Hello CCE Families!

We have had an incredible start to the 2024-2025 school year! CCE has been filled with smiles and laughter after a quiet summer break. You Colts are likely coming home tired, which is to be expected. It will take another week to really begin to get back into the school year routine.

This week's Chronicle is packed with some very important information. Family engagement is critical to the success of any school. To help increase this, we are looking to bring families into our conversations and decision-making processes through membership in several of our committees. I have included information about these committees below.

I've also included information on the new School Board Policy 8655 which states in part, "Elementary school students are not permitted to use personal technology during the school day." We are providing grace, as this is a new policy, but families are advised that cell phones, wearable devices such as iWatch, Galaxy Smartwatches, iPads, personal laptops, etc. are not permitted. Students are able to bring them to school so long as they remain off and stowed away in their backpack. THIS INCLUDES ON LCPS BUSES. We will continue with reminders and begin active enforcement after the Labor Day weekend, Tuesday, September 3, 2024. This initiative is to improve the mental health of our LCPS students. Please check out this infographic.

We will begin our state-mandated drills this week and will continue through the month of September. Our first drill is an evacuation drill, which many of our classes practiced last week. Later, we will practice a Lockdown Drill. While these are only drills, our staff takes great care to mitigate any stress brought on by these. Please remind your Colts that these are in fact just drills to help keep us safe.

I have received several complaints from community members about roadway behaviors. Though enforcement of Virginia laws are done by the Loudoun County Sheriffs Department, I'd like to remind families to please be considerate by following all traffic laws and refrain from blocking driveways when parking on the street.

Please check out the important dates and information found within the newsletter and always feel free to reach out with any questions!

Current rate and information will be added beginning August 30, 2024. As a reminder, we MUST get to below 15% this year in order to maintain our Level 1 Accreditation Status. We made great strides with combatting our chronic absenteeism numbers last year and I am quite confident we can bring the percentage below the 15% threshold.

Team News will begin on August 30, 2024. We will have the following links for newsletters:

Kindergarten

1st Grade

2nd Grade

3rd Grade

4th Grade

5th Grade

Art

Counselors

Library

Music

PE

SEL

Should you have specific questions about a particular newsletter, please reach out directly to that specialist or your child's teacher.

This section will include important information about various PTA events including meetings and fundraising opportunities.

To align with Executive Order 33 from the state governor's office, LCPS School Board has established Policy 8655. This policy covers the student use of personal technology in schools, including cell phones, tablets, earbuds, personal gaming devices, and other technologies during the school day. Specifically, "Elementary school students are not permitted to use personal technology during the school day."

Beginning the 2024-2025 school year, students may bring cell phones, smart watches or other personal technology and wearables with them to CCE, however, they must remain off and stored in the student's backpack during the instructional day. This includes while receiving LCPS transportation services.