ATTENDANCE MATTERS: Are you ready for a new school year? Every day of the school year matters for every student. Research shows that when students are chronically absent (missing 10% or more of the school year or just 18 days over an entire year), they are less likely to read proficiently by third grade, achieve in middle school and graduate from high school. Keep an eye on your attendance all year long, and begin the school year with good attendance habits. To put things in perspective, after 30 school days, ten percent and chronically absent means just three absences. Having trouble getting to school? You can reach out to our district Dean of Students and Attendance by email at [email protected] or by phone at 401-440-5216. Not sure when school starts or what time you need to be there? Click here.
Cranston Public Schools Mission Statement: The Mission of the Cranston Public Schools is, through collaboration with the entire community, to deliver a high-quality, aligned and evidence-based instructional system that is accessible and responsive to diverse learners, which is supported by finances and facilities for the 21st Century and promotes student achievement and success through active learning and personalization.
Cranston Public Schools Vision Statement: The vision of the Cranston Public Schools is to continue to build and support an educational community that:
*Reflects the diversity of all stakeholders including students, families, educators, as well as civic and community partners. *Allows students to direct their own learning, monitor progress and set goals. Implements high-quality aligned and evidence-based curricula which meets the needs of all learners through personalization. *Provides facilities that are flexible, clean, safe, and conducive to an aligned instructional system and responsive to the needs of diverse 21st Century learners. *Works together in order to instill a sense of pride and purpose in our students, in schools that instill a sense of belonging and excitement.
Social Media Policy for Site Visitors: Our Social Media Policy for Site Visitors can be found on our district website here. Please be sure to take a look.
Come Work With Us! If you would like to join our Cranston Public Schools community you can find job opportunities here. We are hiring a wide variety of positions. You can also visit SchoolSpring for a more comprehensive list of openings. Come and be a part of building Cranston's Future, one child and one school at a time.
School Construction News: This is such an exciting time for us! Our school construction projects are moving along and we have many things going on at once. Garden City Elementary School is now open! You can see some recent news reports about the school from NBC 10 and WPRI 12, and see some additional sneak peeks in our photo album here.
#ICYMI:
Learn more: Did you know that our building projects website is full of photos and construction project updates and presentations? Visit the site to see regular updates about all of our construction projects here.
EXCITING NEWS FROM AES: Did you know we have three high schools? Our New England Laborers' Cranston Public Schools Construction and Career Academy, has undergone a rebranding and has a new name! The Apprenticeship Exploration School, or AES is our public charter high school. AES students have the opportunity to have a comprehensive high school academic program in a small school setting, while being trained and prepared to work in heavy highway construction or to enroll in our travel and tourism CTE program. Our students are ready for an apprenticeship, a career, or their college experience upon graduation. We will soon be showcasing the new logo and name, so be on the lookout! Check out the website here.
NEWS FROM CAREER AND TECH: We are so proud of the wide variety of career and technical programs that we offer, which are housed on all of our high school campuses. We have programs for everyone, including those who are planning to go directly to work after high school as well as those who are college bound or joining the military. Do you want to be a part of the CACTC family? Check out all of the programs we offer! Click here to learn more.
FRIDAY FLIERS: You can always find our weekly Friday Fliers here.
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Labor Day, No School
9/4/2023
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Yom Kippur, No School
9/25/2023
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HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? Check out all of the links to resources you might need in the list below. Don't see something you need? Reach out to your teacher or building administrator and let them know so that we can direct you to the help you need.
Affordable Internet: Is your family in need of affordable internet? "The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) helps to ensure that families can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more. The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month towards internet and eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 towards the purchase price." Learn more here.
Adult Education: Are you or someone you know in need of adult education? You can find programs all over the state here, and note that we have an adult education program here in Cranston. You can find it on the list by clicking the link.
Looking for a tutor: You may not be yet, but as time goes on, you may be looking for some extra help for your child. Check out tutor.com for free tutoring options made possible through our partnerships.
