Hello Cozier Families,

It's hard to believe we just marked the 90th day of school. We've made it through half of the 2020-21 school year and each day gives us new opportunities to help our students grow. Teaching, living, working and learning in the middle of a pandemic is certainly not easy and I continue to be so grateful to each of you for your willingness to partner with the Cozier team. We are working hard to bring more students back to in-person learning and I'll update you with information as soon as I know more. In the meantime, continue to reach out, ask for support and let us ensure your child is getting what he/she needs in this environment.

As always, please feel free to reach out to me with questions or feedback. My cell phone number is: 360.988.3600. You are welcome to call or text me any time.

Regards, Ari

I want to update you about the relocation of people in Bellingham who are living unsheltered. As you may know, the City of Bellingham closed Camp 210 last week; many individuals moved to Geri Fields near Civic Field. The City has provided legal notice that people and belongings must be moved from Geri Field lower parking lot by Friday, Feb. 5. Regular updates about tent encampments and emergency winter shelter needs can be found here.

We know that as people are asked to move their belongings we may see an increase in activity near our school. Keeping our students safe is our priority, and we have strong safety protocols in place. Our playground is gated and locked each night and on the weekends. Our custodians do a nightly and first thing in the morning sweep of the property, looking for anything that needs to be removed. We keep all of our exterior doors locked and have a camera system on the front and back door with a buzzer to access the building. We always have adults supervising children at recess and at arrival and dismissal.

We are continuing to monitor the situation and feel supported by Bellingham Police and our school district leaders. If someone is on school grounds and will not leave, we are able to file a no trespass order to deter that individual from returning.

As always reach out to me with other questions or concerns. Know that I always prioritize student (and staff!) safety and welcome feedback on how I can continue to do that part of my job well.

At Carl Cozier, we strive to create an inclusive environment for all children. One of the many ways we do this is by ensuring that our classrooms honor all families. Passing out Valentine’s Day cards and celebrating this day with holiday-related activities has the potential to exclude some kids (either based on family culture/values, economic access or simply family preference). As such, instead of bringing cards or gifts this year, I invite families to talk to their children about the various ways we can celebrate love and friendship every day rather than just one specific day. Caring is one of our IB Learner Profile Attributes and we want children to know that being caring with their words and actions are the most important way to connect with others.

Thank you for honoring this request to not bring valentine’s cards or treats to school.

As always, I am happy to connect with questions or feedback.

Your PTA would like to remind you that there is a meeting Wednesday night, 02/10/2021, at 6:30pm. Please consider joining us so that you can learn about upcoming PTA initiatives and ways you might help our school. Click here for the link: January PTA Meeting. See you there!

We all have those running late mornings! We totally understand! If your kiddo is learning at Cozier and you’re running late, please pull up to the front of the building on Lincoln Street and walk your child to the doors. There’s a sign in sheet (with clean pens!) so that we can be sure to have accurate attendance. Thanks for helping us with this.