Cedar School News and Updates 11/24/23

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I would like to recognize Mrs. Thornton and all our Cedar students and staff for the wonderful job they did honoring Veterans. The performances were heartwarming and moving. I received numerous compliments from our Veterans focused on how polite and well-behaved the students were during the performance. If you would like to view the recordings, please know that they were posted to the Hanover Public Schools Facebook page on November 11, 2023.

We are very close to filling our “Super Friends” Jar with pom-poms. This indicates that our students have been doing an exceptional job of being safe, being kind, and following the plan outside of the school building. We continue to encourage parent(s)/guardian(s) to look for instances when your child is being a Super Friend at home and complete the certificate. The staff will be developing a fun school-wide celebration for all our students to enjoy once the jar, located in the main lobby, has been filled. Stay tuned!

Inclusive Schools Week (ISW) is an annual celebration of inclusivity and acceptance in the Hanover Public Schools. The week is scheduled for December 4^th through December 8^th and is celebrated nationwide. During ISW week, students and staff will engage in activities and discussions centered around the themes of kindness, diversity, and acceptance for all. Last year, Cedar students participated in activities geared toward sign language and the Buddy Bench. The students also listened to a speaker who shared his personal story of inclusivity and disability awareness. This year's theme is “Draw Me In”, which highlights the importance of art and how it can be used to understand and respect all individuals.

As we journey toward the month of December, colder weather is settling into New England, and we are working to make sure all of our students are prepared. Students should be arriving at school with a jacket, hat, and gloves for recess and in general. We will attempt to get the students outside for recess as often as possible.

Shoutouts

Thank you to all of the parent(s)/guardian(s) who helped “Stock the Lounge” during the teacher conferences last week. This was a wonderful way to show your appreciation for our staff during a very busy time of the school year.

Additional Updates and Reminders

The Cedar Blizzard of Kindness is scheduled to begin on Monday, November 27^th and will continue until the end of the week. This school-wide event provides students with the opportunity to bring a gift card (Target, Walmart, CVS, local grocery stores, etc.) to school and place it in a box in the main lobby. The donations will go directly to the Hanover VNA, who will then distribute the gift cards to those in need. A small snowflake will be placed on the snow globe bulletin board for every 5 gift cards that are collected. We will reinforce with students that “even the strongest blizzard starts with just one snowflake.” Megmark Sign Company will place a fun sign at the front entrance of the school next Friday to greet the students as they arrive at Cedar and celebrate the conclusion of the event.

We appreciate the commitment to promoting great attendance at Cedar, including bringing your child to school on time. It truly does make a difference.

The dates for the Cedar Winter Concert are listed at the bottom of the Cedar Connection. We invite family members to attend this performance, but please know that we are encouraging no more than two adults per family in order to ensure we have sufficient space in the cafeteria.

Mark your calendar! We are excited to share that each student will have the opportunity to create a Gingerbread House toward the end of December. This will take place in the Cedar cafeteria. Dates and times for each grade level have been provided below. This event is open to families, but please know that we are asking that only one adult attend the kindergarten and first grade events in order to ensure there is adequate space for the students and their materials. We also ask that siblings not attend in order to help support this idea. More information about this event will be shared in the next Cedar Connection.

Important Links

Upcoming Dates at Cedar

November 24, 2023 - No School for Students and Staff (Thanksgiving Break)
November 27, 2023 - December 1, 2023 - Blizzard of Kindness
December 4, 2023 - Start of Inclusive Schools Week
December 7, 2023 - Cedar PTA Meeting at Cedar School, 9:30 am
December 14, 2023 - Report Cards Available to Kindergarten and First-Grade Families
December 15, 2023 - Kindergarten Winter Concert for Parent(s)/Guardian(s). Visitors are encouraged to arrive at 8:35 am, 8:45-9:15 am
December 15, 2023 - First Grade Winter Concert for Parent(s)/Guardian(s). Visitors are encouraged to arrive at 9:35 am, 9:45-10:30 am
December 19, 2023 - Preschool Holiday Concert/Gingerbread Activity. Families are encouraged to attend.
- AM Preschool Session, 10:00-10:40 am
- PM Preschool Session, 1:30-2:10 pm
December 20, 2023- Kindergarten Gingerbread Activity. One parent/guardian is encouraged to attend.
- AM Session (Chandler, Kinasewich, Weimann, Concannon, Driscoll), 9:15-9:45 am
- PM Session (Bartolotti, Brown, Chase, Nameika), 1:30-2:00 pm
December 21, 2023 - First Grade Gingerbread Activity. One parent/guardian is encouraged to attend.
- AM Session (Anderson, MacNeill, Horton, Pollock, Johnson), 9:15-9:45 am
- PM Session (Sharpe, Caulfield, McGinnis, Downs ), 1:30-2:00 pm
December 25, 2023 - January 1, 2024 - No School for Students and Staff (Winter Break)
January 2, 2024 - Students and Staff Return from Winter Break
January 15, 2024 - No School for Students and Staff (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)
January 26, 2024 - Report Cards Available for Preschool Families

I wish to express my sincerest gratitude to the entire Cedar Community. We are so fortunate to have the best students, parents, guardians, caregivers, and staff. I hope you are having a wonderful break with friends and family.

Best,

Jesse Craddock
Principal

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