Friday, April 28, 2017

April 28, 2017 Announcements

Hello Cherokee Families,
More rain!? Stay dry and enjoy the great indoors!
We have completed MAP and EOC testing with only a couple of hiccups. We appreciate everyone doing their best to have students at school everyday!

Enjoy your weekend and #GoIndians
Here are a few updates and reminders for you:
1. Daily Announcement and website – Stay on top of what’s happening at Kickapoo and Cherokee down the stretch and this summer. We are updating our announcements daily!
Remember you can stay closely connected with these listed events and even more each day by visiting our website HERE. Our Daily Announcements are updated Monday - Friday and are now embedded on the website and will automatically scroll through for you. Enjoy!
2. 2017 - 2018 PTSA – Do you want to get involved? Even just a behind the scenes area? Contact me and I can get you in touch with our leadership team to see where you can fit in the PTSA puzzle. Thanks for considering!
3. We have an amazing team here at Cherokee. We’ve had several families take time to submit these this year. Our teachers & staff appreciate the kinds words so much. Thank you! You can complete an Employee Recognition Form here to show them your appreciation. No recognition is too small. Thank you for taking the time to recognize and celebrate our staff!
4.  IGNiTE – Have questions about IGNiTE? Check out this website for more information on IGNiTE. Our website also has links to more information at the top left-hand side of the page under IGNiTE.
  • District Chromebooks are filtered using a product called Securly. Securly filters Chromebooks at school and at home.
  • Websites are filtered upon categories and blocks items such as pornography, proxy websites used to bypass filtering, weapons, drugs, gambling, hacking and other non-educational websites.
  • Parents can find out more about how we keep students safe and secure on their Chromebooks on the IGNiTE@Home website.
  • If a student, parent or teacher reports that inappropriate content is available to students, please send any websites or Chrome extensions you believe should be blocked to me immediately.
  • Here is an FAQ regarding district filtering policies.
5.  2017 - 2018 School Calendar approved - Ready to make summer plans? Here is the calendar for 2017 - 2018.
The first day of school will be Wednesday, Aug. 16th, 2017.
2017 - 2018 Cherokee Orientation dates/times:
6th grade - Monday, Aug. 7th 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
7th grade Panthers - Monday, Aug. 7th 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
7th grade Ravens - Tuesday, Aug. 8th  5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
7th grade Endeavor - Tuesday, Aug. 8th 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
8th grade NEW students (never attended Cherokee for 6th or 7th grade) - Wednesday, Aug. 9th 4:30 in library
8th grade returning students (attended Cherokee in 7th) - Wednesday, Aug. 9th 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. for Schedule pick up. No orientation for returning students.
6. Explore (aka Summer School) - Make your mark at Explore!
There is still plenty of time to enroll!
This summer,  Explore will offer students eight weeks of exciting opportunities to pursue their unique interests and passions. Each day will be packed with engaging, relevant and personal learning opportunities, enriched by integrated technology, exciting field experiences and hands-on activities.
Artworks will also be offered free at two locations, plus students can choose to stay all day to enrich their experience. Here is the guide for more information.
There will be two sessions of Explore. Session I could start as early as May 30, depending on the actual last day of the regular school year. The last day of Session I will be June 28. Session II will be held July 5-July 28.
Free transportation will be offered for eligible students and free breakfast and lunch will be served daily at every school.
*Middle school students, students in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade for the 17 - 18 school year, will attend classes Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Registration for middle school is open and the pocket guide is HERE. Carver is considered our home school for summer.
*8th graders going to high school in 17 - 18 your Field Guide is HERE and students may register for classes now. Hurry as high school classes close quickly.
Register for Explore classes at explore.spsk12.org
7. Last day of school - Will be Monday, May 22nd. Cherokee will dismiss at 12:45 p.m. on Monday, May 22nd.

