122newsletter - Red Hawk Ridge Elementary

Dear Red Hawk Ridge Community,
Please take the time to read the information below as to how to help keep our students and
staff healthy during this winter’s flu season.
Information About the Flu
Cold and flu season reaches its peak in February and following are ways to tell the difference between a cold and the flu:
• It might be a cold if there is mild coughing and sneezing with no fever. If symptoms are
mild take measures to reduce infecting others including covering sneezing/coughing, washing
hands frequently to prevent transmission, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers when hand
washing is not available.
• It might be the flu if symptoms present suddenly and are more severe. Symptoms of the
flu include fever, chills, muscle aches, headache, sore throat, runny nose, and fatigue and
weakness. Flu affects the respiratory tract and can lead to serious side effects. If you suspect your child has the flu keep your student at home to avoid spreading the illness to others and call your health care provider for care recommendations as antiviral drugs taken
early in the course of illness are effective.
As always prevention is the best way to avoid illness and the CDC recommends the following
habits for good health and to prevent the spread of respiratory disease:
1. Avoid contact with people who appear ill.
2. If you are sick- stay at home.
3. Cover your cough and sneezes!
4. Wash your hands - if hand washing is not available use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
5. Keep your hands out of the T-zone - the eyes, nose and mouth.
6. Always practice good health habits including proper nutrition, sleep, hygiene and physical activity.
7. Vaccination- it is not too late to obtain the flu shot and although this year’s virus is a
variant from the developed vaccine the vaccine may still decrease chance of infection as
well as decrease severity of symptoms if a person is infected with the flu virus.
Student expectations at school to keep healthy
Food: We told children they cannot share food, offer food, or buy food for a friend. If a
child buys or brings some food they do not want to eat, it has to been thrown away or saved
for later.
Hand Washing: We require students to wash their hands for 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer after recess before eating lunch. Also, we promote that hand washing prevents illness.
Each class watched a video that stated the necessity of hand washing. If you need more
information or help with facts about washing hands please visit this website: http://
www.cdc.gov/handwashing/
Please let our nurse, Amy Goebel, know if you have any questions or concerns. She can be
reached at 720-886-3806 or agoebel@cherrycreekschools.org.
Mike Wurdeman
Principal
January 22, 2015
www.rhr.ccsd.k12.co.us
720-886-3800
Calendar of Events
January:
1/27: B Track On
February:
2/2: Kindergarten Round-Up
2/4: Chipotle Night
2/12: B&D Spring Picture Day
2/13: D Track Off
2/16: President’s Day-No School
2/17: K-12 Non Contact DayNo School
2/19: C Track On
24 HOUR
ATTENDANCE
LINE
720-886-3895
Please remember
when your student is going to
be absent or late,
you are
required to call the attendance line by 8:45 am! This is
a 24 hour open line.
Letting the teacher know is
considerate, calling the attendance line is a
Notes from the Clinic
January Newsletter;
Colds have been going around like crazy over winter break. Please make sure you are staying healthy by getting enough sleep, eating balanced meals, exercising, covering your cough and sneezes, and washing your hands. Did you know that sugar weakens your
body’s defense? So try to stay away from those sweets or have a very limited amount, so you can stay healthy.
This Month is Family FIT lifestyle awareness month. This is a great website for lots of ideas how to keep the whole family fit
and healthy: http://www.webmd.com/parenting/raising-fit-kids/food/food-smart-kids. Check it out and see what you think.
In the clinic: The clinic is always in need of the following supplies: Children’s Tylenol and Ibuprofen, Kleenex, socks, pants, and
old tennis shoes.
Thanks for your support!
Amy Goebel, BSN- RN
Red Hawk Ridge Elementary School Nurse
agoebel@gmail.com
Clinic: (720) 886-3806
Fax: (720) 886-3888
Reminders

No dogs are allowed on school property. Please leave your dogs at home while bringing your child to and
from school.

The school day runs from 8:45-3:30. Children may come in for breakfast at 8:15. Students that do not eat breakfast at school may NOT be dropped off before 8:25 as we do not have adult supervision outside before that time.
Children must be picked up after school by 3:40 as that is when outside adult supervision ends. Students that need
to stay longer may enroll in the Before/After School program. For the safety of our kids, we appreciate your observance of these time frames.

