The Sailor Signal

SEPTEMBER

• September 16 - Curriculum Night #1
• ..... 5:30-6:30 PM - Grade 1
• ..... 6:45-7:45 PM - Grades 4/5 (all three classrooms)
• September 17 - Curriculum Night #2
• ..... 5:30-6:30 PM - Grade K
• ..... 6:45-7:45 PM - Grades 2, 2/3, & 3 (all three classrooms)
• September 18 - Volunteer Training @ 10:30 AM
• September 18 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
• September 19 - PICTURE DAY!
• September 20 - Volunteer Training @ 3:15 PM
• September 20 - PTA's Ice Cream Social, 5:30-7:00 PM
• September 23 - Volunteer Training @ 3:15 PM
• September 25 - Volunteer Training @ 12:00 PM/Noon
• September 25 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
• September 30 - Volunteer Training @ 10:30 AM

OCTOBER:

• October 2 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
• October 4 - Student Council meeting @ 8:45 AM
• October 8 - PTA's Fun Run, Walk & Roll
• October 8 - PTA Meeting, 7:00-8:00 PM
• October 9 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
• October 16 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
• October 18 - PTA's Popcorn Friday
• October 23 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
• October 24 - Picture Retake Day
• October 25 - PTA's Monster Mash, 6:00-8:00 PM
• October 30 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM

The connection with our families is a critical component of your student's success. One way we do this is through our annual curriculum nights. This is a time for adults to come to school to listen and learn from your child's classroom teacher about their classroom, the curriculum used, and other specific ways you can support your student.

These curriculum nights are intended for parents and/or guardians only. There is no childcare provided for these events.

• Monday, September 16

  • Grade 1 @ 5:30-6:30 PM
  • Grade 4/5 @ 6:45-7:45 PM

  
  

  Tuesday, September 17

  • Grade K @ 5:30-6:30 PM
  • Grade 2, 2/3 & 3 [all three classrooms] @ 6:45-7:45 PM

My goal is to achieve at least 95% attendance at these curriculum nights, though I always strive for 100%. If at least one parent can attend, we sure appreciate that! Thank you for your support!

Individual pictures are this Thursday September 19th. Please send in your picture packet with your child on picture day or scan the QR Code to order individual pictures. Thank you

We are not allowed to issue bus passes yet per the transportation department.

Information located in the "Other Information" section of the transporation FAQ website.

Please let us know if you have additional questions. We hope that in October, we are able to start issuing bus passes.

Frequently Asked Questions - Northshore School District

How do I get a Bus Pass for my student?

Load counts on buses can not be assessed until all eligible riders have had the opportunity to ride their bus. Student enrollment has increased which puts school buses at or close to capacity. Therefore, Bus Passes will not be approved for the first month and a half of school until we are able to properly assess available seats. Beginning in November please contact your school to inquire about available daily bus passes. If your school indicates there is room for your student supply the school office with a parent-signed note.

Attention families in Grades 3, 4, and 5!

We are pleased to launch our Cross Country season this coming week. There will be an information session for students on Monday, September 16 in the gym. If students are interested in being part of our Cross Country team this school year, please visit the link below for further information, the registration paperwork and information on how to pay the $45 participation fee.

• 2024-25 Cross Country packet

Below are some details about Cross Country:

• Cross Country is available to students in Grades 3-5.
• Families must complete registration paperwork and pay the $45 participation fee.
• Practices will occur during lunch recess, 12:00-12:30 PM.
• There will be 4 meets this year. Meets are on Tuesdays @ 4:45 PM and Cottage Lake's home meet will be on October 15.
• Online registration parents/guardians will need an Intouch username and password. If you do not already have this please contact your school office. Thank you

We are looking forward to a great season!

Each year in Northshore schools, students in grades Kindergarten, 1, 2, 3, and 5 receive hearing and vision screening. Our scheduled date is Monday, September 23, 2024. If you would like to exempt your child from either of these health screenings, please contact the school nurse at bschlee@nsd.org.

It is important to understand that these are basic screenings and are designed to identify students who may require further testing. They are not intended to replace regular exams by qualified health care providers. A student who does not pass either the hearing or vision screening will be rechecked in a few weeks, and you will be notified only if there are concerns after the second screening.

Vision screening uses the PlusOptix. The PlusOptix is an autorefractor that takes a measurement of the refraction of the eyes. The results reflect a baseline refraction measurement. The illumination technique used by Plusoptix, is totally harmless to the child's eyes. If your child wears glasses or contact lenses for distance or near vision, please be sure they have them on the screening day.

