Panther Pride
April 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, WA98021
425.408.4500
In this issue:
End of the 3rd Quarter
Track and Field Begins
SBA Testing
Arrival and Dismissal Reminders
And More...
Principal Message
Dear Fernwood Families,
At the end of the week we will be wrapping up our third quarter and heading into Spring Break. We hope everyone enjoys the week away! May your family take part in some rejuvenation whether sticking nearby or traveling afar.
Spring can often be a time for renewal and growth. We find extra energy with the increase in daylight and warmer weather. It is an exciting time within the school year as well. We often see students make growth in new ways with skills they have been persistent in working on throughout the school year, especially for our younger readers. Across the school, we approach spring with an increased focus around our school pillars of: I am safe, I am kind, I am a learner. The same new zest of energy students are putting into their school work, can also play out in other ways across our school setting.
Within our Parent Survey shared with families this January, many families shared that they were not aware of our Behavior Matrix and Flowchart. I want to take this as an opportunity to revisit and share this information along with our school-wide philosophy on supporting student behavior. We seek to be proactive by establishing, maintaining, and restoring relationships with students as we get to know them and positively reinforce their behavior. When behavior does occur, we utilize a progressive system to consistently follow through with major or minor behaviors. Please utilize this link for more details on this philosophy and our Behavior Matrix and Flowchart.
We appreciate your support of our school-wide pillars at home as well to minimize behaviors at school. Together, we support our kids in being their best selves at Fernwood and beyond.
Kind Regards,
Kate Eicher, Proud Principal
Fernwood Calendar and Dates to Remember
Counselor Corner
Welcome Spring! Along with the fresh flowers and budding trees, we have welcomed many new students in recent weeks. Please allow me to briefly introduce myself. My name is Jennifer Brisbine, and I am the school counselor at Fernwood. My role includes fostering the academic, career and social-emotional growth in all students. One way I work to foster student growth and a positive learning environment for all students is by partnering with our students, staff and school administration to help develop student-led virtual assemblies.
In last month’s virtual assembly, students had shared real-life examples of youth demonstrating perseverance and they illustrated what it means to be called to action. This month we are bridging those discussions and highlighting examples of student agency and activism. Students will understand that the term student agency refers to their belief in themselves and their ability to set helpful goals, take action to achieve those goals, and to think about or reflect on the feedback from others. Students will explain that activism is much like being called to action. They will hear from our student council members who will share how they are using their student agency to engage in a Clean Up Fernwood Campaign to help clean up the litter (dropped masks, papers, plastic bags) that we are seeing around our school. We encourage you to engage with your child about our virtual assembly and ask the question: In what ways do you think you could show agency to make a difference in your family, school or community?
Building upon the discussion of student agency, I encourage you to consider the many ways you could support your child in grounding their self-agency and foster their belief in themselves as capable and empowered to make a difference. Keeping your child involved with activities and engaged with friends and neighbors can provide opportunities for personal growth, self-awareness, and social-awareness. An additional tip for families to consider when it comes to raising a child’s self-agency is to hold family meetings. Holding family meetings regularly can be a great way for you as a parent to engage with your child to learn more about what issues they're experiencing and engage in problem-solving, which can raise everyone’s sense of self-agency. For a great article from Center for Parenting Education on how to hold family meetings, please click here: Family Meetings.
If I can be of any support to your family or your student, please reach out. I strive to partner with families for student support and school success. Please see below for additional and timely resources that you may find helpful.
School Counselor
425-408-4532
In the Know
SBA DATES
Students in grades 3rd-5th will take part in our state’s Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA) this spring. 5th graders will also take the Washington State Science Assessment. During our testing window, it is especially important your child is present and on time to school. Please see the testing dates to mark your calendar. You will notice our testing schedule is more compact this year. This is a direct result of moving to 1:1 devices and no longer needing to share devices. *Please note: there is always the possibility students may become ill, so make up opportunities will be provided.
SBA Schedule Key:
3rd Grade - Yellow
4th Grade - Blue
5th Grade - Green
* If your child is in a combination classroom, please see where the teacher name is located on the schedule.
