Happy New Year to you all as 2023 dawns! We hope that you had a meaningful and restful Winter Break across these past two weeks. We have missed our Eagles and look forward to welcoming everyone back when school resumes on Tuesday, January 3rd. Once we are back in session, we have one month before the end of our first semester on February 3rd. This marks the midpoint in our school year and will follow with Elementary Progress Reports available both online and mailed/distributed by February 17th.

As we celebrate the beginning of a new calendar year, we do so with renewed hope and a continued sense of appreciation. Our Eagles continue to grow through structured challenges and opportunities to explore and experience their learning. For us, the month of January is celebrated as "wonderary." We believe that wonder and inquiry are essential elements to meaningful learning. As such, we will utilize our daily announcements and other opportunities to explore the many wonders that surround us each and every day.

January provides us with the opportunity to honor and celebrate the life, impact, and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Together, we look forward to learning more about Dr. King and collectively exploring how we must continue the heroic efforts of Dr. King and many other Civil Rights Leaders (past, present, and future).

For additional information and updates, please continue reading.

January:

• Tuesday, January 3 - School Resumes (normal schedule)
• Friday, January 6 - LIF Day (1:35pm Dismissal)
• Thursday, January 12 - Primary and Intermediate Awards Assemblies (Times TBD)
• Friday, January 13 - MLK Celebrations (Times vary by grade)
• Friday, January 13 - LIF Day (1:35pm Dismissal)
• Monday, January 16 - MLK Jr Day (No School)
• Thursday, January 19 - Natural Leaders Family Connection Night at Family Tree (5:00pm)
• Friday, January 20 - PTA Movie Night (6:00pm)
• Friday, January 20 - LIF Day (1:35pm Dismissal)
• Friday, January 27 - LIF Day (1:35pm Dismissal)

Future Dates to Note:

• Monday, February 6 - (No School) Teacher Workday
• Wednesday, February 8 - Class Picture Day
• Monday, February 20 and Tuesday, February 21 - (No School) Mid-Winter Break

Each year, we have the profound opportunity to learn from leaders that have gone before, paving the way and opening doors of opportunity in our lives. Some leaders are mentioned while others are continually studied. The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. holds a special place in this regard and each January, we are fortunate to frame the new year through the vision that Dr. King still holds for our individual and collective lives.

Taking place each year on the third Monday in January, the Martin Luther King, Jr., Day of Service (MLK Day) is the only federal holiday that is also designated by Congress as a national day of service – a “day on, not a day off.” As we prepare for January 16th, our Eagles will further explore the life, vision, and impact of Dr. King while also considering the many areas which require renewed urgency. Together, our students will study and consider Dr. King's dream for our lives and how they are part of this continued vision through their own thoughts, words, commitment, actions, and yes, dreams.

As this new year dawns, we invite you to join us in honoring the life, impact, sacrifices, ongoing, needed vision of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As our Eagles continue to develop into leaders in their own regard, learning from Dr. King holds promise as we collectively note the sustained effort, organizing, intention, and struggle still needed to accomplish his dream in the lives of our children.

Our third graders have a lot to look forward to across the coming months and with the help of our Third Grade team and the Everett Public Schools Foundation, our students can now include hands-on engineering and design to their learning. Teachers Lisa Noble, Melinda Burwell, and Carly Jellyman wrote, submitted, and received a grant entitled Future Engineers - Building Bridges Together. This grant was part of the Foundation's efforts to fund 47 grants across 23 Everett schools this year, totaling $35,895 in new learning experiences.

Our Third Grade team's grant will go towards needed learning supplies and materials to extend curriculum associated with engineering and design processes. As a result, our third graders will have hands-on opportunities to study, design, and build several bridge types including beam, suspension, truss, etc. using K'Nex and Lego kits that provide students with opportunities to test their models using real life, applicable scenarios.

A special thank you to Lisa Noble, Melinda Burwell, Carly Jellyman, and our Everett Public Schools Foundation for making this learning a reality our students.

After months of exploration and practice, our Monroe Robotics Team competed in their first formal competition last month. Along with elementary and middle schools from across our region, our fifth graders built, programed, and problem solved their way through a variety of challenges as part of our Washington FIRST LEGO League. Led by coaches Andria Bexell (Second Grade Teacher) and Alyssa Ignatov (Fifth Grade Teacher), our Eagles performed well and we were exceptionally proud of their skill, collaboration, and teamwork in navigating the many challenges of this competition.

A special thank you to Andria Bexell and Alyssa Ignatov for the many hours that they put into coaching this year's team and making this opportunity a reality for our Eagles.

An important reminder, especially amidst this ever-evolving cold/flu season:

Medications in any form, are by definition, substances used for treatment. As such, we must be exceptionally careful with medication, especially as an elementary school. Your help is appreciated as any/all medication at school requires a doctor’s order on file in the health room. While it may not immediately so, medications in this regard include items like cough drops, Tylenol, and even some lip medications/ointments.

If your child requires the use of medications at school, please reach out to our office/health room for assistance and, as needed, the associated paperwork. Your help is truly valued and appreciated.

Our Everett Public Schools newsletter for the first month of this New Year is linked below. These specifically crafted monthly communications are designed to connect with all of our families and provide information pertaining to all of our schools/programs. This month's newsletter includes updates pertaining to:

• January is School Board Appreciation Month
  
• Delayed Start or Closed School Information
  
• Snow Route Information
• 1/13 Good Citizenship Day

The dawning of a New Year provides a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with loved ones, old friends, and lost jackets and sweatshirts. After a long winter break of remaining lost, we have two racks of clothing that is ready to come home.

Below is a snapshot of our Lost & Found as of this morning. Please scan to see if you can spot anything that may have gone missing prior to the break. As school resumes this week, please know that we would be happy to help your child reconnect with any items you spot in this week's picture.

As a reminder, our Lost & Found racks are rolled out to the front of our school each Friday. Please feel free to visit if an article of clothing has gone missing. Additionally, if at anytime you would like to check our Lost & Found (located near the playground entry/exit), please stop by our office at your convenience. Thank you for your efforts in helping currently lost items return home again.

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Thank you for taking the time to red this update. On behalf of our Entire Monroe team, we wish you and your families the absolute best across this New Year of 2023. May these next twelve months be filled with needed opportunities, purpose, fulfillment, connection, and joy.

Win the Day, Eagles!

Tyler & Catarino

Principal & Assistant Principal

Monroe Elementary School

tream@everettsd.org - crodriguez@everettsd.org

Phone: 425-385-7300

Fax 425-385-7302

Below are links to previous editions of our MOE News:

• December 2022: English Version - Spanish version
• November 2022: English Version - Spanish Version
• October 2022: English Version - Spanish Version
• September 2022: English Version - Spanish Version
• Late-August Update: English Version - Spanish Version
• Mid-August Update: English Version - Spanish Version
• Mid-July Update: English Version - Spanish Version
• MOE News editions from the 2021/2022 School Year