CES Weekly Communicator

Good afternoon, Chapelfield families.

This week we welcomed our newest Chapelfield Lions to school starting on Thursday, our kindergarten students. We are so proud of them and saw them make new friends for the last two days.

Our focus this week continued to be setting expectations for the school year. We watched a video about what it should look like at arrivals, dismissal and on the bus. Fifth graders were the stars in those videos! Myself and Mrs. Couch were able to ride on the bus to see if students were Being Positive, Acting Responsibly, Working Hard and Showing Respect. In addition, I was able to go to every classroom to talk about what happens if we make a mistake. We read the book I Am Human by Susan Verde. We know that kindergarteners-5th graders will make mistakes throughout the year. I shared with them that even adults make mistakes. I shared times that I have made mistakes and told the students that if we can fix our mistakes, own them, apologize and move on we will grow to be successful! Please talk to them about this message and what you have learned from your own mistakes in life! It is powerful when we share what we have been through.

Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Nikki Miller

There are many feelings around the start of a new school year! See below for a few back to school tips to ease the transition, especially for those children who are experiencing separation anxiety.

Kids thrive on structure and routines. Try these steps to help ease the morning rush and set you and your child up for success before school.

1. Set a regular bedtime. Make sure your child gets between 8-10 hours of sleep per night.

2. Prepare for school the night before. Sign papers and place them in their bookbag. Have bags, homework, and lunches packed and in a set spot each night. Set out clean clothes for the morning.

3. Monitor and limit the amount of screen time before bedtime.

4. Ask for help if you are concerned about your child. I am here to support you and your child!

GRIN is a local community service that supports Gahanna residents in need. Click HERE for the sign-up to participate in GRIN's "Weekend Snack Pack" Program. If your family is in need, feel free to reach out to Mrs. Jasin (jasink@gjps.org or 478-1454) and she can connect you with additional resources.

Dear GJPS families,

During the 2024-25 school year, students in kindergarten through 10th grade will take the NWEA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Assessment in the areas of reading and mathematics. The MAP assessment measures student achievement and academic growth over time. It also compares student, class and grade level performance with other students’ performance across the country.

The MAP Assessment is web-based and adaptive to measure your child’s instructional level. The results from the MAP Assessment are one data set that help to provide a more complete picture of what your child knows and is ready to learn, helping staff to better plan instruction to meet their needs.

The MAP Assessment will be given up to three times this year depending on the grade level. Your building principal will share the specific dates for your building before testing begins. Following each testing window, you will receive a report showing your student’s performance and growth.

For more information about MAP Assessments, check out the Family Guide to MAP and the NWEA Family Toolkit. If you have questions, please contact your student’s teacher or building principal

Sincerely,

Tia P. Holliman

Director of Curriculum

Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools

*Please note: Kindergarten will take the Acadience Screener starting next week, while grades 1-5 will take MAP. Kindergarten will take MAP starting in January.

**NEW DAILY SCHEDULE**

This year's start and end times have changed from the past. For Chapelfield (and all GJPS Elementary Schools) the daily times are:

7:50 Doors Open for Students Eating Breakfast At School

7:55 Doors Open for All Students

8:05 School Starts

2:45 School Ends

The front office is a busy place the last 30 minutes of school. We ask that parents NOT CALL to make transportation changes after 2:20 p.m. Please make sure students know your plan of pick up before they come to school.

Your students' bus route for the 2024-25 school year is available on Transfinder. The web-based service provides Gahanna-Jefferson families 24/7 flexibility and access to route information based on their home address!

Be sure to enter only the street number and street name. Do not enter zip code, grades or school. (Entering more than the street number and name may cause inaccurate information to display.)

When you receive your bus information, please check over it carefully. If something does not make sense, please contact transportation at (614) 751-7581.

We are excited to offer the mobile device app Here Comes the Bus. This app allows families to view the real-time location of your child's school bus on a smartphone, tablet or computer using GPS technologies with which each school bus is equipped.

