Lowell Leopard News

Welcome to the 2024-25 school year! I hope you had a fun, healthy summer! We are excited to be kicking off a new school year with the theme "Every Leopard Can!" While not every Leopard can do everything, every Leopard can do many great things -- and together, we can do even more! Each day, we have opportunities to learn and grow -- academically, behaviorally, and socially. We will use this theme throughout the year to focus on growth mindset and including others -- and I encourage you to use it at home, too!

The partnerships among students, staff, and families are what make Lowell a great school. Here are some ways you can support your child in having a strong school experience this year:

• Complete annual update forms – your contact info, your child’s health history, and the housing questionnaire – online through Home Access Center, accessed through the A+ GRADES icon on the district website. Having current info ensures student safety, and our ability to contact you in case of emergency.
• Review the Student & Family Handbook with your child, and complete/return the sign-off form being sent home with your child. The form is also available here, should you prefer to print a copy.
• Read and follow our arrival and dismissal guidelines. This is especially important for those who use the car lane or want to meet their student on foot.
• Stay current on school information and events throughout the year by: visiting the school website; following us on Facebook and Instagram; reading the Lowell Leopard News family newsletter, sent to you on the first Wednesday of each month and found on our website (be sure to keep your e-mail address with us current); and watching for periodic e-mails, phone calls, and texts through ParentSquare.

• Join PTA! Many families worry that they must make a volunteer commitment, but that isn’t the case. Your membership supports enrichment in classrooms and beyond. The link to join is here; PTA also maintains a Facebook page. The first PTA meeting of the year will begin at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, in the library -- with free pizza. Children are welcome, and you don't have to be a member to attend.
• Volunteer – whether it’s in the classroom or with PTA.
• Know that we have resources available to help families meet their children’s basic needs, such as for food and clothing. If you need something, feel free to call the office at 425-385-5300, or e-mail awatkins@everettsd.org.
• Reach out to your child’s teacher, any staff member, or me when you have suggestions, questions, or concerns. We all want each child to have a great experience every day!

Here’s to a great year as partners in your child’s education! Have a wonderful month, and please be sure to reach out with any questions or needs!

Mrs. Kelley, principal

Lowell Elementary participates in the Title I Program. Title I, Part A, is part of the Every Student Succeeds Act. Its goal is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on challenging state academic standards. As a Title I school, we qualify for federal grant money that we use for additional staffing, parent/family involvement, staff development, and extended school day opportunities to help us meet that goal. The attached update is intended to provide you with important information about this law.

You have the right to request regular information or meetings about Title I at Lowell. Please contact Principal Elizabeth Kelley at 425-385-5300 or ekelley@everettsd.org if you would like more information. More information about our Title I program and your rights is here. We hope you will join us at the PTA meeting at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, for more information on Title I and how we can partner to support your child.

• Every Monday: Celebrate Motto Monday by wearing a Lowell shirt, or blue and white
  
• Sept. 3: Grade 1-5 Meet & Greet, 4:30-5:30 p.m. in classrooms
• Sept. 4: First day of school for Grades 1-5
• Sept. 4-6: Family Connections Meetings for kindergarteners
• Sept. 6: 1:35 p.m. Learning Improvement Friday dismissal

• Sept. 7: Everett Public Schools night at the AquaSox, 7:05 p.m. -- buy tickets here

• Sept. 12: First PTA general meeting, 6:00 p.m., library (with camp meeting for fifth-grade families at 5:00 p.m.)
• Sept. 13: 1:35 p.m. Learning Improvement Friday dismissal
• Sept. 16: First day of preschool
• Sept. 20 & 27: 1:35 p.m. Learning Improvement Friday dismissal
• Save the date of Oct. 10 for a family night focused on social-emotional learning!
  

You can find printable district calendars for 2024-25 and 2025-26 here.

Did you know that your child has at least five other teachers besides their classroom teacher? Every week, your child sees:

• Mr. Powers for music
• Ms. Thompson for library
• Ms. Neyens for PE
• Ms. Johnson and/or Ms. McHargue for art

Each year, your child will also get to know our counselors, Ms. McAllister (here full time) and Mr. Richert (here half time). In addition to the support they can provide to students through individual and small-group sessions, they teach classroom lessons on bullying prevention and child safety, with advance notice to families.

We also have a team of amazing paraeducators who work with students. Some provide support for students who receiving services as multilingual learners developing their English at the direction of ML coach Ms. Sullivan. Others work with students receiving extra support in reading or math at the direction of instructional coach Ms. O'Connor.

In coming months, this space in the newsletter will feature news and updates from these educators.

First general meeting: 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, in the library -- with free pizza and child care. You do not have to be a member to attend! Come find out about activities planned for this year -- which depend on family volunteering to happen!

Join PTA: You can join PTA here -- it's a fabulous way to support Lowell students and staff!

Spirit wear: Items in the PTA storefront are 30% off for a limited time!

Newsletter and website:

• See the accompanying PTA newsletter included with this one.
• Check out PTA's website here!

Interested in volunteering? Volunteer clearance is a must, and it can take up to two weeks. Get ahead of things now -- visit the district website to start your application!

Does your family need assistance with items such as food or housing? Are you looking for connections to housing and medical services? We have resources to help! E-mail family support specialist Amy Watkins at awatkins@everettsd.org or call the school office at 425-385-5300. You can also find some resource links here, and access more by calling 211 or starting here.

Absences: If your child will be absent, please e-mail us at loeattendance@everettsd.org to report their absence daily. Include child's first and last name, ID number, and the reason for the absence. All absences must be reported/excused in writing, so if you aren't able to e-mail, please send a written note upon your child's return to school.

Late arrivals/tardies: If arriving between 8:35 and 9:05 a.m., your student will be marked tardy. After 9:05, your student needs to be walked into school by an adult, as they need to be signed in. This will ensure that their half-day absences is being marked excused or unexcused appropriately.

Changes to dismissal routines: If you are wanting to change how your student is getting home on a given day, you must contact our office before 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and by 1:00 on Fridays. The rest of each day is very busy, so we cannot guarantee that messages will get through after those times.

New for the 2024-25 school year, district news will be sent directly to families on the first Tuesday of each month. Another great source for EPS news is the district website.

Email: ekelley@everettsd.org
Website: https://www.everettsd.org/lowelles
Location: 5010 View Drive, Everett, WA, USA
Phone: 425-385-5300

Instagram: @epslowelles

Facebook: facebook.com/LowellEPS