CCA NEWSLETTER SEPTEMBER 12, 2015
 

ELEMENTARY & MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENT NIGHTS 
 MARK IT ON YOUR CALENDARS!!

Elementary Parent Night
Monday, September 21st 
6:30pm - CCA Presentation in Chapel
7pm - Classroom Visit
7:30pm - Second Classroom Visit

Middle School Parent Night
Tuesday, September 22nd 
6:30pm 


This night is an important night for parents, so please plan a babysitter for your children. 
ELEMENTARY FRIDAY BLUE DAY! We have been seeing those beautiful blue CCA shirts ever since we handed them out on the first day of school; they look great! Every Friday this year will be Spirit Friday where students and staff will wear their CCA shirts! We look forward to seeing students wearing them often!
 
SOCCER SHOTS (Ages 3-8) - Begins 9/15 and runs through 11/10 - 3:15-4:15. The first day is a "try-it" day! Go to their website or call 503-913-4542 for more details.

QUICKSTART SPORTS T-BALL (ages 3-6) - Begins 9/16 and runs through 11/04 - 3:15-4:15. Go to their website or facebook page for more details.
 
PAYBACK BOOK SALES DUE 9/17! 
The 2015-16 Payback Book is loaded with discounts to Vancouver area restaurants, movies, attractions, and stores. This is the easiest and quickest fundraiser we do - books are $20 with $10 coming back to CCA with each sale. Easy! Envelopes are due back to school 9/17. Turn in an order for 10+ books and receive a $10 Barnes and Nobel gift card!
 
MS STUDENT COUNCIL ELECTIONS - Are coming! If your middle school student is interested being a member of our Student Council for the 2015-16 school year, have them pick up an application ASAP. Applications are due 9/22. Speeches will take place during Chapel on Wednesday, 9/30 and elections will be held on Thursday 10/1. 
 
NEED MATH TUTORING? Mr. Smith is offering after school math tutoring again this trimester. If you are interested, please contact him by email for more details and times available.
Middle School Retreat Info
September 16-18
Eagle Fern Camp - Estacada, OR

EMERGENCY! WE NEED MALE VOLUNTEERS FOR OUR RETREAT! OUR BOYS NEED CABIN LEADERS...WON'T YOU CONSIDER HELPING OUT?

Our annual Middle School retreat is coming up quickly!  This is such a great time for the students to bond with each other in a way they only could in an atmosphere such as this. 

Many parents have volunteered to help - thank you! We will have more detailed information for you soon. In the meantime, if you have not completed a background check lately, please do so and return it to the middle school office ASAP. All chaperones will need this form turned in prior to being approved to attend.

All students will need a signed release form if they want to participate in the zip line at Eagle Fern Camp. Please download the form and bring it to the office as soon as possible.

Finally, we are in need of volunteers to donate/make cupcakes and cookies (something without a plate) You will receive 1 service hour for your help! If you would like to volunteer, please contact Mrs. Jacquet.

And here is a sneak peek of the Worship Band... Hidden Heart:
ELEMENTARY PICK-UP PROCEEDURES

With so many new families this year, we have experienced an increase in pick-up traffic.
 
If your child is in a class in the East Pod, your pick up is in the back lot turn-around area.
 
Some steps to follow:
1. Pull forward as far as you can in the loop.
2. Do not leave your vehicle.
3. Always have children load from passenger side only.
4. Wait for the vehicle to pull out, don't try to go  around the one ahead of you.
 
If your child is picked up in the front area, there are two lanes to choose from. The RIGHT hand lane is for pick-up of fourth and fifth grade students. The LEFT hand land is for pick-up of kindergarten and first grade students.
 
In either lane, we will have pedestrians crossing in the crosswalk where student-safety guards and Mr. Hoff will control traffic flow.
 
Here are some safety guidelines to follow to make this a quick and safe area:
               
1. Pull as far forward as possible in the loading areas.
2. Do not leave your vehicle, teachers will help  students get to the car safely.
3. ALWAYS have children load from the passenger  side only as traffic will be passing on the driver's side.
4. Once loaded, proceed cautiously and immediately  to make room for others picking up children behind you.
 
Kindergarten and first grade parents, if you choose to not use the vehicle pick-up area and park in the lot, use the CROSSWALK only. It is our desire to teach students roadside safety that will transfer to public spaces and crosswalk use is part of that training. When you J-walk, students are learning an unsafe practice for those times they are in the community. Join us in keeping your children safe by using the crosswalk.
ELEMENTARY BIRTHDAY & HOLIDAY CELEBRATIONS birthday-banner-yellow.gif
 
One of the great joys of the school year for teachers and students is the celebration of birthdays and holidays. We believe that every student is a gift from God, unique and special, and when the time of birthdays comes around, we desire to make it a special day for each student.
 