How to Get Started with Here Comes the Bus:

1. Download the Here Comes the Bus app or visit www.HereComesTheBus.com.
2. Click the “SIGN UP” button at the bottom of screen.
3. Follow directions on screen to create an account using the GJPS school district code: 29231
4. You will be sent an email to verify your email address and activate your account.
5. Return to app and add your child’s last name and STUDENT ID number.
   (STUDENT ID NUMBER IS THE SAME AS STUDENT CAFETERIA PIN NUMBER)
6. Click “ADD STUDENT” to add other children in your household.
7. You are now ready to begin following the location of your child’s bus!

Infinite Campus is our parent portal and student information system. This site will allow parents/guardians to access school information electronically. For example, Infinite Campus will allow you to update email addresses and other important information regarding your child as well as view your child's report card electronically.

ALL Families (either new to Chapelfield or returning families) need to update your information in the Parent Portal of Infinite Campus. Directions for how to update Infinite Campus are linked below:

1. Log into the Parent Portal on Infinite Campus at: https://gahannajeffersonoh.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/gahanna_jefferson.jsp

2. Click MORE from the left hand column

3. Click on ONLINE REGISTRATION from choices on the right

4. Click START next to "Existing Student Registration"

5. Go through each step to complete the registration

Families New to Chapelfield Elementary: If you are a new family to Chapelfield (including all of our kindergarten families), you will receive an email from Mrs. Gilzow, school secretary, soon detailing directions on how to log into the Parent Portal of Infinite Campus to update your information.

Returning Families: If you need assistance - please call the school office at 614-478-5575. Mrs. Gilzow will be happy to help.

If you are visiting Chapelfield for any reason, you will need to enter the building through the front doors.

We kindly ask that ALL visitors follow the steps below each and every time you visit Chapelfield:

1. Once at the front, exterior doors of the school, press the buzzer. A member of the office staff will ask your reason for visiting Chapelfield.

2. Once inside the vestibule, you will enter your drivers' license or state ID into the scanner. ALL visitors/guests/guardians need to scan their drivers license EACH and EVERY time they visit Chapelfield.

3. Once your license has been scanned and processed you will be permitted to enter the main office area to pick up your visitor/volunteer badge.

**As a reminder, if there is a non-guardian planning to visit Chapelfield for any reason (to eat lunch, read a book in the classroom, visit the bookfair, take your child to an appointment etc.), we ask that the guardian email the teacher and front office (gilzows@gjps.org ) to let us know prior to the visit.

Background Checks are needed each year for all volunteers!

To increase safety and security protocols, all GJPS volunteers who may have the potential to interact with students in an unsupervised setting or may have access to confidential information will be required to complete an online application that includes a background check. The district will provide the background checks at no cost to the volunteer. Background checks are required EACH school year. If you completed a background check last school year, you will need to complete the process again for the 2024-2025 school year.

EXAMPLES

• Examples of volunteer experiences include but are not limited to: cafeteria helpers, reading aides, mentors, hall monitors, field day volunteers, library helpers, office helpers, tutors, field trip chaperones, small group or individual student work in the hallway, party helpers, concession workers, fundraising volunteers, book fair volunteers, mobile dentist volunteers, etc.

Interested in Volunteering?

Click on the link below and fill out the necessary information:

Volunteer Form - Link is currently activated for the 24-25 school year!

Lunch Options this year will be:

• Hot Lunch
• Yogurt Entree w/ Grain (Protein Plate)
  
• Turkey Sandwich
• WowButter Pocket

• Garden Salad
  

• NEW THIS YEAR: Cheese Sandwich

Lunch Payments-You may apply money on-line to your student's account. This is done on Infinite Campus. Click HERE for directions.

PIN Numbers Will Be Used. Students will need to know their student ID number to access their lunch accounts in the cafeteria. ID numbers can be found on Infinite Campus under your child's profile. Please help them start to memorize this number prior to school starting. Teachers and staff will assist students for the first couple of weeks.

Free and Reduced Lunch Applications: To apply for free or reduced lunch prices, please visit this site for more information.

To report an absence, please call the front office at 614-478-5575 or email gilzows@gjps.org by 8:30am if possible.

