Cherokee Trail

• PSP NEWS
• MISINFORMATION IN 2022 GENERAL ELECTION TABOR BOOK (BLUE BOOK)
• ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR PARKER SCHOOLS
  
• THIS IS HOW WE CTE
• BE EPICER
• WHAT'S HAPPENING IN WELLNESS
• COUNSELOR'S CORNER
• CALENDAR
• FROM THE PRINCIPAL
• NEW FLYERS 

BE EPICER @ CTE

The EPICER trait of the month at CTE is ENTHUSIASM, and we would like to showcase how your family shows enthusiasm outside of school!
If you would like to participate, please cut/paste the 3 items below and send in an email to Michele Whittingham:
1. an answer this question ... In a few words what does your family do to show enthusiasm in our community?
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2. attach a photo of this family activity in your email response
3. (*required) Do you give permission for your picture and blurb to be displayed at school and put on our CTE Social Media pages and website?  Y | N

We will be posting these pictures/stories on social media and displaying them on a bulletin board in the school for all to see. 
OCTOBER 23rd is the deadline to turn this in.

CONGRATULATIONS to our first quarter EPICER award winners!
 

At Cherokee Trail we focus on six traits, teaching and fostering them in our classrooms and school-wide in order to create learners who are strong academically and socially. They are:
ENTHUSIASM * PERSEVERANCE * INTEGRITY * COURAGE * EMPATHY * RESPECT
Read more on the EPiCER page!

This month, we will be focusing on ENTHUSIASM - here are the indicators of how this trait might look at school:
* I show a positive attitude at all times
* I am eager to learn
* I show active engagement throughout my day

All Wellness students: Please wear shoes that slip off and on easily for our stretching portion of Wellness.

Grades K/1/2: We will practice being able to identify different feelings in different situations. A Little Spot of Worry Feelings Song
Grades 3/4/5: Communication is key when working in groups.  We will practice how to express our emotions in healthy ways.  Grade 6: We will explore the benefits of being able to have “small talk” conversations with others.

 

October has been a busy month!  All classrooms have now received a guidance lesson.  The most recent lessons have been in K-2 grade classrooms.  

In Kindergarten, I taught a lesson called “The Very Beary Listener”.  We used a stuffed bear to discuss all of the parts of the bear’s body that are used to show good listening in the classroom.  Students were able to brainstorm sounds that are important to hear and focus on in class as well as sounds that should be ignored.

In first grade, I read “The Rabbit Listened” by Cori Doerrfeld.  This book was about a little boy who encountered a frustrating situation and all of the ways his animal friends tried to help him.  In the end, the boy simply needed someone to listen to him.  We then related the book to the role of a school counselor.

In second grade, I read “The Smart Cookie” by Jori John.  The story was about a cookie that never felt smart, no matter how hard she tried.  Her journey helps her discover her unique talent which develops her confidence and voice.  Students then completed a sheet that outlined things they already felt confident about and things they were still working on.  

I am in the process of visiting all fifth and sixth grade classrooms to discuss safety and tools they have available to ensure the safety of themselves and others.  We discuss the importance of safety at home and school.  The students are provided information about Safe 2 Tell Colorado and how they can report a concern.  We also discuss the importance of having at least 3 adults they can go to if they have a concern or need help (trusted triangle).  Adults can also report concerns to Safe 2 Tell.  Please read additional information below.  

Safe 2 Tell Colorado

Do you know how to report a concern that threatens you, your friends, your family or your community?  Safe 2 Tell Colorado is an anonymous reporting tool for parents and students.  There are 3 ways to make an anonymous report – via website, app, or phone call.  

IMPORTANT LINKS

Family Resources:

*Weekly snack/food bags provided by Parker Task Force – If your family is interested in having a bag of snacks/food sent home in their student’s backpack weekly, please fill out this brief form. Families with housing instability

Free/Reduced Meal Benefits

Parent Articles:

A Look Inside the Young Adult Brain

Mental Health Resources: * Is your child or someone you know struggling with anxiety?  The district has partnered with Dr. Scott Cypers to release a series of videos for parents with a ton of information and how to help someone.  All the videos can be found here. * I Matter – Parents and youth (ages 12 and older) can take a brief mental health screening and schedule 3 free counseling appointments. * STEM Center for Strength – mental health and well-being resources

The Principal Chronicles Continue ....

Here we are at the end of the first quarter of the school year. The leaves are falling, conferences are going on, pumpkin spice things are all over the place, and the Bronco's coaching situation is atrocious. Basically, it seems just like a normal fall. 

On the school front, we are in the midst of a spirit week and, as always, I am completely blown away by the creativity of our students. As I write this, it is Wednesday and our theme for the day is anything but a backpack. At first, I thought this didn't make any sense but as the kids came in this morning, it was amazing to see all of the different ways the students brought their things to school. There were cat carriers, shopping bags, suitcases, and my personal favorite: a used pizza box. Talk about creativity - although I didn't think to check to see if there was any actual pizza in said box. 

On the home front, I am getting prepped for my Fall Break. As always, I am going to take a trip with my daughter and explore the world or in this case the US. We originally planned to go to Miami but when the threat of a hurricane came about I decided to cancel and go somewhere else. Not only that, I realized that South Beach Miami is not the most conducive learning environment for a 15-year-old girl - unless you count all-night dance clubs as someplace you want to take your teenager. So instead of Miami, we decided to hit Chicago. Although I was just there last year, it'll still be a lot of fun. The last time I was there, I was by myself and I know this time will be so much better bringing my daughter along for the fun. I absolutely love running along the lake and I don't care how bad my foot hurts, I will be running along that lake. Not only that, there are so many poor food choices to make. As many of my loyal readers know, I am pretty strict about what I chose to eat (with the exception of vacations). When I am on vacation, anything goes. The last time when I was in Chicago, I ran roughly 10-20 miles a day so I could absolutely crush all of the wonderful food Chicago has to offer. Plus now that my dessert-craved daughter is coming along, I am sure I'll spend less time at the Chicago Whole Foods and more time eating deep-dish pizza, Chicago dogs, and whatever strange and exciting other poor food choices I can make. 

That is it for this week's edition, stay tuned for next week's episode when I regale with stories of our trip to Chicago. See you next time when the Principal Chronicles continue ...

NEW FLYERS

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