September Newsletter

Welcome to a new school year!

My name is Sarah Walker and I am the Principal at Chimacum Creek Primary and Director of Inclusionary Practices. My family and I just moved to Jefferson County from Bellingham. I am so excited to be here. This is my 19th year as an educator and my 5th as a school leader. I love science, Star Wars, playing outside and reading books.

The first days of school for our youngest learners are filled with excitement and adjustment to a new routine. Do not be surprised if you notice bigger feelings, a greater need for snuggles or down time. Setting an early bed time for the school year can make getting adjusted easier. Pediatricians suggest young children need 9-12 hours a sleep a night.

Join us for Cowboy Day tomorrow from 2:30 to 4:30. This is a chance to come in and see our school before the first day. You can walk around and see our classrooms, the gym and playground.

Ms. Lee and I are working on getting class placements ready. First grade families can find their teacher on Family Access! Kindergarten, Transition Kindergarten, and Preschool Families look for communication from a teacher.

If you have any questions, reach out!

Warmly,

Sarah Walker, Principal

Chimacum Creek Primary School

Please plan on arriving between 8:45 and 9:05 if you are walking or driving by car. Parent drop off is located in front of school.

Students will come in through the garden gate and head straight to the cafeteria for breakfast (free for all kids) when they arrive. Staff will be there to help you. Teachers will join at 9:05 to bring their children to the classroom.

• If you are running late, that's ok, please check in at the main office and we will walk them into class.
• The same is true if your child has an appointment or you need to pick up early, please come to the main office for help.

At the end of the day, teachers will walk students to the bus or to wait for you in the pick up area. Please let your child know who to expect at the end of the school day.

Coming to school, and attending on time have a HUGE positive impact on educational outcomes for kids. Additionally, kids succeed when they feel connected to their peers.

In general, students who attend 90% of school days feel more connected, and reach greater academic success. That means a students should not miss more than 10 days in a semester. Please plan on attending school every day unless your child is ill.

If a problem arises where your child needs to miss school for an extended period of time, please let me know so we can make a plan to support.

Please check here for more information about meals.

https://www.csd49.org/departments/food-nutrition

Please complete the family income survey. This data is important so we can continue to offer free meals at school.

Healthy food is important for our school community, please do not send treats or candy to share at school.

Some kids will tell you everything that happened in a school day and others have a hard time saying much more that "it was good". I know as a parent that it can be a little frustrating when you want to know more details about the day. Here are a few tricks to help you get more information:

• Play a game of 2 truths and a lie. They tell you three things about school, 2 of which are true and you guess which one is a lie.
• Ask them to describe only one part of the day: "What game did you play at recess?"
• Ask them about a feeling: " Can you tell me something funny that happened today?"