
5-5-24 PAW'S PRESS
Inspire ~ Believe ~ Achieve ~ LEAD
NO SCHOOL - May 7th
Principal's Message
Dear Cherokee Families,
We have lots of fun things planned for the last few months of school! Some dates are below! Stay tuned for others!
Other Important Updates:
- May Lunch Menu and Ordering Links are below.
- Staff Appreciation Week (May 6th-10th)
- Spring FastBridge Assessment Window (May 6th- May 31st) - Grades K-5
- NO SCHOOL (May 7th) - Teacher Professional Development Day
- Macomb County Science Olympiad Competition (May 11th) - Go Wildcats!
- Happy Mother's Day (May 12th)
- 5th Grade Pictures (May 13th)
- 6th Grade Parent Orientation (see dates below)
- Leadership Assemblies and Ticket Store (May 14th) - Wear class shirts or other Cherokee gear.
- PTO Spring Fling (May 17th)
- MSTEP Window closes (May 17th) - See testing info below.
- Kindergarten Kick-Off (May 21st) - See below.
- Memorial Day (May 27th) - NO SCHOOL
- Field Day (May 31st) - Rain Date June 3rd
- PTO Jimmy John's Baseball Game Fundraiser (June 2nd)
- Kindergarten Completion (June 10th) - See below
- 5th Grade Parade (June 10th) - Parents can line up by basketball court/swings at 2:00 PM
- 5th Grade Completion (June 10th) - See below
- Last Day of School (June 11th) - Half Day Dismissal at 11:44 AM
As in the past, the Paw's Press newsletters will include key information and typically will be sent at the end of each week. Please let me know if there is anything I can do to help make the school year a success for you and your child!
Sincerely,
Heather Batko
Cherokee Principal
Staff Appreciation Week (May 6th-May 10th)
Thank you to PTO for organizing our staff appreciation week!
If you are willing to donate items to help stock the staff lounge and for staff gifts during staff appreciation week, please click on the links below. Thank you!!!
https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/3B0JRQTZ5W0R5
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/20F0F48A4A62AABFE3-49114131-adopt/99762741
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/20F0F48A4A62AABFE3-49144924-wish/99762741
Spring Fling Donations Needed!
Click here to donate! Thank you for your generosity!
Field Day Volunteer Sign Up
INFORMATION FROM MR. WALKENHORST **** UPDATED*****
UPDATED INFO FROM MR. WALKENHORST (4/23/24)
Sorry for the Field Day mix-up with the times and scheduling! I am super appreciative for how many people signed up and are ready to volunteer to make it the best day ever! I sent an email with the incorrect info and got us all mixed up. We will have 3-5 during the AM time slot and K-2 will be in the PM time slot! The signup genius is CORRECT, so please check and make sure that you are in the proper AM/PM spots that you would like to be in. Several parents have mentioned wanting to help, so if you have booked more spots than needed, please remove those so that others can join in. Thanks again and please email me with any questions.
Mr. Walkenhorst
Please follow the link to sign up for a slot for Field Day on Friday, May 31. There are AM and PM slots available. You MUST have a background check completed (which has to be done each school year) and on file to help!!! There is still time for this to be completed, and the process can take up to 3 weeks. Sign up ASAP and you will receive an email with the link if you don't have a background check on file, you do not need to call the office. ONLY parents that are volunteering will be allowed on school grounds during Field Day activities. Thank you for your understanding and to keep our campus safe.
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B084AAFA72EA57-49157375-cherokee#/
Ordering Hot Lunch
PTO Updates (updated 3/24/24)
We are so lucky to have such a supportive PTO and school community at Cherokee!
Check out their Facebook page for regular updates!
Science Olympiad County Competition - May 11th
Good luck to our Cherokee Science Olympiad Team! They compete in the Macomb County Competition on Saturday, May 11th against over 50 teams! We are so proud of you already! Go Wildcats! Thank you to Mr. and Mrs. Roberts for coaching the team!
Happy Mother's Day - May 12th
Incoming 6th Grade Evening Parent Orientations - Save the Date
Algonquin- May 15th at 6:30 PM
Iroquois- May 16th at 6:30 PM
Seneca has changed their date to Thursday, May 16th. The time will still be at 6:30.
