Penny Creek Elementary Newsletter

Dear Penny Creek Families,

Welcome to 2025! The return from winter break brings us close to the mid-point of our school year which is the end of January. As this is an important time for us to assess progress, teachers will be administering the mid-year iReady diagnostic in reading and math. They will also prepare progress reports to keep you abreast of your child’s progress. Look for progress reports to be sent by mid-February. Of course, if at any point you have questions about student progress, or about other topics pertaining to your child’s classroom, reach out to your child’s teacher. We are happy to answer questions and want to help in any way we can.

Beyond the classroom, you should know we host the following clubs meant as enrichment for students:

Battle of the Books, led by our librarian, Mrs. Woodrum, and Ms. Laws, meets year long. Fourth and fifth grade students read 28 novels and compete with teams in a Family Feud style competition to demonstrate knowledge of the books read. The finals, of several rounds of competition, are held at our annual Celebration of Literacy and the Arts event in May.

Penny’s Book Club also led by Mrs. Woodrum and Ms. Laws, is a book club for 2nd and 3rd graders. This non-competitive club meets several weeks in both fall and spring sessions to read and discuss various genres of books. Currently, books are focused on science themes and topics.

Green Team, organized and run by Mrs. Judd and Ms. Mauldin, also for fourth and fifth graders, meets twice a month. Green Team clubs are associated with Project Earth Gen. The team takes on a conservation project to help our school earn Levels 1 through 4 of Green Team certification. As we are in our first full year, the club is working to earn Penny Creek Level 1 certification for energy conservation.

Pacers Running Club, led by our PE Teacher, Mrs. Wood, is a walking, jogging, running club that meets on our field, during lunches on Wednesdays and before school on Fridays. These students have a fun, and healthy time, earning “marathon” badges and encouraging each other. This club has a fall and spring session.

Robotics Club, led by Ms. Main, Mrs. Peters, and Mrs. Strong, holds a fall and spring session. Students work in teams to program self-made robots and complete tasks. The fall session participated in a district wide competition for the opportunity to progress to a state-wide competition.

Student Ambassadors, new this year, is organized and run by Ms. Lindsey, our Social-Emotional Learning coach. This group assists with important work throughout the school, from assisting Kindergarten teachers walking their classes to buses after school, to setting up assemblies, to picking up recess equipment, and leading our school-wide morning announcements.

Additionally, two parent groups host exciting events for Penny Creek students. See our Parent Teacher Association (PTA) website for many upcoming events and details, including Missoula Children’s Theatre this month. Natural Leaders, a group focused on supporting our many families from diverse countries and cultures, hosts our annual Celebration of Cultures, each February. See their webpage for further information as well.

If you have questions about any of these clubs, reach out to the organizers. Of course, if I can answer any questions about these groups, let me know😊

Wishing you a very Happy 2025!

Marti Shefveland
mshefveland@everettsd.org

Hello families! For those of you who have been at Penny Creek over the past few years, you may remember that daily student attendance rates suffered during the months when Covid was so greatly impacting our ability to come to school. Last year we addressed this issue by working with students and families alike to build energy around regular attendance and it worked! Our daily attendance increased from 77% in 2022-23 to just under 95% in 2023-24! Thank you for your support, as research tells us that absences have an adverse effect on academic growth.

Between September and mid-November of this year, Penny Creek students exceeded our goal of 95% daily attendance – incredible!! As the holidays approached, however, we have begun to dip down below that goal. It is understandable that families are taking advantage of the official time off to plan trips, and it is also true that many have been afflicted by the flu or other illnesses that deem it necessary for students to stay home. That said, if we all work together we think it is possible to bring that line back up in this new year. Our hope is to finish off this school year at 96% or above.

Go Frogs!

Stephanie Kirkpatrick

skirkpatrick@everettsd.org

Thursday, January 9

• PTA General Meeting at 6:00 p.m. PCE Library

Friday, January 10

• PTA Popcorn Friday
• Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.

Thursday, January 16

• Natural Leaders Meeting at 6:00 p.m. PCE Library

Friday, January 17

• Spirit Day - Sports Day
• Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.

• PTA Alice in Wonderland Drama Program performances at Eisenhower Middle School

Monday, January 20

• No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

• AquaSox Bookmark Contest Due

• Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.

