Cannonsburg Elementary
4894 Sturgis St., Rockford, MI 49341
Phone: (616) 863-6344
Fax: (616) 863-6357
Teya Cotter - Principal
tcotter@rockfordschools.org
NON-HOMESTEAD PROPOSAL 2026
On November 3, 2026, there will be a non-homestead proposal on the ballot.
For information on this, please click the following link:
cub crawl launch dinner
Join us as we kick off this year's Cub Crawl with a fun community dinner at Rockford's Corner Bar!
Fuel Cannonsburg's mission: Every ticket purchased 100% goes directly toward our Cub Crawl fundraising goal and our annual school budget. Come enjoy dinner with family and friends and help kick off our Cub Crawl together while helping give our students an incredible head start! Together we can launch something amazing!
- Wednesday, September 9th 5:30 pm OR 7:00 pm seating times
- Each ticket includes: The Famous Corner Bar Hot Dog, a salad bar and pretzel bites.
- $12.50 per person
- Advanced ticket purchase is required and space is limited
- Please follow this link to get your tickets: Purchase Cub Crawl Dinner Tickets
Mileage club
Mileage Club started on Tuesday. Students can stop by the Mileage Club card during recess to pick up their lap tracking card and start running. Every lap counts toward individual and classroom goals.
Please help get students excited and encourage them to stop by the cart every Tuesday and Wednesday!
M-STEP Testing Reports – Grades 4 and 5
Fourth and fifth-grade students are bringing home their 2025 M-STEP Parent Report today. This report provides families with information about how students performed on the state assessment and their progress toward Michigan’s grade-level learning standards.
The M-STEP is one way we can see what students know and are able to do in key subject areas. We encourage families to take some time to review the report together and celebrate your child’s growth and accomplishments. The results can also help students and families identify areas where continued growth and support may be helpful.
At Cannonsburg, we use a variety of information—including M-STEP (3-5), NWEA (K-5), & DIBELS (K-3) results—to monitor student progress and help guide our decisions about instruction, curriculum, and student support.If you have questions about your child’s report, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher. Additional M-STEP Resources
- This Parent Report Guide provides an overview of the information included in the M-STEP Parent Report.
- This walks families through the M-STEP testing process and explains how to understand the Parent Report.
picture day!
September 25th is our Fall Picture Day! To pre-order your student's pictures visit the link below:
Cannonsburg's picture day code is: Z3CWHDTVE
PTC UPDATES: CUBS ON A MISSION!
Cub Crawl Is LIVE!
Our Cub Crawl fundraiser kicked off this week! We’re so excited to get our Cubs on a mission to support Cannonsburg Elementary!
Be sure to register your student and share their fundraising page with family and friends. Every share helps us work toward our whole-school fundraising goal, which directly supports our students and school!
Mission Launch Dinner — September 14
Don’t forget to grab your tickets for our Mission Launch Dinner on Monday, September 14, 2026, at The Corner Bar in Rockford!
MORE TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE LATER SESSION!
If you weren’t able to join us for the earlier time, we’d love to see you at the later session!
All proceeds from the Mission Launch Dinner go directly toward our whole-school Cub Crawl goal. Come enjoy a night out, kick off our fundraiser, and help support our Cannonsburg Cubs!
Purchase Mission Launch Dinner Tickets
♀️ Get Involved: Volunteer Opportunities
There are so many ways to make a difference at Cannonsburg Elementary! Whether you have a little time to give or want to get more involved, we have opportunities for everyone.
Slushie Days
Help make Slushie Days extra sweet for our Cubs!
Sign Up for Slushie Days
Warm & Fuzzies
Help spread a little warmth and kindness throughout our school community.
Sign Up for Warm & Fuzzies
Front Door & Greens Committee
Help keep our school entrance welcoming and looking great throughout the year.
Sign Up for Front Door & Greens
Cubs Cupboard
Help support this special resource for our Cannonsburg families.
Sign Up for Cubs Cupboard
Recess Rams
Help make recess fun, active, and positive for our Cubs!
Sign Up for Recess Rams
Popcorn Days
Help pop, package, and distribute a favorite treat for our students!
Sign Up for Popcorn Days
Mileage Club
Help our Cubs get moving and keep track of those miles during Mileage Club!
