Dear Penny Creek Families,

As safety is an ongoing priority in schools, I want to provide some updates on things we are doing to support safety at Penny Creek. First, you may have noticed that new fencing and new gates have been installed throughout the front of the school and the covered play shed area. The new fencing is much taller. It also has locked gates that we open during arrival and dismissal and keep locked at all other times. Fencing and a gate were also added by the kitchen area loading dock eliminating walk through access to this area of the campus.

Additionally, we recently held a lockdown drill during a second-grade recess. We wanted to prepare our students and staff to know how to enter a lockdown quickly while at lunch and/or on the playground. We invited our Director of Safety, Chris Ferreira to observe and provide feedback. I am pleased to report that Director Ferreira stated our students and staff did an excellent job and that our practice can serve as a model for other schools. We will continue to hold safety drills each month and plan to practice another similar drill prior to the year’s end.

Lastly, Director Ferreira will provide safety training to our entire staff during an ALIF this February. He will provide us the latest information on our Run, Hide Fight drill, as well as lockdown and/or lockout drills.

Please, if you have questions regarding these topics, do not hesitate to reach out to Mrs. Kirkpatrick or myself.

Sincerely,

Marti Shefveland

Principal

MShefveland@everettsd.org

ARRIVAL: supervision will begin at 8:50 a.m.

Parent drop off/pick up (Ferry Lanes) - drive up while remaining in the car.

• This is supervised until 9:10 a.m.
• Enter the parking lot through the west entrance.
• Turn right into the Parent drop off/pick up lane loop.
• Follow the Parent drop off/pick up lane around in front of the gym. Pulling forward to the undercover playground area.
• Stay in the right lane, making sure to drive slowly.
• Driver remains in the car.
• When the car comes to a complete stop, the student unloads from the passenger curb side door.
• Students will walk through the undercover area and on to the campus.
• Driver departs from the Parent drop off/pick up (ferry lanes) by following the lane to the west exit on to 132nd Street SE.

Parking car at main parking lot and drop off student.

• Park car in main parking lot and walk on to campus using the crosswalk.
• Parents walk students to the front iron gate drop off point by the office (blue area on map).

Arrival after 9:15 a.m. - park your vehicle and walk your student into the office to sign them in. Students arriving after 9:15 a.m. will be tardy.

DISMISSAL: begins at 3:30 p.m.

Parent drop off/pick up (Ferry Lanes) - drive up & pick up while remaining in the car.

• This is supervised until 3:45 p.m.
• Enter the parking lot through the west entrance.
• Turn right into the Parent drop off/pick up lane loop. There are three ferry style lanes to wait in.
• Penny Creek staff member will release each ferry lane in an orderly manner.
• When the lane is released, follow the Parent drop off/pick up line to the front of the undercover playground area.
• Make sure to drive slowly and to pull as far forward as possible. Students will be waiting in the undercover area.
• Driver remains in the car.
• When the car comes to a complete stop, the student will load into the car from the passenger curb side door.
• Driver departs from the Parent drop off/pick up by following the lane to the west exit on 132nd Street SE.

Parking car at main parking lot to pick up students at departure time.

• Park car in main parking lot and walk on to campus using the crosswalk.
• Parents wait for students to be released from the doors located between Office and Kindergarten Playground (green area on map).

Friday, February 3

• First Semester Ends

• Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.

Monday, February 6

• NO School (Teacher Work Day)

Thursday, February 9

• PTA Bingo for Books

Friday, February 10

• PCE Spirit Day - Sports Team Day
• PTA Popcorn Friday during lunches
• Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.

Monday, February 13

• PTA General Meeting - Library at 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, February 14

• Please remember to vote by today, February 14

Friday, February 17

• Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.

Monday, February 20 - Tuesday, February 21

• NO School (Mid-Winter Break)

Thursday, February 23

• Natural Leaders Festival of Cultures 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Friday, February 24

• Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.

and... a look ahead:

• Wednesday, March 1 - Vision Screening
• Thursday, March 2 - Class Group Picture Day
• Friday, March 3 - Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.
  
• Friday, March 10 - PTA Popcorn Friday
• Friday, March 10 - Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.
  
