Cherry Crest Chronicler
August 17, 2021
Hello Charger Families,
After a much needed summer break, the Cherry Crest Chronicler parent newsletter is back with Cherry Crest news and information for the upcoming school year. I pray your family enjoyed a break from school while staying healthy and safe.
In the newsletter below, you will find important information about the start of a new school year. Please note that you can translate this newsletter by using the “Select a Language” tool in the upper left corner of the webpage. The drop down menu allows you to translate text on the Cherry Crest website as well as any other Bellevue School District website.
For families new to Cherry Crest, we are excited to welcome you to our school. We are also delighted to see so many returning students and families. We are truly proud to serve this school community, and we look forward to building and deepening relationships with students and families as we return to full-day, in-person learning for the 2021-22 school year.
Thank you for taking a few moments to read the newsletter below. Feel free to contact me ([email protected]) or our amazing office Manager Susie Nakamura ([email protected]) with any questions you may have!
Dusty Steere, Principal Cherry Crest Elementary
IMPORTANT DATES
August 24 Virtual Kinder/1st grade Parent Information Session @ 10:00 am Join Via Teams
August 24 Virtual 2nd – 5th grade Parent Information Session @ 1:00 pm Join Via Teams
August 27 Class placement emailed home
August 30 Virtual Teacher Meet & Greet (details below)
September 1 First Day of School for grades 1 – 5
September 3 1st day of school for kindergarten
September 6 Labor Day – No School
September 10 Virtual Principal Coffee @ 8:30 am Join Via Teams
Please remember to regularly visit the Cherry Crest & PTSA websites for the most current information.
https://bsd405.org/cherrycrest https://www.cherrycrest-ptsa.org
Virtual Parent Information Sessions 8/24. Join Principals Dusty Steere and Erin Stedman for a back-to-school information session. The first session is for parents of students in kindergarten and 1st grade along with any families who are new to our school.
K/1/new family information session: 8/24/2021 10:00 – 10:45
Join on your computer or mobile app Click here to join the meeting
The second session is for parents with returning students in grades 2 – 5. Each session is hosted virtually on Teams and we will record each session for those not able to attend live or those wanting to review the content.
Grades 2 – 5 information session: 8/24/2021 1:00 – 1:45
Join on your computer or mobile app Click here to join the meeting
Class Placement Cards sent home August 27th. Check your email inbox on Friday afternoon, August 27th as we will be sending out information about your child’s teacher and classroom placement for 2021-22. If your email contact information needs updating, please contact Susie Nakamura.
Virtual Teacher Meet & Greet. On the afternoon of Monday 8/30, Cherry Crest teachers will host a virtual teacher meet & greet with the students and families in their new classes. Shortly after you receive your teacher assignments on 8/27, you can expect a Teams invitation sent to both parent and student email addresses with a link for this virtual meeting. Teachers will introduce themselves (mask free), tour their classroom and provide students/families important information about the upcoming school year. In recognition of families with multiple children, we are staggering meeting times by grade. Teacher meetings will also be recorded and a recording link subsequently shared with families.
- 1st grade @ 1:00 pm
- 2nd grade @ 1:30 pm
- 3rd grade @ 2:00 pm
- 4th grade @ 2:30 pm
- 5th grade @ 3:00 pm
- Kindergarten teachers will share a prerecorded welcome with directions for Family Connections Conferences
1st Day of School for 1st – 5th Grade: Wednesday, September 1st. The first day of school for 1st -5th graders is on a Wednesday. School starts at 8:00 am. School dismisses at 12:15 PM each Wednesday. Dismissal time on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays is 2:30 PM.
1st Day of School for Kindergarten: Friday, September 3rd @ 8:00 am.
- Across the state of Washington, kindergarten teachers meet with families prior to or just after the start of the school year. This allows our kindergarten teachers to learn more about their students and how we can best support their learning during kindergarten. Kindergarten teachers will communicate how to sign up for these family meetings when classroom placements are sent.
- The first two days of family meetings are on Wednesday, September 1st and Thursday, September 2nd. A third day of family meetings is scheduled for Tuesday, September 7th which is why kindergarten students will not be in class this day.
Back to School Supplies. As a result of virtual instruction last year and limited use of school supplies, it is not necessary for families or students to purchase or provide any bulk school supplies. Instead, the school will provide all basic school supplies through the year. Your child’s teacher may make individual requests for unique or nonstandard items. View 2nd and 5th grade supply list.