8. Parent Survey - Cherokee families, Each student having equitable access to engaging, relevant and personalized learning experiences that positively impact academic achievement and personal growth is a goal of the Springfield Public Schools strategic plan. Receiving feedback from students and parents regarding the performance and their satisfaction with the district, school, and building leaders is one way SPS monitors and uses the data to improve performance. Thank you for taking 15 minutes to respond to this survey about our school.
Thank you!
9. Progress reports - Grades have been updated and posted again today.
Just a reminder we don’t send home a paper copy of the report any longer. Grades are posted and teams have sent home communication on how to let them know you have checked grades on eSchool. Have questions? Our students know how to access them via eSchool. If you have any concerns please contact our teachers any time.
10. End of Year Honor Assemblies - Teachers will begin reaching out to families of students who are expected to receive some type of honor. If you do receive notification we would love to have you join in the celebration.
6th grade will be held on Friday, May 19th at 9:45 a.m.
7th grade will be held on Monday, May 22nd at 8 a.m.
8th grade will be held on Monday, May 22nd at 9:45 a.m.
Thanks!
Please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time.
Have a great week and as always #GoIndians
Bill Powers, Ed.D
Principal
Cherokee Middle School
420 E. Farm Road 182
Springfield, MO 65810
Ph: 417-523-7210
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." - Alvin Toffler
Confidentiality Notice: This email message and any accompanying document(s) and attachments contain information from Springfield Public Schools, which is confidential and privileged. The email transmission and any attached documents are intended to be for the review and use solely of the individual(s) or entity(ies) named and listed on the email transmission message. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby advised that any review, disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the information and/or contents of this email message, as well as any attached documents, is prohibited. If you have received this email message in error, please immediately delete this email transmission and notify us by telephone of this error.
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Wednesday, April 26, 2017

Athletic Changes for 2017 - 2018


Middle School Parents/Guardians,
We have some exciting news to share with you about new extracurricular athletics and activities that will be offered to middle school students beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.
On April 25, the Board of Education allocated nearly $500,000 to expand extracurricular activities and increase participation and engagement at all middle schools. This will be accomplished by implementing the following three strategies at each middle school:
  1. Participation Through The Engagement Program
Research indicates that student involvement in extracurricular activities improves social development, eases the transition from elementary to middle school, improves GPA and attendance, lowers disciplinary infractions, fosters passion and boosts self-confidence.  To increase student participation and engagement, school staff will create new activity groups/clubs/organizations designed to appeal to the special and diverse interest of 6th through 8th grade students at each school. Interests will be determined based on a student survey to be conducted in early Fall 2017.
  1. MSHSAA Participation
Middle school athletics will join the Missouri State High School Activities Association which will provide:
  • Increased scheduling options to meet diverse school needs across the district including increasing the number of contests and participating in competition that is leveled based on schools of similar size, ability level and participation rates
  • Alignment with a set of bylaws that all member schools comply with across Missouri
  • Alignment of SPS’ sports seasons with regional schools (for more details, please see the attached Fact Sheet). This will mean that football, volleyball, and boys & girls cross country seasons will occur in the Fall of 2017.
  • Development of high school programs by increased participation and allowing our coaches to draw comparisons of skill and talent levels between SPS students/teams and regional schools
Please note: In compliance with academic eligibility criteria, MSHSAA has clarified that any seventh-grade student who fails more than one class during the fourth quarter of the 2016-2017 school year will not be eligible to participate in interscholastic activities during the first quarter of the 2017-2018 school year. Sixth-grade students transitioning to seventh grade and eighth-grade students transitioning to ninth grade are given a clean slate, however, MSHSAA does not exempt athletes from grade standards when a district officially begins with them. View academic criteria on page 42 of the MSHSAA handbook.
  1. Athletic Option Expansion
Athletic opportunities will be expanded with the addition of cross-country and archery as a competitive opportunities for girls and boys beginning with the 2017-2018 school year.
If your child is interested in participating in these activities next school year, please see the attached Fact Sheet for important information.
We look forward to the positive lifelong changes this investment will create for our students and hope you will encourage your child to consider how they may want to participate in activities or athletics next school year.

