Collins Coyotes Howler Newsletter

Creating connected, capable, contributing learners who achieve their highest potential every day

Location: 1920 128th Street East, Tacoma, WA, USA
Phone: 253-298-3400
Facebook: facebook.com/collinscoyotes

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October 14-18 - Nutrition Services Appreciation Week

October 15 - PTA Meeting (see details below)

October 18 - Fall Picture Day

October 16 - 2:35 dismissal

October 21-25 - Transportation Appreciation Week

October 23 - 2:35 dismissal

October 30 - 2:35 dismissal

October 20 - PTA's Trunk or Treat! (see details below)

Dear Collins’ Families,

It was wonderful to see so many families attending our Student Led Conferences last week. Thank you for taking the time out of your day to visit the school! If you missed the opportunity last week, you can still contact your student’s teacher to schedule a conference.

Thank you to everyone who visited the Book Fair last week! Your generosity is incredible and greatly appreciated. And thank you to our PTA members who supported Mrs. Sanderson in the library.

Another thank you to everyone who donated clothes and shoes. The donations will be put to good use. In November, we will have another opportunity to donate coats and warm articles of clothing. The generosity of this community is incredibly heartwarming.

This year, our school district did not publish a fall family survey. So, we created our own survey for you all to complete. Your voice in our school is important to us and we want to hear from you! If you have not already, please scan the QR code below to share your opinions with us.

This week is an opportunity for students to have individual pictures taken. If you need help with ordering, please contact our office. Another photo opportunity will occur in the spring.

Next week our school will participate in the Great Shakeout earthquake drill. This is scheduled for Tuesday the 22nd. I will announce “earthquake, earthquake” and then teachers and students will practice their safety plan and if needed, reflect on their feelings and responses. If you have any questions, please reach out to us. The entire event is less than half an hour.

I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the month and can enjoy the beauty of this fall season.

Kindest regards,

Katie Kehoe

Our incredible kitchen staff has gone above and beyond to ensure hundreds of students get free breakfast and lunch every day despite increased workloads, We are grateful for their care and dedication to making sure our Coyotes are fed on time each and every day. Thank you, Mrs, Clark and Mrs. Clough for being our amazing kitchen staff.

Music at Collins is off to a great start this year! All classes K-5 are singing, moving, and playing various drums and the mallet instruments (xylophone/metallophone/marimba). Classes have been focused on rhythm, proper technique, singing in tune, and having fun!

K-2nd: Kindergarten through 2nd grade classes have been singing familiar songs (matching pitch), echoing rhythmic patterns, and exploring orchestral instruments (e.g. double bass and violin). Through games and activities, students have been introduced to dynamic levels (loud/quiet), melody, and sound stories. Students have been able to recognize the difference between major (happy) and minor (sad) tonalities, and high and low pitches through vocal warmups, and most recently, Boomwhacker instruments.

3rd-5th: Third through fifth graders have been playing xylophones, rhythm sticks, singing, and playing drums. They have taken musical notation/rhythm identification preassessments and have learned the main musical time signatures, and major/minor tonalities. Fourth and fifth graders have begun learning and practicing music for our December performance, Pacific Voyage, which features songs from Japan, Korea, Samoa, Mexico, and America. While it is challenging to learn songs of other languages, students are rising to the occasion and beginning to internalize one of the lines in our Music Class Mantra, which reads, “I can do hard things”.

David Schultz

Music Teacher

Hello Coyote families, it has been a great start to the school year, and I am so proud of all of our students trying their best to wear the appropriate shoes on their PE days. Again, if you need help with acquiring shoes that are appropriate for PE feel free to reach out to me and we can work something out. The upcoming months we will be working on throwing/catching skills as well as starting our soccer unit.

Mr.Kiepert

PE Teacher

Did you know that students are required to wear tennis shoes during fitness? To help ensure that all of our students have tennis shoes, the student council is continuing to collect donations. If your student has outgrown their tennis shoes, please consider donating to our drive!

Thank you!

Friday, October 18th is Picture Day for our students at Collins. Picture envelopes should be returned on picture day with exact cash enclosed or a check made payable to QSP. You may also order pictures online with a credit card at www.qualityschoolportraits.com with the online code: COLL

QSP asks that students do not wear green on picture day! If your child misses picture day, we will have a retake day on November 15th.

