Volume 7, Issue 16

Cheatham Chatter #YouArePTA Monday, December 12, 2016

Saturday, December 17

Cheatham PTA provides new PE/playground equipment using No Fuss Dollars

Going GaGa

Thursday, December 15

Wednesday, December 14

Winter Parties

2nd @ 9:30 a.m.

3rd @ 2 p.m.

Winter Parties

5th @ 9:30 a.m.

Kinder @ 2 p.m.

By Allison Hargraves

VP Programs

Due to generous

donations to the No

Fuss check writing campaign,

the PTA purchased the final

portion of our outdoor im-

provement plan: a GaGa Ball

pit!

The pit can go indoors and

outdoors and will add a high

energy, fun activity to

Cheatham. What is GaGa Ball? It is an energetic, speedy game

played in an octagonal pit. It is similar to dodge ball,

combining dodging, striking,

running and jumping, while

trying to hit opponents with a

soft ball below the knees. Coaches K and McNulty

taught the students how to play

last week. Thank you Cheatham families

for making this possible!

Friday, December 16

See attachments, page 6 and 7

Winter Parties

1st @ 9:30 a.m.

6th @ 1 p.m.

4th @ 2 p.m.

2nd Grading Period Ends

Mrs. Feeney’s

Birthday Celebration

Mrs. Baker’s

Birthday Celebration

Spirit Night @

Friday, December 30

Monday, December 19

Winter Break begins

Last day of Winter Break

Monday, January 2

NO SCHOOL

Teacher/Staff Development

On To State Six Cheatham Reflection entries advance from the Allen-Council level

By Beth Bradley

Reflections

Six Cheatham stu-

dents advanced to the Texas

State PTA Reflections contest:

Ashley Chen (music); Lania

Medrano (dance); Leina Park

(visual arts); Sofia Schiavon

(visual arts); Molly Sharma

(literature and music); and

Reichen Young (film). The winning entries were se-

lected in the Allen Council of

PTAs contest out of 132 en-

tries by Allen students. Peronia Davis, Reflections

Lead for the Allen Council of

PTAs, said ―The Cheatham

students tend to have such di-

mension to their artwork –

they think outside of the box.‖ Davis cannot recall another

time when one school sent so

many entries to the state com-

petition. For the second year in a row,

Cheatham submitted more en-

tries to the Allen Council of

PTAs than any other school. The winning Council entries

are featured in a display at the

Allen Public Library.

On the Blacktop

Cheatham Chatter Page 2

Students were asked:

What is the best part of the new GaGa Ball Pit?

Tyler, 3rd grade "You hit the ball with

your fist to get people

out. It's fun! Even if

you get out, it's okay

because there is al-

ways another game."

Carson, 3rd grade

"It's unique because

you hit the ball with

your hands. It's fun

getting people out of

the game."

Branden, 3rd grade

"I like that there is a

big space to run

around in. It's hard to

get people out but it's

really fun."

Conner, 3rd grade

"I like getting peo-

ple out!"

Audrey, 3rd grade "You always have

fun with other peo-

ple and it's a great

game."

Beverly Cheatham Elementary School

1501 Hopewell Drive, Allen, TX 75013 Ph: (972) 396-3016 Fax: (972) 396-3035

Web: allenisd.org/cheathames Twitter: Follow@CheathamElem

Principal: Stephanie Logan PTA President: Tasha Young The Cheatham Chatter is published by the Cheatham PTA in support of the PTA’s mission to be a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for the

education and well-being of every child. Send submissions by 5 pm on Wednesday prior to publication: cheathamcommunications@gmail.com. Content may be used on the PTA website and/or in the newsletter.

Content will be edited for space/clarity.

www.txpta.org www.allenisd.org/cheathames

The Right Integer Volunteer Stacy Sanderford breathes new life into Cheatham’s Math Club

By Rachel Maygren

Chatter Editor

Last year, when no one stepped

forward to run Cheatham’s

Math Club, the organization took a hia-

tus.

This year, Cheatham Volunteer Stacy

Sanderford took on the challenge and

now, in addition to Math Club, volun-

teers in ArtSparks and the library.

All told, Sanderford spends at least 5

hours a week volunteering for

Cheatham.

―I like to be involved with my children

and develop relationships with their

teachers,‖ Sanderford said.

It’s because of selfless

volunteers like Sander-

ford that Cheatham ex-

cels at offering so many

additional resources to

students.

―We are so fortunate to

have someone like

Stacy, who really has a

sincere enthusiasm for

math, running our Math

Club,‖ said VP of Programs Allison Har-

graves.

―She is also a fantastic volunteer in our

ArtSparks program … finding new ways

to help students experience art,‖ she

said.

Though only her second year at

Cheatham, Sanderford jumped in with

both feet because, she said, she enjoys

seeing her children and their friends in

their school element.

