Lowell Leopard News

The last full month of school is upon us -- welcome to May! As I write this, there are 32 school days left. In May, it can feel like we are just sliding toward the end of the year. However, 32 days is almost 20% of the school year! Every day counts! Students are engaged in important learning each day, and we appreciate your having them here on time daily. When students are absent, they miss core learning opportunities that every student needs; targeted support for their own growth areas; and lots of fun with their classroom community.

During the first full week of the month, Grade 3-5 students begin their annual state testing in math, science, and English language arts. Please see the section below for more information, the calendar, and tips for supporting students.

We are looking forward to our Cultural Celebration family night on May 23, and hope that all Lowell families will attend. There are opportunities to help, to bring food, to create a cultural display, and/or to perform. Visit this site to sign up!

We continue to plan for the 2024-25 school year. If your child will not be returning to Lowell next fall, please let our office staff know. If they are returning, you don't need to contact us. If you have an incoming kindergarten student, please register them as soon as possible here or by visiting our office.

Have a great month, and please be sure to reach out with any questions or needs!

Mrs. Kelley, principal

Grade 3-5 students will take the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) and Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science (WCAS) tests this month. Each grade level will have three days of testing in English language arts (ELA) and two days in math. Fifth-graders will also take the one-day science test.

The schedule is below; please mark your calendars. Although we can provide make-up testing due to illness or emergency, we ask that students be on time each day, and that you avoid scheduling medical appointments or other absences on testing days. When students have to take make-up tests, they miss regular class time. As a reminder, students are not allowed to have access to cell phones and smart watches during testing, per state guidelines.

It’s important to keep these tests in perspective. They are an important snapshot of how students are doing in relation to standards. However, they are just one of many measures we use to plan how to help those who are struggling, and challenge those who are ready. We assess students all the time – whether informally, though observations and day-to-day student work, or formally, such as on unit tests.

Although these tests are important, they should not be a source of anxiety for students. By teaching our district-adopted curriculum, which is aligned to the standards, and by helping students learn the format of the tests and how to use Chromebooks, our teachers ensure that students will feel ready! You can help your child by:

• Ensuring a good night's sleep
• Providing a healthy breakfast -- or getting them to school with plenty of time to eat breakfast here
• Reminding them that their job is just to do their best to show what they know
• Letting their teacher know if you are concerned about test anxiety

More info on testing is at https://www.k12.wa.us/student-success/testing.

• Every Monday: Celebrate Motto Monday by wearing a Lowell shirt, or blue and white
  
• Thursday, May 2: Rainbow dress-up day
• Friday, May 3: 1:35 p.m. Learning Improvement Friday dismissal
• Thursday, May 9: PTA General Meeting, 6:00 p.m. in the library
  
• Friday, May 10: Popcorn Friday; 1:35 p.m. Learning Improvement Friday dismissal
  
• Monday, May 13: Class picture day
  
• Friday, May 17: 1:35 p.m. Learning Improvement Friday dismissal
  
• Monday, May 20: Culture dress-up day
  
• Thursday, May 23: Cultural Celebration family night, 5:00-7:00 p.m.
  
• Friday, May 24: Popcorn Friday; 1:35 p.m. Learning Improvement Friday dismissal
  
• Monday, May 27: No school for Memorial Day
  
• Friday, May 31: 1:35 p.m. Learning Improvement Friday dismissal
  

Looking for district calendars for the 2023-24 school year?:

• One-page calendar: English and Spanish
• Student art wall calendar: Full page and print/fold

We hope to see our families! Sign up to bring food and/or to help by clicking on the image.

June 9 is Lowell Night at the AquaSox! First pitch is at 4:05 p.m. against the Vancouver Canadians. Special activities this day include a Princess Party, with seven fairytale princesses out on the concourse pre-game visiting with fans. And stick around after the game for "Kids Run the Bases!" Parking is free in the south parking lot. Remember that Funko Field is a cashless facility.

All Lowell students earned a free ticket voucher for participating in the team's reading program earlier this school year. Families can enter their child’s voucher code into the discount box to get their child’s free ticket. The system can accept multiple vouchers if families have more than one child with a voucher. No ticket is necessary for toddlers or babies who are lap-sitting. The ticketing link is https://fevo-enterprise.com/event/Lowellelementary8.

P.E. with Mrs. Neyens

• Field Day will be June 18th from 1:15-2:30 p.m.
• Volunteers are needed in order to make Field Day possible. If you are interested, please fill out this interest form ASAP and Mrs. Neyens will get back to you soon. If you know of any high schoolers looking to get volunteer hours, please have them fill out the form as well. FORM: https://forms.gle/ytp2Z1cP4HiaL8P26
• District volunteer clearance is needed; visit https://www.everettsd.org/domain/1452.

