Chico Country Day is an independent public school, providing a tuition-free program which is open to all students. We offer quality and choice in the public education system. One of the many differences from district schools is that charter schools do not have a district office that supports running the school. Because of this, our amazing staff of people wear many hats. Part of this staff is our leadership team whose job it is to coordinate the many aspects of school organization and management.
Director of Education
895-2650 x203

Dean of Students
895-2650 x220

Director of Special Education and School Psychologist
895-2650 x103

Chief Business Officer
895-2650 x204
A Special CCDS Video: We Believe
Stay Tuned for the unveiling of the new CCDS website in November!
Exhibitions of Learning

A key piece of Project Based Learning is an opportunity for students to have an audience for their work. This serves several purposes. When we have an audience for our work (beyond just turning it in for the teacher to grade), the product that students create is elevated. There is a deeper connection to the work when we know that it will be seen by the public. This is a critical piece, because as parents, we are an audience for all of the students, not just our own child. CCDS believes in Exhibitions because they promote: high quality work for authentic audiences, community pride and transparency, and equity.

Exhibitions in this way are not necessarily familiar from our own time in school. It can feel a little out of our comfort zone to engage with students and ask them questions about the learning and why it is important. We appreciate you leaning into this new practice and talking with many different students in different grade levels. They have been preparing for this and would love to share their process and their learning with you. Exhibition is the culmination of four to eight weeks worth of a project and students cannot wait to share all they have learned!

When I visit an Exhibition, I like to ask students a lot of “why” questions. “Why did you learn about this?” “Why does this matter?” “Why is this important?” Listening to students from Kindergarten through eighth grade articulating the “why” behind their work is one of my favorite things. We are a PBL school because this is the work that matters - students communicating, sharing their thinking, expressing their ideas, and creating something to share their learning. It’s all deeper than the content; it’s work that matters.
How CCDS Provides a Safe and Respectful School Environment
In order to ensure a quality learning environment, we feel each student is entitled to a safe and respectful school environment. CCDS has implemented a Positive Behavior Intervention Support Program (PBIS) which provides clear behavior expectations and Restorative Practices. These practices promote positive behaviors focused on understanding conflict and how to repair harm. We believe that all our students can behave in a manner appropriate to school and that each student can be held accountable for their behavior. CCDS strives to build a community based on cooperation, trust and respect. The universal behavior norms are to be safe, respectful and responsible. General rules for behavior and safety are:

  • Use equipment for the intended use
  • Use appropriate language
  • Follow staff directions
  • Rough play is not allowed
  • Treat others with respect

Restorative practices provide students a chance to learn about consequences of their actions, develop empathy, and figure out ways to repair relationships that may have been damaged. The process also addresses the needs of those who have been harmed. At times, students may participate in restorative conversations with adult facilitation. The hope is to help students navigate conflict and relationships. During a restorative dialogue, students are asked to:

  • Reflect on the conflict or problem
(What happened? What were you feeling at the time?)
  • Identify their needs and interests
(What do you need in order for this class to go well? How do you want things to change?)
  • Make a plan
(What needs to happen to make things right? What is our plan for the future?)

Learn more here:

Facility News
We are excited to be moving forward on a new kindergarten/main office area that CCDS will be developing using our Measure K funds! Thank you to staff and parents who made it to the meeting last week and were able to offer valuable feedback on the preliminary plans! The picture above is a preliminary view of what the buildings might look like on the corner of 11 th  Street and Broadway!
 
Thanks to voters in Chico, charter schools were allocated funding under the Measure K ballot initiative. We always have to mention that two CCDS parents, Lori McGlone and Michele Mittman, were instrumental in leading the successful campaign for Measure K for the entire district. We are so grateful to them and our Chico community for this amazing opportunity.

Over the last few years, and through a lot of struggles for facilities in the past, CCDS has been fortunate to receive funding through Proposition 1D to remodel most of the elementary campus in 2014. This was a 50% grant and 50% loan from the state. The budget was extremely tight under Prop 1D, so we weren’t able to have everything done to the campus that we would have liked. Now under Measure K, we can tackle some other priorities. 

The priorities for the CCDS facilities are to replace the modulars that our current kindergarten classrooms are in and to also have a shaded lunch area with access to the field area, as well as additional play opportunities. Solar was also a priority and is currently being approved at the state architect for a Winter 2018 installation. We also were able to purchase our flexible classroom furniture in grades 1, 4 & 5 last year.
 
