going to school but leaving early
• Going to school, but only after crying, hiding, having an outburst, or refusing to move
• Faking illness to miss a day of school or having physical symptoms related to anxiety (e.g., headache, nausea, etc.)
• Showing unusual distress about going to school and begging you not to make them go

I Think My Child May Have School Avoidance, What Can I Do to Help?

· Contact your child’s school team

o Reach out to your student’s school team to discuss your concerns and hear about supports such as school-based counseling, parent support group offerings, and 504 accommodation plans.

o Supporting a child in working through their school avoidance can be overwhelming, painful and feel hopeless at times.

o Please know you do not have to solve this heavy task alone. Your child’s school team is available and eager to partner with you. We welcome and encourage you to reach out to us with your concerns.

· Make an appointment with your child’s pediatrician

o Consider making an appointment with your child’s pediatrician or family doctor to rule out any medical complications that could be interfering with your child’s ability to attend school regularly. Common barriers to attendance include problems with sleep and untreated anxiety or depression. Thankfully, there are evidence-based treatments that can help such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and medication.

RSVP to NeighborhoodOutreach@bellevuewa.gov to receive Zoom Link. For more information, visit BellevueWA.gov/nep or contact Theresa Cuthill at tcuthill@bellevuewa.gov, 425-452-4186

Our PTSA is hosting the 2nd annual school dance at Cherry Crest on February 7th. Thanks to your donations (reaching $120K by 10/31 during Giving Month!), students have earned "Dance Week" where they will learn special choreography with a professional DJ who will also DJ the dance on 2/7. Students will showcase their grade level dances at the school dance that Friday. We can't wait! Thank you, PTSA!

January is Americans of Chinese Descent History Month in Washington!

We celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's birthday in January as a way to honor his memory and celebrate his efforts during the Civil Rights Movement.

We are partnering with families to create a beautiful Lunar New Year display in our entryway at Cherry Crest! Stay tuned for more information and photos to share.