Cherry Crest Chronicler

December 1, 2023

Dear Cherry Crest Families,

Happy December! I cannot believe how quickly this fall has flown by. Thank you for a wonderful end to 2023. You’ve entrusted us with your students, and we are grateful for your partnership and support for Cherry Crest.

Your participation in November’s Read-A-Thon is so appreciated as we benefit greatly from the funds that PTSA raises from our families each year. These funds support not only our incredible General School Assistant team, but also the many field trips and curriculum enhancement activities throughout the year. Teachers are also provided dollars to spend toward their classrooms and for student learning. Thanks to our PTSA, we feel well supported and appreciated each and every day. From the staffroom goodies to extra lunches, family events, and more, we could not do this without their partnership and support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

To maintain our existing budget to ensure the same experience year to year, we need to raise $400 per student. Thank you again for supporting Cherry Crest and our students and teachers! Donations are due TODAY! You can donate here: submit donations and submit total minutes here: submit total minutes. If you submitted a donation through a company match, please email the receipt to [email protected]. If you have any questions please email [email protected] or visit our Read-a-Thon webpage: CC PTSA Read-a-Thon.

As we head into a season of giving, I want to remind us of our ongoing theme this year: Peace, Love, Chargers. Together, united, we remain a strong Comm(UNITY) for our students and families. Happy belated Diwali to many of our families and students. I hope this Diwali brought you joy, peace, and good fortune. And to those who celebrate holidays in December, happy holidays to you! Whether it be Hanukkah, Los Posadas, Christmas, or Kwanzaa, we wish you a very happy season filled with love, safety, and unity for all. Many blessings to you and yours!

Feel free to contact me ([email protected]), or our assistant principal, Amy Chu, ([email protected]) with any questions you may have!

Sincerely,

Erin Stedman, Principal Cherry Crest Elementary School

IMPORTANT DATES

District Cultural Calendar
December 4-8 Computer Science Education and Hour of Code Week!
December 5-8 PaperPie Book Fair and Reflections Art Display
December 8 Movie Night 6 PM (5:30 PM doors open)
December 20-January 1 No School – Winter Break
January 5 Principal Coffee
January 15 No School – Martin Luther King Jr. Day
January 19 Used Book Fair
January 23 PTSA General Meeting
January 27 Live In-Person Auction

Please remember to regularly visit the Cherry Crest & PTSA websites for the most current information.
https://bsd405.org/cherrycrest https://www.cherrycrest-ptsa.org/

Morning Drop-off Reminders.

This is a reminder to please be sure to use the suggested routes for morning drop-off. We ask that parents arrive onto campus by using 130^th Ave NE and then taking a direct left at NE 32^nd St.

You can review our arrival and dismissal procedures HERE.

Principal Coffee to Return in January.

I look forward to hosting my third Principal Coffee on January 5^th at 9 AM. This will be a virtual event. I’ll be sure to send out a reminder the evening prior and morning of.

This is a time to connect with me, hear about all things Cherry Crest, and a time to ask questions you may have. Thanks for joining me!

PTSA Sponsored Spelling Bee Event.

PTSA Spelling Bees – Preliminary Round

Wednesday, 12/6/2023 6:30 PM – 8:30pm

In assigned classrooms

Organized by Abhishek Sinha [email protected]

PTSA Spelling Bees – Final Round

Wednesday, 2/7/2024 6:15pm – 8:30pm

In CCE Cafeteria

Organized by Abhishek Sinha [email protected]

Variety Show Sign-Ups Begin December 8th.

It’s time to start planning and preparing your act for the Variety Show! Sign-ups open on December 8^th and will close on January 26th. Please see the information flyer (attached to the email update) with all the details on how to sign-up, how to volunteer, and to read all the guidelines. We can’t wait to see all our star Chargers!

Auction Save the Date!

Save the Date: Cherry Crest Auction returns!

After 5 long years, we are excited to celebrate our community again with our Cherry Crest Auction! This time-honored tradition is the only opportunity for our teachers and parents to share an evening of fun together. Cocktails, Dinner, Games and more! Mark your calendars to join us on Saturday, January 27^th from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Mercer Island Community Center. Tickets and childcare details will be available soon!

