Colt Crusader
A newsletter for the families of CFES students
September Edition
2828 Pleasant Acres Drive
Virginia Beach, VA 23453
757-648-2240
http://www.christopherfarmses.vbschools.com
Follow us on Twitter @cfescolts
Principal: Robyn Backer , @Robyn Backer
Asst. Principal: Patti Porter, @sunsetzzz
Welcome!
Each month, we will be generating an electronic newsletter with the latest happenings and important information at CFES. Our electronic newsletter, Colt Crusader, will be sent to your family via email and text message on the first Monday of each month. This will be our primary source for communication. We will also be sending you phone messages periodically to remind your family about school events. Other information, like flyers for PTA events, will also be sent home via the TUESDAY folder each week. In addition, twitter will be utilized to show off the great work that is consistently going on in our classrooms and to communicate upcoming events. Our Twitter name is @CFEScolts.
We had such a great night meeting you at Open House. We encourage you to become involved in our school as often as possible. We are always looking for volunteers to help in various ways throughout the year. Please be sure to stay in constant communication with your child's teacher to stay informed of how you can best help your son/daughter be successful in school. We look forward to a great school year!
Ms. Backer
Principal
Message from Mrs. Porter, our fabulous assistant principal.
Mrs. Porter
Assistant Principal
Colts' Code
Transportation Policy Reminders
Bus and Transportation Information:
Bus information for all grade levels can be found at
https://busroute.vbcps.com/eduweb/webquery/
Parent Drop Off and Pick Up (car riders):
Students who arrive by car must be dropped off in the parent drop off loop in front of the school between 7:50 -8:10 a.m. Students should be exiting the car on the right hand side and walking on the sidewalk. Students are tardy if they are not in their classroom by 8:10 a.m. Do not drop your child off unless you see a staff member there to receive him/her. Do not leave your child unattended at the front doors. If you arrive after 8:10 a.m., you will need to park and walk your child in to sign him/her in for the day.
Transportation Changes:
If your child plans to go home a different way than usual, please send in a written note to the main office. We can only allow a child to change his or her form of transportation home if we have a note. Parents picking up children from school should go to the security desk in the foyer. If someone other than a parent/legal guardian will be picking up your child, please send in a note with the person’s name on it, and make sure they bring identification in with them. Please make every effort to communicate any transportation changes by 2:00PM, so we can ensure your child goes home the correct way.
If choosing to email changes, please email our security assistant Mrs. Fantano at ceci.fantano@vbschools.com, as well as one of our office associates. The office associates emails are karen.ratner@vbschools.com, alisha.jacobs@vbschools.com or wende.phillips@vbschools.com. You may include your child's teacher as well, but please do not only email your child's teacher. They may not see their email until the end of the day.
Health Concerns & Class Treats
Be sure to contact Nurse Jill and your child's teacher to inform them of any medical concerns before school starts.
If you wish to send in birthday or class party treats, you must bring them to the nurse's office to be checked before sending them to the classroom. Parents are encouraged to communicate with the teacher prior to bringing in food. Upon arrival to the school, please check in at the security desk. The teacher, security assistant and school nurse will work together to ensure all students with food allergies are protected. Providing store-bought items may make it more convenient; however, should you wish to bring in home-made items, please be prepared to provide a list of ingredients, including those of boxed mixes.
Inclement Weather and Emergency Dismissal
Buzz in Security System:
We are happy to announce the new buzz in security system is now installed which means, all doors will be locked during school hours. Visitors will be required to press a button at the camera and speak to our security specialist before entering the building.
Counselor Corner
The CFES Counseling Team would like to welcome you to the 2018-2019 school year. You will notice a few new names and faces throughout our building this year including in our counseling suite. Ms. Riccio, our Military Family Life Counselor is returning and she will be joined this year by Mrs. Beda, our Itinerant School Counselor and Mrs. Yoshida, our full-time school counselor.
Because Ms. Riccio and Mrs. Beda are shared with other Virginia Beach City Schools, they will only be in our building on select days each week; however, they will respond to messages at their earliest convenience.
The counseling team is here to support the academic, career and social/emotional development of our students at CFES and we look forward to an amazing school year!
Check it out!
WAYS TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH CFES HAPPENINGS:
- Check our website weekly: https://christopherfarmses.vbschools.com/
- Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cfescolts
- Download the VBSCHOOLS app in the Apple App Store or Google Play Store
- Make sure the school has your updated phone number and email address in order to receive Alert Now communications
- Follow your child's progress on Parent Portal: https://www.vbschools.com/parents/parent_portal
Important Upcoming Dates
9/11 - PTA Yankee Candle & Virginia Diner Fundraiser Begins
9/11 - Reflections Program Begins
9/14 - 5th Grade Gifted Testing
9/21 - 5th Grade Air Show Field Trip
9/25 - Lynnhaven Golf Cashola (5:00p-8:00p)
October
10/3 - Fall Picture Day
10/8 - Staff Day/ Virtual Learning Day (Non-Attendance for Students)
10/15 - Reflections Entries Due
10/19 - Family Fall Festival (6:30p-8:30p)
PTA News
Our first PTA sponsored event is fast approaching and now is the time to take advantage of being a PTA member! This year, our Fall Festival will be offering discounted pre-sale admissions to all PTA Members as well as 1 free bag of cotton candy, per family at the door. Sign up now to take advantage of this year’s savings and fun!
