The Sailor Signal
Cottage Lake Elementary - September 4, 2022
A Note from Ms. Welch
Welcome back to a wonderful school year. Last week was magical as we welcomed our Grade 1-5 students back to campus. The energy was alive and the smiles were abundant. I appreciate all the hard work of our staff members and we are so lucky you are sharing your children with us. I appreciate everyone helping to follow our school protocols and not having students on campus before 9:15 AM and reminding students to stay off the grass as it continues to seed. Thank you!
This coming week we finally get to complete our Sailor family! We welcome our youngest students to school. For our Kindergarten families, please remember on students with last names A-I attend Tuesday, last names J-Z on Wednesday, and then ALL our Kindergarten students on Thursday (and beyond). This is an exciting time for our students and our families!
Thank you for sharing your students with us and I'm looking forward to a great school year!
Take Care,
~ Jen Welch, Principal
Upcoming Events
- September 5 - No School - Observance of Labor Day
- September 7 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
- September 8 - PTA Ice Cream Social, 5:00-7:00 PM on the playground
- September 13 - Kindergarten Curriculum Night, 5:30-6:30 PM at Cottage Lake Elementary
- September 13 - Grade 4 Curriculum Night, 6:45-7:45 PM at Cottage Lake Elementary
- September 14 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
- September 15 - PTA Meeting, 7:00-8:00 PM in the Cottage Lake Elementary Library
- September 19 - Volunteer Training @ 10:00 AM at Cottage Lake Elementary
- September 19 - Grade 1 Curriculum Night, 5:30-6:30 PM at Cottage Lake Elementary
- September 19 - Grade 5 Curriculum Night, 6:45-7:45 PM at Cottage Lake Elementary
- September 20 - Grade 2 Curriculum Night, 5:30-6:30 PM at Cottage Lake Elementary
- September 20 - Grade 3 Curriculum Night, 6:45-7:45 PM at Cottage Lake Elementary
- September 21 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
- September 22 - Picture Day!
- September 23 - Volunteer Training @ 3:30 PM at Cottage Lake Elementary
- September 28 - Volunteer Training @ 12:00 PM at Cottage Lake Elementary
- September 28 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
•• New & Important Information ••
Volunteer Training
Welcoming volunteers into our school is an important part of our work to support our students. There are a few requirements our volunteers must follow.
- Yearly complete a new background check form
- All volunteers must complete a volunteer training with Ms. Welch, Principal
- All volunteers must be fully vaccinated.
If you have already attended a volunteer training with Ms. Welch, you do not need to attend another training. If you are new to Cottage Lake or you have not attended this training, we ask that you please attend the training before you volunteer at Cottage Lake. This training shares common information to all adults in our school and shares expectations as you work in classrooms or other supports around the school.
You do not need to register for the training. You can just show up. Below are the times we have scheduled volunteer training so far this school year. If there is not a time that works for you, please call the front office to find another time.
Volunteer trainings are scheduled for:
- September 19 @ 10:00 AM
- September 23 @ 3:30 PM
- September 28 @ 12:00 PM
- October 18 @ 3:30 PM
- October 21 @ 10:00 AM
- October 26 @ 12:00 PM
Avondale crossing change
Please know that if there is a person crossing Avondale and the crossing beacon stops traffic, cars may continue to turn right out of our driveway. I will also be working with Mrs. Sheldon, our new Safety Patrol lead to place two student crossing guards along the gate line in our parking lot to safely cross anyone who uses our new walkway and crossing beacon on Avondale.
Thank you for your patience as this project was completed.
News from Nurse Brittney
Welcome back to school, Sailors, and welcome to all the new and returning Cottage Lake families.
COVID Updates:
The Washington State Department of Health has provided new guidance for schools this Fall. Please see the Symptom and Exposure Flowchart for Schools (dated 8-16-2022) attached in this newsletter. The following guidance applies to all students, staff, and volunteers. Please see additional information on the district’s COVID information page.