Wednesday, January 29

• PTA Bingo for Books

Friday, January 31

• No School for Students. Non-Instructional Work Day
  

The Transportation Department uses the Versatrans My Stop application for bus route tracking and information. The Versatrans My Stop application provides you with an estimated time of arrival for your student's school bus. Please continue to arrive at the scheduled bus stop location 5 minutes prior to the scheduled stop time.

Available for Apple and Android devices and can be downloaded in 3 easy steps:

1. On your smartphone, go to the iTunes App Store® or Google Play®
2. Search Versatrans My Stop App
3. Then select the app for free download
   
   

How to Log In:

All information is transmitted securely and protected. No data is provided without proper credentials being provided.

1. Enter your student’s ID number in the username field
2. Enter your student’s date of birth in the password field. Use the mmddyyyy format with no slashes. For example: if your student was born on Jan. 1, 2017, your password would be 01012017
3. If you have more than one student, their names will appear in a drop-down list in the top left corner. To view a different child's bus information, tap the current name and select them from the list.
4. In your phone settings, under Notifications, scroll to the Versatrans My Stop app and make sure:
   • show notifications are in the on position
   • pop on screen is also in the on position
5. This will allow you to see any notification that Everett Public Schools sends through the Versatrans My Stop App.

Cell phones and smart watches at Penny Creek are discouraged, as they can potentially be very disruptive to the learning environment. If a student must carry a device for emergency purposes, they are to be turned off during the school day and on school buses. Cell phones and smart watches must be stored in a student’s backpack; students will not be allowed to carry them on their person nor keep them in their desk. They should not be seen nor heard at school. If a student has a cell phone or smart watch on his/her person that is on during school hours, in use or not, the device in question will be taken to the office and secured there until a parent/guardian can pick it up.

Students are not allowed to videotape or take pictures with their cell phone or smart watch at any time. Failure to comply with this will result in immediate disciplinary action as determined by the principal and parent/guardians of all students involved (directly and indirectly) will be contacted. -

Student use of cell phones on the bus is prohibited, except for in the case of an emergency. Students may not use cell phones to take pictures or videos of other students or the driver. Students may not use their phones to watch videos, play games, or engage in any social media activity.

Students needing to contact their parents/guardians during the school day will receive permission, from a staff member, to use the student emergency phone in the office. Penny Creek Elementary staff and Everett Public Schools are not responsible for lost, damaged or broken cell phones.

Please see the section on Telephones in our Penny Creek A to Z Student Handbook for further information about contacting students during the school day. Students who need to contact their parents/guardians during the school day will receive permission, from a staff member, to use the student emergency phone in the office.

Please view the EPS Rights & Responsibilities Student Handbook for more information.

Hello Brilliant Penny Creek Students and Families,

Happy New Year! Hoping you all had a refreshing winter break and are ready to start 2025 in a great way.

Days are still short and sometimes a little dreary. Here's a video of some of the calming strategies I share with students: Sharing the Calm. I've heard it is as helpful to do at home as it is to practice in a classroom. Spreading the calm is a huge goal this time of year for everyone!

Here’s a reminder for Students-- you have an important job in your family: Be Cooperative. When a family member asks you to do something reasonable (like read, or clean your room, or put away your dishes), here’s what you can say:

• “Ok” (in a friendly tone of voice) or
• “I’m on it.”
  

Then do the reasonable thing your family member needs you to do. When you help your family get the work done around your home, they may have more time to do some fun things with you, like puzzles, card games, movies, or snuggling.

Here’s another mindful moment that you can share together with your child: Mindful Moment.

Looking for more parenting support? There is an upcoming Helping Families Thrive parenting class. The class is free and online, but you must see the attached flyer to register!

Warmly,

Dr. Anana & Robert Richert (Penny Creek Elementary School Counselors)

To view the above flyer in various languages, please click HERE

Happy New Year Penny Creek Community!

Join us for our PTA General Meeting on Thursday January 9 from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. in the Library. On the agenda is general PTA business, upcoming events, and 2025-2026 open board positions. We are also looking for individuals who would be interested in a committee chair or team for events next year. Joining a committee position is a great way to get to know others and contribute to making memories for our students. If you can’t make it to the meeting and want to learn more about open committee positions, email pennycreekpta@yahoo.com This is not an obligation to sign up, just a conversation!

Penny Creek PTA Drama Program invites you to join us Saturday, January 18 for two performances of Alice in Wonderland. This is in cooperation with Missoula Children's Theater. Please support the STARS of the show, our Penny Creek students! Please Click Here to purchase tickets online. We will have a name list of paid ticket purchases at the door for entry. If you have any questions, email Jenna Chandra at jennamarie2009@gmail.com.