This FACT SHEET will provide you more specifics about the sports, their start and end dates, as well as the dead period for this summer.

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Saturday, April 22, 2017

April 21, 2017 Announcements

Hello Cherokee Families,

It looks as though the rain may be clearing out and Sunday looks promising. I hope you are able to get outdoors and enjoy some sunshine!

MAP testing went well this week for our 6th and 7th graders as they finished up on Wednesday. Our 8th graders wrap up the MAP on Monday as they take the Science portion. Our Algebra I students will be completing the EOC (End of Course) exam on Tuesday or Wednesday depending on what team they are on.

We appreciate everyone doing their best to have students at school every day!

I wish each of you a peaceful weekend and #GoIndians

Here are a few updates and reminders for you:
1. Daily Announcement and website – Parents of 8th graders - please check our announcements as we are sharing info from Kickapoo regarding upcoming events, tryouts, etc. via our announcements.

We do update these announcements daily. Don’t miss out!
Remember you can stay closely connected with these listed events and even more each day by visiting our website HERE. Our Daily Announcements are updated Monday - Friday and are now embedded on the website and will automatically scroll through for you. Enjoy!

2. PTSA yearly calendar & Clothing Bank signup – Thank you to all our families who regularly attend meetings and those who are actively involved. We appreciate all you do for our students and staff!

3. We have an amazing team here at Cherokee. We’ve had several families take time to submit these this year. Our teachers & staff appreciate the kinds words so much. Thank you! You can complete an Employee Recognition Form here to show them your appreciation. No recognition is too small. Thank you for taking the time to recognize and celebrate our staff!
4.  IGNiTE – Have questions about IGNiTE? Check out this website for more information on IGNiTE. Our website also has links to more information at the top left-hand side of the page under IGNiTE.
  • District Chromebooks are filtered using a product called Securly. Securly filters Chromebooks at school and at home.
  • Websites are filtered upon categories and blocks items such as pornography, proxy websites used to bypass filtering, weapons, drugs, gambling, hacking and other non-educational websites.
  • Parents can find out more about how we keep students safe and secure on their Chromebooks on the IGNiTE@Home website.
  • If a student, parent or teacher reports that inappropriate content is available to students, please send any websites or Chrome extensions you believe should be blocked to me immediately.
  • Here is an FAQ regarding district filtering policies.

5.  2017 - 2018 School Calendar approved - Ready to make summer plans? Here is the calendar for 2017 - 2018.
The first day of school will be Wednesday, Aug. 16th, 2017.
2017 - 2018 Cherokee Orientation dates/times:
6th grade - Monday, Aug. 7th 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
7th grade Panthers - Monday, Aug. 7th 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
7th grade Ravens - Tuesday, Aug. 8th  5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
7th grade Endeavor - Tuesday, Aug. 8th 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
8th grade NEW students (never attended Cherokee for 6th or 7th grade) - Wednesday, Aug. 9th 4:30 in library
8th grade returning students (attended Cherokee in 7th) - Wednesday, Aug. 9th 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. for Schedule pick up. No orientation for returning students.
6. MAP testing - Our MAP dates have been set. Please make every attempt to be present on these dates.
8th grade Science - Monday, April 24th
Algebra I EOC (end of course) Exam -
Tuesday, April 25th & Wednesday, April 26th
Here are the Bell Schedules for each MAP testing date:

