The Bear Pride. 
Monday, Oct. 5, 2020

 
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Cypress Creek High School
   
 
Thank you to everyone who invested the time this past Thursday evening to participate in our Digital Open House. Whether it was through a live chat or a video presentation, I know our families found the interaction helpful. Thank you as well to our wonderful faculty for their time in preparing their messages and connecting with the community.

October is always a special month when it comes to themed events. As the nearby calendar illustrates, in nearly every week this month we will have a special event that addresses an issue that affects our school community either directly or indirectly. The first of these is "World Day of Bullying Prevention" this Monday where we are asking everyone to where BLUE to show their support. Thank you in advance for your participation as part of the high school experience includes awareness and tolerance of important issues before our Bears head off to college, the work force, or military service.

As for this week's edition, you will find some important details regarding upcoming underclass (9th-11th) pictures on October 15th & 16th. Please look this information over carefully as it may relate to you or your household.

I hope this finds your October off to a terrific start. Stay safe this week and, as always, thank you for your continued patience and support.

Dr. McHale
Principal
Cypress Creek High School

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Content and Dates to Watch For
In This Issue (click link)
Oct. Calendar
Testing
Club Spotlight
Bear Spotlight
Underclass Pictures
SGA
Yearbook
Teacher Spotlight
Curriculum Highlight
Attention Seniors!
Motivational Moment
Dates to Watch For
Oct. 5: World Day of Bullying Prevention (Wear Blue)
Oct. 5-9: Solidarity/Ally Week (LGBTQ+)
Oct. 13: Start of Quarter 2 (OCPS Calendar)
Oct. 14: Class shirt pick up day
Oct. 15 & 16: Underclass Picture Days (below)
Oct. 19: Valencia Dual Enrollment period closes
Oct. 21: Unity Day (Wear Orange)


October Calendaroctobercalendar        

Testingtesting       
 
Bear Athletics Update from Athletic Director Shermanbearathletics      
Hello Bear Sports Family,

Our Fall Sports are all competing now, following proper OCPS Covid guidelines. We have our playoff runs getting ready to start in a week, so tune in for information on those games and how to watch them if you can't get to the game because of lower capacity levels.  

WINTER SPORTS are warming up: Soccer is the first winter sport to get going starting on October 19th and then there is a sport each week after that. Below I have a great way to get connected with the coaches of the winter sports. If you ever have any questions, please feel free to email me [email protected]

Sports Information - How to get involved!
Information on the Athletics Website: http://bit.ly/bearpaperwork (Links to an external site.)

Girls Basketball
If interested, join the Remind with code: @3ge36d

Boys Basketball
If interested, join the Remind with code: @ccbears1

** Students interested in playing basketball for CCHS need to attend a mandatory interest meeting in the gym at 2:45pm on October 6. This is for both the girls and the boys teams.

Girls Weightlifting
If interested, join the Remind with code: @cchslifts

Boys Soccer
If interested, join the Remind with code: @cchsbso               

Girls Soccer
If interested, join the Remind with code: @cchsgoals

~ Brian Sherman, Athletic Director

Club Spotlight: ECO Clubclubspotlight     
Cypress Creek's ECO Club was hard at work with UCF students in analyzing the school's waste to maximize recycling.
Thank you to our ECO Club Bears for their efforts during the 1st nine weeks. The map shows the world-wide situation today when it comes to ecology. Source: Statista

Bear Spotlightbearspotlight2     
Meet Maria Arias!
Maria is one of only 8 Central Florida students selected to exhibit her work in
"Construct: Our Orlando & American Youth: Cause"
The prestige of exhibiting artwork at a museum (The Mennello Museum of American Art) is one some artists never get to experience in their career- and at such a young age Maria is elated by the opportunity. We all very proud of Maria's accomplishment!


Underclass Picturesunderclasspictures     
October 15 & 16 for Grades 9-11 
Underclass pictures will be taking place on Thursday, October 15 and Friday, October 16. This is JUST for grades 9-11.

Face to Face Students 
Face to Face classes will be scheduled a day and time slot to come down each period. Face to Face students do not need to schedule an appointment for their pictures.