- What if my child has symptoms? Students who have one or more symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, muscle or body aches, new loss of taste or smell, cough, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue, sore throat, congestion, or runny nose) are required to stay home and test for COVID-19. Home antigen tests are recommended. Individuals with one or more recent symptoms need a negative COVID test AND a significant improvement in symptoms prior to returning to school. You do not need to report negative tests to the school nurse.
- If your child wakes up in the morning with a new symptom, do NOT send your child to school to see if your child will feel better at school. Students who come to school with new symptoms or develop symptoms at school are required to be isolated and sent home.
- What if my child is exposed to COVID? Individuals who are exposed to COVID should monitor for symptoms, test frequently, and wear a mask around others. For exposures in the same household with continuous exposures, it is recommended to test every 24-48 hours until 5 days after the last positive household member’s isolation has ended. See page 2 of the Flowchart for more information.
- What kind of test should my child have? Antigen tests are recommended. Please be prepared with antigen test kits at home. In Washington state, you can receive free tests from the Say Yes! COVID Test program. Tests are also available at pharmacies, and most health insurance covers the costs of up to 8 self-tests per individual per month. You may have seen in the news that the federal program to provide free tests is ending, but the Washington state program is continuing. PCR testing is no longer provided through the district.
- Note that the expiration dates for iHealth antigen test have been extended by 3-6 months. You can use the iHealth website to find the expiration date of your kits.
- What if my child tests positive? Isolation is required for any positive COVID antigen or PCR test. Report a positive test to school nurse, Brittney Schlee at bschlee@nsd.org. Please report the date of the positive test and the date of the onset of symptoms, if present. Day zero is the onset of symptoms, or the date of positive test there are no symptoms. Five full days of isolation are required. See the Isolation and Quarantine Calculator for more information. If your child has improving symptoms and no fever, your child can return to school on day 6, but per district policy must wear a mask on days 6-10. There is no requirement to do a follow-up antigen test to return to school. If you choose to do a test towards the end of the full 5 days of isolation, and/or on days 6-10, and it is positive, your child is required to complete the 10 full days of isolation. There is no longer an option to test out of the mask requirement for days 6-10 with a negative test.
- How will I be notified of COVID cases at school? Parents can access information about COVID cases at school on the district COVID dashboard.
Other Illnesses
To avoid the spread of illness other than COVID, follow these guidelines when deciding whether your child is healthy enough for school. In addition to the COVID guidelines, if your child has any of the symptoms below, please keep him/her at home until the symptoms subside:
- APPEARANCE/BEHAVIOR: unusually tired, difficult to wake, pale, skin rash, lack of appetite; these are often signs of underlying illness.
- FEVER: temperature of 100 degrees or higher in the past 24 hours
- VOMITING/DIARRHEA: within the past 24 hours.
- RASH: Any rash of unknown cause should be considered contagious. Please have your child examined by a health care provider to determine the cause and communicability of the rash before sending him/her to school. The school may require a note from the health care provider stating that the rash is not contagious.
- Other: For other specific diseases or health difficulties it is always a good idea to contact the school nurse. We are happy to share information and resources anytime!
Students must be fever-free without fever-reducing medication and no vomiting/diarrhea for 24 hours before returning to school.
Medications at School
If your student will be taking any medication at school, please contact the school nurse. The Northshore School District recommends that medication be taken at home whenever possible. We recognize, however, that in some cases it is essential that medication be administered during the school day.
For the protection of all the students and to comply with Washington state law, the district has a policy and procedures in place for the handling of ALL medications in the schools.
In order for school staff to administer medication, the following conditions must be met:
- All medications, over-the-counter or prescription, need a current Northshore Medication Authorization Form signed by the student's health care provider and the parent or guardian.
- Medication must be delivered to the school health room or main office in a properly labeled prescription or original over-the-counter container. The student's name must be on the label with proper identification of the drug, dosage, and directions for administration.
Self-administration of medication by students also requires the nurse receive a Northshore Medication Authorization Form signed by the student's health care provider and the parent or guardian and authorization of self-administration. Not all medication can be self-administered.
Please do not put any kind of medicine, including Tylenol, vitamins, and cough drops in your child's lunch box, backpack or pockets. Unidentified medicine can never be given at school.
