Cedar School News and Updates 3/2/23

Share our Story

This section of the message is intended to share our story at Cedar School. We invite parents, guardians, and caregivers to share their stories too, by communicating with us and one another. 

The Lexia Llama Challenge went above and beyond our expectations at Cedar. I am proud to share that every classroom reached its goal for the number of tickets earned during each week of the challenge! The large llama stuffed animal was frequently seen being transported around the hallways with classes and making surprise visits to different parts of the building, including classrooms that earned the most tickets. There was certainly a lot of excitement shared around this event, however, there was even more enthusiasm around the learning that went on as students worked hard to improve their literacy skills. Thank you to everyone who made this such a wonderful experience for our students. 

Cedar School is excited to participate in a motivational reading awareness program that happens each year called, “Read Across America!” This program works to bring the joy of reading to students of all ages. National Reading Month is celebrated during the month of March, so we thought it would be fun to celebrate the “Read Across America” program next week as a school community. If you are looking to become involved in this fun experience, please consider making a trip to the library with your child, creating a book with your child where you create the story and they draw the illustrations, or curling up together on the couch and let your child choose a favorite book from several choices. Next week, we will raise awareness about the importance, value, and joy of reading with a few simple and fun theme days. The Cedar Reading Specialists have created a link with daily themes. The link is provided below. 

We are also celebrating National Reading Month with our fourth annual Snowball Slam! Students are encouraged to read and record their progress at home in the reading log that they received earlier this week. Several important documents pertaining to the Snowball Slam are also attached below. We are looking forward to continuing this fun reading program until March 17^th. This event will conclude with a big surprise for our students! 

Cedar Super Friends continue to demonstrate such wonderful and positive attitudes towards learning, and classrooms are filled with rich discourse and deep thinking. Just as important, I see how happy the students are to be in the company of their classmates and teachers. I am proud of our staff and students. The month of March is VERY busy, so please take note of the latest news and updates pertaining to Cedar School!

Important Links

• Read Across America Celebration (March 6^th - 10^th)
• Snowball Slam Letter to Kindergarten and Grade 1 Families
  • Snowball Slam Reading Log for Grade 1 Students
  • Snowball Slam Reading Log for Kindergarten Students
• PBS Workshop Parent Form
• Help Support the Hanover PTA
• Volunteer Opportunity #1 (Book Fair)
• Volunteer Opportunity #2 (Art Show)

Important Cedar Information

This is a reminder that Tuesday, March 7^th, is a 1:00 pm early release day for all kindergarten and first-grade students. Preschool will follow their regular schedule. The after-school enrichment classes on Tuesday will not be conducted. The FACE program will follow its regular schedule. 

The Cedar PBS Team will be hosting their second parent workshop of the school year on Wednesday, March 15^th from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm. The focus of the workshop will be on learning tips and strategies for dealing with challenging behaviors at home and developing useful tools to support those interventions. If you are planning on attending this workshop, please ensure that the event form is completed and sent to school with your child before March 10th. If you did not receive this form, I have attached it above with the other links. 

Cedar will be hosting the Spring Scholastic Book Fair from March 27^th to March 30^th. During their literacy block, students will have the opportunity to browse and create a Wish List of books to bring home for parents to peruse. Parents/Guardians will have the opportunity to browse and purchase books during their conference times that week, as well as the designated times listed below. If you do not have an opportunity to stop into the library during the listed times, please know that you can purchase books online until April 6th. We will provide you with the link as we get closer to the Book Fair week. 

During the spring Parent Conferences, Mrs. Russo will be displaying student artwork for parents to view. The artwork will be set up outside of the student’s designated classroom. You will quickly notice how our students draw texture and paint using their knowledge of warm and cold colors. Each student will have one piece of artwork on display. Please consider taking a moment to meet with Mrs. Russo. She would be more than happy to share information during the conferences about the elements and principles of art that the students are learning. 

General Reminders

Cedar School students and staff are thriving thanks to your effort. Please continue to make every effort to have your school at school and on time (8:15 am - 8:30 am) each day. 

Please remember to call the main office if your child will be absent. 

Upcoming Events

Have a terrific weekend!

Best,

Jesse Craddock
Principal