Lost and Found: Collect Items Before Break.

Lost and Found: Please label anything you don’t want to lose with your child’s name. Lunchboxes and lunch bags, water bottles, coats, and jackets to name a few. We will donate items after Tuesday, December 19^th. Please be sure to stop by to collect your child’s lost items!

Another Friendly Reminder:

It’s getting cold outside! Pack extra clothes, gloves/hats for your child.

For K- 1 students, they often do need extra shirts, pants, and socks.

Attendance, Tardies, and Student Pre-Arranged Absences.

We’ve had a bit of an uptick in students arriving late to school. Please remember that the school day beings promptly at 8:00 AM. If your child is going to be absent, please inform the main office ([email protected]). Students who are out for 3 days or more, require a pre-arranged absence form at least two weeks in advance. You can find this required form on our website HERE.

Thank you for your support!

Fall 2023 Emergency Drill Summary.

At Cherry Crest, we have an extensive emergency plan to keep us safe in case of emergencies. Students are instructed on emergency procedures and participate in monthly drills. A large storage container houses our emergency supplies including bottled water, tools, first aid supplies, etc. In the event of an emergency, power may be lost, and we may be unable to contact you. For that reason, we ask you to provide us with instructions and permission regarding your child’s dismissal. If you haven’t filed an emergency information form with the office, please make sure the office has this information on file.

We will communicate about upcoming drills and procedures that students and staff practice each month via principal newsletter, or via school messenger. This month, students will be participating in a shelter-in-place drill. During a shelter-in-place drill, students sit quietly while staff simulate sealing the room to limit outside air exchange. Shelter-in-place procedures would only be used if officials determine there is not enough time to safely evacuate people out of the danger zone.

Here is a tentative drill schedule for the remainder of the year:

January: Evacuation (Fire Drill)

February: LockDOWN

March: Earthquake

April: Evacuation (Fire)

May: LockDOWN

June: To be determined

If you have any additional questions about emergency preparation and safety, please contact our Assistant Principal, Amy Chu, at [email protected]

December Mini Holiday Book Fair and Art Show Begins December 5^th.

December Mini Holiday Book Fair and Art Show!

Our annual PaperPie Book Fair (formerly Usborne Books & More) is coming to the Cherry Crest Library next month!

When: Tuesday Dec. 5th – Thursday 7th.

Hours: Open for shopping at lunch recess and afterschool each day (exact hours TBD) plus family night on Tuesday.

Questions? Contact Mrs. Lux, school librarian, at: [email protected] or Ashley, PaperPie rep, at: [email protected]

Online Shopping at: www.BookYourShelf.com

*All proceeds from the book fair go to support books and supplies for our Cherry Crest library.

Celebrating Diversity and Inclusion at Cherry Crest.

Please refer to our District’s cultural calendar (linked HERE) for each month. At Cherry Crest, we aim to recognize the many celebrations, holidays, and heritages that make our world, community, and neighborhood so beautiful. If you’re interested in sharing your rich culture with us, please reach out as we’re always looking for ways to enrich our students’ experiences and for students to see themselves in our hallways and in our classrooms.

December is: (*from the District Cultural Calendar)

December 2, 2023 – National Special Education Day*
December 4 – 8, 2023 Computer Science Education Week*
December 16, 2023 – Las Posadas*
December 7 (sundown) – 15, 2023 Hanukkah*
December 25, 2023 – Christmas Day*
December 26, 2023 – January 1, 2024 – Kwanzaa*

Holiday Books for Families:

https://www.getepic.com/collection/31145753/diverse-winter-season-holiday-titles

https://socialjusticebooks.org/booklists/early-childhood/holidays/

From our School Counselor, Ms. Mykela:

Universal Human Rights Month

Families:

Check out this list of read-alouds related to human rights and social justice you can read as a family!
Make a family map together – How have the rights your family members and the people within our larger communities changed over time? What caused these changes? And/or what changes do you think still need to be made?
These conversations may bring up a lot for students as human rights are disrespected in many parts of the world. I’ve created a new subpage on my website with resources about talking to children about politics, global crises, and war that I hope could be helpful here as well.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities (12/3)