Welcome to the weekly digital Newsletter for Collegium Charter School. Just like popular social media feeds and timelines, access our Newsletter content by scrolling down to the end. For best results, orient mobile devices horizontally (sideways).
Mark Your Calendar!
Collegium follows a 6-day rotating schedule for all students. This type of schedule reduces the effects of scheduling changes on classes that do not meet daily.
For example, instead of your child's schedule going from Monday to Friday, he/she will have a schedule for each of the following: Day 1, Day 2, Day 3, Day 4, Day 5, and Day 6. The “Days” are published here in our weekly Newsletter and on the homepage of our website.
Monday, Aug. 28th - Day 6
Tuesday, Aug. 29th - Day 1
Wednesday, Aug. 30th - Day 2
Thursday, Aug. 31st - Day 3
- Character Counts Dress Down Day - Respect - Yellow Shirt with Uniform Bottoms
Friday, Sept. 1st - Day 4
- Early Dismissal for Students and Employees (Grades 7-12: 11:30am and Grades K-6: 12:15pm)
- 150 Building: Fall ROAR Kick-Off Rally 9:00am @ 150 Blacktop Recess Area
A Message from Mr. Sterious, Middle School Principal
On behalf of my faculty and staff, I am taking this time to publicly thank the students and families of the CCS Middle School.
During our first week of the 2017-2018 school year, I noticed our arrival and dismissal procedures were closely followed by our families. Middle School students moved through our hallways peacefully and the students took time to get to know their classmates and teachers. It continues to impress me that our CCS preteens and teens contributed to cultivating the atmosphere of academics and respect.
The first week of any school year can always bring a few unforeseeable challenges; however, I am truly proud of the CCS Middle School community as the "bumps in the road" have been both small and easily manageable. Our ability to dive into academics so quickly is due in large part to the 515 faculty/staff and the cooperation of our Middle School families.
I look forward to commending the 515 Building on numerous occasions during the 2017-2018 school year, but if anyone has questions or concerns - please do not hesitate to contact me for assistance.
Arrival and Dismissal Reminders
This Friday, September 1st, is our first 2017-2018 Early Dismissal day.
- Students in grades 7-12 will be dismissed at 11:30am. The Parent Pick-Up Line for grades 7-12 can form at 11:00am.
- Students in grades K-6 will be dismissed at 12:15pm. The Parent Pick-Up Line for grades K-6 can form at 11:45am.
On Regular Dismissal and Early Dismissal days, please do not arrive on campus until the designated times. If you arrive to the corporate center early, do not park in CCS parking lots or the parking lots of our corporate center neighbors, like Neutronics. Instead, please consider visiting the adjoining Festival Shopping Center until the appropriate Parent Pick-Up Line opens.
During arrival and dismissal, always have your building-specific vehicle placard(s) displayed when on campus. Forgot your placard(s)? Be prepared to present photo ID to CCS staff.
Be patient with the buses – they may be arriving early and late to the bus stops during the first few weeks of school. If you are concerned because your child’s bus is more than 20 minutes late, please contact the bus company for your school district. They will make direct contact with your child’s bus and let you know when it will arrive. These numbers are on the Transportation page on our website. Please don’t call CCS - by contacting the bus company directly, you will get the information you need.
It will be hectic for the next week or so, but after that, things will be running smoothly. Please be patient and follow the instructions of CCS staff.
Collegium Charter School: A Hate-Free Community
In her newest video message to the Collegium Community, Dr. Rath shares her commitment to keeping Collegium free from hateful speech and actions, and maintaining Collegium as a safe and comfortable place for learning. Dr. Rath also encourages families to reinforce their partnership with Collegium during the start of the 2017-2018 school year and offer their support to Collegium teachers and principals.
Education Explained
Education Explained is a new section in our Newsletter, written by Amanda Lake - our Director of Educational Services. Each week Ms. Lake will highlight common terms and philosophies in education, and explain how they impact teaching and learning at Collegium.
Scaffolding
The term scaffolding refers to a number of educational strategies that help students improve their independent academic abilities.
“Scaffolding” and “differentiation” are sometimes used interchangeably, but I think of scaffolding as a more systematic process. When I’m scaffolding my instruction I first need to find out what my students already know. I consider the skills and concepts that they know to be the firm foundation needed for future learning.
