December 14, 2018
Cherokee Heights Chatter

Hello Cherokee Heights friends and families,

I hope you all enjoy the upcoming weeks spent with your friends, families, and loved ones. Rest, relax, and rejoice in the extra time available to cuddle together, go outdoors, read, and sleep!

As mentioned last week, our winter concert series begins next week. Whether it is chorus, orchestra, or band, winter concerts are great celebrations of our students' talents and development in the arts. We hope to see you there!

Warmly,

Dr. Sarah Chaja-Clardy,
Principal
Important Events and Dates
Important December Dates:
Dec. 3 - Early release day for students
Dec. 5 - 7th Grade Future Quest Field Trip
Dec. 10 - NO SCHOOL for students/Professional Learning Day for staff
Dec. 13 - MSCR Winter Dance
Dec. 17 - Early release day for students
Dec. 18 - Orchestra Concert 6pm
Dec. 19 - Choral Concert 6pm
Dec. 21 - Winter Celebration Day
Dec. 24- Jan. 4 - NO SCHOOL for students Winter Break

Were you affected by the August 2018 flooding? Apply for Disaster Assistance-
As you may know, severe storms and heavy rain caused widespread flooding in our area this past summer. If your home was damaged by the flooding in August 2018, you may be eligible for disaster assistance. You can apply on the  website . You will need the following information when you apply:
Social Security number (one per household)
Address of the damaged home or apartment
Description of the damage
Information about insurance coverage
Telephone number
Mailing address
Bank account & routing numbers for direct deposit of funds
You may also apply at the Disaster Recovery Center in Middleton. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) caseworkers are available to help you with registration and case status updates. The deadline to apply is December 17, 2018.
Disaster Recovery Center
Hours: 9am-6pm (Monday-Saturday)

PBIS update-
Social Emotional Learning:
During the month of December we have focused on Civic Responsibility and how to advocate to make our community better. During the last week before the winter break, we will have a week of Kindness. Our students at Cherokee Heights are kind throughout the year, and during this week we are going to celebrate it by noticing it more and writing down the acts of kindness. We are going to use written noticings to decorate the gym for the dance on December 21.   

Restorative Justice:
In November there were 30 situations referred for possible restorative justice circles. Some of these issues were resolved before a circle could be convened and some students were not interested in using restorative justice circles to move forward at this time.

19 Restorative Justice circles were held which helped students problem solve issues with peers and staff. Student circle keepers were busy this month.

Restorative Justice is about allowing voices of the student who did the harm to be heard as well as voices of those who were affected by the harm. These conversations work on developing positive relationships but it does not mean that the problems will never happen again. Restorative Justice is a process. One participant said this about circles, "this was so good for our relationship and this is how I want to solve future problems "


CHMS School Start Time Communication and FAQs- School Start/Dismissal Times Changing

Girls + Data Opportunity- Calling all middle school aged girls looking for a unique STEM learning opportunity outside of robotics and coding! Girls + Data is hosting a STEMinar sponsored by University of Wisconsin Madison in Madison, WI on Saturday, January 26, 2019 for only $20. Participants in this introductory hands-on workshop will learn about careers in data and build their own dashboards, all without needing to code. GirlsData Madison Poster

Take advantage of 50% off of early bird pricing ($20) with code  bucky  by registering by January 3, 2019 at www.girlsanddata.org

Message from our Counselor-
PEOPLE Program: The University of Wisconsin – Madison’s PEOPLE Program is a college prep scholarship program designed for students of color and low-income students, most of whom are the first in their families to potentially attend college. Their journey prepares them to be a viable college candidate, apply for admission to, and enroll at the University of Wisconsin System institutions, with an emphasis on University of Wisconsin-Madison. PEOPLE provides college prep services by providing programming and opportunities for growth in four areas;
  • Build and Master Academic Knowledge
  • Build Cognitive Skills and Strategies
  • Build Self-Management Skills
  • Build Knowledge about College through Experiential Learning
PEOPLE will be recruiting 8 th  grade students in the Madison Metropolitan School District this year!
Online Applications will open in January 2019. There will be two recruitment sessions scheduled for prospective families to attend and learn more about the program and the time commitment it requires. Please see the information listed below for date, time and location:
  • December 10th at La Follette High School, 5:30 p.m.
  • December 11th at Memorial High School, 5:30 p.m.

Personalized Pathways: Throughout their four years, students in Personalized Pathways will experience a combination of what is working best in Madison schools – close-knit communities, academic goal-setting, challenging and relevant coursework, integrated projects and exploration of college and career options. Students will have opportunities to explore academic subjects related to Health Services in and outside of school to deepen their learning and connect it to future possibilities. Students will also have opportunities to take honors and Advanced Placement (AP) courses, as well as elective courses outside of their pathway. Students drive their decisions based on their own interest.
Link to pathways website:   https://pathways.madison.k12.wi.us




Parents can contact the school counselor for more information, Nehemirah Barrett, at 608-204-1269.


