0-0-24 PAW'S PRESS

Dear Cherokee Families,

I hope you are enjoying the last few days of summer! I enjoyed my first year as the Principal of Cherokee last year. I am looking forward to continuing to work with such an amazing community again this year.

Cherokee has always been a positive environment for students to learn and grow. It is my strongest desire to use my 22+ years of teaching and administrative experience to fuel the love of learning and promote success for all Cherokee students. I am eager to continue getting to know the many spectacular students and families at Cherokee.

I hope to see all of our students and families at our Sneak Peak and Curriculum Night on Tuesday, August 27th. See below for more information. This event will give students and families a chance to meet their child's teacher(s), tour the school and hear about all of the wonderful things they can look forward to learning. A special thank you to our PTO for setting up selfie stations and providing a popsicle treat. I will be near the main entrance of the school during this event. I hope to have the chance to say hello to you then!

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! See you soon!

Sincerely,

Heather Batko

Cherokee Principal

hbatko@cvs.k12.mi.us

Click here for suggested supply lists.

Thank you in advance for your generosity!

• Save the date for our Sneak Peek & Curriculum Night during the evening of August 27th.
• Our theme for this school year is LEARNING IS AN ADVENTURE!
• Class placements will be sent out via email prior to this event. Please be patient as last minute enrollment and staffing changes often require us to send the placements out quite close to this deadline. Welcome back letters with back to school information from staff will also be sent.
  
• Sneak Peek is a chance for students and families to explore the school, meet staff and take pictures at the PTO selfie stations. Doors will open at 5:30 PM.
• Each teacher will be hosting Curriculum Night presentations during this event as well. Students and their families will visit their teacher's classroom for the presentation. Each teacher will hold two sessions of their presentation in order to accommodate the needs of our families. It is only necessary to attend 1 session for each child/student. The teacher will share the same information in both sessions. Resources will be available after the presentations for families who are unable to attend or who have more than two children.
• Curriculum Night Session 1 will be from 5:45 PM - 6:15 PM.
• Curriculum Night Session 2 will be from 6:20 PM - 6:50 PM. Families with multiple children will attend this Curriculum Night Session if needed. Additionally, if a family is unable to attend the first session, they are welcome to attend the second session.
• Students can join PTO and their friends upon exiting the building after the curriculum presentations for a popsicle treat. Popsicles will be served outside near the main entrance from approximately 6:15 PM - 7:00 PM.
• NOTE: Our health aide will be available for medication drop off at Sneak Peek/Curriculum Night. See below for more information.

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.

Our health aide will be available for medication drop off at Sneak Peek and once school starts in September. Please do not drop off medications prior to the first day of school (other than Sneak Peek) as they will not be accepted. 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.

• Even though lunch is free for all students, we still need parents to complete the digital online ordering form so that we have an accurate count and enough food for all students.
• Click here to order hot lunch.
• Ordering deadlines: Please note that we have received communication from food services that families need to order lunch by 9:30 AM the school day prior. For example, when ordering lunch for pizza on Monday, please order by 9:30 AM on Friday. This helps with the accuracy of our lunch count. We of course always order extra but this helps with accuracy.
  
• Click here for a printable lunch menu.
• There is a charge of $1.50 for ordering doubles.
• Click here for the Food Services website.

• Chippewa Valley is excited to offer free breakfast and lunch to all students starting this school year thanks to the Michigan Healthy School Meals Program!

• Students DO NOT need to arrive early for breakfast at the elementary level. Breakfast will be served after the first bell in classrooms once the school day has started.Breakfast is free for all students. Our goal is to improve student success by providing a nutritious meal at the start of the day.
  

• Even though meals will be provided for free, it is important for families to continue sharing household income information in order for our schools to receive full access to federal and state funding for educational programs that our students are entitled to. Click here for the School Meal Application Form or see the image below.

• Also, please view the document below for allergy information for parents and well as other important information from Food Services.
• Food Allergy Flyer
  

• 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.

MPORTANT - FROM TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT:

Families are urged to check bus stop information prior to the start of school

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/

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE

• 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.

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.).

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.
• Refrain from parking on Rivergate near the school including the bus loop or in the bus loop.
  
• 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 :)

• We would love for our students to help design the 2023-2024 Cherokee class t-shirts.
• Hard copies of the submission forms for the t-shirt design contest will come home the first week of school and should be returned by 9/11/23. A PDF of the form is also below.
  
• Designs must be in black and white.
• Designs must incorporate a Cherokee and superhero theme.
• Top designs will be voted on by the student body.
• The winning design will be printed on all the class shirts for the 2023-2024 school year.
• The winner will receive free entry into all PTO sponsored events for the 2023-2024 school year.
• The t-shirts are purchased for all Cherokee students by our amazing PTO!

Each child will receive a FREE class shirt.

Please click here to order your child's shirt.

Please complete the link for each of your children at Cherokee.

• See below for a summary of some important dates for 2024-2025 (image and PDF).
• Click here for the district calendar.

• 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.

Please remember, ALL of the policies and procedures put in place at Cherokee are intended to keep our children safe. Feel free to visit the district website to learn more about policies and procedures.

We appreciate your understanding and appreciate those families who continue to model kindness, 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.

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.

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.

CVS SACC program to offer weekly schedule changes

This spring we communicated changes to our School Aged Child Care (SACC) program rates and schedules. These changes are necessary to ensure the long-term continuity of our program. Initially, families had the opportunity to make changes quarterly. However, after receiving feedback from our customers that have varying job schedules, we decided it would be best to offer weekly schedule adjustments. Now parents will be able to schedule their SACC time online that coincides with their work schedules. Families will still be responsible for prepayment of service and commitment to the program but will now have the flexibility that working families need.

Please see refer to the attached schedule for sign-up days.

Spaces are limited so we encourage parents to enroll when registration opens. Thank you and have an enjoyable summer.

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

If your child is going to be absent, please call our attendance line at 586-723-4899.

https://www.facebook.com/CherokeeWildcats

https://www.facebook.com/groups/CherokeePTO/