In working with our architect, we expect to submit plans to the Department of the State Architect in Spring 2019, with a possible start date for construction in Summer 2019, or Fall 2019. The construction timeline is approximately one year. There’s still a lot of planning and work to do, but change and excitement is ahead for our school!
 
If you have questions about this project or Measure K, please contact Margaret Reece , Chief Business Officer.
We love WONDER WEDNESDAY!
Congratulations Miss Nye!
Chico News and Review readers voted and BEST TEACHER award for 2018 goes to
Nicole Nye! Congratulations Miss Nye for being part of BEST of CHICO once again! You ROCK!
Nurses Corner
Flu Season is Here!
With flu season upon us, Nurse Liz would like remind you about a few important tips.

Prevention is key! Please encourage good hand washing. Hand sanitizer is a good option but should not replace washing with soap and water. Hand Sanitizer does not kill some pathogens such as Norovirus which causes vomiting and diarrhea...and nobody wants vomiting and diarrhea!

Talk with your pediatrician about getting the flu shot. The flu can be deadly, especially to young children and older adults. Click here to read last year's statistics.

Please keep your child home from school if they have any of the following symptoms:
  • Fever
  • Sore throat
  • Body aches
  • Fatigue
  • Nausea and Vomiting

Children are prone to contracting and spreading many different types of viruses. Here is a link that will help you differentiate the flu from the common cold .


Medicine in the School Office
In accordance with California state law, ALL medications kept at school need to be checked into the school office and have a physician/NP/PA authorization. This includes over-the-counter medication such as Tylenol and decongestants. Here is the form that needs to be completed if your child needs to be administered medication during the school day.


What does a school nurse do?
California school nurses are registered nurses who possess a minimum of Baccalaureate degree and hold a credential as a school nurse. Routine hearing and vision exams are given in Kindergarten, 2nd, 5th and 8th grades, and 1st grade boys have a color deficiency screening.

The school nurse is responsible for:

  • Assessment and treatment of sick or injured students
  • Maintaining school records of required immunizations
  • Meeting with parents about student health/safety issues
  • Participating in IEP/504 meetings when health issues are a concern
  • Medication administration including inhalers, breathing treatments and insulin
  • Communicable disease containment
  • Health counseling
  • Health and puberty education
  • Staff inservices on Epi-pen use and other specialized health needs
  • School safety and risk assessment

Nurse Liz is in the school office on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Please call 895-2650 x212 for any questions or concerns.
Looking for alternative ways to entertain and engage your kids that don't include screen time? Podcasts are a booming business, especially podcasts for kids. Families can listen to podcasts anywhere -- at home, while exercising and best of all, on long car trips. There are always new episodes, often coming out on a weekly basis. Podcasts are entertaining, educational and most are free!

While in the car, all that is needed is Bluetooth, a podcast app on your phone and a good podcast. If you have an I-Phone, Apple makes it easy by having a podcast app built into their products. Subscribing to a podcast that is a series, ensures that episodes will be added automatically as they come out. 

If you are at home, bring out headphones or speakers and plug in. Most podcasts have a play function on their web page.

Recommended podcast player apps include:

  • Overcast (ios) - free
  • Pocket Casts - (ios and android) offers well beyond the basics, small fee
  • Stitcher (android only)
  • iTunes (best used on a computer)

Seven awesome podcasts for kids that adult will enjoy too (see the link below):

Brains On!: This is a cool podcast hosted by “kid scientists” who discuss topics like why we sunburn, how elevators work and why sea turtles live so long. It’s aimed at kids, but we think that adults might learn something too.

The Unexplainable Disappearance of Mars Patel :   fun, serial mystery that can be described as Goonies meets Spy Kids . This series is appropriate for 8-12 year olds. A great podcast for you to listen to with your older kids. This series was voted one of the best of  2016.

Stories Podcast:   Offers a new story every week. Listen to everything from fairy tales like  Rapunzel,  to very timely stories like The Moringa Groove could open the conversation about issues like racism. Good for all ages and great for the imagination!

Short and Curly:  An ethics podcast that asks thought-provoking questions like “Are some lies actually okay?” “Is it ever okay to fight back against a bully?” Great segway to important discussions between parents and their children. Short and Curly is best for kids 6 and older. Great for adults too. See a review here .

