Dear Kindergarten Families,
On Tuesday, December 13, 2022, the Cape Elizabeth School Board voted in favor of adjusting the 2022-2023 district calendar to allow for two days of kindergarten screening for children entering kindergarten next year (2023-2024). This directly impacts the school year for our current kindergarten students as there will be no school for kindergarteners on April 12 and 13, 2023. All other students will have school on those dates.
Making this shift will allow our school team to conduct screening for current preschool children who will enter kindergarten next year. There are critical reasons this decision was made, which are outlined below.
* To provide a more thorough screening experience for our incoming students and parents by allowing our screening team to focus on those incoming students without simultaneously needing to provide instruction for current kindergarten students.
* Open up space in the building to host the screening appointments. Now that students will not be in the classes, our screening team can utilize the entire kindergarten wing for the assessments and interviews given as part of the process.
* Allow all kindergarten teachers and supporting staff to participate in the screening process. With higher enrollment numbers, we need more time and staff to provide the screening in order to meet the demand. In the past, we were only able to utilize two classroom teachers in order to keep school in session for kindergarten students.
We recognize that changing the calendar mid-year is inconvenient and may cause challenges for some. We express our deepest gratitude for any rearranging or adjustments required by this shift. We appreciate your support and understanding.
Due to the impending storm (grrr....another one so soon), we are canceling all afternoon/evening student activities today (Wed 1/24). Please stay tuned as you think about tomorrow (Thur 1/25).
Kindergarten Registration
We have opened pre-registration for incoming kindergarten students for the 2023 - 2024 school year. Whether you already have children attending school or you will be a first time kindergarten family, this is an exciting milestone in your child’s development. We look forward to welcoming all of you and your children to the class of 2035!
If you would like to begin the pre-registration process, please click HERE. Once your kindergartener’s pre-registration has been approved by our office, you will receive a detailed email guiding you through the enrollment process via the PowerSchool portal.
Upon form completion, you will need to upload the following documentation:
1. Child's birth certificate
2. Proof of immunizations
3. Proof of residency
If you need extra support with the process, you may contact our school registrar, Charity Wetzel, by calling our main office at 207-799-7339 or emailing pcoffice@capeelizabethschools.org.
Team Merriam had a fantastic time acting as mathematical surgeons! Together we worked to dissect rectilinear figures in order to calculate both the area and perimeter of each shape. Many thanks to a real-life local surgeon for providing us the garb which made this activity so much fun!
Student lunch is available when we have virtual remote half school days. Cape school families, please check your email (1/24/23) for the link to let our school nutrition department know and for more information.
SCHOOL BOARD Budget Workshop Tue, Jan 24 6pm CEHS Library. District leadership team preliminary FY24 budget presentations. To be continued on Wed, Jan 25 if needed. fmi http://bit.ly/3QXPmZA
Due to weather, all CESD schools will be closed today, Monday 1/23/2023. Any future storm days will be virtual half days, if conditions allow (power & internet).
Due to weather, all CESD schools will be closed today, Friday 1/20/2023. Please pay attention for notice later today regarding any evening athletic events.
A little early morning LEGO/Coding fun! Tuesday morning tech team tries out the new Lego Spike kits.
Updated Pond Cove Elementary Information and Principal's Notes. https://pondcove.cape.k12.me.us/o/pond-cove/page/pond-cove-information
Security Reminder:
This time of year generates lots of scams and phishing attempts. Please remember that school officials will only ever contact you using official accounts (ending in @capeelizabethschools.org).
December 19th's Chewonki Owl presentation was amazing! The kids really learned so much about owls. They especially loved seeing 2 live owls, an Eastern Screech
Owl, named Ozzie, and a Barred Owl, named Luna. We got to touch an owl wing and talon, and see owl pellets. Here is the link:Chewonki Owl Presentation
Please stop by the Lost and Found table in the Pond Cove lobby to find maybe a lost hat, coat, mitten or many other items. Anything left after 12/21 will be donated. Some of these items have been here for months.
Destination Imagination (DI), a STEAM-based competition for K-12 students, is looking for volunteers to lead teams of students through dynamic, creative, problem-solving processes. Through the fall and winter, DI teams work together and learn to harness their strengths, with the eventual goal of presenting their unique solution to one of seven challenges at the Maine State Tournament at the Hutchinson Center in Belfast on March 11th (and, if they qualify, Global Finals in May).
Our Cape Elizabeth School Department is looking for parents, caregivers, and educators who may be interested in starting a team, and creating new opportunities for social-emotional learning for their kids. Please reach out soon if you are interested!
FMI: Please contact Sarah Gagne at sgagne@capelizabethschools.org
Sara Hallowell's students and families were about to gather on Thursday for a telescope viewing. Pictured is Cooper P. and mom, Heidi, the second picture is Serena M. Students and parents looked at the moon since learning all about the phases and why it has craters. Everyone also got to view Jupiter and 5 of its moons later on. The telescope was received from a CEEF grant!
Our Tech Teams are having a great time, and learning some great problem solving techniques!
This week's Principal's Notes is now available online! Check out the Pond Cove Information Page, Facebook and Instagram to read what's new. We hope you enjoy the new format. We will be make some changes to it as we go.
The Facilities Director, Dave Bagdasarian recently met with Mrs. Jennings's 1st-grade class to talk about recycling. Here is a photo of their field trip to the school recycling dumpster!
Have you seen the new Pond Cove Elementary Facebook and Instagram pages? Keep up to date on what's happening and see some of the fantastic things going on at Pond Cove!
We're just getting started and may need to adjust some settings.
School Board Wkshp re Building Proj next steps. Wed Nov 16 5:45pm HS Library. FMI bit.ly/3WUeZNL A joint TC & SB Wkshp will be held at 7pm in Town Hall.