Cardinal Connection

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October 7th-------------------------- No Early Release - Full Day - Fall Count Day

October 9th-------------------------- No School - Professional Development Day

October 14th------------------------ Early Release - Dismissal at 2:40pm

October 23rd------------------------ End of 1st Marking Period

October 19th------------------------ Oral Health Assessments

October 21st------------------------ No Early Release - Full Day - Oral Health Assessments

October 22nd----------------------- Parent Teacher Conferences in PM

October 23rd------------------------ No School - Parent Teacher Conferences

October 28th------------------------ Early Release - Dismissal at 2:40pm

October 29th------------------------ Therapy Ponies

October 30th------------------------ Halloween Celebration/Parade

School breakfast and lunches in all schools of the Coldwater District will begin Monday, August 24, 2026. Educational Benefits Forms are now part of your back-to-school online forms and are very important for school district program funding. Each student will have the opportunity to receive one free breakfast and free lunch daily. Breakfast is not served on delayed days. A sack lunch will be provided to elementary students on half days.

Additional milk and milk for sack lunches from home may be purchased for 50¢ per carton.

Coldwater Community Schools has purchased ZONAR for our transportation department. ZONAR includes GPS location devices and ZPass. The ZPass is a way to keep track of the students who ride on Coldwater Community School buses. The Transportation Department has installed the electronic verification safety report system for all the drivers to use, and it has gone very well. This will help our transportation department keep the attendance of those students each day and all information is kept in our database. Students PreK-5 will each receive a ZPass that attaches to their backpacks. They will swipe them when they get on and off the bus. Students will receive a z-pass within the first three weeks of school.

All elementary students who live within 1 mile of MAX LARSEN ELEMENTARY will walk to Max Larsen Elementary. If the student attends Jefferson, or Lakeland, the student will be transported from Max Larsen School to the assigned school. Exception: Students living east of Marshall Street will have a bus stop at the southeast corner of Abbott Avenue and Hudson Street.

All elementary students who live within 1 mile of LINCOLN SCHOOL will walk to Lincoln School. If the student attends Larsen, Jefferson, or Lakeland, the student will be transported from Lincoln School to the assigned school. Exception: For students living north of the railroad tracks, pickup locations include E. Washington Street, E. Pearl St., E. Pearl St., Whispering Pines, Perkins St. and S. Hudson St.

All elementary students who live within 1 mile of LAKELAND ELEMENTARY will walk to Lakeland School. If the student attends Jefferson or Larsen, the student will be transported from Lakeland to the assigned school.

All elementary students who live within 1 mile of JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY will walk to Jefferson Elementary. If the student attends Larsen or Lakeland, the student will be transported from Jefferson School to the assigned school. Exception: Students living North of Hull St will be transported from near 107 Hayton St, near the corner of Hudson St/ Abbott St, Grahl Center parking lot and near the East Winds Apts driveway on Smith St.

All elementary students who live in the fourth ward will be transported from the following designated stops; 51 S. Polk Street, at Monroe St/Peckham St, near 71 Jackson St,near 100 Walnut St, and the driveway of Old Mill Race Apartments off of Butters Ave.

In order to have minimal ride time, a transfer station may be used as necessary.

For additional information regarding bus stop locations, please call the Transportation Department directly at 517-279-5950.

Important Parent Guidelines

- Please do not send any snacks into the school building without communicating with your child’s teacher first

- Avoid sending foods that may contain nuts or sesame products of any kind

Communication Channels

- Future updates will be shared via Remind and Thrillshare notifications

Our food service program continues to align with the latest USDA School Meal Guidelines, which emphasize:

- Nutritional balance

- Allergen awareness

- Student health and wellness

All food items must be prepackaged and store bought. This includes snacks, class treats, and birthday treats. These items can be dropped off in the office.

Please be sure that you have a current email address and phone number on file with the school. This is important as it is a way to be contacted when needed. Thank you.

Our school hours are 8:45 a.m. to 3:55 p.m. On Early Release Wednesdays dismissal will be at 2:40 p.m. When we have scheduled half-days, we will dismiss at 12:15 a.m. In the event of a two-hour delay, school will start at 10:45 a.m. Please remember that no breakfast will be served when there's a two-hour delay.

Doors will open each day at 8:25 AM.

Morning Drop-Off

Please remember that drop off in the morning is at 8:25. We do not have staff available before 8:25 to supervise.

Our school day starts at 8:45 a.m. Any student arriving between 8:45 and 9:15 will be marked as tardy.

Early Parent Pick-Up/Late Arrivals

If you are late bringing your child to school, you must walk them to the front door, ring the bell, and come into the vestibule to sign your child in. If they arrive after 8:45, they will be marked as having a half-day absence.