STEAM with Ms. Johnson and Mrs. McHargue

In STEAM classes during the month of May, we will be focusing on art and engineering. During the first two weeks, students in kindergarten through second grade will be working on creating a mixed media art piece using watercolor, colored pencil, and oil pastels. Third- through fifth-graders will be working with air-dry clay to create small bowls. During the last two weeks, students in all grade levels will participate in an engineering design challenge.

Library with Mrs. Thompson

• This month we have been reading and celebrating POETRY! The students have enjoyed reading Shel Silverstein and other poets, and have created some poetry of their own!
• May is a busy month. We celebrate Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander culture this month. We will be reading great authors from this region, as well as learning about the many different contributions brought to our area by these cultures.
• On May 23, the library is hosting a family Cultural Celebration with food, exhibits and performances. Please join us as we learn about all the amazing cultures at Lowell from 5:00-7:00 p.m. You can sign up to help here.

Spirit wear storefront: Visit this site or click on the accompanying image to order Lowell spirit wear!

Newsletter and website:

• See the accompanying image for the May newsletter.
• Check out PTA's website here!

Next general meeting: 6:00 p.m. Thursday, May 9, in the library. Kids are welcome (there's child care), there will be free pizza, and you don't have to be a member to attend!

Save the date for Carnival: It's Friday, June 7 -- more details coming soon!

Interested in volunteering? There are lots of events coming up in the spring! 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!

How to join PTA: Just click here -- it's a fabulous way to support Lowell students and staff, and it doesn't mean you have to commit to volunteering.

Do you want to volunteer during the school day? Join Watch D.O.G.S! Watch D.O.G.S. is the safe school initiative of the National Center for Fathering that helps to create a more safe and secure learning environment in our nation’s schools. Watch D.O.G.S. volunteers are traditionally fathers and father figures, but Lowell Elementary encourages ALL parents and guardians who want to volunteer during the school day to join the program. Here are the steps to volunteer:

1. Become an approved Everett Public Schools volunteer. You can complete the process online here.
2. After you are an approved volunteer, please contact family support specialist Amy Watkins at awatkins@everettsd.org.
3. You will pick a time that works for you and enjoy a couple hours, a half-day, or a full day on the school's campus volunteering in classrooms, spending time out at recess, and being present in the school.

Child care support: In partnership with Opportunity Council, Snohomish County provides temporary child care tuition assistance to eligible families looking for work, participating in employment-related activities, or at risk of losing child care placement due to nonpayment. Eligibility requirements and more information are available here.

Basic needs resources: Does your family need assistance with items such as clothing and shoes, or food? We have resources to help, and/or we can help you connect with resources in the community! E-mail family support specialist Amy Watkins at awatkins@everettsd.org, or call her at 425-385-5373.

Here are some community resources you may want to take advantage of:

• Community Services Directory
  
• Modest Family Solutions
• Everett Free Meals

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. The attendance line phone is 425-385-5305.

Late arrivals/tardies: If arriving after 8:30 a.m., students must enter through the main entrance/office. If it's between 8:35 and 9:05 a.m., your student will be marked tardy. After 9:05, your student needs to be walked in by an adult, as they need to be signed in. This will ensure that their half-day absence 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. Classes are packing up and transitioning to dismissal areas between 2:40 and 2:50 p.m. (1:25 and 1:35 p.m. on Fridays), so we cannot guarantee that messages will get through during that time period. Please keep in mind that early dismissals of less than 30 minutes count as a tardy, and those of longer than 30 minutes count as a half-day absence.

We are using a new 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 five minutes prior to the scheduled stop time.

• Enter your student’s ID number in the username field.
• 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
  
• 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, select their name from the drop down list.
  
• In your phone settings, under Notifications, scroll to the Versatrans My Stop app and make sure:
• 1. Show notifications are in the on position.
• 2. Pop on screen is also in the on position.
• This will allow you to see any notification that Everett Public Schools sends through the Versatrans My Stop app.

Every month, our district has a variety of news items to share. See the attachments in both English and Spanish for this month's news:

• Community Resource Fair
• ECEAP Preschool accepting applications for 2024-25
• Smarter Balanced Assessments and Washington Comprehensive Assessment of Science testing
• Spring safety reminders
• Graduation dates
• Stay in touch with InTouch!
• What holidays do you observe?
• Safety tip line

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

Instagram: @epslowelles
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EPSLowellES
Twitter: @EPS_LowellES