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A Message from the Principal |
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Dear Cherokee Families,
We had a great first week back for in-person learning! It was incredible to see students smoothly transition back into the routines of school. I want to thank our families for their hard work and support with completing the screener each morning to help ensure our building remains open and symptom-free.
As you can see from the photos, Cherokee teachers continue to go above and beyond to support students. In Ms. Dombai’s 1st-grade classroom students are still engaging in math workplaces with a partner and in Mrs. Miller’s 3rd-grade classroom students are taking a quick break while listening to a novel aloud. I continue to be amazed at the work our teachers put in to support Cherokee students.
I do want to remind families that we do not have school on Monday and we look forward to seeing students on Tuesday morning.
Stay well,
Luke Livingston
(847) 604-7407
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Coming Weeks At-a-Glance:
- January 15th ~ MAP Reports sent to parents
- January 18th ~ MLK Day - No School
- January 20th ~ APT Meeting
Self-Certification:
Quarantine & Work:
Due to the circumstances of the school year, students may be unable to attend in person for extended periods of time. In these cases, students should continue to access and attend the remote part of their day online, which includes synchronous and asynchronous learning experiences. Teachers will provide work for students to complete during the absence, and staff members will check in with students on a weekly basis to see how the students are doing and if they need any support. This said, please know that non-essential travel that results in the need to quarantine upon return is greatly discouraged, as it creates a loss of true instructional time for students and an additional workload on teachers and staff. You can access the Cherokee quarantine guidance here.
Martin Luther King Jr. Activities:
At Cherokee, we spend time teaching character, persistence, and empathy all things that exemplify the celebration of Dr. King’s legacy on Monday. We wanted to share resources that you could use at home to learn more about Dr. King together as a family. At Cherokee, we spend time teaching character, persistence, and empathy.
Bedtime Stories & Reading Aloud:
One way that parents can continue to support learning at home is to read aloud to your child. That said, sometimes that bedtime story routine can be tricky to navigate. Here is a great resource to consider when deciding how and when to read aloud to your child.
Additional Social Emotional Support:
This is a challenging time for many of our students as they navigate both in-person and remote learning. Some of our students might be struggling with anxiety, stress, depression, or a significant lack of motivation and we have several staff members who can help parents navigate those challenges. Below are introduction videos for our school psychologist and school social worker as well as their contact information. They are the best point of contact at the school level for support. You can also include your child’s teacher on any email communication.
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School Psychologist, Mr. Joel Dukett: Joel Dukett (email jdukett@lfschools.net)
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School Social Worker, Ms. Brittany Moccia: Brittany Moccia, MSW (bmoccia@lfschools.net)
4th Grade World Language
On Thursday, January 21 from 7:00-7:45 p.m., 4th graders and their parents/guardians are invited to attend a remote presentation and Q&A session to learn about all four languages offered at Deer Path Middle School. In advance of the evening, please read this letter for details about the language selection process. If you still have questions after reading the document, please add them here and we will try to address them during the January 21 presentation.
MAP Reports:
For our 2nd - 4th-grade students winter MAP scores are being put into the mail today. Please contact the Cherokee office if you don’t receive a printed sheet with scores for your child by the middle of next week.
Pre-School and Kindergarten Registration
Pre-School and Kindergarten Registration for the 2021-22 school year will be open on January 26th. The pre-registration link for both programs will be located on the district web site. Parent information meetings will be held virtually on the following dates:
Students must be residents of Lake Forest to enroll in either program. Pre-school is open to students between the ages of 3-5. Students must be 5 years old by September 1st, 2021, to enroll in Kindergarten. For questions, please contact your child’s home school, or Dr. Michelle Shinn, Director of Student Services and School Improvement (847-604-7440).
COVID Notifications:
Parents should contact the Principal to report COVID-related information. The Principal will communicate relevant information to the appropriate staff including the nurse and classroom teachers.