If you need to pick up your child early for an appointment, please call the office at least 30 minutes prior. We will have your child ready. When you arrive, come to the main entrance doors and ring the bell. The office will communicate with you on the intercom and let you in the vestibule to sign your child out. Staff will bring your child to the door. If a student leaves before 3:25 in the afternoon it will be marked as a half-day absence.

The office is a busy place throughout the day. If we don’t answer the phone, please leave a message. There may also be circumstances where we’re unable to answer the front doorbell. Please be patient, and we will assist you as soon as possible. Thank you for being so understanding!

Student Dismissal:

When picking up your child from school in a car, you must use the car line. Any students that need to be picked up early will need to be picked up by 3:25. Anything after that, the child will do their regular end-of-day transportation. Dismissal is a very busy time in our building. We are releasing bus and car rider students at the same time. It takes all of our resources to do this safely. Students not picked up through the car rider line will be released after the bus and car riders are picked up.

We appreciate your support with this!

If you are late bringing your child to school, please remember to walk them to the front door, ring the bell, and come into the vestibule to sign your child in.

No child may change his/her usual method of transportation home from school without a written note or a phone call from a parent. Please call before 3:00 (2:00 on early release Wednesdays) if you are changing their usual method of transportation as we will not be honoring any changes after this time. If your end-of-day change involves bussing, you will also need to call the bus garage at 279-5960.

Registration

For children who will be five (5) years of age on or before September 1, 2026, and who have not already registered for Kindergarten, please call 279-5910 to make an appointment. Children who will be five years of age after September 1, 2026, through December 1, 2026, are able to register for Kindergarten with a signed waiver. The child's certified birth certificate and appropriate immunization records must be presented to the appropriate school official along with proof of residency (utility bill, etc.) and driver’s license. It is desirable that all Kindergarten children have physical examinations, including vision and hearing, prior to enrolling.

Registration Information

For all new enrollments for Coldwater Community Schools, please contact Julie Fitch at 517-279-5910. Enrollment information and forms can also be found at www.coldwaterschools.org/enroll.

Compulsory School Attendance Law

All children who will be six (6) years of age before September 1, 2026, must attend school.

Schools of Choice

Coldwater Community Schools participates in the School of Choice program. Students who live in the Bronson or Quincy School District or in a contiguous county may be eligible to enroll in the Coldwater School District. For more information, including School of Choice application deadlines, please visit www.coldwaterschools.org or call 517-279-5910.

Contact the Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Health Department (517-279-9561, extension 100) or your family physician for further information.

A signed statement from a physician or the County Health Department that such immunization is completed, or provisional status has been achieved, MUST be presented to school officials before admittance to school. Parents or legal guardians can submit a waiver to the effect that their student has not been immunized because of religious convictions or other objections to immunizations. Such statements must also be submitted before school admittance.

The District will advocate for all eligible students and staff to get their Covid Vaccinations. This includes, but is not limited to, promoting local vaccination clinics, providing access to BHSJCHA, MDHHS, and CDC information on the district website, and other educational materials through our school nurse.

Vaccinations will NOT be required for students nor staff for in-person attendance.

Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency ClinicThe Branch-Hillsdale-St. Joseph Community Health Agency, located at 570 Marshall Rd. in Coldwater, has an established clinic for the purpose of giving the necessary immunization series to eligible children. Please call for an appointment: 517-279-9561, extension 100.

In addition, the parent or guardian of each enrolling child shall submit a statement:

1. signed by a district, county, or city Health Department Director stating that the child has passed the Department of Public Health preschool vision screening test; or
2. signed by a licensed medical or osteopathic physician or a licensed optometrist indicating that the child has had his/her eyes examined after age three and prior to initial entrance.

Neither vision test enumerated in 1 or 2 above is required if there is a statement signed by a parent or guardian to the effect that the child cannot be submitted to such testing because of religious convictions.

Dear Parent or Guardian:

Due to the unpredictable and harsh nature of our weather, it sometimes becomes necessary to cancel or delay school. A decision to delay or cancel school is based on a number of factors, some of which we cannot control.

In the event of concerning weather conditions, school officials drive various rural roads and streets within our school district to determine if a school bus can safely transport students. Additional consideration is given to other factors, including wind chill and the visibility of students who wait for a bus or walk to school. After consulting with area law enforcement agencies, the road commission and neighboring school district officials regarding the safety of our students, a decision to close or delay school will be made.

Our goal is to convey school delay or closure information to media outlets by 5:00 a.m. This early deadline is necessary to provide adequate time to broadcast this information to parents, students and school bus drivers; however, weather can change rapidly and sometimes these decisions are delayed.

