Cannonsburg Newsletter
Cannonsburg Elementary
4894 Sturgis St., Rockford, MI 49341
Phone: (616) 863-6344
Fax: (616) 863-6357
Teya Cotter - Principal
tcotter@rockfordschools.org
Message from Miss Cotter
Dear Cannonsburg Elementary Families,
Special thanks to Beky Chino & Alisha McNeeley that shared valuable resources at Tuesday evening's PTC Meeting. Here is the presentation along with a great guide to talk to your child about waiting to get a cell phone.
Have a wonderful Winter Break and we look forward to seeing you at the book fair and at conferences later this month! Thank you to those that are volunteering at our Winter STEAM Olympics and bringing meals for teachers on February 24 & 26! Your support is so appreciated.
Warmly,
Teya Cotter, Principal
important upcoming dates
- February 13 & 16: Mid-Winter Break, No School
- February 18: DK & Kindergarten Enrollment Opens
- February 19: Breakfast with a Buddy, Last Names M-Z (Rescheduled due to snow day)
- February 19: 1st Grade Field Trip to Planetarium
- February 20: Winter STEAM Olympics & Popcorn Day
- February 23: Report cards available online
- February 23: Trading Card Club 3:30-4:30 pm
- February 23 & 24: 5th Grade Outdoor Enrichment (Morning)
- February 24: Book Fair open to families 4-8 pm
- February 24 & 26: Family Teacher Conferences-See below to sign up!
- February 25: Early Release 1:30 pm Dismissal
- March 11: Early Release 1:30 pm Dismissal
- March 12: Family Art Show Night 6-7:30 pm
- March 16: Kindergarten Parent Information Night 6-7 pm
Conference sign-ups
Dear Cannonsburg Families,
We are looking forward to conferences February 24th and 26th! Both conference dates are in-person. On Tuesday February 24th, the library will also be hosting its annual family evening Scholastic Book Fair from 4:00 pm-8:00 pm. Stop in to do some shopping after school hours!
In order to schedule a conference with your student's teacher(s), please view this link: School Conference Scheduler
Or scan this QR code:
After filling out your information, you will be able to choose your child's teacher and a time that works best for you. If asked for a code use: dkpgy. Please follow these steps for each student. A confirmation email will be sent to you with your chosen time slot. We look forward to your scheduled meetings to celebrate the growth your child has made and share opportunities for continued growth!
Sincerely,
Teya Cotter, Principal & Cannonsburg Staff
order your yearbook!
We are excited to share our student-created yearbook with you this year! It will feature artwork on the cover by Carter T. from Mrs. Vallad's class. The artwork of our runner ups will be on the back cover. These artist's include: Remi F, Lena F, Dodge M, and Grant H. from Mrs. Vallad's class; Nolan H, Kalli S & Sami N, Harper F & Emma E, and Henry M & Briggs R from Mrs. Ralph's class. Thank you all for your hard work and contributions!
Please see the information below about placing your yearbook order this year. All orders are due by April 17. Please print the form below and return it with your payment to school or order online here:
Pictures
Recently, our second graders learned about the life cycle of a butterfly.
East Rockford Middle School Music Teachers visited our 5th graders to share their music program.
Kindergarten enrollment!
Kindergarten Enrollment begins February 18! Find more information here:
STEAM OLYmpics
All of our volunteer spots have been filled. Thank you to those parents for your help and support!
FYI: This event is not open to families, but is an extension of our learning. We will do our best to share highlights of our Winter Olympics with you after the event.
Book Fair
The book fair is coming to Cannonsburg!
Monday, February 23 thru Friday, February 27, 2026
Monday-9:00 am to 3:30 pm
Tuesday-9:00 am to 3:00 pm, Family Night 3:30 to 8:00 pm
Wednesday-9:00 am to 1:30 pm
Thursday-9:00 am to 3:30 pm
Friday-9:00 am to 10:00 am
For more information, including directions on how to set up the student e-wallet: Click Here
ptc updates
Please sign up to volunteer at our upcoming events!
Tuesday, Feb. 24-Dinner for Teachers
Tuesday, Feb. 24-Bookfair Helpers
All volunteer sign-ups and PTC related information are available in one place!
Superintendent sub for a day!
One of our Cannonsburg staff members may be selected for a well-deserved day off with our own super substitute, Dr. Matthews! Once a month, Dr. Matthews will be trading his Superintendent’s office for the classroom and stepping in to substitute for a day.