Sign Up for Mileage Club
Thank You, Cannonsburg Families!
Our PTC is powered by the amazing families who give their time, energy, and support to make Cannonsburg Elementary a special place for our Cubs. Thank you for being part of the mission!
rockford Ultimate Frisbee Club
3-8th grade + high school co-ed teams
Competitive play. Tons of fun. No experience required.
7 weeks, Starts September 13
Practices: Sunday 1:00- 3:00 pm @ North Rockford Middle
3rd-8th Games: Fridays, 5:30 - 7:30 pm @ MacKay-Jaycees Park
High School Games: Mondays, 5:30 - 7:30 @ Mackay-Jaycees Park
616-606-DISC
FUNDS FOR FRIENDS
November 9, 2026
5 pm - 10 pm
Dine in or order carry out from the Score Restaurant
to support Cannonsburg Elementary PTC
10% of all sales will be donated to the organization
on behalf of The Score.
IMPORTANT: Please present this flyer to our host team
for the organization's count.
Cannonsburg & District calendars
Please view the calendar below to keep up to date on all of our upcoming dates and events!
Cannonsburg Cubs Spirit wear
Show your Cub Pride by purchasing Spirit Wear!
There are youth and adult sizes available in sweatshirts, tee shirt, and pullovers! Hats are available as well. Available NOW at:
VOLUNTEERING & BACKGROUND CHECKS
Do you or a family member plan on volunteering here at Cannonsburg throughout the school year? (Field trip chaperone, mystery reader, classroom support, mileage club, classroom celebrations, etc.) If so, you will need to fill out a background check on the RPS website.
If you have already filled out a background check previously, it will need to be done again. Background checks need to be run for each volunteer each school year.
Medication Drop-off
If your student(s) will need medication at school, drop them off to our office staff.
Everything you need to know about medication administration in our schools is linked below. Required documents are available via the link as well. Please remember these documents MUST be current to the 26/27 school year and signed by both a parent and physician.
Medication should be dropped off in its original container.
My Ride K-12 App
My Ride K-12 capabilities include the following:
- Stop location, assigned route, and scheduled pick up time.
- GPS geo-location push notifications, giving estimated time of bus arrival and information concerning bus status changes.
- Real time communication and messaging.
- Secure and confidential log in.
- Android/iOS app and web version available.
birthday treats and celebrations
- We look forward to celebrating our students’ birthdays and will honor each student with a shout-out on the announcements birthday board, as well as special moments throughout the day with the classroom teacher and peers.
- RPS school policy is no food birthday treats. You are welcome to send in a book for the class or a non-food item, such as indoor recess game. We promise to make our birthday students feel special on their big days. Unfortunately, if food items are sent in they will not be able to be distributed.
- If your student is celebrating with classmates outside of school, please only send invitations to school when all classmates are included. This helps to avoid hurt feelings.
Thank you for your support with our Birthday Celebration procedures.
Cellphones and Smartwatches
We know that cell phones and smartwatches can be helpful for families and older students, especially after school. During the school day, however, these devices can become a distraction and take away from student learning. If your student brings a cell phone to school, we ask that it be turned off, kept in his or her locker, and not used during the school day. Please also avoid calling or texting your student on their device while they are at school. If you need to reach your student during the school day, our office is happy to help, or you can email your student’s teacher. Students who wear an Apple Watch or another smartwatch should also refrain from using the device to communicate during the school day. If a student needs to contact home because they are feeling ill or have a question about their end-of-day transportation or pick-up, they should speak with their classroom teacher. The teacher will help them determine the appropriate next steps. Our goal is to keep classrooms focused on learning and minimize distractions. Whenever possible, we encourage families to leave cell phones and smartwatches at home unless a student needs the device for communication after school.
hand2hand sign-up
We would like to offer your student the opportunity to participate in a program called "Hand2Hand". This program helps provide a student with food for the weekends and is intended for families who currently may be experiencing a financial burden.
Cannonsburg REMINDERS
Who do I call if my student will be absent or late to school?
- If your student will be absent or tardy, please call the attendance line 616-863-6344 option 1 OR email both the teacher AND Nicole Curtis at: ncurtis@rockfordschools.org or Diane Karasiewicz at: dkarasiewicz@rockfordschools.org
- If a student is ill, you must include the symptoms (or diagnosis) for our weekly health report to the Kent County Health Department.