Please have your child exit and enter your vehicle on the curb side. This way, little ones will not have to walk between cars. Many of them are too short to be seen by drivers. If there are no openings next to the curb, we are asking that you park your car in a designated parking space and walk your child across the parking lot, or drive around the
loop another time. The drop off lane usually clears up quickly. Please do not have your child exit or enter your car
from the second lane of traffic. Please help us keep children safe by not dropping off students in the street.
Cafeteria Account Information
Students Leaving the Cherry Creek School District:
Any student moving out of the Cherry Creek School District should request a refund from the kitchen
manager at 720-886-3839.
Students Transferring within the Cherry Creek School District:
If students are planning to transfer to another school within the Cherry Creek School District, their meal
account balance will be automatically transferred to the Cherry Creek School that they will attend next
school year.
PTCO
Here is the PTCO stuff!
1) Snowball Dance - Friday February 20, 6-8 pm. Grandview High School Cafeteria. The Snowball Dance committee could use a couple of helpers. Please contact
jill.burge@gmail.com
2) DJ WANTED - This year we would like to hire a DJ for our snowball dance. We
would also like to support our RHR community - so if anyone in our school is a DJ and
available on Feb 20, please contact jill.burge@gmail.com
3) BOX TOPS & LABELS FOR EDUCATION - Please continue to clip and send in your
Box Tops and Labels - Our school earns a substantial amount of money from these, and
we need it! Please keep clipping! Remember to send them trimmed and in baggies.
Please also check the expiration date!
Thank you Board of Education members!
Jim O’Brien wasn’t fully prepared for the time commitment that came along with his new role as a member
of the Cherry Creek Board of Education.
When O’Brien joined the board seven years ago, he’d already built an extensive professional résumé as a
telecommunications executive and nonprofit manager. What’s more, he’d played the part of active and engaged volunteer at the Cherry Creek schools where his two sons attended.
But all of that experience didn't fully prepare O’Brien for the work that was to come. Taking on the mantle of
school board member meant accepting a different level of responsibility, one that included up to 25 hours
of work in a typical week.
"To be an effective board member, you have to have the time to prepare for board meetings, you have to
have the time to visit schools and you have to have the time to interface with district leadership members,"
O'Brien said. "There's so much to learn. Having been on the school board for almost eight years, I learn
something new every day. You have to do your homework.”
O’Brien isn’t the only board member who boasts that level of dedication. The Cherry Creek School District
Board of Education comprises five dedicated public servants who work tirelessly for the sake of more than
54,000 students. January is School Board Recognition Month, and the district is proud to acknowledge the
work of board members Karen Fisher, Claudine McDonald Jim O’Brien, Randy Perlis and David Willman.
These unpaid volunteers work hundreds of hours a week for a simple goal: to ensure that every student in
the Cherry Creek School District receives the best education possible. That means that every student in
every building has access to an education that properly prepares them for success in college, the military,
the workplace and the larger realm of society as a whole.
“How fortunate we are to have these selfless volunteers leading our district,” said Cherry Creek Superintendent Harry Bull. “They give generously of their time to thoroughly study and carefully consider many challenging and complex issues. Every decision they make is based on what is in the best interest of our students.”
That effort involves a high level of expertise. The Cherry Creek School District is home to more than 54,000
students. The board oversees the efficient management of a public entity with more than 9,000 part-time
and full-time employees. They successfully oversee an annual general fund budget of more than $400 million. All of that work comes on top of the countless hours spent interacting firsthand with students, teachers, district administrators, parents and other community members. That direct communication comes during the countless school visits, special events and sporting events that take place throughout the year.
It’s all worth it for the Cherry Creek board members, who see their rewards in the success of every student.
For example, board member Claudine McDonald insists on attending every graduation ceremony at every
one of the district's high schools year after year. Standing on the stage and distributing diplomas gets to the
very heart of the job for McDonald, a longtime Aurora resident with deep community ties.
"We get to hand over diploma covers, shake the students' hands, give them a hug and say,
'Congratulations, you did it,'" she said. "That's what we're working for."
Each board member represents one of the district’s five director districts, but they are elected ‘at-large’ to
four-year terms by registered voters via a non-partisan ballot.
Board of Education meetings are generally held at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of the month at one of the
Cherry Creek schools. Contact information for the Board of Education is 720-554-4300 or ccsdboard@cherrycreekschools.org.
Jim O’Brien
Director District A
Cherry Hills Village Elementary
Dry Creek Elementary
Greenwood Elementary
Heritage Elementary
Holly Ridge Primary/Holly Hills Elementary
Homestead Elementary
Walnut Hills Elementary
Willow Creek Elementary
Campus Middle School
West Middle School
Cherry Creek High School
Claudine McDonald
Director District B
Eastridge Community Elementary
Highline Community Elementary
Polton Community Elementary
Ponderosa Elementary
Village East Elementary
Challenge School
Prairie Middle School
Overland High School
David Willman
Director District C
Arrowhead Elementary
Cimarron Elementary
Independence Elementary
Indian Ridge Elementary
Meadow Point Elementary
Mission Viejo Elementary
Peakview Elementary
Summit Elementary
Trails West Elementary
Horizon Middle School
Laredo Middle School
Smoky Hill High School
Randy Perlis
Director District D
Antelope Ridge Elementary
Aspen Crossing Elementary
Buffalo Trail Elementary
Canyon Creek Elementary
Coyote Hills Elementary
Dakota Valley Elementary
Sunrise Elementary
Timberline Elementary
Fox Ridge Middle School
Liberty Middle School
Sky Vista Middle School
Thunder Ridge Middle School
Cherokee Trail High School
Eaglecrest High School
Karen Fisher
Director District E
Belleview Elementary
Cherry Creek Academy
Cottonwood Creek Elementary
Creekside Elementary
Fox Hollow Elementary
High Plains Elementary
Red Hawk Ridge Elem
Rolling Hills Elementary
Sagebrush Elementary
Falcon Creek Middle School
Grandview High School
RHR Intersession Program
If you are looking for fun daytime care while your child is off track, enroll him/her in RHR’s Intersession program!
-Themed activities including arts and crafts, music, science projects, technology, outdoor play, cooking, movies and more.
- Flexible Program hours: 6:30 am – 6:00 pm
- Daily Rate: $30 – Siblings are 10% off
- Pick one or as many days as you need.
- Your child may ride the school bus or you may drop off and pick up during the day. (Please provide permission in writing if a bus rider).
School breakfast and lunch may be purchased on all in house days.
Easy online enrollment.
If you are interested or would like additional information, please email Grace Cuff, Intersession Coordinator,
gcuff@cherrycreekschools.org
or call 720 886 3878.