Archway Cicero News
Week of 4.24.16

IMPORTANT DATES
 Please note: You can also always find these newsletters on our PSO web site: www.CiceroPSO.org & on our school app (link is at the end of this newsletter). If you have any photos we can include in these newsletters,
please send them to [email protected].

April 28 - 7:45am, 5th Grade Parents' "Coffee with the Headmaster"
April 28 - 2pm-4pm, Fingerprinting for Parent/Caregiver Volunteers
April 29 - Online Read-A-Thon ends
May 2-6 - Teacher Appreciation Week
May 4 - Spring Concert - 6pm, K-2nd grades
May 5
- Spring Concert - 6pm, 3rd-5th grades
May 6 - Please help with drop-off/pick-up as a thank you to our teachers. Contact: Julie Caldwell, [email protected]
May 6 @ 1pm & May 7 @ 6pm - Cicero Prep Play: Much Ado About Nothing, Free, Everyone Welcome to This Free Performance!
May 13 - Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast
May 14 - Cicero Golf Classic
May 20 - 5th Grade Science Fair, 2pm-3pm, Cafeteria, Everyone welcome!
May 23 - Noon, Teacher Appreciation Luncheon
May 26 - LAST DAY OF SCHOOL - Please note: the last day is May 26, not May 25, please double check your calendars to make sure you have it listed correctly
CONGRATULATIONS ARCHWAY CICERO CHESS CLUB!
The Archway Cicero Chess Club had an outstanding showing at the Rook's Rank Chess Tournament on April 23.  All team members qualified for the Governor's Cup to be held on May 14 & 15.  On an individual level, Andrew Smith (5th grade) finished first place in the K-6 Championships division with a 5-0 record.  Vincent Pollard (3rd grade) placed second in the K-3 Under 600 division, also with a perfect record of 5-0.  3rd graders Alex Dacorte and Connor Dunnigan placed 8th and 10th respectively in the K-3 Under 500 division.  In the team competition, Grantham Smith (3rd grade) & Camden Smith (1st grade) joined Alex & Connor to take second place in the K-3 Under 500 team championships.
ANNUAL 5TH GRADE WATER BALLOON BATTLE
Every year, Cicero 5th graders re-enact the "Battle of Fort Sumter" by lobbing hundreds of water balloons at each other. 5C parents, Gina & Tony Coletta and Julie Fishbach, built an amazing Ft. Sumter for 5B to take cover in while 5A and 5C took aim. Some dads tested out the catapult beforehand to make sure it worked okay. Mr. Vlahovich sounded the horn so the battle could begin.
ARTWALK
Thank you to Ms. Dias and Ms. Summa for putting together Thursday night's Artwalk. We had a fantastic turnout with about 350+ visitors. They worked hard to select special examples of each student's art and to display them on each child's desk as well as in the halls. Thank you also to the faculty volunteers who helped, including: Ms. Skurk, Ms. Walker, Ms. Anthon, Ms. Marten, Ms. Dion, Ms. Milford, Ms. Wallani, Mr. Selle, Ms. Lazarus and Ms. Brooks and to the home room parents for all of your help! Thanks to Ms. Caldwell and her team of volunteers for providing refreshments.
IF YOU DON'T HAVE A VOLUNTEER CARD, HERE'S YOUR CHANCE!
Fingerprinting for
Volunteer Cards
Thursday, April 28

In order to chaperone on field trips or help out with on-campus activities, you need to be fingerprinted and get your Volunteer Card. A representative from Great Hearts will be on campus to do this on Thursday, April 28th from 2pm-4pm. These opportunities don't come up that often, so please do it now, while it's convenient. Otherwise, you'll have to drive to the Veritas campus. Please reserve your spot HERE. Note: If you already have your volunteer card, you do not need to do this. This is only for those of you who haven't gotten a card yet. They're good for a couple of years. 
 
