School News

Shop this Holiday Season from the safety and comfort of your own home. As many of our school fundraisers have been cancelled, we're asking you to please help Castlemont students and teachers with this school-wide sale. Watch this video for more information. All money raised will go directly to help Castlemont Home and School Club for opportunities benefiting EVERY student and giving teachers the opportunity to provide the best materials and curriculum needed for their students. ALL products are ordered online and ship directly to your doorstep! In order to participate, go towww. https://linkprotect.cudasvc.com/url?a=https%3a%2f%2fcharlestonwrapstore.com&c=E,1,ZgxiolA0TQhrJnRTui2kIHV4l_TWeRBWvRikoc5ymcreT8UCW51TSf_207b06bFklxYU6u1NEAeSIoMl4jE5mc_rP7oDxPcXE6aEwg0ch8wWAp1ZSV7n51RIbQ,,&typo=1 and sign your student up using Castlemont's code 11751. Share the fundraiser on social media, through emails and text messages with friends and family.  Let's shop and give back!     

Hello Castlemont Families,

In our Wednesday staff meeting I asked our teachers to reflect upon the meaning of the word "courage."  I provided a quote and a definition from our Character Strong curriculum: “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” -Nelson Mandela. In child-accessible language: Courage is to choose what is good, right, and kind even when it is hard or scary.

I then asked our teachers to respond to one of the following prompts through the lens of their current teaching experience:

• How have you already practiced courage in your life? 

• What challenges have you overcome? How did these challenges teach or change you? 

• What helps you persevere even when things are hard or scary?

Common themes came to the surface: learning how to use tech tools was a challenge; getting support from colleagues was vital; and very significantly, we need to do this for our students. 

I know that having your children learning from home is challenging and requires a good measure of courage while navigating new technology and finding a way to balance work with distance learning. Try answering the  prompts above and then pat yourself on the back for being courageous in the face of something none of us have ever experienced  before. I am happy to say that we have early-on reached the goal of having every one of our students participating in the distance learning school day, and it is because all of us have been brave enough to tackle the new and unknown. Well done!

There are additional important ways you can support our school community and your child's learning.  The first is by joining our Home and School Club. The HSC is continuing to support Castlemont students, teachers, and parents even during distance learning. Joining is FREE and is a tremendous way to demonstrate your interest in our school community. Complete this short Google form to join.  Castlemont HSC Membership Form 

The second way you can support your child's learning is to encourage them during our upcoming iReady assessments. The assessment window opens next Tuesday, September 8th.  Distance learning means that assessments must be done from home. I ask you to watch the following video and read over the infographic.  Supporting and encouraging without helping with answers will be important to gathering accurate learning data.

Parent Video (English)

Parent Video (Spanish)

Parent Letter/Infographic 

Thank you for continuing to make Castlemont a very special place.

~Kristen