Fundraiser Night, December 18th- Help us raise money for CHMS! We’re teaming up with Café Zupas for a Fundraiser Night on December 18th from 5pm-9pm. Join us for a delicious house-made meal to earn up to 25% back! We Hope to see you there! Fundraiser

CHMS Food Pantry - Is up and running and stocked with both canned and fresh foods free of charge for families with students at Cherokee Heights Middle School. 
Parents and students can come to the pantry the following times to pick out groceries to take home:
Tuesday afternoons 2-4 pm
Wednesday afternoons 2-5 pm
Parents can come to the pantry to get groceries and food to take home:
Friday mornings 7:30 – 9:30 am

The pantry is located in the main hallway near the technology classrooms and requires anyone using it to sign in at the main office for identification. If you have any questions, or you would like to request specific items, please contact our school social worker, Abby Juzwik, at ajuzwik@madison.k12.wi.us
Circle Keepers Maddie Scheer, Sydney Brown and Bryn Affeldt were able to attend a workshop with the YWCA. Maddie Sheer wrote the following description of the experience:
The YWCA workshop with Eric Butler, was a great experience. I am very grateful for the opportunity that Mr. Bill gave us. The focus of the workshop was how youth can help other youth in schools. It was comprised of both middle and high schoolers from all over Dane County. We had a long discussion on what our values are and what we want a person to have to navigate successfully through life. We then looked at a time when someone had been harmed in school and one time they had done harmed. This was to see what would have been helpful to prevent the harm. You could see a clear correlation between our values and our needs. From there, we split into groups and discussed what issues within our schools. We looked at what was needed to be done in order to solve these problems. After we figured out what we necessary to take into action, we looked at how we could get students and/or teachers involved these solutions. Overall, the workshop was an amazing experience. There were a variety of ages, and the attending adults did an exceptional job to make sure the students there feel like their voices of opinions matter.
MSCR
Hello Cherokee Heights Families and Friends!



General Information :
  • MSCR Cherokee After-School programming is a drop-in program that runs Monday through Thursday from the time school dismisses until 5:15pm.
  • News and updates will come out in the school bi-weekly Chatter. Please read the Chatter every two weeks to keep updated with events and changes that may occur.
Bus Schedule:
  • Monday-Thursday: The 5:10 bus takes students to all Cherokee districting neighborhoods. 
  • Tuesday-Thursday:  There will be a 4:10 bus that will only take students who live in the following neighborhoods - Leopold, Burr Oaks and Arboretum.
  • Parents are always able to pick up their student early. Due to the school doors being locked, please call the MSCR Site Cell Phone at 608-220-9054.

December Programming:
  • Boys Basketball (BB), ends December 6.
  • Girls Basketball (GB), starts December 11.
  • Ski Club (SC) Parents Meeting is on Wednesday, 12/19 at 5:30 in the LMC.
  • Ski Club's first trip is on January 18th. Packets are due Wednesday, Jan. 9th.
  • 5 K Beasts (5K), M, Tu, Th 2:45-4:00.
  • The MSCR Winter Dance is open to all students and will be until 5 on December 13.
  • Tickets will be sold December 3-7 during your student's lunchy period for $1.
  • There is no programming on December 10, 18-31st and there will be no MSCR transportation.
  • Program will resume January 7th.

Specialty Clubs:
  • Girls Climb It All, Mondays (1:50-2:50) *6th Grade only
  • GSA, Tuesdays (2:50-5:00)
  • Girls Group, Tuesdays (2:50-4:00)
  • 3D Print Club, Tuesdays (2:50-4:00)
  • French Club, Wednesdays (2:50-4:00)
  • Debate Club, Wednesdays (2:50-4:00)
  • Cougar Pride Club, Wednesdays (2:50-3:50)
  • FX Club, Wednesdays (2:50-4:15) *Starts 11/29
  • Art Club, Thursdays 2:50-5:00)
  • Harry Potter Club, Thursdays (2:45-3:30)
  • MathCounts Club, Tuesdays (2:45-3:45)

SCHOOLS OF HOPE TUTORING:
The Schools of Hope Tutoring is through the Urban League of Greater Madison. The focus on this program is to help close the education gap. Tutoring is in math and literacy only. There is a high need of tutor support in Cherokee but a limited amount of tutors. Please apply with the understanding that your student may or may not get a tutor due to this circumstance. 

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Cherokee Heights Middle School
Phone 608-204-1240
cherokee@madison.k12.wi.us