As the latest research is showing, children are eating record amounts of "junk" food. Birthdays and holidays tend to bring out those foods that represent the junk food category. Cornerstone Christian Academy desires to team with each family to grow well rounded students, including academically, socially, mentally, physically, and spiritually. With that in mind, we have adopted a healthier approach to these wonderful celebrations.
 
Each student's birthday will be celebrated on that special day. Weekend birthdays will be celebrated on Fridays when possible, while summer birthdays will be celebrated during the last week of the school year.
With health in mind, and with the fact that classes have as many as twenty-four students, we will no longer permit cakes, candy, donuts, and ice-cream items for these celebrations. Instead we are asking parents who wish to bring a class treat to provide fresh fruit, fruit trays, or other healthy choices. If you have difficulty thinking of a good alternative to the cakes and so forth, the Wellness section of the newsletter has links to some great sites that address this very topic.
 
Thank you for your support in our move toward a healthier campus!

Meet Our New Middle School Teacher!
Debra Blom - After graduating from Concordia University, I taught for two years at Centennial High School in Gresham, one year at Eastern Local High School in Beaver, Ohio (yes, it is as small as it sounds!), and one year at Leavenworth High School in Leavenworth, Kansas.  (Yes, Leavenworth has five prisons within a 10 mile radius; we liked to refer to it as a "gated community.")  After working briefly in insurance, I have spent the last four years at home with my children (Beth is almost 4; Isaac is 14 months).  I finished my Master's Degree in adolescent literacy last December, and I am really excited to get back to the classroom and to join the Cornerstone team! In my spare time, I like to run, to read, to scrapbook, and to do anything active (play soccer, rock climb, hike, ride my bike, etc.)  I host a weekly women's Bible study, and my husband and I love to travel.  This summer we went to Chicago and saw both the Cubs and the Sox play; it was a blast!  We are looking forward to a trip to Hawaii this December. 
Parents - are you aware that we have an awesome resource for practice/game schedules and locations? Click on our
Athletic Calendar for up-to-the-minute details. Everything you need is right there - it will even link to your map program and give you directions.
  
CROSS COUNTRY
Practices daily from 3:30-5:00
Next Meet: 9/26, Nike Pre-Nationals
VOLLEYBALL
Next Game: 9/14 @ Home vs. West Hills
9/24 @ Home vs. Portland Christian

Your student will be required to have our Athletic Eligibility form completed each week (teacher signatures) in order to be eligible to participate in any game or meet. These forms are available in the middle school office.

 
Upcoming Events

9/15-Soccer Shots
9/16-18 - MS Retreat
9/16-Quick Start T-ball
9/21-Elementary Parent Night
9/22-MS Parent Night
9/22-Student Council Apps Due
9/22-Soccer Shots
9/22-Elementary Picture Day
9/23-See You At The Pole
9/23-Quick Start T-ball
9/24-MS 3D Thursday
9/24-After School Chess
9/25-1st Lion Pride of 2015-16!
9/29-Soccer Shots
9/30-Student Council Speeches
9/30-Quick Start T-ball
10/01-Student Council Election
10/01-Walk-a-Thon
10/01-After School Chess
10/06-Soccer Shots
10/07-Quick Start T-ball
10/08-After School Chess
10/09-No School - In Service
10/13-Soccer Shots
10/14-Quick Start T-ball
10/15-After School Chess
10/20-Grandparent's Day
10/20-22 - Book Fair
10/20-Soccer Shots
10/21-Quick Start T-ball
10/22-MS 3D Thursday
10/22-After School Chess
10/23-Walk-a-Thon Awards
10/27-Soccer Shots
10/28-Quick Start T-ball
10/29-After School Chess
10/30-Student Council Elections
11/02-06 - Fall Food Drive
11/03-Soccer Shots
11/04-Quick Start T-ball
11/13-Early Release - In Service
11/23-24 - Conferences
11/25-27 - Thanksgiving Break

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
2 Corinthians 5:17

CCA Films

Presents: 

Mr. Hoff's Lessons on Kind Words

Middle School

Homework/Tests/Quizzes 

None - Retreat!
Service Hours Opportunity

We need a variety of volunteers for our school concerts for things like lighting, sound, videography, and video camera operators. These positions do require training. If you can commit to the training and all three concerts, your year's service hours will be taken care of!  Concert dates are: 10/20, 12/15, and 5/24. The training date is still TBD. If you are interested please contact Mr. Wise ASAP.
PTF NEEDS YOU!
Would you like to be more involved with PTF this year? Consider being an officer or chairing a project or event!  No experience? No problem, we'll help you learn the ropes.  Contact Dawn Rhoads at ptf@ccak12.net for more info.

