• Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan CMP-Capitol, 09.14.20
• Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan CMP-Elk Grove, 09.14.20
• Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan CMP-San Juan, 09.14.20
• Learning Continuity and Attendance Plan CMP-Shingle Springs, 09.14.20

Ms. Caryn, our awesome librarian, has organized an amazing spring Scholastic Book Fair. The virtual book fair will run from 3/18-3/21. Highlights and author interviews will be on Google classroom. Our goal is to raise enough money to purchase a STEM/maker cart!

Take what you need - give what you can. Our rolling food closet-cart is available in front of the school office on Friday, packet pick-up days. Please only bring non-perishable items. Thank you for supporting our small effort to recognize the challenges of food insecurity faced by many in our community.

Continuing our annual celebration of cultures from around the world, CMP American River is holding a Virtual Cultural Fair visiting Canada, Botswana, France and more! Students are sharing family traditions highlighting their heritage - including, Apache and Cherokee Nations, Mexico, El Salvador, India, Italy, Thailand, South Korea, Dubai, Scotland, England, Germany and the Azores. This year we compiled family recipes to publish in our first American River Cookbook, the proceeds from which will benefit the Sacramento Food Bank.

As we inch closer to the one year anniversary of being in distance learning, it seems fitting to revisit the topic of the social emotional needs of our students. Now more than ever, we need to be focusing on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) to help cultivate healthy relationships and coping strategies. The ability to develop and demonstrate empathy, compassion, and resiliency provides children with important lifelong social and emotional skills. These skills will not only serve them throughout their lives, but help them cope with the heightened stress, anxiety, and fear we are all facing right now. Click to read more and find the link to a social emotional learning activity calendar!
 

February is Black History Month and we are taking students on virtual museum tours from Morton Field where the Tuskegee Airmen trained, to the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum to explore the contributions of African Americans in the military. These tours highlight the stories of the men and women who changed our world, and we continue to honor their challenges and contributions to our country.

CMP will post no later than February 1, 2021 CMP's COVID-19 Safety Plans for each of the CMP Campuses.  The site specific COVID-19 Safety Plans include a Sample School Exposure to a Confirmed COVID-19 Positive Person Notification, the CMP IIPP Section 11: Infection Prevention Program Addendum specific to COVID-19 Prevention Program, and the COVID-19 School Guidance Checklist. 

• CMP-American River COVID-19 Safety Plan
• CMP-Capitol COVID-19 Safety Plan
• CMP-Carmichael COVID-19 Safety Plan
• CMP-Elk Grove COVID-19 Safety Plan
• CMP-Shingle Springs COVID-19 Safety Plan
• CMP-Orangevale COVID-19 Safety Plan
• Sacramento County Public Health Letter 03/01/2021

National School Choice Week recognizes the OPTIONS for education in our nation: from traditional public schools, to public charter schools, public magnet schools, private schools, online academies, and homeschooling. We join in promoting the goal of providing a learning environment that allows students to be inspired, successful, and happy. We will celebrate our students and their school choice at our community car parade!

It is hard to believe that we have just over four months remaining in the school year. Second Step lessons, lunch bunches, and check in zoom sessions are still going strong. The focus of the Second Step lessons for all grade levels right now has to do with recognizing strong emotions and how to best manage those feelings so they don't control us. Now, more than ever, it is important for students (and adults!) to be aware of what they are feeling and how they respond to stressful situations. Having a conversation with your child(ren) about the emotions they are experiencing can be helpful and insightful for you both. Click to read more on new resources!
 

This year, Ms. Kathleen-our principal, reads Happy Birthday Martin Luther King to our students. A beautiful children's book, written by Jean Marzollo and illustrated by Brian Pinkney, that shares the life story and achievements of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his dream for all people to live together in peace.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, CMP has taken the mental health and well-being of our students and families very seriously by offering regular communications, resources, check-ins, as well as providing community services and referrals when needed. Teachers and staff have worked diligently to create a warm and supportive learning environment for our students to help foster resiliency. All staff have received suicide prevention training on potential risk factors and warning signs, how to respond to a student in crisis, and how to refer a student to get appropriate help and support.

