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Cold Spring Elementary School
Parent Newsletter
March 10, 2016
Ferocious about Learning
Am I dreaming, or is it finally warm? We may still have some colder days, but I think we
have turned the corner. I, for one, am loving it!
This is the time of year when it is difficult to know what to wear. Children may start out
in jackets, but by the afternoon, they are comfortable in shorts. Please remember to
mark your child’s sweaters, jackets, and hoodies so we can see that the items get back to
you.
March is usually our time for state testing, but this year, the state reading and math
testing (PARCC) will occur in May. MSA Science, which is still a reality for our fifth
graders, was administered yesterday and today. We will be good to go until well after
spring break.
We have some exciting events coming up soon. Spirit Week starts on Monday (see below
for more information). Then, on Wednesday, we will have a Music in our Schools Concert
in the afternoon. The Book-a-Breakfast follows on Friday, along with the Birthday Bash
that afternoon.
We begin the week of March 21 with our Open House for Selected Center Program
students and families. And, the fifth graders are eagerly awaiting their field trip to
Monticello on March 23. At the end of that week, we welcome Spring Break.
Spirit Week
The SGA has scheduled Spirit Week beginning on Monday. The day themes are:
Monday – Moustache Day
Tuesday – Wear what you want to be when you grow up Day
Wednesday – Wacky Wednesday Day
Thursday – Wear Green Day
Friday – Dress as your Favorite Character/Role Model Day
Updates for Next Year
We have just received our official enrollment prediction for next year. They are:
K - 30
1 - 35
2 - 38
3 - 47
4 - 27 +
54 CPHG
5 - 41 +
54 CPHG
_______________
K-5 = 218 + 108 CPHG = 326
The numbers are determined by current enrollment and trends, however, there is always
some deviation. Next week, you will receive information asking for your plans in the
coming year. Please complete the form and return to the school at your earliest
convenience.
Our staffing allocation for next year includes 13 classroom teacher positions. One of
those is for kindergarten. Four teachers serve students in the Center Program. That
leaves 8 teachers to serve the 188 students we will have in 1-5 grades next year. This 8
teacher allocation provides an overall student-teacher ratio of 23 or 24 to one.
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Cold Spring Elementary School
Parent Newsletter
March 10, 2016
Ferocious about Learning
I’m sure many of you are concerned and wondering what this will mean for your
children. I understand. In the following weeks the leadership team will be considering
multiple configurations to see what viable options are a good match for our school. This
will be a multi-layered discussion because there are many moving parts in an elementary
school schedule, some that we have control of and some that we do not. Your voice will
be an important ingredient in the decision making process. In the coming weeks, we will
develop a mechanism for you to provide input.
This conversation will take some time. Our goal is to have something in place before the
end of the school year that provides enough flexibility to ensure that it doesn’t have to
undergo major changes, even if we get more students. We are committed to moving
forward with a schedule that we believe is in the best interests of children.
Calendar of Events
Sunday, March 13
Monday, March 14
Tuesday, March 15
Wednesday, March 16
Thursday, March 17
Friday, March 18
Tuesday, March 22
Wednesday, March 23
Thursday, March 24
Friday, March 25
March 28-April 1
Tuesday, April 5
Wednesday, April 6
Thursday, April 7
Friday, April 8
Monday, April 11
Tuesday, April 12
Daylight Savings Time begins
Moustache Day
Wear what you want to be when you grow
up Day
Wacky Wednesday Day
2:30 – Music in Our Schools Concert (APR)
Wear Green Day
Dress as your Favorite Character/Role
Model Day
Book-a-Breakfast
2:30 – Birthday Bash for February and
March (APR)
LifeTouch takes group pictures
7:00 am – Grade 5 Field Trip to Monticello
Professional Day for Teachers – No School
for Students
Holiday
Spring Break
Artist-in-Residence (Grade 3)
Artist-in-Residence (Grade 3)
Vision and Hearing Screening
Artist-in-Residence (Grade 3)
Vision and Hearing Screening
Artist-in-Residence (Grade 3)
Artist-in-Residence (Grade 3)
Artist-in-Residence (Grade 3)