CES Weekly Communicator

This weekly update will be how we communicate with the school community. Please check your emails on Fridays for the most recent school news.

Dear CES Families,

Thank You!
A big thank you to our PTO and the 5th Grade Committee for hosting our first Breakfast with Buddies! It was a wonderful way to start the school day, and we are so grateful for the time and effort that went into making it special for our students and families. Families whose last name begins with M-Z can join us next Friday for Breakfast with Buddies!

Kindergarten Celebrations
Our kindergartners had a fantastic first full week of school! They celebrated each day with a focus on colors, and their excitement and energy made the building feel extra bright.

Important Reminders

Emergency Medical Authorizations (EMAs): Please be sure to have your child’s EMA completed in Infinite Campus by September 15. This is an important step to ensure we have up-to-date emergency contact and medical information for your student.
MAP Testing: Students in grades 2–5 will be completing MAP assessments in reading and math over the coming weeks. These assessments help us better understand each student’s learning needs.

Thank you for your continued support in making this a great start to the school year! Below is our first PAWS sticker winners! They earned a book from the vending machine. We are proud of them! Enjoy your long weekend.

Sincerely,

Nikki Miller

Please complete your Online Registration/Emergency Medical Authorization forms for your student for the 25-26 school year. This information is necessary to ensure the health and safety of your student while on school grounds, as well as traveling for field trips. This needs to be updated by September 15th.

Please follow the link below to get to the Infinite Campus Parent Portal:

https://gahannajeffersonoh.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/parents/gahanna_jefferson.jsp

You will need to have your user name and password ready. If you do not remember your user name and/or password, you are able to request to have it re-set. There are also instructions attached to this email to assist in logging in.

Dear Families,

We have started our first classroom counseling lessons of the year, and I’m excited to share what we’ve been learning! I have loved being present in classrooms and seeing students thrive in their new grade-level!

Kindergarten

To round out color week, Kindergartners read The Color Monster to learn about different feelings and how colors can represent our emotions. Students practiced naming their own feelings and talked about healthy ways to share them with others.

1st Grade

First graders read The Rabbit Listened to learn how important it is to have someone who listens when we feel sad, frustrated, or upset. We talked about how the school counselor’s job is to be a safe person to listen, support, and help solve problems. Students also brainstormed other people in their lives who they can go to if they need someone to listen.

2nd Grade

Second graders read The Way I Feel to explore different emotions and how they can change throughout the day. We discussed that "all feelings are okay, but it's important how we handle them." We discussed coping skills that help us work through big feelings and emotions.

3rd Grade

Third graders read Beautiful Oops! to learn that mistakes can be turned into something positive and creative. We discussed how accidents and “oops” moments are part of learning and growing, and students practiced shifting their perspective from frustration to an opportunity to problem solve.

4th Grade
Fourth graders read the book What Do You Do With a Chance? by Kobi Yamada. Together, we talked about what it means to recognize opportunities, take risks, and be brave to show leadership, even when we feel nervous. Students reflected on chances they want to take this school year—whether trying something new, speaking up in class, or reaching out to a new friend.

5th Grade

Fifth graders began the year focusing on leadership. We discussed what makes a strong leader—qualities like kindness, responsibility, and respect—and how every student can lead by example in our school community. Students designed their own “Coat of Arms” to represent their personal leadership style, values, and goals for the year. This activity helped them reflect on the positive influence they can have on others.

I’m so proud of the thoughtful conversations students shared in our first lessons. I look forward to continuing to support them as they grow in confidence, character, and leadership this year!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Mrs. Jasin

GRIN has partnered with Chapelfield to offer a "Weekend Snack Pack" program for our students. If you would like to participate, your student will receive a bag of non-perishable food items every Friday to bring home. In order to participate, please contact Mrs. Jasin or your child's teacher.

Learning in the Library with Mrs. Long

We have had a great start to the year in the library! All classes started the year by discussing book care and how to be responsible for library books. Important things we discussed include:

Have a place to keep your book at home that is safe, such as in your backpack or on a designated bookshelf
Do not put water bottle inside your backpack with your library book
Do not write or draw in library books

All students have had a chance to check out books. Kindergarten students check out one book at a time, with a maximum of 2 books checked out. Students in grade 1 - 5 can have up to four books checked out. Books should be returned at the next library class, but can be renewed if students are still reading them. Thank you for supporting your student with reading at home each day. I can see how excited they are to read books!

Volunteers are needed throughout the year to help reshelve books in the library every week, or for special projects. Please email me at longj@gjps.org if you are interested!

BOOK FAIR IS COMING September 15 - 19!!!

Students will be bringing home a letter and flyer next week that has a lot of important information about the book fair and a sampling of some of the books that will be available at the fair.
Classes will visit the Book Fair during their regular library time and are listed below. Book Fair will also be open during conference night on Thursday, 9/18 from 3:30 - 7:00.
If you have specific requests about what your student purchases at the Book Fair, please email me at longj@gjps.org.
Our online fair is now open! You can purchase items online, and even buy gift cards for your student to use at the Book Fair!

Volunteers are needed for every class. Please use the Sign-Up Genius to sign up, and you are welcome to stay for classes that need volunteers before and after your child’s class as well!

