UPDATE ARCHIVE
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Updates, memos or newsletters that were emailed or distributed may appear here for some time, until the information is no longer relevant, and then they will be removed:
Tag: families
SUBMIT SUGGESTIONS
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As a parent of a Creative City Public Charter School student, do you have specific concerns or suggestions you’d like to share with the CCPCS Principal and Executive Director? Please use the form below to submit them:
DONATE
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You can help support Creative City Public Charter School’s mission!
Your tax-deductible contribution to Creative City Public Charter School supports an innovative educational model that connects students to Baltimore City and to nature through art, hands-on learning, and participation in a diverse & cooperative school community.
We are a young school and still growing. The amount of funding we receive from the school district per student is supplemented by private fundraising to allow our unique model to come to life. Your support makes a difference today to provide field trips, artists-in-residence, and other programs and opportunities.
Gifts of any size make a difference. For instance:
$250 rents a school bus for a field trip
$100 supports a visiting artist in delivering one arts-integrated classroom lesson
$75 buys a document camera for a classroom
$50 provides our Culinary Lab with raw ingredients for one month
$25 buys a set of 6 independent reading books
$10 replenishes dry erase markers for one classroom
A Creative City cook book by Chef Jennifer Crisp and Abby Bennett
*** Buy your copy of “The Creative Palate” today!***
To purchase our cook book, produced with our students by our own Chef Jennifer Crisp and community artist Abby Bennett, click the “Buy Now” button above on this page. Books can be picked up in person for a donation $15 or shipped to you for a donation of $19 (includes $4 shipping & handling cost). Questions? Call 443-642-3602 or email MCanino@bcps.k12.md.us. All proceeds support ongoing Creative City programs.
Are you supporting Creative City while you shop? Click on the links below for more information!
Giant Target Amazon Box Tops for Education
BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES
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BEFORE & AFTER SCHOOL CARE
We are excited to announce a continued partnership with United Education Corp (UEC) for fee-based Before & Aftercare onsite at Creative City beginning in Fall 2015. Before care from 7-8a, and aftercare until 6:30pm will be offered, with daily programming in Art and Sports. They are a seasoned provider with 14 years of experience at the nearby Mt. Washington School, and have an excellent partnership with our friends at City Neighbors. More information including rates here.
CLUBS
Our options for after-school clubs are growing. We currently offer Girl Scouts and our Peace Club. Contact Latrice Brown at 443-642-3600 or LLBrown01@bcps.k12.md.us for more information. Have an idea for a new club? Let us know!
FOR CURRENT FAMILIES
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Welcome to our school community! You are an important and integral part of the Creative City family. We hope you enjoy the resources and information on our web site – and encourage you to ask us if you find something missing!
Our updated Creative City Handbook will be available here shortly. Here are electronic copies of the information sent home in our 2016-17 Back to School Mailing:
Coming and Going from School 2016
Don’t forget that Kindergarten students will begin with a staggered entry schedule. Staggered entry means that Kindergarteners will attend ONLY an AM or PM session on one of the first two days of school. This gives our students and teachers a chance to start forming relationships with a smaller group of students at a time, and helps students slowly transition into their new school routines. Kindergarteners‘ next day of school will be on Wednesday, August 31, and dismissal on that day will be at 12:45pm as it is on all Wednesdays. Specific staggered entry day & time were sent home in your Back to School Mailing. Please contact us at 443-642-3600 if you are registered to begin Kindergarten and do not know your staggered entry assignment. (All other grades are full days from the first day of school.)
SCHOOL HANDBOOK & FAQ
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
For family reference, here is a complete electronic copy of our Creative City Handbook for 2014-15.
What are the school hours?
Students will be in school from 8:15am–3:00pm every day except for Wednesday. On Wednesday afternoons we will dismiss two hours early, at 1pm, to allow teachers to plan together and participate in professional development. We are committed to providing care during that time for all students, if they need it. (see “Before and After Care” section, below)
How does drop-off and pick-up work?
In order to prevent traffic backup on Reisterstown Rd., we ask that you approach the school from Towanda Avenue, just south of the intersection of Towanda Avenue and Oswego Avenue. If you are putting an address into a GPS, we recommend you use 4100 Towanda Avenue, rather than the official school address on Shirley Avenue.
How do we know if school is closed/closing/late due to inclement weather?
We follow Baltimore City Schools. Please check TV and radio before heading out.
Will students wear uniforms?
