The Sailor Signal
Cottage Lake Elementary - September 10, 2023
Upcoming Events
SEPTEMBER
- September 11 - Kindergarten First Day of School for last names A-G
- September 12 - Kindergarten First Day of School for last names H-Z
- September 12 - PTA Meeting, 7:00-8:00 PM
- September 13 - ALL Kindergarten students attend school together
- September 13 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
- September 18 - Curriculum Night for Grades 4 & 5
- ..... 5:30-6:30 - 4th Grade
- ..... 6:45-7:45 PM - 5th Grade
- September 19 - Curriculum Night for Grades 2 & 3
- ..... 5:30-6:30 - 2nd Grade
- ..... 6:45-7:45 PM - 3rd Grade
- September 20 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
- September 21 - School Picture Day!
- September 26 - Curriculum Night for Grades K & 1
- ..... 5:30-6:30 - Kindergarten
- ..... 6:45-7:45 PM - 1st Grade
- September 27 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
OCTOBER:
- October 4 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
- October 11 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
- October 12 - PTA Fun Run, Walk, & Roll, Time TBA
•• New & Important Information ••
Kindergarten First Day of School!
I'd like to welcome you to the 2023-2024 school year! This is an exciting time for you and your families. As we look to the beginning of the school year, I wanted to provide you with some very important dates to mark on your calendars. You will notice Kindergarten starts with a staggard start days for students. This allows us the opportunity to start small before all students are together. Please do review the dates below carefully.
Below you will find dates that pertain to the beginning of Kindergarten.
Monday, September 11 – Last Names A-G attend school, while last names H-Z stay home.
Tuesday, September 12 – Last Names H-Z attend school, while last names A-G stay home.
Wednesday, September 13 – All students are together at school
Please mark your calendars with the above information.
After September 13, your student will follow the regular Northshore calendar for elementary-aged students. We are looking forward to welcoming our youngest Sailors!
Welcome to Cottage Lake!
Kindergarten parent connection time
Calling all Kindergarten parents. After dropping off your Kindergartener for their first day, stop by for a Tears & Cheers gathering outside the cafeteria. Coffee and breakfast items provided, 9/11 and 9/12, from 9:45-10:15 AM.
We hope you still stop by to meet new families and celebrate the beginning of your student's school career.
Picture Day! September 21, 2023
Some tips from Dorian are:
- Schedule haircuts 7-10 days prior to picture day
- Wear simple clothing
- Avoid Logos and text on clothing
Vision & Hearing Screening Volunteers Needed!
As in past years, we will have our vision and hearing screening in the fall. Our screening this year is scheduled for Monday, October 23rd, 2023. The screening usually takes place in the morning. We will provide the exact times as soon as they are announced by the district screening team. We rely on the assistance of parent volunteers to work with our screening team. There are a variety of important jobs that parents do, including assisting the team with the screenings, record keeping and “crowd control”. Please consider this opportunity to work with us!
If you are interested in volunteering, please email the school nurse at bschlee@nsd.org with the following information:
HEALTH SCREENING VOLUNTEER
Yes, I would be happy to help with the Health Screening on _10/23/23____.
Name______________________________ Phone: ___________________
Email__________________________________
Volunteer Trainings for NEW to Cottage Lake families/adults
Attention NEW to Cottage Lake families,
At Cottage Lake, we hold Volunteer Trainings for all adults working at our school. These are similar to the district volunteer video/training, but specific to Cottage Lake. I ask that each adult who volunteers at Cottage Lake to participate in the training once while I am the Principal. During this training, I will note specifics about supporting students at Cottage Lake and volunteering in general. Parents do not need to sign-up or register for a training. Each training will run approximately 30 minutes in length.
The Volunteer Trainings that have been scheduled so far this school year are:
- September 19 @ 10:30 AM
- September 22 @ 3:30 PM
- September 28 @ 12:00 PM
Parents do not need to attend multiple trainings; you need to attend one if you are new to Cottage Lake.
Student Technology: Damaged Devices and DPP
Since Northshore moved to a 1:1 computing model to support student learning, we have been foregoing charging families for damaged equipment due to accident or negligence. Doing so has meant that the district has borne the cost for all repairs on devices assigned to students. As a measure to close the budget gap and increase accountability for students, we will be charging families for damage incurred on their student’s assigned device. Families were notified of this change via email on Friday 8/25.
Beginning September 1, all damage on student devices will be reviewed by the STS and if the damage appears to be due to negligence, accident, or intentional misuse, a fine will be assessed to the family. The damaged device will be collected from the student and a new one assigned to limit disruption to learning.
To offset the potential costs related to accidental damage, we have implemented a new assurance option for families called the Device Protection Program. This optional program costs $25 and provides discounts on damages to devices. Under the DPP, the first accidental damage will cost the family $0. The second will be 50% of the cost of the repair. All damage beyond the 2nd event will be full cost.
The DPP does not cover loss. If a student loses their device, charging cable, or bag, the family will be fined the entire replacement cost. DPP will also not cover obvious intentional damage to a device.
Please use your communication channels to reinforce this new program and accountability with students and families. We want students to leverage their assigned devices for learning while also taking responsibility for its care. Feel free to share this URL with families to share information with them about DPP and fines: https://www.nsd.org/our-district/departments/technology/student-technologies
Your STS was trained on fine assessment at our annual meeting last week. If you have questions about DPP or fines for damage, please start by consulting with your STS.