Dear Families,

Starting strong in September makes a big difference for the whole school year. Research shows that students who miss just 1–2 days in the first month are much more likely to become chronically absent later on. That’s why we’re working together to build positive attendance habits now!

When students come to school every day they:

build routines that help them feel confident
stay connected with friends and teachers
have the best chance to succeed academically and socially

This year, as an All-Star District in the Stay in the Game! Attendance Network we are celebrating Attendance Awareness Month as a part of our campaign. Each week, we’ll celebrate attendance with fun activities, and students will have chances to:

Win prizes sponsored by the Columbus Crew
Be featured on Stay in the Game! social media
Most importantly, we want you to know that we are here for you. If your child faces challenges getting to school, please reach out. Together, we can find solutions—because showing up today builds a stronger tomorrow. Inspiring Learners. Building Futures.

Thank you for being our partners in helping every student become an Attendance All-Star!

Do your part in ensuring you get to school on time and ready to learn! If you haven't done so already, take the pledge!

Pursuant to House Bill 410, student attendance is calculated in hours. This includes absences that have been identified as both excused and unexcused by the school, as well as planned absences. Being late or tardy to school does calculate into the total hours absent.

If your child is going to be absent for any portion of the school day, please notify the school. You may report an absence by using our Online Absence Reporting available in the Parent Portal in Infinite Campus. To enter a request follow these simple steps:

1.Log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal account.

2. Select your child’s profile.

3. Navigate to the Absence Request section.

4. Fill in the required information, including the date and reason for the absence.

5. Submit your request.

You will be able to view the status of your request using the View Requests button.

You may also call Chapelfield at 614-478-5575 or email our secretary at gilzows@gjps.org.

Medical excuses from a doctor can be submitted to Stephanie Gilzow, our school secretary, through email (gilzows@gjps.org) or sending in a paper copy.

The front office is a busy place the last 30 minutes of school. We ask that parents NOT CALL to make transportation changes after 2 p.m. Please make sure students know your plan of pick up before they come to school.

Parent Portal Annual Update

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:

Log into the Parent Portal on Infinite Campus at: https://gahannajeffersonoh.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/gahanna_jefferson.jsp
Click MORE from the left hand column
Click on ONLINE REGISTRATION from choices on the right
Click START next to "Existing Student Registration"
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.

2025-2026 Food Service Information

A plate lunch is $2.75.

Breakfast is $1.50. *Breakfast runs from 7:50 - 8:05 AM each day at Chapelfield.

Lunch Menu

Breakfast Menu

Families are again asked to complete and submit a 2025-2026 Free/Reduced-Priced Meal Application if they believe they may qualify. Applications are available in the Chapelfield school office or online at: GahannaSchools.org. If approved, the completed application will cover the student for the entire 2025-2026 school year, and no other steps will be necessary unless there is an income change during the school year.

Gahanna-Jefferson Public Schools Food Service Department is committed to assisting families and making this transition back to normal operations as easy as possible. Please feel free to contact Food Service Supervisor Stephen Ismael (Ismaels@gjps.org) if you have any questions.

All parents and guardians are invited to join us for our first PTO meeting of the year on September 9th at 7:00pm. Come and meet other parents in our school community and learn more about the year ahead! Childcare is provided. This will be our title 1 meeting where we learn about the state of our school.
Follow the Chapelfield PTO Facebook page for updates and reminders for upcoming events.

The PTO enjoyed hosting students and their special guests for Breakfast with Buddies this morning! Thanks to everyone who stopped by. Next week, students with last names starting M-Z are invited to join us on Friday, September 5th for their special Breakfast with Buddies event. Breakfast with Buddies will start at 7:15 am, and students and their guests can enter through the gym doors on the West side of the building.

Chapelfield Elementary has officially kicked off our Fall “Mumkin” fundraiser! We’ve partnered with the best grower in Ohio for plants this year...Foertmeyer and Sons Greenhouse! Links were sent out via email on August 26, and check those backpacks for flyers making their way home as well. Share your link with family and friends to help support our school (and make that front porch feel like fall!). The flower sale ends 09/12/2025. Flowers will be available for pick up on 09/30/2025 between 2-6 pm (no holds).
Our first restaurant night fundraiser of the year will be at Whit’s (Gahanna) this Saturday, August 30th - a portion of all proceeds from this full-day event will support our Chapelfield community. Order your favorite treats, buy a treat for a friend, or send your neighbors and family members - don’t forget to let the friendly Whit’s team know that you’re there to support Chapelfield so the proceeds are applied!

Did you know your Kroger grocery shop can benefit our school? The Kroger Community Rewards program offers donations from all qualifying purchases to an organization of your choosing - your school community benefits when you choose Chapelfield PTO! To enroll, visit the Kroger Community Rewards page, log in to your account (or create one!), and search for “Chapelfield PTO” under the listed organizations. You can also sign up in-store to have every transaction benefit our school!

5th grade committee

By popular demand, the 5th grade committee has expanded the spirit wear options to include sweatshirts, pants, polos, tank tops and zip-up hoodies. The choices don’t stop there - support our Gahanna district with Gahanna Lion options as well. Items will be on sale through September 5, 2025. To order, please visit this link.