Tiger Tales Newsletter
September 6, 2022
Upcoming Dates
September 6 - Fire Safety Evacuation Drill
September 7 - First Day of School for Kindergarteners
September 7 - TCE PTA Kinder Coffee @9:45
September 19 - Picture Day
September 26-30 - Spirit Week
September 30 - Jog-a-Thon Fundraiser
October 13 - TCE PTA Membership Meeting @4:00
October 21 - No School, Teacher Inservice
October 24 - Picture Retakes
October 27 - TCE PTA Trunk or Treat @6:00-7:30
Principal's Message
We had a fantastic first two days of school! Thank you to all the families who joined us for Open House and were in the building to walk students to their classrooms. It feels so great to have our hallways full again with students, families and smiles!
The first day of school for Kindergartners is Wednesday, September 7. Wednesdays follow a late start schedule to provide staff time for professional development. School begins at 10:20 on Wednesdays and doors open at 10:05 for breakfast. Buses will arrive roughly 1 hour 20 minutes later than usual for morning pick up. Dismissal is still 3:30 and busses should arrive home at the same time each day.
During the first few weeks of school in addition to teaching the core subjects, staff work to build classroom community. This is a key part of our emphasis on social and emotional learning. We use the district adopted curriculum Character Strong to emphasize monthly character traits and social development. During the month of September we are focusing on Respect. Respect is seeing value in all people and things and treating them with care.
Looking forward to meeting our Kinder Tigers this week!
Jennifer Allen, Principal
Snacks and Water Bottles
Arrival and Dismissal
The building will open at 8:45 a.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Fridays. On Wednesdays doors open at 10:05 a.m. If students arrive early they will be held outdoors, so please dress for the weather.
Students who are picked up by car after school will begin dismissal at 3:20. Please try not to block traffic on 72nd AVE NW and be courteous of our neighboring businesses. Walkers will be dismissed at 3:25 and bus riders will be dismissed at 3:30. We have two transfer busses that leave at 3:15 to take students to Cedarhome Elementary and Stanwood Elementary.
If you need to make a transportation change for your child, please contact the office before 3:00. You can call 360-629-1270 or email tceinfo@stanwood.wednet.edu. We want to ensure your child's safety, so if we have not received communication from an adult, your child will go home using their regular schedule.
School Meals
Federal funding for no-cost breakfast and lunches for all students during the COVID-19 pandemic has ended. This means the district will return to paid breakfast and lunch meals for students for the 2022-23 school year. Please click this link to apply for free and reduced meals.
If your child had funds on their student meal account prior to the shift to free meals, the balance is available to view in Skyward. Please visit the food service website for more information. If you'd like to add lunch money to your child's account, please send cash or check in a sealed enveloped with your child's full name. Our food service department cannot make change.
Transportation
District transportation information is now available for grades K-12. Parents can access individual student transportation information online.
Versatrans eLink is the portal to access bus route, stop time, location, and the bus your child will be riding. The "User Name" and "Password" on the login page is your student's 7-digit identification number.
Click here for instructions on finding bus routes
Click here to go to Versatrans eLink
REMINDER: All students need to be at the bus stop 5 minutes before their stop time.
Kindergarten Parents: To ensure your child's safety, please arrive at the bus stop in the morning and after school 5 minutes before the scheduled pick-up and drop-off time. Parents or guardians must meet the bus in the afternoon, or your child will be returned to the school or transportation center.
For more information, please call the Transportation Center at 360-629-1229.
Volunteering
We love our volunteers! All volunteers must be cleared through Washington State Patrol background checks. Once HR has completed the background checks and you have been cleared, your name is added to our cleared list. You may contact the office to see if this process is completed. All volunteers must also do the HIB training. This is now available by watching a short video and submitting your agreement electronically.
The following are needed to complete the Volunteer Application:
Volunteer Application (must be completed every two years)
Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying Training (must be completed every year)
Counselor Corner
Welcome back Tigers! We are kicking off the year with a focus on the character trait of respect. Students will be learning about respect in their classrooms and be practicing this trait throughout their school day. Respect for each other, ourselves, and our things is incredibly important for overall success. A newsletter will be sent home for each child about respect and how to support this growth at home.
