Cedar Creek Community School Frequently Asked Questions
What are the school day hours for K-5 at CCCS?
School Hours: 8:55 a.m.-3:25 p.m.
What is the winter recess policy?
We go outside every day for recess unless the temperature is below zero or the wind chill is below zero. Students need to make sure they are dressed appropriately. Winter coats, hats, mittens, snow pants and boots are a must if you want to play in the snow.
What should I do if my child is going to be absent?
Call our absentee line early in the morning at 763-213-8831 to leave a message if your child is going to be absent from school. You may leave a message 24 hours a day and you may leave messages for future absences as well as same day absences. If you are planning to bring your child in later in the day due to an appointment, please leave that message on our absentee line as well.
What should I do if I want to pick up my child early?
If you need to pick your child up early from school, it is a good idea to send a note to school so the teacher knows your child will be leaving early. When you arrive to pick up your child, please come in to the office, the secretary will call down to the classroom and have your child report to the office. Students will not be sent down to the office until you arrive to pick them up.
How do I leave a message for my child?
If your plans have changed and you need to leave a message for your child during the day, this can be done by calling the main office at 213-8780, and our office staff will take a message that will be delivered to the classroom. We ask that you call us before 3:00 p.m. so we have time to get the message delivered before the end of the day.
My student lost an item. How do I find it?
If your child is missing an item of clothing, the lost and found box is located in the student lunchroom. If the item you are looking for is small, like a piece of jewelry, you will want to stop by the office. All lost and found items left in the lost and found area will be donated three times a year because it just gets so full. Please remind your children or stop in yourself sometime to go through the lost and found if you are missing something. Conference time is a good time to check out the lost and found. We will pack up and ship out lost and found items on November 21, February 15 and May 29.
How do I contact the school?
Main Line: 763-213-8780
Absentee Line: 763-213-8831
Darin Hahn, Principal: 763-213-8781
Rhonda Wiebusch, Administrative Assistant: 763-213-8783
Annie Mickelburg, Administrative Support Assistant: 763-213-8782
View the directory to find specific staff members.
How can I find out what is going on at Cedar Creek?
Check out the calendar to see our events.
How do I keep up to date on school district and CCCS news?
Independent School District 15 has begun using eNews this year to communicate to district families in an efficient and effective manner with email and text messages. Parents can subscribe/unsubscribe to any of the eNews or News Alerts that the district offers. Visit www.stfrancis.k12.mn.us to sign up today. On the home page, find District in the navigation bar and click on District 15 eNews, or visit your school’s webpage and locate the link to eNews on the left column. You may sign up for more than one school.
Field Trip Letter
December 1, 2011
To the families and community of Cedar Creek Community School:
I hope this letter finds you and yours well this holiday season. I would like to take a minute to heighten your level of awareness regarding field trips and changes that have been implemented for this school year and going forward.
In the past, students attending Cedar Creek Community School have taken trips outside of the school for educational purposes. These trips include visiting the Children’s Museum, Science Museum of Minnesota, the Children’s Theatre, Wargo Nature Center and other destinations. Children have enjoyed the time and in many instances, parents have taken time to join the trip, making it a great experience for our students.
Always lurking in the background of the planning of these field trips is the cost, timeframe, and district policy. The cost of a trip normally includes fuel, the driver of the bus, and the cost of admittance to the venue. The window for trips falls between 9 am and 2 pm, as the busses used to transport our students need to be back in the district so they are able to take our secondary students home. These have always put a constraint on what and where we can take our students.
This district policy, in summary, states that when taking a field trip during the school day the trip must meet two criteria: 1. The trip must connect to the students education (school curriculum); 2. The trip must be funded, and not paid for by the student’s family. This was followed at CCCS in three of the last five years. The last two years our funding source, our PTO, used funds to help the building in other areas and so the cost of the field trips was passed on to families. The district reviewed this policy and found that this practice must be changed.
In response to this, we have looked at ways to facilitate bringing students additional learning opportunities into the school, so that we can increase student engagement and learning, while shifting away from the off campus “traditional” field trip. Ways to accomplish this is to have these traditional destinations come to us. One such example was our third grade experience with the Wargo Nature Center. The Center brought their activities and staff to our school and utilized our expansive school forest in teaching our students about nature and wildlife.
Another way to bring people to our school is through the use of our Tandberg interactive camera. This technology was utilized last spring to provide all of the students at CCCS an opportunity to travel through the camera to places around the United States. Students were able to interact with the Milwaukee Field Museum, the Fort Worth Science Museum, and Vanderbilt College. Students were able to see and speak to people about Dinosaurs, matter, and an author. Our 5th graders were able to perform science experiments and discuss their learning with a staff member from the Fort Worth Science Museum. Students found these “trips” to be engaging, thoughtful, and fun.
As we continue to explore our options regarding creating positive learning experiences or “trips” for your children, I would ask for your input and understanding. This is a great opportunity to take what was really good about a field trip and make that work for a 21st century student!
Thank you for your time, have a great holiday!
Sincerely,
Darin Hahn
Principal
Cedar Creek Community school
