Panther Pride
November 2022
We create and maintain a safe and consistent learning community by establishing positive behavioral supports and a culture where all students achieve social, emotional and academic success.
Fernwood Elementary
3933 Jewell Rd
Bothell, WA 98021
425.408.4500
In This Issue:
November Conference Information,
Sister School Supplies Donation,
Reunification Drill,
PTSA Book Fair Dates and Details,
And more!
Principal Message
It seems like we blinked and all of a sudden November arrived and our fall-like weather set in. We are grateful though! While rainy days are not alway ideal, having the opportunity for students to get outside each day is appreciated by staff and students. We are glad the days of poor quality are behind us for the time being.
With November here, we will already be almost ¼ of the way through our year on Friday, November 4th which marks the end of the first quarter. In just a few weeks, November conferences will be conducted. As partners in students’ progress, conferences serve as an intentional time for parents and teachers to further their partnership in support of student learning both at school and at home.
This year conferences begin on Thursday, November 17th, and go through Wednesday, November 23th. If you have not yet scheduled a conference, please contact your child's teacher as soon as possible to select a time that will work for you. Parents have so much to share with teachers. You hear the “home” version of how students feel about school. They may mention what they like best, what is easy or challenging, and whether or not they have school worries. You know if your child is doing homework at night and how long it takes. You know what brings about the most excitement for your child and what gets the most airtime at the dinner table.
Sharing these insights with your child's teacher is valuable. Teachers have so much to share with parents too. Teachers watch how your child relates with others in the classroom. They see how your child performs academically in a variety of subject areas and what support is needed to make the most progress. They know whether your child is willing to take intellectual risks in the classroom. They know the ways in which your child is seeking out friendships in class and what behaviors help or hinder social progress. Teachers know if your child is on track to meet State academic standards. They also are working to see evidence of fixed or growth mindset tendencies, which is certainly a work in progress.
In order to make your conference a productive one, here are some questions you might want to ask and some information you might consider sharing with the teacher. Preparing what you hope to ask and share will help make the most out of your time together.
We greatly appreciate your partnership in supporting your child and carrying out our school-wide mission of all students achieving social, emotional and academic success.
Kind regards,
Kate Eicher, Proud Principal
Dates To Remember
Counselor Connection
As a whole school, we united for National Bullying Prevention Month in October. We celebrated Unity Day on Wednesday, October 19th by creating a unity tree and sharing the ways we can show and spread kindness.
It was so great to see our Unity Tree grow and grow with everyone’s pledge to show kindness at Fernwood! To celebrate Unity Day, we also encouraged all students and staff to wear the color orange and show how we unite for kindness, courage, and inclusion! There was so much orange to see on Unity Day!
For the month of November students are having their third lesson with their school counselors. Students in grades K - 2 have learned about the differences between small problems and BIG problems. Students are hearing the mantra: We are smart enough and strong enough to solve small problems. For big problems, we go to a trusted adult right away for help because big problems can be scary, dangerous and someone could get hurt. In November, students are learning more about Kelso's Choices (wheel) and the non-verbal ways to solve small problems. The four non-verbal ways are ignore it, walk away, go to another game and wait and cool off.
For students in grades 3 - 5, learning about the three R’s continues. Recognize (is this bullying or a conflict, a misunderstanding or a small problem), Report (tell an adult that I trust) and Refuse (assertively tell the person to STOP). Students will discuss how sometimes a bystander to bullying can help by being a friend, speaking up and helping someone report to an adult.
Lastly, some holidays will be upon us sooner than we know. With this in mind, please reach out if your family could benefit from some community services and support.
If you have any questions or would like to request any additional support for your student, please do not hesitate to reach out! We are here for your student’s success!
Best Regards,
Jennifer Brisbine (Grades 1, 3, & 5) jbrisbine@nsd.org and 425-408-4570
Sarah Cue (Grades K, 2, & 4) scue@nsd.org and 425-408-4572
In The Know
Vaccinations Requirements for Volunteers
As of Tuesday, November 1st, Washington State is changing vaccination requirements for volunteers. Volunteers will no longer need to prove vaccination status in order to volunteer. However, it is still required that all individuals seeking to volunteer complete a background check before being permitted to work around students. This District change is in response to Governor Inslee’s repeal of the COVID-19 emergency proclamations and state of emergency by Oct. 31, 2022.
Sister Schools Supply Donation
Fernwood Elementary will be working together to show gratitude by having a school supply drive for Sister Schools, an organization that connects local schools with schools in Uganda, Africa. Mrs. Berry, one of our music tachers, has worked to connect Fernwood with Sister Schools over the years and has even traveled to Uganda to see the positive impact this organization has on students and their ability to engage and participate in the learning process.
On November 8th, Terry McGill, the founder of the organization, will meet with students by grade level to share photos and stories of life about school-age children in Uganda. He will share about the difference students can make for others through their donations. You can find the recommended list of supplies for students to bring by grade level linked here. We will collect these supplies November 9th - 28th. Students will take the supplies to the classroom and it is recommended that they write their name on the back.
