Cub Connection

August 13, 2023

CELC News & Updates

Welcome CELC Families,

Three more days until we have the pleasure to welcome our 2023-24 Cubs! Our enrollment is booming! Please spread the word that school is starting soon! We currently have six TK classes and six K classes! This is an exciting time for our school.

Class lists will be posted on the front fence on or before 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday! Teachers will also have an informational letter posted. Your child's class/teacher may be found on ParentVue as well. If you cannot find your child's name or there is a mistake in program placement, please email Mary Barkley mbarkely@alpineschools.net and she will help you.

We will have a special visitor greeting the students the first day of school. Have your cameras ready! Classroom doors will be opened at 9:00 a.m. You are welcome to pick up breakfast for your student at the cafeteria and eat at the tables. Breakfast is served from 8:35 a.m. to 8:50 p.m. Please help us maintain a safe and structured morning. Students are expected to follow the school rules while on campus, regardless of the time of the day. Staff works in partnership with parents and guardians to help teach safety, responsibility, and respect.

The first day can be difficult for some students, however, in my experience as both a parent and teacher/principal, it is MUCH harder on the parents. Help make the first day great by assuring your student that they will have fun! This is my tenth year as an administrator and I can honestly say that when I have seen student tears, they have dried up within 1-2 minutes after the parent leaves. The students become engaged and the tears become smiles. Most students will have the opposite response to the first day and will jump right in. This is sometimes hard on parents too :). Don't worry, they are in good hands with the teachers. Miss Camryn, our School Social Worker and I will be on hand to support students (and parents) that are having difficulty.

Here are a few updates to help keep you informed as we approach our first day of school:

As an FYI, Creekside does not distribute Chromebooks. Students have access to them in the classrooms. We have had a few calls/emails asking about this, so we want to assure you that you did not miss anything.

The school will provide all the school supplies needed for the classroom. The only school supply that you should send is a backpack. We do have a few donated backpacks on hand for those that are interested. Please let us know if you have a need.

Teachers will send out a wish list for "want" items. If you are willing and able to donate these items to the classroom, it is very much appreciated.
Although we have water filling stations, we like to have water bottles on hand for students that forget to bring a refillable bottle. Donations of water are always appreciated. You can drop them off in the office.
On Monday, August 14th, our office will be closed from 7:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. for an all staff training. We apologize for the inconvenience.
Class lists will be posted outside on the front gate on or before 3:00 p.m. on August 15th. They will also be available on ParentVUE.
The first 8 days of school are minimum days. The student dismissal time is at 1:22 p.m. to allow time for teachers to meet with students individually and complete initial assessments. Teachers will be asking parents to sign up for a time with your student. There will be sign ups outside their classroom doors.
Our "normal" schedule begins on Monday, August 28th. See schedules below.
For the safety and security of students and staff, gates are locked during school hours.
AUSD will continue to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students this school year.
Breakfast is available at the cafeteria at 8:35 a.m. daily.
Students may choose to eat a cafeteria lunch or bring a sack lunch from home.
Please send your student to school each day with a backpack, refillable water bottle, a healthy snack, and a lunch (unless they are getting a cafeteria lunch).
Please include a change of clothes in a ziplock bag in their backpack. Potty accidents tend to happen early in the year. We have clothes on hand but having their own seems to make them feel more comfortable.
Please report any absences to your child's teacher and the office. Please let the office know the reason your child is out and what symptoms they have. Email Mary Barkely, our amazing Clerk or call the office at 619-659-8250.
We LOVE volunteers. If you are interested in volunteering in any capacity, please pick up the required paperwork in the office.
We need PTA and School Site Council volunteers. If you are interested, please contact the office. Parents interested in PTA, please fill out the PTA Interest Survey.
Before and after school care is available. Please see the flyer below or contact Aimee Hatfield, AUSD's ESS Coordinator, at ahatfield@alpineschools.net if you have any questions.
For transportation questions, please visit AUSD's website at https://www.alpineschools.net/page/transportation
Please find us on FB and IG!
Here is last week's newsletter https://www.smore.com/1a07b

Our staff is looking forward to seeing all of the new and returning faces to our campus. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Tamara Ripke, Proud Principal

Our 2023-24 Theme

We believe that social emotional health, the feeling of belonging, validation, and meaningful relationships are key to a successful day at school. Our staff works to deliberately make meaningful connections with our students in order to support academics, behavior, and social emotional growth. Each year, we pick a theme to motivate our growth and support a positive mindset. This year, we will continue our work to support students and take their successes to "New Heights". If you see giraffes around, it is a reminder that we are setting our goals high and reaching new heights with our students! YOU ARE SPOT ON if you think we are a little excited about the new school year!

WELCOME TO CREEKSIDE!

We look forward to see all of our Cubs soon! Check out the video to help answer some common questions about the first day.

Around Alpine Video- Season 2, Episode 1

AUSD is pleased to unveil Episode One of Season Two of Around Alpine Union, titled Welcome. We will produce other episodes throughout the year to showcase and promote the wonderful work across our schools. These episodes will be shared across our social media platforms and in principal communications. Check out the video below.

Cubs in the Community

Mrs. Ripke will continue the Cubs in the Community tradition. Her goal is to connect with 100 Cubs (Future, Former, or Current) by the 100th day of school. Building relationships with our students is important to us! If you see Mrs. Ripke out in the community, encourage your student to say hi. Not only does it create an opportunity to connect, it also supports students' language and communication skills. Follow the sightings on FB and IG. Feel free to share our postings to spread the word. Mrs. Ripke (and the CELC staff) looks out for future, current, and former Cubs! She is ready to meet the 2023-24 challenge. See her latest sighting below!

CELC SCHEDULE FIRST 8 DAYS

CELC SCHEDULE BEGINNING 8/28/23

Recess and lunch times subject to change. All TK classes are released at 1:35 pm daily until winter break. TK moves to the full day kindergarten schedule on Tuesday, January 9th. Lunch and recess time subject to changed based on enrollment and site needs.

School Rules

CELC has three school rules. Students will be learning behavior expectations that are aligned with being safe, responsible, and respectful. We practice Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS). We understand that our students are still learning to problem solve and deal with school expectations. We believe in progressive discipline and restorative practices. Teachers and staff document concerns and communicate them with parents to form a partnership in your child's success. We love our Cubs and are looking forward to having a year of fun, friendships, learning and laughter!

Smiles for Miles

Humor helps the heart! Join us in spreading "Smiles for Miles"!

If you and your student have cometic talent, you are invited to submit a joke (written or video) to be shared in our weekly newsletter. All jokes must make us smile, be clean, follow school/district rules, and be age appropriate. Please fill out the Google Form to submit your joke. If you choose to do a video, attach it to the form.

Answer from last week: to become a Smartie