How it works: Each $10 donation to the Rockford Education Foundation nominates a teacher to win a day off while Dr. Matthews takes over the classroom. All donations support REF educational grants, celebrate our incredible educators, and give Dr. Matthews a front-row seat in the classroom.
- $10 = 1 entry to nominate a teacher - multiple entries gladly accepted!
- Teachers may nominate themselves or a colleague
- One winner will be drawn monthly, January–May 2026
Link:
RPS Skate Night
Join us for the RPS Elementary School family open skate on Saturday, February 28th from 3-5pm at the Cedar Rock Sports Plex. Admission fee is $10 and if you sign in for Valley View, our PTO receives $2. We hope to see you there!
School assistance program (SAP)
Access support today!
Say “I have an SAP with Rockford Public Schools” when you call Pine Rest at 800.442.0809 and press “1.” Every RPS family member in your household is eligible. The Rockford Education Foundation (REF) has proudly partnered with Rockford Public Schools to provide expert counseling, therapy, and resources through Pine Rest’s School Assistance Program (SAP).
Student cellphones and smart watches
- Students with a cellphone may not use them during the school day, and they should be stored in the child’s backpack at all times.
- Please do not text or call your student on their device during the school day. Communication should go through the office.
- Students with smart watches should have their device set to School Mode, which disables distracting smartwatch features—like calls, messages, and games—while keeping essential safety tools active.
- Students should not be wearing earbuds or other noise-canceling headphones unless it is a documented accommodation.
Thank you for your help with this!
Hand2hand sign up form
This program offers nutritious food to students over weekends and on extended school breaks by churches, schools, individuals, and businesses that have joined together to provide hope and opportunity for our kids to thrive.
Please scan the QR code below to sign your student up to receive weekly meals.
free family assistance program
The Rockford Education Foundation (REF) has proudly partnered with Rockford Public Schools to provide expert counseling, therapy, and resources through Pine Rest’s School Assistance Program (SAP).
Say “I have an SAP with Rockford Public Schools” when you call 800.442.0809 and press “1.” Every RPS student, staff and family member in your household is eligible for up to three free sessions. Additional SAP benefits include: free elder care consultation, legal and financial consultation, infant-feeding advice and real estate consultation. Anyone in the household can utilize these resources and it is 100% confidential. Access an online library with over 20,000 resources covering health, finances, legal topics and more. The code to login the library is RockfordPS.
Login Code: RockfordPS
Volunteer Consent Forms
Volunteer Consent Forms must be completed every year, please complete your application now! This form must be on file in order to chaperone a field trip and/or volunteer at building events.
RPS Student Device Management
Students in RPS are afforded the opportunity to access and enhance some learning activities through district provided Chromebooks. Thanks to the support of the 2019 school bond proposal, RPS has been able to support the scheduled purchases of instructional technology for student use. Last year, elementary students received new devices, and this year all secondary Chromebooks are new. Thank you!
To preserve the quality of student devices as long as possible, we educate students about proper care and charge for repair when avoidable damage occurs. Like a textbook, each student is assigned a Chromebook and responsible for proper care. If a device is damaged or lost, a charge will be issued against the student's Family Access account. The charge will reflect Rockford Public Schools' cost to repair or replace the device. It is our hope that the layered approach of informing parents/guardians, educating students, and assigning fees when necessary, will assist to promote a decrease in the amount of overall damage to student devices and increased consistency of student accessibility to learning activities.
Should a student device be damaged, the initial fees are as follows:
Chromebook:
• Broken Screen $30
• Broken Keyboard (missing keys, etc.) $30
• Damaged Chassis/Lost Device $200
• Power Supply (Lost or Not Returned) $15
iPads:
• Screen Repair $110
• Broken/Lost Device $299
During the summer of 2025 all devices were inspected to ensure that they are ready for distribution. School personnel will be diligent about communicating device care expectations to students and we ask that parents and guardians reinforce proper care expectations as well.
During the year if a device requires repair, a district technician will review the damage and decide if a charge is necessary. Normal scratches and wear are expected and will not incur a charge. Any fees assigned will generate an email notification to parents/guardians.
We appreciate your support in assisting your child(ren) to participate in the proper care of devices and if you have any questions or need further clarification, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's school.
Breakfast with a Buddy!
Due to the snow day, our Annual Breakfast with a Buddy Event, has been rescheduled for Thursday, February 19, 8-8:30am, for last names M-Z.
Students can bring in one buddy to the cafeteria before school for a quick breakfast treat of donuts, fruit, coffee and juice. At every table there will be blank cards for the students and/or family members to write a quick message of encouragement or thanks to the staff at Cannonsburg! There will be a basket for completed cards and we will pass them out to staff after the event.
