Community Connections - March 2024
Parents, Guardians, Staff, and Community Members,
I do not think anyone expected the beautiful March weather we were fortunate to experience this past week! I hope everyone had an opportunity to feel the sun on their faces and enjoy some time outdoors. Spring is upon us, and it is so good for my soul!
As we celebrate the sunshine and warmer weather (for now), I am also celebrating the massive support of our community in passing the District’s Educational, Programs, and Operations Levy and the Capital Technology Levy. Since our Bond fell short of the 60% supermajority vote to pass at 54% approval, we are hard at work collecting feedback and information from our community. I hope each of you has seen the follow-up survey we distributed via email, postcard, and social media. It is imperative that we receive real, honest feedback from our voting base so we can best reflect the wants and needs of the greater Cheney Public Schools community if it is decided to re-run the bond in the future. Please, complete the survey and encourage your friends and neighbors to do the same. We want to know how you voted but, most importantly, why you voted.
Another major ongoing project is the District’s Strategic Plan. Last month, we distributed a survey to four groups: community members, parents/guardians, staff, and students. Though we were unable to recruit enough individuals for our goal of 11-person focus groups, we have still been able to speak with representatives of each group, gathering valuable feedback and information that will help to guide the District’s Strategic Plan. Our focus groups will continue meeting through the month of March, and by April, we hope to have a strategic plan draft completed. We aim to present a final plan to the Board of Directors for consideration in May.
Our buildings welcomed parents for parent/teacher conferences on March 14 and 15. It was wonderful for our staff to connect with parents and families and showcase the great work students are doing in the classroom. These non-school days also allowed over 40 of the district’s paraeducators to come together for training. I am so proud of our district staff for their dedication and commitment to our students' success!
As we transition into Spring, our students are taking advantage of the multitude of athletics and activities available across our district. We have already seen state champions in both FCCLA (Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America) and DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America) from CHS, along with a new school record in boys' pole vaulting at an even 14 feet. What a start! I am excited to see how our students continue to develop over the Spring semester.
With Spring Break less than two weeks away and graduation just around the corner, we are in the final stretch of the 2023-24 school year. Let us finish strong!
We are Cheney Public Schools!
Take care,
Ben Ferney, Ed.D.
Superintendent, Cheney Public Schools
Community Connections February 2024
Community Connections - January 2024
Community Connections - December 2023
Community Connections - November 2023
Community Connections - October 2023
Community Connections - September 2023
Community Connections - August 2023
Community Connections - May 2023
Community Connections - April 2023
Dear Community Members,
I recently had the privilege to attend the annual Spokane Scholars award banquet with six of our amazing senior students, their parents, teachers, high school administration, and the school board president. The purpose of the event is to honor academic excellence and promote lifelong learning in students within twenty-nine high schools in the region. The experiences and opportunities these driven students across Spokane County have embraced are awe inspiring. Even more so now than ever, the students of today are simply incredible! I am reminded that our current students are taking on and overcoming challenges that I never dreamed of in my K-12 experience. I left the award banquet humbled and proud that our own scholars came from Cheney Public Schools.
On a separate note, the school board has a director vacancy in District 2. School Board Director Zachary Zorrozua recently shared “It is with a heavy heart that I submit my formal resignation from the Board of Directors.” While he enjoyed working with and serving on the Board, Director Zorrozua felt that “maintaining my role could potentially present a conflict of interest, in the event my spouse is chosen to transition into an administrative role in the district.” His resignation was effective March 9 and the Board acknowledged his resignation at the following board meeting on March 22. We will miss Director Zorrozua’s energy, passion, and leadership that he brought to the Board, and look forward to other ways he can continue to serve our district and community. RCW 28A.343.370 states that school board director vacancies shall be filled within 90 days by appointment. Please see the information on page three in regards to filling this vacancy.
Lastly, over the past 25 years, I have learned that schools ‘wind up’ versus ‘wind down’ in the spring, specifically once spring break is done, through the end of the school year. Embracing the ‘wind up’ has allowed me to enjoy the spring season and appreciate the incredible work our students and staff are doing in the final quarter of the school year. My hope is that spring finds each of you embracing these things as well. June will be here before we know it!
We are Cheney Public Schools!
Take care,
Ben Ferney, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Cheney Public Schools
Delayed School Release - March 8, 2023
Parents, Guardians, and Staff Members,
In Cheney Public Schools, we seek to provide a safe environment for all our students, some days this means placing a building or buildings in a shelter-in-place or securing the building status at the request of local law enforcement due to an unsafe situation near the school. This afternoon, following law enforcement directions and out of an abundance of caution, Windsor and Westwood were placed into a shelter-in-place status while there is law enforcement activity in a close-by neighborhood. A shelter-in-place status allows students and staff to move freely about the building with exterior doors locked and with no outside activities allowed to include releasing students to parents and guardians coming to pick students up. These buildings remained in shelter-in-place until approximately 3:30 p.m. causing a delayed release time from schools. At this time local law enforcement has released the order, however, students that live in Windsor Crossing and are walkers are staying at Windsor or Westwood unless a parent or guardian picks them up or law enforcements says it is safe for them to leave. Secondary bus riders that live in Windsor Crossing are not being dropped off at their normal bus stop at this time. The delayed release is effecting student transportation across the district. While this is an inconvenience to our families, we will continue to do what is necessary to provide a safe place for our students and staff. We are working diligently to get buses routed to our other schools for pickup and drop off.
Ben Ferney, Ed.D.SuperintendentCheney Public Schools
Community Connections - March 2023
Community Connections - February 2023
Community Connections - January 2023
Buildings Secured During Hoax - December 9, 2022
Dear Cheney Public School Community,
Out of an abundance of caution and with the recommendation of local law enforcement, we secured the perimeter of all of our school buildings after receiving a report of a possible active shooter at Lewis and Clark and North Central High Schools in Spokane. While our buildings were in a secure status, all exterior building doors remained locked and students remained inside. There is believed to be no threat to our schools; we took these measures for the safety of our students and staff. School activity continued as normal inside our buildings during this time.
Law enforcement has confirmed we could resume regular operations. All learning and school activities are taking place as scheduled.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ben Ferney SuperintendentCommunity Connections - November/December 2022
CMS Lockdown Update - November 7, 2022
Winter Sports Transportation Update - October 25, 2022
Dear Families and Community Members,
Earlier this school year, I sent out a letter regarding the ongoing shortage of school bus drivers. In the months since, the district has continued to recruit drivers and has reduced routes as needed to help keep our transportation system running as smoothly as possible.
As the district prepares for the winter sports season we continue to face a driver shortage, especially for transporting our student athletes to events, as the drop-off times are often during the middle of the regular after-school bus routes. We have been considering multiple remedies, including transporting athletes to competitions earlier in the day, trying to contract with other school bus providers and/or charters, adjusting game days and times, and having parents transport the athletes, however, we continue to run into staffing shortages.
