The Sailor Signal
Cottage Lake Elementary - August 21, 2022
A Note from Ms. Welch
I can feel the excitement in the air as we inch closer to the start of the school year. This next week, we welcome all staff back to school for training and then on Thursday afternoon, we welcome each of our families to school for our Meet the Teacher event. This will be from 3:00-4:00 PM. This is a time to meet staff and drop off school supplies, should you wish.
I know many of you, along with your students, are anxious to learn who their teacher(s) will be this coming year. There are still tweaks and changes happening behind the scene and if you were to find something in ParentVue, please know these assignments can defiantly change. There will be an email sent to families, with an attached letter from your child's teacher, on Wednesday, August 24. This provides the time necessary to check our classes and make the changes necessary.
In next Sunday's newsletter, I should be able to share school staffing information. I am still working on hiring staff for this school year, so it is not available just yet.
Thank you for your continued support of our school. I am looking forward to seeing many of you this coming week for Meet the Teacher.
Take Care,
~ Jen Welch, Principal
•• New & Important Information ••
Teacher Assignments
As mentioned before, you will receive an email with a letter from your child's teacher on Wednesday afternoon to confirm your classroom assignment.
•• Repeat Information ••
NEW school hours for 2022-2023 school year
- Our hours are now: 9:30 AM-4:00 PM on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.
- On early release Wednesdays (most Wednesdays), the school day will run from 9:30 AM-2:30 PM.
- Please be aware that the first day of school (August 31) is a FULL DAY of school.
August Meet the Teacher event
Save the date!
Thursday, August 25, from 3:00-4:00 PM
Come say hello to your teacher, see your classroom, take a self-guided campus tour, and drop off your school supplies. This will be an informal event where families can stop by the school during our Meet the Teacher time. Please know this is a very busy time for our school and our parking lot will fill quickly. Please drive safely!
We are looking forward to seeing you all soon and welcoming students and families back to campus!
First Day of School - August 31, 2022
Welcome to Kindergarten!
I'd like to welcome you to the 2022-2023 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 family conferences and then we have staggard start days for students. This allows us the opportunity to learn about students before they start in our classroom and then on the staggard days, this provides us an 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.
- Wednesday, August 31, 2022 - No School for Kindergarten students. Teachers will be holding WaKIDS family conferences where they will meet with each family during one of these three conference days. Families will be asked to sign up for a date and time.
- Thursday, September 1, 2022 - No School for Kindergarten students. Teachers will be holding WaKIDS family conferences where they will meet with each family during one of these three conference days. Families will be asked to sign up for a date and time.
- Friday, September 2, 2022 - No School for Kindergarten students. Teachers will be holding WaKIDS family conferences where they will meet with each family during one of these three conference days. Families will be asked to sign up for a date and time.
Monday, September 5, 2022 - NO SCHOOL - Labor Day observance
- Tuesday, September 6, 2022 - First Day of School for Kindergarten students with the LAST NAMES beginning with letters A-I. (Students attend this day but NOT on 9/7/2022)
Wednesday, September 7, 2022 - First Day of School for Kindergarten students with the LAST NAMES beginning with letters J-Z. (Students attend this day but NOT on 9/6/2022)
Thursday, September 8, 2022 - ALL Kindergarten students attend school together.
Please mark your calendars with the above information. After September 8, 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!
School Supplies
If you need assistance with school supplies for your student(s), please reach out to our Office Manager, Sarah McKinnon (smckinnon@nsd.org), in our front office. Thank you!
Classroom Placement
Over the summer, I watched our enrollment numbers closely. We have continued to lose some students since June, but we have also gained a few, as well. Since teacher assignments are dependent on student enrollment, I continue to watch our numbers extremely closely. If there are any new Kindergarten families who have not registered yet, I ask that you do so ASAP!!
Bus Routes
2022-2023 School Calendar
Important Dates:
- August 31 - First Day of School for Grades 1-5
- September 5 - No School for Labor Day
- November 11 - No School for Veteran's Day
- November 17 through November 23 - Early Release for Parent-Teacher conferences. Dismissal time is 12:40 PM.
- November 24 & 25 - No School for extended Thanksgiving break
- December 19 through January 2 - No School for Winter Break
- Tuesday, January 3 - Welcome back to school
- February 20 through 24 - No School for President's Day & Mid-Winter Break
- April 10 through 14 - No School for Spring Break
- June 20 - Last Day of School for Grades K-5
Connecting with our Office Staff
Email is always a great way to get a hold of any staff member.
To get a hold of the main office, please dial 425-408-4200.
Office Manager - Sarah McKinnon @ smckinnon@nsd.org
Secretary - Teri Negrin @ tnegrin@nsd.org
Principal - Jennifer Welch @ jwelch@nsd.org
Nurse - Brittney Schlee @ bschlee@nsd.org
School Counselor - Stephen Wallinger @ swallinger@nsd.orgDean of Students - Sam Maynard @ smaynard2@nsd.org
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.
