Dear Crescent Harbor Families,

January saw a return to school from winter break and a focus on our instructional practices with an eye toward the growth we expect to see in our students. We were thrilled to have students back with us, appearing happy and healthy and ready to work with us on learning new skills.

This fall, we assessed our students in Reading and Math to determine students' instructional needs and also to identify those who might need intervention through our Title I/LAP reading intervention program. In the fall, the number of students performing at grade level was smaller than we had hoped (27% of students in Reading and 9% of students in Math), but we have confidence in our team and in our ability to positively impact students through quality instruction and by building positive relationships with students.

We set goals for school improvement to see significant gains in our students' Reading and Math scores, wanting at least 70% of our students to be at or above grade level in Reading, with everyone making gains toward grade-level standards. In Math, we set a goal that 50% of our students will perform at or above grade level, again with everyone making gains toward grade-level standards. Although we set goals that encompass fewer than all students, please know that when we evaluate data, we look at EACH and EVERY student we teach.

With our assessments in January, we are happy to report gains. At this point in time (there are a few students who need to complete Math testing), 45% of our students are at or above grade level in Reading and 26% of students are at or above grade level in Math.

We still have far to go to ultimately celebrate ALL students performing at or above grade level, but we are happy to see the marker move and know that our instruction is making a difference.

We will do our best to inform you as we continue to progress toward meeting our goals.

Kate Valenzuela

Principal, Crescent Harbor Elementary

360.279.5650

On February 14, 2023, Oak Harbor voters will consider a $121 million school bond measure that will replace three aging schools, enhance safety at all schools and address critical needs of the community.

If approved by the voters, the bond measure would do the following to enhance our schools and utilize available funding from the federal and state governments:

• Enhance safety at all of the Oak Harbor Public School sites
• Rebuild Crescent Harbor Elementary on its current site to address critical infrastructure needs of the school
• Rebuild Hand-in-Hand Early Learning Center and Home Connection to move the schools out of the military flight path and address critical infrastructure needs of the school
• Build a school on the OHPS-owned fields at Fort Nugent Park to address the growth in the area
• Reutilize the Oak Harbor Elementary school site to address the growing need for early learning and child care in Oak Harbor

Washington state is one of 11 states that requires a supermajority of 60% approval in order to pass a bond.

In an effort to be responsible fiscal stewards of taxpayer dollars, the Oak Harbor Public Schools continues to seek out additional funding sources to address the critical facilities needs of schools in the District. Due to the poor condition, overcrowding, and the locations of Crescent Harbor Elementary and Hand-in-Hand Early Learning Center/Home Connection, the Department of Defense is providing 80 percent of the funding to rebuild these schools. This money is time-bound and if the bond is not passed, the funding from the Department of Defense goes away.

If the bond is approved by voters, the tax rate for taxpayers is expected to be approximately $1.24 per 1,000 assessed property value, which would be 30 cents less than what taxpayers paid in 2022 for the previous bond measure passed by voters.

For more information please visit https://www.ohsd.net/bond2023

February 1: Valentine's Day Fundraiser Begins

February 10: Valentine's Day Fundraiser Ends

February 10: No School - Parent Teacher Conferences

February 10 - 17: Book Fair

February 20: No School - Presidents Day

February 23: GR2 Spring Concert 6 pm

Please remember to . . .

• Reminder: there is no supervision prior to 8:30 am, please do not drop your child off before that time.
• Dress for the weather and bring layers to accommodate our cold, foggy mornings and more temperate afternoons.
• Make sure your contact details are up to date, The district will contact you via text message and email for school delays, etc... due to inclement weather.
• Please review our latest guidelines for staying home when ill: SymptomExposureFlowchartK12SchoolsChildCare.pdf

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month (NCDHM).

The most common condition among children is largely preventable! According to the AAPD (American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry), dental caries/cavities are four times more common than childhood asthma and three times more likely than childhood obesity. NCDHM is a great opportunity to spread the word about how poor oral health and caries impact our kids’ health and quality of life.

AAPD recently released its State of Little Teeth Report in 2021, which examines the epidemic of tooth decay among children. Check out the following key stats from the Report:

· Tooth decay is the NUMBER ONE chronic infectious disease affecting children in the United States and is on the rise, but it is largely preventable.1

· The rate of tooth decay in baby teeth of children aged 2 to 5 years increased nearly 17% from 1988-1994 to 1999-2004.2

· By age 5 about 60% of children will be affected by tooth decay.3

· Children with oral health problems are THREE TIMES more likely to miss school due to dental pain than children with no oral health problems.4

· AAPD recommends taking a child for their first dental visit by the age of 1.5

· Delaying dental care to age 2 or 3 can have a negative impact on a child’s oral health. 40% of parents and caregivers surveyed are delaying their child’s first visit until after age 2.6

This years NCDHM theme is Brush, Floss, Smile. Here are some references:

1. ADA website has free posters and printable coloring pages. See Link:

https://www.ada.org/resources/community-initiatives/national-childrens-dental-health-month

2. For help finding a dentist: DentistLink is a great resource for those without a dental home who need one, including those on Apple Health.

