Cascadia Elementary

It's June and summer is fast approaching! The 2023-2024 school year has been full of great memories and growth for our students. The next eleven days of school are packed with activities and ways to honor the hard work we have all done. Be sure to take a look at our calendar and here are some highlights to look forward to:

• June 6th Kindergarten open house (if you know a 5 year old ready to come to Cascadia, please let them know about this special event)
• TK and Kindergarten celebrations! Each class will celebrate their learning and we'll have a special photo booth for you to capture that special moment.
• 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade end of the year assembly! On June 12th 1:15-1:55 first through fourth grade families are invited to join our end of the year assembly as we celebrate students who demonstrate our Gryphon expectations, reading and math growth, have high attendance rates and more. All families are welcome and specific invitations will be sent if your child is receiving an award.
• 5th grade moving up ceremony! Our fifth graders are ready for middle school and a big school transition. We'll celebrate them the night of the 13th.

Thank you for sharing your child with us and letting us be part of the important elementary years. It is a privilege to be an educator and we hope all of our students and families have a wonderful summer. Don't forget to keep your child reading over the summer- it helps prevent some of the summer learning loss we know happens.

So much gratitude,

Dawn (Cascadia Principal)

When should I register my child?

You can register anytime online at: www.ferndalesd.org.

Who is elegible for kindergarten?

To be eligible to register for kindergarten in the 2024-2025 school year, a child must be five years of age on or before August 31, 2024.

Who can I contact if I have questions?

Locate the school your child will attend: visit the InfoFinder webpage found through the Parents link on the district’s webpage at www.ferndalesd.org. Enter your home address to see schools in your attendance are. For assistance call (360) 383-9211 or (360) 383-2300.

We need a family and a baby to help with our learning next year!!!

At the heart of the program is a baby who is a “tiny teacher” of empathy! Parent(s) with a baby who is 2-4 months old in October visit the classroom 1x/month through the school year for a 30-40 minute lesson. You are with the same teacher/classroom, and a school or community member trained as a Roots of Empathy Instructor the whole year. Physical distance/germ boundaries are observed, and based on the parent(s) comfort levels as part of the lessons which center on caring.

For more information or to sign up to participate, please contact Sara Airoldi, Whatcom Roots of Empathy Program Manager at sairoldi@rootsofempathy.org

If your child or children will not be attending Cascadia next year, please let the office know before summer break. This helps us prepare student records for a smooth transition to your child's next school. 5th grade families, we already have your child's file ready for the middle school! 😀

Thank you from the Cascadia office team

If your child needs to receive oral medication at school next year, 2024/25, an Authorization for Oral Medication or Authorization for Metered Dose Inhaler, signed by the doctor and a parent/guardian, must be on file before we can administer any medication. Self-Administration (upon approval of building administrator/nurse) of any prescription medication is included in this requirement.

Any student with a Life Threatening Food Allergy and/or Life Threatening Allergy to Stinging Insects must have an authorization signed by the doctor and a parent/guardian (renewed each year) on file in the school, along with the required medication. Upon receipt of this information, a plan must be developed, and staff training completed by the school nurse prior to the student attending school. Discontinuing a previously identified life-threatening condition requires parent/guardian and Health Care Provider written documentation.

All forms and detailed guidelines are available on-line at www.ferndalesd.org and follow the link Parent Resources to Student Health Services.

Please remember to pick up any unused medication for the 2023/2024 school year from the school office immediately after school ends, or it will be properly discarded after June 18th.

Thank you for your cooperation,

School Nurse

Please have your students check the lost and found. Smaller items can be found in the office. All items not claimed by June 17th will be donated.

We are excited to share information with you about a new state program, SUN Bucks. This program is to provide families with assistance to buy groceries for their school-aged children during the summer; each eligible child will receive $120 on an EBT card.

Your child is eligible for SUN Bucks automatically if you already participate in SNAP, FDIPR, TANF or other programs directly certified by the Department of Social and Health Services, such as McKinney-Vento, or if your household income meets the requirements for free or reduced-price school meals.

Some children will automatically be eligible for SUN Bucks, while others will need to apply. If your family does not automatically qualify through the previously mentioned criteria, you must complete the following:

• Family Income Survey

• Free or Reduced Meal Application

You can access those applications by using this link. Please submit your FSD applications no later than Jun 7, 2024.

Applications must be submitted before the end of the school year. Completed applications can be submitted to your child’s school.

If you are unsure if you have already completed these forms this year, you may contact our Child Nutrition Department at 360-383-9340.

For more information about SUN Bucks, you can call 1-833-543-3230 between 8-5, Monday-Friday or visit the program’s webpage at www.fns.usda.gov/summer

8/27: Open House TBD (Skyward & ParentSquare provides new teacher assignment)

8/28: First Day of School for the 2024-2025 school year