We do not require school uniforms, but understand that uniform-type attire is sometimes preferred by families. For those who prefer uniform-type attire, we recommend clothing choices that reflect school spirit with our school colors – GREEN and BLUE – and we specifically suggest items that will be easy to find, affordable, durable, and comfortable for active learning and play. Creative City t-shirts are available for sale in our main office, at cost.
Clothing Suggestions for families who prefer uniform-type attire:
• Dark bottoms (black or navy blue) which may include pants, shorts, skirts, or jumpers.
• Shirts that are any shade of blue or green – plain polo / collared shirts or plain t-shirts, long- or short-sleeved.
Is Kindergarten full day?
Yes, our kindergarten is full-day. Since it is play-based, please know that students will spend limited time sitting at tables or involved in whole-group instruction.
Will you have recess?
Yes, there will be a 30 minute recess period in every grade.
How much homework will students have?
Homework:
Well-designed homework, at the right time in a child’s development, can have significant impact on his/her learning. Homework can reinforce skills, inspire out-of-school exploration and learning, teach the basics of responsibility, and help to instill the discipline of learning. Therefore, we take a thoughtful and developmental approach to homework at Creative City Public Charter School.
Primary homework for all students is to read at home with a family member/caregiver for 30 minutes each night. Talk to your child’s teacher for ideas on how to make reading at home a rich experience for you and your family. Visit us at the school or the local library to check out books. Additional homework will be chosen thoughtfully by teachers to extend skills being taught and to connect with trimester projects.
We encourage families to support their child(ren)’s learning by providing them with a quiet and supportive atmosphere in which to complete homework. Some students, especially in the younger grades, may need more parental support with the understanding and completion of homework. As students get older, we encourage parents to allow their students to be as independent as possible in managing and completing homework. If you work with your child on homework, please be sure it is truly their work that is being returned the next day.
At Creative City Public Charter School, we believe that homework in kindergarten should reflect what research tells us about how children in this age group learn best. Therefore, in general, students in these grades will receive less frequent homework and minimal “traditional” homework worksheets. Research points to improved skills or motivation as a result of other types of homework at this age. At times, you may be asked to read together and discuss the story, to go for a walk and record what you see, or to pursue a specific activity related to project work in the classroom or your child’s interests. All these will be more valuable forms of home learning in kindergarten.
In 1st and 2nd grade, students will have a combination of “traditional” assignments, project extensions and skill reinforcement activities with the goal of bridging home and school further and share the themes, subjects and skills that students are learning.
Will kids get any other short breaks during the day other than recess?
We have not planned for “official” breaks other than a 30-minute recess, but teachers will have the flexibility to offer short breaks, change the type of activity that students are doing, and otherwise be responsive to students’ needs.
Who are the teachers?
How often will students take field trips/time out of class?
We have budgeted for one field trip per class per trimester. However, that does not include smaller trips in the neighborhood and around the park. We also plan for older students to walk down to Druid Hill Park to use that space as a learning environment.
Will the students do the same mandatory testing that is done at regular public schools?
Yes, as a public charter school we are required to do the state testing. However, we do not need to complete district testing (such as quarterly benchmarks).
Will parents be required to volunteer? What will parent engagement look like?
As a public charter school, we do not require parent volunteering. However, we will strongly encourage it and work with parents to find ways that they can volunteer that are responsive to their strengths and time constraints. We are a parent-founded school and long-term opportunities for parent engagement are important to us. We will have a PTA and parents will elect (and can be nominated for) the Creative City Public Charter School Foundation Board of Directors each year.
Parents will be encouraged to participate on committees if they wish. Current committees include fundraising, outreach, school climate/culture, community partnerships, food & farm, and more. Click here for a list of ways to get involved.
What is the student-teacher ratio? How many students will be in my child’s classroom?
There will be a maximum of 22 students in each classroom. Including our plans for hiring teacher’s aides, and teaching positions that are not attached to a classroom (i.e. Reading Specialist, Arts Integration Specialist, Physical Education, etc) we anticipate an average pupil to instructional-staff ratio of about 12:1. It should be noted that our highest use of teacher’s aides will be in Kindergarten classes, resulting in an even lower ratio for our youngest students.
Will there be free or reduced-price meals available?
Yes. This opportunity is the same as in any other Baltimore City public school.
Are parents allowed to visit/observe in their child’s classroom?
Yes, parents are allowed to visit/observe in their child’s classroom as long as the teacher feels that it is not disruptive.
What if my child has an IEP or 504 plan?
Children with an IEP or 504 will be served according to their plan. We will have in-class and pull-out services.
Will before and after care be offered?
Please see the News post “Before and AfterCare with UEC for Fall 2015.”