The Sailor Signal
Cottage Lake Elementary - May 14, 2023
A note from Principal Welch
I want to start by wishing each of our mothers, and those who are referred to as mothers, a very Happy Mother's Day! Thank you for all you do to support and love our students each day. Without you, we would not have our Sailor students. I am so thankful for all you do each day and I hope you are shown how much you are loved today.... and every day.
Next, I want to share a THANK YOU to all families for showering our staff with thoughtful notes and acts of appreciation this past week. Thank you for the notes, the flowers, "All about Me" papers, and the acts of kindness. Thank you for going out of your way to show our staff how much they mean to you and your family.
THANK YOU to our PTA for showing love to our staff, as well. They provided treats during the week and lunch on Friday. Thank you for always being there for our staff and showering them with love and appreciation. We are grateful!
Our school auction is this coming Saturday, May 20, at Efeste Winery in Woodinville! The PTA Fundraising team has worked incredibly hard to create an event for our school community and I hope you will consider attending. Tickets continue to be on sale and can be purchased by visiting THIS LINK. The money raised directly supports our school and each of your students. This year, items available for auction can be viewed online and there will be some special items up for live auction at the event on Saturday. CLICK HERE to see items for auction. Our Raise-the-Paddle this year is special and each of our students would benefit from your contribution. If you have questions about the auction, please reach out to me or our PTA. It is going to be a spectacular event and I hope to see you there!
Finally, this past Friday, we welcomed Superintendent Tolley to Cottage Lake. He started the morning meeting with staff and then we had the honor of meeting with a few students from grades 2-5. During this time, Mr. Tolley asked students about what is going well for them and what challenges and concerns they had. Students shared that they are enjoying making new friends, the teachers are nice, and there are new sports being added at recess. When we talked about concerns, there was a theme that surfaced that I wanted to share with you. Each student at the table talked about the amount and intensity of arguing that occurs at recess. Students shared that when there are disagreements in games or just between people, there is a lot of arguing and even usage of inappropriate words and/or hand gestures. This also matches a concern I brought to the last general PTA Meeting earlier in May. I shared that I am hearing about situations that are happening in our community with adults. There are rumors being spread, there are unkind things being said, and people are being hurt.
We are a small community and we are hurting each other. We are the ones in the problem, but we are also the solution! As I think about our community (students and adults), I want us to remember a few things.
- First, please go to the person you have a question with. Ask questions and assume positive intent. Let's not attack each other with our words or actions.
- Second, take a moment. Sometimes if we take a moment to walk away, take a deep breath, or reconsider our actions (verbal or physical), we might change our initial reaction.
- And lastly, treat each other with kindness and respect. Each member of our community (students and adults) deserves to be treated this way.
I believe in us and know we can do this together! If you have specific questions about something at school, please reach out to your child's teacher, office staff, or myself. I am here to partner with you to continually strengthen our school and community! We are Sailor Strong!
I hope we all have a great week ahead! Please be kind to yourself and each other.
Take Care,
~ Jennifer Welch, Principal
Upcoming Events
MAY:
- May 15 - Grades 3 & 4 SBA testing
- May 16 - Grade 5 SBA testing
- May 16 - Track & Field meet at Cottage Lake Elementary 5:00 PM
- May 16 - Band & Orchestra concert @ Inglemoor Concert Hall, 7:30 PM
- May 17 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
- May 18 - Grades 3 & 4 SBA testing
- May 18 - C.P. & Dorothy Johnson Humanitarian Award ceremony @ Northshore Concert Hall, 6:00 PM
- May 20 - PTA Auction @ Efeste Winery, 7:30-10:30 PM
- May 22 - Grade 5 SBA testing
- May 22 - 3rd grade field trip to Oxbow Farms
- May 23 - Grades 3 & 4 SBA testing
- May 23 - 2nd grade field trip to Edmonds Beach
- May 23 - Track & Field Junior Olympics at WHS, 5:30 PM
- May 24 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
- May 25 - Grade 5 SBA testing
- May 26 - FULL DAY OF SCHOOL
- May 29 - No School - Memorial Day
- May 31 - Early Release Wednesday. Dismissal @ 2:30 PM
JUNE
- June 2 - 5th grade visits Timbercrest MS
- June 2 - PTA Spring Carnival, 5:30-8:00 PM
- June 6 - 2023-24 Kindergarten Open House, 5:00-6:00 PM
- June 6 - PTA Meeting, 7:00-8:00 PM
- June 8 - Kindergarten & 1st Grade Sunshine Concert, 5:30-6:30 PM
- June 9 - Kindergarten field trip to Seattle Library
- June 9 - Glee Club concert and party, 5:30-6:30 PM
- June 13 - Kindergarten field trip to Woodinville Library
- June 14 - Field Day, 2:00-3:30 PM
- June 15 - 5th grade party @ Cottage Lake Beach Club
- June 16 - Kindergarten picnic lunch
- June 16 - 5th grade promotion ceremony, 2:45-4:00 PM
- June 19 - No School - Juneteenth
- June 20 - Last Day of School! Dismissal @ 12:00 PM
•• New & Important Information ••
Auction Week
It’s Auction Week! Friday, the PTA will open their silent auction online, followed by the live auction & event on Saturday, 5/20. If you haven’t done so already, I encourage you to participate in some capacity. Over half the PTA’s funding for next year comes from this singular fundraising event! You can participate in many ways: https://e.givesmart.com/events/uSI/
- Buy a ticket so that you can attend the party and participate in the live auction event.
