Penny Creek Elementary Newsletter

Dear Penny Creek Families,

I hope your Thanksgiving holiday break afforded you some rest and relaxation. In the month ahead, we have several important events. Our PRIDE assemblies are held next week and the Fourth and Fifth grade music concerts are next Thursday evening. We always look forward to these special events for our students.

As the daylight hours shorten up, and it feels a bit colder and darker outside, I’m asking that we focus attention on safety in our parking lots, especially during arrival and dismissal. I understand the parking lots get crowded and can be frustrating to navigate. However, for the safety of all, let’s practice patience and attend to our expectations. Please review the arrival and dismissal procedures below.

Thank you for your continued support of your children and our school. We appreciate your partnership.

Sincerely,

Marti Shefveland
mshefveland@everettsd.org

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).

Thursday, December 5

• Natural Leaders Meeting - Library @ 6 p.m.

Friday, December 6

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

• Hearing Screening for students in Grades KK, 1, 2, 3, & 5

Thursday, December 12

• Winter Concerts
• 4th Grade + Ms. Laws + Ms. Strong's 4th Grade
• doors open at 5:15 p.m. with prompt start at 5:30 p.m.
• 5th Grade + Ms. Strong's 5th Grade
• doors open at 6:15 p.m. with prompt start at 6:30 p.m.

Friday, December 13

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

• Spirit Day - Crazy Sweater Day
• Early Release. Student Dismissed at 1:00 p.m.

Monday, December 23 - Friday, January 3

• No School for Students. Winter Break. See you on Monday, January 6, 2025!

The upcoming holiday season can be exciting and sometimes stressful. We can help our children co-regulate alongside us by employing our own self-care. We can listen to our body sensations, feelings, and needs. Feelings are not good or bad. Our feelings can point us toward needs that can be met with hugs, talks, being together, and some time alone. We need to be kind and gentle with ourselves as well as all the people around us.

The Counseling/Social Emotional Team is working to equip your students with a toolbox of strategies to cope with all the feelings (worry, anxiety, frustration, anger, sadness, and grief). Our goal is always to help students be successful in school by building our Focus. Focus helps you with problem-solving and decision-making. Building your focus can reduce stress and build self-esteem as you increase your work productivity. We are working to include strategies to build our focus as part of our toolbox to feel better.

It is helpful for adults as well. Try it out! Students are feeling more relaxed after this practice as they can untangle from stressful thoughts. Their feedback includes times when they can use this strategy in their real life like when you’re tired, before a test, after finishing school, before a competition, and at the end of the day. You can practice this strategy with your student to bring a sense of calm to your home and your family, especially before bedtime. You can access the Focused attention practice on my YouTube channel. I wish you well.

If you have questions about your student's social emotional needs, please reach out to us via email:

• Dr. Anana, canana@everettsd.org
• Mr. Richert, rrichert2@everettsd.org
• Ms. Lindsey, klindsey@everettsd.org

If you are looking for some tapping and breathing strategies with Dr. Anana, you can access her videos on YouTube. Here's a tapping video you can share with your child to help with positive self-talk as well as feelings of overwhelm. You can talk to your child about the healthy ways you have found to take care of yourself and your feelings.

If you or someone you know is looking for some holiday resources, please visit the school counseling website.

Natural Leaders are parents from diverse backgrounds who serve as a bridge between schools and families. We build relationships, listen to families’ insights, and unite families and schools to support student success. We also strive to bring diversity events to our school.
Are you new to the American education system? Natural Leaders are here to help, offering answers in your language!

We would love for you to join our next meeting on December 5th in the PCE Library at 6:00 pm to discuss the upcoming Festival of Cultures and to meet new friends! There will be childcare. Please contact us at PennyCreekNL@everettsd.org for more information.

As we approach the end of the year, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all our PCE families for your support. Wishing you a joyous holiday season and an exciting start to 2025!

Hit a Home Run in Reading with AquaSox
We’re excited to participate in the 2025 Hit a Home Run in Reading program with AquaSox! Students are invited to submit a bookmark design by Tuesday, January 21. Winning designs will be printed and distributed to local schools, and if one of our students wins, they will be recognized in the Spring, at our designated Penny Creek PTA Family Night game with the AquaSox! Be sure to incorporate AquaSox, Funko Field, Webbly, and reading into your design. Submission forms will be sent home Friday, December 6.

Missoula Children’s Theater: Alice in Wonderland
We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with Missoula Children’s Theater for two performances of Alice in Wonderland on Saturday, January 18! If your student(s) would like to participate in this enriching weeklong program, please submit the pre-registration form and fee by Friday, December 20. Forms will be sent home Friday, December 13. For details, contact Jenna Chandra at jennamarie2009@gmail.com.

Help Us Reach Our Membership Goal!
We’re just 84 members away from our PTA membership goal of 296! Your support not only strengthens our community but also demonstrates how much our families value our mission. Join online HERE, request a paper form, or email us if financial assistance is needed.

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

Thank you for making this year so wonderful!

Warm regards,
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.

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.