Clothes for school: Clothes to Kids RI is offering qualifying families in need from grades K-12 or working toward their GED the opportunity to shop for free clothes. Families who are in crisis due to natural disaster, poverty, homelessness, or displacement can qualify. Each child will receive 5 tops, 4 bottoms, 5 new underwear, 5 pair new socks, a pair of shoes and a coat. For more information, hours, guidelines and eligibility, click here.
STAY IN THE LOOP! If you've read this far down in the newsletter, that means you are utilizing one of our many means of communications here in Cranston Public Schools and we are grateful to you! This Family Message goes out each Friday afternoon, recapping our week and giving you a heads up to anything coming up on the horizon. Additionally, you can check out our newly designed website, our mobile app, and find us on social media ( NEW: LinkedIN, Instagram, ( X(formerly Twitter), and Facebook). We always encourage you to look to us for your news in order to make sure that the information you are getting is correct.
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September 1, 2023
Dear parents and guardians,
Welcome back! We had a successful first two days of school. Our PreK, K, 1, 6 and 9 students came in on Thursday and all students came to school today, kicking off our school year. We continue to receive positive feedback from students and families alike who appreciate the staggered start to the school year. Those grades that arrived on Thursday are our transition grades, which means the students are new to the school. Having a staggered start gives them time to alleviate some new school anxiety by having a less overwhelming number of students in the building with them. We are pleased to be able to eliminate some of that back-to-school anxiety and worry for our students and for our families, and to give our faculty and staff some extra time to get to know the newest members of our school communities. We're also thankful now (and again in June) that we're able to ease into the school year with a couple of days before Labor Day, before starting up for full weeks. Easing into the year also helps those students who struggle with anxiety, and gets us that much closer to 180 days of school.
Our newest slideshow is on our district website! Be sure to take a look under News and Announcements below!
Did you put in a request for daycare transportation?
Mark Your Calendars:
- September 4 No School in observance of Labor Day
- September 25 No School in observance of Yom Kippur
As a reminder, Cranston Public Schools communicates with families through multiple platforms, and it's important to stay informed. Be sure that you're checking your email and following us on social media. If you have a cell phone you can download the mobile app for notifications also.
Communication Reminders
- The Friday Family Community Message comes out every Friday (or on Thursday if there is no school on Friday) at 3pm.
- We have four social media platforms you can follow: Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and LinkedIn. *See "Stay in the Loop" in the left sidebar to click on each platform and follow!
- Our district website and mobile app both have announcements and alerts
- Email (be sure that Cranston Public Schools is in your contacts)
- Robocalls in emergency situations
IMPORTANT INFORMATION
- Who's Who in Cranston Public Schools?: Each year we provide the community with an updated listing of our building administrators while also introducing our newest members of our administrative team. Here is this year's list. Welcome back to our returning administrative teams and welcome aboard to our new members.
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School start and end times: There are changes in the start and end times for Gladstone, Edgewood, Rhodes and Garden City Schools this year year. These changes impact these schools only. Not sure what time your school starts and ends? See the fliers here.
Schools with new start and end times:
Gladstone at Chester Barrows: New Time: 8:50 - 3:05
Gladstone at Waterman: New Time: 8:50 - 3:05
Edgewood Highlands: New Time: 8:40 - 2:55
Rhodes: New Time: 9:05 - 3:20
Garden City School: New Time: 9:05 - 3:20
- Please read and be sure you understand the Student-Family Handbook (Spanish here) guidelines for being able to participate in school events. Remember that there are academic, attendance, and behavioral expectations that are upheld all throughout the school year in order to be able to participate in any of the special events taking place. We do not ever want anyone to miss out!