If you have any questions about the school counseling program at TCE, please don’t hesitate to reach out. My email is jschwarze@stanwood.wednet.edu and my extension at school is #2338.
JoAnna Schwarze, Counselor
The Reading Nook
Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year, Tigers! I hope you have been reading and listening to many great books this summer. Sitting on a comfy chair and reading in the sunshine is one of my favorite summertime activities. I am so excited to see all of your smiling faces back at Twin City Elementary and I look forward to a great school year together!
As we begin each new school year, we measure our students’ knowledge and abilities in reading and math to help us understand them as learners, and to inform us about each child’s specific strengths and challenges. This information is also used to help us determine which students need additional support through our Title I & Learning Assistance Program for reading, and provides teachers with information they can use to target instruction for their students.
This month, our students will be tested using the aimswebPlus assessments for reading at Kindergarten through fifth grade, and for math at Kindergarten through 2nd grade. Our third through fifth grade students will also take the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) for reading and math. The aimswebPlus assessments are typically very brief, often 1-minute timed assessments, focused on a specific skill to determine how a child is performing compared with the typical performance of their grade-level peers across the nation. The MAP tests are taken on a computer, and the assessments adapt to the child’s performance, providing easier questions if the child is struggling and more challenging questions if the child is answering correctly. MAP assessments provide information of how a child is performing across a subject area.
We will assess our students again in winter and spring to determine how much progress they are making along the way. Scores will be shared with you by your child’s teacher and are available upon request.vPlease ensure that your child is well-rested during testing times and remind them to just do their best!
If you have any questions about the Title/LAP reading program at TCE, please don’t hesitate to reach out. My email is kpickrell@stanwood.wednet.edu and my extension at school is #2336.
Katie Pickrell, Title/LAP Coordinator
COVID Health Guidelines
The Washington State Department of Health has issued updated COVID-19 health and safety guidance for schools this fall. Following these safety measures reduces the spread of COVID-19 in our school community.
Health and safety requirements for this fall:
Students and staff who show symptoms of COVID-19 are required to stay home, or go home, if they become ill at school. Individuals with COVID-19 symptoms must have a test to rule out COVID-19 before returning to school.
Students, staff, and families seeking testing should contact their schools directly. All COVID-19 testing at school will still require paper or digital consent to be signed or on file.
Students and staff who test positive for COVID-19 are required to isolate themselves at home for 5 full calendar days. After day 5, if symptoms improve and they have had no fever for the past 24 hours without the use of fever-reducing medications, students and staff can come back to school.
It is recommended, but not required, that students and staff returning to school after their 5 days of isolation:
wear a well-fitted mask from days 6 to 10, and
remain masked for sports and other extracurricular activities on days 6 to 10.
Students and staff who test positive after 5 days of isolation must stay at home for the full 10-day isolation period.
We will continue to communicate cases and outbreaks to families and staff in our weekly COVID-19 dashboard. The dashboard will be updated weekly on Wednesdays. These requirements are in place for all public and private K-12 schools and childcare facilities in Washington state. Schools and childcare facilities are required by state law to follow these guidelines.
Families are encouraged to test as needed at home. Students, staff, and families may access tests at no cost from all of our schools. Additionally, in Washington state, you can receive free self-tests from Say Yes! COVID Test program. Most insurance covers the costs of up to 8 self-tests per individual per month.
COVID-19 vaccinations remain the best protection for everyone against hospitalization and severe disease from COVID-19. The COVID-19 vaccine is now available for children 6 months and older. Booster doses are also available for children 5 years and older. You are encouraged to vaccinate your children if they are eligible, in consultation with your healthcare provider.
Contact Us
Jennifer Allen, Principal
Email: tceinfo@stanwood.wednet.edu
Website: https://tce.stanwood.wednet.edu/home
Location: 26211 72nd Avenue Northwest, Stanwood, WA, USA
Phone: 360-629-1270
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TwinCityPTA