Thank you and please enjoy a great start to the school year.
•• Repeat Information ••
Want to be a Volunteer?
We cannot run this school without our fabulous volunteers!
- If you completed your volunteer paperwork last year, please know you must renew that each year.
- If you are new to Northshore and Cottage Lake and would like to volunteer in the classroom or attend a field trip with your child, you will need to complete a short virtual class and background check. We welcome all parents, guardians, and grandparents to volunteer and become active members of our school community! This process only takes minutes to complete, but we want to share there is a small cost associated with the background check.
If you would like to attend any off-campus events with your student (s), you will need a Level 2 volunteer approval. Please know your active volunteer status is good in all Northshore schools.
Volunteer information: https://www.nsd.org/get-involved/volunteer
YMCA Childcare
Registration is OPEN to ALL FAMILIES!!
Keep in mind that capacity is limited, and spaces may fill quickly.
- Visit seattleymca.org/BASE, navigate to your school district page, and then navigate to your school. A registration button will be available under your school's name shortly before registration opens.
- Choose from a variety of flexible options including morning care, afternoon care, and one to five days per week.
- Registration for non-school days and breaks will occur at a later date.
If any of you have any questions about what the 2023-2024 school year looks like please reach out at registration@seattleymca.com or 206-382-4927. We appreciate your partnership and are excited to continue working together another year.
School Food and Nutrition Information
Please visit the website below for more information.
UPDATED.....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.
Monday, September 18
- Grade 4 @ 5:30-6:30 PM
- Grade 5 @ 6:45-7:45 PM (Updated date)
Tuesday, September 19
- Grade 2 @ 5:30-6:30 PM
- Grade 3 @ 6:45-7:45 PM
Tuesday, September 26
- Kindergarten @ 5:30-6:30 PM
- Grade 1 @ 6:45-7:45 PM (Updated date)
•• PTA News ••
Cottage Lake PTA webpage
Ice Cream Social
• Cold treats, warm hearts, and sticky fingers •
Join us on the Cottage Lake Elementary playground on Friday, September 15th for some sweet treats from 5:00-7:00 PM. Your PTA will have a variety of frozen goodies on hand, including some non-dairy options. Meet other parents, bring the kids together in a fun social setting, join or renew your PTA membership, and learn more about some of the exciting events the PTA has in store for our school this year. We hope to see you there!
Upcoming Spirit Wear
We’ve got spirit, yes we do! We’ve got spirit, soon you will too!
We’re in the final stages of setting up our spirit wear shop. Soon you will be able to order items for your family from our new online store year-round. Keep an eye out in future newsletters and kidmail for more information on ordering. We will even have a few sample items available to view at upcoming PTA events.
CL Spirit SWAG Swap
Do you have spirit wear that your kiddos have outgrown that still have life left in them? Bring them to upcoming PTA events for our Spirit SWAG Swap! We’ll have boxes organized by sizes where you can bring in what no longer works for your family, and take something new-to-them, no charge. Please make sure that all items are clean and in good condition. We want our Sailors to be able to wear their gear with pride!
Staff Appreciation
The Staff Pantry is back for the 2023-24 school year! We are asking for your help in donating individually packaged snacks to keep our wonderful teachers and staff nourished all year long! Please visit https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0949ACA72EA6FAC16-staff to sign up for specific items. Donations can be dropped off at the PTA table at the Ice Cream Social on September 15th or at Curriculum Night (September 18 from 5:30-7:45 PM, September 19 from 5:30-7:45 PM, and September 25 from 5:30-7:45 PM).
Thank you in advance for your participation!
Sailors Helping Sailors
The PTA is hosting a donation drive for non-perishable food items and toiletries. All donations will directly benefit our community. Items will help restock our Backpacks to Go program, supporting families in our school. Food items will also be delivered to the Woodinville Storehouse Food Bank and toiletries delivered to Acres of Diamonds in Duvall.
Items in high demand include plastic jars of peanut butter, dried beans, rice, soups, pancake mix, oatmeal, canned pasta sauce, canned vegetables (corn, peas, mixed), dye/fragrance free liquid laundry detergent, toothpaste (kids and adult), shampoo/conditioner, body soap, toilet paper, feminine hygiene products, and paper or plastic grocery bags.
Donations can be dropped at the PTA tables at the Ice Cream Social, Curriculum Nights, or in the school office.
•• District News ••
Free and Reduced-Price melas applications & School fee waivers
FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE MEALS APPLICATION:
Families whose income falls within specified guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture should apply for free or reduced-price meals for their students. Don't forget – families must re-apply every year.
If you qualify for free or reduced-price meals you may also qualify for:
School fee waivers – a fee waiver form must be completed.
Other services such as health insurance – contact your school nurse for more information.
The online application only takes a few minutes and is the fastest, easiest way to get approved.
SCHOOL FEE WAIVERS:
Families who qualify for free and reduced-price meals also qualify for additional school fees to be reduced or waived. All qualifying families must fill out a Fee Waiver Form in addition to their application or other form of qualification.
Fee waiver forms expire on August 31. To receive waived fees (ASB, sports, extracurricular activities etc.) for the 23-24 school year, families must fill out a new fee waiver form.
For a complete list of programs, view the fee waiver form.Parent-Square for families
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