- Our Security Protocols have been updated: Although we cannot disclose the specific details of our security measures to the public, we cannot emphasize enough how important it is for our families to embrace and follow our security protocols every day, all year long, even if you may think they are inconvenient to you or to those picking up your children. We have them available here for you to read here. Familiarize yourself with our procedures, be ready to follow them, and be sure that your emergency care cards are up to date and accurate. Make sure that anyone listed as being allowed to pick up your children on your emergency care card is ready to follow them as well. Without exception, no one will be allowed to pick up a child if they are not listed on the emergency care card.
Sincerely,
The Cranston Public Schools Leadership Team |
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Easy online School Lunch Application
Be sure to fill yours out now!
Read More...
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NEWS FROM RI DEPT. OF EDUCATION:
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Important Notice about FAFSA!
FAFSA DELAYED FOR 2023. The release of this year's Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA, has been delayed by the Department of Education. You cannot submit your FAFSA in October this year for the next academic school year. This delay will affect both the class of 2024 and students currently enrolled in college. Updates about the release date will follow. Click to receive additional FAFSA updates: FAFSA Notification.
ARE YOU SMARTER THAN A...
This section will be returning soon! Start studying to see if you are as smart as our students taking the standardized tests!
Opportunities for students:
Sports Physicals
Student athletes can schedule their Sports Physicals at a local MinuteClinic® at CVS. Each year, MinuteClinic board-certified providers conduct thousands of physicals for athletes, either in-clinic or at an on-site event.
MinuteClinic is open every day, including evenings. Find a local clinic.
For a limited period, MinuteClinic is offering a $10 discount on all sports physicals
Typical cost for a sports physical is $69, currently being offered at $59
Note: Physicals are a self-pay service that are not covered by health insurance. Outside of physicals, most services are billable to insurance, and we accept most insurances
Offer valid thru 9/13/23
If the athlete is under 18 years old, please inform them to come with their legal parent or guardian
Patients can go online to make an appointment at bit.ly/MinuteClinic_Sports_Physicals
Gammbassadors (Youth Ushers) Program Kicks Off Second Year at The Gamm TheatreAre you a high school student who loves theater? If so, you can learn about professional theater and see shows for FREE — plus earn community service hours. It's easy and fun! For details, click the link below. Gammbassadors must be aged 16-18 and willing to fulfill the same roles as any other usher: scanning tickets, directing patrons in the lobby and the theater, stuffing and/or passing out programs, seating patrons, and answering patrons' questions. In return, you have the option to earn community service hours and see Gamm productions for free! Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Lauryn Sasso at 401-723-4266 x 163 or [email protected] with any questions and to let us know if you want to earn community service credits. Performance Dates: Topdog/Underdog Sept 7 - Oct 1, 2023, Hangmen Nov 2 - 26, 2023, It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play Dec 9 - 24, 2023, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Jan 25 - Feb 18, 2024, Twelfth Night Mar 21 - April 14, 2024, Doubt: A Parable May 9 - June 2, 2024. More information available here: https://www.gammtheatre.org/youthushers
Bradley Hospital Youth Sleep StudyBradley Hospital researchers are seeking children ages 10-13 for research studies of sleep. These studies are enrolling children with or without family history of Alzheimer's Disease.These studies involve: following a sleep schedule at home; 3 nights and 1 day at the Sleep for Science Lab; 1 MRI Scan at Brown University.All participants are paid for their time and effort. For more information, call Betty at (401) 421 – 9440 or click here.
GOOD NEWS!
We look forward to spotlighting all of the good news that happens throughout the year. This section becomes one of our longest sections of the newsletter as the school year goes on!
Congratulations to: Cullen Dailey, one of our Oaklawn Elementary School students. Cullen was recently featured in the Cranston Herald for his very special reasons for hosting a lemonade stand for Hasbro Children's Hospital. Read all about Cullen here.
Congratulations to: the Edgewood Highland School Community. They not only had a fabulous turnout for their Back-to-School Night this week, but they celebrated a ribbon cutting for their new school building mural at the same time. This amazing mural covers the entire front and side of the school building and was fueled completely by the Edgewood community's donations and volunteer efforts. Read the article about it here. See our photos from the event here.
