#3 - AUGUST 23, 2024
Dear Primary School Families,
It's been great spending time with PS students and seeing their smiles as they come and go. This week, we had our first assembly where we talked about common area expectations in the playground, cafeteria, buses, bathrooms, and hallways. Also, students watched videos of what it looks like to show CNG´s core values in these areas.
Sincerely,
Paula
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PS Parent Council Representative Info Dear PS Parents, If you are running for the Parent Council Representative position, we kindly request that you prepare a 2-minute speech to present to parents during our upcoming Open House on Friday, August 30th. Your speech is an invaluable opportunity to introduce yourself, express your aspirations, and share your vision for the Parent Council. This will allow you to connect with the parent community and highlight how you intend to contribute positively to our school's growth and development. We appreciate your dedication and active participation. As per Dr. Habegger´s email: "As part of the Open House schedule, CNG holds elections at each grade level for parents to elect their official Parent Council Representatives to support strong school/home communication. If you would like to serve on this important advisory group as the representative for your child's grade level, we invite you to send your name at least one day before your scheduled Open House to Maria Cristina Artunduaga, Assistant to the Director, at martunduaga@cng.edu. For more information about the Council, please click the following link: CNG Governance Structure." |
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Primary School Open House: Friday, August 30th We are thrilled to invite you to our upcoming Open House, which will be held on Friday, August 30th, where you'll have the opportunity to experience firsthand the wonderful learning environment your children are a part of. Join us for a day of exploration, engagement, and excitement! Since this is an event for parents, there will be NO SCHOOL for students on this day. Date: Friday, August 30th
Several parents have asked about how to handle multiple students across grade levels or divisions. We understand this is difficult and an age-old problem. This is why we are offering a third session. For families who are simply not able to make their session due to children in different divisions, we are offering a third session. Additionally, we will be recording the general session in the cafeteria and making it available to parents to watch at a later date if they choose. This event is for parents, and as such, students should not attend Open House. We realize that some families may face child care issues, so there will be a limited amount of supervision for those students. They will work on quiet activities in the library. It is important to remember there is no parking on campus, so please plan ahead. There will be a shuttle service starting at 6:45 a.m. that will leave from the Central Parking on Cra. 5 with Calle 70. The bus will do loops to the school and back to the Central Parking until 1:30. The Open House sessions will start on time at 7:30. |
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Morning Drop Off - Main Gate To avoid traffic at Circunvalar and prevent blocking the school entrance, we kindly ask that you drop off your child without getting out of the car. The goal is to use a "kiss and go" approach to ensure smooth traffic flow. Thank you very much for your support on this matter. |
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Awards Assembly We had our first PS Assembly this week. We talked about the Four Core Values and how students are expected to show them in the common areas (cafeteria, hallway, bus, playground). They had a great time and they all promised they would try their best to keep the school a safe place. Thank you for supporting us at home by reinforcing them with your children.
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Dear PS Families,
Some members of our community have been asking me what kind of books are included in the section Books As Tools where we can find several sensitive topics.
If you are interested, you may see the list and covers of these books here: https://tinyurl.com/
Warm regards,
Mari Ro
Our Primary School Library offers a collection of books that cover a range of sensitive topics, including LGBTQ+ themes, challenging life experiences, and social issues. These books can serve as valuable tools for teaching and fostering important conversations.
If you would prefer that your child does not check out these books, please complete the enclosed Google Form and submit it before the end of August.
Dear Primary School Families,
We are very excited to welcome you to your Primary School Library! We have a wide range of books, both fiction and non-fiction, that YOU and your children will enjoy. In order for parents and students to make the most of what our library has to offer, here is some important information:
Library Hours:
The PS Library opens at 7:00 a.m. every day and closes at 2:15 p.m. on Mondays and Fridays and at 3:20 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
Student Check Out:
K-4: Between August and December every student will check out one book to keep in the classroom library. In January, students will start checking out ONE book to take home under their names.
K5-2nd: Students will start checking out one, two, and three books respectively to take home from the first day of Library class.