After exhausting the aforementioned remedies and parents are not able to make arrangements for personal transport, we may find ourselves in a position, at times, where we are forced to cancel some sporting events. We wanted families to be aware of this possibility as far in advance as possible. If cancellations are necessary, middle school athletic events would be the first to be canceled.
To help us minimize this possibility we are asking you, members of the Airway Heights, West Plains, and Cheney communities collectively, to consider becoming a substitute bus driver. As a substitute driver, you have the option to drive for sporting events only. When transporting athletes, the coach would be on the bus to supervise students. If you are interested in becoming a substitute bus driver the district will pay for your training.
District bus driver training consists of 32 hours of classroom instruction and 20 hours of behind-the-wheel training. Cheney Public Schools will pay you during your training as well as cover the cost of commercial driver license (CDL) testing, the required physical, and the cost of fingerprinting. Additionally, the district will reimburse for the cost of the CDL. Please reach out to the district transportation office at 509-559-4523 if you are interested in becoming a substitute driver or have questions regarding becoming a driver.
Thank you,
Ben Ferney, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Community Connections - October 2022
Community Connections - September 2022
Community Connections - August 2022
2022-2023 School Schedule Update - July 6, 2022
Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,
It has been great settling into the Cheney, Airway Heights, and West Plains community and have enjoyed seeing summer weather arrive, albeit somewhat late. Whether your kids are swimming in the local pool, enjoying the many parks and trails in our area, or spending time with family, the start of school might seem far off in the distance. At the same time, many of you eagerly await official notice of our revised school schedules for the entire district.
As Mr. Roettger shared in May, Cheney Public Schools had become increasingly aware of the need for a staggered schedule in the years leading up to the pandemic due to increasing enrollment and a decreasing number of bus drivers. During the return in-person instruction, the district moved out of necessity to a staggered schedule. The realities that required the adjustment to a staggered schedule remain, and as our district grows will continue to challenge our community.
The staggered schedule was an adjustment for many families who have called this region home for years or decades, and the district has sought feedback from students, staff, and families seeking to best serve the needs of our students and community. As we learned from the community through consultative feedback processes, there were many problems with the secondary schools starting after the elementary schools. Some common concerns were child care for elementary students, student inability to access employment, and missed class time for athletics/extracurricular activities for secondary students due to their later release time. Data also showed that an earlier start and end time would reduce by approximately 50% the number of classes missed by students participating in sports and extracurriculars at Cheney High School (and both middle schools). In light of the information the school district gathered through the consultative process, it was recommended to the board that the schedules be altered. This recommendation was approved in May, and the schedules were finalized in June.
Our secondary schools will open earlier in the coming 2022-2023 school year, along with Salnave Elementary. Our other four elementary schools will begin one hour after the middle and high schools. HomeWorks! and Three Springs High School will operate on separate schedules from our traditional schools. The times for each school are listed below.
Cheney Middle School, Westwood Middle School, Cheney High School
7:50 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Salnave Elementary
7:50 a.m. – 2:20 p.m.
Betz Elementary, Snowdon Elementary, Sunset Elementary, Windsor Elementary
8:50 a.m. – 3:20 p.m.
HomeWorks!
8:30 a.m. – 2:45 p.m.
Three Springs High School
8:05 a.m. – 2:15 p.m.
This new schedule will be an adjustment and we believe that this schedule will better accommodate the needs of our community, our teachers, and--most importantly--our students. I look forward to this coming school year and the opportunity to interact with many more of our students, supportive families, and dedicated staff.
Thank you,
Ben Ferney, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Cheney Public Schools
Community Connections - July 2022
Community Connections - June 2022
Community Connection - May 2022
Bus Driver Training Information
Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,
As the first and last point of contact for the students who utilize our school district transportation system, bus drivers are vital to our mission of ensuring a safe and caring environment for all students. As you are most likely aware, school districts around the nation are struggling to attract and retain school bus drivers for a variety of reasons. Cheney Public Schools is no exception. We have an amazing transportation team and seek additional drivers to join the department – regular drivers as well as substitute drivers.
Transporting students safely to and from school and activities is an extremely important and critical aspect of our overall school system. For students that are bus riders, the driver is the first and last staff member to see them on school days. Drivers are essential in not only transporting students safely, they build relationships, encourage, hear of their successes, challenges, joys and accomplishments. It truly can be a rewarding experience for drivers and students alike.
Are YOU this unique and caring individual that we are seeking to make a difference in these children’s lives? Do you know of someone that sounds like a perfect match for this opportunity?
Cheney Public Schools will be holding two driver training sessions over the summer, including classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel training. Please see the attached flyer for additional details and/or call the transportation department at 509-559-4523.
Thank you for your support and for sharing this important information with potential drivers.
Rob Roettger, Superintendent
Staggered Start/End Update Message - June 1, 2022
Parents and Guardians,
Recently our school district has been grappling with the decision about whether or not to “flip” the current staggered start schedule for the coming school year. This has been a complex topic to consider, and we realize there will not be a schedule that is perfect for every situation across our school district. While the current schedule works well for some families and in many situations, there are also areas and circumstances where the 2021-2022 daily schedule has presented significant challenges within our system.
After careful consideration of ThoughtExchange data, consideration of thoughts from staff, students, and community members, and input from our transportation department, on May 25, 2022, the Cheney Public School District Board of Directors voted unanimously to approve a staggered school schedule for the 2022-2023 school year in which students at Cheney High School, Cheney Middle School, Westwood Middle School, and Salnave Elementary will begin school earlier in the morning, and Betz, Snowdon, Sunset and Windsor Elementary schools will begin later in the morning.
The exact start and end times for each school will be determined and communicated as soon as possible. In general staff and families can expect students at CHS, CMS, WMS and Salnave to begin and end school approximately one hour earlier than the current schedule (7:50 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. timeframe), and students attending Betz, Snowdon, Sunset, and Windsor to begin and end school approximately one hour later than their current schedule (8:50 a.m. and 3:20 p.m. timeframe). Schedules for Three Springs High School and HomeWorks! will be determined separately.
Some advantages to the “flipped” schedule include increased safety at our secondary schools as extracurricular events will be less likely to draw outside visitors into the buildings while school is still in session, increased access to class time for secondary students participating in extracurricular activities, and more opportunities for after-school employment. Additionally, after-school childcare needs for many of our elementary students will be reduced.
We realize the later start times for most elementary schools might prompt the need for adjustments to morning childcare in our communities. School district representatives will be working with both the City of Airway Heights and the City of Cheney to discuss community childcare options that fit within the new Cheney Public Schools schedule for the fall. Additionally, we are exploring ways in which we may be able to provide an extended school day at our elementary schools.
I would like to thank everyone who participated in the ThoughtExchange, spoke at school board meetings, and provided additional input about school schedules. Each and every member of our community is valued in our school system, and all input received was considered in the decision-making process.