Collins community,

Please remember to drive the posted speed limit as you approach the school to drop off or pick up your student.

The safety of all is a priority, and that includes driving the posted speed limit of 20mph.

Thank you for your attention.

Dear Families,

We are fortunate again this year to partner with Our Savior Lutheran Church in the Backpacks for Kids Program. Every week, volunteers at OSLC pack and deliver bags of food to students of families in need. Food bags are delivered to the school every Friday, with the exception of a few Thursdays due to school closures. Our Savior’s generosity extends district-wide, serving all 12 schools in Franklin Pierce.

If your family would like to be referred to this program, please reach out to Ms. Bobbi at 253-298-3410 or bnorthcott@fpschools.org . Should you choose to participate, you can receive this support as long as it is needed during the school year. You can end your participation at any time during the school year, too. Friday food bags will be sent home with your student, you do not need to come pick them up.

Thank you!

Pieces are missing when kids are not at school! We want our Coyotes to be here every day, all day, on time, and ready to learn. As an attendance incentive, on days when all students are in class, on time, and at school the entire day, classes will receive a piece of a coyote (similar to Mr. Potato Head). They will receive a class reward whenever a class has earned all pieces of the coyote. We understand that sometimes children must miss school due to illness or special circumstances, but we want to encourage being present as much as possible in fun, positive ways. Thank you for having your child/children here regularly!

Attendance is key for students to thrive so please try to schedule appointments outside of the school day. Every absence, tardy and/or early dismissal needs to be reported to the office.

If you know your child will be absent or will be either leaving early or arriving late, please call our office. The number is 253.298.3406. If your child is sick and you cannot see a doctor you can bring your child in to see the nurse. If the nurse says the child is too ill to be at school the absence will be excused.

The number of days missed matters!

Whether excused or unexcused, the number of days your student misses can greatly impact their academic success. Families should strive for regular attendance. Regular attendance means having, on average, less than two absences per month. An absence is defined as missing 50% or more of their scheduled day.

Most children miss a few days of school each year without long-term consequences. However, when students miss too many days, the effects are almost always negative. We are continually working to make our school environment a place where everyone is safe, healthy, and ready to learn

What Can Families Do?

Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school and themselves. Families can start building this habit in preschool, so they learn right away that students go to school on time, every day. Good attendance will help children do well in high school, college, and in their careers. Here are some suggestions:

• Set a regular bedtime and morning routine,

• Set out clothes and pack backpacks the night before,

• If they choose to pack lunches do so the night before,

• Schedule appointments and travel when school is not in session,

• Have a back-up plan in place with family members, neighbors, or other parents for getting your child to school in case something comes up,

• Keep track of your child’s attendance,

• Talk about the importance of regular attendance and about how your child feels about school. Regular attendance helps to make and build connections with friends and staff. It also supports learning!

• Reach out for support. If you need support and resources to address the barriers to school attendance, or a reason that they aren’t looking forward to school regularly please connect with your child’s teacher, counselor, or the front office staff so we can address it. We are here to help!

If your Coyote comes to school late, we ask that you please come in with them to sign them in. Often times, students are just dropped off at the door, and we are trying to avoid that. Thank you for your cooperation!

If you are interested in volunteering as a chaperone for field trips or in any other capacity that may come up, please complete the volunteer application as soon as possible. It may take up to two weeks to process an application and we don't want you to be left out of a volunteer opportunity because you are not approved yet! Click here to begin your volunteer application. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, please complete a new application. Volunteer applications must be completed every year.

Medications

If your child needs to have medication(s) administered during school hours, we must have a physician's order. The order has to be signed by both the prescribing physician and the parent. This applies to all prescription AND over-the-counter medications (i.e. cough drops, eye drops, ear drops, etc...). All medications are required to be transported to and from school by a parent or another designated adult. We do not allow students to carry medications, unless they have an order that states otherwise.

Illness

Please continuously monitor your child for symptoms. If your child is sick, keep them at home. If exhibiting Covid-like symptoms, testing is recommended. Please see the attached document for guidance. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact the health room.

Important reminders for drop-off:

1. Pull forward when there is room so other cars can enter our lot (rather than blocking the street).

2. Cars need to pull up to the curb before students exit them. Students may not cut through cars as this is a safety hazard.