Wyandot (Including all CLP families)- May 16th at 6:30 PM
M-STEP Assessment (Grades 3-5) -added 4/7/24
During April and May, students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will be taking the state-required M-STEP (Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress) assessment, in the subject areas of Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. Below are the testing windows for each grade level. Testing will occur at different dates and times throughout the testing window. Your child’s teacher will inform you of the specific dates for your child’s class. It is helpful to refrain from scheduling doctor/dentist appointments or any other activities which would require your child to miss school during the testing window. Teachers will be reviewing sample test items and video tutorials. See below for resources. Additionally, it is strongly encouraged for students to bring their own headphones for all of their tests.
Click here for other information about what parents might want to know about MSTEP.
Click here for additional ways parents can help students prepare.
Assessment Windows & Subjects Areas
5th Grade: April 8th – May 17th
- English Language Arts Computer Adaptive (approximately 120 minutes)
- Math Computer Adaptive (approximately 90 minutes)
- Science (approximately 90 minutes)
- Social Studies (approximately 60 minutes)
3rd & 4th Grade: April 8th – May 17th
- English Language Arts Computer Adaptive (approximately 120 minutes)
- Math Computer Adaptive (approximately 90 minutes)
Helpful Reminders:
- Encourage your child to do their best!
- Make sure your child gets enough sleep.
- Start their day with a healthy breakfast.
M-STEP PRACTICE: SAMPLE QUESTIONS & VIDEO TUTORIALS
All 3rd through 5th grade classes will be exposed to the testing format prior to the testing window. The directions below explain how you can access practice test items and view student-narrated video tutorials from home. You must use Google Chrome as your web browser when accessing the site.
LINK FOR M-STEP SAMPLE QUESTIONS
https://wbte.drcedirect.com/MI/portals/mi/
1. Open the link in Google Chrome
2. Click on M-STEP Online Tools Training
3. Click on sample items set
4. Click your grade
5. Choose ELA or Math
6. Type in username and password listed on the screen
LINK FOR M-STEP STUDENT-NARRATED VIDEO TUTORIALS https://wbte.drcedirect.com/MI/portals/mi/
1. Open the link in Google Chrome
2. Click on the yellow text at the bottom of the page (DRC INSIGHT Online Assessments Tutorials)
3. Under the M-STEP icon click on student tutorials
4. Select various video tutorials to view.
District Electronic Device Policy
As we enter the state testing window, it is important to review the district electronic device policy (click here).
Family Engagement Survey (added 4/21/24)
We value input from our families as part of our school improvement process. If you could take a few minutes to fill out the survey below we would greatly appreciate it!
Kindergarten Registration for 2024-2025 (added 1/21/24)
Do you have a child who will be attending Kindergarten in the fall of 2024? Click here to begin the registration process. REGISTRATION OPENS JANUARY 22nd! We are so excited to meet our incoming Kindergarteners!
Kindergarten Kick Off - May 21st (6:00 PM)
PTO - Jimmy John's Field Summer Outing - June 2nd
KINDERGARTEN CELEBRATION (ADDED 1/28/24)
5th GRADE COMPLETION CEREMONY (ADDED 1/28/24)
IMPORTANT - ALLERGY REMINDERS
Peanut/Tree Nut Alert Zones (added 8/24/23)
- Please be sure to follow allergy guidelines for our upcoming holiday parties. Thank you!
- We have many students at Cherokee with severe peanut/tree nut allergies. Therefore peanuts/tree nuts products and products contaminated in a facility that processes peanuts/tree nuts will not be allowed in many classes, common areas, etc.
- Kindergarten, 1st grade, 2nd grade, 3/4 Blend, 4th grade and 5th grade classrooms are peanut/tree nut alert zones. Foods/snacks that contain peanut/tree nuts should not be consumed in these classrooms.
- Pods for all grade levels are peanut/tree nut alert zones. Foods/snacks that contain peanut/tree nuts should not be consumed in pods.
- Due to the severity of some of our students with allergies it will be asked that some classes avoid bringing peanut/tree nut products for both lunch and snacks consumed in the classroom. The lunch period for 4th grade and the 3/4 blend is a peanut/tree nut alert zone. Peanut/tree nut products may not be consumed during lunch by students in these classes.
- Your child's teacher will review guidelines and answer any specific questions.
