CUSHING CHRONICLES

November
Wed, 27 - NO SCHOOL
Thurs, 28 - NO SCHOOL - Happy Thanksgiving
Fri, 29 - NO SCHOOL

December
Sat, 7 - Breakfast with Santa & Craft Fair @ KMHS
Thurs, 12 - FIELD TRIP: 2nd Grade - Domes
Thurs, 12 - 1st & 2nd Grade Winter Concert, 5:00
Mon, 23 - WINTER BREAK BEGINS

January
Thurs, 2 - Classes Resume

Hello Cushing Families,

It was wonderful to see so many of you at conferences last week, at Monday’s Veterans Day concert and at our Book Fair this week! Your involvement and partnership are important to our school community and to your child’s growth. At Cushing, we know that strong partnerships between school and home are essential and it’s great to know that together we create a foundation that supports students’ success both in and out of the classroom. Research consistently shows that when parents and caregivers are engaged in their child’s education, students perform better academically, develop stronger social skills, and show greater motivation and self-regulation. We’re grateful for the opportunity to connect, celebrate progress, and work collaboratively to support our students.

Speaking of opportunities to collaborate, we’re looking to update our annual Spring Science Day for 3rd-5th grade students. This year, we hope to host a variety of guest speakers whose careers are connected to science and technology, enriching students’ understanding of these fields. To make this event a success, we’re seeking to build partnerships within our community. A formal request for speakers will be sent out as Science Day approaches, but in the meantime, as we enter the holiday season, we encourage you to share this opportunity with friends, family, or colleagues who may be interested in participating.

Thank you once again for your continued support and engagement. We’re excited about what’s ahead and grateful to have such a strong school community!

Star Slip Winners!

Lost & Found
We have a lot of Lost items waiting to be Found.  If your student is missing something, there’s a real good chance it’s our Lost & Found.  The next time you’re at Cushing, swing by to see if anything belongs to your family. Parents seem to have the magic touch with finding lost items.

Got New Shoes?

Friendsgiving - Santa in a Shoebox

The Cushing Elementary Fifth Grade Star Council along with the other Kettle Moraine Elementary schools is partnering with the “Santa in a Shoebox” organization.  We are collecting gift items in shoeboxes for boys and girls at WD Williams Elementary School in Swannanoa, North Carolina.  This school has 450 K-5th grade students, and they were directly impacted by Hurricane Helene.

Your family can help by donating a shoebox filled with some of the following items:

Things to Wear

• Mittens/gloves

• Fuzzy socks

• Hats

• Scarves

• Sunglasses

• Hair scrunchies

Things for Fun

• Small crafts:  beading, bracelet making, etc.

• Lotion

• Chapstick

• Brushes

• Body Wash

• Toothbrushes

• Small toys/games

• Books

• Fidget toys

• Coloring books

• Fun pens

• Coloring supplies

All items must be NEW and fit in a shoebox.  Please no food.

We invite families to provide shoeboxes geared toward a few different groups:

• K-2 boys

• K-2 girls

• 3-5 boys

• 3-5 girls

Please send your filled shoebox labeled with the corresponding group above to Cushing Elementary School by November 20.  Our Star Council will wrap the shoebox. You can drop them off in the front office.

Thanks for supporting our efforts to help those in need!

Cooler Weather and Jackets
As the weather starts to cool down, we’ve been reminding students to come to school prepared with the appropriate gear for the weather outside. When temperatures reach 50°F or below, we also remind students to wear a warm jacket or coat when going outside for recess. It’s also a good idea to have a hat and gloves/mittens when it gets chilly out. Thanks for adding this to your morning or evening routine when you’re getting ready for the day ahead.

STAFF GIVING PROGRAM
The PTO coordinates an optional Holiday Gift Card Program to say "Thank You & Happy Holidays" to all of our Cushing teachers, staff and bus drivers. The program is meant to help simplify your gift giving should you choose to participate. This is not a fundraiser.

Here’s how the program works:

You make a monetary contribution to the teacher/staff members and bus driver of your choice. Your child’s gift is then combined with all other contributions for that particular staff member and the staff member will be presented with one BIG gift card to the stores of their choosing. The gift cards will be presented in a Thank You card that contains the names (NOT the amounts!) of all the families who contributed to the gift.

