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April, 2023
Principal's Message
Dear Woodside Families,
It is hard to believe that we are in the home stretch of the school year, and Spring has arrived! By the time you receive this newsletter most of you will have attended your child’s Spring conference. Hopefully, you were able to engage in good conversations with your child’s teacher about their progress. I also hope you were able to celebrate the growth we see in each of our students every day here at school. Every day I witness exemplary examples of powerful learning and teaching – I am lucky that I get to see the “spark of learning” that happens so often in a child’s eyes, when it is obvious, they “get it!” I am fortunate I get to share in their pride! The work of Woodside teachers and support staff is outstanding. They continue to provide a high-quality of teaching and learning program for students. It was great to see and talk with so many parents during our spring conference week!
Woodside teachers continue to grow and thrive with the work of Professional Learning Communities (PLC). The three BIG Ideas of PLCs are:
· Ensuring that students learn
· Developing a culture of collaboration
· Focusing on results
PLC work helps us become better teachers of students through:
· Professional development and learning together
· Backward planning of instructional units that align with standards and assessments
· Teaching practices that include research-based instructional strategies and intervention actions
· Regular assessments, and ongoing monitoring of student progress
The shift from teacher-centered to learner-centered instruction allows us to empower learners to take control of their own learning processes. This approach moves away from covering content to employing content to help learners develop skills that will be applicable to real-world situations. The four big shifts that schools are working toward are 1) deeper thinking and learning, 2) authentic work, 3) student agency and personalized learning, and 4) technology infusion.
We are approaching the time for the Smarter Balance Assessments (SBA).The staff has worked hard all year to prepare students for the state test, and we are looking forward to a successful testing period. Students in third, fourth and fifth grades have been participating in instruction and practice opportunities on ELA (English Language Arts), Math, and Science items using Chromebook technology. Below are the testing dates for Woodside. Please make sure your child has good attendance and comes to school ready to demonstrate his/her learning during testing days. You can best help your child by making sure that he/she goes to bed early, eats a healthy breakfast before coming to school, and arrives to school on time. (*Woodside provides a daily breakfast program for all students, at no cost.) Please avoid making doctor and/or dentist appointments on testing days. Grade level testing days are, as follows:
3rd Grade, May 10, 17, 23, 24 (ELA and Math)
4th Grade, May 9, 11, 16, 18 (ELA and Math)
5th Grade, May 9, 11, 16, 18, 23 (ELA, Math, and Science)
We are grateful for your ongoing support. We would not be able to do the “world’s most important work” of teaching and learning without you. Thank you for entrusting us with your children here at Woodside Elementary.
Have a wonderful Spring Break! Let’s hope for lots of sun and good weather!
Warmest Regards,
Betty J. Cobbs
Save the Dates
○ May 1-5 - Book Fair
○ May 4 - Multi Cultural Night
○ May 8-12 Teacher Appreciation Week
○ May 19 - Family Fitness Night at Woodside
○ May 10, 17, 23, 24 - SBA testing for 3rd Grade
○ May 9, 11, 16, 18 - SBA testing for 4rd Grade
○ May 9, 11, 16, 18, 23 - SBA testing for 5th Grade
Attention all parents/guardians!
Assistant Principal's Message
Dear Woodside Families,
Spring is here and recess continues to be a great time for kids to take a break from the classroom for fresh air and exercise. During recess breaks, students have the opportunity to practice skills in a social environment with turn taking, compromising, winning and losing appropriately and problem-solving conflicts.
At recess, students can choose to play from a variety of organized team and individual activities in three different play zones that include under the covered area, playground and grassy field. Basketball, four square, hula hoops, jump ropes and corn hole are the activities students can play under the covered area. The playground is another area where students can go on the slides, net climber, bars, balance beams, lolli ladder and saddle spinner. For the safety of all students, games such as tag, football and soccer are not allowed under the covered area. On the grassy field, is where students can safely play these games on non-rainy days.
After school resumes again from Spring break the week of April 3 – April 7, please talk with your student(s) about the school play zone rules and the importance of our schoolwide S.O.A.R. playground expectations, as seen below. When families partner with adults to reinforce a common understanding of the school rules and expectations, we can together create a more positive, safer and inclusive playground environment for all students.
