Monday, March 2nd is Dr. Seuss's birthday. The elementary will be celebrating this special day with an I Love to Read day. The students are encouraged to dress as their favorite literary character, and a prize will be given to the student with the best costume for each class. At 3:00, the EK-6th graders will assemble in the gym for a school-wide time of reading. The students will pair up, younger students with older students, and will read with each other. The students may bring their favorite books from home, but please make sure their names are written in their books. At the end of the event, Mrs. Matteson will reveal our new One School, One Book selection for the month of March. Each student will receive a copy of the book for them to read with their families at home. If you would like to join us during our reading time, please do!!

Science Fair!Thursday, February 27th from 6:00-7:00 PM.Make slime, code robots, and view science fair projects!Elementary students must have a guardian with them.

We are looking for volunteers to be judges for this year's science fair.Our school is hosting a science fair on February 27, 2020 and all students in grades 7 to 9 arerequired to participate. Hands-on scientific investigation and invention are the focus at our particular fair.Please let me know if you would be willing to participate. Thank you. If you have any questions or wish to volunteer, please contact me at:erin.rollins@cascade.k12.mt.usErin L. Rollins

We will be giving out Honor Roll Awards and Student of the Month Awards tomorrow at 8:00 AM. Immediately following will be our Lip Sync Battle!

It's that time of year again where we get bombarded with illnesses in our school.  There is an excellent article from WebMD that discusses when a child should stay home with different illnesses that makes the rounds in schools.  If you would like to be directed to the article, please follow the link below:Is Your Child Too Sick for School?A sniffle. A cough. A sore throat. Children come down with illnesses big and small. Some are contagious, but some aren’t.How do you know when to keep your child home from school?Ask Yourself 3 ThingsThe American Academy of Pediatrics recommends you answer a few key questions.1. Does your child have a fever? Fevers of 101 F or more are generally a sign of illness, so children should stay home from school.2. Is your child well enough to participate in class? If she seems to run down to get much out of her lessons, keep her home.3. Does she have an illness like the flu or pinkeye? If you think she might, don't let her go back to school until you know he's not contagious anymore.When Your Child Is SickHere’s what you need to keep an eye on:Fever is a sign that your body is fighting the germs that are making you sick. It’s a common symptom of infections like flu. If it’s 101 F or higher, wait until your child is fever-free for at least 24 hours before sending her back to school.Diarrhea happens because of an infection, food poisoning, or medications like antibiotics. It can lead to dehydration, so give her a lot of fluids to drink. Keep your child home until her stools are solid and your doctor gives the OK.Vomiting is another way our bodies get rid of germs. It’s usually caused by a stomach virus or infection. Keep your child at home if she has vomited twice or more in the last 24 hours. She can go back to school after her symptoms clear up or the doctor says she’s no longer contagious.Severe cough and cold symptoms should keep your child home. A serious cough could be a symptom of contagious conditions like whooping cough, viral bronchitis, or croup. It can also be a warning sign of asthma or allergies.Sore throats can be a symptom of a common cold or strep. If she has a mild cold, she can go to school. If your child has been diagnosed with strep throat, keep her at home for at least 24 hours after she starts antibiotics.Pinkeye (conjunctivitis) is contagious, and a child should stay home for the first 24 hours after treatment begins. Symptoms include eye redness, irritation, swelling, and pus.Headaches can be a symptom of contagious illnesses like stomach flu, flu, meningitis, and strep throat. Experts disagree on whether a child should be kept home. If she doesn't have any other signs of illness and feels fine, she can go to school.Rashes can be a sign of contagious illnesses like chickenpox, bacterial meningitis, or impetigo (a skin infection). Keep your child home until she’s been diagnosed. She can head back to the classroom after her symptoms are gone and the doctor gives the OK.Ear infections aren't contagious. There's no need to keep a child with a mild earache home, as long as she feels well enough to concentrate.Mild cold or respiratory symptoms don’t have to sideline your kid -- but keep in mind that even if her nose runs clear and her cough is mild, she may still pass the virus to somebody else. Sources;WebMD Medical Reference Reviewed by Dan Brennan, MD on October 16, 2019American Academy of Pediatrics: "Keeping a Child Home From School."Communicable Disease Epidemiology Program, Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment: "Infectious Disease in School Settings."New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: "What You Can Do to Stop Disease in Your Child's Day Care Center."

The February Board meeting will be held on the regularly scheduled day, Tuesday, February 18, 2020 at 6:00 pm.

Hey everyone,The next Cascade PTSA meeting is right around the corner! It will be Monday, February 10, 2020, at 4:30 pm in the school library.Agenda items to include the spring fundraiser and Missoula Children's Theater.We hope to see you there-it is a fun group to belong to and we do more than anyone might think! Come join in the fun!If you have any questions, please contact me here or at 468-9380.Melody Skogley

February 2020 Dear Cascade Families, The year of January is behind us and 2020 is in full swing! A huge thanks to all that planned, donated, and attended the Black and Gold Ball. This event is concrete proof we have more love, pride, and spirit in our community than anywhere else! I’m already looking forward to next year’s event. Another huge thanks to Mr. Fred Miller who answered my call for school improvement ideas last month. He is generosity is unbound and he is coming into the school to train all our seniors in OSHA. He would also like to open the offer up to fellow community members, free of charge. The training will be broken into three sessions, from 8:30-12:00 PM on March 30, April 6, and April 13. Please contact me by email to reserve your spot! I’ve had some questions about ICU, the name for our communication system that keeps track of missing and below standard assignments. It should mirror what is on Infinite Campus, but goes the extra mile to notify parents by email and text when their child has a missing or below standard assignment in the grade book. We believe “all students will learn and learn at high levels.” We will give them as much time and extra support to see them succeed. While we are teaching kids responsibility, we are ready to back them up if they start to get behind. This means, when students have three or more missing or below assignments, or one assignment that has been missing or below standard, we give them a plan to come in for extra help. This extra help is offered before and after school, and on Friday mornings. So far, we have had 3, 812 assignments that were missing or below standard turned in this year!  Our staff has begun professional development with Safe and Civil Schools. We are defining our expectations, working on teaching the expectations, interacting positively with students, and correcting misbehavior fluently, immediately, and respectfully. Our school is great, and we will continue to grow greater each year.  As always, I’m open to community suggestions. Please email me with a subject of “School Improvement Idea.”  Respectfully, Nichole Piepernichole.pieper@cascade.k12.mt.us