5TH GRADE PARENTS:
COFFEE WITH THE CICERO PREP HEADMASTER
April 28, 7:45am, 
Prep Faculty Lounge
Do you want to hear the vision for middle school and high school extracurricular clubs, sports, events and socials? You are invited to join Dr. Discher on Thursday, April 28th at 7:45am for "Coffee with the Headmaster" in the Faculty Lounge.
DEAR PARENT VOLUNTEERS
The Archway Teachers would like to show our appreciation for all the help you have contributed this school year. Join us in the Multi-Purpose Room to celebrate our gratitude for you on Friday, May 13, from 8:30-9:30am. We'll cook a healthy breakfast, with tea, and semi-fancy coffee. Please RSVP by clicking HERE so we know how many to provide food and beverage for.
DEAR CICERO FAMILIES

As some of you may know, there are two Title 1 schools within the Great Hearts Network.   Many Maryvale Prep and Teleos Prep families come from low-income neighborhoods and rely on their Great Hearts school communities to provide them with basic resources to help their children succeed.  The Cicero PSO Board has decided to donate $1,000 to the Greater Good Fund, where the money goes directly to our Title 1 schools. This money will come from the proceeds from our two "Dine Arounds" at Peter Piper Pizza. (Don't miss our next one on May 19th!) 
  • A gift of $250 offers professional development opportunities for teachers at our Title 1 schools
  • A gift of $500 helps low-income families with the cost of school uniforms
  • A gift of $1,500 sponsors a Title 1 student's comprehensive Great Hearts education
The PSO Board felt that we were in the fortunate position to be able to reach out and assist some of the families in our GH community that need financial assistance. We hope that you agree.
Thank you so much for your continued support of Cicero PSO activities and fundraisers!
 
Sincerely,

Meghan Koch                                            Julie Caldwell
   Cicero Prep PSO President                  Cicero Archway PSO President

YOU ARE INVITED TO A FREE PLAY PERFORMED BY CICERO PREP STUDENTS
It is our pleasure to announce the Spring 2016 Shakespeare Play, "Much Ado About Nothing." Students from all three Prep grades (grades 6-8) have been working very diligently designing and building sets, gathering props, acting with conviction, and memorizing lines (which are all from the challenging original text!) In short, the play will be a beautiful event that is not to be missed. Accordingly, mark your calendar for Friday May 6 at 1 PM and Saturday May 7 at 6PM in the Cicero auditorium. Admission is free. Please do not hesitate to contact Mr. Yost or Mr. Ophals with any questions.


SAVE THE DATE:
3RD ANNUAL FAMILY FUN EVENT AT BIG SURF

June 3rd, 5:30pm, More Info to Come
MISSING SOMETHING?

There are lots of sweaters in the Archway lost and found area with students names on them.  Because these items could have been handed down or donated we have no way of knowing if the name is correct.  If you are missing outerwear, please come look before Friday the 29th.  After that all items will be donated to the used uniform sale.
THE PSO LUNCH PROGRAM NEEDS YOUR HELP!

Besides the need for volunteers, we are looking for donations.  We still need a fridge, any size, to be used on the Prep side.  Thank you to the Bleimeyers for their generous donation of a fridge to be used at Archway.  Also, we are running low on snacks.  If you could donate applesauce, fruit cups or granola bars, we would greatly appreciate it.  And lastly, we need clorox wipes!  These are the easiest and most sanitary way to wipe down tables and the lunch serving room ensuring the space is properly cleaned for the kids. Both Prep and Archway lunch rooms need these badly.  Any donation is appreciated and can be dropped off at the office.  Thank you in advance for your generous support! Questions? Contact Donna Church at [email protected].

WE ALSO NEED VOLUNTEERS TO SERVE LUNCH - ESPECIALLY FRIDAYS
NO TEXTING WHILE
DRIVING ORDINANCE

The Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community has become the first tribal nation to adopt a no texting while driving ordinance. They passed the measure on April 20th and there will be a 90 day educational period. Please click HERE to read their letter.