Tuesday, September 13
- Kindergarten @ 5:30-6:30 PM
- Grade 4 @ 6:45-7:45 PM
Monday, September 19
- Grade 1 @ 5:30-6:30 PM
- Grade 5 @ 6:45-7:45 PM
Tuesday, September 20
- Grade 2 @ 5:30-6:30 PM
- Grade 3 @ 6:45-7:45 PM
My goal is to achieve at least 95% attendance at these curriculum nights, though I always strive for 100%. If at least one parent can attend, we sure appreciate that! Thank you for your support!
•• PTA News ••
Cottage Lake PTA webpage
PTA Newsletter - The Foghorn
The PTA is excited to announce that The Foghorn Newsletter is back! This monthly newsletter will be a great way for the PTA to communicate the exciting activities and opportunities that are going to take place throughout the school year. Click on the link below to check it out.
PTA Ice Cream Social
Date: Thursday, September 8, 2022
Time: 5:00-7:00 PM
Where: On the Cottage Lake playground
Who: All families are invited to attend
•• District News ••
NEW District Visitor Management system new this fall
CLICK HERE to learn more about the new system.
School Meal Plan updates for 2022-23
The Northshore School District, like all others in the state, will again begin to charge for school lunch and breakfast at the start of this school year. This means families who apply for benefits and qualify for free or reduced-priced meals will continue to receive meals at no charge in 2022-23, and students who do not apply for or qualify for benefits will be charged at the paid meal price for breakfast and lunch when participating.
What can you do to prepare for this coming year?
- Reapply for benefits in August! Students need to qualify each school year for free or reduced-priced meals in order to continue receiving benefits. Applications will be available in August to apply for 2022-23 school year benefits. In addition to meals, those who qualify can also receive discounted or free school services including athletic fees, field trip fees, ASB fees, college application fees, and more!
- Set up a Titan Family Portal account. Be prepared for purchasing meals by opening a Titan Family Portal account where you can add money to your student's account, set up recurring payments, see purchases, set low-balance reminders, move money between siblings and even apply for benefits!
CLICK HERE to set up your Titan Family Portal account
______________________________________________________________________________________________
Below you will find the 2022-23 Meal Prices:
Elementary Breakfast
- Free & Reduced - $0.00
- Paid - $2.25
Elementary Lunch
- Free & Reduced - $0.00
- Paid - $3.75
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
Below you will find additional updates from our Food and Nutrition department.
- FOOD & NUTRITION SERVICES
- All schools offer breakfast and lunch. Menus are available online along with nutritional information at nsd.org/meals. Milk is included in the price of a full meal. Cartons of milk can also be purchased separately.
- FREE AND REDUCED-PRICE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH
- Parents whose income falls within guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture should apply for free or reduced-price meals. Families must reapply each year to receive benefits for the current school year. All students who qualify for free, as well as those who qualify for reduced-price meals, will receive both breakfast and lunch at no charge. Applications are available after August 1. You can apply online or download an application at nsd.org/meals or pick up a paper application from your school or district’s Food and Nutrition Services offices. To have an application mailed to you, call Food and Nutrition Services at 425.408.7657.
- PAYING FOR SCHOOL MEALS
- Parents may pay online with Visa or MasterCard using a secure internet site called Titan School Solutions. To set up a Titan Family Portal account for making online payments, visit family.titank12.com. There is no charge for parents to register for a Titan account; however, there is a $2.60 convenience charge for each payment made online. Parents can also pay by cash or check (made out to Northshore School District) at the school. There is no fee for paying with cash or check. Checks should indicate “school meals” in the memo.
- LOW BALANCE NOTIFICATIONS/TRACKING MEAL BALANCES
- You can view your student’s meal account balance and cafeteria purchases and transfer money from one sibling to another at no charge on the Titan Family Portal online or with the mobile app at family.titank12.com. Families that have registered on the Titan Family Portal will receive a low-balance notification by email when their student’s account drops below $5.00. Families can also set custom low-balance notifications through Titan. Written low balance notices may also be sent home when the balance on the meal account is low. The notice will be placed in the teacher's box to be given to the student to take home.
- NEGATIVE BALANCE NOTIFICATIONS
- When a student account balance reaches the equivalent of negative two lunches, automated calls will be sent out from the Food & Nutrition Services Department to ensure notification of account standings. Regardless of account standing, students will always be offered a reimbursable breakfast and lunch at school and allowed to charge on a negative balance. Charging for a la carte purchases, including milk-only, extra entrees, or non-reimbursable meals, will not be permitted if a student's balance is negative. Unpaid meal charges must be paid in full when a student graduates or moves to a new school district.
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