DentistLink Connect with a Washington State Dentist for Dental Care

3. Dental tips:

Colgate's 4 Key Brushing Tips | Colgate®

how-to-keep-your-teeth-clean-infographics.pdf (colgate.com)

tips-for-parents-1.pdf (mychildrensteeth.org)

4. Healthy foods for teeth:

WDS-Infographic-TimeOnTeeth_8.5x11_v4h (arcorafoundation.org)

Thank you,

Jen Wutzke RN, BSN

School Nurse

Our art class will be visiting Asia this month. Asia is one of the 7 continents and is sometimes referred to as the ‘Continent of Contrasts’, due to the diversity of culture, languages, religions, lifestyles, and traditions. It is the largest continent in the world covering 30% of the Earth’s land surface. In class, we will be creating Pandas that are native to China, Manga characters, a style of Japanese comic books and graphic novels, cats, cherry blossoms, and koi fish. We will be learning all about the artist Yayoi Kusama.

Mrs. Abrahamse

Our 3rd and 4th-grade students have started to study different cultures, how music affects who we are, and how we process ideas and interact.

Our 4th graders are also preparing for their field trip to the high school to watch the bands and choirs perform at the Experience Music Project concert. There they will learn about their choices for music once they leave for OHI in the summer. Permission slips have been sent home. Please get those in as soon as possible so your student can attend the field trip on 2/07/23.

Our younger students have started to work on their winter/spring concerts. A lot of time goes into helping our students prepare for their concerts. One of the items I have been working with the students on is taking responsibility for their own performance, and they are excited to share what they are learning in music.

Our next performance will be the 2nd grade concert. The theme of this concert will be "Keep The Music Going". This concert is designed to inspire students to keep studying one of the most important subjects in school.

Students do not need to dress up for the concerts, the school will provide t-shirts for the students to wear during the concert.

Regarding upcoming concerts, attendance is never required, only highly encouraged. If your child misses a performance, they miss a key application of what they have been preparing for in class, along with developing key performance skills. If you have any questions about this part of the music curriculum please contact me.

Upcoming Concert Dates

2nd Grade Concert will be 2/23/23 at 6:00 p.m.

Choir Club Festival at the Ferndale Performing Arts Center, 3/25/23 at 3:30 p.m.

1st Grade Concert will be 3/30/23 at 6:00 p.m.

Kindergarten Concert will be 5/11/23 at 6:00 p.m.

4th Grade Farewell Concert will be 6/15/23 at 6:00 p.m.

Mr. Parrett

Thank you!

Kindergarten team

For questions, please contact Mr. Bankowski. 360.279.5664

Fun facts:

• Jicama can weigh up to 50 pounds! But it is usually harvested at about 5 pounds.
• It is a root vegetable related to peas that are grown in Mexico and Central America.
• Harvest season is November to May making it a good winter vegetable.
• Fresh jicama is sweet and crispy, similar to apples, but it doesn’t brown when exposed to air

You can use Jicama to make this healthy and nutritious smoothie:

Jicama Piña Breeze ( Serves 3)

Ingredients

½ cup canned pineapple in juice, undrained

½ cup jicama peeled and cut into small pieces

½ cup fresh orange, peeled and cut into chunks

2 cups orange juice

Ice cubes

Directions

1. Place all ingredients in a blender container.

2. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and serve

Hello from your CHE PTA!

We would like to thank our volunteers and those who have attended our Meet-ups! We have some fun coming up in February!

• We have our Smencil Fundraiser starting February 1st-8th. All Smencils sales will be delivered to the kid's classrooms on Feb. 9th. Each will come with a tag for the kids to fill out. This is while supplies last, so don’t wait!

• Our Book Fair is happening February 10th-17th. We want to be able to the kids the chance to shop during the day, but we need YOUR HELP! Each class will shop during their library time, and volunteer spots coordinate with it! Click here to sign up!

• Our monthly Meeting Up is February 14th at 3:30 pm in the school library. Kids are always welcome!

• Our CHE Cub Spirit store is open with tons of new styles! Fridays are school pride day, so grab some Spirit Wear! Click here to shop!

Crescent Harbor Elementary PTA