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Charger News Chadds Ford Elementary Monthly Update

A community focused on educating every child, while respecting tradition and embracing innovation.

January 2022 Charger School News

Social and Emotional Learning Spotlight:

CFES explores and teaches concepts to help our students develop strong character. The Core Essentials program infuses the social-emotional learning competencies with each of our monthly values.

This month's trait focuses on Self-Control - choosing to do what you should even when you don't want to. January gives us the chance to focus on our long-term goals and think about where we can exhibit the trait of self-control. January can also be a where you can celebrate self-control to learn a new skill or put into exercise a new habit. As you reflect on this trait throughout this month try to add the practice of self-control to your daily life. Try to think about opportunities to model and practice the trait of self-control!

☑ SEL Competencies addressed throughout the year: Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills, Responsible Decision-Making

☑ Big Idea Values addressed throughout the year: Wisdom, Initiative, Individuality, Contentment, Service, Self-Control, Compassion, Cooperation, Hope, Perseverance

Students in the Core Essential Spotlight for December

Service - Lending a hand to help someone else

Kindergarten

  • Emme Z. Mrs. Robinson-AM Emme is always the first one up to help a friend who has dropped something.
  • Charlotte Y. Mrs. Robinson-AM Charlotte always walks around the classroom before lining up for recess to push in the chairs of the friends who forgot.
  • Jake S. Mrs. Robinson-PM Jake always helps friends who drop their crayons. She also helps to clean up scraps and trash from the floor even when she is not asked to.
  • Tasmai M. Mrs. Robinson-PM Tasmai always offers help to students who may have missed directions or need help gathering supplies for activities.

Pre-First

  • Olivia S. - Mrs. Keller - Olivia is always willing to help friends. She is extremely patient and kind in her approach to help.
  • Maddie K. Mrs. Keller - Maddie goes the extra mile to offer her help in any way she can!

First Grade

  • Sean D. Mrs. Nelson - Sean is always looking for ways to help others in the classroom!
  • Ava D. Mrs. Nelson - Ava is always willing to help a friend in need!

Second Grade

  • Penelope F. Mrs. Gillespie - Penny is willing to help in any way. She is a good friend to her classmates and truly cares about helping others.
  • Jackson P. Mrs. Gillespie - Jackson is a wonderful classmate who is willing to help his classmates and teacher with anything and everything. He is aware of the needs of the class and jumps right in to help when there is a need.
  • Mia M. Mr. Lapp - Mia is very kind to her peers and is always willing to lend a helping hand to her classmates as well as her teacher.
  • Henry Z. Mr. Lapp -Henry is well-liked by his peers and loves to help them if they need assistance with anything.
  • Grace G. Mrs. Conover - Grace is a student who always offers to help others. She is respectful, kind, and lends a hand without being asked.
  • Vivaan R. Mrs. Conover - Vivaan helps his classmates without drawing attention to himself. He is a quiet leader by doing the right thing.

Third grade

  • Eve Q. Mrs. Broderick - Eve is always willing to help those around her. Whether it is finding materials, helping with a peer's writing, or just lending a hand, Eve is always going above and beyond to help!
  • James F. Mrs. Broderick - James helps those around him without a second thought. He naturally is willing to provide those in need, service before self.
  • Benjamin Z. Mrs. Hughes - Benny is always ready to jump in and help. When a friend needs help finding materials or has an issue with their Chromebook, Benny is always willing to help out.
  • Caroline L. Mrs. Hughes - Caroline is kind to her classmates and is always willing to lend a helping hand to support her peers.
  • Wren U. Mrs. DeNenno - Wren is very aware of others' needs and responds with kindness to help them out.
  • Jackson S. Mrs. DeNenno

Fourth Grade

  • Jackson S. Mrs. Bickings - Jackson is a great friend who is always ready to jump in and help! He is kind, respectful, and supports others.
  • Jack D. Mrs. Bickings -Jack is always willing to give a helping hand. He is a great friend and classmate and always helps others without even being asked.
  • Yelaine Z. Mr. Wagner - Yelaine is always willing to help out her classmates.
  • Jayden Q. Mr. Wagner - Jayden is kind to his peers and goes out of his way to lend a helping hand in an effort to support others.

Fifth Grade

  • Mrs. Roberts' Fifth Grade Class 5 - These kids took it upon themselves to come up with a way to collect money for an animal rescue after discussing "service". They brought in coins from home and now we have a $150 donation for LaMancha in Unionville.
  • Ava B. Ms. Doyer - Ava is quick to think of others and works to make sure her classmates are happy and have what they need.
  • Andrew F. Ms. Doyer - Andrew is very humble and never draws attention to himself, but I notice how often he is kind and helpful to his classmates.
"With self-discipline most anything is possible." — Theodore Roosevelt
Where is the refreshed and updated Chad been hiding? Don't worry Chad will be making his debut soon, he is stuck in shipping and is waiting patiently to meet the CFES Chargers!

