Cannonsburg Newsletter
Cannonsburg Elementary
4894 Sturgis St., Rockford, MI 49341
Phone: (616) 863-6344
Fax: (616) 863-6357
Teya Cotter - Principal
tcotter@rockfordschools.org
Message from Miss Cotter
Dear Cannonsburg Elementary Families,
As parents, we all want to keep our children safe, happy, and connected. But in today’s rapidly changing world of technology, knowing how to handle devices, smartphones, and social media can feel overwhelming. Whether you are deciding when to give your child their first phone, weighing the pros and cons of a tablet, or trying to manage the gaming consoles they already have, you are not alone in navigating these big questions.
We want to share some resources to help you lead these important conversations at home, along with an invitation to join us for a special evening of support to discuss important topics:
Feb. 10 @ 7pm - Cannonsburg’s PTC Meeting
Talking to Your Kids- If your child is asking for a smartphone, gaming console, or social media, it can be hard to say "no" when it feels like everyone else is saying "yes." The Wait Until 8th initiative suggests shifting the conversation from what they are missing to what they are gaining. Helpful Tips Here
Focus on the "Why": Explain that games and apps are designed to hook their attention for profit, often at the cost of their sleep, focus, and mood.
Protect Their Brains: Let them know their brains are still growing. Waiting isn't a punishment; it’s a way to let them develop strong social skills and self-worth without the constant pressure of online comparison.
"Not Yet," Not "Never": Reassure them that they will use technology eventually, but you want them to have it when they are ready to use it as a tool, not a crutch.
Practical Steps for Safety at Home Beyond conversation, there are concrete steps you can take to "layer" protection around your child. This includes choosing the right hardware and understanding what your current devices can actually do.
1. Choosing the Right Device: Purpose Over Popularity Not all screens are created equal. When selecting a device, consider its primary purpose:
Tablets (iPad vs. Kindle):
Kindle: A great "single-purpose" tool. It promotes reading without the distractions of notifications, games, or the open web. It is generally the safest bet for quiet time.
iPad: A powerful creative tool but also a gateway to everything. If you choose an iPad, treating it as a family device rather than a personal one is key. Management Tip: Use Apple’s "Screen Time" settings to disable the Safari browser and the App Store, effectively turning it into a monitored device for specific apps only.
First Phones (The "Smart" Alternatives):
Gabb Wireless: Often called a "dumb phone" is the best way. It allows for calling, texting, and GPS tracking but has no internet, no social media, and no app store. It removes the battle over screen time entirely.
Bark Phone: A good middle ground for slightly older kids. It looks like a regular smartphone (Samsung) but comes with powerful monitoring software built-in. It alerts you to concerning texts or searches but gives the child slightly more freedom than a Gabb phone.
2. The Hidden "Social Networks" in Games Many parents don't realize that gaming consoles (Xbox, PlayStation, Switch) and games (Roblox, Fortnite) are often social media platforms in disguise.
Check the Chat: The biggest risk in gaming is often "voice chat" or "text chat" with strangers. Predators ouse these features to build trust. Action: Go into the settings of each game and turn off "Voice Chat" or set it to "Friends Only."
Hidden Browsers: Even if you don't have a computer, gaming consoles often have web browsers (sometimes hidden) that allow access to YouTube or the internet. Ensure parental controls are active on the console itself to block web browsing.
3. Secure the Gateway & Use the Registry
Filter the Home: Consider using parental control routers (like Gryphon or Circle) to filter content across the whole house and enforce "internet-free" bedtimes.
Protect MI Child Registry: A simple, free tool is the Michigan Child Protection Registry. This state service works like a "Do Not Call" list for the digital age, blocking adult-oriented ads (alcohol, gambling, vaping) from reaching your child's email, phone, or social handles.
Join Us for a Special PTC Meeting We know that reading about these tools is one thing, but discussing them as a community is even better. We invite you to a special presentation where we will dive deeper into these topics.
