Family Knightline

Last Friday evening, we hosted our very first Paint Night, and it was truly something special. Mrs. Davis led a group of students, families, and staff in a fantastic experience that brought our community together and filled the night with creativity, connection, and a whole lot of joy. I want to give Mrs. Davis a huge shout-out for her initiative and her genuine desire to continue making our school experience even better for our students and families. The turnout was wonderful and you can see the energy in the photos below.

I also want to recognize Ms. Sicolo for her behind-the-scenes support in helping Mrs. Davis bring this night to life. This event is a great example of staff members who go above and beyond to make our school even stronger.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank our always-supportive PTA for generously purchasing all of the materials needed for Paint Night. Your partnership and continued support make opportunities like this possible. We are really grateful.

Hello Parents,

We are putting on a BIG surprise appreciation week at the end of February for our staff, and we have a few ways we would love for parents to get involved:

• We are trying to collect short, heartfelt notes for all our staff, and we would like as many as possible. If you would like to create a short message of appreciation to a staff member, write it on an open card or note paper. You have your child drop it off in the main office and we will distribute the notes to teachers during our surprise appreciation week.

• During the Surprise Appreciation Week, our staff will participate in a week-long Staff Contest with prizes and treats each day. We have creative ideas and special privileges for many of the prizes, but we also need gift cards.

• If you would like to donate one or two, in any amount, please drop them off at the office by Friday, February 20th or email any e-gift cards to Mr. Park at epark@chclc.org.
• We are looking for $5 giftcards for…

1. Wawa

2. Dunkin Donuts

3. Target

4. Amazon

That said, we are also open to bigger prizes.

Thank you, everyone, for helping us make this a special Staff Appreciation Week!

Mr. Park

On Friday, February 6th, Russell Knight will be celebrating National Crossing Guard Day! This is a special opportunity for us to recognize and thank the incredible crossing guards who help keep our students and families safe each and every day.

Our students and staff will be planning surprises and small tokens of appreciation to honor our two amazing crossing guards: Lorraine, who supports our community in front of the school, and Gordon, who greets and protects our students at the corner of Pearlcroft and Old Carriage.

We also invite families to join us in acknowledging Lorraine and Gordon for the care, consistency, and positivity they bring to our school community. A kind word, thank-you note, or smile goes a long way in letting them know how much they are appreciated.

We are grateful for all they do to help our Knights start and end each school day safely. 💛

In February, we are focusing on empathy—understanding others’ feelings and showing kindness through our words and actions. Families can support this by modeling compassion and encouraging children to consider others’ perspectives at home.

Save the date: the next update on Elementary Enrollment Balancing is happening at the Tuesday, February 10th, 2026 Board of Education meeting.

A presentation will be given at the board meeting that will include results from staff and the community on the Hanover survey, possible solutions, and other information related to enrollment balancing in the coming years.

As is the process at each board meeting, if action isn't being taken on that item, please kindly remember that stakeholders can make a comment during the Second Public Comment portion of the meeting* (*with the exception of students. Students speak first, and can speak on any topic during First Public Comment).

Please note that additional community feedback meetings will be scheduled soon. For more information, please visit the Elementary Enrollment Balancing page on our website.

Dear A. Russell Knight and extended Cherry Hill Family,

You are cordially invited to join us in the National African American Read-In (AARI). The AARI

is a groundbreaking effort to encourage communities to read together, centering African

American books and authors.

At A. Russell Knight (ARK) we will be celebrating this National event by having guest

readers visit each of our classrooms throughout the day.

The details are as follows:

- DATE: February 5, 2026

- LOCATION: A. Russell Knight Elementary School

- TIME: 9 - 3:25 (Click here to view available time slots and sign up )

OR copy/paste the address below into your browser:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/508054BAEAC28A0F94-46969405-national

For a successful event we will need quite a few guest readers; please consider joining

us and volunteering your time to read to our students.

Sincerely,

Dan Feeley, LMS

A. Russell Knight Elementary School

dfeeley@chclc.org

856-428-0830

140 Old Carriage Rd, Cherry Hill, NJ 0803

Please see the full contest details here and in the attachment, along with the contest flyer. Information is also on www.chacca.org and https://chplnj.org/

The Reverend Ivan George Black History Essay, Poster, and Video Contest highlights include:

• Celebrating the 100th Anniversary of Black History Month

• Theme: “Black Creativity: African Americans in the Arts”

• Open to all Cherry Hill Public School students, grades K–12

• Submissions may be an essay, poster, or video

• Students must feature an African American artist born before 1970

• Artists may come from music, dance, theater, film, television, journalism, painting, sculpture, photography, or design

February

Black History Month

• Feb. 5: African American Read-In-Chain
• Feb. 6: Crossing Guard Recognition Day
• Feb. 12 from 6 - 8 pm: Cupid's Glow Dance (All Students - New APR)
• Feb. 17: School Closed for Students (Teacher In-Service Day)
• Feb. 20: PJs and Pretzel Day

March

• March 2 - 5: Book Fair
• March 4: Family Life Curriculum Night - The Wonders of Puberty
• 5th Grade Boys from 6 to 7 pm
• 4th Grade Girls from 7:15 to 8:15 pm
• March 5 from 6 to 7:30 pm: Family Book Fair Night
• March 16 from 7 - 8 pm: PTA Meeting (cafeteria)
• March 19 from 6 to 8 pm: Staff Variety Show

June

• June 15 at 10 am: 5th Grade Moving Up Ceremony (New APR)
• June 16 at 10:30 am: 5th Grade and Retiree Clap Out

• The district's calendar can be found here.

I would encourage all of you to join our PTA. We need all hands on deck to support our wonderful ARK community.

Anything PTA related can be found with a click of the button below.

Email: epark@chclc.org
Website: www.knight.chclc.org
Location: 140 Old Carriage Road, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034
Phone: 856-428-0830
ARK PTA Facebook and Instagram

Knight's vision is to create a community where every member wakes up inspired and goes home fulfilled.

ARK Knights strive to live out the following core values: respect, responsibility, empathy, service, perseverance, effort, citizenship, and teamwork.