As we all know, life happens and you may have forgotten to sign up for your membership. Please see the attached flyer to join our PTA. If you choose to sign up at the Fall Festival door, you will still be able to receive the 1 free cotton candy per family! Mark your calendar for October 19th and plan to join us on “The Farm” as well welcome in the Fall Season!
Text "Yes" for VBCPS Alert Now Text Messaging
As many of you know, VBCPS uses its Alert Now system to send school news, including weather announcements, school closings, etc. This year, VBCPS is using a new provider. Families will not need to enroll in the system; their contact information is directly carried over based on their child’s registration. However, for text messaging, families will need to confirm they would like to keep receiving text messages from the division.
You may have received a message on July 2 from the division’s provider, School Messenger, asking you to confirm you want to keep receiving Alert Now texts. If you did not, families can always opt-in to the texts at any time by texting a “Y” or “Yes” to the division’s short code number, 67587.
As a reminder, there are no additional fees for this service – it would be subject to all applicable messaging charges depending on your service provider. Standard message and data rates may apply.
BACK-TO-SCHOOL RESOURCES FOR PARENTS
Source: https://www.edutopia.org/article/back-to-school-resources-parents
BACK-TO-SCHOOL ADVICE AND CHECKLISTS
- 19 Meaningful Questions You Should Ask Your Child’s Teacher: Mine this list for inspiration before talking with your children’s teachers. (Edutopia, updated 2016)
- 9 Back to School Tips for Parents: Explore these simple tips for helping your kids return to the classroom ready to learn. After the back-to-school rush, use this month-by-month guide to enhance your kids’ school experience throughout the year. (Department of Education, 2016)
- 5-Minute Film Festival: Building a Parent Toolkit: Watch curated videos on topics like stress reduction, healthy eating, homework, and more. (Edutopia, 2015)
- 15 Questions to Replace ‘How Was School Today?’: Questions to ask to gain deeper insights into your kids’ learning experiences. (Edutopia, 2016)
- Back-to-School Health and Safety Tips: Browse advice about issues like backpack safety, transportation, bullying prevention, nutrition, before- and after-school child care, study habits, and more. (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2016)
- Best Back-to-School Tips: Listen to this podcast about preparing students to head back to school and developing morning routines. For more on this topic, check out “Getting Back in the School Year Routine.” (Greater Good Science Center, 2012)
- Back to School: Find information about back-to-school shopping on a budget, getting organized, and supporting children academically in this collection of articles. You may also want to take a look at “Back-to-School Night Basics.” (GreatSchools)
EASING THE TRANSITION
- How to Ease Your Child’s Kindergarten Jitters: Use these tips from Dr. Michele Borba as you prepare your child for kindergarten. Learn how to ease your kindergartner’s anxiety, establish a goodbye ritual, and ensure that the first days of school are positive. For similar resources for students of all ages, see “Transition Resources for Parents, Teachers, and Administrators.” (Edutopia, 2016)
- Guiding Our Children Through School Transitions: Transitions can be both exciting and anxiety-inducing for children and parents. Discover tips for helping students transition into elementary school, middle school, high school, and post-secondary education. (Parent Toolkit, 2014)
- Start School Strong: A Back-to-School Guide for Kids With Learning and Attention Issues: Find a variety of resources—including live chats with experts, downloads, and more—to help children get organized, process their feelings, and establish routines. (Understood, 2016)
- Helping Students With Autism Transition Into a New School Year: Gain insights into how you can work with teachers to help kids with autism transition to a new teacher, a new school, or a new curriculum. (Edutopia, 2017)
- How to Cope With Back-to-School Anxiety: Learn how to detect if your child is experiencing back-to-school anxiety and get actionable tips to help ease their worries. (PBS Parents, 2016)
- Back to School Books: Read a book with your child as a springboard to discuss feelings about returning to school; this guide includes recommendations for preschool through grade six. For more book suggestions, check out Understood.org’s “5 Great Back-to-School Books for Kids in Grades 1–4.” (Bank Street School of Education)
Proud Principal
Email: robyn.backer@vbschools.com
Website: chritopherfarmses.vbschools.com
Location: Christopher Farms Elementary School 2828 Pleasant Acres Drive Virginia Beach, Virginia 234
Phone: (757) 648-2240
Twitter: @RobynBacker