Family Knightline

Welcome back, ARK families, and happy 2026. I hope you were able to spend time with family over the break. I know this season can be joyful and meaningful, but also busy, and I hope you were able to find a few moments of peace, rest, and joy along the way.

I am excited to welcome your children back to school. I feel re-energized, rejuvenated, and motivated as we begin this new year together, and I am looking forward to continuing the positive momentum we have built since September.

Welcome back, ARK families. We are excited to begin 2026 with you and your children.

As we begin the 2026 school year, you’ll notice more communication from me about attendance and the importance of being in school, especially at the elementary level.

The reasons are pretty straightforward. When children aren’t here, they miss out on learning, relationships, routines, and the social and emotional experiences that help them grow. Those benefits only happen when students are present.

At the same time, I want to be very clear and realistic. We do not expect children to be in school every single day. That’s not reasonable, and it’s not how life works. Children get sick, and families have circumstances that come up. We understand that.

What we are focused on is building strong habits and routines early. Showing up matters. Learning that attendance is important is a life skill, and elementary school is where those habits begin.

You will continue to receive attendance letters at four days, seven days, 10 days, and at 18 days and beyond. Please know that these letters are part of a district protocol. Receiving one does not automatically mean there is a concern.

If I ever have questions or feel that a conversation might be helpful in supporting your child, I will reach out to you directly. Otherwise, there is no need for worry.

Thank you for your partnership and support. Wishing you and your family a happy and healthy 2026.

At school, we’re learning that perseverance means continuing to try, even when something feels hard, frustrating, or takes time. It’s about not giving up and learning from challenges. Families play a powerful role in helping children build this important life skill.

Use these conversation starters to help your child think, reflect, and grow.

Family Culture Talk Questions:

1. What Perseverance Means

What do you think perseverance means?
Can you share something that was hard today that you kept trying at?
Why is it important to keep going, even when something feels tricky?

2. Trying When Things Are Hard

How does your body or brain feel when something is challenging?
What helps you keep trying when you feel like quitting?
Can you think of a time you wanted to give up but didn’t? What happened?

3. Learning From Mistakes

What do mistakes help us learn?
How do you usually react when something doesn’t work the first time?
What could you say to yourself next time something feels really hard?

4. Perseverance at School and in Life

What is something at school that takes perseverance for you?
How does practicing help you get better over time?
Who is someone you know who shows perseverance? What do they do?

5. Growing Perseverance as a Family

How can our family encourage each other when things are difficult?
What is one challenge you want to keep working on this month?
How can we remind each other to keep trying and not give up?

Family Activity: Our Perseverance Promise

Each person completes the sentence:
“In our family, perseverance means…”

Create one shared family promise about how you will keep trying, support one another, and grow through challenges together.

Welcome Back and Happy New Year! We hope this email finds you all had a wonderful winter break!

CHSEPTA is hosting our 1st Winter Family Fun Night on January 29th 2026 at Cooper Elementary School. All Cherry Hill students in Special education from PreK-21 years of age (in and out of district placement) and their families are welcome for a night of fun, hot cocoa, cookies, guest readers and connection. Please send out the attached flyer to your community and help us to spread the word!!!

Thanks!

CHSEPTA

chseptanj@gmail.com

https://sites.google.com/view/chsepta

Contact Us

https://forms.gle/9vxSKGJEUsv7niYQ8

Membership Form

https://forms.gle/FzNKbgJKcP7CHecM7

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

You can listen the video message by clicking on the button below or read the key points from the video here.

KEY POINTS OF VIDEO MESSAGE:

• Throughout the year, especially in December, we focus a lot on the core value of responsibility with our students. It is one of the most important life lessons we can teach them.

• One way we help students understand responsibility is through the idea of being the driver of your bus.

  • Students learn that they are in control of their actions, their words, and even their thoughts.

  • Other people can make you feel upset, confused, or angry, but at the end of the day, you choose how to respond.

  • The idea that someone “made me do it” is something we work to move away from.

• By the time students get to fifth grade, they can confidently answer the question, “Who is the driver of your bus?” with “I am.” They understand that whether the choice is positive or not so great, they need to own it.

• These lessons are not just for kids. I am constantly reviewing what responsibility looks like in my own life too. It is a skill that matters at every age.

A Personal Example

• One of my daughters plays competitive soccer and has been feeling burned out after playing nonstop for years. Recently she did not want to go to practice, and that led to a great conversation about responsibility.

• I shared with her that she absolutely does not need to stay in the sport forever. But she did make a commitment to her team.

• In our family, deciding you do not want to do something anymore does not mean you simply stop showing up. We talk about planning your exit in a way that shows you follow through and can look back and feel proud of how you handled it.

• She will finish the commitment she made, and then we will help her make a plan for what comes next.

Culture Talks at Home

• I encourage you to have these small culture talks with your children. They do not have to be formal. Honestly, some of the best conversations happen in the car or during everyday moments.

• You might ask questions like:

  • “What does responsibility look like for you today?”

  • “How did you show responsibility at school or at home?”

  • “When something goes wrong, how do you choose to respond?”

• Our shared work as parents and educators is to help our children grow into good human beings who understand themselves and make thoughtful choices.

January:

Muslim American Heritage Month

• 1/6: School Closed --- Teacher In-Service
• 1/14: Silver Diner Dine and Donate (5:00 - 8:00 pm)
• 1/15: Winter Concert - New APR (7 pm)
• 1/22: PTA Meeting (cafeteria @ 7 pm)
• 1/23: Paint Night (6:00 to 8 pm)
• 1/26 to 1/30: Underground Staff Spirit Week

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.