Sanderford and her husband have five

children — one attending Curtis Middle

School and 4 at Cheatham in the 6th, 5th

and 3rd grades.

Cheatham Press Don’t forget to fill in time for writing Cheatham Press books when planning Winter Break

By Daisy Mahoney

Cheatham Press

Winter break is nearly here!

Everyone is looking forward to having

time off to spend with families and

friends and the calendar begins to get

filled with exciting activities.

But, believe it or not, January 17 — the

deadline for Cheatham Press — is also

nearly here.

What better time to tap into your child’s

extensive imagination and create a keep-

sake you can have forever than Winter

Break?

Once completed and published, the

school library and Cheatham students

will have the chance to marvel and enjoy

reading the book that your child created.

So when you’re filling in those calendars

and planning all the memories you’ll

make, don’t forget to make those

Cheatham Press books. It’s such a great

opportunity to not only spend time with

your child but also help them create

something to treasure.

Have a wonderful break and even better

time working on your books together!

To-Do List

Don’t

forget —

extended Li-

brary Hours

resume again

Thursday. We

hope to see

you then!

Cheatham Chatter Page 3

Did you know all Cheatham students can check their own library books in and out themselves?

The new do it yourself computer system was implemented this year.

Beverly Cheatham Elementary School

1501 Hopewell Drive, Allen, TX 75013 Ph: (972) 396-3016 Fax: (972) 396-3035

Web: allenisd.org/cheathames Twitter: Follow@CheathamElem

Principal: Stephanie Logan PTA President: Tasha Young The Cheatham Chatter is published by the Cheatham PTA in support of the PTA’s mission to be a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for the

education and well-being of every child. Send submissions by 5 pm on Wednesday prior to publication: cheathamcommunications@gmail.com. Content may be used on the PTA website and/or in the newsletter.

Content will be edited for space/clarity.

www.txpta.org www.allenisd.org/cheathames

Is your

student

missing a

jacket, water

bottle or

lunch box?

Please send

your student

to check the

Cheatham

Lost and

Found be-

fore Wednesd

ay. We do-

nate Lost and

Found items

at the end of

each grading

period. The

end of the

second grad-

ing period

is Friday.

This year

items will be

donated on

Wednesday.

Find out

what’s

for hot lunch

before they

buy — click

here for infor-

mation.

By Tasha Young

President

Believe it or not, the school year is nearly

half over — and there are still a lot things

the Cheatham PTA has planned — but now is also

the time to start the process of finding new PTA

leaders for next year. That process begins with the

Nominating Committee. As a PTA member, you and the rest of the Associa-

tion will elect officers for the following year on

Tuesday, April 25. The Nominating Committee

needs to report the slate of nominees at least 30 days

prior to the election. Thus, the Nominating Commit-

tee needs to be elected during the February PTA

meeting. Once the Nominating Committee has been elected,

they need to elect a Chairperson and set a time and

place for their first meeting, where they take and of-

fer suggestions for PTA positions. Once the Nominating Committee has voted to select

one nominee for each of the officer positions and

prepared the necessary paperwork, the nominating

report is read and voted on at the April meeting. If you are interested in being elected to the

Cheatham PTA Nominating Committee, please at-

tend the General PTA meeting February 9 at

7:00pm.

President’s Corner Nominating Committee for the 2017-2018 PTA

Did You Know?

A House of Learning Originally intending to teach for 3 years, third-grade teacher Julie Georgas begins her 22nd year of teaching

By Rachel Maygren

VP Hospitality

If you find yourself wondering the halls of

the third-grade classrooms this week, don’t

be surprised to smell a hint of gingerbread. Every third-grade student will decorate a personal

gingerbread house this week — and all that comes

courtesy of one amazing third-grade teacher: Julie

Georgas. Just like the gingerbread homes, Georgas strives to

make every day in her classroom an adventure of fun

and excited learning for her students. ― My favorite aspect of teaching has got to be instill-

ing a love of learning through creativity and playful-

ness. Sometimes I’ll greet them at the door wearing

Billy Bob teeth. Other times the room will be set up

with forts made out of blankets and we’ll do our

reading and writing there that day,‖ Georgas said.

Receiving a masters in clinical psy-

chology, Georgas said she needed

three years of teaching to begin the

PhD for school psychologist. But,

while teaching, she fell in love

with the profession. Twenty-two years later, her favor-

ite aspect of teaching 3rd grade is

that she can set a precedent of low pressure for the

students in the STAAR testing. Georgas loves her family and gushes about her 2-

year-old granddaughter, Agnes, though she admits

some possible bias. Agnes’s family expects a new

little brother this February, though Georgas said she

has been praying for the baby, as he has a serious

heart condition requiring surgery. In addition to Agnes’s father, Georgas and her hus-

band, Bill, have one more child — a daughter —

who lives nearby with her husband.

