Cannonsburg Newsletter
Teya Cotter - Principal
tcotter@rockfordschools.org
Address: 4894 Sturgis St., Rockford, MI 49341
Website: www.rockfordschools.org
Phone: (616) 863-6344
Fax: (616) 863-6357
Important Dates
- February 21 Popcorn Day
- February 24 Fund$ for Friend$ - The Score 5PM-10PM
- February 25 Conferences/Book Fair Family Night
- February 26 Early Release 1:30 pm
- February 27 Conferences
- March 12 Early Release 1:30 pm
- March 12 Cannonsburg Battle of the Books
Early Release Days
- February 26
- March 12
- March 26
- April 23
- May 7
Students will eat lunch at school and dismissal will be at 1:30 pm on those days. Please plan ahead for transportation changes.
announcements
Cannonsburg Family Teacher Conferences
Last day for conference sign-up is Friday, February 21st
Dear Cannonsburg Families,
We are looking forward to conferences on February 25th and 27th. We will be hosting in-person conferences for both days this spring from 4:30-7:30pm. Please reach out directly to your child's teacher(s) if you need to set up a virtual meeting/phone call. On Wednesday, February 25th, we will be hosting our Scholastic Book Fair after school until 8:00pm for families to stop in and do some shopping after school hours.
To schedule a conference with your child's teacher, please view the link below:
After filling out your information, you will be able to choose your child's teacher and a time that works for you. You can go through this for each of your children. Due to time allowance, only one conference per family/student is offered.
An email confirmation with your conference time and date will be sent to you. You can also scan this QR code below and the follow it's instructions:
We look forward to meeting with you to celebrate the growth your child has made this year and share other opportunities for continued growth.
Sincerely,
Teya Cotter, Principal & Cannonsburg Staff
Book Fair
The Scholastic Book Fair is coming! SAVE THE DATE for Monday, February 24 thru Friday, February 28 and get ready to empower your reader with book choice. Start exploring together:
Battle of the books
We officially have our first Knight for the 2025 Battle of the Books. Abigail Leaver is our first Knight and now qualifies to participate in the Cannonsburg Battle of the Books on March 12. The top eight scoring Knights at our school Battle will then be the Cannonsburg team and move on to participate in the RPS Grand Battle of the Books on March 28.
CONGRATULATIONS ABIGAIL!!!
Newsletter Dates
All future newsletters will be featured on the new Rockford website. There will be a new biweekly schedule for elementary schools. All newsletters will be posted by 4pm on the following days:
February 21, March 7, March 21, April 2 - optional, April 18, May 2, May 16, May 30.
A link will be sent out through Family Access to help families navigate the new schedule.
example of excellence
Congratulations to Evan Brunner!
An “Example in Excellence” is not necessarily the star athlete or academic, but someone who shows strength of character and a willingness to go out of their way to help others.
5th Grade celebration
5th grade teachers at Cannonsburg saw a need and created "What I Need Time" for kids. Starting in October they invited National Honors Society students, parents, and community members in 4 days/week. Thanks to the hard work of our students, volunteers, teachers and these measurable changes we saw amazing growth. Our 5th graders jumped from 42% of students meeting/exceeding expectations on NWEA MAP test to 89% this Winter. Wow! Here are some photos capturing our recent celebration! Student brains are popping in math and with some Bubblicious fun!
Golden Apple award
This week’s Golden Apple Award goes to 5th Grade Teacher, Danielle Vallad who is an outstanding example of a lifelong learner and leader. She started her career as a Special Education teacher, got her Masters at University of Laverne, an Ed Specialist degree in Educational Leadership at MSU, and is currently pursuing her next Masters in Counseling at GVSU. She is continuously pushing herself to learn and apply that knowledge. She is constantly sprinkling gifts of sunshine to our staff during times of need and celebration and serves on our school Guiding Coalition to promote continuous growth and improvement. She is an asset to Cannonsburg Elementary and blessing to others!
Golden Apple Award Winner
Danielle Vallad
Pitch it or ditch it showcase
Students get inventive with solutions to everyday problems
Cannonsburg annual education report
Dear Parents and Community Members, The AER is available for you to review electronically by visiting the following link:
Steam
cold and flu season guide
As many of you are already aware, there has been an increase of illness in our community. To help prevent the spread of illness, including influenza, we would like to partner with you. Please remind your children to wash their hands frequently and cover their mouths when coughing. The question frequently comes up of when to keep a child home from school. Listed below are guidelines for the Rockford Public Schools.
A child should stay home from school and their physician should be consulted if he/she has any of the following symptoms:
- A temperature of 100.4 or greater
- Green or yellow discharge from nose or eyes
- Vomiting or diarrhea
- Cough or sore throat lasting longer than two days
- Rashes or eruptions
- Breathing difficulties
- Any other medical concern
Students should remain at home until symptom or fever free for 24 hours without the use of medication. If student has been seen by a physician, and they have been deemed not contagious, a physician’s note must be provided to the school indicating such in order for the student to return to class. As always, the best way to reduce your and your students’ risk of infection is to practice good hand-hygiene.