7. Explore (aka Summer School) - Make your mark at Explore!
This summer,  Explore will offer students eight weeks of exciting opportunities to pursue their unique interests and passions. Each day will be packed with engaging, relevant and personal learning opportunities, enriched by integrated technology, exciting field experiences and hands-on activities.
Artworks will also be offered free at two locations, plus students can choose to stay all day to enrich their experience. Here is the guide for more information.
There will be two sessions of Explore. Session I could start as early as May 30, depending on the actual last day of the regular school year. The last day of Session I will be June 28. Session II will be held July 5-July 28.
Free transportation will be offered for eligible students and free breakfast and lunch will be served daily at every school.
*Middle school students, students in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade for the 17 - 18 school year, will attend classes Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Registration for middle school is open and the pocket guide is HERE. Carver is considered our home school for summer.
*8th graders going to high school in 17 - 18 your Field Guide is HERE and students may register for classes now. Hurry as high school classes close quickly.
Register for Explore classes at explore.spsk12.org
8. Last day of school - Will be Monday, May 22nd. Cherokee will dismiss at 12:45 p.m. on Monday, May 22nd.

9. Parent Survey - Cherokee families, Each student having equitable access to engaging, relevant and personalized learning experiences that positively impact academic achievement and personal growth is a goal of the Springfield Public Schools strategic plan. Receiving feedback from students and parents regarding the performance and their satisfaction with the district, school, and building leaders is one way SPS monitors and uses the data to improve performance. Thank you for taking 15 minutes to respond to this survey about our school.
Thank you!

10. Progress reports - a reminder we don’t send home a paper copy of the report any longer. Grades are posted and teams have sent home communication on how to let them know you have checked grades on eSchool. Have questions? Our students know how to access them via eSchool. If you have any concerns please contact our teachers any time.
Thanks!

Please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time.
Have a great week and as always #GoIndians
Bill Powers, Ed.D
Principal
Cherokee Middle School
420 E. Farm Road 182
Springfield, MO 65810
Ph: 417-523-7210
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." - Alvin Toffler
Confidentiality Notice: This email message and any accompanying document(s) and attachments contain information from Springfield Public Schools, which is confidential and privileged. The email transmission and any attached documents are intended to be for the review and use solely of the individual(s) or entity(ies) named and listed on the email transmission message. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby advised that any review, disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the information and/or contents of this email message, as well as any attached documents, is prohibited. If you have received this email message in error, please immediately delete this email transmission and notify us by telephone of this error.
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Thursday, April 13, 2017