- Register online to participate in the silent auction, no ticket required.
- Donate! You can donate any sum via the PTA auction website.
We appreciate PTA and all the programming for our CLE students, staff and families. Thank you for considering how you can support these programs.
Golden Sailboat & Golden Acorn Award Nominations
Do you know a volunteer or staff member who has gone above and beyond for our school and students this year?
Each year our PTA gives the Golden Sailboat/Outstanding Educator Award and Golden Acorn/Outstanding Volunteer Award to a Cottage Lake Elementary staff member and volunteer who have given exemplary service to students and families in our school. This is an excellent way to honor Cottage Lake staff and volunteers for their contributions to our students, our school and our community.
We would like you to participate in the selection of our award recipients through your recommendations.
Submit your nominations by May 26th, 2023 using the link below.
Penny Drive for Children's Hospital
Classrooms will work in grade-level teams to collect as many pennies as possible during the month of May. Totals will be posted at the end of each week and then on May 31st two teams (one primary and one upper elementary) will be announced, and they will earn a special treat party (donuts/cupcakes/ice cream).
There is a hard rule for pennies only, and the penny jars are housed in the hallways. It's time to look in your pockets, under cushions, in the car, in purses or wallets! Let's come together for Children's Hospital and collect all the pennies!
Class Placement Input form
As we begin the process for creating preliminary class placement for the 2023-24 school year, it has been common practice to provide parents with an OPTIONAL parent input form. This is a form we review as we are creating our balanced classes each spring.
If you are interested in completing this OPTIONAL parent input form for class placement and your child will be at Cottage Lake next year, please click on this link. Please note we do NOT accept specific requests for specific teachers.
Please respond no later than Friday, June 2, 2023.
COVID update
The Department of Health (DOH) requires schools to inform families and students about COVID-19 case numbers and potential outbreaks. Over the past two weeks, there has been a total of 0 confirmed cases at our school. The accuracy of our data depends on self-reporting. Thank you for continuing to let the school know if your child tests positive for COVID-19. To view additional information, including school and district trends visit the District’s COVID-19 data dashboard. The dashboard is updated weekly on Monday evenings.
If your child is exhibiting symptoms of COVID-19 keep them home and test for COVID-19. Families can order free COVID-19 tests from the state. Together, we can keep our schools healthy and safe.
Sailor Superstars recognition!
I would like to acknowledge those Sailors who we have celebrated over the past two weeks. Join me in recognizing:
KINDERGARTEN
- Emily E.
- Sam B.
- Peter D.
- Vincent Y.
- Ella P.
- Serena L.
- Lana H.
GRADE 1
- Luke W.
- Kai R.
- Gabriel J.
- Ailee L.
- Joey M.
- Hastings S.
- Aishani A.
- Rowan L.
- Chase W.
- Ailee L.
- Akshaya C.
- Vaughn D.
GRADE 2
- Lizzie M.
- Charlee A.
- Kendall B.
- Caeden H.
- James S.
GRADE 3
- Judah P.
- Levi M.
- Yuval M.
- Kira S.
- Maddie V.
- Elijah C.
GRADE 4
- Annelise M.
- Caleb M.
- Aubrey B.
- Georgia C.
- Amelia H.
GRADE 5
- Jessica K.
- Paxton S.
- Nitzan S.
- Maja S.
- Elise Z.
- Rani R.
