The SHARK Alert

Dear CES SHARKS & Friends,

Happy December! I hope you are well-fed and well-rested after the long Thanksgiving Break! We look forward to welcoming students back tomorrow, Monday, December 2nd. Term I ends this week and report cards will be available on Aspen and sent home via back pack mail on Friday, December 13th.

In addition to the release of report cards on December 13th, the CES Chorus will be performing at the Chatham Tree Lighting. The event begins at 5:30 pm at the Chatham Recreation Department with the Light Parade. Students and community members will walk and sing from the Rec Department to the triangle in Chatham center for the lighting of the town's tree. CES chorus members will sing several holiday songs and ornaments made by our CES students will be on the tree. The following day, we hope you will join us for the CES PTO's annual fundraiser and holiday movie viewing of "The Grinch". You can learn more about the movie below.

As we enter the holiday season, our SHARKS will be taking time to pause and celebrate all we are thankful for. One of the greatest gifts is that of community, and we feel it is important to highlight that gifts don't always have to come in shiny packages to be meaningful. CES will be collecting non-perishable foods and supplies December 2nd through Wednesday, December 11th to support our greater community. Please see the flyer below for more information.

Speaking of gits, I'd like to give a gentle reminder about Smart Watches and Phones. Phones, Smart Watches, and other forms of personal technological devices are not allowed to be used during the school day. All personal devices should be turned off and stored in the student's backpack. If students misuse their personal technology during the school day it will be confiscated and delivered to the Main Office. A parent/guardian will be notified and will need to pick it up from the school office. Parents and guardians should be communicating through the Main Office during the school day. Students are not allowed to text or call parents/guardians from personal devices while at school.

Finally, Session II Clubs begin on Monday, December 2nd. Please check your email for confirmation of club registration. Ms. Deb Gebhardt has sent emails to the parents and guardians of all students enrolled in Session II clubs. Please remember to update your Pick Up Patrol plans with the new club information!

Thank you for your continued support and have a wonderful week ahead!

Sincerely yours,

Dr. Kelly

The CES PTO held a meeting on Tuesday, November 19th. Thank you to all those who were able to attend - it was great to see some new faces! If you would like to be part of the PTO mailing list, please click on this PTO sign up form. You will receive information about all upcoming events. Every parent/caregiver is welcome, and encouraged, to join the PTO.

PTO meetings take place at 6:00 pm on the second Tuesday of each month in the CES Media Center. Zoom links will be provided to those who cannot attend in person. Our next meeting is January 14, 2025. There will be no December PTO meeting.

The PTO is also looking for room parents. Room parents coordinate with the classroom teacher for special school wide events, field trips, and class activities. Room parents will also represent classrooms at PTO meetings and share information between the PTO and classroom families. You can express your interest in becoming a room parent by filling out the PTO sign up form above.

The Grinch Holiday Fundraiser The next big PTO event will be on Saturday, December 14th. The annual holiday film showing during the Chatham Stroll. For a $10 admission, students and friends can join us for a viewing of Dr. Seuss's The Grinch. Students receive a juice box, water, and bag of pretzels with their ticket. The theater concession stand is also open for students who may want to purchase a popcorn or other snack.

Chaperones will be on hand to watch the kids, so parents and guardians can drop off the kids and grab a coffee, run errands, or shop the Chatham Stroll. Please see the flyer below for more information about the event.

Dress for the Weather After an unseasonably warm fall, the temperatures are starting to drop and the wind is picking up. Please make sure to have your student wear appropriate clothing for outdoor time. Layers are always encouraged and its time to locate hats, mittens, gloves, and scarves. Our classrooms try to spend at least 25 minutes outdoors each day.

Please call the Main Office at 508-945-5135 or use Pick Up Patrol to report student absences. Our classroom teachers are often unable to check their email prior to the start of school and the Main Office and Nurse's Office don't learn of the email before they begin calling home. Contacting the Main Office or using Pick Up Patrol are the best ways to inform the school of an absence.

• Monday, December 2nd - Session II Clubs Begin - UPDATE PICK UP PATROL DISMISSAL PLANS
• Monday, December 2nd - Food Fall Drive Begin
• Wednesday, December 11th - Early Release Day
• Wednesday, December 11th - Last Day of Fall Food Drive Collection
• Friday, December 13th - Term I Report Cards Released
• Friday, December 13th - Chatham Tree Lighting and CES Chorus Performance
• Saturday, December 14th - PTO Fundraiser "The Grinch" at Chatham Orpheum Theater

A HUGE thank you to Rosemarie Richard and the MRHS Jazz Band, Concert Band, Show Choir, and Choir! Our SHARKS loved seeing the older SHARKS perform and truly enjoyed seeing our own Ms. Dunford join the Show Choir for a song!

Thank you to Mrs. McIntire, Mrs. Hart, Mrs. Olsen and our amazing PreK students for their pre-Thanksgiving hot air balloon parade on Tuesday! We were blown away by their beautiful balloon floats and loved seeing their happy faces parading through the halls!

Chatham Elementary is pleased to assist a former CES SHARK, Remi Schreiner, in a much needed project for our local community. Between Monday, December 2nd and Wednesday, December 11th we will be collecting the following items:

• unexpired non-perishable foods (canned food, pasta, grains)
• unused toiletries
• diapers
• pet food

Your donations can be dropped off in the collection boxes located in the Main Lobby of CES. Donation drop-off hours are between 7:30 and 3:15; Monday December 2nd through Wednesday, December 11th.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Email: jakelly@monomoy.edu
Website: http://ces.monomoy.edu/
Location: 147 Depot Road, Chatham, MA, USA
Phone: 508-945-5135
Facebook: facebook.com/ChathamElementarySchoolPto

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuaO-WElYPYfj1kU9LfhSzw
Instagram: ChathamElemMRSD