District 67 All-Student Town Hall - "Celebrating Our Connective Community"
New Date: January 21, 2021, 4:30-5:30PM
Due to the scheduling of the District 67 and District 115 Joint Board of Education meeting now booked for Thursday, January 14 at 5:00 PM, the District 67 All-Student Town Hall has been rescheduled.
Parents and guardians are invited to tune in with their students on Thursday, January 21 for our first-ever All-Student Town Hall, moderated by APT Executive Board President Kristen Lee. A link to join the Town Hall will be shared by email prior to the event!
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BRAINSTORMERS
All Winter Classes are virtual
by Mrs. Prestipino and Mrs. Thornton
Do you love to play the drum? Do you love to read, perform, and create rhythms?! With some simple items, you will create your own drum set. As a special treat, this set will be turned into a “glowing” drum experience. (Video link)
All elementary students in 3rd and 4th grades
Wednesdays, February 3 - March 10, 3:30 - 4:15 pm
Minimum: 8 Maximum: 20
Equipment: 5-gallon bucket (to be supplied by parent)
Pair of drumsticks and glow sticks for final performance supplied by Brainstormers - sent home with the student or picked up at home school for AVA.
Optional item: Light up drum sticks-link
Virtual Drama Class
This engaging class will provide a creative outlet for elementary students focusing on drama games and activities that focus on developing self-awareness skills and building greater self-confidence.
Mrs. Clack (7/8 Drama Teacher) and Mrs. Thornton (Elementary Music Teacher)
All elementary schools (found in the Winter tab)
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Grades 3-4 February 9 - 25, Tuesday and Thursday, 4:00-4:50 pm
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Grades 1-2 March 2 - 18, Tuesday and Thursday, 4:00-4:50 pm
Minimum: 8 Maximum: 20
Virtual Stop Animation - 10-day intensive class (Grades 3-4)
by Mrs. Seymour (iCoach)
This class is for students that enjoy creating stop motion animation on the iPad. Students will learn how to take their thumbnail drawings and ideas and turn them into a stop animation film. We will be using iMotion and iMovie on the iPad.
All elementary students in 3rd and 4th grades (found in Winter tab)
February 1-12
M/W/F Synchronous Instruction, 4:00-5:00 pm
T/R Asynchronous Lessons and Office Hours (4:00-5:00 pm)
Project Presentation - February 12
Minimum: 6 Maximum: 16
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District News & Events
District Website
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Next in Our BRAVE SEL Series
Overcome Overwhelm: The Parent Edition 5 Steps to Building Your Toolbox - Wednesday, January 20 7:00-8:00 PM
Parents are responsible for managing a lot of emotions throughout the day - not only their own, but also their entire family! This can be overwhelming, especially when given all of the other responsibilities in life. In this presentation, Simply Bee Owner & Therapist Audrey Grunst, MSW will teach five foundational tools for building emotional wellness through The Growth and Resiliency Model™. Our mission is to provide parents the necessary skills that support emotional growth during challenging times.
Board of Education Meeting
The next Board of Education Meeting for District 67 will be held on Tuesday, January 26, 2021. The regular business portion of the meeting will be held 7:00 p.m. An Executive Session may be held prior to the regular business. Please check the District 67 Board of Education webpage for additional information.
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Make sure you’ve saved the new date for our first-ever District 67 Student Town Hall!
Brought to you by your District 67 Administration and APT
Thursday, January 21 at 4:30 pm (Live stream link to follow)
Check out the preview by clicking on the picture !
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Happy Friday!
I hope all of your students enjoyed their first week back in the building! I know the teachers and staff are enjoying seeing everyone. Making the return a little sweeter were our families that dropped off snowflakes last week. The lobby doors and windows near the parking lot are filled with your students’ (and maybe some of yours, too! ☺ ) work. It made for a wonderful welcome back to the building for our staff, teachers, and students. Thank you to all that participated!
