.Hello from the Executive Director.
Never get discouraged by difficulties...
When you get into a tight place, and everything goes against you till it seems as if you couldn't hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that 's just the place and time that the tide will turn.
~Harriet Beecher Stowe
Never get discouraged by difficulties...
When you get into a tight place, and everything goes against you till it seems as if you couldn't hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that 's just the place and time that the tide will turn.
~Harriet Beecher Stowe
Hello, Bronco Families,
I am holding on to the thought that the end is near….No! Not that end! The end of this darn pandemic! I’m the kind of person who looks for lightness and humor in challenging situations, but lately I’m finding my crabby pants waiting at the end of the bed in the mornings. There must be some way to permanently donate them to Goodwill, right? But then again, I don’t think crabby pants are an attractive look on anyone. Forget the donation, just let me know if you have figured out a way to permanently banish yours from the end of your bed or closet. Sooner would be better than later.
This week is keeping us on our toes as it is in schools across the state and country. Our number one goal is to keep our doors open and to keep students in their seats here at school. We can do this as long as we can maintain staffing levels that allow for appropriate supervision for classes. While we will do our best to maintain normal schedules, there may be a need to disrupt support programs to cover classroom staff during the next several weeks. Your continued support and understanding is greatly appreciated!
In more exciting news, we are beginning the enrollment lottery process for the 2022-23 school year. Please complete the re-enrollment forms for next year if your currently enrolled children will be returning to CCCS for the 2022/23 school year. If there are siblings in your family hoping to enroll for the next school year, please complete the lottery application form. Both forms are available on the admissions page of our website.
Maybe someone you know is interested in joining the Bronco family. We will be holding two virtual informational meetings for interested families in the next several weeks, one in the evening on Thursday, February 17th and one in the morning on Tuesday, February 24th. Again, more information is available on our website. Please share this information with other families you know who are looking for the kind of small, community focused, academically rigorous program CCCS provides.
Please take good care of yourselves! I hope you find thoughts and activities that bring you joy as we continue our journey through the school year. We appreciate everything you do to make our school a great place to learn and work.
Best regards,
Lisa
.Hello from the Dean of Student Services.
As Omicron rages and we all face fresh challenges, adults are (again) bumping up against what Dr. Brazelton (the famous pediatrician) called touchpoints. These are challenging moments/difficult developments that disrupt systems.
As parents, you likely remember the early years of having babies and children - the family system is constantly disrupted by challenges, regressions, stresses, and struggles. Brazelton pointed out that instead of these just being huge hassles, stress moments are actually precious. Touchpoints are moments when connection and relationships are built. It’s when people can see each other as valuable and vulnerable humans and learn to work together. (Or, they are moments we can hurt each other.)
Learning how to be in relationships and friendships might be the most important and challenging human learning there is. Yet, friendship and cooperation is so vital it is largely invisible to us - like oxygen or water.
“The dynamic of friendship is almost always underestimated as a constant force in human life,” writes David Whyte.
In school, students learn a great deal about friendship. In fact, most people’s strongest memories are about their relationships (the good, the bad, and the ugly). Strong memories suggest strong learning.
Sadly, it seems adults often only think about friendship skills when they notice children are struggling with them. For example, we notice when a child is lured by the pull of social interaction and struggles to complete their work or participate positively. We notice when children feel disconnected, discouraged, and alone.
How could adults think pro-actively about how to teach friendship skills? Are stress moments really important times to be teaching about relationships?
Friendship is not just about being polite or playing nicely. Friendship is about forgiveness, mercy, and curiosity.
David Whyte writes about how true friendship happens when we are genuinely curious about the world and others around us. Without that curiosity, friendship dies. We as humans need each other to see us with curiosity (and not just judgement) too.
Whyte writes, “Through the eyes of a friend we especially learn to remain at least a little interesting to others. When we flatten our personalities and lose our curiosity in the life of the world or of another, friendship loses spirit and animation.”
As you face challenges this month, if you are able to model curiosity to children, please do. You can be curious about your own stress, your own needs, the needs of your family, the community, the school, etc. This is a core skill required to live and learn - to grow, even and especially when we face disruption.
“A friend knows our difficulties and shadows, and remains in sight, a companion to our vulnerabilities more than our triumphs, when we are under the strange illusion we do not need them…Without tolerance and mercy all friendships die.”
Best,
Liz Bruno
.General Information.
Existing Student Re-Enrollment:
To ensure placement in a class for returning students, please complete one re-enrollment form per current student. The online form can be found HERE or on our website by clicking on the school information tab and then the admissions ribbon.
Failure to complete and submit forms by 3:30 on February 11, 2022 may result in loss of placement in a class. If you have any questions, please contact the office. We are happy to help!
New Student Lottery Applications:
Siblings who are not currently enrolled but will apply to attend in the 2022/23 school year (as openings become available) must complete the Application for Lottery/Waitlist form. Forms received post lottery will be added to the waitlist. The online form can be found HERE or on our website by clicking on the school information tab and then the admissions ribbon. Applications are due by March 18, 2022 at 3:30pm.
EZ Texting:
You can sign up to receive emergency and weather-related text messages from the CCCS office by texting EZCCCS to 313131. You must sign up annually to maintain the service. Standard text rates apply.
Calendar
January 17- Martin Luther King, Jr Day- NO SCHOOL
January 28- Grading Day- NO SCHOOL
Exclusion Day
If you got a letter in the mail regarding your child's immunizations, please get us updated information ASAP as exclusion day is fast approaching on February 16, 2022
.PCS Corner.
Hello from PCS (People for Coburg School), the school's parent group. The three key things to know or help out with this week….
PCS Meeting this Friday - moved to zoom! We’ll be talking about 2022 events and would love for everyone to join….and now it’s even easier because with the increase of COVID cases in our community, we’re moving the meeting to zoom. Please join us starting at 8:30 am on Friday: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83043710791?pwd=VzdFTUpOa0ZiaG84cjJKaFFlR2lldz09 (Meeting ID: 830 4371 0791; Passcode: 856355).
Upcoming Food Drive: We are excited once again to partner with the Coburg Food Pantry for our annual Food Drive from January 24-28th. A letter will be going home with each family this week regarding the details & the needs of the pantry this year. We look forward to helping out in our community once again.
Blue Bag Reminder: please only put the $0.10 refund recyclable cans in the blue bags - no trash please. And we are still taking these to the BottleDrop year-round, so thank you for continuing to drop them in front of the school.
Questions or comments? E-mail PCS@coburgcharter.org. Thank you!
.Information for 8th Grade Parents.
Tuesday, February 8 - Monroe / Coburg Parent Night Via Zoom - 6 pm - Virtual Event for parents/students to learn about forecasting for their students and transition to high school.
Join Zoom Meeting
Thursday, February 10 - Cal Young / Coburg Parent Night Via Zoom - 6 pm - Virtual Event for parents/students to learn about forecasting for their students and transition to high school.
Join Zoom Meeting