Next, I would build on that knowledge and make connections to it as I introduce new skills and concepts. For instance, if my objective is to teach students how to solve multiple-step equations that contain fractions, I need to know if my students have a firm foundation with fractions. I would design a few activities that show me whether or not the students remembered all they had learned about fractions. I also need to know if the students can independently solve single step equations, and finally check on their ability to solve multiple step equations independently.
Walking students through the process of reviewing concepts they’ve already learned, practicing skills to make sure the foundation is secure, then adding supports and building on that knowledge, while making connections to previously learned content, results in true learning.
So, it’s no surprise that at the beginning of the school year we are reviewing. Students may come home and say, “This is too easy! I already learned this!” but rest assured, there’s a method to the madness. Taking the time to reinforce the foundations of what has already been learned is an important part of scaffolding our instruction and building greater academic independence in students.
Access the link below for more information about scaffolding and the variety of instructional techniques that are related to this term.
Collegium Employee Spotlight
This Newsletter section highlights one Collegium employee each week and allows families and students to get to know them even more. Now, when you see featured employees on campus, you'll have a better chance of being able to greet them by name and strike up conversations!
Help Wanted: Part-Time Food Service Positions
Looking for part-time employment? We have immediate openings for part-time Food Service Assistants.
Approximately 25 hours per week - Monday through Friday on days when school is open.
To apply, submit your application or resume via email to our Human Resources (HR) Department.
School Picture Days
Our School Picture Day schedule is below.
- 535 Building: Wednesday, September 6th
- 500 Building: Wednesday, September 6th
- 515 Building: Thursday, September 7th
- 468/486 Buildings: Thursday, September 7th
- 150 Building: Friday, September 8th
Order forms will be sent home with students this week. While all students will have their photos taken, only those students who have their order envelope and payment or proof of online payment will be able to purchase photos. Forms will also be shared on the homepage of our website.
If a student forgets their order envelope or is absent, their photo can be re-taken on picture retake day scheduled later this fall.
Students have their pictures taken in their CCS uniforms. If a student’s picture day is on their PE day...it's OK to be in the regular CCS uniform and not the PE uniform.
Class photos are an option for grades K-6. They are not delivered with your order. As they are compilation photos, not a group photo, they are sent home later in the school year (usually in February) after all photos and re-takes have been taken.
Cougar Gear Sale
On the 3rd Friday of each month, CCS students are encouraged to show their school spirit by wearing Cougar Gear. What’s Cougar Gear? Cougar Gear includes CCS T-shirts, sweatshirts, etc. with our logo, usually from a CCS team, club, event, or fundraiser. New Cougar Gear T-shirts are on sale until September 2nd.
To make our Cougar Gear Sale an easy online process, Collegium partnered with Bonfire. Bonfire is a design and technology company that helps people design and sell custom shirts.
Tracking Bonfire Orders
You can track your order’s status by visiting their Track Your Order page. Just enter the order number from your confirmation email to view your complete shipping details. This page will keep you updated during each stage of the production and shipping process. If you didn’t receive an order confirmation email, check your Spam/Junk folder and search for “Bonfire”. If all else fails, send Bonfire a message on their Contact Us page.
Bonfire Shipping Options
- Domestic Shipping: Bonfire charges a flat rate of $5.00 for shipping and handling on all orders shipping within the United States. So whether a CCS family buys 2 items or 20+ items, they only ever pay $5.00. That means, you and your friends and family can combine your orders and ship them to one location, all for just $5.00.
- International Shipping: Bonfire is one of the few platforms that ships worldwide. For all orders outside the U.S., we charge a flat rate of $11.
- Estimated Printing and Shipping Times: U.S. customers will receive their shirts between 7 and 14 business days after a campaign ends successfully. International orders may take up to 21 business days.
Returns, Refunds and Exchanges Curtesy of Bonfire
For all refund or reprint requests, just reach to Bonfire on their Contact Us page. Their Customer Happiness Team will be happy to make it right. Here’s how:
- Misprinted, Damaged, Defective or Incorrect Orders: If Bonfire messes up and your order arrives misprinted, damaged, defective or is incorrect in any way, they will gladly offer you the choice between a reprint of the product or a full refund.