Thank you,
Rob Roettger, Superintendent
Community Connections - May 2022
Community Connections - March 2022
Parents, Guardians, Staff, and Community Members,
Spring has arrived and temperatures are beginning to rise! With the onset of spring and the easing of COVID-related restrictions, there are many opportunities to support our students during the myriad of extra-curricular activities that are offered throughout our school district. I urge everyone to support our students by attending a concert, drama production, athletic event, or any number of extra-curricular activities. Our students enjoy the opportunity to share and display their talents and truly appreciate the support from our community.
While there isn’t a perfect daily school schedule that will meet every individual need within our district, it is important that we work to create schedules that align with the mission of our school district and maximize learning opportunities and social and emotional support for our students. Ultimately, the goal is to share school start and end times for the 2022-2023 school year by May 2nd so that staff and families can plan appropriately for the start of school in the fall.
It has been a long two years as we have worked through the many challenges and changes associated with the pandemic; however, there is a renewed sense of hope as COVID case rates have dropped significantly in recent weeks and many of the health and safety protocols have become optional. With the easing of requirements our Board of Directors once again has the opportunity to visit schools and classrooms and did so at Westwood Middle School prior to our regular Board meeting last week. Observing our students' resiliency and joy was truly inspiring as they learned and worked together. Thank you, Westwood students, staff, and administrators for a great afternoon!
As we approach the upcoming Spring Break (April 4 – 8) my sincere hope is for every student and family to have a restful and enjoyable break. Take care, enjoy time together, and have a wonderful Spring Break!
Robert W. Roettger, Superintendent
School Conferences, March 10 & 11
Parents, Guardians, and Staff Members,
It is very exciting that we will once again have in-person parent/teacher conferences on Thursday and Friday of this week for those families who choose this option. Some families have opted to conduct their conference(s) via Zoom which is also an option. As we prepare for conferences I wanted to share that we will continue to comply with the state-wide indoor masking requirement which is in place until midnight on Friday, March 11th (technically no longer in place on Saturday, March 12th). Thus, during the upcoming conferences and while in schools or district buildings this week we ask that everyone continues to follow the current masking requirement. Beginning Monday, March 14th, masking will be optional in our schools, district buildings and on district busses. As we prepare for this transition, I request that each of us respects the choices of students, staff, and community members who may continue to wear masks or request additional personal space after the requirement ends. Thank you for adhering to the current masking requirement and for honoring the choices of those who will continue to wear masks moving forward regardless of whether we know or understand the circumstances or reasoning of others.
Again, I am looking forward to the upcoming conferences and the opportunity for our families to connect with our staff members (whether in-person or via Zoom).
Take care and have a great week!
Rob Roettger, Superintendent
Vaccine Survey Results
An anonymous survey in regards to COVID vaccinations for children was sent to all Cheney Public Schools households via email, or through the United States Postal Service if an email address was unavailable. The survey opened on February 8 and closed on February 14. Responses were received from 40% of the district’s 3,235 families. The survey asked families to use the response options listed below to answer the following question for their children in the age groups of 5-11 and 12 and older:
If the State of Washington requires children to receive a COVID vaccination in order to attend school, would you vaccinate your children?
The following is a summary of the ways in which the families who took the survey responded:
|
|
Students Represented |
Would Vaccinate |
Would Seek Exemption |
Would Not Vaccinate |
Undecided |
|
Ages 5 -11 |
1,316 |
30% (395) |
15% (197) |
47% (619) |
8% (105) |
|
Ages 12 and Older |
987 |
38% (375) |
12% (119) |
45% (444) |
5% (49) |
This survey was in no way intended as a pro or anti COVID vaccine stance by the district. The survey results have been shared with the Washington State Department of Health on behalf of our community members. If you would like to learn more about the technical advisory group (TAG) process and recommendation to the Washington State Board of Health, follow this link: https://sboh.wa.gov/
Carol Lewis
Director of Data & Assessment
State and Federal Programs
Community Connections - February 2022
Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,
During the course of the past two years we have spent an incredible amount of time and energy as a school district and community working through the global COVID-19 pandemic. As COVID case rates continue to decrease and the pandemic shifts to an endemic, many aspects of our school system will begin to transition as well.
Prior to sharing several of these changes, I would like to provide an update and data related to COVID case rates in Cheney Public Schools. Throughout the month of January, the Omicron variant had a significant impact on our region and as a district we saw a weekly high of 203 positive student and staff cases during the four-day week of January 18 – 21. For comparison, last week (February 14 – 18), we saw a total of 33 cases across our entire district. This comparison demonstrates a significant improvement in case rates and cause for optimism as we approach March and the coming of spring.
This past Wednesday marked the first in-person classroom/school visitation for our Cheney Public Schools Board of Directors in more than two years. This was an exciting step forward and provided a true sense of normalcy to our work. In the coming weeks several additional adjustments will be made to our school system. To begin with, our middle school and high school cafeteria and commons spaces will return to pre-pandemic breakfast and lunch service and structures on February 28th. In addition, our middle schools will assign hall lockers to students the week of March 7th. We are also planning for a hybrid approach to our upcoming parent/teacher conferences. This hybrid approach will provide parents with the opportunity to attend conferences in person or via Zoom depending on what works best for their individual needs and schedules (specific information will be shared directly by each of our schools).
Although many in our community will be excited by the end of the state mask mandate (Monday, March 21st) and will say “it’s about time” to the transitions that are scheduled to occur in our system, there will also be those who are apprehensive about taking masks off and will make the personal decision to continue wearing masks over the next weeks and months. My plea as superintendent is that we are all respectful of the various opinions that exist in our community and that during upcoming transitions we are supportive of those individuals who continue to wear masks and prioritize other COVID safety measures. While many are divided on the best way to move forward with changes in health and safety protocols, I believe everyone can agree that a high level of civility and respect are necessary to do so in the best possible manner.
In closing, thank you for your continued support of our children, staff, schools, and school district. The upcoming transitions outlined in this newsletter will be successful because of our cooperative efforts and your support. As always, please reach out to me at 509-559-4502 or at [email protected] if you have any questions about any aspect of our school system.
Rob Roettger
Community Connections - January 2022
Dear Staff, Parents, Guardians and Community Members,
The start of the new year has been challenging in many ways as we have faced an increase in COVID cases and case rates in the county and region due to the Omicron variant. While there have been several struggles to the beginning of 2022, and there may be reasons for us to be discouraged at times, I believe it is critically important that we remain optimistic that our circumstances will soon improve. And, although it has been difficult, a key to working through the pandemic is finding hope in each day and continuing to lean on our friends, family, and loved ones for support.
