Cartoogechaye Elementary

December will be filled with lots of fun activities! Mark your calendars now. Students are encouraged to dress in festive holiday wear on Fridays, they can visit the Santa Shop to buy gifts for family and friends on December 10-12, and families are invited to come out to our Very Merry Christmas Night on December 12th, for a Christmas concert, ornament making, pictures with Santa and more festive fun! Also, December 19th, will be an early release day with car riders dismissing at 11:25 and bus riders dismissing at 11:40.

This is a reminder that there is no school for students all of next week, November 24-27. We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and break!

We have been given the opportunity to provide an after-school snack bag to any of our students who want one. This week, we have had only enough for our car rider students. However, when we return from Thanksgiving break, we will have enough to offer it to our bus riding students too. We hope this extra snack will be a help to our families. We appreciate our Nutrition team preparing and offering this extra meal!

Bus 161 will not run it's morning route next week, Monday, Nov. 17 thru Nov. 21. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Make-up picture day is this Friday, November 14th. The photographer will be here from 8am-9:30am to complete make ups for students who were absent. A flyer with the picture and package information was sent home with those students today. You can also view the information online at mylifetouch.com using the Picture Day ID: EVT3BJVFF

This is a reminder that there is no school for students next Monday and Tuesday, November 10th and 11th. Monday is a Teacher Workday and Tuesday is Veterans Day.

Kindergarten Families, this is a reminder about the Panther Legacy Handoff tomorrow at FHS Gym from 9:00-9:30am. Parents are welcome to attend. Parent parking will be at the Franklin Church of Christ on McCollum Drive behind FHS. Students are encouraged to dress in panther pride colors: red, white and black. This is a sweet ceremony for both kindergarteners and seniors!

Tomorrow, students are encouraged to wear red, white, blue or camo in honor of our Veterans. We have a special program planned to honor them! 🇺🇲

Shared on behalf of Together We Can...calling all student artists!

Join us for our Veterans Day Program!

📸 Picture Day is coming up this Friday, October 17! Both individual and class group pictures will be taken that day. Order forms will be sent home soon, but the easiest way to order is online at mylifetouch.com using our Picture Day ID: EVTTCNQFM. Makeup day for individual pictures will be November 14, but please note — there will not be makeups for the class photo.

🍂 Join us for our Annual Fall Festival next Friday, October 17! 🍁 Bring the whole family for an evening of fun at our Fall Festival fundraiser! There will be games, animal interactions, face painting, a Debbie cake walk, food and dessert vendors, and so much more! We are so thankful for our amazing families who have already supported our PTO fundraisers, purchased school shirts, sent in donations, and helped pay for fall field trips. Your support makes these special activities possible for our students! We would still appreciate any Fall Festival donations you’d like to send in next week. Every item sent helps make this event a success! Thank you, again!

End of Quarter 1 Update: There will be no school next Monday, October 13, due to a Teacher Workday. Report cards for grades 1–4 will be available to view in the Campus Parent App on Thursday, October 16. A flyer with directions is attached to help you access your child’s grades. Kindergarten families: Students do not receive report cards until the end of the next quarter in January, but you will be receiving letters about your child’s progress next week. Thank you for your continued support at home. We are proud of all our students and their hard work this first grading period!

Calling all "Super" Artists! The North Carolina School Board Association is hosting a 2025 Poster Contest. Interested students must create an original design to show, "What's Super About Public Schools?" If your child would like to enter a poster, please have them submit their drawing to the Front Office by September 26th. Please include their first name, last name, and grade level with their drawing.

Final Handbook Summary - Positive student behavior is essential for a safe, respectful, and productive learning environment. Our school uses Positive Behavior Support (PBS) to encourage and celebrate positive choices while also addressing misbehavior with appropriate consequences. Students may be recognized and rewarded for demonstrating expected behaviors, while disciplinary actions such as loss of privileges, time-out, in-school suspension, behavior plans, or school counselor support may be used when necessary. With each infraction, explicit teaching of the appropriate skill is taught. Our primary goals are to keep students safe and to prevent disruptions to learning. We also emphasize the difference between peer conflict and bullying. While conflict between peers can occur, bullying is a serious matter. All reports of peer conflict and bullying will be thoroughly investigated and addressed to ensure a positive school climate for every child. Only items needed for the instructional day should be brought to school. Toys, games, etc. create unnecessary distractions. Make sure your child never brings a weapon or toy that could be perceived as a weapon to school. This includes plastic toy guns and plastic play knives. We teach our students about taking pride in our building. Damage to school property is handled very seriously. Any and all threatening statements and threatening behavior trigger several steps outlined by District Policy and State Law. The District Threat Assessment Team meets and develops a plan to support the student and ensure a safe school environment anytime threatening words or actions are reported to or observed by school staff. If a student expresses thoughts of self-harm, the school will promptly notify the family and recommend resources. Bus safety is a serious matter. We teach students how to ride safely. If, after a warning, bus behavior continues to be an issue, short-term or long-term bus suspension may be imposed. Lastly, we value our students very much and believe that fostering a positive partnership with parents and guardians is essential. Together, we can build a strong foundation and deepen their love of learning and school for years to come! Don't hesitate to reach out with questions, concerns, or input.

This is a reminder that there is no school on Monday, September 1st, in observance of Labor Day. Enjoy the long weekend!

Handbook Summary #4 We have a school nurse on site on Tuesdays and Wednesdays of each week. When she is not on site, we have a team of intently trained staff who can administer medical care until a nurse or EMT is contacted. An injury report will be completed, and parents will be notified if there is an injury at school. The school can administer medication if a doctor and parent complete a medication authorization form and the parent brings the medication to us. If your child is out sick, please make sure they are fever free or without stomach bug symptoms for 24 hours without medication. Then, send them in with a sick note when they return. Macon County Schools has a Headlice Policy that can be reviewed in our handbook on page 9. You will be contacted if we confirm your child has head lice, and we will send a letter home to the entire class if multiple students in a class have an active case of head lice. Please contact our school nurse if your child needs a medical care plan for an allergy or illness.

Handbook Summary #2 Breakfast and lunch are free for our students this year. Snacks can be purchased from the cafeteria. You can put money in your child's account for snacks through the Linq Connect online portal on the Macon County Schools Nutrition website. There is a Dietary Modification Form that a doctor can complete if there are any dietary restrictions. Food sent in for parties to be shared with other students must be commercially prepared. Breakfast and Lunch menus can always be found under the Menus Tab on the Macon County Schools Nutrition website.

Handbook Summary #1 School attendance is crucial for learning. If your child is absent, please email or send a written note to excuse the absence. Notes will not be accepted after 5 days from the absence unless it is from a medical provider. Please review the list of lawfully excusable absences on page 4 of the handbook. Students must arrive by 11:10am or stay past 11:10am to be counted present for the day. Students are responsible for making up missed work. You will receive a letter, email, and call if your child accumulates excessive unexcused absences.Thank you for helping us build strong habits and keep learning on track!