Parent Newsletter

Hello Cedar Wood Families,

It has been a wonderful start to the school year, and it was nice to see so many parents at Curriculum Night last week. If you attended that evening, undoubtedly, there were many families and faces that were new to you. Like many it may have been a challenge to fit one more event into the busy fall family schedule. I want to thank those of you who were able for attending.

As parents, my wife Trish and I always enjoyed this time of year and the frenetic pace that came to our lives as our four children were involved in a myriad of activities. It often felt like our purpose in life was to be our children’s time organizers and Uber drivers. There were the various sports teams, the variety of clubs and activities and the wanting to go to a friend’s house that was seemingly always on the other side of town. We often found ourselves exhausted and not able to stretch ourselves in four different directions all at once.

One great take away from this era in our lives was the busier our children were the less likely they were to find ways to get into mischief. We also developed many friendships through meeting the parents of other children in the same activities. Over time, as our kids’ strong friendships developed with other kids with the same interests, we more often than not knew the parents of those kids. This proved invaluable as we kept a watchful eye out for our kids and who they were hanging out with. Through this knowledge we were able to steer our kids away from some potentially unhealthy friendships.

As the year progresses, I encourage you to know who your child is befriending and make sure to reach out and get to know the parent or guardian of the friend as well. It is always helpful to have many people watching out for each other’s children. Over time, who knows, you may end up with some new friends as well!

In partnership,

Kevin Allen

Hello Cedar Wood Families,

Welcome to the Counseling Corner. My name is Amy Famelos-Villars, I am one of the School Counselors at Cedar Wood Elementary School. I am excited to introduce my co-counselor, Jenny Muscatell, who will support Cedar Wood on Tuesdays. As school counselors we support students with their social-emotional, career, and academic development. We teach in classrooms, work with students in small groups, as well as meet with students individually when needed. Teaching skills for learning, empathy, emotional management, and problem solving are examples of some skills taught through the counseling program.

Not only do we support the needs of students, but we also support the needs of families. At Cedar Wood, we have programs for support with weekend food, clothing, shoes, toiletries, holiday support, school fees, backpacks, school supplies and dentistry. We can also connect you with community resources outside of school. Please reach out by phone or e-mail if you would like to learn more about any of these programs. Interpreters available upon request.

Bullying Prevention Unit: Grades 3, 4, and 5

As you may know, we are using the Second Step program in your child’s classroom. The Second Step program teaches children important skills for getting along with others and doing well in school. It also helps our school be a safe, respectful place where everyone can learn. To further help our school be a safe and respectful place, we are also going to use the Second Step Bullying Prevention Unit. The lessons will be taught in grades 3, 4, and 5 during the months of October and November. Your child will learn specific skills to help stop bullying.

Students will learn how to:

· Recognize when bullying is happening

· Report bullying to a caring adult

· Refuse to let bullying happen to themselves or others

· Be a bystander who stands up and is part of the solution to bullying

Families can get involved in making our school a safe and respectful place by letting us know if you hear about bullying at our school. Make sure your child knows to tell you or someone at school if he or she is being bullied. And give your child the clear message that it is never okay to bully others. If you have any questions about the Bullying Prevention Unit or the Second Step program, please contact the counselors. For more information on our school’s anti-bullying policy and specific procedures, check our school website under Counseling or contact the school counselor. Thank you for helping us make our school a safe, respectful place where everyone can learn.

If there is anything we can do to support your student or family this school year, please do not hesitate to reach out anytime. We are honored to serve as your Cedar Wood School Counselors. We look forward to working with your student(s) and family this year.

Thank you,

Amy and Jenny

Amy Famelos-Villars

afamelos@everettsd.org

425-385-7710

Workdays: M, W, Th, F

Jenny Muscatell

jmuscatell@everettsd.org

425-385-7710

Workdays: Tuesdays

• October 4, 18, 25 - Learning Improvement Fridays - 2:15p Dismissal
• October 10 - PTA Whale Walk (during lunch recesses)
• October 11 - Teacher Work Day - No School for Students
• October 23 - PTA Trunk or Treat/Book Fair Kick-Off
• November 4-5 - Parent-Teacher Conferences - No School for Students
• November 7- Hearing Screening, KK, 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th Grades
• November 8 - Early Release, 1p Dismissal
• November 11 - Veterans Day - No School
• November 27-29 - Thanksgiving Break - No School

Everett Public Schools' cell phone policy: What families and students need to know:

Did you know Everett Public Schools implemented our cell phone policy and procedures in 2019? The policy, which is designed to support an engaging learning environment, applies to cell phones as well as all personal electronic devices (PEDs), such as earbuds and smart watches. Below is a breakdown of what families and students need to know as we start the school year.