An area that has brought me considerable encouragement in recent weeks is the way so many staff have rallied together and have been willing to do whatever it takes to keep our schools safely open for in person learning. Most people know that it has been a struggle to find substitutes and to fill staffing needs in many of our departments and throughout our district on many days. Consequently, a significant number of staff members have been asked to cover for their colleagues and fill in wherever they can to help us meet our staffing needs. Specific examples include staff from various departments that hold appropriate driver certification who have driven bus routes, teachers who have covered classes for colleagues during their prep time, administrators who have subbed in classrooms and other positions as needed, and classified staff who have assisted in various assignments throughout the system. Thank you to every staff member who has stepped in to fill a gap in order to keep our schools open and our system running as smoothly as possible!
While we are facing issues that have made it difficult to keep our system running and schools open, our students continue to demonstrate an amazing amount of resiliency. My spirits are lifted when I am in one of our schools and I observe students engaged in learning, participating in extra-curricular events, or playing and visiting with their peers at recess or in a commons area. Even in the midst of all that isn’t “normal” there is a lot of positive energy exhibited by our students within our schools each and every day.
In closing, as we continue to work through the challenges of the pandemic I encourage each of us to find ways to lift others up, including our children, family members, co-workers, and the amazing staff of Cheney Public Schools. In times of adversity a positive word, an encouraging note, or just simply treating one another with kindness and compassion can go a long way to making someone’s day. I am certain that we will overcome this latest hurdle and things will indeed improve soon.
Robert W. Roettger
Superintendent
Highly Capable Program
Cheney Public Schools welcomes referrals from parents, school staff, students, teachers and community members for highly capable identification. Each year students new to the district and students currently enrolled may be referred for evaluation. The process for identification is facilitated by a specialist at each of our schools and consists of multiple aspects including formal assessments, teacher input, and guardian input.
As a community member, if you know of a student you consider to be highly capable, you are welcome to complete referral paperwork, which can be found at www.cheneysd.org. The annual evaluation process will occur in our district in April. Cheney Public Schools strives for equitable identification across all populations. If you or someone you know would benefit from receiving this information in another language other than English or if you would like to request a paper copy of the referral form, please contact our District Office at (509) 559-4503.
Staggered School Schedule
The district will be reviewing the staggered school schedule that was implemented during the 2021-2022 school year to determine if adjustments are necessary. Families and staff signed up to receive School-messenger communications will be receiving a Thoughtexchange survey link on January 31st to provide thoughts and rate other peoples thoughts. We encourage you to participate as a way to help the district best determine the schedule that benefits students the most.
Superintendent Message - January 10, 2022
Parents and Guardians,
It has definitely been an interesting start to the beginning of the new year. I truly appreciate your patience and support as we worked through two days of school closures at the end of last week. In addition to the weather challenges there has also been an increase in COVID cases and case rates within our community and county that have begun to impact our school system. With this increase in COVID cases there have been many questions about the potential impact on schools. Today’s update will address our current district status and contingency plans related to the possibility of COVID related issues.
Since we were able to return to in person learning we have weathered several COVID related storms and have consistently been able to keep our schools safely open. Our goal continues to be to keep our schools safely open for in person learning for the remainder of the school year. Having said this, we know that COVID cases and case rates are increasing in our region and that our schools and district have begun to feel the impact of this latest wave. While our goal is to keep our schools open, we must also plan for the possibility of short-term school or district closures due to a variety of COVID related circumstances, including possible staffing shortages.
At this time, we believe we could quickly transition a classroom or a school to a temporary distance learning model if necessary. Our secondary students have Chromebooks and we could distribute Chromebooks to elementary students if needed. In addition, we have an adequate number of hotspots that are ready for distribution to help provide internet access in the event of a classroom or school closure. While we are preparing for a multitude of possibilities, a school or district closure is not imminent. Rather, we are trying to be as prepared as possible and will closely monitor the situation as we move forward.
We are twenty-two months into the pandemic and I continue to be concerned about the health and safety of our staff, students, and families. Let’s ensure that collectively we are doing our very best to follow established health and safety protocols, including hand washing, wearing a proper fitting face covering, and maintaining appropriate distance. While I know many of us are weary of following these mitigation strategies it will be important that we continue to do so in order to work through this latest COVID wave. In order to keep our schools as COVID free as possible, we also ask that parents keep students home when they are sick. If you have questions about a student’s symptoms or would like to schedule a COVID test, please reach out to your child’s school nurse.
In recent weeks the CDC has updated guidelines related to isolation and quarantine timelines. The state Department of Health (DOH) and Spokane Regional Health District (SRHD) have also made adjustments to state and local guidance based upon the CDC updates. As a system we are analyzing the latest health and safety updates and will provide additional information to all families in the coming days. The changes will provide more opportunities for test to stay protocols which will lessen quarantine and isolation timelines in many situations. Again, additional specific information will be shared in the coming days.
Lastly, as part of our preparation to address increased COVID case rates and possible impacts upon our system we have been working closely with our transportation department. If we encounter a situation where we are unable to fill every daily bus route, there is the potential of not being able to run a route (where a driver isn’t available) or run a later route when a bus/driver is available. Quite obviously, our goal is to continue to run each of our bus routes daily and on time. However, I want our families to be aware that staffing shortages could cause an issue where we are temporarily unable to do so. If a route is cancelled (temporarily) or scheduled for a later daily pick up and drop off time, we will communicate directly with the families that are impacted. Again, this type of situation is not imminent, however, I want parents/guardians to be able to prepare for possible changes due to potential staffing shortages.
In closing, thank you for all that you have done and continue to do to support our students, staff members, schools, and school district. While there may be some bumps in the road in the coming weeks, we WILL overcome this latest challenge. As always, please reach out to your child’s school or contact me directly if you have specific questions or concerns about any of the information that has been shared.
US/WE/TOGETHER
Rob Roettger, Superintendent
Community Connections - December 2021
It is difficult to believe that 2021 is almost behind us and when we return to school on Monday, January 3rd it will be 2022. While 2021 definitely presented some challenges there is a lot to be thankful for as we reflect upon this past year and prepare for the new year.
To begin with, progress has definitely been made! At this time a year ago, we were in the midst of planning for the return of in person learning for students in grades 3 – 12 in January and February of 2021 (most students were still engaged in distance learning). Thus, although we continue to work through health and safety protocols and an ongoing pandemic, we are in a much different place today. Our students in grades P-12 attend school in person (families who have made the decision to attend in person) and have been able to do so since the very beginning of the 2021-2022 school year.
While it would have seemed like a small feat to discuss the success of in person learning prior to the pandemic, it has been extremely important to have our students back in our schools each day and participating in extra-curricular activities and events. And, although there have been some bumps in the road, we have been able to keep our schools and classrooms open throughout the entire fall. In fact, we have not had a single classroom or school closure this school year. This is definitely progress and cause for celebration and optimism as we head into 2022.
As we approach Christmas, the holidays, and the new year my sincere hope is that each family is safe, healthy, and able to spend as much quality time with one another as possible. Parents and guardians, I urge each of us to make the most of the upcoming holiday break and to spend as much time with our children as possible. Too often, we can be preoccupied with the busyness of work, life, and the holidays (and justifiably so) and miss the opportunity to create positive memories with our children and loved ones. I have been guilty of this on many occasions and it is my goal to truly be present as much as possible in the coming days.