April is an
EXCITING Month to READ at Archway Cicero!  
Cicero's First Ever Read-a-thon with proceeds to benefit the Archway Library!
April 11th - 29th
 
Where Do I Start?
  • Follow the directions on the Whooo's Reading student instructions sheet (this was sent home in your children's backpacks this week) and login to your student's account.
  • Personalize your "Owlvatar," add your personal favorites, and log your first book!
What's Next?
  • A parent needs to authorize the student account via email (see the "Invite Sponsors" tab to get started). Parents can follow this link to view instructions on how to use your parent account:https://www.whooosreading.org/guides/parent?d=9807.
  • Parents and students can now invite sponsors (family, friends, neighbors, etc.)
Helpful Links to invite sponsors:
How Can I Earn Extra Reading Minutes?
Read by yourself, to a friend or family member, or listen to a parent read! Don't forget to log the minutes on your Whooo's Reading account!
 
The class with the most participants at each grade level wins a popsicle party. 
SPRING CONCERTS
K-2nd Grades:May 4th, 6pm
3rd-5th Grades: May 5th, 6pm
Performance in these concerts is mandatory
as this is a portion of students' music grades

The Archway Cicero Spring Concert Series will be held in the Cicero Gymnatorium where we will get to enjoy our new sound system.

NEW Policy: Students who do not adhere to the following concert dress code will not be allowed to participate in the concert.

Performance in these concerts is mandatory as this is
a portion of students' music grades.


Just a reminder, here is our concert dress code:
 
BOYS -
white, collared dress shirt (clean, white uniform shirt is fine), no tie
black slacks
black socks and black dress shoes
 
GIRLS-
white, short or long-sleeved blouse (clean, white uniform shirt is fine)
black skirt, length: between knees and ankles
or black dress slacks
black socks or tights, and black dress shoes
 
Even though girls are permitted to wear low heels, we do not recommend them. We prefer rubber soled flats since they are safer while walking up and down stairs/risers, more comfortable and more silent while students walk on and off the stage. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. McWilliams at [email protected].

 Thank you for all of your support and encouragement of your children in their musical endeavors!

If you have questions, please contact Mrs. McWilliams at [email protected]

TAX CREDIT
Thank you so much for your amazing support of our 2015 Tax Credit drive! Our goal was met and we appreciate everything you do for our school!

Winner in the drawing among the families who brought in the most Archway Cicero Tax Credits: The Tomey Family won a $50 gift card to FOX restaurants.

Drawing for the $250 gift card to Dennis Uniforms: Ivonne & Baron Smith

Thank you to EVERYONE who participated in this year's drive. Your contribution provides much needed funds for field trips, after school clubs, character enriching programs and experiences brought on campus such as the ballet and symphony.

Thank you again!
Angela Braun, Director of Academy Giving
We are looking for sponsors and donations for our upcoming golf tournament. Here is a letter you can hand out if you know of anyone who can help out. 
Not able to attend? That's okay, you can still bid on auction items using your cell phone. Register your cell phone HERE for the Silent Auction.

Questions? Please contact: Kevin Allen/Athletic Director: [email protected] or Angela Braun/Director or Academy Giving: [email protected]
TENNIS SUMMER CAMP

Looking for a summer camp for your kids? Seth Korey's 18th Annual Summer Tennis Camp takes place at La Camarilla. Please click HERE for more details.

COMPOSTING PROGRAM
Cicero Mom, Siobhan Ulreich-Power, is interested in starting a composting program. She knows of a company that offers reduced rates for composting at schools. She is trying to find a way to cover the small cost. If you would like to help out with this project,
please contact Siobhan at [email protected].


EMERGENCY NOTIFICATIONS

You can receive notifications by text, call or email. Right now, on your cell phone, please text y or yes to 68453 and that will put you on the list to receive texts or calls. You will receive a confirmation text immediately letting you know it went through. If you have any trouble, please contact the Cicero front office. Thanks!
 
 KONA ICE 
Friday, May 6, Early Release Day, After School 
Kona Ice will also be on campus: 5/26  

Thank you Cicero Community for your support in helping to make our school the BEST! If you have any questions, please email [email protected]

CICERO SCRIP PROGRAM... SUMMER IS COMING!
CREDIT CARDS NOW ACCEPTED!