Please feel free to contact me at any time to discuss health concerns about your student.
Brittney Schlee, RN
School Nurse, Cottage Lake Elementary School
Health Room phone 425-408-4206; Main office FAX 425-408-4202
Email: bschlee@nsd.org
•• Repeat Information ••
Student Arrival information
- There will NOT be a before-school recess this year.
- Students should arrive on campus no earlier than 9:15 AM.
- Breakfast will be available between 9:15-9:35 AM
- If students arrive to campus through either of our side gates, students should walk straight to their class line-up location.
- If students arrive to campus by bus, students would wait in line, until a staff member comes out and invites students onto campus at 9:15 AM.
- If students arrive to campus by car, students will be greeted by adults in our car loop. Students should plan to exit their car on the passenger side of the car, whenever possible. Students then walk to their line-up location.
Student Dismissal Information
- If students are riding the bus home, students will line up in their bus lines and then the lines will be escorted to their bus.
- If students are riding home in a car, students will stand in the area between the main office and the cafeteria until their name is called to come forward to meet their car. (On the first day of school, we will distribute a bright sheet of paper that shares your family's last name. This should be displayed in the right order of your dash for car pick-up.) Student family members should stand together for pick-up.
- If students are being greeted by an adult to walk home, parents/guardians should meet their students on the walkway that is parallel to the front office. This is separate from the car pick-up area.
- If students are meeting parents/guardians at the back gate, students can walk to this location.
Picture Day Volunteers Still Needed
Required forms reminder
- WA State Attendance Letter
- Rights and Responsibilities Handbook
- Weapons Letter
- Student Housing Questionnaire
- Permission to Withhold Student Directory Information
I ask that you follow the instruction shared with each family and log into ParentVue to complete the forms for EACH of your students. Thank you for your attention to the forms.
Welcome to Kindergarten!
I'd like to welcome you to the 2022-2023 school year! This is an exciting time for you and your families. As we look to the beginning of the school year, I wanted to provide you with some very important dates to mark on your calendars. You will notice Kindergarten starts with family conferences and then we have staggard start days for students. This allows us the opportunity to learn about students before they start in our classroom and then on the staggard days, this provides us an opportunity to start small before all students are together. Please do review the dates below carefully.
Below you will find dates that pertain to the beginning of Kindergarten.
Monday, September 5, 2022 - NO SCHOOL - Labor Day observance
- Tuesday, September 6, 2022 - First Day of School for Kindergarten students with the LAST NAMES beginning with letters A-I. (Students attend this day but NOT on 9/7/2022)
Wednesday, September 7, 2022 - First Day of School for Kindergarten students with the LAST NAMES beginning with letters J-Z. (Students attend this day but NOT on 9/6/2022)
Thursday, September 8, 2022 - ALL Kindergarten students attend school together.
Please mark your calendars with the above information. After September 8, your student will follow the regular Northshore calendar for elementary-aged students. We are looking forward to welcoming our youngest Sailors!
Welcome to Cottage Lake!
Fall Curriculum Night dates and times
These curriculum nights are intended for parents and/or guardians only. There is no childcare provided for these events.
Tuesday, September 13
- Kindergarten @ 5:30-6:30 PM
- Grade 4 @ 6:45-7:45 PM
Monday, September 19
- Grade 1 @ 5:30-6:30 PM
- Grade 5 @ 6:45-7:45 PM
Tuesday, September 20
- Grade 2 @ 5:30-6:30 PM
- Grade 3 @ 6:45-7:45 PM
My goal is to achieve over 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!
•• PTA News ••
Cottage Lake PTA webpage
PTA event news
PTA Newsletter - The Foghorn
The PTA is excited to announce that The Foghorn Newsletter is back! This monthly newsletter will be a great way for the PTA to communicate the exciting activities and opportunities that are going to take place throughout the school year. Click on the link below to check it out.
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Ice Cream Social
Join us this Thursday, September 8, from 5-7 PM on the Cottage Lake playground for the Ice Cream Social! We hope to see you there.