Thank you for your partnerships and have a terrific Spring break!
Warmly,
Christine Vo
Assistant Principal, Woodside Elementary
cvo@everettsd.org, 425-385-7891
Counselor's Corner
Spring is here, but Summer is close. Finding Childcare for the summer can be tough and expensive. Here are some low-cost options to help.
The Everett Boys and Girls Club offers a reduced cost Summer Camp, and they accept DSHS. It starts on Monday June 26th and is $200 a week or $800 a month. They offer care from 6 am to 6 pm. Here is a link to their application: https://bgcsc.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Everett_SummerCampReg_2023_r1.pdf
The Mill Creek YMCA is a more affordable option, and they also accept DSHS. This is the link to apply for their summer camp and a link to the dates and times: https://ymca-snoco.org/summer-camp/ And here is the link for Financial Assistance: https://ymca-snoco.org/financial-assistance/
A third affordable option is Steve and Kate Camp. They have a location about 1 mile away from Woodside Elementary. They offer need based financial assistance or if your place of Employment has Bright Horizons Back-up Care (most big companies do) you could get camp for $26 a day. Here is their website and information: https://steveandkatescamp.com/fees/
As you know, all the Classroom Teachers have been teaching the Second Step program for Social Emotional Learning. The teachers teach 19 classroom lessons and then I will be in the classrooms teaching 4-6 additional lessons. I will be teaching the Second Step Bullying Prevention Units for grades 3rd-5th and the Second Step Protection Units for grades Kindergarten through 2nd grade. You will receive more information from your teachers via Remind. Please email or call me with any questions.
Stacy Story, Counselor
What is happening in music this April?
The 3rd, 4th, and 5th Graders have been working hard on the recorder! To encourage students to practice the recorder, we do recorder karate in music class. The students can earn belts: white, yellow, green, purple, blue, red, and black with each belt corresponding to a specific song. As the students work through the belts, the songs get more difficult and correspond to their music grade. In addition, students can earn extra credit by getting rainbow belts with beads for filling out practice bugs. The grading is as follows:
5 belts= 4 (Advanced)
4 belts= 3 (Proficient)
2-3 belts=2 (Partially Proficient)
1 belt=1 (Unsatisfactory)
Music and practice sheets were sent home with recorders and extras are available in the music room. Please encourage your child to practice at home and show you all the belts they have earned.
2nd Grade is finishing a unit on the musical story, Peter and the Wolf, as we studied individual instruments of the orchestra and instrument families (woodwind, brass, strings, and percussion). Ask your child what different characters were in the book and what instruments they played. At the end of this month, we will begin a unit on the xylophones and drums accompanying a story, Cock-a-doodle doo, Barnyard Hullabaloo.
The 1st Graders are practicing how to read sol-mi notes on the music staff. Ask your child what the music staff is and where sol and mi live on the staff. At the end of this month, we will begin a unit on the xylophones and drums accompanying a story, Mortimer.
The Kindergarteners have been practicing how to read and perform rhythm (the way the words go) to various songs. See if your child can tell you how rhythm is different from the beat in music. At the end of this month, we will begin a unit on the xylophones and drums accompanying the story, Moose Tales: A Fine Day for a Walk.
Congratulations Honor Choir Members!
Seventeen 4th and 5th grade choir members were selected to be a part of the Mount Pilchuck Music Educators Honor Choir: Anahad Mar, Araceli Rodriguez, Bree Estes, Chandler Heinz, Emma Woods, Emelia Sykes, Hannah Zimmerman, Harper Taylor, Ksenia Bogaards, Laura Balan, Macy Yu, Madeline Leyva, Mara Trapp, Nalani Soriano, Saanvi Maddineni, Tanisha Mahmood, Viviana Rodriguez. The students have been working hard preparing for their performance this month. The concert is on Monday, April 24th at Everett High School. Thank you honor choir members for representing Woodside Elementary this year!
Upcoming Music Events
Honor Choir Concert
Monday, April 24th
7:00PM at the Everett Civic Auditorium (only for select/auditioned choir members)
3rd Grade Recorder Concert Featuring 5th Grade Violin Club
Thursday, May 25th
6:30PM in the Woodside Cafeteria
If you have any questions or concerns, please email Mrs. Hill at: thill@everettsd.org