When: February 10th, 7:00 – 8:00 PM
Where: Cannonsburg Elementary — Art Room
Special Guests: Alisha Meneely, Government and Community Outreach Director for the MI Child Protection Registry & Beky Chino, Cannonsburg Social Woker
Let’s come together to support each other and our children in this digital age. We look forward to seeing you there! We are excited to offer practical ideas and support for making decisions that fit your family’s values.
Please use the "video message" bubble below to watch a video message from me about this important presentation.
Warmly,
Teya Cotter, Principal
important upcoming dates
- January 30: 5th Grade Grand Battle of the Books
- February 2: Trading Card Club 3:30-4:30
- February 4: Early Release 1:30 pm Dismissal
- February 4: Mental Health Resource Night @ RHS 5:30 pm
- February 5: Breakfast with a Buddy-Last Names A-L
- February 6: Breakfast with a Buddy-Last Names M-Z
- February 9: Trading Card Club 3:30-4:30
- February 9-11: Candy Gram Sale @ lunch
- February 9-12: Spirit Week
- February 10: Cubs Cupboard @ Lunch
- February 10: PTC Meeting/Social Media Presentation @ 7:00 pm
- February 12: Class Valentine's Day parties
- February 13 & 16: Mid-Winter Break No School
- February 20: Winter STEAM Olympics & Popcorn Day
- February 23: Trading Card Club 3:30-4:30
- February 24 & 26: Family Teacher Conferences-See below to sign up!
- February 25: Early Release 1:30 pm Dismissal
Good Luck to our battle of the books team!
Good luck to our Cannonsburg students who are competing in the Grand Battle of the Books on January 30!
Conference sign-ups
Dear Cannonsburg Families,
We are looking forward to conferences February 24th and 26th, both conference dates are in-person. On Tuesday February 24th, the library will also be hosting its annual Family evening Scholastic Book Fair from 4:00pm-8:00pm. Stop in to do some shopping after school hours!
In order to schedule a conference with your student's teacher(s), please view this link: https://www.schoolbookings.net/code/dkpgy
Or scan this QR code:
After filling out your information, you will be able to choose your child's teacher and a time that works best for you. If asked for a code use: dkpgy. Please do this for each student. A confirmation email will be sent to you with your chosen time slot. We look forward to your scheduled meetings to celebrate the growth your child has made and share opportunities for continued growth!
Sincerely,
Teya Cotter, Principal & Cannonsburg Staff
Spelling bee
Congratulations to our Cannonsburg spelling bee winners! Jocelyn S is our first place spelling bee champ and Ryan P is our runner up. We are so proud of both of you! They will go on to compete online in the next round in February to try to earn a spot in the regional spelling bee. Good luck, Jocelyn and Ryan!
GRASP
Do you want to help your child maintain reading and math skills over summer break? GRASP is an at home program used by families for 50 years!
Grand Rapids Academic Summer Program (GRASP) is a summer math and reading correspondence program that helps scholars in grades kindergarten through 8th retain skills learned during the school year by providing review exercises.
GRASP Curriculum
Teachers and curriculum professionals developed GRASP as a cost-efficient substitute for traditional summer school. Lessons were written to correlate with the Common Core Standards which most states have adopted.
GRASP offers nine lessons to be submitted during the summer - one per week or at a scholar's own pace as long as they are submitted before the final due date. Each lesson reinforces the basic skills typically found in most curricula at that particular grade level. GRASP staff score the lesson and return it to the scholar with comments.
Packets are available for scholars finishing grades K-8 to review their math and reading skills. Scholars finishing grades 4-8 can select online resources instead of the packets.
We recognize our scholars' efforts by awarding a certificate to those who successfully complete at least seven lessons with 70% accuracy. A medal is given to scholars who successfully complete all nine lessons from their packet.
ENROLL HERE:
Breakfast with a Buddy!
It is that time again for our Annual Breakfast with a Buddy Event, hosted by our PTC! This year the event is on February 5th and February 6th in the cafeteria. Students can bring in one Buddy before school for a quick breakfast treat of donuts, fruit, coffee and juice.