Pursuant to House Bill 410, student attendance is now calculated in hours. This includes absences that have been identified as both excused and unexcused by the school, as well as planned absences. Being late or tardy to school does calculate into the total hours absent.

In an effort to encourage regular, on-time attendance and avoid habitual truancy, families are encouraged to:

• Make getting to school on time every day a high priority.

• Discuss the importance of regular school attendance and the negative impacts of excessive absences.

• Create a safe space for students to discuss what is keeping them from school.

• Develop a backup plan for getting your student to school when transportation challenges, illness, or other challenges arise.

• Schedule vacations during a time when school is not in session.

• Monitor your student’s attendance records to identify any disruptions or patterns of change.

• Contact your student’s school to discuss preventative services and supports available to promote regular attendance.

PLANNED ABSENCES (Such as vacation):

The time missed will be counted as an authorized, UNEXCUSED absence but shall not be a factor in determining grades unless the make-up work is not completed. Students who are absent 38 hours in a month or 65 hours in a school year with or without legitimate excuse are now considered Excessively Absent. These students will receive a letter from the District and will be required to follow the District Truancy Plan.These hours include approved planned absences. Planned absences will not be approved if your child has already met or will meet (based on this request) the absence threshold for Excessive Absence and/or Habitual Truancy.

If you have a planned absence, please fill out this form and send it in to the office. For more information or questions, please visit the GJPS website.

GJPS Elementary Student Handbook 24-25

We want students to be engaged in learning and not distracted by devices.

"CELL PHONES & SMART WATCHES

Cell phones are permitted at school, but must remain off and in the student’s book bags throughout the school day AND while riding on the school bus.

Smart watches are also permitted, but should only be used as a clock while at school. Please make sure that your child's smart watch is in school mode prior to coming to school.

Students are not permitted to send or receive text messages or phone calls on cell phones or smart watches during the day or while on the bus. Additionally, photos may not be taken with cell phones or smart watches at school.

On state testing days, smart watches are not permitted to be worn.

If a parent/guardian needs to reach their student during the school day, they should call the school office at 614-478-5575. The school is not responsible for cell phones or smart watches that are lost, stolen, or damaged.

We are excited to be implementing new Math (Bridges) and Reading/Writing (Wit and Wisdom) Curriculum throughout the district this year in all K-5 classrooms.

Our teachers have participated in training for both curricular tools at the end of last school year as well as just prior to the beginning of this school year. With anything new, there is a learning curve and teachers will continue to learn as they dive into the tools and planning process.

Below are resources for families for both math (Bridges) and reading/writing (Wit and Wisdom) if you are interested in learning more:

BRIDGES MATH

WIT AND WISDOM

Please reach out to Nikki Miller with any questions at millern@gjps.org.

• Infinite Campus: Please log-in to the parent portal and update all Emergency Medical Forms, make sure all contact information is current, apply money to lunch accounts, and more! DIRECTIONS
• Bus Information: find your student's bus route, contact information, and download the bus app.
• District Calendar
• Free and Reduced Lunch Applications: To apply for free or reduced lunch prices, please visit this site for more information.

*Breakfast with Buddies: Join us on Friday, August 30th from 7:30 a.m.-8:05 a.m. for all students' whose last name starts with A-L and their family. Come have breakfast with your child/ren. M-Z will be on September 13th.

*Our first PTO meeting will be Tuesday, September 10th at 7:00 p.m. in the Chapelfield Library. This will also be our Title 1 parent meeting.

Please check out our spirit wear here. This is a great fundraiser for our 5th graders who use the money to have end of the year celebrations like going to FREE trip to King's Island.

Monday, August 26: Spirit Day-Wear Red

Tuesday, August 27: Spirit Day-Wear Orange

Wednesday, August 28: Spirit Day-Wear Yellow

Thursday, August 29: Spirit Day-Wear Green

Friday, August 30th:

*Spirit Day-Wear Blue

*PTO Breakfast with Buddies for families with last names starting A-L @ 7:30 a.m.

Monday, September 2: Labor Day-NO SCHOOL

2024-2025 GJPS District Calendar (PDF)

2024-2025 School Menus

2024-2025 Bus Schedule and Routes

2025-2026 School Calendar