If your child has a hearing loss and is being followed by a healthcare provider or specialist and you do not wish for them to participate in the screening, please let the school nurse know. If you have concerns about hearing loss and school accommodations, contact your student’s teacher or the school nurse.

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

We are still looking for volunteers to assist with our vision and hearing screenings on September 23rd from 9:15-11:30. Please contact the school nurse at bschlee@nsd.org if you are interested in volunteering.

There are many illnesses that can be passed around at school. Please make sure to keep your student home if they are sick. Keeping a sick child home can help protect our vulnerable populations, such as children and adults with severe asthma and those with compromised immune systems. If you are unsure when to keep your child home, please refer to the NSD website under Health Services.

COVID-19 Updates

If you are sick or test positive for a respiratory virus, it is important to take steps to help prevent the spread of the virus to others in the community. Stay home and away from others, get tested if accessible, and get treatment if you are eligible.

Take Steps to Avoid Spreading COVID-19 and Other Respiratory Viruses

If you have respiratory virus symptoms that are not better explained by another cause or test positive for COVID-19 or another respiratory virus, follow CDC guidance for staying home and away from others; this includes people you live with who are not sick.

The current CDC guidance states that you can go back to your normal activities when both of the following have been true for at least 24 hours:

• Your symptoms are getting better overall, and
• You have not had a fever (and are not using fever-reducing medication).

When you return to your normal activities, wear a mask and take added precautions for the next 5 days.

Ahoy Sailor Families!

Library is off to a spectacular start, students are excited to be back to finding their favorite books and discovering what’s new!

I am happy to announce that the library will now be open Tuesday-Friday mornings from 9:15-9:25 for returns, check out, and reading only. On Tuesdays and Thursdays during lunch recess, students can also come in and get creative with maker stations! It’s going to be a fantastic year, stay tuned for more info on other happenings in CL Library, including Book Fair Dec. 2-6! If you have any questions or are interested in volunteering, please feel free to email me at azager@nsd.org. You can also find more info on our library website: https://sites.google.com/apps.nsd.org/cl-library/

Happy Reading! 😊

This is an annual reminder that food treats are NOT allowed to celebrate birthdays. This is a building-wide decision.

Your child's teacher will share their plan for how birthdays are celebrated in class during Curriculum Night or other classroom communication. Please do not send any treats (food or goody bags) for the class on birthdays. Invitations for birthday celebrations should not be distributed at school, unless you are inviting the entire class. If birthday treats are brought to school, we will share that the treats could be taken back home or placed in our staff lounge.

Lastly, each classroom usually plans two parties during the school year. Teachers will communicate information about class parties in their classroom newsletters.

Attention NEW to Cottage Lake families,

At Cottage Lake, we hold Volunteer Trainings for all adults working at our school. These are similar to the district volunteer video/training, but specific to Cottage Lake. I ask that each adult who volunteers at Cottage Lake to participate in the training once while I am the Principal. During this training, I will note specifics about supporting students at Cottage Lake and volunteering in general. Parents do not need to sign-up or register for a training. Each training will run approximately 30 minutes in length.

The Volunteer Trainings that have been scheduled so far this school year are:

• September 18 @ 10:30 AM
• September 20 @ 3:15 PM
• September 23 @ 3:15 PM
• September 25 @ 12:00 PM/Noon
• September 30 @ 10:30 AM

Parents do not need to attend multiple trainings; you need to attend one if you are new to Cottage Lake.

Below you will find the link to our district's lunch menus and nutrition information. We typically have three lunch choices per day, with one option being vegetarian. Breakfast and Lunch are available daily for a fee.

Please visit the website below for more information.

https://www.nsd.org/schools/get-started/food-services/menus

We cannot run this school without our fabulous volunteers!

• If you completed your volunteer paperwork last year, please know you must renew that each year.
• If you are new to Northshore and Cottage Lake and would like to volunteer in the classroom or attend a field trip with your child, you will need to complete a short virtual class and background check. We welcome all parents, guardians, and grandparents to volunteer and become active members of our school community! This process only takes minutes to complete, but we want to share there is a small cost associated with the background check.

If you would like to attend any off-campus events with your student (s), you will need a Level 2 volunteer approval. Please know your active volunteer status is good in all Northshore schools.

Volunteer information: https://www.nsd.org/get-involved/volunteer

Families whose income falls within specified guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture should apply for free or reduced-price meals for their students. Don't forget – families must re-apply every year.

If you qualify for free or reduced-price meals you may also qualify for:

• School fee waivers – a fee waiver form must be completed.

• Other services such as health insurance – contact your school nurse for more information.

The online application only takes a few minutes and is the fastest, easiest way to get approved.