Charger Celebrations

Friday, January 13, 2017 Start Time End Time Grade Location

9:30 10:00 KG cafeteria

8:30 9:00 6 gym

9:30 10:00 5 gym

10:30 11:00 3 gym

12:00 12:30 1 gym

1:00 1:30 2 gym

1:45 2:15 4 gym

We look forward to having our end of the first semester Charger Celebration on

Friday, January 13th. We invite all parents and friends to the grade level Charger

Celebrations as we recognize all students and their accomplishments for the first

semester.

Please contact Mrs. Jennifer Flatt by email, jennifer_flatt@allenisd.org, before

Wednesday, January 11th, to RSVP for your child’s Charger Celebration. If you or

your guests have not visited Cheatham this school year, please have your driver’s

license on hand so that Mrs. Flatt can scan it into our system. Parents and visitors

must still check in so please enter through the front door of the building rather

than the side doors by the gym.

What is YOUR recipe for Great Book?

Don’t forget to work on your manuscripts! The deadline is January 17th, 2017. Questions? Please contact: Daisy Mahoney – daisydm73@gmail.com

Happy Birthday Mrs. Baker!

Cheatham PTA likes to send birthday wishes and celebrate our teachers and staff members on their special day. Mrs. Baker is a SSI Aide. Her birthday is

December 30 so we will celebrate on Friday, December 16. If your child would like to bring her a card or one of her favorite things from the list below, please do so on Friday. Thank you!

Favorites

Colors: Orange

Flowers: Mixed Flowers

Goodies: Peanut M&M’s, White Cheddar Popcorn

Drinks: Diet Coke, Unsweet Ice Tea, Vanilla Coffee Frappuccino

Restaurants: Cheesecake Factory, Uncle Julio’s, Chuy’s, Chick-fil-A, Sonic

Stores: Target, Hobby Lobby Kirkland’s

Hobbies: Walking, My dog-Maggie, Traveling, Family

Gift Cards: Target, Hobby Lobby, Chipotle, Starbucks

Class Needs: Colored Papermate Flair Pens

Allergy or Sensitivity: Nitrates, Donuts

*If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Minyard, PTA Birthday Coordinator Lisa@Minyard.com

Happy Birthday Mrs. Feeney!

Cheatham PTA likes to send birthday wishes and celebrate our teachers and staff members on their special day. Mrs. Feeney is a Library/SSI Aide. Her birthday is

December 28 so we will celebrate on Friday, December 16. If your child would like to

bring her a card or one of her favorite things from the list below, please do so on Friday. Thank you!

Favorites

Colors: Blue

Flowers: Lilacs, Daisy, Roses

Goodies: Dark Chocolate, Peppermints (Sugar Free)

Drinks: Peppermint Hot Chocolate, Sonic Lemonberry Slushes, Starbucks Green Tea Frappuccino Restaurants: Panera, Pei Wei, Roman Cucina, BJ’s

Drive Thru: Chick-fil-A, Panda Express, Jimmy John’s, Starbucks

Stores: Target, Old Navy, Kohl’s, JCPenny

Hobbies: Reading, Music

Gift Cards: Amazon, See Restaurants, Drive Thru, and Stores

Class Needs: Clorox Wipes, Sticky Notes, Dry Erase Markers, High Liters

*If you have any questions, please contact Lisa Minyard, PTA Birthday Coordinator Lisa@Minyard.com

Cheatham’s Annual Multicultural

Showcase

After last year’s successful showcase, we are again calling all

Cheatham students to show off their cultural talent and skills.

We will be holding our Multicultural Showcase on Tuesday,

February 7, 2017 to show off the cultural talent of our

Cheatham students from 6-7 p.m. in the Cafeteria.

Cheatham students are welcome to perform any cultural dance,

play an instrument, read poetry, or any other cultural talent

they want to show off.

Each performance will be limited to 2 minutes so all students

can have a chance to show off.

Please contact Insiya Patwa at insiyapatwa@gmail.com by

January 20, 2017 to put your student on the list.

We can’t wait to see all the Cultural Talent at our School!

Cheatham Art Club 2017 Permission slip

Grades 3-6

Cheatham art club is a place for students to learn new art skills and strengthen old skills, as well

as help the school and our community with art projects.

The club will be supervised by Mrs. Bouma (Cheatham Art Teacher) and district authorized

volunteers.*Behavior expectations will be the same as regular school hours.

There is no cost to join; however, some art supplies (TBD) may be purchased at a later date.

Kids Club students must check in to Kids Club before coming to Art Club.

Pick up after Art Club will be in front of the building.

Please note that Art club is over at 3:45pm. Please make arrangements for prompt pick-up

Deliver permission slip to the mailbox envelope outside ART Room.