- The link for the Snack Safely Guide is below. This guide has many great many recommendations for foods that do not have peanuts, tree nuts and are not processed in facility with these items. This guide updates regularly so it is best to check the link below rather than printing.
- Click here for the Snack Safely Guide.
THANK YOU TO OUR T-SHIRT SPONSOR!
PAW'S PALS PROGRAM (ADDED 10/1/23)
- Last year we created the Paw's Pals Lunch Volunteer Program at Cherokee. The name for the program was inspired by our school mascot, Paws (he is Wildcat).
- This program is very similar to the Watch D.O.G.S program that was in place at Cherokee prior to the pandemic. It is not limited to male volunteers as the Watch D.O.G.S program was.
- The purpose of the program is to help children have a sense of belonging and build positive relationships. Kids love extra attention at lunch! They love to talk about sports, toys and what they like to do for fun! Having extra adults at school shows children that education is important and they are important!
- Please understand that these volunteers are not in place of lunch monitors.
- Our lunch monitors will be responsible for supervising the students, cleaning, etc.
- Paw's Pals volunteers will have time to chat with their own child (children) and other Cherokee students during lunch periods. If recess is outdoors, they are also welcome to go outside and spend recess with students.
- Just like any other school volunteer, our Paw's Pals volunteers will respect the privacy of our students.
- In order to participate in the program there are 2 steps to complete.
- Step One: Click here to select a volunteer date.Keep in mind that if your 2023-2024 volunteer background check is not on file, it takes two weeks to process.
- Step Two: Click here to complete the Paw's Pals Application. The volunteer background check is a part of this application.
- Please give our main office a call at least 48 hours prior to your volunteer date if you are not sure if your background check has been approved. If you already know that you have a background check on file for this school year, you may come to the main office on the date you have selected.
- Thank you to Monica Radyko for her help with this program!
SAFETY DRILLS (UPDATED 4/14/24)
- Throughout the school year we are required to complete 5 fire drills, 3 lockdown drills and 2 tornado drills.
- We already completed four fire drills and the students did a great job! We have one more to do!
- All lockdown drills have been completed for the school year. These drills are comprised of age-appropriate lessons as well as practicing other tasks such as relocating to a safe place, utilizing our blue light/lock down alarm, etc.
- Our two tornado drills have been completed.
- We do not tell families or students the exact dates/times of these drills for safety reasons.
- The book, I'm Not Scared I'm Prepared, that is utilized for the lockdown drills is below in a PDF format in case you would like to review it with your family. This book is used at all elementary schools in the district.
- Our teachers do a great job of reviewing procedures in a way that makes students feel safe.
- Our cardiac drill has been completed as well.
ARRIVAL & DISMISSAL 2023-2024
Bus Riders:
- Busses may run slightly late picking up students the first few days of school as our drivers and students learn their new routes. It is still recommended that students arrive at their bus stop 10 minutes prior to their scheduled time.
- More information from the transportation department will be coming soon.
Walkers/Riders:
- Walkers/Riders should line up and be dismissed from their grade level/ classroom entrance doors. Teachers will pick-up their students from their entrance at 8:50 AM when the morning music begins.
- An updated map of grade level/classroom entrances is below.
Parking Lot:
- Please review the parking lot procedures map below.
- Staff will be present in the parking lot, bus loop and building entrances to help ensure a safe and smooth arrival and dismissal process.
- We ask for your patience and support as our new families learn the process and our returning families get back-in-the-swing-of-things :)
Bus Stop/Transportation Information (updated 9/3)
BUS TAG WITH ROUTE NUMBER/SIGNS - Students in grades K-2 will be given a tag with their bus route number/color on it. Please leave this tag on your child's backpack until they are confident about their bus number. If the tag falls off before they are confident about their bus number, please write their number on their backpack or provide another tag. Adults will be guiding students to their busses and adults will be holding a signs to match the bus tag route number. A sample backpack with tag and corresponding bus sign are below.
LABELING ITEMS WITH STUDENT'S NAME - Many students have difficulty repeating their first and last name to unknown adults. It is often a good idea to write your child's name on their backpack so adults can get them to the appropriate class/bus if they can't repeat their first and last name. It is also a good idea to label other items so they don't get lost (jackets, lunchboxes,etc.).