- Shirt Size Exchanges: If your shirt order does not fit as expected, or if the wrong size was ordered, Bonfire will gladly reprint that order in the correct size, free of charge.
- All Other Returns: If you’ve simply changed your mind and would like to return your order, Bonfire is able to issue a refund for the cost of the apparel + shipping costs. Not included in your refund are the funds raised for Collegium (just a few dollars per shirt), which are sent to Collegium after the campaign ends.
- Order Cancellations: If you’d like to cancel your order before the campaign’s end date, simply contact Bonfire and they'll cancel it and issue you a full refund. After a campaign’s end date, Bonfire is not able to cancel orders as they are already being produced and shipped. Instead, please use their Contact Us page to explore other options.
The New and Improved Collegium Website
Over the summer, Collegium transitioned to a new website. Over the next several weeks, we will highlight several "bells and whistles," allowing everyone to understand just how powerful and resourceful our new website is for the entire Collegium Community. This week, we're focusing on our new building pages.
Want to know what your children's Principals and Assistant Principals look like? Do you need their specific contact information or an email address for a building's Main Office? Each CCS building now has a dedicated page designed to offer building-specific details quickly.
Access the building pages via: Homepage > About > Our Buildings (hover). Hovering over Our Buildings will make the building pages visible. Simply click on the building page you want to visit. The 435 Building page currently displays a welcome message from Dr. Rath for all members of the Collegium Community and Principals' messages are shared on the other building pages.
From the CCS Home and School Association (HSA)
Serving in a capacity similar to a Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) or Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO), our HSA owes its success to the efforts of our many parent, teacher, and staff volunteers!
What is the HSA?
The HSA promotes communication, cooperation, understanding, and active participation between parents/guardians and Collegium. We are responsible for planning fundraisers and events throughout the year. The funds that we raise help support many programs at Collegium including Uniform Scholarships, Teacher and Principal Funds, Field Trip Scholarships, and many others.
Want to join us? Complete our interest form and we will reach out to you! You can also connect directly with the HSA via our HSA Facebook Page and get the most up to date information on events, fundraisers, and volunteer opportunities.
PAWsitive Praise
We would like to send a warm "Welcome Back!" to all students, teachers, staff, and families! We look forward to meeting more of you throughout the year at our various events and fundraisers!
A big "Thank You!" to Alysia Fulford, for her dedication this past year in serving as an HSA Co-President. We are going to miss you tremendously, but wish you and your family all the best in your move to Florida!
HSA Read-a-Thon
Thank you to all the students who participated in our 2nd Annual Read-a-Thon.
All Reading Logs, Sponsor Forms, and donations are due by August 31st. Having trouble completing your forms? Simply enter the books that you read, estimate your reading time, and return with your Sponsor Form and donations collected.
Please return all Read-a-Thon materials to your teachers marked: ATTN: HSA Read-a-Thon.
Do you have additional questions? Email the HSA Officers directly.
On-Going HSA Fundraisers
Amazon Smile: Simply shop at www.smile.amazon.com and choose Collegium Charter School as your charity. A percentage of your purchases will be donated back to CCS!
Shoparoo: Download the free app, shop as you normally do and then snap a picture of your receipt to earn money for Collegium. We are trying to match our earnings from last year, so snap all the receipts you can before August 31st!
HSA Volunteers Needed
The HSA has several open volunteer positions. If you have an interest in any of the following please email the HSA Officers directly.
- Social Media Chair: Developing content and administering our HSA Facebook Page.
- Family Bingo Chair: Planning and execution of one of our larger family events/fundraisers.
- Teacher Appreciation Week: Coordination of Teacher Appreciation Week in May.
- Co-President: For more information, please email the HSA Officers directly.
HSA General Meeting
Meetings will be held the first Tuesday of each month in the 435 Conference Room (435 Creamery Way, Suite 300). Times will alternate from month to month between 4:30pm and 6:30pm. Our first meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 5th at 4:30pm.
Collegium reserves the right to edit submissions and deny material for submission if deemed inappropriate or if it is determined to be of little or no interest to CCS families.