We will be hosting Bingo for Books on Wednesday, January 19 from 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. in the Cafeteria (doors open at 5:45pm). Bring the whole family for an evening of fun, prizes, books, and community. Every child who plays will receive a free book. Concessions will be available for purchase, including popcorn, candy, chips, and drinks. We hope to see you there!

For any questions, PTA forms, or updates, reach out by Email , visit our Website, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram.

Yours,
Penny Creek PTA Board 2024-2025

If your student is absent or tardy from school, please email the attendance office at pceattendance@everettsd.org to let us know the reason for the absence or tardy. There is also a direct link on our webpage at: https://www.everettsd.org/pennycreek

• Absences must be reported (by email or note) within 30 calendar days after a student returns back to school, not including Holidays or weekends, in order to have the absence excused. Emails or notes turned in past the 30-day timeframe will be accepted; however, the absence is not excused and will be coded as such.
• Automated attendance calls will be sent out daily at 10 a.m. If your student will be absent or tardy you must notify the office before 9:15 a.m. If it is reported after this time you may receive the automated call.
• Please view the Everett School District Attendance Procedure 3122P for more information (including definitions of absences).
• Did you have a medical appointment for your child, or they were sick, and you brought them to the doctor? If so, make sure to ask for a medical note from the provider. Email the note to the attendance office so those absences can be coded as a medical note excused absence.
• Please fill out a Prearranged Absence Form if your student will be going on vacation/traveling or will miss school for an extended period of time. As per district policy, the principal or designee may excuse up to five (5) school days for a prearranged absence per student each school year.

ARRIVAL: supervision will begin at 9:00 a.m.

Parent drop off (Ferry Lanes) - drive up while remaining in the car.

• This is supervised until 9:10 a.m.
• Enter the parking lot through the west entrance.
• Turn right into the Parent drop off lane loop.
• Follow the Parent drop off lane around in front of the gym. Pulling forward to the undercover playground area.
• Stay in the right lane, making sure to drive slowly.
• Driver remains in the car.
• When the car comes to a complete stop, the student unloads from the passenger curb side door.
• Students will walk through the undercover area and on to the campus.
• Driver departs from the Parent drop off by following the lane to the west exit on to 132nd Street SE.

Parking car at main parking lot and drop off student.

• Park car in main parking lot and walk on to campus using the crosswalk.
• Parents walk students to the front iron gate drop off point by the office (blue area on map).

Arrival after 9:15 a.m. - park your vehicle and walk your student to the office. A guardian or designee will need to sign in your student at the office. Students arriving after 9:15 a.m. will be tardy.

DISMISSAL: begins at 3:30 p.m. Monday - Thursday and 2:15 p.m. Friday

Parent pick up (Ferry Lanes) - drive up & pick up while remaining in the car.

• This is supervised until 3:45 p.m.
• Enter the parking lot through the west entrance.
• Turn right into the Parent pick up lane loop. There are three ferry style lanes to wait in.
• Penny Creek staff member will release each ferry lane in an orderly manner.
• When the lane is released, follow the Parent pick up line to the front of the undercover playground area.
• Make sure to drive slowly and to pull as far forward as possible. Students will be waiting in the undercover area.
• Driver remains in the car.
• When the car comes to a complete stop, the student will load into the car from the passenger curb side door.
• Driver departs from the Parent pick up by following the lane to the west exit on 132nd Street SE.

Parking car at main parking lot to pick up students at departure time.

• Park car in main parking lot and walk on to campus using the crosswalk.
• Parents wait for students to be released from the doors located between Office and Kindergarten Playground (green area on map).

If your student needs to leave before the end of the school day, email the school office at PennyCreek@everettsd.org in advance. Please include in your email message:

• The specific DATE
  
• The TIME you will pick up your student. Please know, we will call your student to the office once you have arrived to the school.
  
• WHO will be picking up your student. If an adult designee is coming to pick up your student, an email from the guardian needs to be sent to confirm the information.

For the safety and security of students, we will ask for photo identification.

If the plan on how your student is going home at the end of the school day changes, we ask that a guardian sends an email to the school office at PennyCreek@everettsd.org and the classroom teacher by 2:45 pm.

Please include in your email message:

• name of your student
• name of their teacher
• details of the the change of plan
  
  

Our office will deliver this information to your student. This method of communication helps to support our staff with accurate dismissal information.