We will meet on Mondays 3:00-3:45pm in the Cheatham art room.

January 9th

January 23rd

January 30th February 6th February 13th February 27th March 13th March 20th March 27th April 3rd April 10th April 17th April 24th May 1st

*Student name:

*Grade (3-6)

*Contact phone number_________________________________________________________

*Parent/Guardian

Signature:_______________________________________Date:_______________________________

*How will my student get home_________________________________________________________

*Who will be meeting/picking your student up:__________________________________________ Thank You

L. Bouma ~Cheatham Art (Lisa_Bouma@allenisd.org

HOW TO PREPARE90 minute webinars will be offered in the fall and early winter. You’ll receive registration information and details about the day’s events through Under the Dome, Texas PTA’s Rally Day Facebook page, and The Voice.

WEBINAR 1 Planning for Rally Day What is it and how do I plan for it? Get details about this biannual event and how to plan for your PTA’s participation with maximum success.

o September 27 @ 10:00 AM or o October 4 @ 7:00 PM

WEBINAR 2The Policy IssuesBecome informed about Texas PTA’s legislative priorities and get tips for the day.

o November 1 @ 10:00 AM or o November 8 @ 7:00 PM

WEBINAR 3Setting up and Conducting MeetingsLegislators are accountable to community members, and that includes PTA members. Learn how to identify your legislators, make an appointment and prepare for a successful meeting. What you say and how you say it can make a huge difference for Texas students.

o January 10 @ 7:00 PM or o January 12 @ 10:00 AM

WHAT TO EXPECT8:30 – 9:30 am Event Check-In (Location TBD)

9:30 – 11:00 am Let’s Caucus! Get all the information you need about Texas PTA’s priorities to maximize your legislative meetings.

11:30 am – Noon Rally on South Steps of Capitol

Noon – 5:00 pm Lunch on your own and legislative meetings you schedule with legislators

*Tentative schedule and subject to change

RalLyDAy

FEBRUARY 272017

TExaS PtA

#1K4RALLYDAY

YOU AND YOUR PTA CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE BY ATTENDING RALLY DAY! A major difference between PTA and other parent groups is our dedication to advocacy. Public education is our one guarantee for a brighter and better Texas.

Each legislative session we hear about the need to improve public education, and history shows that following the conclusion of every legislative session, we all express our dissatisfaction with the results and wishing we had done more. By attending Rally Day, we are letting our PTA voices be heard and taking action while decisions are being made rather than after nothing can be done.

Attending Rally Day is an investment of your time and financial resources that, frankly, Texas students cannot afford for us to not invest. See you on the South Steps!

RALLY UNDER THE DOME!AUSTIN, TEXASFEBRUARY 27, 2017 8:30AM - 5:00PM

Registration Information

Parental Consent/Waivers The undersigned parent/guardian agrees that participation is voluntary & waives all rights/claims for damages against AISD and the

AHS Cheerleader Booster Club for any injuries/damages. In case of emergency, AISD may seek immediate medical attention.

Parent/Guardian Signature: _________________________________________ Date: _____________________

The undersigned parent/guardian authorizes photograph and/or video documentation to be taken of their child. These photographs

and/or videos may be used in the media to promote AISD, the AHS Cheerleader Booster Club, and/or the Little Eagle Cheer Camp.

Parent/Guardian Signature: _________________________________________ Date: _____________________

Student’s Name: ____________________________________________________ Allergies: ________Yes ______No

Gender: _________ F _________M Grade: __________ School: __________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Name(s): _________________________________________________________________________

E-Mail: _____________________________________________________ Camp: ________ Cheer _________Mascot

Address: ________________________________________________ City/State/Zip: ___________________________

Payment Method: __________Check __________ Online through Eventbrite.com search Allen Eagle Cheer Camp $38

Cell Phone #: _________________________________ Home Phone #: _____________________________________

T-Shirt Size: _________ YL ____________YM ___________YL ___________AS _________AM ___________AL

Future Eagles are invited to join the AHS Spirit athletes for a fun-filled Camp!

DATE: January 28, 2017 TIME: 9:00AM-12:00PM LOCATION: Lowery Freshman Center

AGES: K-6th Grade COST: $35 pre-register/$38 on Eventbrite ($40 at the door) Registration: 8:30-9:00 am Pep Rally For Parents: 11:45-12:00PM

Campers will learn proper technique and pep rally material, receive a t-shirt, and access to secure photo site!

Please print and complete registration, mail document and payment to: Anne Davis

AHS Cheerleader Booster Club 862 Falcon Trace Drive, Allen, TX 75013

ahscheercamp@gmail.com (for questions) Please make all checks payable to AHS Cheerleader Booster Club

IMPORTANT: Registration and Payment are due by Friday, January 13, 2017! If needed, additional forms may be found at www.ahs-cheer.com