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Fun Run, Walk & Roll - Registration is Open!
It’s GO time! Don’t wait to join!
The day is here! You can now register for our Cottage Lake Elementary Fun Run, Walk & Roll! Our goal is to raise $20,000 for student events, staff appreciation, school gardens, the library, assemblies, playground equipment, scholarships for enrichment activities, and more. Registering is easy and free!
⭐️ Register Now On MYBOOSTER.COM ⭐️
Be sure to check out the easy sharing functions on MYBOOSTER.COM to let others know how they can help support our school.
Thank you for working with us to make our school stronger. We are grateful for your support!
•• District News ••
School Meal Plan updates for 2022-23
The Northshore School District, like all others in the state, will again begin to charge for school lunch and breakfast at the start of this school year. This means families who apply for benefits and qualify for free or reduced-priced meals will continue to receive meals at no charge in 2022-23, and students who do not apply for or qualify for benefits will be charged at the paid meal price for breakfast and lunch when participating.
What can you do to prepare for this coming year?
- Reapply for benefits in August! Students need to qualify each school year for free or reduced-priced meals in order to continue receiving benefits. Applications will be available in August to apply for 2022-23 school year benefits. In addition to meals, those who qualify can also receive discounted or free school services including athletic fees, field trip fees, ASB fees, college application fees, and more!
- Set up a Titan Family Portal account. Be prepared for purchasing meals by opening a Titan Family Portal account where you can add money to your student's account, set up recurring payments, see purchases, set low-balance reminders, move money between siblings and even apply for benefits!
CLICK HERE to set up your Titan Family Portal account
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Below you will find the 2022-23 Meal Prices:
Elementary Breakfast
- Free & Reduced - $0.00
- Paid - $2.25
Elementary Lunch
- Free & Reduced - $0.00
- Paid - $3.75
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Below you will find additional updates from our Food and Nutrition department.
- FOOD & NUTRITION SERVICES
- All schools offer breakfast and lunch. Menus are available online along with nutritional information at nsd.org/meals. Milk is included in the price of a full meal. Cartons of milk can also be purchased separately.
- FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH
- Parents whose income falls within guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture should apply for free or reduced-price meals. Families must reapply each year to receive benefits for the current school year. All students who qualify for free, as well as those who qualify for reduced-price meals, will receive both breakfast and lunch at no charge. Applications are available after August 1. You can apply online or download an application at nsd.org/meals or pick up a paper application from your school or district’s Food and Nutrition Services offices. To have an application mailed to you, call Food and Nutrition Services at 425.408.7657.
- PAYING FOR SCHOOL MEALS
- Parents may pay online with Visa or MasterCard using a secure internet site called Titan School Solutions. To set up a Titan Family Portal account for making online payments, visit family.titank12.com. There is no charge for parents to register for a Titan account; however, there is a $2.60 convenience charge for each payment made online. Parents can also pay by cash or check (made out to Northshore School District) at the school. There is no fee for paying with cash or check. Checks should indicate “school meals” in the memo.
- LOW BALANCE NOTIFICATIONS/TRACKING MEAL BALANCES
- You can view your student’s meal account balance and cafeteria purchases and transfer money from one sibling to another at no charge on the Titan Family Portal online or with the mobile app at family.titank12.com. Families that have registered on the Titan Family Portal will receive a low-balance notification by email when their student’s account drops below $5.00. Families can also set custom low-balance notifications through Titan. Written low balance notices may also be sent home when the balance on the meal account is low. The notice will be placed in the teacher's box to be given to the student to take home.
- NEGATIVE BALANCE NOTIFICATIONS
- When a student account balance reaches the equivalent of negative two lunches, automated calls will be sent out from the Food & Nutrition Services Department to ensure notification of account standings. Regardless of account standing, students will always be offered a reimbursable breakfast and lunch at school and allowed to charge on a negative balance. Charging for a la carte purchases, including milk-only, extra entrees, or non-reimbursable meals, will not be permitted if a student's balance is negative. Unpaid meal charges must be paid in full when a student graduates or moves to a new school district.
Cottage Lake Elementary
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