IMPORTANT - FROM TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT:
Families are urged to check bus stop information prior to the start of school
Dear Chippewa Valley Families,
Make sure you check the Info Finder Bus Stop Information page before school starts to verify your child’s bus stop. Several routes have changed because of new student enrollments and driver changes.
https://www.chippewavalleyschools.org/departments/transportation/
Have a great school year! Thank you.
Parking Lot Procedures Map (added 8/6)
Arrival/Dismissal Map 2023-2024 (added 8/20)
MEDICATION DROP OFF (Added 8/6)
Our District Medication Policy requires all prescription medications to have a Request for Administration of a Prescription Medication to student form filled out with a physician’s order with parent’s signature each school year. The medication must be in a new original container and/or prescription bottle with the child’s name on it. Over the counter medication will also need a Request for Administration of Non-Prescription Medication to student form filled out and signed by parent.
All medication administration forms can be found on the chippewavalleyschools.org web page (click here). Forms can also be picked up at the school in the main office.
Please bring in completed forms signed and dated by your health care provider with parent signature along with any required prescription medications.
Parents must hand deliver medications with completed forms to the Health Aide in the main office to be checked for full accuracy. No medications will be administered at school without accurately completed forms. Also please check the expiration date on medications as we cannot accept expired medications.
IF YOUR CHILD IS NOT FEELING WELL (ADDED 8/6)
- If your child is not feeling well, please keep them home and call our attendance line.
- Our attendance line is 586-723-4899.
- Attendance at school is of course very important. However, if a child is not feeling well they should stay home so they are able to rest and recover.
- We a want to prevent the spread of illness as much as possible.
- Students should be fever free for at least 24 hours (without the assistance of fever reducing medication) before returning to school.
- Students should also wait at least 24 hour to return to school after vomiting.
- Students who are having difficulty breathing, severe cough, etc. are also strongly encouraged to stay home.
INFORMATION FOR OUR CHEROKEE FAMILIES
Friendly Reminders to Our Families (added 8/6)
We appreciate your understanding and appreciate those families who continue to model kindess, patience, and respect. You make a difference & we are all doing the best that we can!
Please Remember:
- Adults are to remain outside of the building and must be "buzzed-in" by the front office.
- All adults must show their ID at the entrance if they need to drop something off or pick-up their child early.
- Contact information must be up-to-date in case we need to contact your family.
- We release children to only those people listed on your child's PowerSchool contact list.
- Changes in your child's dismissal process must be called in no later than 3:15 so we can be sure to get the information to our staff.
- Families are asked to preorder lunch using the online ordering system. Links for the menu and online ordering will be in the Paw's Press Newsletter as soon as they are available.
- Refrain from parking on Rivergate near the school including the bus loop.
SACC - Cherokee Childcare (added 8/6)
A NOTE FROM MRS. ASHLEY
For families looking to register for SACC
- SACC registration is first come first served.
- Due to limited staff and capacity limits some registrations may not be approved at this time until more staff are available.
- As staffing levels increase, so will our ability to enroll more students. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
- Once your registration application is submitted you must receive a registration approval email before your child can attend.
- Registrations will remain pending in the system and will be approved as openings become available.
For families currently enrolled in SACC
- Adding on additional days other than what was originally scheduled may be limited at this time due to student and staff ratios. You will be notified if your schedule change can be approved (some days may be available where others may not)
- If your child does not need to attend on a scheduled day please remove them from the schedule to open up a spot for someone else.
We appreciate your understanding at this time and anticipate more staff to be available soon. Until then we must adhere to the Licensing Rules for Child Care Centers and stay within the required student to staff ratios. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
NOTE: SACC will continue to remain peanut/tree nut fee.
Ashley Murphy
Cherokee SACC Director
(586) 723-4860
- CLICK HERE to access the CVS SACC informational page.
Other Resources
Mental Health
District Calendar
District Acceptable Use Policy
CVS Handbook/Code of Conduct
Student Life Advisor Program
Welcome Back Letters
Cherokee Safety Info
Supply Lists 2023-2024
CHEROKEE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
We choose to Inspire, Believe, Achieve & LEAD!
Website: https://www.chippewavalleyschools.org/schools/elementary-schools/cherokee/
Location: 42900 Rivergate Drive, Clinton Township, MI, USA
Phone: 586-723-4800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CherokeeWildcats