Please remind your child to bring book(s) back to school on Library day. It is important for children to trade their books on their assigned day to encourage good library habits and enjoy a variety of topics. Books may be renewed unless they have been placed on hold by another patron.
Fines:
There are no fines for overdue materials returned within 35 days of the checkout date. However, if a book is not returned within this period, the replacement cost will be forwarded to the financial department and added to the next billing cycle. Lost or damaged books incur a replacement fee of $60,000 pesos or may be replaced for the SAME TITLE in HARDCOVER format. Additionally, we kindly recommend placing library books in a plastic bag inside students' backpacks to help prevent damage from liquids.
Parents/ Guardians Check Out:
You may borrow up to 10 books from the PS Library either in person or through our webpage. In this case, books must be placed on hold here logging in with your username (email) and your password (cédula/passport number). We will deliver them to your child’s classroom. In case you are not familiar with this process, please take a minute to watch this presentation that will show you how to Place Books on Hold .
Please keep in mind it is necessary to have a library account in order to check books out. If you do not have one yet, please take a moment to follow these instructions on our homepage: Library Account Form .
Books may be borrowed for 3 weeks before becoming overdue and these may be renewed unless they have been placed on hold by another patron. We will let you know if that is the case.
Online Resources:
Our CNG Libraries provide students with digital encyclopedias and reading platforms that are safe, updated, and user friendly. Children can benefit from these reliable tools for homework, research, and presentations. We truly hope you can help your child take advantage of these amazing resources.
Since these digital databases are for CNG’s private use, you will need to log in using your library account. Please take a moment to watch the video on how to access the Digital Encyclopedias.
On our homepage you will also find e-Books to enjoy anytime from home. Please take a moment to see our video on Follet e-Books. Furthermore, on our homepage you will find e-Books in Spanish on our platform named MakeMake. The instructional video is inside its box next to the logo on the homepage.
For questions please contact me or Maria Margarita, my co-teacher.
Looking forward to seeing you soon!
Mari Ro Margie
mruribe@cng.edu mbravo@cng.edu.
DAYS OF THE WEEK
Monday , August 26 (Day 3)
Tuesday, August 27 (Day 4)
Wednesday, August 28 (Day 5)
Thursday, August 29 (Day 6) (OODCD for PS & ES)
Friday, August 30 (Day X) PS/ES Open House- No School for students
SEPTEMBER
2- PS Athletics, Catholic Religion, Majon, & Condor Activities Begin
6- K4- BBQ
13- 1st Grade Picnic - OODCD
20- PS/ES PD Day-NO school for students
27- K5 Picnic
Paula Pérez PS Principal
Juliana Borrero PS Associate Principal
Vanessa Gilchrist PS Associate Principal
Silvia Smit Administrative Assistant ext.167
Ana Maria Calderón Administrative Assistant ext. 269
Office Cellphone: 316 472 7975
Gate Passes
Gate passes sent to the PS office or teachers after 11:00am will not be accepted. Making last minute changes is very difficult for teachers and students.
Thank you for your understanding.
ps_attendance@cng.edu
If you need to schedule a meeting with your child’s counselor, please use the following links where you can find their availability. Please contact them directly if you need immediate support or if their availability does not meet yours.
More Connecting Rituals to Help Children Adapt to School: Story Hand
The Story Hand is another connecting ritual we can use these first weeks of school to help children feel connected to their caregivers. It is a gentle hand massage accompanied by a personalized social story that helps the child deal with stress or anxiety. The story you tell will reflect a specific, personalized experience or concern for the child. For example, if your child is telling you he/she does not want to go to school the next day you can do this ritual saying the following words: ¨Let me tell you a story in your hand. This little finger woke up this morning, this little finger ate pancake breakfast, this little finger went to school, this little finger played with his/her friends, this little finger didn't want to go to school because he missed Mommy/Daddy. Fold the thumb between the fingers and wrap fingers around it as you say ¨all these little fingers are going to help him. You are safe. You can handle this!¨. Make sure the thumb represents what is stressing them and the rest of the fingers are neutral things the child has done. By giving the child a massage in each finger and then squeezing the hand gently when closed we are giving the child the message he/she is capable of handling this situation. For more information see the picture.