What if my student is out sick?
Absences MUST be called into the office 616.863.6344 or emailed to the front office.
Please leave a message on our general voicemail box if you are calling after hours. Whether you are reporting an absence on our voicemail, the State of Michigan requires us to know the following:
- Student's name and teacher
- Reason for absence - if it is an illness we need to know the symptoms of the illness - vomiting, coughing, fever, cold, diarrhea, lice - whatever the reason may be.
Who do I notify if I have a dismissal change for my student(s)?
- We kindly request that there are no early pick-ups after 3:10 pm. Once the parent pick-up line starts to form out front, the office staff is busy with dismissal duties throughout the building.
- Please be sure to let us know of any dismissal changes PRIOR to 2:30 pm
- To contact us with changes, please call 616-863-6344 or email both the teacher AND Nicole Curtis at ncurtis@rockfordschools.org or Diane Karasiewicz at dkarasiewicz@rockfordschools, in the event the teacher doesn’t see the message prior to dismissal.
Where do I find parent communications?
- Our family newsletter and other updates are posted on the RPS website on the Cannonsburg page bi-weekly during the school year
- You can also check out the Cannonsburg PTC Facebook page
- Please always feel free to call or email the office with any questions
How do I set up or change busing for my student(s)?
- Please contact Transportation directly at 616-863-6328
- We also appreciate your help to support our drivers and remind your students of proper bus behavior
Important Contact Information:
Office/Attendance Line 616-863-6344
Nicole Curtis (office): ncurtis@rockfordschools.org
Diane Karasiewicz (office): dkarasiewicz@rockfordschools.org
Principal Cotter: tcotter@rockfordschools.org
Transportation Office: 616-863-6328
BAC/Child Care Office: 616-863-6560
STUDENT RESPONSE PROTOCOL
Dear Rockford Families,
Rockford Public Schools is deeply committed to the safety and security of our students, staff, and the community we serve. We view safety as a layered approach—built through community involvement, continued district critical incident training, staff and student engagement, family support, and the use of both physical and technological safeguards. At the heart of this work is strong relationship-building. By collaborating with students, families, staff, and law enforcement partners, we foster a climate of trust that allows every student to learn, grow, and thrive.
In response to new state law signed in January 2025, school districts were required to adopt standardized emergency responses and terminology. To meet this expectation, Rockford Public Schools is partnering with the Kent Intermediate School District and the I Love U Guys Foundation to align our protocols with best practices and provide education across our school community.
The I Love U Guys Foundation has developed the Standard Response Protocol (SRP)—an all hazards approach designed for urgent situations. The SRP includes developmentally appropriate lessons that classroom teachers will share with students from Preschool through 12th grade in the months ahead.
Students will learn about the following procedures this fall:
● September: Lockdown - Locks, Lights, Out of Sight- The protocol used to secure individual rooms and keep occupants quiet and in place
● October: Secure and Hold - Clear the hallways and remain in their area or room until the "All Clear" is announced
● November: Shelter and Evacuate - Shelter in appropriate areas or evacuate to the specified location
Families are encouraged to learn more about the Standard Response Protocol by visiting the I Love U Guys Foundation parent handout. Together, we can ensure our students are prepared, supported, and safe.
The safety of our students is our highest priority. By providing age-appropriate tools and clear procedures, we aim to give students confidence while fostering a strong sense of security in our schools. With your partnership, Rockford Public Schools will continue to build a culture of preparedness, care, and support so that every child can learn and thrive.
We would also like to direct you to the Rockford Public Schools Security Team page on the website for information on Michigan Secure Storage Law RPS Security. The secure storage law Public Act 17 of 2023 provides information on the requirements and penalties for storing and securing firearms. There is also helpful information from Project ChildSafe on responsible ownership and having a conversation with your children about gun safety. Please take the time to review this information and have conversations with your children about the Standard Response Protocols and gun safety.
STUDENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
Rockford Public Schools: School Assistance Program in partnership with REF and Pine Rest offers couseling services for family members.
Call 1-800-442-0809, press 1 and follow the prompts. Say "I have a SAP with Rockford Public Schools" or schedule online at: Pine Rest Scheduling
For complete details please follow the link to the School Assistance Program page:
