Cherry Crest Chronicler

March 1, 2024

Dear Cherry Crest Families,

Spring arrives this month, and I don’t know about you, but I am ready for warmer, sunnier days ahead! I hope you had a wonderful mid-winter break. March 22^nd was originally scheduled as a non-student day; however, please take note that this now will be a regular school day for students and staff. If you’re making spring break plans, please be sure to let us know by filling out a pre-arranged absence form if your child will miss three or more days of school. You can send this to [email protected].

With the spring season comes celebrations of new beginnings and life. For many cultures this means celebrating new year traditions, participating in deep reflection, and gathering with friends and family to wish wellness upon those who are most important.

For our Persian families, Nowruz begins on March 19^th. Students will celebrate by observing a Haft Seen table in our main entryway. For our Muslim families, Ramadan begins on the evening of March 10^th through April 9^th. Many of our families and students will fast until sundown each day. We welcome this observance for our Muslim students and are happy to accommodate lunchtime needs. Please reach out to your child’s teacher for support. Also, this month, our Jewish families will celebrate Purim, and our Christian families will celebrate Easter. Holi, also known as the festival of colors, is also a spring tradition for many of our families from India. View our District’s cultural calendar HERE.

March 8^th is International Women’s Day! We celebrate and honor the women who have made a global impact to pave the way for young girls in our society and in our community. More immediately, we recognize the amazing women educators, women leaders, mothers, caretakers, and girls at Cherry Crest who rise up for change and work to challenge the status quo each and every day.

We hope this month brings joy, celebration, and love. Cherry Crest continues to press upon with students the theme of peace, love, Chargers…together, we’re a strong, united community of learners!

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
1/29 – 3/22 MLL WIDA Testing
3/1 – Running Club Begins (Register here)
3/10 Daylight Savings Time – Spring Forward
3/11 – 3/15 Scholastic Book Fair
3/12 G5 Hemker & Sung field trip SEA Children’s Theater 9:30-11am
3/13 PTSA Variety Show Rehearsal 1-4pm Stage/Cafeteria
3/15 PTSA Variety Show 6-8pm in Cafeteria & Gym
3/22 Regular School Day – make up for January Snow Day

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

BSF Spring for Schools.

Cherry Crest Community,

With mid-winter break in our rearview mirror, I am looking forward to a vibrant spring, including Spring for Schools on March 30^th! Registration for Bellevue Schools Foundation’s annual fundraiser is free. The event not only offers a chance to explore student initiatives funded by the Foundation, but it’s also a fun evening to connect with fellow BSD families, educators, and to celebrate our community. As a reminder, Bellevue Schools Foundation provides critical funding to our school– you can take a look at the programs supported in our classrooms here.

Hopefully you saw Dr. Aramaki’s note about the importance of funding from BSF at this time. Community donations to BSF will safeguard the transformational opportunities that set BSD apart nationally. I hope to see you at Spring for Schools on March 30th! If you want to learn more about BSF and/or the event, please don’t hesitate to contact [email protected]

When: 5:00 – 8:00 PM (program starts at 6:00 PM) on Saturday, March 30^th (Registration here)

Where: The Meydenbauer Center: 11100 NE 6th St, Bellevue, WA 98004

Parking: Parking is complimentary for all registered guests. The Meydenbauer Center garage entrance is midblock at 11100 NE 6th Street, between 110th Avenue NE and 112th Avenue NE.

Attire: Please dress as you wish for the “Garden Party,” with any and all floral attire highly encouraged!

Food and Drink: Complimentary non-alcoholic drinks and tasty bites will be provided; alcoholic drinks are available for purchase.

Running Club began TODAY, March 1^st.

Running Club starts Friday, March 1st!

Starting just after winter break, students can walk/jog/run laps at lunch recess to earn charms for completing 5K, 10K, Half, Marathon, Ultra & 75-mile milestones. Certificates will be presented by Principal Stedman or Assistant Principal Chu to students who complete a Marathon, Ultra Marathon & 75 Mile Marathons!

PTSA Sponsored Variety Show, March 15^th!

Come cheer on your classmates and friends as they perform amazing acts at the Variety Show on March 15^th at 6pm! You’ll enjoy a collection of acts– dance/acrobatics, martial arts, musical pieces, and special performances.

We sold out last year, reserve your free ticket and pre-purchase food now: https://givebutter.com/varietyshow

(Pre-order food available– pizza and snack packs!)

We need volunteers! Sign-up to help make the show a success here: https://www.marapod.com/org/clhzsyix50004l308kifhzhfb/event_series/clpim3g7o0001jt084m2mzfz1

Have a child or friend performing? Order a candygram to have delivered to them before the show: https://givebutter.com/varietyshow

Visit the website https://www.cherrycrest-ptsa.org/varietyshow/

Thank you, Parent Volunteers!

Thanks so much for all the volunteers who help make Cherry Crest a wonderful Comm(UNITY)! From volunteering in the library, classroom, at events, clubs, being a PTSA officer, and much more, you make our staff, teachers’, and students’ time at Cherry Crest more fun and rewarding. Here is a list of outstanding volunteers that the community wanted to recognize this half. To show appreciation for anyone next half, please fill out this short survey here. If you’re looking for ways to volunteer, you can always find our latest volunteer opportunities here.

Paying for School Lunches.

