Cherry Crest Chronicler

June 7, 2024 Dear Cherry Crest Families, I am so beyond proud of our students for finishing another fantastic school year. Cherry Crest Chargers are filled with positivity, hope, drive, activism, and leadership. We saw these traits as we watched students plan and present at whole school assemblies, when they participated in our recess and lunch buddy program, during SOAR meetings, at Running Club, or even in the classroom working together to build inclusive and welcoming spaces for all. There were so many ways our students showed up this year to create a school that allows students the chance to feel loved and known. Thank you to our G5 students for leading the way for all. I wish you well as you begin a new phase of your lives in middle school! You will be missed. Once a Charger, always a Charger. Don’t forget to come back to visit us! Happy Pride month! This past week we celebrated with our annual Rainbow Day & Pride assembly, and next week students will participate in a whole school Pride flag project. For this project, grade levels will write down something they are proud of. Please take note of upcoming events and information related to the 2024-2025 school year. Thank you for making my first year as principal one of my best ever! Cherry Crest is a special place and I’m so looking forward to another year with you next year. Feel free to contact me (stedmane@bsd405.org), or our assistant principal, Amy Chu, (kwona@bsds405.org) with any questions you may have! Sincerely, Erin Stedman, Principal Cherry Crest Elementary School

IMPORTANT DATES

• District Cultural Calendar

• 6/3 – All Library Books Due
• 6/6 – Volunteer Tea and Breakfast
• 6/7 – Principal Coffee (Access to Coffee Recordings)
• 6/7 – Kindergarten Roundup for Incoming Kinders
• 6/12 – Welcome New Family Night (6-7 PM)
• 6/14 – Field Day (12:45 PM)
• 6/14 – Last Day of BBGC
• 6/17 – G5 Promotion & G5 Events
• 6/18 – Last Day of School (2-Hour Day)
• 8/26-8/27 – Kindergarten “Meet A Teacher” Days
• 8/29 – Principal Pops and Playdate (CC Playground) 6-7 PM
• 9/2 – Labor Day – NO SCHOOL
• 9/3 – First Day of School (Grades 1-5)
• 9/3-4 – Kindergarten Family Connection Conferences
• 9/5 – Ice Cream Social Event (More details to follow)
• 9/6 – First Day of Kindergarten
• 9/16 - Curriculum Night Grades 3-5
• 9/18 - Curriculum Night Grades K-2
• 10/4 – PTSA Carnival Fundraiser (save the date!)

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

Field Day, June 14th.

Volunteer for Field Day. Cherry Crest Elementary is thrilled to announce the return of Field Day on Friday June 14^th at 12:45-2:15 PM!  Students are eager to participate in all the outdoor games and activities during this fun-filled event.  However, we need your help. It takes close to 100 volunteers to make Field Day run smoothly. Please sign up to volunteer and help us make this end of year event fun for all.

G5 Promotion, June 17th.

Join G5 as we celebrate and congratulate our students who are moving up to middle school! The promotion will begin promptly at 8:30 AM. Please be mindful of morning arrival traffic and be kind to our neighbors. The G5 Promotion ceremony will be held in the café followed by a family reception in the undercover area. Please bring a breakfast treat or snack to contribute to this potluck-style reception. PTSA is sponsoring a pizza lunch, science-themed magic show and organizing an outdoor party after promotion and throughout the day. We need volunteers!  12:15-1:00pm help serve pizza 1:00-2:45pm setup, run and clean up outdoor party *also need outdoor games (no water games though) Block your calendars if you can help! Sign Up Link  Please reach out to our G5 event coordinators: Laura Otte and Karen Intrachat (5thgradeevents@cherrycrest-ptsa.org) If you want to purchase a yard sign to celebrate your student visit https://winnerssportswear.com/product/cherry-crest-elementary-5th-grade-graduation-yard-sign/

Lost and Found: Collect your items!

All lost and found items will be available for viewing (and retrieving!) on field day. After that, we plan to place items on Charger Stadium. All items will be donated on Tuesday, 6/18. Please stop by Cherry Crest to take a look and encourage your student(s) to stop by the lost and found collection area!

Progress Reports

Student end of year progress reports will be available in ParentVue on 6/24 at 5 PM. Remember to celebrate your child’s progress this school year! We’re so proud of all of our students for the progress they’ve made!

