CES Weekly Communicator

Happy Friday, Chapelfield families.

This week we continued to work on our PAWS expectations at Chapelfield and ended our week with a school wide assembly. We are learning to be Positive, Act Responsibly, Work Hard, and Show Respect in our entire school community. The Middle School West cheerleaders came over to kick off the event and even the Lion Mascot made a surprise appearance. Please ask your child/ren how they show PAWS in the classroom (see the poster below), hallway, cafeteria, restrooms, and recess areas.

Please make sure to read the UPDATED food service section. You can find it on section 5. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

This weekend we also have a community event to clean up our community. Join on us on Saturday, August 26 from 8:30-10:30 a.m. We will be planting some flowers outside of the Chapelfield sign and repaint some of the lines on our playground from 8:30-10:30 a.m. I hope to see a few of you there.

Have a great weekend.

Sincerely,

Nikki Miller

We are looking forward to a wonderful school year ahead! One way to help students thrive is by getting to school on time, and being in attendance every single day as long as they are healthy. I have included some handouts with helpful information regarding the district and state's attendance policies. Please reach out if you have any questions!

Resources: GJPS Understanding HB410 attached

Sincerely,

Chris Williams

Assistant Principal

Arrival

Our doors open at 7:40 a.m. for students who will be eating breakfast at school. All other students are able to enter at 7:45 a.m. Buses will dismiss students at 7:45 a.m. Students who are driven to school by parents or guardians may be dropped off beginning at 7:45 a.m. They will exit their vehicle and follow the sidewalk to the front of the building. In the case of inclement weather, students will be permitted to come into the building rather than waiting outside.

1. Please have students line up at the following doors when they arrive:

a. Kindergarten-2nd graders line up by grade levels at door number 1.

b. 3rd-5th graders line up by grade levels at door number 2.

2. We ask that you give your hugs at the door. If you need to go into the office, please come to the new front office doors. All parents and visitors must go through that secure entrance that includes a 2 buzz system. Please have your driver's license ready.

3. At 8 a.m., front doors will close. Students that arrive after 8 a.m. will have to go to the front office for a tardy slip.

Dismissal:

Buses/Shuttles:

Students riding the bus will exit at the front of the building. Students riding shuttle or early buses will leave either at 2:10 p.m. or 2:15 p.m. depending on the bus they ride. Students who will be transported to a daycare will leave at 2:20 p.m. and exit the door next to the music room. All other bus riders will leave at 2:25 p.m.

Parent Pick Up & Students Walking Home (NOT IN A CAR): Dismissed at 2:30 p.m.:

1. All students that are walkers or being picked up by a parent NOT in a car will leave through the east doors. Parents can meet your child at the K-1 playground. This will allow students to walk home on the sidewalk and not walk through the bus lanes.

2. Students will NOT come out through the front door any longer. Please do not wait for your child there.

Car Riders:

1. Please drive through the car pick up line and do not park on Chapelfield. This will make for a smooth dismissal.

2. Students will not be dismissed to parents that walk up through the car pick up lane. Please go to the K-1 playground if you want to pick up your child in person.

Thank you for your commitment in keeping students safe during arrival and dismissal times. Your partnership is valued and appreciated.

Due to excessive negative meal balances across the District, all Gahanna-Jefferson schools will be reinstating a previously used meal charge policy. Starting Sept. 5, 2023, any student with more than five lunch charges this school year will receive a substitute meal in the cafeteria. At the elementary level this means accounts with more than $13.75 in negative charges and at the middle and high school levels, this includes accounts that have accrued more than $15 in debt. The substitute breakfast will consist of a breakfast bar, fruit and milk and the substitute lunch will include a cheese (turkey for dairy substitute) sandwich, fruit and milk.

Families will receive a phone call and/or email starting with the second negative charge to alert you of the deficit in your student's account.

If you need to add funds to your student’s account, you can do so through the Infinite Campus Parent Portal or with a check or cash. Additionally, if you think your family would qualify for free or reduced meals, you can apply via the Infinite Campus Parent Portal, print a paper application from the District website or fill out a paper application found in the office at each building. Any student that is approved for free or reduced lunch for the 2023-24 school year will receive a regularly menued meal. Families with a negative balance from a previous school year will be contacted by the District office to ensure full payment by the end of the 2023-24 school year.

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.

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 2023-2024 school year a year after receiving the completed check. For example, if you received a background check for the carnival in May, you will NOT need a new background check UNTIL the following May.

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.

STEPS TO VOLUNTEER

1. Contact your principal or teacher to express an interest in volunteering.
2. Your principal or teacher will send you a link to the Online Volunteer Application and background check.
   
3. Complete the Online Volunteer Application and Background Check at least 5 days before your initial volunteer experience.
   
4. Renew your Volunteer Application and Background Check yearly from the date of issuance.
   

Updated Volunteer Procedures (PDF)

Routing information for the 2023-24 school year is available. Please use Transfinder to search for your route. This 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 the zip code or 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.

BUS SCHEDULE AND ROUTES FOR 2023-24

*Whit’s Ice Cream- Saturday, August 26

*Skate Night- Thursday, August 31- 6:00-8:30 p.m. This is an Ice Cream Social Skate Night. Each paid skater will receive a special treat.

*Come support our 5th graders by checking out our Spirit Wear. Sales will run from August 15-September 15. Please click on this link to order GJPS and Chapelfield apparel. https://honeywhalen.square.site/chapelfield

*Breakfast with Buddies UPDATE: Please come with a family member on the following mornings:

• Students' whose Last Name starts with A-L , join us on September 1st from 7:15a-8:00a

• Students' whose last name starts with M-Z;, join us on September 8th from 7:15a-8:00a

• Please sign up to help.

*Our first PTO meeting will be Tuesday, September 12th at 7:00 p.m. in the Chapelfield Library.

*Volunteers Needed: In order for us to give back to our school community and provide fun events, we need volunteers. Please sign up here to join our team.

Tuesday, August 15-Friday, September 15:

*5th grade Spirit Wear Sale

Thursday, August 17-September 21:

*KRA testing for Kindergarten Students

Tuesday, August 22:

*Kindergarten Curriculum Night from 5:30-6:30 p.m.

Wednesday, August 29-September 12:

*PTO Mum Flower Sales (Paper orders due September 5 & Online orders due September 12)

Thursday, August 31:

Skate Night Ice Cream Party 6-8:30 p.m.

September 4 Labor Day No School

2023-24 GJPS District Calendar (PDF)