Social Distancing & Taking Pictures 
Students will enter the big gym. There will be three cameras spread out. One will be for face to face students. They will be able to remove their mask for photos. This is why we are in such a big space, to allow the distance to safely remove masks JUST for photos. To help maintain social distancing, as soon as F2F classes are done they will return to class. It will take between 30-45 seconds a photo. They will stand instead of sit to reduce shared surfaces. There will not be sit cards and all will be digital.

LaunchEd Students 
LaunchEd students will select a time to come to school to take their photos. They will drive up to the gym doors, pop out for the photo, and then drive home.

LaunchEd Students - Scheduling Appointments 
Students can choose Thursday OR Friday. There are 8 slots every 5 minutes from 7:00am-4:00pm.

Thursday, October 15:  

Friday, October 16:  
 
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SGAsga    
Stay Current via Instagram
Follow the SGA Instagram account @cchsbearmoves to not only stay up-to-date on what goes on at school, but also for a chance to win a prize! Once the account reaches 2,500 follows, names will be drawn and CCHS student's will be awarded prizes!

Bear Clubs
If you are interested in joining a club, check out the club directory at tinyurl.com/cchsclubshowcase  
 

 
Yearbookyearbook
 
 
Teacher Spotlightteacherspotlight     
Congratulations to Mr. John Dunlop, CCHS Psychology Teacher! 
Mr. Dunlop was recognized this past week by Spectrum News for being an 'A+' teacher. They ran a great story plus s short video on Mr. Dunlop titled "A+ Teacher: Orange County Teacher Says School Was Life-Changing for Him" - watch video.  
 
Mr. Dunlop leading a discussion with his psychology students. One of his overarching goals is mental health awareness. He has been teaching at Cypress Creek for nine years.  
 
Curriculum Highlightcurriculumhighlight
Digital Design with Ms. Smitherman 
Students in Digital Design classes were challenged to a contest to create signs reminding all Bears to wear a mask. There were many fantastic entries and the winners were junior Michael Flores with "All Good Bears Wear a Mask" and senior Jenasis Vasquez with "Be Kind & Wear a Mask." We are excited to post original student work around campus reminding us of this important safety requirement!
 
 
Attention Seniors!attentionseniors
 
 
 
* For more information and help with FAFSA, please contact Talani Nelson in CCHS Student Services
 
Monday's Motivational Momentmmm 
A Lesson on Open-Mindedness from Abraham Lincoln  
 
Abraham Lincoln wrote a letter to General George Meade in the immediate aftermath of the Civil War's most famous battle - Gettysburg.

Weather conditions trapped General Robert E. Lee's Confederate troops on their retreat and created a golden opportunity for the Union to potentially end the war. Only Meade didn't attack. Realizing the opening had closed, Lincoln took to his usual route of venting frustration and wrote a discouraged letter to Meade. It included the following passage:

"Your golden opportunity is gone, and I am distressed immeasurably because of it."

Meade never saw the letter because Lincoln never sent it. It was found in a stash after his death.

Historians have concluded that Lincoln decided against sending it based on trying to better understand the perspective of the front-line challenges of war that Meade would have faced, and Lincoln hadn't, and therefore the President calmed his emotions before sending the letter.

We can all derive from this story that Abraham Lincoln understood the unique nature of people, and the pressures the world puts on us, and that we don't always handle those pressures the same. His ultimate decision to write his frustrations (letting them out, and slowly with a pen versus quickly with the tongue) and then to possibly re-analyze from Meade's perspective, shows how valuable those two processes are. It may have saved the morale of the war, one Lincoln desperately needed his troops to win.

The lesson for our Bears? Having a patient and open-minded view of the other person's perspective can prove to be valuable a tool in our relationships in the future. Consider this - at some point in his political life, Lincoln provided us another quote that's as appropriate today as the day he said it:
"I do not like that man. I must get to know him better."

Lincoln saw a rival not as someone to defeat, but as an opportunity to better understand another human being and hopefully build a respectful relationship out of it. Moreover, President Lincoln understood this basic approach to success with people - listen, understand, and come together.

MAKE IT A GREAT WEEK BEARS! 
Dr. McHale, Principal 
Cypress Creek High School 
Sunday, October 4, 2020

 
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