At every table there will be blank cards for the students and/or family members to write a quick message of encouragement or thanks to the staff at Cannonsburg! There will be a basket for completed cards and we will pass them out to staff after the event.
Note: February 5th will be for students with last name A-L and February 6th will be for students with last name M-Z.
Spirit Week!
January PBIS Winners-gratitude
Congratulations to our Cannonsburg students who were recognized for exemplifying gratitude during the month of January!
Social media presentation by our PTC
Presenter: Alisha Meneely, Government and Community Outreach Director for the MI Child Protection Registry and our amazing social worker Beky Chino
EVENT DETAILS
When: February 10, 2026
Time: 7:00-8:00 p.m.
Where: Cannonsburg Art Room
Mental Health Night
Rockford Public Schools Mental Health Education and Resource Night: An Evening of Connection and Learning.
Wednesday, February 4th, 5:30pm-8:30pm
Rockford High School Auditorium, 4100 Kroes Street NE Rockford, MI 49341
Sponsored by: REF (Rockford Education Foundation)
Join us for a FREE evening dedicated to strengthening our community through mental health education, awareness and connection. Visit with over 20 vendors and listen to two speaker presentations.
Guest Speaker Presentations
Guiding Youth Through the Complex World of Substances, 5:30pm-6:30pm, Mariah DeYoung, LMSW, CAADC, CCS Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services.
From Panic to Power: Understanding Anxiety Through Dynamic Psychotherapy, 7-8pm, Chloe Metzer, LMSW Therapy Today Counseling and Consulting.
Hand2Hand Fundraiser
Rockford Public Schools is teaming up with Hand 2 Hand again this year to help raise awareness for the support needed by hungry kids in our district. The top raising school will get a fresh-baked cookie day from Dr Matthews!
Hand 2 Hand h2hkids.org - (616) 209-2779 - 306 Chicago Dr. Jenison, MI 49428
Nearly 65,000 children in West Michigan are at risk of hunger. That's roughly 834 school buses filled with kids being dropped off at home each weekend, who are at real risk of having little to no food for 68 hours!
Hand2Hand exists to eliminate that 68-hour gap so every kid has an opportunity to thrive. They do this by mobilizing schools, churches, businesses, foundations, and individuals to provide a backpack of nutritious food over the weekend and extended school breaks. Beyond physical nutrition, this food provides hope for students who are experiencing hunger. RPS wants to do our part and join volunteers across West Michigan who drive the Hand2Hand grassroots movement to eliminate child hunger ... because a hungry child hurts.
• RPS has 163 Students getting H2H assistance.
• Each Friday, H2H delivers backpacks of food to each of these students discreetly to keep them from going hungry over the weekend.
• A backpack with 2 days' worth of food is approximately $4.00.
• RPS students utilize $23,000 a year of H2H resources.
• H2H helps over 10,200 students across 280 schools and 145 churches throughout West Michigan.
HOW TO DONATE: February 2nd – 13th
Bring your donations to your school office. For every four dollars collected, a backpack gets placed on your school wall. Bring in a dollar and share a backpack with four friends or bring in all four dollars for yourself! The entire district will compete to see who can collect the most backpacks by raising the most money to feed hungry children in our community. The school that raises the most money will get a Cookie Day from Dr. Matthews!
Superintendent sub for a day!
One of our Cannonsburg staff members may be selected for a well-deserved day off with our own super substitute, Dr. Matthews! Once a month, Dr. Matthews will be trading his Superintendent’s office for the classroom and stepping in to substitute for a day.
How it works: Each $10 donation to the Rockford Education Foundation nominates a teacher to win a day off while Dr. Matthews takes over the classroom. All donations support REF educational grants, celebrate our incredible educators, and give Dr. Matthews a front-row seat in the classroom.
- $10 = 1 entry to nominate a teacher - multiple entries gladly accepted!