School Supplies for 2024-2025, now available.

The 2024-2025 supply list is ready for viewing! These items are for classroom and/or individual use depending. In August, teachers will communicate when and how you can drop off your supplies; typically, and for most, this will occur on the first day of school. Supply lists

August Principal Pops and Playdate Event, 8/29.

Join the principals, Mrs. Stedman, and Mrs. Chu, for popsicles and a playdate on the Cherry Crest playground to mingle, meet with families, and kickoff the school year. PTSA and office staff will also be available to answer questions and deliver the beginning of year welcome packets. We hope you’ll save the date and join us before school begins again! SAVE THE DATE! Principal Pops and Playdate August 29, 2024, from 6-7 PM Cherry Crest playground with self-guided school tour

Class Placement Communication.

Class placement information will be shared with families on August 29^th. Please know that we take your input, academic and social-emotional data, classroom experience, and educator expertise into consideration when creating classes. Class placement is a complex process, and we work diligently in the spring and throughout the summer to create balanced classes that benefit all our students. If you see an assigned teacher in ParentVue, please understand this is not finalized and changes are made in August prior to class placement communication.

First Day of School.

Students in grades 1-5 will begin on September 3^rd, just after Labor Day. Kindergarteners will begin Friday, September 6^th. Kindergarteners and their families will join Kindergarten teachers for Family Connection Conferences on September 3^rd or 4^th. Please look for more information about signing up when you receive your class placement emails on August 29^th.

Save the Date: Ice Cream Social, 9/4.

Next year, we’re switching things up a bit at Cherry Crest! In lieu of the traditional before school meet and greet, staff are excited to host a first week of school Ice Cream Social for families and students. We are still working out details! Please save the date for this fun afternoon event where you can meet teachers, see other families and friends, and socialize over ice cream and games on the playground.

PTSA Fundraising Carnival, Save the date!

Mark your calendars! The PTSA has already set a date for our fall fundraiser for the 2024-2025 school year, and it’s going to be such a fun event for all families, students, and staff. Join us as we work together to raise money for Cherry Crest on Friday, October 4^th at the School Carnival, likely between 4-6 PM. More details to come in September!

Transportation Information for 2024-2025.

For eligible riders:

• Are students living outside of the 'no-transportation zone' and within Cherry Crest's school boundary
• Eligible riders will be assigned to a bus stop closest to their home that is safe to walk to
• Eligible riders do not need to sign up for transportation
• Route information will be mailed about 2 weeks before the first day of school

For open enrolled students:

• Families will be given a link from the school on August 12, 2024 to apply to be on a waitlist for transportation 
• The link leads to a form that must be completely filled out
• The completed form will also serve as a place holder. The earlier a form is completed, the better chance of an assignment
• Only one submission is necessary per family, but all sibling information must be entered
• Riding the bus as an open enrolled student is not guaranteed. Please do not depend on this as your form of transportation and make other arrangements for the start of the year.

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. June is Pride Month! From our school counselor, Ms. Mykela: Resources for… Students:

• A great place to start educating students about this topic is around the idea that there is no wrong way to be. Dismantling gender stereotypes for our kiddos and their families goes a long, long way to all kinds of inclusion. Here’s a lesson plan with a game included called “That’s A (Gender) Stereotype!” by GLSEN and here’s a list of picture booksthat celebrate family diversity.
• A couple of great read-alouds related to Pride Month include:
  • “Stonewall: A Building, An Uprising, A Revolution” by Rob Sanders
  • “Pride: The Story of Harvey Milk and the Rainbow Flag” by Rob Sanders
  • “It Feels Good To Be Yourself: A Book About Gender Identity” by Theresa Thorn
  • “Except When They Don’t” by Laura Gehl

Families:

• Take a look at this great list of 8 Ways to Celebrate Pride Month with Kids!
• A great way to start conversations with your child about the LGBTQ+ community is introducing the concept of gender identity and pronouns. Here are a few great articles to get your started: How To Talk to Kids About Gender Identityand Teaching Kids About Gender Pronouns.

  Reading Room by Ms. Nolan: Here is the reading room for June: Pride Month! https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-LQGM3mmW6L2-vjGVEz5Gsd0fxxeLNbS2sxtAcHPdH8/edit?usp=sharing