School Updates

Attendance, travel plans, and dismissal changes should be communicated to cfeattendance@ucfsd.net, and please cc the homeroom teacher. All changes to dismissal plans should be submitted before 2:30 pm to ensure a safe dismissal process.

Thank you for your patience with the arrival and dismissal procedures. Safety on campus is extremely important. You can assist in the process by:

  • Please stay attentive and pull forward to maximize our car capacity.
  • Stay in your vehicle and advance forward in the loading zone between the cones.
  • Drop off and pick up can occur anywhere between the orange cones, pulling forward helps expedite the process.
  • If you need more time before your journey home please pull into an open parking space or proceed to the lower gravel lot, this will allow the car line to flow smoothly and quickly.
  • Please be mindful of staff entering and leaving the parking areas, you can help by leaving space for parking as needed.
  • Keep a watchful eye on traffic control and flow, watch for staff in yellow vests and signs to direct traffic.
  • Remember the speed limit on school grounds is 15 MPH!
  • When on the driveway entering and exiting the school please yield to the school buses on the smaller bridge area.

Please regularly check your email or voicemail for updates from the school for any upcoming communications or weather-related events that may impact the school day.

Staying connected is an important part of the home and school partnership. We appreciate working and growing with our families to create a strong bond that benefits your child. Please keep in mind the school day is busy and it will take some time for staff to respond to emails and calls. We are in this together, your support and understanding are paramount to our success as a team!

Nominate a teacher....

Nominate an amazing educator!

There are many amazing staff members here at Chadds Ford. Do you have a special teacher that you would like to recognize? Consider completing the below link to nominate a teacher for an award and a chance to be celebrated as an outstanding educator.

Dress for the weather, it's cold outside....

As the weather turns cooler plan on dressing your child for the conditions during outdoor recess. Students will go outside for recess when the real feel temperature is 19 degrees and above. Hats, scarves, gloves, and more can save the day when it is chilly! Don't forget to label these items with your last name in case they are misplaced. Encourage your child to check the lost and found in the cafeteria for any missing items!

January Calendar

January 5th - 9:30-11:00 PTO meeting

January 17th No school - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

From the Nurse's Office - Mrs. Melissa Hocking

Hearing Screenings will be completed this month. Hearing tests are administered to students in grades K, 1, 2, and 3.

If your child gets a screening at school to check his or her hearing and is referred to an audiologist for further testing, don’t panic, the screening conditions are not always ideal. Depending upon where children take the tests, poor acoustics, reverberation and ambient noise can affect results. This is not a full diagnostic test, it’s just a basic health screening. Secondly, your child may have an ear infection, cold or upper respiratory tract infection that day, which can impair hearing. The fit of the over-the-ears headphones or the attention span of the child also sometimes affect the screenings, especially for the youngest students.

So, just because they didn’t pass on their screening doesn’t mean that they don’t have normal hearing. However, finding that out is critical, and that’s why we always recommend that parents take their child for a diagnostic follow-up test if your student fails their hearing screening. A full standard diagnostic hearing exam will test your child’s hearing across many different frequencies and make sure that hearing is within a normal range.

Reminder for all Kindergarten families: If you have not submitted a physical exam or dental exam for the year, please do so as soon as possible.

Reminder for all 3rd Grade Families: If you have not submitted a dental exam for the year, please do so as soon as possible.

Please reach out if you are unsure if you submitted a copy of these exams and Mrs. Hocking will let you know if one is still needed.

COVID Testing Information

The Unionville-Chadds Ford School District is now offering COVID-19 testing for the sole purpose of:

  • Symptomatic students and staff
  • Unvaccinated students and staff
  • Fully vaccinated students and staff who have been exposed to someone who is positive for COVID-19 but remain asymptomatic and do not need to quarantine, and are testing on days 3-5 as recommended by the CCHD

Testing will be offered Tuesday and Thursday mornings 8:30 AM to 10:20 AM at UHS. The testing site is located at the UHS stadium ticket booth where tests will be administered by a UCFSD nurse.

To schedule an appointment, click on the link below and select an available 10-minute appointment slot. The link can also be found on our Health and Safety webpage.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

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Reminder -Currently the UCFSD Health and Safety Plan requires masks to be worn on the bus and while inside the buildings at all times.

COVID Communication Updates

Expect communication from the Chadds Ford nurse Melissa Hocking, UCFSD nurse team, and/or the principal via email if a positive case is identified in your child's classroom. As has been the case all school year, expect a personal phone call in all situations where your child is deemed a "close contact" per guidelines from the Chester County Health Department. You will be contacted directly by phone if there is a need to take action. Continue to self-monitor and stay home when you are not well. We appreciate your support in maintaining the health and safety of all.