In closing, thank you for your support of our students, staff members, and school district. Together we continue to work through the many obstacles that come our way and do so in order to meet the social emotional and learning needs of each of our students. Thank you! Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!
Rob Roettger, Superintendent
Community Connections - November 2021
Dear Staff, Parents, Guardians and Community Members,
As we approach the Veteran’s Day Holiday, I cannot help but be so very thankful. I want to take this opportunity to personally thank each of our Veterans and current service men and women for their sacrifice and service to our country. During the upcoming Veteran’s Day Holiday, I urge everyone to reflect on the many freedoms we have and to find ways to honor and thank those who have sacrificed so much to protect our country. Thank you, Veterans and members of our armed forces!
Following the recent November election, Cheney Public Schools will be welcoming two new board members and taking time to recognize the two directors they will replace. Collectively we extend a huge thank you to Marcie Estrellado and Suzanne Dolle as they have served on the school board for 18 and 12 years respectfully. As a school district and community, we thank Marcie and Suzanne for their years of service, leadership, and dedication to the students, staff, families, and community members of Cheney Public Schools. In addition to thanking Marcie and Suzanne, please join me in welcoming Mark Scott and Zach Zorrozua to our Board of Directors as they join President Mitch Swenson, Vice-President Henry Browne, and Director Stacy Nicol.
I am very grateful that we have completed the first quarter of the school year without a single COVID related classroom or school closure. Although there have been continued challenges associated with the pandemic as the school year began, there have also been many causes for optimism as well. Our teachers are engaging students with in-person, high quality lessons, interventions and extensions and students have also had the opportunity to participate in extra-curricular activities and athletic events this fall. Another recent celebration included the first “official” concert by our Cheney High School choir in our beautiful new auditorium which was completed in the spring of 2020. While things aren’t quite “normal” yet it is awesome to have our students in school and engaged in learning and extra-curricular activities.
In just two short weeks we will have the opportunity to celebrate the Thanksgiving Holiday. My sincere hope is that each and every family has a wonderful Thanksgiving spent with family and friends. The beginning of the holiday season causes me to reflect on all that I am thankful for, including the amazing support our school district receives from our parents, families, and community. I am also very thankful for the outstanding staff members in our district who have worked extremely hard this fall and throughout the pandemic in order to support our students. Thank you to our entire community and each of our staff members!
In closing, I hope you find the time to pause and honor our Veterans this week and that you and your family have a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving. As always, please contact me at 509-559-4502 or email me at [email protected] if you have questions about any aspect of our school system.
Robert W. Roettger, Superintendent
Community Connections - October 2021
Although the previous eighteen months have presented many challenges to our school district and system, we have been able to weather the storm and meet the academic and social and emotional needs of our students and families due to the amazing staff members in Cheney Public Schools and the outstanding community support we receive. I want to publicly thank our staff members for their willingness to do whatever it takes to support our students and keep our system running as smoothly as possible (at all times and especially during the pandemic). And, on behalf of our entire system, I want to thank our community for consistently supporting our district and the children and families we serve. THANK YOU!
As a system, we are focused on achieving the mission (values and goals) of our school district while still facing many challenges due to the ongoing pandemic. Our mission is -- Cheney Public Schools exists to guarantee a safe and caring environment where ALL students learn at high levels and graduate with options for post-secondary education, careers, and civic engagement.
In order to achieve our mission and goals, we have engaged in the creation of a system-wide professional learning community (PLC) where grade level and content specific teams of educators focus on four critical questions. The four critical questions that guide the work of a PLC are:
1) What do we want students to know and be able to do? (Standards)
2) How will we know if they have learned it? (Assessment)
3) How do we provide intervention when students have not reached mastery on the standard or target? (Intervention)
4) How do we extend the curriculum when students have mastered the standard or target? (Extension)
As a school district we began the 2021-2022 school year by reaffirming our commitment to a true PLC process. In support of this critical work staff members participated in virtual professional learning events in August. In addition, we started the year building level teams working through the PLC cycle by engaging in a fifteen-day challenge related to a specific unit of study, including identifying essential standards, creating assessments, and providing on-time intervention opportunities to students. As part of our ongoing support for this important work, our district is participating in a three-year PLC initiative with eighteen districts from across the state. Together, from the Board room to the classroom we are focused and pulling in the same direction as we strive to reach our goals and meet the unique learning and social-emotional needs of each and every child.
In closing, I am honored to have the opportunity to serve our community as superintendent of Cheney Public Schools and would be happy to share additional information about our district with anyone. Thus, if you have specific questions about our professional learning community work, or any aspect of our school system, please email me at [email protected] or call my office at 509-559-4502.
Rob Roettger
Bridging the Gap
Big things have been happening in Cheney Public Schools, and one of them is a new approach to helping students learn important concepts. This year, Cheney schools have designed schedules that give students improved access to three things:
Interventionists across the district have also been hired to support Tier 3 interventions for K-8 students who need extra support learning critical foundational skills in math and language arts.
At Westwood Middle School, it’s called Pride Time. At Cheney Middle School, it’s Talon Time. Regardless of the name, those periods are time set aside to hone in on students’ social emotional, and academic learning.
Two days per week, the focus of that time is social and emotional learning through new curriculum known as CharacterStrong. Students might get help with stress or anxiety, and get the opportunity to talk about mental health and managing emotions. Three days a week are reserved for academic learning, where students can get extra help mastering need-to-know skills, primarily in language arts and math. Social and emotional learning needs are addressed first, then academic needs, Westwood Principal Erika Burden said.
This process begins with giving students weekly short assignments knows as “common formative assessments”. These assessments offer an opportunity to gauge how well the student has grasped new material without waiting until the end of the unit to discover that a student is missing concepts. Based on that, students are able to attend personalized class periods where they can receive enrichment or intervention.
If a student fully understands the materials, they may attend an enrichment class to deepen their understanding. Other opportunities are available for students who have learned the concept well but just need a little more practice in perfecting their skills. Meanwhile, intervention is available for students who may be struggling to digest the new information.
Intervention classes are typically small, with fewer than 10 student and at least two teachers, to ensure students are getting the one-on-one learning time that they need to master necessary material. That information is then entered into complex spreadsheets that can show teachers trends and potential areas of improvement. The data collected also shows progress toward priority standards.
These methods are already making a difference in student achievement, teachers say, the culmination of countless hours of work by dedicated staff. According to one Westwood student, the new schedule has been extremely helpful for learning new information, frequently resulting in the phrase that’s music to teacher’s ears: “Oh! I get it now!”
