Dear Roadrunner Family,

Welcome to the 2022-23 school year! Excitement is in the air at Crystal Springs! It takes a whole team (teachers, school assistants, custodians, and office staff) to have our classrooms, schedules, and materials ready for a new year. We are eager to get started with a new year of learning.

I am looking forward to a wonderful and exciting year together as we continue the strong traditions here at Crystal Springs where all members of our team staff, students, and families strive daily to ensure that Crystal Springs is a welcoming, inclusive, safe place for each student to learn, grow, and make friends!

Did you know that many of our staff were students over the summer? They have taken classes in math, reading, technology, social/emotional learning, racial and educational justice, and/or science. We all love being students so that we can be better educators for our students. One sign of a great school is where everyone is learning, and I am so proud of our staff for their passion for continuous learning.

As I am getting ready for a new school year at Crystal Springs, I remember these days fondly as a child. I remember my mom feverishly gathering school supplies for all 5 of us kids, looking up bus schedules, checking to see which shoes still fit, and eagerly waiting for classroom assignments. These days are long gone, but I have precious memories of this time as a child. I recently asked my mom, who is now 85, about those years and what she remembered most. Her first word, “exhaustion” and then said, “it took a lot of SISU.” Translated, SISU means strength, determination, and perseverance in the Finnish language. My mom went on to share that she remembered she would worry some about who our teachers might be and which friends we would have in class. (Now that her children are 61, 60, 59, 57 and 50, her worries are MUCH different, but I’ll spare you on what she said here, so that you can enjoy having little ones for now!) Over time she shared she learned that rather than worrying about external factors such as which teacher my siblings and I might get or which friends we would have as classmates, it was most meaningful and productive to focus attention on how she could prepare us for successful time management, independent problem solving, relentless effort to improve and learn, and supporting family, friends and the larger community. My mom ended her reflection with, “opetin sinulle hyvin” This is Finnish for, “I taught you well!”.

Yes, my mom did teach us well. This kind of goal setting taught me specifically that I was in control of my own happiness and success. With this focus over the years, my siblings and I have become increasingly independent, goal-driven, and responsible for our own personal and professional growth. I hope you will consider setting goals with your child before the new school year begins and help your child recognize the strengths, strategies, and effort they bring to making it a successful and positive year! I have the utmost confidence that our entire school community teachers and staff, students, families, and I will make it a great year for each child here at Crystal Springs.

We look forward to seeing you at our “Meet the Teachers” event on Thursday, August 25 from 5:00-5:30pm. We hope you will be able to attend this fun event to help us kick off the year together. In addition, we encourage families who can safely walk to do so or think about carpooling as our parking is very limited. We ask that if you need to park on the street, that families are considerate of our neighbors by not blocking their driveway access.

Only a few more days now until you are back sharing your smiles, stories of summer, and hopes for the year. Until then, enjoy your last few weeks of summer!

Keep Smiling,

Ali Airhart, Principal

• Dates to Remember
• In the Know
• Community Service Day
• WILD for Kindergarten
• Teacher Assignment in ParentVue
• Meet the Teacher
• New School Hours
• School Supply List
• Kindergarten Start for the School Year
• Kindergarten and New Student Registration
• Are You Moving?
• Attendance Line and Email
• Parking and Transportation
• Student Drop Off and Pick Up Area and Walkers Guidelines
• Safety and Security
• Health Check Questions to Review Daily
• PTA News
• District News

Important Events

• Community Serve Day

• Sunday, August 21 - 9:00am-1:00pm
• 'WILD for Kindergarten' Camp
• Monday, August 22 - 9:30am-12:00pm
• Teacher Assignment in ParentVue
• Wednesday, August 24 – 4:00pm
• Meet the Teacher
• Thursday, August 25 - 5:00pm-5:30pm
• First Day of School
• Wednesday, August 31 (full day)
• All Kindergarten Students Attend School

• Wednesday, August 31
• Thursday, September 1
• Friday, September 2
• No School - Labor Day - Monday, September 5
• No School for Kindergarteners
• Tuesday, September 6,
• Wednesday, September 7
• Thursday, September 8
• School for all Kindergarteners - Friday, September 9

Mark Your Calendar for Upcoming September Events

September - Newsletter will have additional information

• Curriculum Night Grades 3rd and 4th

• Tuesday, September 13 6:00pm-7:00pm
• Curriculum Night Grades 1st and 2nd
• Thursday, September 15 6:00pm-7:00pm
• Curriculum Night Grades Kinder and 5th
• Tuesday, September 20 6:00pm-7:00pm
• School individual and classroom photographs
• Thursday, September 22

Class assignments (First - Fifth Grade) will be activated at 4:00pm on Wednesday, August 24th in ParentVue.

We have job share (2 teachers) in 3 classrooms.

Kindergarten:

• Robinson and Garces

First Grade:

• Hogue and Shoucair

Fifth Grade:

• Smith and Rance

The start of the educational journey for our youngest Roadrunners is important and will look a little different than other students at Crystal Springs. All kindergarten students in Northshore have a modified start to the school year to support this transition to school. This year, Crystal Springs has a unique schedule different from other elementary schools in the district. Please read below for specific details.

