October 31, 2021 Volume I, Section 11
"Meeting learners where they are and growing them as much as we can!"
This week is dedicated to parent/teacher conferences. This means that we have minimum days all week and dismiss ALL students, K-8, AT 12:20pm.
Please bring your patience to the parking lot during our afternoon dismissal.
If you haven't connected with your child's teacher about a conference, please reach out to them as soon as possible.
For more information on how to prepare for Parent Teacher Conferences, try these links:
CNN's 5 Tips for Parent Conferences
10 Tips for a Successful Conference
For parents of English Learners
Month of Giving
November 2021 will be a month of giving at Chet F Harritt. Part of that will be reflected in two ways.
First, we will be kicking off our school-wide Read-a-Thon on November 8. This will be a fundraiser, and information will start coming home this week. The fundraiser is optional, but funds we collect will be used to add seating in our new outdoor learning area, Shadow Rock Park. It is located next to the lower playground. If we raise more than our $5000 goal, the funds will also go to support our DREAM program, which reinforces our school traits of Diligence, Respect, Empathy, Accountability, and Motivation.
We will also join the Santee District Schools to support the Santee Santas organization. We cannot hold our traditional food drive, but we can help by collecting gift cards to local grocery stores. We can accept cards in value of $5 and up. (santeesantas.org)
While I know these are financial "giving" events, rest assured we will also be talking about how we can give of our time, effort, and compassion during this important time of the year.
Thank you in advance for your support!
November 1-5 Sixth Grade Camp
November 1-5 Parent/Teacher Conferences - Minimum Days - K-8 Early Dismissal at 12:20 all week
November 8-19 Read-A-Thon Schoolwide Fundraiser
November 8 Begin Santee Santas Gift Card Drive (ends December 3)
November 11 Veteran's Day (No School - Thursday)
November 22-26 Thanksgiving Week Holiday (No School)
November 30 SSC Meeting (3:20pm online)
October 17, 2021 Volume I, Section 10
"Meeting learners where they are and growing them as much as we can!"
The week of November 1-5 is dedicated to parent/teacher conferences. This means that we have minimum days all week and dismiss ALL students, K-8, AT 12:20pm. Teachers will be reaching out soon about their plans and schedules for conferences. All conferences will be virtual this year. Teachers will share which platforms they will offer conferences, but most, if not all, will use Microsoft Teams or in some cases Google Meet. Unfortunately, recent updates to Zoom have made it incompatible with many of our district devices.
Meeting with your child's teacher is an opportunity to over classroom achievement and how it is measured, namely trimester report cards. It's also an opportunity to discuss what's working, and if something isn't working, take steps to make a change. Working together as a team is the key to moving through the year and maximizing success.
We are thrilled to be back on campus with all students for full school days. However, as children re-adjust to this format after so much time away from it and while we all continue our safety protocols, there are many challenges to overcome. Not every child is at the level we would have expected two years ago. That's why our goal is to meet them where they are and grow them as much as we can. That growth happens at different rates for everyone, and growth can be uncomfortable. Don't be surprised if you hear themes and key words such as "stamina" and "perseverance" when connecting with educators right now. That's a place where almost every child can grow. If you have personal experience with building stamina and perseverance, you might recall that it isn't always fun, but it is essential if we want to get where we want to go. Thank you for helping your child when they face these moments of stress and helping them diffuse it and find themselves growing in the process.
Together, we will make our children travel to levels that will make us all beam with pride!
For more information on how to prepare for Parent Teacher Conferences, try these links:
CNN's 5 Tips for Parent Conferences
10 Tips for a Successful Conference
For parents of English Learners
Red Ribbon Week, October 25-29
Red Ribbon Week is the last week of the month. Join our students as they learn and then reinforce a healthy lifestyle by rejecting drugs and alcohol. To keep the theme alive, this is a "Spirit Week" meaning that each day has a theme and opportunities to show some school spirit through clothing and costume. All dress-up activities are optional. We're also having a door decorating contest. Classrooms will decorate doors this week for judging next week.
On the last day of the week, October 29, students are welcome to wear Halloween costumes on campus. Students may not wear masks, bring props, wear messy make-up, wear messy hair color, and costumes must follow the school district dress code. We'll remind again as we get closer.
ASB Boo Grams - THANK YOU
There has been an amazing response to our "Boo Grams" from ASB. We may sell out early, so act fast. Chet's Middle School Associated School Body (ASB) will continue selling "Boo Grams" this week before and after school. For $1, you can send a lollipop to a student or staff member to let them know someone is thinking about them. There's no message, and the sender will remain anonymous. Boo Grams will be delivered October 29. The last day to purchase is October 22 OR UNTIL SUPPLIES RUN OUT. All proceeds go to ASB.
PTA "Trunk or Treat" needs Trunks!
Are you looking for an opportunity to show your creativity with a decorated trunk for our PTA Trunk or Treat drive-thru event on October 29?