- Ty W.
- Alice J.
Way-To-Go, Sailors! Continue being Superstars!
Attention Grade 5 families
Greetings to our incoming 6th grade families.
Timbercrest will be hosting an informational night on Wednesday, May 24, from 6:00-6:45 pm in our gym for our incoming 6th-grade student parents/guardians. This event is only for adults. We will share information about what life is like in middle school which includes what to expect in terms of your student’s development as an adolescent, our daily schedule, athletics/clubs/activities, and take a self-guided tour of our campus. You will get a chance to meet our TMS administrative team, your student’s school counselor, and a panel of students and parents who will answer questions about middle school life.
We are excited to share that in partnership with our PTSA we are also scheduling a viewing of the documentary Screenagers right after our informational event, beginning at 7:00 pm. This film is designed to help families manage the digital world that our children live in today. We invite you to stay for the viewing and learn more about how to support your child with devices and social media.
The Screenagers website has this to say about the documentary: An award-winning film that probes into the vulnerable corners of family life and depicts messy struggles over social media, video games and academics. The film offers solutions on how we can help our kids navigate the digital world.
We look forward to meeting you and sharing about the middle school experience.
Kristi Saitz, Principal
James Van Stralen, Assistant Principal
Dierdre Flaherty, 6th Grade School Counselor
YMCA Childcare
Registration will open as follows:
- Wednesday, May 10 at 6:00 am: Participants currently enrolled in BASE and their incoming kindergarten siblings who have completed this form »
- Wednesday, May 17 at 6:00 am: YMCA facility members
- Friday, May 19 at 6:00 am: Interest list and general community
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 you are a currently enrolled BASE family and have an incoming kindergartener in your family, please fill out this form by May 5 to ensure you can enroll in the first registration window.
If any of you have any questions about what the 2023-2024 school year looks like please reach out. We appreciate your partnership and are excited to continue working together another year.
•• Repeat Information ••
Book Fair coming June 2-7
Cottage Lake June Book Fair June 2-7
Get ready for Summer Reading!
Book Fair Hours:
Grand Opening
Friday, June 2 during the PTA Spring Carnival, 5:30-8:00 p.m.
Book Fair shopping hours:
Monday - Tuesday, June 5 - 6
- 9:00-9:30 a.m.
- 12:00-1:00 p.m.
- 4:00-5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, June 7
- 9:00-9:30 a.m.
- 12:00-1:00 p.m.
- 2:30-5:30 p.m.
Volunteers needed: Please sign up using this Sign Up Genius
Spring SBA dates set
GRADE 3
- May 15
- May 18
- May 23
GRADE 4
- May 15
- May 18
- May 23
GRADE 5
- May 16
- May 22
- May 25
Welcoming our 2023-24 Kindergarten students and families!
You can start your Kindergarten student's registration by visiting this link: https://www.nsd.org/schools/get-started/enrollment
Spread the word!! We want and need Kindergarten students!! Our teacher assignments are dependent on student enrollment. If there are questions about the registration process, please email Ms. Negrin (tnegrin@nsd.org) or Mrs. McKinnon (smckinnon@nsd.org).
We are excited to welcome new families to Cottage Lake!
•• District News ••
Spring Superintendent Learning Sessions announced
During the spring, Superintendent Michael Tolley will host spring superintendent learning sessions as a way to share with our families, students, and staff the information he learned from his fall Listen and Learn tour. These events also provide an opportunity for the superintendent to continue to listen to our Northshore community members about their experiences in our schools. The dates and audience for each session are:
May 16 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Bothell High School Library: General Meeting
May 23 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Admin Center Board Room: Muslim Families
May 25 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the Northshore Middle School Library: Spanish-Speaking Families
May 30 from 6-7:30 p.m. on Zoom: General Meeting (the link will be advertised soon)
May 31 from 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. on Zoom: Families receiving Special Education Services (the link will be advertised soon)
•• PTA News ••
Watch DOGS
Dads (and really, all Dudes) Of Great Students: Are you looking for a way to make a positive impact in your child's life at school? WATCH D.O.G.S. is a national organization of fathers, grandfathers, step-fathers, uncles, and other father figures who volunteer at least one day during the year in their child's school.
We've had two “Watch DOGS” on campus and there are still spots remaining for more people to sign up to participate in this wonderful program. You can choose a full day or half day. Check out the sign up for more information!
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/20f0845a8a728a5f58-watch
Cottage Lake PTA webpage
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