Allow us to help simplify your life while your purchases help our school! Whether it is for summer trips, gas, necessities, teacher appreciation, food shopping, birthday parties, businesses, or just plain fun, consider using the Cicero Scrip Program.

Here's How It Works: When you buy the cards through the program, our school wins as we get a portion of the purchase back in rebate from the retailer.
  • Order Deadline is May 6, 2016
  •  To participate, send in completed form with payment. Forms came home in your children's backpacks last week.
  1. Credit Card: Information filled out on bottom of order form and payment through Cicero PSO Stripe account: CLICK HERE
  2. Check made out to Cicero PSO in an envelope back to your homeroom teacher.
  3. Cash
  • Completed order forms MUST be accompanied by the signed waiver in order to be placed.
  • Orders will be available for pick-up on TWO dates:
  1. May 18th - 7:30am-8am, 3pm-3:30pm after school
  2. May 20th - 7:30am-8am, 3pm-3:30pm after school
Please feel free to share this with family and friends as you can place the order for them! As always, thank you for your support in helping our school!
 
Questions, feel free to email: [email protected]
LIBRARY UPDATE
We are currently in the midst of receiving and checking-in thousands of new books, purchased from Octoberfest profits, Scholastic book fair profits, "Founding Families" donations, as well as from a handful of generous financial contributions from Archway parents! Each book has to be entered into our library software system, and labeled with a scannable bar code and library access number. This has proven to be a much more time-intensive task than we originally anticipated, however we are making steady progress. A special thank you goes out to Ms. Walker, one of our second grade teachers, who has been diligently tending to this process after school each day!

We are pleased to announce that your child will be able to check out books to take home, as soon as they return to school this August. Also, one of our current teachers, Mrs. Pain, will be serving as Archway Cicero's part-time librarian beginning the first day of the next school year. We thank you SO much for your generous donations, your participation in our used-book drives and read-a-thon, your patience, and your support as we get our library organized and ready for its August 2016 opening!

CICERO ATHLETIC WEB SITE
PLEASE FILL IN THIS ONLINE FORM
This is a great resource for Cicero athletic calendars, schedules, rosters, and much more! Sign up for alerts as well. Click Here: Athletic Web Site 
FRIENDLY REMINDER ABOUT MORNING DROP-OFF

Student drop off time is 7:20am - 7:57am. Please do not drop your child off at the gates or MPR doors after 7:57am, as doors will be locked. Children are required to be unpacked, settled in, at their desks, and ready to learn by 8am, which means they need a minimum of a few minutes on campus prior to 8am.  If a child is dropped off after 7:57, the child needs to go to the office to pick up a late slip.


LUNCHBOX CLEAN-OUT TIME!

We will dispose of leftover lunch boxes every Friday from here on out. Water bottles will be donated every Friday.

There are uniforms in the Archway and Prep lost and founds and books and learning supplies in the Prep lost and found.  These will also be either moved to the used uniform sale or disposed of each Friday.
SAVE AT NEARBY BUSINESSES!

The Pavilions at Talking Stick is providing coupons for nearby businesses. Click on the link below to print or save them. They're offering a lot of coupons at a variety of different businesses. Here are just a few:
  • Frontgate Outlet - 50% Off One Item
  • Filiberto's - Giant Bean Burrito with Cheese, 99 cents
  • Buffalo Wild Wings - $5 Off Purchase of $25 or More
  • Blimpie's - Free Sub With Purchase
  • Arizona Auto Wash - $7.49 Basic Full Service or 50% Off Any Wash
  • 5 & Diner - Buy One Entree, Get One Free
  • Sports Authority - $10 Off Your Purchase of $50 or More
  • Sweet Tomatoes - 15% Off Lunch or Dinner
HELPFUL LINKS:
If you would like to submit any photos or articles for this newsletter,
please email them to: [email protected]. Thank you!
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