Please sign up ASAP! We need to know by this Friday. It'll be a spooky blast! Click on either image to get to the flyer on PeachJar.
October 11-22 ASB Boo Grams for Sale Before and After School
October 22 PTA Sweatshirt orders due
October 29 PTA Drive-Thru Trunk or Treat Event
November 1-5 Sixth Grade Camp
November 1-5 Parent/Teacher Conferences - Minimum Days - K-8 Early Dismissal at 12:20 all week
November 8-19 Read-A-Thon Schoolwide Fundraiser
November 11 Veteran's Day (No School - Thursday)
November 22-26 Thanksgiving Week Holiday (No School)
October 10, 2021 Volume I, Section 9
"Meeting learners where they are and growing them as much as we can!"
Thank you for your input on our Communication Survey. We've had consistent responses that indicate there are certain parts of our regular communication that are effective and a few need some changes. There was a common request that phone calls and emails weekly were considered redundant. To that end, I will only be sending a combination message (call and email) once each month on a Sunday evening. The other weekly updates each month will be email only. Therefore, I will continue weekly updates, but only one monthly combination phone call/email. If you currently only receive phone calls, you will want to update information in order to get emails the other weeks of each month or at least be sure to check Cheetah Chatter weekly for updates.
Also, there was a request for SMS (texting) messages. We are actually updating our system to be able to accommodate that this year. That will be part of a School District App roll-out. I'm excited to share that the first part of that roll out is available now with two apps, the Santee School District Custom Mobile App, and the School Messenger App!
Custom Mobile App
The official Santee School District mobile app is designed to enable parents, staff, students, and the broader community to stay informed and “up-to-date” on important issues, information, and activities underway within the school community. The free app is accessible from the District’s website santeesd.net/mobile or you can be downloaded it directly from Apple App Store or Google Pay Store.
SchoolMessenger App
The SchoolMessenger App brings together teacher messaging and school notification, providing parents with a single app for all school communications.
· Central location for all messages – parents can view classroom, school, and district level messages in one simple, scrollable “stream” view.
· Attachments included – files, images and videos can be attached to the messaging service.
· Management of incoming messages – parents can manage how they want to receive incoming messages from schools and district.
· Mobile or Web – the messaging service is available as a mobile app or from any web browser (go.schoolmessenger.com).
Features that are coming soon:
· Teacher/Parent communication – exchange messages one-on-one with teachers or in group.
· “Safe-Arrival” – enhanced student absence reporting system.
The SchoolMessenger App is free and is accessible from the District’s Custom Mobile App or you can download it from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
A Note about Text Messages (SMS Opt-In)
Because the district is launching new communication services that will include the delivery of important information to you via SMS text messaging, you must indicate your willingness to receive text messages to your phone. The district will only use the service to provide information that is timely and relevant.
The SMS Opt-In process is very simple and only takes a few seconds to complete:
Simply text any one of the following words SUBSCRIBE, OPTIN, or YES to the number 67587.
You’ll know you were successful if you receive the following reply message:
“You’re registered 4 SchoolMessenger notifications. Reply STOP to cancel, HELP for help, Msg&Data rates may apply. Msg freq varies,”.
You’ll want to repeat the opt-in process from every wireless number that you wish to include.
In addition to performing the opt-in process above, please ensure that the district has your wireless number(s) in our PowerSchool Student Information System. If you have not already provided the information to your school, please contact the school office, and provide them with that information.
Please note that although the district does not charge you for these services, it does not pay for text message charges that may be incurred by you for sending or receiving text messages. Check with your wireless carrier for possible charges.
Moving forward, I hope that we can continue to tailor our communication to meet your needs while keeping you well-informed about what's happening at Chet!
ASB Boo Grams
Chet's Middle School Associated School Body (ASB) will begin selling "Boo Grams" on Monday, October 11 before and after school. For $1, you can send a lollipop to a student or staff member to let them know someone is thinking about them. There's no message, and the sender will remain anonymous. Boo Grams will be delivered October 29. The last day to purchase is October 22. All proceeds go to ASB.
CHET PTA IS HARD AT WORK!
Parent Teacher Conferences
The week of November 1-5 is dedicated to Parent/Teacher Conferences. To allow for these meetings, these days are Minimum Days, meaning we dismiss at 12:20pm each day that week. Please plan ahead and look for more information from your child's teacher as we get closer.
October 11-22 ASB Boo Grams for Sale Before and After School
October 22 PTA Sweatshirt orders due
October 29 PTA Drive-Thru Trunk or Treat Event
November 1-5 Sixth Grade Camp
November 1-5 Parent/Teacher Conferences - Minimum Days - K-8 Early Dismissal at 12:20 all week
November 8-19 Read-A-Thon Schoolwide Fundraiser
November 11 Veteran's Day (No School - Thursday)
November 22-26 Thanksgiving Week Holiday (No School)
Looking for past sections? Check out the past months' pages (links at the top of the page).