Terry will then return on Tuesday, November 29th to photograph students with their supplies. All students should bring supplies on this date. We will then create a schedule for their pictures to be taken. In the spring, Terry will return with photographs of students in Uganda holding up the exact same supplies donated for students to see the difference they have made for others.
Book Fair and Book Swap
You can find more information on our PTSA Book Fair running from November 4th-10th in the PTSA section below. We want you to also be aware that Mrs. Zager, one of our librarians, will be sponsoring a Book Swap during these dates to ensure all students have the opportunity to receive new reading materials. Mrs. Zager shares the following message:
FERNWOOD BOOK SWAP IS COMING!
During Book Fair this year (Nov. 4-10), Fernwood Library will also be holding a book swap event where students are able to bring any books from home that they no longer want and are ready to pass on to the next reader! The event will take place during regularly scheduled library time for each class that week.
Students can donate as many as they like, and may choose up to three books from the swap to take home and keep. Book donations can be dropped off at the office, and/or brought on their library day. Please reach out to Mrs. Zager with any questions: azager@nsd.org
Celebrating Veterans Day
In honor of Veterans Day, we would like to create a slideshow honoring those family members or friends that have served to protect our country. If you have a family member or friend who is a veteran, please send us their picture so that we may honor them in our Veteran's Day Assembly no later than Tuesday, November 9th. You can upload photos to the Google Form using this Veterans Day Family Picture Link. There will be a space to include their name, the student’s name in which they are related or connected, and branch of service as well as years of service.
Progress Reports
Your child’s progress report will either be sent on Monday, November 14th or handed out at conferences. This report will indicate your student’s progress in Behaviors that Promote Learning, English Language Arts, and Math. Along with the progress report, you will receive a cover letter from Assistant Superintendent, Dave Wellington, sharing more about the scoring process within this document. If you have questions, please talk to your teacher during your conference.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Parent/Teacher Conferences are from Thursday, Nov. 17th - Wednesday, Nov. 23rd. During this time, we will have early dismissal each day at 12:30PM. While the days are short, students will still have the opportunity to eat lunch each day at school through adjusted lunch times. If your child brings lunch from home, please pack a lunch or snack. We want your child to have something to eat before the end of the day even if you would prefer to have your child eat lunch after school.
Reunification Drill
As part of our ongoing focus on safety, we will be conducting a parent reunification drill on Friday, November 18th. This drill will include a fire drill and evacuation of all staff and students, deployment of our Fernwood Search and Rescue Team (this is a group of staff members assigned to check locations across the campus to determine the aid needed in the event of a real emergency), and our Parent Reunification. Practicing our Parent Reunification process will allow us to connect students and families together in a timely manner in the event of a real emergency. For more details about this process, please see the language and images included on our school website under “Emergency Response”. *We will adjust the date of this drill if the weather interferes.
Attendance Information Updates
Please visit our website to review updates related to attendance on policies, arranged absences, and late arrivals/early pickups.
Crosswalk Update
Our crosswalk has been moved north and is now parallel to the backside of our cafeteria. This change is being made to improve the congestion that we experience during arrival and dismissal at our main campus entrance on 39th Ave SE which will support safety for all. Moving our crosswalk north has been a year in the making, so we are very excited to see it come to fruition!
We are still awaiting the installation of our additional walking gate. At this time, we believe this will occur within two to three weeks. The installation of the additional walking gate will allow us to create a drop off and pick up loop for families utilizing our "Walker Area" during arrival and dismissal. We will share more details about this change once we have a confirmed date for this gate to be added from Northshore's Capital Projects Department.
District Information
Screening and Timelines for Highly Capable Testing
Northshore has begun the process of screening students to determine their eligibility for receiving Highly Capable services. The screening process is different for various grades. All students in grades kindergarten, first, and fifth are screened. Students new to Northshore in grades second, third, and fourth are also screened. Students returning in grades second, third, and fourth, must be referred for screening. These screeners will be used to determine if students will take the IOWA assessment which determines eligibility for Highly Capable services. For more details and timelines related to this screening and testing process, please visit Northshore’s Highly Capable Services website.
PTSA Information
Please NOTE date change:
Connection with the Principal, Tuesday, November 15, 6:30-7:00 pm
There is no formal agenda. This is a time to come and share your thoughts or ask questions. This meeting will be held virtually through Zoom: Join the Zoom Meeting:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88273278271?pwd=QWgzTUV5RU5hUi9INTBnODEyYVg5Zz09
Meeting ID: 882 7327 8271
Passcode: 413952
PTSA Meeting:
The month’s PTSA meeting will be on Tuesday, November 15th at 7:00pm in the library.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88273278271?pwd=QWgzTUV5RU5hUi9INTBnODEyYVg5Zz09
Meeting ID: 882 7327 8271
Passcode: 413952
On behalf of the Fernwood PTSA Board of Directors: we hope to see you there.
Book Fair
Mark your calendars! The PTSA sponsored Book Fair is coming soon. The dates are November 4th - 10th. See the flyer below for more information.
Spelling Bee
Register your student to participate in our Spelling Bee! It is such a great experience for the students, so don’t miss out by signing up your student by November 4th.