Once teachers are notified of students who are required to quarantine they will be in communication within 24 hours to share expectations for assignments. Please continue to be patient as it does take some time to organize materials. We appreciate your understanding and support.

Free Breakfast and Lunch Program

Children need healthy meals to learn. This year, all students are able to receive one free breakfast and one free lunch, as long as the meals meet specific requirements (entree, vegetable, fruit, and dairy). Meal requirements are put in place to ensure that the food items contribute to a sufficient and healthy meal for each child. See the SSO Info page for more detail.

From the school counselor - Mrs. Sowden

We are introducing the Zones of Regulation throughout CFE in order to have a universal school language to help students recognize their feelings and use self-regulation strategies. It uses 4 colors to help us identify how we’re feeling. Emotions can often be difficult to verbalize. After simplifying our emotion into a color/zone (blue, green, yellow, red), we can then use a self-regulation strategy (ex:deep breath, positive self talk, taking a walk), which helps us communicate our feelings, needs and/or wants.

I am making my way to each classroom for a classroom lesson on the zones, so please be on the lookout for information your child brings home. I always encourage kiddos to teach their family what we’re learning

News from our Librarian - Mrs. Price

Library

All students in grades kindergarten through fifth grades have been enjoying the beautifully renovated library! There are comfortable seating areas, and easy access to books and resources. Through a generous grant from the PTO, the library was able to add over 70 new titles from the Chadds Ford Book Fair in October.

Students in the upper grades have been learning how to navigate the Dewey Decimal System as it is used in our library, and how to use our online catalog system, Destiny Discover, and MackinVia, which has access to ebooks and audiobooks. Students in the lower grades are learning and reviewing the parts of a book, the difference between fiction and nonfiction, and how to independently navigate the library.

Birthday Books: In September and October, the library was able to add 18 new books to the library, thanks to students who participated in the Birthday Book program. If you would like more information about Birthday Books, please click here and print out the form. You can still submit forms to the library.

Student News:

Spirit Days - additional days may be announced throughout the month!

January Spirit Days:

  • Friday, January 7th - Charge into the New Year Chargers - Wear your school spirit wear, everything Chadds Ford!
  • Friday, January 21st - Hats off to you - wear your favorite hat to school!

Community News:

Innovation Station
Are you the next famous artist? Check out an after-school club opportunity Young Rembrandts! Young Rembrandts have a passion for art and children. Enroll for the Winter session!

Tutoring Support from our High School Students

Check out free tutoring help from Unionville High School Students at Kennet Library!

I am Arjun Suryawanshi and I am here to inform you that the Math Club from Unionville High School is holding weekly tutoring sessions at the Kennett Library for all who would like to attend. From 6-8 p.m. every Monday, students from Unionville High School will be at the library, available to help with any subjects (not just math!). If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at suryawanshia24@ucfsd.net or Andy Li (the Math Club president) at lia22@ucfsd.net. Thank you for your time and we hope to see some people ready to learn there!

Are you a budding scientist? Check out an after-school club opportunity in Science Explorers.
Making connections and being together! Congratulations to Ms. Sue, Van 306 UCFSD driver who is retiring in January!
Service Above Self - Mrs. Robert's class donated socks to Mitchell Elementary and collected money to send to LaMancha animal shelter!

PTO News:

PTO meeting Wednesday, December 1st, 9:30 am at CFES, or join us on Zoom!

January PTO MEETING

Please join us for the next PTO meeting on Wednesday, January 5th at 9:30 am focused on the Art Show. Meetings are held in person and via Zoom. All are invited to attend.

Future Meeting Dates: February 2, 2022; March 2, 2022; April 6, 2022; May 4, 2022. The Meeting Minutes are also available on the CFES website.

Thank you to our PTO for your time and efforts to coordinate fundraising to support CFES in financing a new playground. We look forward to the generous time, energy, and donations from our Chadd Ford community to provide an awesome new playground for generations of students to enjoy! See the section in this newsletter for more information about this exciting change to our playground!

Thank you to the many volunteers and supporters of the CFES PTO! We are grateful for your time, energy, generosity, and dedication to CFES! Please consider how you can be a part of the PTO this school year, we need your help!

Thank you to our entire school community for your excitement, energy, and enthusiasm for the 2021-2022 school year! We aim to keep the positive energy strong and your support is essential to our success! Thank you!

Stay connected and share your story: Twitter #ChaddsFordUCFSD Instagram chaddsforducfsd Facebook @ChaddsFordChargers Search and use CFES hashtags #chaddsforducfsd #cfeschargers #UCFProud. Charge on Chargers!

Created By
Danielle Clark
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Created with images by MabelAmber - "mitten glove hand" • monicore - "new year label holiday" • Unknown - "Clipart - lunch box" • ElasticComputeFarm - "sheet music music piano" • geralt - "books man person" • Unknown - "Free vector graphic: Chemical Laboratory, Tubes - Free ..."