SAVE THE DATE! We will be holding a drive-through Winterfest the evening of February 18th. The event will run from 6:00-7:00; with our K-2nd families driving through from 6:00-6:30 and our 3rd-4th families coming through from 6:30-7:00. The form to RSVP is: WinterFest 2021 RSVP and payments should be sent in to Ms. Carswell in the front office. Suggested donation: $10 for one student, $15 for two, $20 for three or more. Check (made out to Cherokee Activity Fund) or cash is acceptable. There will also be opportunities to volunteer for this event so stay tuned as we finalize the plans!
Reminders:
Our Executive APT Nominating Committee will begin work this month. If you have any nominations for the roles listed below, please feel free to forward their names to me (or fill out this form: 2021-2023 APT Nomination Form) by January 25. The roles that will be filled this year are:
APT Executive Board President
APT Executive Board Communications Coordinator
Everett APT Building President
DPM APT Building President
Do you have an innovative idea that fills a need at Cherokee? Don’t forget about our wonderful fundraising partner – The Spirit of 67 Foundation! They are currently accepting grants for the 2021-2022 school year (deadline January 28th at 3pm). Please see their website for information and the application for grant submission.
Our Staff Appreciation - Meals Team has partnered with the staff to stock the lounge and snack cart, similar to our efforts in the fall. If you would like to help stock goodies for our teachers, please purchase from our Amazon Wish List (https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/11OZJ2GF7PALJ?ref_=wl_share) and the items will be delivered directly to the school. Thank you in advance for supporting our in-person staff with snacks and drinks - it is greatly appreciated!
Upcoming APT Events:
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APT January Working Session – January 20th, 2021 – time 1pm: Google Meet link: January Cherokee APT Meeting
- Grant submission deadline – Spirit of 67 Foundation – January 28th at 3:00PM
- Drive-Through Winterfest Event – February 18th 6:00-7:00 PM (details above)
- Dr. McHugh K-4 Curriculum Presentation – February TBD
Have a wonderful weekend!
Ann Kiesling
Cherokee APT President 2020-2022
(319) 329-2771
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Spirit of 67 News & Events
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It is that exciting time of year where the Spirit of 67 Foundation prepares to start our annual grant process! Since our foundation in 1985, The Spirit of 67 has funded 700 grants totaling almost $5.7 Million, enriching and enhancing the educational and cultural experiences of students, faculty, parents and staff of District 67 in ways that might not otherwise be provided. Each year grant requests vary greatly in amount and scope and anyone who has an idea is encouraged to write one. Please note that the deadline for submitting grants is on January 28th at 3:00 pm. You can find a grant application as well as descriptions of grants we have funded back to 2002 on our website under the "Grants” tab to spur ideas. https://spiritof67foundation.org If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Spirit of 67 Foundation, VP of Grants, Colleen Berto via email at colleenberto@yahoo.com. We look forward to receiving your grant applications!
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CROYA virtual Middle School meetings are in full swing! CROYA Middle School meetings will be every Tuesday from 4:00pm-4:30pm. Middle School meetings include CROYA updates, upcoming programs, and a game! All 5th-8th grade students are welcome! Zoom link can be found on the CROYA website.
Scouts BSA Troop 48 (follow us on FB) is hosting a Mini-Klondike Derby Saturday 1/30 at 1PM at Northcroft Park. This is a free event for community elementary and middle school youth (K-8) featuring fun outdoor winter activities! RSVP is mandatory, event is pending IL restrictions at the time and subject to reschedule for this reason or weather. Please see the electronic signup for more information!
Lake County Haven Embrace Winter Challenge - Get ready to embrace winter by participating in activities and helping local homeless women & their children all at the same time! This event will take place February 7th - 21st. Visit: https://lakecountyhaven.salsalabs.org/2021embracewinter
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Cherokee Elementary School | 475 Cherokee Rd. | Lake Forest, IL 60045 |
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