Planning for Student/Staff Health & Safety. Cherry Crest staff look forward to returning to full-time in-person instruction for all students who want it. We are also fully committed to following all safety guidelines from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) as well as the Washington Department of Health (DOH). Some of these clear practices include physical distancing, masking, frequent handwashing, ventilation, cleaning and disinfecting and clear procedures for the use of instructional materials. To learn more about the safety measures we are following, you can visit the web page here: https://bsd405.org/services/health/covid-19-health-and-safety/
Working from DOH guidance, Cherry Crest administration has been developing plans to safely open school. A key focus has been on times when students are in common areas such as lunch and recess. Recognizing that school administrators will be receiving safety protocol updates the week of August 17th, it is possible that specifics within our plans will be revised; however, we wanted to share key details with families.
Lunch:
- To accommodate 6 foot physical distancing while eating, lunch will be served to smaller groups of students in the café, commons, vacant preschool classrooms and outside.
- Students will have assigned seats to allow for contact tracing if needed.
*Note that for the 2021-22 school year, student lunch is provided free of charge to any student. Information from Nutrition Services regarding meals can be found at: https://bsd405.org/services/nutrition-services/
Recess:
- Students will have two recesses during the day.
- Mask breaks are available for students while outside
- Students will hand wash/hand sanitize before and after recess.
Arrival & Dismissal:
- Students will have an assigned door based on the location of their classroom for entering and leaving Cherry Crest. A map of these entrances will be published later in August.
- For students who attended the hybrid model in the spring of 2021, we are using a similar process as this past spring.
- Staff members will support students to remain remain socially distanced during arrival and dismissal, specifically as we load school buses and wait for parent/driver pick-up.
Throughout the day, we will continue to utilize the current health guidelines in terms of social distancing in classrooms and hallways.
Travel Quarantine. Bellevue School District follows guidance from King County Public Health related to domestic (outside Washington state) and international travel recommendations for not vaccinated and fully vaccinated individuals. If your child or family has travel plans leading up to the start of school, please ensure you have read and understand the testing and quarantine rules. https://bsd405.org/services/health/covid-19-health-and-safety/domestic-and-international-travel/
Stay informed. Subscribe to the PTSA Charger Chatter. The Cherry Crest PTSA publishes a weekly Charger Chatter newsletter full of important information and ways to stay connected in the community. Ensure you stay in the know and sign up to have the weekly Chatter automatically delivered to your email inbox. Visit the website here: https://www.cherrycrest-ptsa.org.
Planning for Fall Resources and FAQ. As we look forward to the beginning of school, we we know that there are many questions that remain. Cherry Crest and the Bellevue School District continue to prioritize the health and safety of our students, staff, and the community as we plan. Visit our district website with Start of School Information and Frequently Asked Questions for the most updated information on our plans as well as a place to post a question, concern, suggestion or compliment.
The Online Student Data Verification process for the 2021-22 school year will start on Wednesday, August 18th, 2021. This is only for students in grades K through 12. Preschool students are not included in this process.
On August 18th, families can:
- Update their address online and provide the required proofs of address electronically.
- Update their student’s demographic data.
- Manage student’s emergency contact list.
- Update student’s photo permissions.
How can I update my student’s information on August 18th?
- Logon to ParentVUE to update information. Upon your first login, you will be directed to Data Verification.
Questions:
- Please contact us at [email protected]. You can also go to our district website to learn more.
- If you are having trouble logging into your ParentVUE account, please contact [email protected] for assistance.
Bellevue Schools Foundation Partnership. Established in 1979, Bellevue Schools Foundation (BSF) is the 1st foundation dedicated to supporting public K-12 initiatives in Washington State. Our mission is to promote and fund the best possible learning opportunities for all students in Bellevue’s public schools. As a pillar in the community, the Foundation is uniquely positioned to be a catalytic agent of positive change and advancement in the public education sector. The Bellevue School District serves 20,000 students, enrolled in 29 schools, and the Foundation’s investments allow students to achieve higher levels of academic success and social-emotional well-being, regardless of language, gender, race, socioeconomic status, and special needs. With over 100 languages spoken in the District and 125 countries of birth represented, Bellevue Schools Foundation is committed to expanding funding for racial equity and amplifying the diverse voices and strengths of students and families within the Bellevue community. For more information on how you can engage with the Foundation, please contact Executive Director Juliet Buder at [email protected] or click here.
Cherry Crest Elementary prepares all students to become life-long learners through inquiry, collaboration, and discovery. Each student will feel a sense of belonging in ourComm(UNITY) while learning social-emotional and academic skills to be successful in an ever-changing and diverse society.