Wow in the World:   Presented by NPR, this podcast will help kids discover how things work, and why things are the way they are. With scientific evidence and silly antics, this podcast teaches some super interesting things like Brain Freezes, and why giggles are contagious. Perfect for kids six and over.

Peace Out  Bedtime can be hard! This podcast offers short, calming stories that teach mindfulness, self-regulation and meditation. Great for winding down before bedtime.

Saturday Morning Cereal Bowl : A weekly music show featuring kids music that’s smart and funn y. 

A New Approach to Regular Communication about Student Learning


You have likely noticed that Conferences were earlier this year and that you did not leave that meeting with a report card. Last fall when we were looking at the 2018-2019 calendar, we decided to make some changes, all in the hopes of providing a range of information for families at regular intervals throughout the year.

We designed the calendar for this year so you are getting information about your student’s progress about every six weeks. Early-October was conferences, mid-November will be Exhibition, beginning of January will be report cards, March will be Exhibition, early-May will be Student-Led Conferences, and June will be a report card again. We felt this structure would give you regular touch-points and a range of ways of seeing your student grow throughout the year.

A major difference with this structure is the move in K-5 to two report cards for the year. With all of the important project work, the focus on Exhibitions, and the two conference dates (fall and spring), we adjusted to two grade reporting periods. You will receive report cards right after the winter break and again at the end of the school year.

We’re excited to make these adjustments to our communication structures. Please, as always, provide us with some feedback on these changes. We’d love to know how the October conferences went for your family. Thank you for your support as we shift and adjust to best meet the goal of Deeper Learning for all students.
Middle Schoolers Connect Through Advisory Program
Every Friday our Middle School students join their assigned Advisory Group to connect with peers and faculty. This program ensures that each student has time to establish a meaningful relationship with at least one adult in our school community, as well as students from other grades. Each advisory group is made up of five to six students from 6-8th grade. Students remain with their same advisor throughout their time in the CCDS Middle School. The purpose of our advisory program is to help students make the most of their academic experience as members of the CCDS community.

Through weekly advisory group meetings and individual conferences, the advisory program provides a critical context for academic planning, team/community building and reflection about the CCDS philosophy and program. Students talk about important middle school topics such as peer relationships, friendships, suicide awareness/prevention, resilience and conflict resolution.
Welcome to the Parent Teacher Partnership (PTP)
The parent/teacher/partnership at Chico Country Day school is a thriving organization, aimed at promoting community, and raising funds to support our school and educational opportunities for our children. All members of our school community are "members" of the PTP. We do not have any dues, or requirements but our success is credited to the dedication of our volunteers.

The PTP hosts many fundraisers throughout the year, and welcomes new ideas and input. We have many volunteer opportunities from Jogathon, Harvest Fair, and the Auction for Excellence committees to serving on the PTP board as an officer. There is a job for everyone!

Our efforts have been an integral part of CCDS since the PTP was established. The PTP serves as not only a means for families to come together to support their children's education, but also to provide financial backing to programs and opportunities that wouldn't typically be provided on public school funds alone. We regularly contribute to the field trip program at CCDS which makes it possible for our kids to take part in amazing study trips.

On our campus, our support goes to purchase supplies for electives like Robotics and STEM, Music and our Art program. We provide funds for "community" events such as the popsicle party on the first day of school, as well as purchasing the supplies to make our light parade float. We also sponsor the 8th grade dinner dance, a sentimental sendoff for our graduating students. 

All of these amazing opportunities are not possible without the combined efforts of our committed families and staff. The funds that we are able to raise and infuse into our school, give us the room to make our school "special".

We invite you to come out to our next PTP meeting on October 30 at 6:30 p.m. in the middle school common area, and find out where your talents would be best suited to help build our community foundation. Look forward to seeing you there!

Social Emotional Book Corner

Research shows that teenagers today are forty percent less empathetic than they were thirty years ago...but the good news is that empathy can be taught! Unselfie: Why Empathetic Kids Succeed in Our All-About-Me World reviews a 9-step empathy building program for parents to use with children of all ages. Definitely a must-read for all parents!
Art by Summer - 5th Grade
Chico Country Day School | (530) 895-2650 | FAX (530) 895-2646 | www.chicocountryday.org