Biking, Parking Lot Safety, and More!
With the increase in warm weather, we recognize many families may adjust their mode of transportation to and from school. Spring is also a good time for all of us to pause and revisit procedures to ensure we maintain our procedures during arrival and dismissal to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and families. Please revisit our arrival and dismissal procedures linked here. *Please note: Any student biking to school (even when accompanied by an adult) must have a consent form turned in and approved. Only students 10 and older can bike alone once their form is approved.
Track and Field Registration Now Open!
We are happy to announce that our season is right around the corner. Registration is now open! All 3rd-5th grade girls and boys can participate.
The cost is $35 and scholarships are available. Please contact the office about scholarship information. You can register via TouchBase (https://schoolsales.nsd.org Opens a New Window.) T-shirt orders are due by April 7th.
Practices will be Mondays and Tuesdays before school from 8:00-9:00 am with our first practice being April 25th. A full schedule of meet dates and locations can be found on the Schedule page. *Please note, when meets occur on Tuesdays, there will be no morning practice.
Parent Input Form
As we head into April, we continue to think about providing a strong finish to the 2021-22 school year. In addition, we begin to look to the future. You may have started to envision the 2022-23 school year for your child. The Parent Input Form is your opportunity to share information about your child as we begin our process of creating balanced classrooms for next year. Along with teacher input, this information will be reviewed and considered by your teacher, the current grade level team, and administration. Please see the form for more specifics. All forms are due by Friday, May 6th.
Masks
While the use of masks remains optional, we are seeing an increase in students coming to the office to request masks after forgetting them at home or in the car. We want to support all students with their choice of mask use, so while we do provide them when requested, we are running low. If you would like your child to wear a mask while at school, please make sure to send them each day with a mask as well as with an extra one in the event it is needed. *Please note: all students entering the health room are still required to wear a mask.
Water Bottles
As spring is in the air and the weather is warming, students are in need of greater amounts of water during the school day. Please make sure you send your child with a water bottle each day. It is also especially helpful if you can label their water bottle in the event it gets misplaced.
Clothing for the Health Room
Are you doing spring cleaning and looking to let go of clothes that no longer fit your child? Our health room is in need of student clothing because sometimes accidents happen. We need clothing for both genders. Leggings and sweatpants work great for students of various heights. Please feel free to drop off donations in the office at any time. We thank you in advance for your kind donations.
District Information
April Progress Reports
As we noted in November, progress reports in April will only be mailed home if a student is not yet at grade level in one or more areas. In addition, it may also be mailed home if behavior needs need to be communicated. If you do not receive a progress report, it means your student is performing at standard in reading, writing, and math at this time and is strengths and/or needs around behavior have been communicated through previous conversations.
If you do receive a progress report, teachers will note specifically where students are not yet meeting grade level with an “N”. Other areas in which they are meeting grade level will be marked with a "Y". These reports also contain a section on "Behaviors that Promote Student Learning.” The teacher may elect to complete this section if a student has behavior need. They may also leave it blank if a student is consistently demonstrating these behaviors or fill it out in a manner that conveys that consistency.
Whether your child receives a progress report or not, we know teachers are working tirelessly in the classroom to provide effective feedback to all students. This feedback supports student self efficacy so that each child is aware of their strengths, needs, and steps to take to make progress towards those needs.
PTSA Information
PTSA Meeting
No meeting in April! We will see you on May 10th!
Spiritwear
Did you miss the chance to order spirit wear or would you like to order more? PTSA is having a Spiritwear on Sale until April 8th. Order link : https://tcspan.printavo.com/merch/fernwood-panthers
Fernwood Families!
We had an incredible time during our Dance Fit on 3/28.
We’re proud of our students, families, teachers, business sponsors, staff, and so many more. It’s been an incredible event, and with your help we were able to raise $24,886!
Thank you for your help and generosity. Thank you for your sacrifice during this time. Our school is stronger with your donations and amazing support! PTSA will be able to put funds toward website licenses, teacher grants, school/community building and so much more.
Thank you again for your support and care for our school! Go Fernwood Panthers!