The Sailor Signal
Cottage Lake Elementary - September 11, 2022
A Note from Ms. Welch
Welcome to our first full week of the school year. I am so thankful to have all our students back at school this year! I am so impressed how each of our students is supporting each other and our students continue to demonstrate all the SAIL expectations around the school. For our new families, we show SAIL expectations by: S-Show Respect, A-Act Safely, I-show Individual Responsibility, and L-be Learning Ready. Be on the lookout for Sailor Slips that come home to celebrate adults at school recognizing our students demonstrating these expectations.
This coming week begins our days of Curriculum Night events for families. These events are intended for parents to learn about curriculum focus for the year, classroom expectations, and homework expectations. This is also a time for you to ask questions, as well. On Tuesday, our curriculum nights are for Kindergarten and 4th grade. Please read below for next week's schedule.
This Thursday is our first PTA membership meeting of the year. The partnership with our families and school is a critical component of our success. This year, PTA meetings will generally occur on the 2nd Tuesday of each month. This month is different due to our scheduled curriculum nights. Please join us Thursday, September 15 from 7:00-8:00 PM for the meeting. Read below in the PTA section for further details.
Thank you for your continued support and for sharing your students with us.
Take Care,
~ Jen Welch, Principal
Upcoming Events
- 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
- September 29 - PTA's Fun Run, Walk & Roll event
•• New & Important Information ••
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!
•• Repeat 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
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
Picture Day Volunteers 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.
•• District News ••
•• PTA News ••
Cottage Lake PTA webpage
PTA Meeting - September 15
When: September 15, 2022
Where: Cottage Lake Library and Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5567580614?pwd=ZFMrV0VXZnp0dUtjWiswbXBubW5EQT09) [If needed, the passcode is: Sailors]
Time: 7:00-8:00 PM
Who: Parents, Guardians, and Staff members of Cottage Lake Elementary
Cottage Lake Spirt Wear
https://cottagelake2022.itemorder.com/shop/sale/
Ordering deadline is September 29.
PTA event news
Become a PTA Member!
Cottage Lake PTA wants you to JOIN the PTA. We are calling all parents, families, and staff members to join. The PTA sponsors various programs and events throughout the school year that greatly benefit our children at CLE. Becoming a PTA member is a great opportunity to support our school, get involved, and have your voice be heard.
Join here: https://www.cottagelakepta.org/JointhePTA.html
Please contact membership@cottagelakepta.org if you have any questions.
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Don’t Miss Out! | Our Cottage Lake Elementary Fun Run, Walk & Roll Details!
We’re only ONE week away from our Cottage Lake Elementary Fun Run, Walk & Roll and our students and staff are so excited! We’re looking forward to having fun and building community together.
⭐️ Log into MYBOOSTER.COM today to get started! ⭐️
Register & share today to help our school reach our goal of $20,000 for students & staff.
Check out this 30-second video about our upcoming event >> Click for Fun!
Thank you for supporting our school - we are grateful for our amazing school community!
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