GRASP
Do you want to help your child maintain reading and math skills over summer break? GRASP is an at home program used by families for 50 years!
Grand Rapids Academic Summer Program (GRASP) is a summer math and reading correspondence program that helps scholars in grades kindergarten through 8th retain skills learned during the school year by providing review exercises.
Teachers and curriculum professionals developed GRASP as a cost-efficient substitute for traditional summer school. Lessons were written to correlate with the Common Core Standards which most states have adopted.
GRASP offers nine lessons to be submitted during the summer - one per week or at a scholar's own pace as long as they are submitted before the final due date. Each lesson reinforces the basic skills typically found in most curricula at that particular grade level. GRASP staff score the lesson and return it to the scholar with comments.
Packets are available for scholars finishing grades K-8 to review their math and reading skills. Scholars finishing grades 4-8 can select online resources instead of the packets.
We recognize our scholars' efforts by awarding a certificate to those who successfully complete at least seven lessons with 70% accuracy. A medal is given to scholars who successfully complete all nine lessons from their packet.
ENROLL HERE:
January PBIS Winners-gratitude
Congratulations to our Cannonsburg students who were recognized for exemplifying gratitude during the month of January!
February Character Trait: Initiative
Definition: Doing something without being asked, because it needs to be done
Challenge: Start your homework or do a chore before you are asked
Reflection: Your attitude determines your direction
The Taste - Save the Date
The Rockford Education Foundation invites you to The Taste on March 5, 2026. This event will begin at 6:00 pm at The Gilmore, located at 5179 West River Drive. This is REF's annual signature event, serving up amazing support for education through great food, drinks, and community partnership. The Taste hosts many local restaurants and businesses. Learn more, sign up to sponsor or purchase tickets online.
Weather Alerts
For up-to-date information regarding Rockford Public Schools delays and/or closings, events and safety alerts, send a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our district’s short code number, 67587. Opt out any time by simply replying to one of our messages with: Stop. Be sure to tune in on icy or snowy mornings!
Free Breakfast and Lunch
Research is pretty clear that hunger can harm student learning. Hungry students are not as engaged in the classroom and can have difficulty concentrating and processing information effectively. Because of this, we are grateful to have free breakfast and lunch available for all of our students.
As you know, not everything on the school menu is a crowd favorite. Because of this, we encourage families to preview the menus linked below each day and plan accordingly if what is being served for breakfast and lunch is not something your student will eat.
Attendance Procedures
If your student will be absent please call the office attendance line by 9:30am. Robo calls go out at 10:00am.
If you choose to email attendance notifications please include office staff & your student's teacher.
- Nicole Curtis - ncurtis@rockfordschools.org
- Anne Joles - ajoles@rockfordschools.org
Birthday treats and celebrations
- We look forward to celebrating our students’ birthdays and will honor each student with a shout-out on the announcement 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.
Standard Response Protocol (SRP)
HB 4096, the Revised School Safety Code, has been introduced to provide common language for schools during emergencies. Here is an overview of the FIVE actions schools may take when addressing emergencies.
LOCKDOWN - The term "lockdown" should be used when there is an existing threat in or at a school building or a threat is expected to arrive in or at a school building imminently. Secure in a room, confirm the door is locked, and move to a place of cover away from the door and any windows.
SECURE MODE - Determined when a LOCKDOWN, as described, is not necessary, but heightened security and awareness are needed due to a potential EXTERNAL threat. Instruction continues in a normal manner, but access to the school building and movement within the building is highly restricted.
SHELTER - This is used when it is safer to be inside the building than outside. Common situations where this is used would be severe weather approaching or some type of hazardous materials incident in proximity to the school.
EVACUATION - Deals with the need to evacuate the building as it is no longer deemed safe to occupy for any variety of reasons, like fire, chemical spill, gas leak, etc.
HOLD - Hold is utilized when there is a need to have students and staff remain in their classrooms as staff address a concern or issue (medical, student in crisis) in a hallway or common area. Students are released when the office announces all clear.
For more information about our SRP resource, please visit the I Love You Guys website.
Transportation and busing
Transportation is encouraging RPS families to get the My Ride app on their phones. For more information on this, please click on this link to our Transportation Department: Transportation
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.
Medication Drop-off
If your student(s) will need medication during the school day, please follow these instructions:
The medication forms can be found on the RPS website and are linked below. Please remember these documents must be signed by a parent AND their physician. Medication should be dropped off in its original container.