- Teachers may nominate themselves or a colleague
- One winner will be drawn monthly, January–May 2026
Link: Nominate a teacher
The Taste - Save the Date
The Rockford Education Foundation invites you to The Taste on March 5, 2026. This is REF's annual signature event, serving up amazing support for education through great food, drinks, and community partnership. The Taste hosts many local restaurants and businesses. Learn more, sign up to sponsor or purchase tickets online.
PTc MEETING
The next PTC Meeting is February 10 at 7:00 PM in the Art Room. Our guest speaker will discuss social media safety.
ptc updates
All volunteer signups and PTC related information are available in one place!
RPS Skate Night
Join us for the RPS Elementary School family open skate on Saturday, February 28th from 3-5pm at the Cedar Rock Sports Plex. Admission fee is $10 and if you sign in for Valley View, our PTO receives $2. We hope to see you there!
School assistance program (SAP)
Access support today!
Say “I have an SAP with Rockford Public Schools” when you call Pine Rest at 800.442.0809 and press “1.” Every RPS family member in your household is eligible. The Rockford Education Foundation (REF) has proudly partnered with Rockford Public Schools to provide expert counseling, therapy, and resources through Pine Rest’s School Assistance Program (SAP).
Student cellphones and smart watches
- Students with a cellphone may not use them during the school day, and they should be stored in the child’s backpack at all times.
- Please do not text or call your student on their device during the school day. Communication should go through the office.
- Students with smart watches should have their device set to School Mode, which disables distracting smartwatch features—like calls, messages, and games—while keeping essential safety tools active.
- Students should not be wearing earbuds or other noise-canceling headphones unless it is a documented accommodation.
Thank you for your help with this!
Hand2hand sign up form
This program offers nutritious food to students over weekends and on extended school breaks by churches, schools, individuals, and businesses that have joined together to provide hope and opportunity for our kids to thrive.
Please scan the QR code below to sign your student up to receive weekly meals.
free family assistance program
The Rockford Education Foundation (REF) has proudly partnered with Rockford Public Schools to provide expert counseling, therapy, and resources through Pine Rest’s School Assistance Program (SAP).
Say “I have an SAP with Rockford Public Schools” when you call 800.442.0809 and press “1.” Every RPS student, staff and family member in your household is eligible for up to three free sessions. Additional SAP benefits include: free elder care consultation, legal and financial consultation, infant-feeding advice and real estate consultation. Anyone in the household can utilize these resources and it is 100% confidential. Access an online library with over 20,000 resources covering health, finances, legal topics and more. The code to login the library is RockfordPS.
Login Code: RockfordPS
Volunteer Consent Forms
Volunteer Consent Forms must be completed every year, please complete your application now! This form must be on file in order to chaperone a field trip and/or volunteer at building events.
RPS Student Device Management
Students in RPS are afforded the opportunity to access and enhance some learning activities through district provided Chromebooks. Thanks to the support of the 2019 school bond proposal, RPS has been able to support the scheduled purchases of instructional technology for student use. Last year, elementary students received new devices, and this year all secondary Chromebooks are new. Thank you!
To preserve the quality of student devices as long as possible, we educate students about proper care and charge for repair when avoidable damage occurs. Like a textbook, each student is assigned a Chromebook and responsible for proper care. If a device is damaged or lost, a charge will be issued against the student's Family Access account. The charge will reflect Rockford Public Schools' cost to repair or replace the device. It is our hope that the layered approach of informing parents/guardians, educating students, and assigning fees when necessary, will assist to promote a decrease in the amount of overall damage to student devices and increased consistency of student accessibility to learning activities.
Should a student device be damaged, the initial fees are as follows:
Chromebook:
• Broken Screen $30
• Broken Keyboard (missing keys, etc.) $30
• Damaged Chassis/Lost Device $200
• Power Supply (Lost or Not Returned) $15
iPads:
• Screen Repair $110
• Broken/Lost Device $299
During the summer of 2025 all devices were inspected to ensure that they are ready for distribution. School personnel will be diligent about communicating device care expectations to students and we ask that parents and guardians reinforce proper care expectations as well.
During the year if a device requires repair, a district technician will review the damage and decide if a charge is necessary. Normal scratches and wear are expected and will not incur a charge. Any fees assigned will generate an email notification to parents/guardians.
We appreciate your support in assisting your child(ren) to participate in the proper care of devices and if you have any questions or need further clarification, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's school.
Weather Alerts
For up-to-date information regarding Rockford Public Schools delays and/or closings, events and safety alerts, send a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our district’s short code number, 67587. Opt out any time by simply replying to one of our messages with “Stop”. Be sure to tune in on icy or snowy mornings!
Free Breakfast and Lunch
Research is pretty clear that hunger can harm student learning. Hungry students are not as engaged in the classroom, and can have difficulty concentrating and processing information effectively. Because of this, we are grateful to have free breakfast and lunch available for all of our students.
As you know, not everything on the school menu is a crowd-favorite. Because of this, we encourage families to preview the menus linked below each day and plan accordingly if what is being served for breakfast and lunch is not something your student will eat.
Attendance Procedures
If your student will be absent please call the office attendance line by 9:30am. Robo calls go out at 10:00am.
If you choose to email attendance notifications please include office staff & your student's teacher.
- Nicole Curtis - ncurtis@rockfordschools.org
- Anne Joles - ajoles@rockfordschools.org
Birthday treats and celebrations
- We look forward to celebrating our students’ birthdays and will honor each student with a shout-out on the announcement's birthday board, as well as special moments throughout the day with the classroom teacher and peers.
- RPS school policy is no food birthday treats. You are welcome to send in a book for the class or a non-food item, such as indoor recess game. We promise to make our birthday students feel special on their big days. Unfortunately, if food items are sent in they will not be able to be distributed.
- If your student is celebrating with classmates outside of school, please only send invitations to school when all classmates are included. This helps to avoid hurt feelings.
Thank you for your support with our Birthday Celebration Procedures.
Standard Response Protocol (SRP)
HB 4096, the Revised School Safety Code, has been introduced to provide common language for schools during emergencies. Here is an overview of the FIVE actions schools may take when addressing emergencies.
LOCKDOWN - The term "lockdown" should be used when there is an existing threat in or at a school building or a threat is expected to arrive in or at a school building imminently. Secure in a room, confirm the door is locked, and move to a place of cover away from the door and any windows.
SECURE MODE - Determined when a LOCKDOWN, as described, is not necessary, but heightened security and awareness are needed due to a potential EXTERNAL threat. Instruction continues in a normal manner, but access to the school building and movement within the building is highly restricted.
SHELTER - This is used when it is safer to be inside the building than outside. Common situations where this is used would be severe weather approaching or some type of hazardous materials incident in proximity to the school.
EVACUATION - Deals with the need to evacuate the building as it is no longer deemed safe to occupy for any variety of reasons, like fire, chemical spill, gas leak, etc.
HOLD - Hold is utilized when there is a need to have students and staff remain in their classrooms as staff address a concern or issue (medical, student in crisis) in a hallway or common area. Students are released when the office announces all clear.
For more information about our SRP resource, please visit the I Love You Guys website.
Transportation and busing
Transportation is encouraging RPS families to get the My Ride app on their phones. For more information on this, please click on this link to our Transportation Department: Transportation
My Ride K-12 App
My Ride K-12 capabilities include the following:
Stop location, assigned route, and scheduled pick up time
GPS geolocation push notifications, giving estimated time of bus arrival and information concerning bus status changes
Real time communication and messaging
Secure and confidential log in
Android/iOS app and Web Version available
Medication Drop-off
If your student(s) will need medication during the school day, please follow these instructions:
The medication forms can be found on the RPS website and are linked below. Please remember these documents must be signed by a parent AND their physician. Medication should be dropped off in its original container.