GSL Sports Pass
Are you a major sports fan? Do you have children in multiple sports? A new all-access pass to the Greater Spokane League is now available, and it includes admission to regular season events at all sixteen GSL schools for football, volleyball, boys & girls basketball, gymnastics and wrestling - an over $250 value. A GSL Sports Pass also allows your children younger than high school age to enter with you for free!
Cheney Community Transitions Program
Cheney Public Schools Community Transitions Program prepares young adults with disabilities for life in the community after high school.
The Community Transitions Program started as CAPSTONE, which was part of Cheney High School. The program moved to the campus of Cheney Middle School in 2018 and was rebranded as the Community Transitions Program in 2021.
The program is designed to provide specialized instruction to meet the unique employment and community access needs of young adults with disabilities. Participants in the Community Transitions Program have completed their graduation pathway and have completed all of their high school credit requirements.
Community Transitions is focused on increasing work skills, independent living skills, and community inclusion. Community inclusion is the opportunity to live and exist as a contributing member of the community while being valued for one’s abilities and uniqueness. The ultimate goal of community inclusion is the participation of people with disabilities across a range of areas, including employment and housing.
Young adults in the Community Transitions Program will learn community transportation skills with the Spokane Transit Authority and Paratransit. They will prepare meals, including shopping for and purchasing ingredients, for themselves and their peers. Additionally, they will learn about and visit community and leisure resources within Cheney and Airway Heights, as well as in the Spokane area.
Young adults participle for one or two years in the Community Transitions Program. These young adults are connected with the Developmental Disabilities Administration, Department of Vocational Rehabilitation, and other community-based employment services organizations.
In September, the young adults in Community Transitions attended a community leisure activity at the Spokane County Interstate Fair. These young adults also visited the PACE program at Spokane Falls Community College, a community resource. For the last community experience in September, program participants visited the Spokane Transit Authority to learn about the community resources available for transportation, including transportation training and paratransit.
CharacterStrong Curriculum Comes to Cheney
“Social and emotional learning has always been important,” Teaching and Learning Assistant Director of Social and Emotional Learning Kim Lefler said. “But recent history has reminded us how foundational it is to every student and educator.” With that in mind, secondary schools in Cheney Public Schools are implementing a new curriculum to be taught during advisory; a program known as CharacterStrong. CharacterStrong features once a week lessons, each about 30 minutes long, that focus on student belonging, well-being, and engagement – three outcomes that studies show to be powerful drivers of academic achievement, school behavior, and long-term positive student outcomes. Lesson examples might include discussions of goals and habits that can help achieve them, leadership and teamwork exercises, and emotional understanding and regulation practices. Each lesson starts with a welcome, a community activity, the main content of the lesson, character development, and a closure activity. One of the greatest strengths of the CharacterStrong curriculum is the relationships it builds between students and peers, students and school staff, students, and family, and students and the greater community, and we can’t wait to see its meaningful impacts at Cheney Public Schools!
Enrollment Continues to Climb
Cheney Public Schools has experienced a relatively steady climb in enrollment for several years, and this year was no exception. District-wide, enrollment now sits at about 5,028 full-time students in grades K-12, about 212 more full-time students than were enrolled during the 2020-2021 school year.
According to the 2020 Cheney, Airway Heights, and West Plains demographic studies, this trend will likely continue, with estimates placing nearly 7,800 students by the year 2030.
Capital Projects Underway
Recently collected levy funds have provided for essential safety and security improvements, technology needs, and building repairs and maintenance that contribute to a quality education for our students.
Of the $4.27 million collected in 2020-2021, approximately $1.6 million has been spent on student and staff technology needs and improved clock and intercom systems across all buildings in the district, with an additional $500,000 allocated to additional technology needs as we started the school year. Approximately $200,000 was spent on additional fleet vehicles, many with snow plow capabilities. $1.7 million is set aside for property purchases for potential future school sites. The district continues to work closely with its realtor on sites both in Airway Heights and on the West Plains in an effort to plan for future growth.
Technology Assistance Available
Many Cheney Public Schools families may be eligible for reduced price internet or assistance purchasing a device! The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program is offering temporary discounts for qualifying households - up to $75 off your next broadband bill and a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer. For more information, please visit: https://www.getemergencybroadband.org.
CTE Update
The Cheney Career and Technical Education (CTE) department has a mission of teaching our students skills for high demand careers. With an estimated 1,000 job openings per year in the Spokane region for the next five (5) years, construction trades continue to be a high demand career in our area. Baseline skills for construction trades continues to be carpentry and learning how to use hand and power tools.
The Cheney CTE dedication to teaching the construction trades starts early as both Cheney Middle School and Westwood Middle School have committed to offering construction classes where students learn how to measure and cut, how to use power tools and hand tools, and how to build to blueprint specifications. The skills and exposure students are receiving at our middle schools have led to a higher demand in our high school programs as students learn about all the different careers and jobs available in the construction trades.
With the full reopening of the high school this year, we now have a full-time woods teacher who is teaching more than sixty (60) students per semester construction skills and trades. Our high school program has adopted the Northwest Carpentry union's curriculum to streamline the process between the classroom and apprenticeships with the union. This curriculum is nationally affiliated with carpentry unions across the United States and will ensure the skills learned in our classes at Cheney are transferable and recognized wherever a student pursues a career in carpentry.
Cheney Public Schools CTE is proud to offer these introductory construction skills to our students and will be continuing to build more opportunities like these for students in the future.
Superstars: Celebrating our health staff!
Step into the Cheney High School health room and you'll notice one thing immediately - the phone never stops ringing. It's not just phone calls, either; there is a consistent stream of students and adults seeking assistance that at times seems never-ending.
If there's ever been a time that highlighted the invaluable contributions of school nurses and health aids, it has been the last 18 months. Cheney Public Schools staff has worked tirelessly - over weekends, evenings, and holidays - to get and keep students back in school buildings and to keep them safe, and school nurses have played a vital role in these herculean efforts.
School nurses, who are often the only licensed healthcare professionals in a school, have risen to the challenge of the last year and taken on new and different responsibilities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"In non-Covid times they're in charge of the day-to-day health and safety of our students," Assistant Superintendent Tom Arlt said. "Now with Covid there's testing and contact tracing, and so many other responsibilities."
In Cheney, nurses have led collaboration with public health experts and encouraged adherence to federal, state, and regional guidelines even when these discussions were challenging. They have been and continue to be in charge of symptom screening, contact tracing, isolation and quarantine procedures, and more, as well as the daily bumps, bruises, and colds that come with maintaining the health and safety of Cheney students.
Health staff have performed more than 2,000 rapid Covid-19 tests in the last three weeks, and not just on students. "We have had parents say, 'I can't find a test anywhere and I have to get back to work,'" District Nurse Allison Hahn said. "It's hard, but being able to offer these vital services to our community is so rewarding."
In light of this increased need, the district has added three full-time health aides that rotate district-wide based on student need, as well as four full-time nurses.
Nurses encourage families to call their child's health room if they have any questions at all about Covid guidance or any other non-Covid health concerns.