Weather conditions are unpredictable and can change for better or worse after a decision has been made. It is also possible for the weather conditions to vary within different regions of our school district. We understand that parents may not feel comfortable driving or allowing a child to drive in certain weather conditions. If a parent or guardian believes it is not safe to be on the road, we understand and respect the decision to keep their child home. In such circumstances, with notification provided by the parent or guardian, the student will be given an excused absence from school.

The safety of our students is the first priority at Coldwater Community Schools.

We greatly appreciate the continued support, cooperation and understanding from parents and our community.

Sincerely,

Coldwater Community Schools Administration

The Coldwater Community School District complies with all state and federal legislative requirements. The school district publishes an Annual Report on the District web site, www.coldwaterschools.org. This report contains a report card for each school, information about the number and percentage of schools in the District identified for School Improvement, the length of time that each school has been identified for School Improvement, and student achievement rates on the Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress (M-STEP).

A Parent Involvement Policy has been developed and is available for review on the District website and in the District and School Improvement Plans. The District provides parents access to information about their children. Student information can be attained by contacting the child’s school or by accessing the student’s Skyward account.

The Federal legislation also requires other parent notices. Information about Highly Qualified Teachers, Educational Services to Homeless and Migrant Children and Youth, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and the Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) are available on the District website or from the Administration Offices. School and Administration Office phone numbers are listed elsewhere in this publication. If you have any questions regarding the state or federal requirements or Coldwater Community Schools’ compliance efforts, please contact any building principal, Paul Flynn or Gary Dancer.

The following schools receive federal funds for Schoolwide Title I Part A programming:

● Max Larsen Elementary School

● Jefferson Elementary School

● Lakeland Elementary School

● Legg Middle School

As a parent/guardian of a student in a Schoolwide Title I school, you have the right to know the professional qualifications of the classroom teachers and paraprofessionals (if applicable) who instruct your child. Federal law allows you to request certain information about your student’s classroom teachers and paraprofessionals and requires the school to give you this information in a timely manner. Specifically, you have the right to ask for the following information about each of your student’s teachers and paraprofessionals (if applicable):

● Whether the teacher meets the state qualifications and licensing criteria for the grades and subjects he/she teaches.

● Whether the teacher is teaching under emergency or provisional status because of special circumstances.

● Whether the teacher has any advanced degrees and the field of discipline of the teacher’s certification or degree.

Coldwater Community Schools strives to have the best instructors possible to provide a high-quality education for every student. If you have any questions regarding the professional qualifications of the classroom teachers who instruct your child, please contact the Administration Office at 517-279-5910.

The Coldwater Schools, in compliance with the 1974 Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), publishes this notice that explains what student information will be given without prior consent from individual parents.

Directory of Information examples:

1. Name, address, telephone number, e-mail address
2. Date/place of birth
3. Student photograph
4. Major field of study or grade
5. Participation in officially recognized school activities and athletic programs
6. Weight/height of athletic team members
7. Dates of school attendance
8. Degrees and awards received
9. Previous educational institution attended
10. Provide military recruiters with student name, address, phone number and access to campus
11. Other general information generally found in yearbooks and school newspapers

This notice is to inform students and parents of expected practices on the part of the school district for the 2024-2025 school year. Anyone having objections to their individual information being released may submit a written objection to the Superintendent of Schools, 401 Sauk River Drive, Coldwater, Michigan 49036-2050.

The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) was enacted by Congress in 2000 to address concerns about children's access to obscene or harmful content over the Internet. CIPA imposes certain requirements on schools or libraries that receive discounts for Internet access or internal connections through the E-rate program.

It is recommended that parents/guardians always monitor your students' Internet usage on any technology device that can access the Internet. Millions of websites are created daily which is a constant concern when students are accessing the Internet.

Schools and libraries subject to CIPA are required to adopt and implement an Internet safety policy addressing:

Did you know?

Max Larsen Elementary has Branch ISD speech-language pathologists (SLP) in the building, who service children with speech and language impairments in the school setting / during the school day. Students are identified through a special education evaluation. Students who receive speech therapy in the school setting have an individualized education plan (IEP) and have met the school based criteria for a speech-language impairment. If you have a concern regarding your student’s speech or language skills, please contact your student’s teacher to ask about having your student observed by the school SLP. Speech therapy provided in the school setting is part of IDEA, meaning children with disabilities who qualify for special education services have the right to a free and appropriate public education (FAPE).

Email: hardwayj@ccscards.org

Website: coldwaterschools.org
Location: 25 Parkhurst Avenue, Coldwater, MI, USA
Phone: (517) 279-5960