The CPES BobChat

This time of year can be full of joy and celebration and it can also be a source of stress and frustration. So much clamors for our attention amid bright lights, holiday sales, loud music and crammed schedules. How can we include some "silent nights" to help us stay balanced and sane? 1. Examine your schedule. It seems like our schedules control us more than vice versa. I know what events fuel my emotional and mental tanks and which ones deplete them. It is not too late to say "no" so you can say "yes" to some peaceful moments. You may be afraid you'll miss out but that is seldom true. 2. Turn "it" off. It may be the TV or the computer or the phone or social media. I find those to be loud noise makers. Health experts recommend turning off all electronics at least one to two hours before bedtime in order to improve sleep quality and quantity. Our minds and emotions need rest just like our bodies do. 3. Look for quiet moments along the way. That could mean taking a few minutes for yourself in your car before leaving work at the end of a long day. It might mean getting home and walking 5-10 minutes down the street before going in your house. It could be getting up a few minutes earlier than everyone else to have some alone time to reflect on the coming day. It could be stopping during shopping with your spouse to sit and "people watch" and drink a cup of tea or coffee. Playing your favorite holiday song can also nourish your soul. So often, others ask us, "Do you have a minute?" to address something they need. We probably don't do nearly as good "taking a minute" for ourselves. 4. Encourage your kids to have some down time, too. They are OK to entertain themselves some. They need some breaks from screen time to simply read for pleasure or listen to music. There's no question that their world is over-stimulated and over-hyped. They may not realize it, but they need some alone time as well to restore their balance and energy. All of us could definitely use "a silent night." I hope you will challenge yourselves to push the "pause" button as much as you push the "go" button. This is a season of the year when it is hard to remember that we are human beings and not just human "doings." May you find the peace of the season as well as the joy of it.

Strength and Blessings,

Mr. Maness

1. Parent Information for the Scholastic Book Fair

Dates: December 11-15, 2023.

Times: The Book Fair hours for shopping are:

• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday 8:00-1:30
• In Addition the Book Fair will be open for families Wednesday from 2:45-5:00.
• Friday 8:30-11:00

Parent Shopping Opportunities…Parents visiting for lunch may sign-in at the office following normal procedures including ID verification. Families are also welcome to shop on Wednesday afternoon from 2:45 - 5:00.

NEW THIS YEAR for in-school purchases…

In order to make the fair more convenient for families and to alleviate the need for students to carry cash, we are transitioning to an eWallet, credit card, and/or debit card only book fair. For this transition fair, cash will only be accepted on Wednesday 12/13, and Thursday 12/14. Cash will not be accepted on Monday 12/11, Tuesday 12/12 or Friday 12/15.

Introduction to eWallet video-

https://bookfairs.scholastic.com/content/fairs/videos/intro-to-ewallet-fair-files.html

Visit the school’s book fair website and follow the steps-

https://www.scholastic.com/bf/cherryparkelementary2

Unused eWallet balances (from previous, current and future fairs) are converted to a gift card balance to purchase books online. Those funds can be used for up to 14 days after the fair. Funds not used will convert to eWallet amounts for future fairs.

To check your prior balance, please log into the Scholastic Account you created when you set up eWallet before.

2. Book Fair Volunteer Signups--The book fair is finally here!!! Dates are December 7th for setup and December 11th - December 15th for the fair. We will need volunteers to assist students in the selection of items. You will find the signup time slots below. You are able to sign up for multiple slots if you would like. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU ARE AN APPROVED VOLUNTEER THROUGH THE DISTRICT! It is district policy that all volunteers have been approved. Thank you so much for your help. https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D49A4A923AAFBC70-46287833-winter

3. 5th Grade Parent Meeting--Are you interested in your student continuing in the Dual Language Immersion program in middle school? If so, please plan to attend a transition meeting on Tuesday, December 5th at 6 p.m. at Cherry Park. This is an opportunity for you to learn more about the DLI program components and expectations at both the middle and high school levels. We look forward to seeing you at this meeting.

4. Yearbooks--Are now on sale. To guarantee your student receives a copy of the yearbook be sure to place your order no later than 11:59pm on Sunday, April 21, 2024. For more information to order, click on tab below.

December 5--6:00 Fifth Grade Parent Meeting about Middle School Immersion Program (CPES Cafeteria)

December 11-15--Book Fair (See information above)

December 23-January 8--Winter Break

January 8--Teacher Workday

January 9--First Day Back for Students

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 Michelle Dawkins (Treasurer). We appreciate all of our sponsors (above) who contributed to our Bobcat Dash this year.

"What Reminds Me to Be Grateful?" November 12, 2023 https://www.smore.com/pvds3

"Is It about the Grade or the Learning?" November 5, 2023 https://www.smore.com/4hkq0

"Who Made a Difference at the Bobcat Dash?" October 29, 2023 https://www.smore.com/wcqun

"What Do You Need to Know about Bobcat Dash?" October 22, 2023 https://www.smore.com/f19ry

"What Special Events are Coming Up?" October 15, 2023 https://www.smore.com/brvz5

"What's It Really Like at CPES?" October 8, 2023 https://www.smore.com/a7chr

"How Do We Respond to Safety Situations? Part 2" October 1, 2023 https://www.smore.com/k9uet

"How Do We Respond to Safety Situations? Part 1" September 24, 2023 https://www.smore.com/n4c67

"How Can I Volunteer at CPES?" September 17, 2023 https://www.smore.com/7v8ky

"What CRAzy Model Do We Use for Math Instruction?" September 10, 2023 https://www.smore.com/kfbg7

"What Do We Need to Know about Arrival?" September 3, 2023 https://www.smore.com/fc0kd

"Did You Know that a Bobcat 'ROARS?"' August 27, 2023 https://www.smore.com/0g7qv

"What Do We Need to Remember as We Start Back" August 20, 2023 https://www.smore.com/yrt38

"Techno

logy Forms and Fees"--August 25, 2023 https://www.smore.com/72qcg

"How Can We Work Together to Keep Everyone Safe?" August 13, 2023 https://www.smore.com/6cbtm

"How Can Checklists Help You Start a New Year?" August 6, 2023 https://www.smore.com/0jyx61

"Who Are the Newest Hires and What Are the Latest Changes with Technology?" July 30, 2023 https://www.smore.com/z6qnp

"What's the Latest News at Cherry Park" July 16, 2023 https://www.smore.com/w9pth

"Challenger Be Great Academy Update" June 23, 2023 https://www.smore.com/8hqka

"What Staffing Changes Have Been Made at CPES?" June 18, 2023 https://www.smore.com/e0vr2