The CPES BobChat

The start of school is a few weeks away. Our goal is to help you and your child easily transition to school. We hope you will use the checklist below as a guide to support you. We will add to it each week as we get closer to August 8. 1. After School Care--Have you thought through what your best options are for care for your child after school? Our Be Great Academy is housed at Cherry Park in the afternoons and parents can pick up their child starting at 2:45 each day at the main office off of Caswell Street. They will also offer care for students in their program on the afternoons of the half-days for an additional cost. In addition to Be Great Academy, there are also many other great after-school programs that care for students each day. Beyond this, have you thought through your backup plans if your child is sick or we have a school cancellation? The best time to plan for those contingencies is now rather than when they happen. 2. Transportation--If you need bus transportation to or from school, please click on the button below for more information. Notification of bus routes will happen by August 5. Again, it is best to think through your main plan and then your backup plans for getting your child to and from school. Be sure anyone picking up your child is on your contact list. Some families carpool and that is a great way to share this responsibility. All students should be out of their car by 7:40 and dismissal is at 2:10 each day. Dismissal on half-days is at 11:15. 3. Health Needs--Nurse Love is our point of contact for any medical concerns you might have. She is not at school yet but she will return on August 1. Please think through securing any medications in advance that need to be kept at school for emergencies or for giving to your child each day. Nurse Love has a Medical Authorization form that will need to be completed to dispense any medication. Also, if there are any particular allergies or unique medical needs, we can develop a plan to address those. Our teachers are very familiar with assisting students with any kinds of allergies. We certainly want to keep them safe.

Mr. Bill Hobbs (a former RHSD employee) told me years ago, "Prior planning prevents poor performance. Always remember the 5 P's." Thank you for your effort to plan now for a successful transition. We look forward to seeing you soon.

Strength and Blessings,

Mr. Maness

Here is a checklist of items that need to be done before the beginning of the school year.

1. Returning Student Verification--Update all contact information and emergency contact list in Parent Portal. Only students who were in Rock Hill Schools last year need to do this.

2. Submit Proof of Residency--Electric or Gas Bill or Lease Agreement sent to our SIS Clerk, Mrs. Janelle Miskelly: mailto:jmiskelly@rhmail.org. You can also drop off a copy in our main office.

3. Purchase School Supplies--See button below.

4. New School Year Calendar--Please go ahead and note important dates from our District Calendar on your personal calendar. See button below.

5. Be Great Academy After School Program--Complete registration if needed for the program. See information below.

6. School of Choice Bus Transportation--Complete registration in Parent Portal if your child needs bus transportation before or after school. https://www.rock-hill.k12.sc.us/Page/587

7. Medical Needs--Secure any medications and doctors' orders that need to be housed with Nurse Love. After August 1, complete any forms needed for their distribution. Also, be sure to inform her and your child's teachers of any medical needs your child may have.

1. Open Slots for Kindergarten--We have a few slots open for Kindergarten French for this fall. If you know of any families who may be interested, please have them contact our Main Office at 803-985-2255.

2. Open House--Open House will be Monday, August 5 from 5:00-7:00 PM. This is a time to come and meet your child's teacher and ask questions. Please mark your calendars.

3. Staggered Start for Kindergarten--All students with last names starting with A-H will attend August 8-9 (and will not attend August 12-13). All students with last names starting with I-Z will attend August 12-13 (and will not attend August 8-9). All kindergarten students come August 14. The purpose of this staggered start is for your child to be in a smaller class and have time to transition easily to school.

4. First Day of School for 1st through 5th Grade--Will be Monday, August 8 for all 1st through 5th Grade students.

5. Student Meals--Districtwide, students can eat breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria at no cost to families. Children need to be at school by 7:20 to have time to eat breakfast and be on time for class. Menus for each day can be found on our RHSD App.

August 1--First Day Back for Teachers

August 8--First Day for Grades 1-5

August 8-9--Staggered Start for Kindergarten Students with Names Beginning with A-H (and the other group starting on August 12-13 will not come.)

August 12-13--Staggered Start for Kindergarten Students with Names Beginning with I-Z (and the other group who went on August 8-9 will not come.)

August 14--All Kindergarten Students Are In School

School Improvement Council--This group seeks to determine how Cherry Park Elementary can be the best school it can be. It is a sounding board and feedback group for the school and district. Members are elected for two year terms. Members of this year's Council include Celia Kerr, Ashley Petit, Latisha Givens, Scott Kennedy, Chelsea Eichorn, Jennifer Hutchinson and Matthew Query. Ex-Officio Members are Mr. Maness (Principal) and Mrs. Futrelle (Assistant Principal). Meetings are held at Cherry Park on the second Monday of each month at 5:30 PM. All parents are invited to attend.

Parent Teacher Organization--This group has three main goals: Raising funds for the school, appreciating the staff and securing volunteers as needed. The Cherry Park PTO is a 501c3 tax deductible organization. Meetings are held at Cherry Park on the second Monday of each month at 6:30 PM (right after the SIC meetings.) All parents are invited to attend. All financial records are distributed and updated at each month's meeting. Officers this year are Amanda Winters (President), Emmanuel Daniel (Vice-President), Celia Kerr (Secretary) and Shannon Martin/Caroline Stubbs (Co-Treasurers). We appreciate all of our sponsors (above) who contributed to our Bobcat Dash this year.

"How Can We Start Getting Ready for School?" July 7, 2024 https://secure.smore.com/n/6x9vk

"Who's and What's New at Cherry Park? (Part 3) June 30, 2024 https://secure.smore.com/n/ksd0u

"Who's New at Cherry Park? (Part 2) June 2, 2024 https://secure.smore.com/n/8cuf1g

"Who's New at Cherry Park? (Part 1)" May 26, 2024 https://secure.smore.com/n/c0pnvt