Congratulations to: Command Sergeant Major Moises Moniz, (Ret.), our JROTC educator at Cranston High School East. He and a miniature travel version of the East mascot, Benny the Bolt, traveled together on an amazing trip through France, Italy and Switzerland, sharing photos all along the way. Want to learn more? Read all about it here!
Congratulations to: our fall sports teams who have been practicing for several weeks now. We have several articles in the Cranston Herald shouting out our fall athletic teams and you can see them all here:
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
We know that our Cranston Public Schools students don't stop being amazing when they leave us. This spotlight section gives us the chance to recognize our students as they continue on in their lives, whether for academics, arts, athletics, or contributions to their community.
Several of our recent graduates, now officially CPS alumni, received some honors and awards this summer and we are proud to have them in our back to school alumni spotlight!
CONGRATULATIONS TO: Cranston East Class of 2023 grad, Sabine Mia JeanLouise, who won a $10,000 Kathy L. Radimer Memorial Scholarship scholarship to study biology at Rhode Island College from Sprout & STEM. You can read all about it here.
WELLNESS CORNER
Now that we are officially back to school, there will be some homework, and oftentimes with homework comes some stress. It's a great time to set up students up for success. You can start some good homework routines and even consider offering some incentives. You can read more in this article from Child Mind Institute: Strategies to Make Homework Go More Smoothly, and in Spanish here.
NAMI-RI: Fall "Family-to Family" course and Support Groups
The Rhode Island chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI-RI) is now accepting registration for our Fall session of NAMI’s Family-to-Family course which begins Wednesday, September 13, 2023 at 6:30 PM. This is a free and virtual, 8-session educational program for family, significant others and friends of people with mental health conditions. It is a designated evidenced-based program, which means that research shows that the program significantly improves the coping and problem-solving abilities of the people closest to a person with a mental health condition. NAMI-Rhode Island's Family-to-Family course is taught by trained family members who have lived experience with a loved one, and includes presentations, discussions and interactive exercises. For more information on the Family-to-Family curriculum and registration requirements, visit here or call 401-331-3060 or email [email protected].
MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES FOR
FAMILIES OF KIDS UNDER 18
Kids’ Link RI™ is a behavioral health triage service and referral network. A program offered in collaboration with Gateway Healthcare, Lifespan, Hasbro Children's Hospital and Bradley Hospital, Kids’ Link RI is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week to help triage children and youth in need of mental health services and refer them to treatment providers.The free, confidential phone line, 1-855-543-5465, connects parents and caregivers to an experienced clinician that can help them access children’s services in Rhode Island, and determine the best place to go for treatment and counseling.
Contact Kids’ Link RI™ if your child is:
Feeling excessive anger or sadness.
Lashing out at siblings, friends, and adults.
Having behavior problems at school.
Having severe worries.
Hurting himself/herself or others.
Mental Health and/or Substance Abuse
Resources for anyone 18+
WHAT IS BH LINK?
• A comprehensive program intended to serve those individuals 18+ who are experiencing behavioral health
crises (mental health and/or substance use) by establishing a community-based, 24/7 hotline and triage center.
WHY BH LINK?
• Provides immediate access to behavioral healthcare in a community-based, 24/7 facility
• Ensures stability, provides seamless transfer to ongoing care, and reduces unnecessary use of hospital-based services
• Delivers better, more cost-effective behavioral healthcare in Rhode Island
• BH Link Hotline, (414-LINK; 414-5465): a one-stop, statewide 24/7 call-in center that connects people to appropriate care and resources, when they or someone they care about is experiencing a behavioral healthcare crisis
• BH Link Triage Center: a 24/7 community-based walk-in/drop-off facility where clinicians connect people to
immediate, stabilizing emergency behavioral health services, and long-term care and recovery supports.
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