From Our Principal Susan Phillips

Save Our Schools

Article IX, Section I of the Florida Constitution guarantees that:

"The education of children is a fundamental value of the people of the State of Florida.""It is, therefore, a paramount duty of the state to make adequate provision for … a uniform, efficient, safe, secure, and high quality system of free public schools that allows students to obtain a high quality education …."

Duval County expects to suffer from a $125 million budget deficit for the 2010-2011 academic year. All the facts tell us there is NO WAY to “trim the fat” and balance this budget crisis without affecting the classroom. In short, your child's school will suffer.Guidance and Media services could be reduced!Valuable resources like Art, Music and PE may be cut!

Essential supplies and materials could disappear altogether!It is important to understand that this problem, this CRISIS, is not limited to Duval County alone. This fiscal crisis is statewide. Regarding the total amount of funds allocated and spent on education, the state of Florida is ranked 50th in the nation. I ask you, does this represent your priorities? I doubt it. Are our legislators upholding the requirements of our state constitution?

As voters, we share a heavy burden. It is our responsibility to educate ourselves with accurate facts. It is our responsibility to make our voices heard. It is our responsibility to act. It is our responsibility to advocate for our children. It is our responsibility to fight for their rights, for today and for their future. If not us, then who? If we do not meet our duties, we cannot expect others to meet theirs.I urge you. Educate yourselves. Research the facts. Go to the source. Ask questions. Speak out. Make demands. Do not accept it as fact because others believe it to be true.

Ask yourself, is 50th good enough for your child? If the answer is NO - contact our state's legislative delegation and ask for immediate help from one of these short term solutions:

1. Please give flexibility to the school districts in the areas of categoricals, (SAI, Class Size, Instruction Materials, Reading, Safe Schools).

2. Please suspend unfunded mandates on the districts. (Examples: Transportation, Testing & Curriculum Requirements, Safety Nets, and Staffing Requirements.)

3. Please give flexibility of capital funds—so they can be used for General Revenue.

Ask them to find long term solutions to the critical funding situation in Florida and urge them to make public education a priority so that even our children's children can benefit from a right guaranteed them by our state constitution!

To learn more about how to get involved and about how to contact our legislators and ask them to make funding for public education in Florida a priority visit SaveDuvalSchools.

Susan T. Phillips

Principal Chets Creek Elementary

Chets Creek Needs Your Help!!

A note from our principal Susan Phillips:

CHETS CREEK NEEDS YOUR HELP!!! If Florida’s legislature proceeds with expected cuts to public school funding in the state we will face the bleakest year financially to date. I have worked aggressively over the past years to maintain funding for teachers and classrooms and have held the overhead expenses for our school to 12.52% of our operating budget. If we don’t get the attention of our representatives now, I may be charged with cutting 20% (a whopping 1 million dollars) from our school’s budget. The impact this could have would be devastating. Each call, letter or email to our legislators counts!

Please join me and show your support by attending an important Community Meeting regarding the perilous budget condition we face in public education to be held at Sandalwood High School on Thursday at 6:00 PM. I look forward to seeing everyone there as we stand together to fight for funding for Florida’s schools.
I urge each of you to attend this Thursday’s meeting. We simply must get the attention of the media, the public and our legislators – the proposed cuts this year are significant and will have far reaching effect if we don’t take action now. They have asked that those attending make signs saying “Save Chets Creek” or “Save Duval Schools”. Bring your kids, neighbors, anyone who cares about public education! This community united is a force to be reckoned with!

Ready for the FCAT

Countdown to Math FCAT

• You can do this!
• Make sure you do the calculations.
• There are only four operations in math: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
• Read and reread the question to make sure you are answering what has been asked.
• Read every word, title, label, caption, hint and every inch of every picture for clues and information.
• EVERYTHING in the problem is there for a reason.
• It's all important.
• Check every operation with it's inverse.
• Don't let computational errors prevent well-deserved points.
• If you know HOW to get the right answer, be certain you get it.
• When answering multiple choice items, check every answer choice before making your final decision.
• Answers are not as obvious as they appear.
• Strategize!
• When you get stuck on a problem, don't give up.
• Dissect it.
• One of the most helpful problem solving strategies is to draw a diagram.
• When you can SEE the problem, it will surely make more sense to you.
• Ask yourself each time you choose an answer, "Does my answer make sense?"
• Use what works for you.

YOU CAN DO IT!!