April 14, 2017 Announcements

Hello Cherokee Families,
We hope you are doing well and enjoying the beautiful weather!
We begin our MAP testing this week. You can find the dates, subjects tested, and bell schedules for each date listed below.
We have a survey we would like everyone to take for us. It will take approximately 15 minutes to complete. We appreciate your feedback.
I wish each of you a peaceful weekend and #GoIndians
Here are a few updates and reminders for you:
1. Daily Announcement and website – Parents of 8th graders - please check our announcements as we are sharing info from Kickapoo regarding upcoming events, tryouts, etc. via our announcements.
Remember you can stay closely connected with these listed events and even more each day by visiting our website HERE. Our Daily Announcements are updated Monday - Friday and are now embedded on the website and will automatically scroll through for you. Enjoy!
2. PTSA yearly calendar & Clothing Bank signup – Here is the YEARLY CALENDAR with other dates of note and all meeting dates as well. Our next meeting is Tuesday, April 18th at 7:30 a.m. in the library. You can also find Cherokee PTSA on Facebook HERE. We are looking for volunteers for the SPS PTSA Clothing Bank. Click HERE for dates and times and to sign up. Thank you!
3. We have an amazing team here at Cherokee. We’ve had several families take time to submit these this year. Our teachers & staff appreciate the kinds words so much. Thank you! You can complete an Employee Recognition Form here to show them your appreciation. No recognition is too small. Thank you for taking the time to recognize and celebrate our staff!
4.  IGNiTE – Have questions about IGNiTE? Check out this website for more information on IGNiTE. Our website also has links to more information at the top left-hand side of the page under IGNiTE.
  • District Chromebooks are filtered using a product called Securly. Securly filters Chromebooks at school and at home.
  • Websites are filtered upon categories and blocks items such as pornography, proxy websites used to bypass filtering, weapons, drugs, gambling, hacking and other non-educational websites.
  • Parents can find out more about how we keep students safe and secure on their Chromebooks on the IGNiTE@Home website.
  • If a student, parent or teacher reports that inappropriate content is available to students, please send any websites or Chrome extensions you believe should be blocked to me immediately.
  • Here is an FAQ regarding district filtering policies.
5.  2017 - 2018 School Calendar approved - Ready to make summer plans? Here is the calendar for 2017 - 2018.
The first day of school will be Wednesday, Aug. 16th, 2017.
2017 - 2018 Cherokee Orientation dates/times:
6th grade - Monday, Aug. 7th 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
7th grade Panthers - Monday, Aug. 7th 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
7th grade Ravens - Tuesday, Aug. 8th  5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
7th grade Endeavor - Tuesday, Aug. 8th 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
8th grade NEW students (never attended Cherokee for 6th or 7th grade) - Wednesday, Aug. 9th 4:30 in library
8th grade returning students (attended Cherokee in 7th) - Wednesday, Aug. 9th 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. for Schedule pick up. No orientation for returning students.
6. MAP testing - Our MAP dates have been set. Please make every attempt to be present on these dates.
6th, 7th, and 8th grade Reading & Math - Tuesday, April 18th and Wednesday, April 19th.
8th grade Writing - Thursday, April 20th
8th grade Science - Monday, April 24th
Algebra I EOC (end of course) Exam -
Tuesday, April 25th & Wednesday, April 26th
Here are the Bell Schedules for each MAP testing date:
7. Explore (aka Summer School) - Make your mark at Explore!
This summer,  Explore will offer students eight weeks of exciting opportunities to pursue their unique interests and passions. Each day will be packed with engaging, relevant and personal learning opportunities, enriched by integrated technology, exciting field experiences and hands-on activities.
Artworks will also be offered free at two locations, plus students can choose to stay all day to enrich their experience. Here is the guide for more information.
There will be two sessions of Explore. Session I could start as early as May 30, depending on the actual last day of the regular school year. The last day of Session I will be June 28. Session II will be held July 5-July 28.
Free transportation will be offered for eligible students and free breakfast and lunch will be served daily at every school.
*Middle school students, students in 6th, 7th, or 8th grade for the 17 - 18 school year, will attend classes Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Registration for middle school is open and the pocket guide is HERE. Carver is considered our home school for summer.
*8th graders going to high school in 17 - 18 your Field Guide is HERE and students may register for classes now. Hurry as high school classes close quickly.
Register for Explore classes at explore.spsk12.org
8. Last day of school - Will be Monday, May 22nd. Cherokee will dismiss at 12:45 p.m. on Monday, May 22nd.

9. Parent Survey - Cherokee families, Each student having equitable access to engaging, relevant and personalized learning experiences that positively impact academic achievement and personal growth is a goal of the Springfield Public Schools strategic plan. Receiving feedback from students and parents regarding the performance and their satisfaction with the district, school, and building leaders is one way SPS monitors and uses the data to improve performance. Thank you for taking 15 minutes to respond to this survey about our school.
Thank you!
10. Progress reports - a reminder we don’t send home a paper copy of the report any longer. Grades are posted and teams have sent home communication on how to let them know you have checked grades on eSchool. Have questions? Our students know how to access them via eSchool. If you have any concerns please contact our teachers any time.
Thanks!
Please don’t hesitate to contact us at any time.
Have a great week and as always #GoIndians
Bill Powers, Ed.D
Principal
Cherokee Middle School
420 E. Farm Road 182
Springfield, MO 65810
Ph: 417-523-7210
"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn." - Alvin Toffler
Confidentiality Notice: This email message and any accompanying document(s) and attachments contain information from Springfield Public Schools, which is confidential and privileged. The email transmission and any attached documents are intended to be for the review and use solely of the individual(s) or entity(ies) named and listed on the email transmission message. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby advised that any review, disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the information and/or contents of this email message, as well as any attached documents, is prohibited. If you have received this email message in error, please immediately delete this email transmission and notify us by telephone of this error.
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