ELEMENTARY Students:

• During the school day: Cell phones and PEDs will be turned off and stored in backpacks. Students should not use cell phones and PEDs during the school day.
• Communicating with your child during the school day: If a student needs to contact a parent/guardian, they can do so through the school office. Likewise, parents/guardians can call the office for any urgent messages.
• Disciplinary action: If a cell phone/PED is seen or used during the day, school staff will hold it and return it to the student at the end of the school day. Repeated violations may lead to further consequences.

Cell Phone/PEDs District Policy can be viewed in the Student Handbook: https://www.everettsd.org/Page/4822

Please see the items below for: Attendance, Breakfast, Morning Drop-off, Lost & Found, and Transportation.

ATTENDANCE

When reporting an absence for your child(ren), please SEND AN EMAIL TO: CWEAttendance@everettsd.org or CALL THE ATTENDANCE VOICEMAIL line at 425-385-7705. You may include your child’s teacher on this email as well.

It is recommended to include the teacher in your email. The school office is very busy in the morning and we may not be able to respond to your call in a timely fashion. Please call or email the attendance line.

Your email or voicemail message should include the following information:

Student first and last name

Student ID

Date(s) absent

Reason for the absence

Parent/Guardian name

Parent/Guardian phone number (for verification)

When sending an email, please make sure you are sending the email from the email that is on record with the school.

The absence email and attendance reporting information are located on Cedar Wood’s website here: https://www.everettsd.org/domain/1616, or you can scroll below the revolving headlines and click on Attendance Reporting to the far left.

Planned Absence forms are also available on Cedar Wood’s website here: https://www.everettsd.org/Page/23561

Please complete these forms and return to the school office at least a week before the student will be absent. You may also scan/email this form to CWEAttendance@everettsd.org

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You may also use CWEAttendance@everettsd.org (and include your child's teacher) to let us know about:

Change in your child’s mode of transportation at the end of the day

Please send these emails: Mon-Thur. before 2:30p, or Fri before 1:30p. If you missed the email cut-off time, please call the office 425-385-7700 between 2:30-3:15p (M-Th) or 1:30-2:00p (F). We will relay the information to your child’s teacher.

Please, DO NOT WALK DOWN TO THE BUS AREA AT DISMISSAL and ask for your child. Come to the office and let us know they will not be taking the bus and we will radio school staff to have your child walk to the office to meet you.

Late arrival to school and/or early pick-up from school

Please send an email if your child will be late to school or will be getting picked up early from school. For early pick-ups, plan to arrive with enough time to allow your child to walk to the office. Children will not be waiting in the front office, and some classrooms are located further away from the office and students can take longer to get to the office.

BREAKFAST & MORNING DROP-OFF

Breakfast is at 8:45am. Students enter the cafeteria through the back side door of the cafeteria.

If students are not having breakfast, students may line up at the undercover play area at 8:50am. Students should not be on campus before 8:50 a.m. (unless having breakfast or participating in a school program/event) as there is no adult supervision in the undercover play area until 8:50am.

LOST & FOUND

Our “Lost & Found” clothes rack will be rolled out before and after school near the front office. Students will also have the opportunity to check for items as they walk into the Cafeteria for lunch.

To keep personal belongings out of Lost & Found, PLEASE LABEL your child’s jackets, sweatshirts, lunch boxes and water bottles, etc. If there is a tag on a jacket/sweatshirt, please use a Sharpie marker or pen to label your child’s first name and last initial. For lunch boxes and water bottles, please label with a Sharpie marker.

Items left after a month, will be donated to local charities.

TRANSPORTATION

If you are needing information regarding your child(ren)’s bus, please contact the Transportation Office at (425) 385-4144.