Families are encouraged to check in with their children often and provide an open environment for them to discuss their feelings and emotions. Pay close attention to any signs that your child may be going through a challenging time. Please see the chart below for potential warning signs to watch for in your children that may indicate they are experiencing a high level of stress or trauma. If your child is experiencing any of these warning signs it is recommended you seek appropriate mental health support services and contact your pediatrician. Please click to read more for the full post...

Art to Remember turns your child's creative artwork into great custom gifts for the holidays, and all the beautiful ornaments, mugs, tote bags, and more have arrived! We're so glad to continue this unique fundraiser and thankful for all the families that participated at home this year. 

The annual Spelling Bee returns to kick-off a challenging, fun December - via zoom webinar, in an effort to create as similar of an experience as our in-person Spelling Bee for the children as possible. Forty three students participated this year, supported by teachers, family and friends online. A great community event continues!

To celebrate Scholastic's 100th anniversary, the virtual fall book fair's theme is "Time Machine" and features Ms. Caryn our Librarian decked out as time traveling Doc from Back-to-the-Future! Books will be highlighted in Google classroom, in fliers, and can be ordered online. Click on this link to go to our Scholastic page

CMP American River's Principal and Dean of Students showing their boundless spirit and support of our APEX challenge this year by getting covered in silly string and slime!!

The 2020 Apex leadership program theme is MIGHTY: Mindful, Integrity, Grit, Hero, Think Ahead, Your Turn. Daily, interactive lessons and a virtual event day - mixing dance moves with circuit training - make for a fun, safe program that raises dollars to expand our campus outdoor learning areas. Donations can be made online at www.MyApexEvent.com.

October is in full swing, and with it brings National Bullying Prevention Month. Help us foster a culture of togetherness throughout our CMP community by encouraging your child to treat others with kindness and respect. By doing so, we are working together to stop bullying and cyberbullying by promoting acceptance, kindness, and inclusion to all. Check out this website that includes kid-friendly, interactive resources about bullying that you and your child can look at together: https://pacerkidsagainstbullying.org/ Click for more resources and information from Stacey Cronin.

Our annual Harvest Festival was reimagined this year as we gathered our community for a socially distant car parade featuring the Middle School Haunted House, themed trunks for treats, and our amazing staff of storybook characters, witches, Star Wars heroes, social media butterflies and more! We appreciate all the families who got decked out as well, endured the vast car line, and arrived so excited to celebrate fall and fun times. 

In celebration of International Day of Peace, each year CMP/American River comes together for a silent peace walk. We were happy to see everyone at our modified Peace Parade, flying your peace doves!

The American River CURRENT is our bi-weekly campus newsletter for our families. Families can find insight from our Principal Ms. Kathleen, detailed information on upcoming events, and important links and updates all in one place. Our goal is to keep campus communication streamlined in the CURRENT, sent to our community via Parent Square, throughout the school year. 

UPDATE!  USDA extends free meals for children 18 and under! The USDA has issued updated guidance that meals can be provided at no cost to all children 0-18 years old. 
Beginning Tuesday, September 8, 2020, one breakfast and one lunch per child, packaged together, will be handed out curbside to all children 0-18 years from 44 San Juan school sites. 
Non-meat options will be available to families upon request. Please read more for all the details!

Each year we celebrate the teachings and dynamic life of Maria Montessori. She was a doctor, research scientist, and educator. Her landmark philosophy recognizes that children have a natural desire to learn and that stages of development exist for which there should be corresponding prepared educational environments. Montessori education provides pathways for creation, exploration, imagination, decision making, problem solving, and healthy social relationships that lead to concrete skills in concentration, academic and life skills. Read more about Maria Montessori by clicking here!