Felida Newsletter 3/3/2020
Principally Speaking
This month, our staff will be focused on teaching our students about Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then be Understood. This trait reminds us of the importance of listening, showing empathy, and thinking before speaking. While we do not formally teach the skill of listening, it is a skill that we all use each and every day. We will be talking with students this month about the ways they can demonstrate that they are listening, as well as the traps of distraction that prevent us from fully listening. In this digital age, there are a lot more opportunities to express our voices. We want to be sure that our students are armed with productive skills and habits so that they may use their voice with compassion and perspective.
Friday, Feb. 28 marked the end of trimester two. This is significant because it means that report cards will be coming home in the coming weeks (March 13). It also serves as a reminder that--with two thirds of the school year behind us--we have one final push to the end of the year. Hold onto your hats, because this time of year, especially after spring break, goes by quickly!
We have had many opportunities to commemorate our students’ learning in the past weeks, with more celebrations just ahead.
- In these past weeks, I am so proud of students whose initiative contributed to making Felida a better place: Addie and Emma inspired our monthly Talent Tuesday, during lunchtime; Quinn and Maddie have started a “Felida Cleaning Club,” to keep our playground litter-free; our Student Leaders hosted a fundraiser to help the koalas in Australia; and our Green Team is beginning a campaign to reduce pollution through car idling (more to come!). Wow!
- Congratulations to our third graders on their cumulative performance of song and dance around the world. Thank you to our stellar arts team for their leadership of this annual event.
- On March 2, our first graders enjoyed their annual Green Eggs and Ham, in recognition of Read Across America week.
- Our fourth grade math team competes at the Math is Fun event on March 13. Go Falcons!
- Our 3rd-5th graders will have another opportunity to demonstrate growth during their spring iReady assessments, this week and next.
- Fifth graders will participate in their annual trip to Biz Town, on Thursday, March 26.
So proud of our students here at Felida!
Falcons SOAR!
Kris Janati
Important Upcoming Dates
Every Monday is a 40-minute early release
3/3: Talent Tuesday (During Lunches)
3/8: Daylight Saving Time Starts
3/12: PTA Dining Night at Five Guys (3-9pm)
3/13: Report Cards Home
3/24: Talent Tuesday (at lunches)
3/27: Sports Day School Spirit Day
3/23: Plant Sale Orders Due
3/30-4/3: Spring Break, No School
Thank you, voters!
A three-year supplemental levy that will maintain current levels of programs and services in Vancouver Public Schools was recently approved by Vancouver voters with 60.51% yes votes. The levy will make up a multimillion budget shortage due to changes in state funding for education.
“I am extremely grateful to this community for providing more than 55 years of continuous financial support for our students and schools,” said Superintendent Steve Webb. “This election shows the value our voters hold for the education of our children and youth.”
For information about the levy, please visit vansd.org/levy.
Keep Students Safe!
Help keep students safe by not dropping students off from the parking lot or from the outside lane. If you are dropping your students off and they are not being walked by an adult, please drop off from the inside lane (close to the school). If students are dropped off from the outside lane or from the parking lot, it creates unsafe situations where students are trying to cross traffic without an adult.
Thank you for keeping Felida safe.
Lost & Found
Keep Our School Healthy
The best ways to decrease the spread of any respiratory illnesses are:
* Staying home when you are sick.
* Avoid touching your eyes, nose, mouth.
* Frequent hand washing, with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
Parents please talk to your children about good and frequent hand washing with warm, soapy water, and to avoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouth.
Reminders...
Children should be kept at home if any of the following conditions are present (keep in mind the absence of fever does not always indicate the child is well enough to attend school):
• Fever over 100 degrees – Must be fever free for 24 hours (without temperature lowering medication) before returning to school.
• Vomiting- within the past 24 hours
• Diarrhea- within the past 24 hours
• Undiagnosed skin rashes
• A communicable disease
• Evidence of a live lice infestation
• Persistent sore throat along with loss of voice, difficulty swallowing and/or rash
• Severe headache, toothache, or ear pain
• Stiff neck or headache with fever
• Skin infections (unless treated/cleared by a doctor)
• Abdominal pain with low grade fever
• Eyes that are painful, red and matted
Borrowed Clothing
School Calendar For Next Year
2020–2021 key dates
Excluding holidays, every Monday from Sept. 14 to May 24 is a 40-minute early release when school is in session.
September 2020
Sept. 1: First day of school
Sept. 7: Labor Day, no school
October 2020
Oct. 9: In-service day, no school
Oct. 14: Parent conferences, two-hour early release for all schools
Oct. 15: Parent conferences, two-hour early release for middle and high schools
Oct. 15: Parent conferences, no school for elementary schools
Oct. 16: Parent conference, no school for all students
November 2020
Nov. 11: Veterans Day, no school
Nov. 25–27: Thanksgiving break, no school
December 2020
Dec. 21–Jan. 1: Winter break, no school
January 2021
Jan. 18: Martin Luther King Jr. Day, no school
Jan. 29: Semester break, no school*
February 2021
Feb. 15: Presidents Day, no school
April 2021
April 5–9: Spring break, no school
April 15: Parent conferences, two-hour early release for all schools
April 16: Parent conferences, two-hour early release for elementary schools
April 16: Parent conferences, no school for middle and high schools
May 2021
May 31: Memorial Day, no school
June 2021
June 15: Two-hour early release for all schools*
June 16: Last day of school, two-hour early release for all schools*
*If schools are closed due to weather, the calendar may change. Missed days must be made up. Makeup dates, in priority order, are June 17, 18, 21 and Jan. 29. Actual date(s) could change based on timing and number of snow days.
Last updated: January 15, 2020
Keep Stormwater Clean
Vancouver families depend on clean rivers, streams and lakes for swimming, fishing and preserving habitat for future generations. You can help reduce one of the biggest threats to our waterways, pollution left behind from everyday activities that gets picked up by stormwater.
We all contribute to stormwater pollution, so we all need to be part of the solution. Here are three easy tips you can follow to reduce water pollution and help protect our rivers, streams and lakes.
Only rain down the drain. As simple as it sounds, this is the most important principle for reducing water pollution, and it should be taken literally. Whatever goes down the storm drain almost always ends up in our streams. Even if you’re not putting anything directly into a storm drain, be aware of what runoff can pick up from your home and yard. This includes grass clippings, car washing soap, fertilizers and pet waste, just to name a few.
“Natural” can still be pollution. It’s easy to overlook pollutants that seem “natural,” such as grass clippings, pet waste and organic fertilizers. In our developed communities, these are significant sources of pollution. Fecal coliform is one of the top pollutants found in streams, and much of it comes from pet owners who don’t pick their pet’s waste. Nutrients in yard debris and fertilizers feed potentially toxic algae that deplete water of oxygen needed by aquatic life.
Sweep it up, don’t hose if off. Using a hose to wash away a spill or clean the driveway is a sure way to send pollutants to our streams. Instead, use a broom and dustpan to sweep up pollutants, close them in a bag and put it in the garbage. For liquid spills, put down an absorbent material, such as kitty litter, and sweep it into a bag before disposing in the trash.
For more ideas, visit www.clark.wa.gov/cleanwater and thank you for being part of the solution.