District Nurse Angela Brown said, "I just want families to know that we are definitely doing our absolute best."
Please join us in a profound "THANK YOU!" to all our nurses and health staff for their hard work, incredible dedication, and awe-inspiring commitment to our students and our district.
"Handle with Care" program protecting students
We all need a little extra kindness sometimes. With that in mind, Cheney Public Schools is now involved in a new partnership - one aimed at giving extra support to students who have experienced difficult or traumatic events.
The program is called "Handle with Care." Within it, law enforcement officials that respond to incidents in the community are able to notify the district that the child may have had a tough night, and school staff are able to give that student additional encouragement and support.
"The goal is recognizing that sometimes a child may need some extra love and attention," Teaching and Learning Assistant Director Kim Lefler said. "Maybe a student is asleep on their desk because there was a fire at their house, and what they need is a snack and a nap, not to get in trouble."
In the "Handle with Care" program, the nature of the law enforcement response is not divulged during the notification process, to ensure student and family privacy. Instead, when a child has been identified at the scene of a traumatic event, law enforcement will electronically notify designated administrators and counselors that a child needs to be "handled with care" as part of their routine reporting and documentation process. School staff are expected to handle that child with extra care and not ask the student about the incident.
"Handling the child with extra care" means recognizing that the child is at an increased risk for emotional or behavioral changes due to the experience and trauma-informed practices should be utilized according to the school district's comprehensive school counseling protocols.
this is an opt-out program, and if you do not want any information shared via this program, please notify your child's school in writing. This written request can be placed on file with the district at any time during the school year.
CMS student among best fishermen in the nation
For Mason Bridges, no detail is too small to consider. The Cheney Middle School eighth-grader now ranks among some of the best fishermen in the nation following hundreds of hours spent fishing from January 1 to August 15 of this year. He recently won the Washington state title for the biggest 5-bass limit (tipping the scales at a whopping 20.83-pounds), and he can recount to you how he caught each and every one.
"It's a lot of strategy," he said. "What time of day is it? What's the weather? The water temperature? The depth? What lures are you using, and why?" These are questions Mason is going to be asking himself as he joins 53 other fishers in the Big Bass Zone Junior Championship World Finals in Branson, MO, in late October. Though it will be one of the first times Mason fishes out of state, somehow teh 6,000-mile, 54-hour journey is the least daunting aspect of the trip.
At 14 years old, Mason squeaks into the 13-19 age bracket by a year. "I'll be going up against people way older than me with their own boats and trucks," Bridges said. "It's pretty nerve-wracking, but I'm going to give it a shot." It's certainly worth that shot, with more than $300,000 in prizes up for grabs. That includes a $35,000 Bass Cat fishing boat, $30,000 scholarships, $20,000 in cash, and fishing trips to Mexico.
Mason started fishing with his dad and cousins at a young age, and the passion is a family affair. After one of his first tournaments, Mason says he was hooked - pun intended. As for the aspiring anglers out there, Mason has one piece of advice. "Be confident in yourself," he said. "If you're not catching anything, don't put yourself down. It might be a bad day, but it'll be better next week."
No matter what the outcome of the Finals turns out to be, Mason's classmates, school district, and greater Cheney community will be rooting for him -- us, we, together!
Student Supports: Preschool Partnership
Cheney Public Schools is delighted to announce our expanded partnership with the Community Colleges of Spokane in offering Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program )ECEAP) in every elementary building beginning September 2021. Our Inclusionary Preschool students are taught by certificated teachers and supported by paraeducators alongside other designated support staff. Students participate in engaging units of study designed by preschool teachers using Creative Curriculum and Teaching Strategies Gold, which connect teachers, children, and families to engaging learning experiences, informative data, and stronger partnerships. If you are interested in learning more about our preschool programs, information is located on our district website at www.cheneysd.org under Student Support Services, or you can call 509-559-4507.
Inclement Weather Message - October 11, 2021
Parents and Guardians,
While autumn has just recently started and today is beautiful yet brisk, inclement weather is right around the corner. When we are experiencing roads with ice or snow that impact driving conditions, I will work closely with our transportation department to determine whether a change to the schedule that day is necessary. If there is a change to the schedule, we will do our best to make the determination as early as possible and begin communications to staff, families, social media and the media by 5:30 a.m.
The 2021-2022 school year is the first year our district is operating on a staggered start schedule. As in past years, if a delay is necessary we will run two hours later than the normal daily schedule continuing a staggered schedule (Monday – Thursday). This means that your child’s school will start exactly two hours later than normal and the buses will be picking up approximately two hours later than the regular schedule. Please know that buses may experience delays as they are navigating their routes to collect students and return them to school safely. If a delay is necessary on a Friday, schools will start one hour later than the normal schedule and buses will be approximately one hour later than the regular Friday pick up times.
We live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest and expect to experience all four seasons. Being prepared is the key. I'm hopeful this communication regarding the possibility of a late start due to inclement weather will help us all be prepared in the event it is necessary.
Rob Roettger, Superintendent
September 20, 2021 message from Superintendent Roettger
Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,
In order to meet the day to day needs of our schools and district operations, it is critical that we are able to fill openings for full time and substitute positions (both certificated and classified). Currently, we have several regular employment opportunities available and we are seeking applicants for a variety of substitute positions as well (teachers, secretaries, para-educators, custodial, nutrition services, and transportation).
Please visit our website at www.cheneysd.org and click on the employment tab under quick links or click on the following link to view employment opportunities https://www.cheneysd.org/apps/pages/employment. We also ask that you consider sharing our employment opportunities with individuals you believe would be a good fit in an educational setting. In addition, if you have questions related to employment opportunities within the district, please reach out to our Human Resources department at 509-559-4509 or contact our substitute coordinator at 509-559-4542.
Thank you for your continued support of our schools and district!
Have a great week!
Rob Roettger, Superintendent
September 17, 2021 message from Superintendent Roettger
Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,
I sincerely hope the first three weeks of the new school year have gone extremely well for each and every one of our students and families. There is definitely a sense of excitement on each of our campuses as our students have returned to school this fall!
Throughout the 20-21 school year our school district and families faced a myriad of changes due to shifting circumstances associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. As we begin this school year COVID-19 continues to impact our region, thus, many people are wondering if we will once again face changes to our learning model, including potential closures. Today I’d like to provide an update related to this topic and alleviate concerns that school closures are being planned or are imminent.
Similar to last spring, school districts will continue to work closely with regional health districts to analyze local health situations that could potentially impact school operations. Thus, Cheney Public Schools will continue to work closely with SRHD and monitor circumstances within our school district and across the region in order to ensure a safe learning environment for our students. To date, meetings with SRHD have focused on keeping students safely in school and there have not been discussions about specific metrics or guidance to close schools or districts. In addition, there have not been any indications from OSPI, DOH, or the Governor’s office that there are plans for statewide school closures.