• Thursday, March 16 - Natural Leaders Meeting - Library at 6:00 p.m.
• Friday, March 17 - Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.
• Thursday, March 23 - 2nd & 3rd Grade Music Concert - Henry M. Jackson HS at 6:30 p.m.
• Friday, March 24 - Early Release. Students dismissed at 1:00 p.m.
• Monday, March 27 - Friday, March 31 - Parent/Teacher Conference Week. Early Release all week. Students dismissed at 1:00 p.m.
• Monday, March 27 - Friday, March 31 - PTA Book Fair during Conferences
• Thursday, March 30 - Evening Parent/Teacher Conferences (Book Fair open)
• Monday, April 3 - Friday, April 7 - Spring Break (No School)

Will your child be 5 years old by August 31? On March 6, you can complete your child’s online enrollment for kindergarten. An easy and quick process as detailed in the step-by-step parent walkthrough video available in multiple languages on our website www.everettsd.org/kindergartenenrollment. You can also enroll in-person at your neighborhood school.

Enrolling early in March will ensure invitations to your school’s kindergarten events and participation in Everett Ready, a transition-into-kindergarten program offered for one week in August to all enrolled kindergarteners.

A Kindergarten Enrollment - Kick-Off Webinar will be held on Thursday, February 23, 2023, from 6:00 to 7:00 pm. Join us to meet the Superintendent and learn about Kindergarten in EPS. Information with a link to the webinar will be available on our website www.everettsd.org and www.everettsd.org/kindergarten by February 15.

EPS offers the following Choice Programs beginning in kindergarten– early enrollment is recommended as space is limited. Click on the links to receive additional information on the programs:

• Lighthouse Cooperative – Housed at Jefferson Elementary School

This K-5 program features standard district curriculum with an overlay of parent involvement via weekly classroom volunteering and support for enrichment activities such as field trips and parent-led specialty lessons.

• Dual Language Spanish Immersion Program – Located at Emerson Elementary School

Students are immersed in the Spanish language and culture with the majority of instruction being in Spanish. Priority will be given to students within the Emerson Elementary school attendance area. If a high number of students apply, a lottery will be conducted to select students.

• Port Gardner Parent Partnership – located on Sequoia High School Campus

Parents/guardians are the primary educators of their children with support from classroom teachers in order to access curriculum materials and resources.

We are looking forward to welcoming you and your student to kindergarten!

If your student is absent or tardy from school, please email the attendance office at pceattendance@everettsd.org to let us know the reason for the absence or tardy. There is also a direct link on our webpage at: https://www.everettsd.org/pennycreek

• Absences must be reported (by email or note) within 30 calendar days after a student returns back to school, not including Holidays or weekends, in order to have the absence excused. Emails or notes turned in past the 30-day timeframe will be accepted; however, the absence is not excused and will be coded as such.
• Automated attendance calls will be sent out daily at 10 a.m. If your student will be absent or tardy you must notify the office before 9:15 a.m. If it is reported after this time you may receive the automated call.
• Please view the Everett School District Attendance Procedure 3122P for more information (including definitions of absences).
• Did you have a medical appointment for your child, or they were sick, and you brought them to the doctor? If so, make sure to ask for a medical note from the provider. Email the note to the attendance office so those absences can be coded as a medical note excused absence.
• Please fill out a Prearranged Absence Form if your student will be going on vacation/traveling or will miss school for an extended period of time. As per district policy, the principal or designee may excuse up to five (5) school days for a prearranged absence per student each school year.

Hi PCE Families,

We hope to see you at our Bingo for Books event on February 9 at 6 p.m. for some FUN! Every child who plays will get a book! Doors open at 5:45pm in the PCE Cafeteria. We will also have concessions available for purchase.

Our next PTA general meeting is February 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the PCE Library. We will be discussing upcoming events and OPEN board member and lead positions for 2023-2024 year.

Upcoming PTA Events

• February 9 – Bingo for Books
• February 10 – Popcorn Friday
• February 10 – Smile Ads Yearbook Deadline
• February 13 – PTA General Meeting
• March 3 – Yearbook Orders Due Date

Contact us via Email, view more information on our Website, and follow us on Facebook

If the plan how your student is going home at the end of the school day, we ask that a guardian sends an email to the school office at PennyCreek@everettsd.org and the classroom teacher by 2:45 pm.

Please include in your email message:

• name of your student
• name of their teacher
• details of the the change of plan

Our office will deliver this information to your student. This method of communication helps to support our staff with accurate dismissal information.

If your student needs to leave before the end of the school day, email the school office at PennyCreek@everettsd.org in advance. Please include in your email message:

• The specific DATE
  
• The TIME you will pick up your student. Please know, we will call your student to the office once you have arrived to the school.
  
• WHO will be picking up your student. If an adult designee is coming to pick up your student, an email from the guardian needs to be sent to confirm the information.

For the safety and security of students, we will ask for photo identification.

Our Everett Public Schools February newsletter is attached below. These monthly articles connect all of our families with information pertaining to all of our schools/programs. Please select the "Download" link to view.