Important Dates:

• August 22 9:30am-12:00pm - Kindergarten Camp at Crystal Springs!
• August 25 5:00pm-5:30pm - Meet the Teacher Open House - meet all the kindergarten teachers, see all the kindergarten classrooms and pick up your child’s first day of school packet.
• August 31, September 1, and September 2 - All Crystal Springs Kindergarten students will attend school and will rotate through each of the classrooms, meeting all their kindergarten friends and teachers and learning what it looks like to be a kindergarten student at Crystal Springs.
• September 2 - Families will receive an email in the evening with their kindergarten teacher assignment for the 2022-23 school year.
• September 5 - No School for all students. This is the observance of Labor Day.
• September 6, September 7, and September 8 - There will be No School for Crystal Springs Kindergarteners. Instead, kindergarten families will sign up to meet with their child’s assigned teacher. This meeting gives you an opportunity to share information that will help us know how to best support your child during this important year in their educational journey!
• September 9: School for ALL Kindergarteners in their Assigned Classes

The transition of your kindergarten student is important to us and we have a unique opportunity to launch the school year with intentionality. We appreciate your partnership and look forward to an amazing year ahead.

Students that are starting Kindergarten or new to Northshore School District can register online. To enroll go to: https://www.nsd.org/schools/get-started/enrollment

When your child is absent or tardy from school, please call our 24-hour phone line at 425-408-4310 or email CSAttendance@nsd.org and copy your students teacher. Please leave a message or send an email by 9:20am. If your student is arriving late and will be buying lunch, it is helpful for our cook if you let us know which lunch your child will be ordering. Please provide the following information:

• Student Name and Student ID
• Parent Name and Contact Information
• Reason for absent or tardy
• Teacher Name

Prearranged/Extended Absences:

In the event that your child will miss more than two consecutive school days for a reason other than health or medical issues, complete and submit the Request for Excused Absence form at least two week before the first planned day of absence. Forms are available on the school website as well as in the office.

Change in After School Plan:

If there is a change in your child's after school plan, how they will be getting home, parents/guardians must send a note or email to your student's teacher in advance. You may also call 425-408-4310 or email CSAttendance@nsd.org the attendance office by 2:30pm.

Please remember that no bus passes will be issued the first six weeks of school.

Parent Pick-up: If you are picking up your child from school a note must be on file at the office, otherwise they will be put on the school bus. For occasional parent pick-up, please send the office a note or email the attendance office. Without a note, your child will not be able to make a change from his or her daily bus routine. Click here for more information.

Please Be a Good Neighbor:

With many people coming and going each day, we can have a big impact on our neighborhood. Please help keep the area around Crystal Springs safe and pleasant by following procedures for arrival and dismissal and being courteous. Our systems work best when everyone follow procedures; setting up side systems for family can often create congestion and/or unsafe situations. As you drive through residential neighborhoods, please drive slowly, watch for pedestrians and obey crossing guards, whether students or adults. Avoid using driveways and residential parking areas for dropping off or turning around. While one person's act may not seem like much, it all adds up and can make it difficult on our neighbors. Thanks for helping Crystal Springs be a good neighbor!

Student should be dropped off no earlier than 9:05am and picked up no later than 4:05pm at the end of the school day.

Walkers:

Parents are encouraged to walk to school with their children if they live within walking distance. This will help make our parking lot a safer place and relieve traffic congestion on the surrounding streets. Parents that decide to walk to school to drop off and/or pick up their children need to meet them in the designated parent drop-off and pick-up area.

If you wish to park your vehicle, please use the spaces provided in the parking lot. Do not leave your car parked along the curb or bus lane in front of office. When you pick-up your child(ren) at the designated parent pick-up area and accompany them to your car using the marked crosswalk. No crossing is permitted between vehicles and children are not allowed to cross into the parking lot without an adult. The crosswalk across 9th Ave should only be crossed when the crossing guard is present. For the safety of our students we do not want them to cross 9th Ave on their own without the crossing guard or a parent.

We appreciate your cooperation and adherence to these procedures. It is all in for the safety of our students and families.

We need your help! When you come to campus during school hours, please be sure to sign-in at the office and get a visitor badge. If you are volunteering at school and see somebody without a badge, please ask if you can help them and direct them to the office, or let a staff member know. We appreciate your help keeping our campus safe!

Before you send your student to school each day, I ask you to think through the 5 questions below. If you answer "yes" to any of the questions, I ask that you please keep your student(s) home. You can also reach out to Nurse Jamey to ask questions, as well.

Health Check Questions:

1. In the past 24 hours has the student experienced any of the following symptoms:
   1. Fever of 100.4 or above
   2. Cough
   3. Shortness of Breath or Difficulty Breathing
   4. Chills
   5. Loss of Taste or Smell
   6. Fatigue
   7. Muscle Pain or Body Aches
   8. Headache
   9. Sore Throat
   10. Congestion or Runny Nose
   11. Nausea or Vomiting
   12. Diarrhea
   13. Other signs of new illness that are unrelated to a preexisting condition (such as seasonal allergies)
2. Has the student had any of the symptoms of COVID-19 listed above within the past 3 days that lasted more than 24 hours?
3. Has the student been in close contact with anyone with confirmed COVID-19 within the last 14 days? Close contact means being within 6 feet (2 meters) of an infected person for 15 minutes or more.
4. Has the student had a positive COVID-19 test for active virus in the past 10 days?
5. Within the past 14 days, has a public health or medical professional told the student to self-monitor, self-isolate, or self-quarantine because of concerns about COVID-19?

2022-23 School Year Prices

The Northshore School District, like all others in the state, will again begin to charge for school lunch and breakfast at the start of 2022-23 school year. The Federal COVID-19 waivers that have allowed U.S. public schools to offer free breakfasts and lunches to all students regardless of income expired at the end of the 2021-22 school year. This means students 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.

Milk is included with breakfast and lunch or can be purchased separately for $.50. The cost of meals is subject to change annually.

You are not alone. There are community supports for mental health, suicide prevention, substance abuse, self-harm and more. Click here for more information.