Important reminders for pick-up:

1. Students will be waiting in their assigned pick-up zone. Zones are broken up by the first letter of their last name. Please review the map for details.

2. Cars must pull up to the curb before a child will be released by the supervising adult.

3. Please make sure to not block traffic by waiting for an open spot. Instead continue to drive around until another car departs (similar to an airport).

We will have outdoor recess as much as possible as long as daily conditions are safe for students to be outside. Please be sure your students come to school dressed for the weather. Wear coats, hats, gloves, socks, shoes that protect their feet, and maybe even a change of clothes in case they get wet.

Please also take a moment to label outer-wear with a permanent marker in case it is misplaced. If your child is missing their coat, please ask them to check the lost and found next to the gym.

Our school district office has a Family Resource Center. They can offer connections and resources for families who need support. The Family Resource Center is open to all community members.

The Farm at Franklin Pierce. Food at the farm is grown by and for the community! Everyone is invited to visit the farm on Thursdays from 4-6pm to receive “Fresh and Free Veggies”!

The Farm is located at 9516 Waller Rd E.

If you have any questions about either of these resources, please check out our school district’s website, fpschools.org; or call our school’s front office.

Please read these important reminders from the office!

1. If you need to come into the building, please press the intercom button on your right as you look at the front door. This will enable the office to see you and to buzz you into the entry if needed.
2. Please notify the office of any changes in the way your child will go home at the end of the day. We need this information before 3:30 so we have time to get a note to the teacher.
3. Call the office (253)-298-3400 if your child will be absent. If they have an appointment, please ask the doctor, dentist, counselor, etc. for a note for school. Offices that treat children are used to giving notes to students for excuses! Tardies and leaving school early shows on your child's attendance record. Please make appointments outside of school hours when possible.
4. If you need to take your child out of school before the end of the school day, please come before 3:30 so we can easily locate your child! You will need to sign your child out and wait for them to come from their classroom, so allow plenty of time.
5. If your phone number, email address, or home address changes, please let us know so we have the most up-to-date contact information for you. If students become ill, or otherwise need your help, we need a way to contact you! Thank you.

If your student is absent and we haven't heard from you, you will receive an automated safety call to let you know that your student is not in class. When you receive this call, please call the office at 253-298-3400 to let us know the reason for the absence. Alternatively, you could send a signed note with your student when they return to school. Please remember that all absences remain unexcused until we hear from you. Thank you for your help in this important matter!

Thanks to all who attended the Harvest Market! The PTA appreciates your support in helping us continue to bring fun and enriching activities to the Collins Community.

• Trunk or Treat! - We're excited for our first ever Trunk or Treat, Wednesday, October 30th, 5-7PM at Collins. If you're interested in decorating a "trunk" or volunteering please fill out the volunteer form here: https://forms.gle/nBdgdqR5YTmYQr886. We are also accepting candy donations in the front office.
• Our next PTA meeting is tomorrow! Tuesday, October 15th, 5-6PM at the Summit Pierce County Library (5107 112th St E, Tacoma, WA 98446). We hope to see you there!
• Attending the 'Just Between Friends' sale at the WA Fairgrounds, 10/17-10/20? Lookout for our flyer for free admittance for your entire family. And if you mention Collins at checkout, the fair donates a small portion of sales back to the Collins PTA!
• Cherrydale Catalog Fundraiser Starts Wednesday, October 23rd and runs until Wednesday, November 6, 2024. Friends and family near and far can order from students online with this fun "Gnome for the holidays" catalog. Drop your coupons into the box in the front lobby to receive your prizes in your classrooms on Fridays (10/25 & 11/1).
• Miss the Spirit Wear Store? We'll be running one more team shop 10/18 - 10/28 so items are delivered by the holidays. This will again include both adult and youth offerings. A reminder that orders will take approximately four weeks to produce.
• Join the PTA! Click to join - https://collinsptacoyotes.givebacks.com/store. Everyone is welcome, and whether you have a little time or a lot, your involvement makes a huge impact. The Secretary board position is still open to fill if interested.

Franklin Pierce Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Questions and complaints of alleged discrimination should be directed to James Hester, Compliance Coordinator for State and Civil Rights Laws; Dr. Julian Pollard, Title IX Officer; or John Sanders, 504/ADA Coordinator at 315 129th ST S, Tacoma, WA 98444-5099 or at (253)298-3000