NOROVIRUS
Recently we have seen our numbers of Norovirus, often called the stomach flu, increase. Common symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramping, fever, body aches, and weakness.
If your child has these symptoms they should stay home from school until 48 hours have passed since their symptoms have stopped per the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. More information can be found at the Kent County Health Department website. It is recommended that you consult with your child’s physician if you have any concerns.
Thank you for your cooperation. Your district nurses,
Kelly Theaker, BSN, RN
Phone: (616) 863-6031 ext 7030
ktheaker@rockfordschools.org
Jennifer Collins, BSN, RN
Phone: (616) 863-6140 ext 1015
jcollins@rockfordschools.org
ENROLLMENT OPENS 2/13/2025
Enrollment for the 2025/2026 school year is now open. Children who turn five years old on or before December 1, 2025, are eligible to enroll for the 2025/2026 school year.
save the date for the taste!
The Rockford Education Foundation is hosting their annual spring gala – The Taste. This event highlights the great work that the Rockford Education Foundation does as a partner with our district. If you can participate in this event on March 6, we would encourage you to make your plans now. Information can be found on the Rockford Education Foundation website: Home : Rockford Education Foundation
Cannonsburg Elementary PTC Updates
SPRING ASSEMBLY
BLANDFORD NATURE CENTER
WILDLIFE EXPERIENCE
in APRIL
SAVE THE DATE!
PTC Meetings
The PTC would like to offer a Virtual Options for the meeting. In the past there has been trouble with connectivity issues at the school. Please keep that in mind when trying to connect at home. If we are unable to connect, the minutes will be available later this week so everyone can be kept up to date!
During the meetings, please hold all questions until the end. We will try to save time to answer all questions, if we run out of time you can post your questions in the chat function, and we will provide answers in minutes.
Volunteering
For those interested in VOLUNTEERING at Cannonsburg Elementary School, remember to fill out the volunteer contact form and background check. This must be completed every year. Thank you for your support!
Meeting Dates for 2024-25 School Year
Join us during our quarterly meetings to stay up to date on events!
Art Room: 7pm - 8pm
- April 15, 2025
Meet the Team!
- President: Liz Wardell
- Vice President: Audrey Sarantos
- Treasurer: Nicole Oeltjen
- Secretary: Wendy Hahn
- Trustee: Kara Leaver
We are here for you!
PTCBurg@gmail.com
reminders
Office Reminders
Student Absences
Absences MUST be called into the office 616.863.6344 or emailed to the front office - sweisman@rockfordschools.org
Please leave a message on our general voicemail box if you are calling after hours. Whether you are reporting an absence on our voicemail or speaking with Shelley or Nicole we need to know the following things:
- Student's name
- Reason for Absence - if it is an illness we need to know the symptoms of the illness - vomiting, coughing, fever, cold, diarrhea, lice - whatever the reason may be
Pick-Up Reminders
- Please put orange signs in the passenger dashboard
- Kindergarten parents park & line-up on the sidewalk near parking lot. Older siblings will walk down and cross with the Kindergarten students
- Call the office by 2:30 or email Nicole at ncurtis@rockfordschools.org if you have changes in the your after school arrangements
Label Everything
The fall weather will be approaching soon and students will be dressing in layers, which means our lost and found will be growing. To avoid your students clothing from going into the lost and found PLEASE LABEL EVERYTHING!!! Label all hoodies, coats, water bottles, lunch boxes, etc. You can label the items with initials, just last name, full name, etc. Labeling items will ensure they will back it back home!
Health Room Information
Call the office for all illness related absences. Your students needs to be Fever Free (without medication) and stomach Illness (vomit) Free 24 hours before returning to school.
If your student is in need of medication during the school day, please refer to the attached link below. Nursing services has all the required documentation. A physician signature and parent signature are required for all distributed medications.
Medications Taken at School
All medication, including over the counter medication, must have a signed doctor's note in the office before office staff can give medication to your child.
If your child:
- Has an EpiPen we need a FARE - Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Emergency Care Plan filled out by the doctor.
- Has asthma we need an Asthma Action plan filled out by the doctor.
- Has seizures we need a seizure care plan filled out by the doctor.
Food service
Lunch IS FREE this year. Although lunches are free for the 24-25 school year, many services to students and funding, in general, derive from Free and Reduced Lunch applications. Please click on "Apply for Benefits" and complete it by the end of September.
If your child brings a cold lunch and would like to purchase milk only will cost $.55.
Lunch information can be found by clicking HERE. Our Food Service page has the Menu for the month, how to add money to your student's lunch account, and the application for Free and Reduced lunch.
Daily Student Schedule
The Power of US
