The Cardinal Connection

Red Clay Consolidated School District is partnering with the Food Bank of Delaware to help meet the immediate needs of our community. Through this partnership, excess inventory resulting from school closures is being safely donated and redistributed to support families who may be experiencing food insecurity while schools are closed.

We understand that unexpected closures can place additional strain on households, and we are committed to supporting our students and families during this time.

Thanks to our Nutrition Services team for keeping our community informed and connected to available food resources.

Click the link for all Food Pantry Locations.
https://www.fbd.org/get-help/community-food-pantries/

* Please call the location in advance to confirm hours and availability before visiting.

Emergencies. Early Dismissals. Delays. Snow Days.

When the weather turns, seconds matter, and social media is where we post first. Follow Red Clay on social media and be the FIRST to know. Especially during the inclement weather season, our social media channels are updated immediately with the latest information on:

• Important District Announcements
• Delays & Early Dismissals
• Weather-Related Updates
• School Closings

Follow the Red Clay Consolidated School District Social Media Pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RedClaySchools/

• Click the three dots under the page image

• Select Follow

• Click Invite Friends to spread the word

Instagram: Follow @RedClaySchools

Remember to also follow us on X (Twitter) and Threads @RedClaySchools

Turn on post notifications for our pages so important updates pop up instantly on your phone — no scrolling required. Follow now. Stay informed. Be the first to know.

What is One School, One Book? This is a shared reading experience among all students and families across the entire school!

Our annual One School, One Book will kick off on February 2nd! Every student will come home with their own copy of our shared reading title to read with families during the month of February! We thank our Cooke PTA for contributing to our OSOB program!

What book will we be reading??

Please share your preference on some potential Cooke school wide event and fundraising ideas.

Do you have connections with someone who is well-known or famous in the sports, entertainment, book, etc. world??

We would like to put a few short videos together for our 3rd-5th graders of these well-known or famous people cheering on our Cooke cardinals and sharing some words of motivation with our students before taking their state tests.

If you do know someone, please reach out to Alexis Gearheart at alexis.gearheart@redclay.k12.de.us so that we can chat next steps. We appreciate your help with this 😊

Do you know a Red Clay classroom teacher who is dedicated, inspiring, and making a difference? If so, please take the time to nominate this person for the 2026-2027 Red Clay Teacher of the Year award by completing this form.

2026-27 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR:

Do you know a Behavioral Health Professional in your school who is dedicated, motivating, and truly making a difference? If so, please take the time to recommend this person by completing the

Nomination Form by Friday, February 13, 2026 (by 11:59 pm).

School staff, families, students, and community members are encouraged to participate.

Nomination Form Link

Behavioral Health Professionals include school counselors, school social workers, licensed clinical social workers, licensed clinical mental health professionals, board-certified behavior analysts, school psychologists, and school nurses. Please note, per DOE guidelines, only Red Clay direct hires can be considered.

Please submit order and money to your child’s teacher by Friday, February 6th

T-shirts are $8.00 – Exact amount Cash or Check payable to Cooke Elementary

Please note that this is not a fundraiser. T-shirts are sold at cost to help raise awareness about the campaign.

2026 T-shirt color is yellow and the 2026 slogan is: INCLUSION: The Bridge That Unites Us

How to Submit:

Option 1 - Complete the form via link below

Option 2 - Email to yearbookcover@cookepta.org

Option 3 - Drop the physical paper to the main office with Mrs. Nabors & Mrs. Johnson.

If you have any questions, please email us at yearbookcover@cookepta.org

The State of Delaware conducts state testing starting in Grade 3. We are providing the dates so that you can plan ahead to ensure that your child is in school on these dates.

Grade 3:

ELA: 4/27, 4/30

Math: 5/5, 5/7

Grade 4:

Social Studies: 2/11, 5/11

ELA: 4/27, 4/30

Math: 5/5, 5/7

Grade 5:

Social Studies: 5/11

ELA: 4/27, 4/30

Math: 5/5, 5/7

Science: 5/14

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¡Tenemos un botón de traducción! Simplemente haga clic donde dice "translate newsletter" y podrá elegir entre muchos idiomas diferentes.