Aug. 20, 2024

Dear Northshore Families,

Annually, the District provides parents/guardians with notifications that must be acknowledged, including:

• Washington State Attendance Letter

• Rights and Responsibilities Handbook

• Weapons Letter

• Student Housing Questionnaire

• Tech Use Agreement

• Meningococcal/HPV Letter (Secondary Only)

• Permission to Withhold Student Directory Information (optional form)

Parents/guardians who have not already acknowledged the notifications in ParentVUE will be required to complete them before they can access student grades and other information. If you need help with this process, please review this step-by-step guide on the District website. Your school office may also be a helpful resource and could provide either a device to acknowledge these electronically or print copies, if needed.

We ask that parents/guardians log in to ParentVUE today to view these notices. If you have never logged into ParentVUE, you will find instructions on how to do so when you click the ParentVUE link above. Once logged in, you will be prompted to download, read, and take action for each of the notices listed. Additionally, secondary students will be prompted to download, read, and acknowledge the Rights and Responsibilities Handbook when they log in to StudentVUE. Families with elementary students are encouraged to review the handbook together in ParentVUE with their students. Again, please refer to this website for the step-by-step guide to completing these notices. These must be completed no later than Oct. 15, 2024.

If you have any questions about these notices, please contact Student Services at (425) 408-7725 or by email at studentsvcs@nsd.org.

Please join us on the Cottage Lake Elementary playground on Friday, September 20th for a school year kick-off with sweet treats from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Your PTA will have a variety of frozen goodies on hand, including some non-dairy options. Come bring the kids together, meet other families and learn more about some of the exciting events the PTA has in store for our school this year, plus ways you can get involved! We hope to see you there!

We're excited to introduce this year's main fundraiser, the Sailor Fun Run, Walk & Roll. Our goal this year is to raise $20,000 for student events and enrichment, staff appreciation, school garden, our library, playground equipment, scholarships for enrichment activities, and support for teachers' rainy day funds to benefit ALL students at Cottage Lake Elementary.

We’re excited for this fundraising experience because it offers 3 important things to our school community:

1️⃣ User-friendly fundraising platform

2️⃣ Character enrichment program

3️⃣ Fitness-focused event that includes ALL of our students

As a family, you will work together asking friends and family to donate on your student’s Donation Page at MyBooster.com. The best part is, you can still support our school just by SHARING about the fundraiser!

Students will also experience an amazing character enrichment program called “Castle Quest”, teaching students about how to be brave and live with character.

Key Dates to Remember:

💻 Sign up online at MyBooster.com – Registration is open and you can sign up today!

🎉 Fundraiser Kickoff in school – 09/25/2024

👟 Event Day – 10/08/2024

More details to come! Follow our social pages for updates on our fundraiser.

We are looking for art docent volunteers! Art docents prepare and teach a monthly art lesson in the classroom. Training and project lessons are provided, no art background is needed. Commitment levels are flexible! Sign-up at https://forms.gle/QQUfybzkziQghmDZ6. Contact Marie Engstrom, artdocent@cottagelakepta.org with any questions.

⚓Why should you join?⚓

At Cottage Lake Elementary School, the PTA plays a crucial role in supporting academic needs, advocating for your child’s health and safety, and enhancing the overall quality of education. By becoming a member, you help us provide essential resources, address key issues, and build a more inclusive and connected school community. Your participation, even as a single new member, makes a significant impact. We invite you to join us and see how much more we can accomplish together!

• Membership is valid for the 2024 - 2025 school year.
• Volunteering is not required, and it can look different for everyone. Whether you choose to contribute time or service in a way that fits your schedule, your involvement is always appreciated
• Each membership fee contributes $10 to the Cottage Lake PTA, with the remaining funds going to Washington State National PTA dues and Northshore Council fees, which help sustain our PTA’s framework.

✨Don't forget! If your company has an Employee Donation Match program, you can have your membership fee matched. Just include Cottage Lake Elementary PTA in your donation submissions!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN - https://wspta-00023195.givebacks.com/store?limit=21&live=true

You can stay up to date with our PTA by reading through newsletters I send, but you can also visit their website: https://www.cottagelakepta.org. We are looking for a great year of partnership ahead.

At Cottage Lake Elementary, it is our united mission to build a safe, engaging, and inclusive environment of resilient lifelong learners. In partnership with our vibrant community, we embrace our diversity and strive to foster trust and kindness.

Email: jwelch@nsd.org
Website: https://cottagelake.nsd.org/
Location: 15940 Avondale Road Northeast, Woodinville, WA, USA
Phone: 425-408-4200