Payment for school lunches and/or milk can be made in the following ways:

Checks and cash are accepted in the main office and credited to your child’s account. Checks should be payable to Bellevue School District (or BSD)
- Consider a deposit of $20 or more so your child won’t worry about getting lunches.
- Any unused amount will stay in your child’s account through high school and will be refunded.
- If a student does not have sufficient funds to pay for a school meal, it is the policy of the Bellevue School District to allow the student to charge their meal. However, we suggest making a deposit of $20 or more to prevent hassles.
Student meals may also be paid for with a credit card online or by phone using PayPams. PayPams requires the Student’s ID number to create an account. PayPAMS will charge a $1.95 fee per family, rather than per student for online payments. Parents may monitor their student’s account history and view purchases without a fee.
View Meal Prices and access PayPAMS here.

Smarter Balanced Testing.

This spring students in grades 3-5 are required to complete the Smarter Balanced Assessment for English Language Arts (ELA) and Mathematics online per WA State law requirements for public schools. 5th grade students are required to also take the Washington State Assessment for Science.

We are currently working on a draft of our testing schedule. All testing will take place in the months of April-early June. A schedule will be shared by your child’s teacher soon. Please avoid scheduling vacations or time away from school during these important assessment windows. Vacation requests may not be granted if they conflict with state standardized testing.

The Washington Comprehensive Assessment Program website contains test-related resources for parents and students: https://wa.portal.cambiumast.com/summative-smarter-balanced.html. You can also try out a Smarter Balanced practice or training test at home!

For more information, contact Cherry Crest Assistant Principal, Amy Chu ([email protected]), or Chris Lindberg, BSD manager of state testing ([email protected]). To opt out of testing, you can complete a form and submit directly to Amy Chu. If you’d like to receive a copy of this form, please email Mrs. Chu ([email protected]) and she will work with you on next steps.

Spring Book Fair, March 11-15.

Spring Book Fair! We are thrilled to announce this year’s Spring Scholastic Cherry Crest Book Fair! It will be held in-person from Monday March 11^th-Friday March 15^th.

Students ONLY will be able to shop at their lunch recess with a pass from their teacher (to limit the number of students in the library at a time).
Parents/families are able to shop during afterschool hours on Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday this year and on Friday evening prior to the Variety Show (see hours below).
Prefer to shop online? Go to https://www.scholastic.com/bf/cherrycrestelementaryschool from 3/11-3/24.
We encourage using the CASHLESS eWallet provided by Scholastic. eWallet allows parents/guardians/family members to set up an account for their student(s) with a preset amount of money. Using eWallet avoids lost bills/change at school and upset students. If this won’t work for your family we will have one register open for cash sales. See below for more details. If you used eWallet last year, any $ left on that can be transferred/rolled over to this year’s account. *See attachment to newsletter.

IF you would like to volunteer for book fair, please go to: https://www.marapod.com/org/clhzsyix50004l308kifhzhfb/event_series/cls9ft0e50001j218u6qyqmsr/signup

Parents/Guardians are welcome to come AFTER SCHOOL and shop with their student(s) on Tues. 3/12, Wed. 3/13 & Thurs. 3/14 and use a credit card, cash or check. The book fair will also be open from 4:00 – 6:15 pm on Friday night prior to our Variety Show Night which runs from 6-8 pm.

Afterschool hours: *All students MUST be accompanied by an adult

Mon. closed afterschool
Tues. 3/12 2:30-4:00 pm
Wed. 3/13 12:15-1:00 pm
Thur. 3/14 2:30-4:00 pm
Fri. 3/15 4-6:15 pm *LAST DAY OF FAIR*

If you have questions, please contact [email protected] or Mrs. Lux at [email protected]

Lockdown Drill.

On Tuesday, 2/27, we conducted a lockdown drill and practiced what we would do if there was a threat near/in the building. Students learned about the importance of listening to school staff and following instructions quickly and quietly. We also practiced assessing our environment and making decisions to keep us safe.

Please remember that a lockdown is considered a preventative measure and is not the same as an Active Threat.

Please talk to your child about our drill that was conducted. Be sure to listen and let them lead the conversation. An important next step in your family preparedness might be to talk about how what your child learned in the drill can help them stay safe in other situations. For more information on talking to your child about school safety, you might want to visit the website https://www.mhanational.org/talking-kids-about-school-safety.

If you have any questions about this drill, please contact our Assistant Principal, Amy Chu, at [email protected].

Extra Clothes in Backpacks.

With rainy, snowy, wet, and cold days ahead, it’s always a great idea to pack extra clothing in your child’s backpack. We recommend, especially for our younger students, packing an extra pair of underwear, socks, pants, and top.

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.

March is: Womxn’s (Women’s) History Month

From our School Counselor –

Wondering how to celebrate Women’s History Month at home with your students? Here’s a list of 11 fun activities to get you started!
Women’s History Month is a great time to talk about inequities within our society. Why do we need to celebrate and lift up women’s history in particular? Why does this continue to be important today? What other groups within our society historically have been (and continue to be) marginalized? How can we be part of the change?

From Ms. Nolan (2^nd grade teacher) –

Here’s the Reading Room for March, Women’s History Month!

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1TXR10-bGfeGjHDBE_mxuvQfsDlmCwp3qKNI5956gXZY/edit?usp=sharing

From Mrs. Stedman –

For adult learning & to share with students as desired:

https://www.womenshistorymonth.gov/

Embrace Equity this Women’s History Month (UW resource)

WA Women You Should Know About (Seattle Times)

Seattle Women’s History Timeline

For Students:

Celebrating Women’s History Month with Picture Book Biographies

Women in Science Who Changed the World – YouTube Video for Kids