As a school district our obvious goal is to keep our schools safely open and not to have to pause in person learning or utilize alternative learning models. While this is the case, in order to be prepared for a variety of circumstances our central office team has discussed possible contingency plans IF classroom or school closures become necessary. For example, one situation that could impact our ability to support in person learning would be an inability to provide adequate staffing within a department or school due to COVID cases, quarantine situations, or staff absences. Thus, in preparation for situations that could impact our ability to operate our schools we have taken steps to ensure students have access to appropriate technology, and have surveyed secondary students to identify possible connectivity issues. Teachers are also working to ensure GOOGLE classrooms are set up. While we have considered options to address a possible pause to in person learning (whether within a classroom or school) a closure of any kind is NOT being planned. Rather, we are preparing for a multitude of possibilities and hoping we do not have to utilize any of the contingency plans that have been discussed.
Unfortunately, COVID-19 continues to impact our community and county and within the first three weeks of the school year positive COVID-19 cases have been identified within many of our schools. The overwhelming majority of these cases can be traced to activities outside of the school system and are only identified when an individual becomes ill at school or is involved in a testing protocol. As we know, an important aspect of keeping our schools safely open for in person instruction is ensuring we are ALL following the health and safety guidance that has been in place for many months. This includes hand washing, wearing a face covering, distancing, and staying home when we are sick or are a close contact to someone with COVID-19. Throughout the past year and a half, we have proven that consistent implementation of these mitigation strategies works and that we can safely keep our schools open. As always, if you have specific health related questions, please reach out to your child’s school nurse, or a health care provider.
It is safe to say that we are all weary of the pandemic and the stress and hardship that we have faced as individuals, families, and collectively as a community. Although we continue to face challenges associated with COVID-19, I urge everyone (myself included) to find joy in every day and to look for those opportunities to encourage our children, a family member, a co-worker, or even a complete stranger. Our ability to focus on the many positive things occurring in our lives and schools and supporting one another is critical, especially during this time.
Thank you for your support of our school district. We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to work with such amazing children and families within the community we serve.
As always, please call my office at 509-559-4502 or email me at [email protected] if you have questions about any aspect of our school system.
US/WE/TOGETHER
Rob Roettger, Superintendent
Community Connections - September 2021
Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,
I truly hope the 2021-2022 school year is off to a great start for each of our students and their families. It has been very exciting to see students back in our schools and in classrooms, at recess, playing in the band, and enjoying athletics. In fact, I often find myself smiling (albeit sometimes behind a mask) when I’m driving by or stopping in at one of our schools!
Prior to the pandemic our school district experienced steady enrollment growth for several years in a row. Last year, with the uncertainty of the school year, enrollment was down slightly from pre-pandemic levels. During our first official count of the 2021-2022 school year we had an overall K-12 enrollment of 4,996 FTE which is an increase from last spring. Currently, most grade levels within our system have roughly 400 students with the largest class having an enrollment of 442 students (9th grade).
As we continue to work through the many challenges associated with the pandemic, I request your assistance in supporting the implementation of health and safety protocols that can help keep our students safe and on campus. One mitigation strategy that is extremely important is having students stay home when they are sick or when they have been a close contact to a positive or potential COVID case. Following this protocol, along with wearing masks, keeping our distance, and washing hands frequently, whether in school or out in the community, can keep others from becoming sick and/or from being involved in quarantine situations. If you have questions about a possible health situation involving your child, please reach out to your students building nurse or health aide. By following health and safety mitigation strategies, and staying home when we are sick, we can help manage the spread of COVID-19 within our community and allow us more time to focus our attention on student learning.
As I have shared in previous messages, transportation has presented some challenges for our school district. We started the year with 48 daily bus routes and 44 drivers (currently 47 routes and 44 drivers). This meant that several members of our transportation department who have other duties (but maintain appropriate CDL/Endorsement) have been driving routes daily. Our entire department has been working extremely hard to meet the day to day and extra-curricular routing needs of our schools and I am very proud of their dedication to our students and district. We continue to seek additional drivers so if you or someone you know would like to become a bus driver for the district (starting wage of $19.36 per hour, paid training, and full benefits for regular route drivers) please contact our transportation department at 509-559-4523.
In closing, thank you for your patience and support as we navigate the complexity of the start of a new school year. As always, please reach out to me at 509-559-4502 or [email protected] if you have questions I can help address.
Rob Roettger, Superintendent
Community Connections - August 2021
Parents, Guardians, and Community Members,
It is with great excitement that we welcome our students and staff back to our campuses for the 2021-2022 school year! Our entire staff is looking forward to the first day of the new school year on Wednesday, September 1st!
As we begin the school year we will be following updated health and safety guidance from the state including universal masking for all staff, students, and school visitors regardless of vaccination status. In addition, we will continue implementing all other mitigation strategies including hygiene and cleaning protocols, increased ventilation, and ask that parents keep children home when sick or when they have been a close contact to a positive COVID case outside of school. Although we still have many health and safety measures in place, there are several changes from last spring. Students will not be required to wear masks outdoors and at recess and we do not have a daily attestation form for parents to complete. In addition, the distancing requirement has eased from 6’ to 3’ which provides more of a typical classroom experience for students. If you have specific questions related to the latest health and safety protocols, please contact your child’s school or reach out to our district office at 509-559-4502.
As a reminder, our district has implemented a staggered start and end school schedule to allow our buses to run multiple routes due to a shortage of bus drivers. Below are the Monday through Thursday schedules and Friday will start one hour later in support of our PLC work.
¡ Betz, Snowdon, Sunset, and Windsor elementary schools -- 7:50 a.m. to 2:20 p.m.
¡ Salnave Elementary -- 8:35 a.m. to 3:05 p.m.
¡ Home Works -- 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m.
¡ Cheney and Westwood Middle Schools and Cheney High School 8:55 a.m. to 3:35 p.m.
¡ Three Springs HS - 9:15 a.m. to 3:15 p.m.
Currently, we continue to seek additional drivers to support the bussing needs of our school district. If you know of individuals interested in becoming bus drivers, please have them contact our transportation department at 509-559-4523. Transportation staff will be reaching out to notify each family that is utilizing the bussing system of their specific pickup/drop off times and location in the next few days. Also, they will do their best to work through new bus registrations as they continue to come in. Please note that adding new registrations may take up to a week due to the complexity of altering routes.
The past seventeen months of the pandemic have brought many challenges to our school district and community. I am very proud of the way we have all come together in support of children. While not everything has been perfect, we have done some amazing work because of the dedicated and caring staff we have in Cheney Public schools and the outstanding support we receive from our families and community.
In closing, I am honored to serve as superintendent of Cheney Public Schools. Thank you for your support of our children, schools, and entire system! As always, if you have questions about any aspect of our work, please call your child’s school or reach out to me personally at 509-559-4502 or at [email protected].
Robert Roettger, Superintendent