Our Point of Service lunch system, MealTime, makes it so much easier to track, pay for, and order lunches for all students! This link will give you helpful instructions to set up and use your account.

 

Elementary Lunch Menu

Middle School Lunch Menu

HELPFUL DOCUMENT LINKS
  
 

 

 

RENWEB Sign-on Procedures
 to get started.
 
Our school ID is:
CCS-WA
If you ever have any questions or trouble with RenWeb, please let us know. We are here to help!

Box Tops & Campbell's Labels


Did you know that CCA earns money for each and every Box Top & Campbells Label you clip and turn in? This money has been used for much needed items like PE equipment and Art supplies. Won't you help us? As an added incentive, we have quarterly contests to see which class can bring in the most!  If you have any questions, please email  the PTF at  ptf@ccak12.net. We have a list of eligible products here and here.  Thank you for supporting our school!
Effortless Fundraising Opportunities 

Cornerstone has partnered with Fred Meyer and AmazonSmile in an opportunity to raise money. For Fred Meyer shoppers, it's as easy as linking your rewards card. For Amazon.com shoppers, all of the same products, prices, and service that you are accustomed to is accessible through AmazonSmile which donates 0.5% of every purchase to Cornerstone. By taking a few simple steps to enhance the shopping routine you may already have, you aide in raising funds for your school! For more information about the necessary steps to take, see the flyer here.
 
Health & Wellness
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Did you know that children have about 6-10 colds per year? This is because children are typically in day care or school where they have close contact with a lot of people throughout the day.
 
Cold and flu season are just around the corner.  Studies show the best prevention against colds and flu is HANDWASHING. Wash hands with soap and water for 10-20 seconds. If soap and water are not available use alcohol based hand sanitizer.

Common hand washing questions:

How do I know when I've washed long enough? Sing the birthday song or your ABC's while you wash-when the song is over it has been long enough

When should I wash my hands? Before eating, after using the bathroom, after blowing your nose or coughing into your hand(s), or after touching your nose, eyes or mouth.

Which is better, soap & water or hand sanitizer? Soap and water is recommended by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) especially for visibly dirty hands.
 
Tip:
When you are done washing your hands (leave the water running), dry your hands with a paper towel, before you toss the paper towel, use the paper towel to turn off the water and open the door. Then toss the paper towel in the trash. This keeps your clean hands from touch dirty surfaces such as the water faucet and door knob/handle.
 
We have found a website with some kid friendly information on hand washing. For some fun, have your kids take the poll and then click "view results."









If we all do our part, absenteeism will be less and learning more!
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The Wellness Committee has put together a list of excellent websites that provide ideas for school lunch ideas for your children. They also provide ideas for healthy snacks for during the day and for after school. The committee will publish links in each newsletter for your review. We hope that these sites will provide resources that assist in creative lunch ideas, snack ideas, and general good health for the kids of CCA.
Great lunch ideas for your hungry student!
Making lunches can be a challenge in the morning. You're rushing to get the kids ready, trying to get your work things together, and then you realize you need to make lunches! What to do?!
There are a couple simple things we parents can do to make this "Oh, no!" moment a bit less stressful.
  1. Plan ahead: plan your lunches a week in advance. Know what fruits and vegetables you need to get at the store and what they will accompany; a sandwich, a wrap, and so on. If you plan on having a dinner that will have leftovers, use those as the main course of the next day's lunch (NOTE: there will not be access to microwave ovens at the Elementary school).
  2. Talk to your kids. Find out what they like for lunch and talk to them about healthy choices of foods that will give them energy and help them think throughout the day.
  3. Make lunches for the kids (or have the kids make them) the night before. This saves the step in the morning that seems to bring the most stress.
  4. Teach your kids to grab their lunch from the fridge and get it to school. This is the hardest step, so you'll have to remind them each morning for a month or so as you walk out the door.
We have found a few website with ideas and helps to make the lunch process a simple one each day:
Contact for more info:
 Early Childhood                  360.256.9714
Elementary Campus             360.256.9715
Middle School Campus        360.896.0781