Lowell Leopard News
February 2023
From the Principal
Welcome to February! This week, we begin the second semester – which means that we are halfway through the school year. We still have so many opportunities ahead of us for learning and for fun!
Over the next week or so, students are finishing up winter assessments that help us see their progress since the school year started, and teachers are preparing first semester progress reports that will be coming home to you mid-month, along with i-Ready growth reports. Please reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any questions about those documents. This month, our multilingual learners also begin taking the annual WIDA ACCESS assessment.
Do you read to or with your child at home? There are so many benefits to reading out loud together -- check out the accompanying image for some of them. Even if you have just a few minutes each day, it's a great routine. And, the benefits are the same no matter what language you read in, and no matter who reads out loud (you, your child, or a combo).
This will be a busy month for family events, too, and we hope you will join us:
- Goodies with Guardians free family breakfast: 7:30-8:00 a.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, in the cafeteria.
- PTA General Meeting: 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, in the cafeteria (you don’t have to be a member to attend, and there will be free pizza).
- PTA Valentine Date Night drop-off event on Tuesday, Feb. 14 – see the attachment for info, and note that sign-ups are due by Thursday, Feb. 9.
- Lowell Elementary Night at the Imagine Children’s Museum: 6:00-7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24. More info is coming soon on this free event; pre-registration will be required for those families wanting free pizza, though not for museum entry.
I'd like to share two important reminders for those of you who use the car line at arrival and/or dismissal:
- If your dog joins you in the car, please make sure they are secured as your child is entering or exiting the vehicle. We'd hate to have them run out, and we like to have students entering or exiting vehicles as quickly as possible to keep the line moving.
- You can help our loading at the end of the day by having your student's name and grade written on a piece of paper and placed on your dash. Nothing fancy here – any paper will do, but please write large. When we have support staff who don’t know your car, it will help the car line move up quicker. If you have a name card already, we thank you!
Have a great month, and please be sure to reach out with any questions or needs!
Mrs. Kelley, principal
- The American Heart Association's Kids Heart Challenge continues all month -- see more info in Ms. Neyens' section below, which includes the website and QR code.
- Feb. 6: No school -- staff work day
- Feb. 8: Decades Dress Up Day
- Feb. 9: Goodies with Guardians free family breakfast, 7:30-8:00 a.m.; PTA meeting in the cafeteria, 6:00 p.m. (free pizza)
- Feb. 10: Popcorn Friday and 1:35 p.m. dismissal for Learning Improvement Friday
- Feb. 14: PTA-sponsored event: Valentine's Night Out
- Feb. 15: Annual vision screening for all students
- Feb. 17: 1:35 p.m. dismissal for Learning Improvement Friday
- Feb. 20 & 21: No school -- midwinter break
- Feb. 24: Popcorn Friday; 1:35 p.m. dismissal for Learning Improvement Friday; Children's Museum Night, 6:00-7:30 p.m.
Coming to kindergarten next fall?
Do you have a child who will start kindergarten next fall? Come to Kindergarten Kick Off! This is a virtual information session for families scheduled for 6:00-7:00 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23. To access the webinar, go to the Welcome to Kindergarten web page and click on the Zoom link found under Kindergarten Kick-Off and Enrollment. Interpreters will be available for our top five languages. Families will have an opportunity to meet the superintendent, receive enrollment information and learn about kindergarten, choice programs, transportation, communications, food and nutrition, as well as other topics or concerns. Kindergarten registration begins March 6 online or in our office. Please share this info with friends or neighbors who may have incoming kindergarten students and are new to the Lowell community!
P.E. with Mrs. Neyens
January was all about healthy choices using myplate.gov. We learned about food groups, nutrients and even food labels for third through fifth grade. As we move into February, we begin the Kids Heart Challenge! This is a fundraiser for the American Heart Association. Students and families will learn about heart health and how to help those with special hearts, all while having tons of fun! Our activities in the gym during P.E. will center around heart health. You can join the challenge for FREE anytime this month. There are plenty of online activities to complete as a family, including learning hands-only CPR. Last year we raised $9,500 for the American Heart Association. Our goal this year is to surpass $12,000! Let's go, Lowell Leopards!
Next general meeting: We hope you will join us for our next PTA meeting at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 9, in the cafeteria. You don't have to be a member to attend, and kids are welcome! There will be free pizza.
Valentine Date Night drop-off event: See the attachment below Mrs. Kelley's message for more info on this Feb. 14 event, and note that sign-ups are due by Thursday, Feb. 9.
PTA calendar: Please see the attached calendar for PTA events coming up this year! You can join PTA here -- it's a fabulous way to support Lowell students and staff!
Watch D.O.G.S.: Consider signing up to be a Watch D.O.G.S. volunteer here. This is a great way to be involved in our school. Though this program was originally created to encourage dads and other father figures to get involved, we'll take anyone! For questions, e-mail Amber McPartland at amcpartland@everettsd.org.
Parent Leadership Training Institute: Do you want to be more involved in the community? Registration is open for the free virtual spring 2023 Parent Leadership Training Institute (PLTI) in both English and Spanish. The PLTI is a free 12-week leadership course for parents, guardians, grandparents, community members and anyone working with families. The goal of the PLTI is to increase community engagement in civic matters, public education, and youth development. Classes begin Saturday, Feb. 25, and continue every Thursday from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. and every Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to noon. Parents learn leadership and public speaking skills, how to understand and navigate systems, and work towards developing a community project to benefit their schools or communities. You can register here.
Health insurance: Community Health Plan of Washington’s Apple Health offers many benefits -- check out the attachment, which lists them in both English and Spanish. More info is available here.
Tax filing help: Free tax return filing assistance is available at a variety of Snohomish County locations. Check out the attached flier!
- Kindergarten enrollment for next year starts March 6
- Access school and district "report cards" online
- Calendar reminder: No school Feb. 20-21
- High school and middle school summer academy
- Crosswalk safety reminder
- Online safety tips
- National school counseling week
- Special education PTSA
- Don't forget to vote Feb. 14
How to reach us
Email: ekelley@everettsd.org
Website: https://www.everettsd.org/lowelles
Location: 5010 View Drive, Everett, WA, USA
Phone: 425-385-5300
Facebook: facebook.com/LowellEPS
Twitter: @EPS_LowellES