THIS IS A 2 STEP PROCESS - GIVE BUTTER AMOUNT SHOULD MATCH TOTAL ENTERED ON THE GOOGLE FORM!

STEP 1:  Fill out the Staff Giving Holiday 2024 Please make sure to complete your child's/children first and last name (EXAMPLE:  JANE SMITH FAMILY) then select the teachers you'd like to give to and list the dollar amount (MUST be WHOLE dollar increments - no change please, $1, $3, $5, $10, $20, etc.).

Then total up your order.

STEP 2: Copy this GIVE BUTTER LINK (https://givebutter.com/Cushingholidaygift2024) to pay your total. Click "Donate" and select/enter the amount that matches your google form. These orders will be compiled, and gift cards will be distributed to each individual.

Any amount is appreciated!

Program runs through Wednesday December the 4th

If you have any questions, please email elizabethschoene@gmail.com or borrus45@gmail.com.

The Book Fair plays a major role in helping to fund our Cushing Library and PTO and we could not do it without our amazing committee; Elizabeth Schoene, April Hansen, Kelly Jarvis and Lauren Habermehl! 

We would also like to send a special SHOUT OUT to all those who volunteered to set-up and run our program; Nicole Borruso, Erica Knoblaock, Liz Feaman, Stephanie Friemoth,Nora Sawall, Marie Stillo, Kelli Grutz, Stephanie Yemm, Marjorie Tetzlaff, Katie Wilson, Michelle Schneider, Nicole DeKlotz, Haley Zanskas, Serena Hughes, Kate Manhart, Amanda Coakley, Kirsten Russell, Zoe Zeman, Angela Steenhagen, Julie Knipfer, Christie Crutcher, Bri Moyer and Kristin Harding.

We have also successfully held two (of four) AWESOME Cushing Family Movie Night events this year. MANY MANY thanks to Kristin Risius, Kirsten Russell, Marshall Russell and Cushing Cub Scouts Den for making all the magic and memories happen!

Last but not least, Rebekah DeLuca, Nikki DeKlotz and KM Made for helping bring the fun of Cushing spiritwear to our families each fall!

RAISE MONEY FOR CUSHING THIS HOLIDAY SEASON! 

There are many ways to help Cushing raise money doing things that you are already doing each day.  Here are a few ideas that you can use to support Cushing without spending an extra dollar! 

RaiseRight.com: Purchasing gift cards this holiday season? Shopping online? www.RaiseRight.com is a great way to purchase through your favorite retailers and restaurants and a portion of the order will benefit Cushing.  It's easy! Click "Join a Program", create an account, and enter Cushing's code: C236L8FL22232.

Box Tops through Walmart: Don't want to scan your receipt for Box Tops?  If you make purchases through Walmart, you can connect your Walmart app with Box Tops for Education and they will search your receipts for you! 

We are always looking for volunteers to make all of our fun events successful. Email volunteercushing@gmail.com to get on our volunteer list!  

Meetings take place in the Cushing Activity Center. Please email ptocushing@gmail.com to be added to the meeting invite or agenda.

Friday, Dec., 6 @ 9:30am
Friday, Jan., 10 @ 9:30am
Friday Feb., 7 @ 9:30am

Thursday, Nov. 21  |  2:00pm – 4:00pm

Friday, Nov. 22  |  12:00pm – 4:00pm

Tuesday, Nov. 26  |  12:00pm – 3:00pm

Saturday, Nov. 30  |  9:00am – 11:00am

Jr Laser Softball Clinic
The KM High School Softball coaches and players are offering a clinic for softball players U8 to U16 on Mondays in December.  Bring your own gear, helmet, bat and glove.  For further information visit www.kmsd.edu/communityed.

Weight Training Grades 5-8
Weight training for grades 5-8 will take place M,W,F from 3:45-5:15 at the high school weight room with high school coaching staff members.  The session will run 12/2-5/16 on school days.  Sign up today at https://kmsd.revtrak.net/rwcommunityeducation/

Events/opportunities listed on our Community Flyers page are not endorsed by the Kettle Moraine School District. They have been approved for electronic sharing. Visit https://www.kmsd.edu/page/km-community  to see the full list of current flyers.