Happy New Year. I hope each of you enjoyed your break and any holiday celebrations you observed. I also sincerely wish that 2023 brings you and your loved ones health, peace, comfort, and joy!

I always look forward to the start of the new year. Whether official resolutions or otherwise, the new year is a perfect time to set goals and focus on growth. This applies to us particularly.

As the end of January is our mid-year point, it is a good time to assess progress. Each January, we set aside time to administer the iReady diagnostic in reading and mathematics. Teachers then work in teams to review both curriculum unit assessment data and iReady diagnostic data by grade level, by class, and by each individual student. Our data analysis informs instructional planning for the months ahead. It also helps us plan targeted interventions for students as necessary.

On February 17, your child will bring home a report card informing you of their progress thus far. You will also be able to view the report card in our parent portal, Home Access Center on Friday, February 17. Of course, if at any time you have questions about your child’s progress, you can reach out to their teacher via email or phone. They will be happy to answer questions and provide an explanation.

January is also a good time to think about attendance. Being in school, and on time as much as possible, is essential to keeping up with their grade level curriculum. It also enables students to grow socially and emotionally as they learn how to get along with students from many different backgrounds. If you find yourself in a situation in which your child’s regular attendance is difficult, please reach out to your child’ teacher or our school counselor, Diane Roberts, for assistance.

Please read through our January newsletter. Feel free to reach out to me or to our Assistant Principal, Stephanie Kirkpatrick, with any questions.

Sincerely,

Marti Shefveland

MShefveland@everettsd.org

Monday, January 2

• No School (Winter Break)

Tuesday, January 3

• Welcome Back - Classes resume

Wednesday, January 4

• PTA Reflections Celebration at Community Resource Center

Friday, January 6

• Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.

Friday, January 13

• Good Citizenship Day
• PCE Spirit Day - Inspirational/Kindness T-Shirt Day
• Schoolwide Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly
• PTA Popcorn Friday during Lunches
• Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.

Friday, January 13 to January 23

• PTA Spirit Wear Store is Open

Monday, January 16

• NO School (Martin Luther King Jr. Day)

Thursday, January 19

• Natural Leaders Meeting @ 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. PCE Library

Friday, January 20

• Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.

Friday, January 27

• Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.

and... a look ahead:

• Friday, February 3 - First Semester Ends
• Friday, February 3 - Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.
• Monday, February 6 - NO School (Teacher Work Day)
• Thursday, February 9 - PTA Bingo for Books
• Friday, February 10 - Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.
• Friday, February 10 - PCE Spirit Day - Sports Team Day
• Friday, February 17 - Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.
• Monday, February 20 - Tuesday, February 21 - NO School (Mid-Winter Break)
• Thursday, February 23 - Natural Leaders Festival of Cultures 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
• Friday, February 24 - Learning Improvement Friday. Student Dismissed at 2:15 p.m.
  

If your student is absent or tardy from school, please email the attendance office at pceattendance@everettsd.org to let us know the reason for the absence or tardy. There is also a direct link on our webpage at: https://www.everettsd.org/pennycreek

• Absences must be reported (by email or note) within 30 calendar days after a student returns back to school, not including Holidays or weekends, in order to have the absence excused. Emails or notes turned in past the 30-day timeframe will be accepted; however, the absence is not excused and will be coded as such.
• Automated attendance calls will be sent out daily at 10 a.m. If your student will be absent or tardy you must notify the office before 9:15 a.m. If it is reported after this time you may receive the automated call.
• Please view the Everett School District Attendance Procedure 3122P for more information (including definitions of absences).
• Did you have a medical appointment for your child, or they were sick, and you brought them to the doctor? If so, make sure to ask for a medical note from the provider. Email the note to the attendance office so those absences can be coded as a medical note excused absence.
• Please fill out a Prearranged Absence Form if your student will be going on vacation/traveling or will miss school for an extended period of time. As per district policy, the principal or designee may excuse up to five (5) school days for a prearranged absence per student each school year.

Message from the Penny Creek Library

Did you know that you can check your student’s library account from home using the district library cataloging system, Follett Destiny? This allows you to see what is currently checked out, history and any fine information. It’s easy to do in just a few steps from the Penny Creek Website:

1. Click on the Students tab at that top
2. Select Follett Destiny
3. Select Penny Creek Elementary from the list of schools
4. Login at the upper righthand corner
5. Click blue bar titled, “districtid at apps.everettsd.org”
6. The password is your student’s school ID
7. Once launched, click on “my stuff” at the top

New district procedures is to send book fines home at the end of the semester with student's report cards. If you have a book fine you may pay for the fine one of three ways:

• Use the “payment” link on the Penny Creek Website HERE
• Replace the same title with a NEW copy
• Complete a waiver form HERE

Mrs. Woodrum

KWoodrum@everettsd.org

Happy New Year, PCE families! We hope everyone enjoyed their time off and we are looking forward to 2023!

If you missed out on ordering Spirit Wear in November, we will be opening the store again on January 13. Be on the lookout for flyers and info on our Facebook page.

Upcoming Events

• January 4 - Reflections Celebration at Community Resource Center
• January 13 - Popcorn Friday
• January 13 to January 23 - Spirit Wear Store is Open

If you have any questions, contact the PTA via Email.

Also, make sure to follow us on Facebook for communication updates from the PTA.

If the plan how your student is going home at the end of the school day, we ask that a guardian sends an email to the school office at PennyCreek@everettsd.org and the classroom teacher by 2:45 pm.

Please include in your email message:

• name of your student
• name of their teacher
• details of the the change of plan

Our office will deliver this information to your student. This method of communication helps to support our staff with accurate dismissal information.

If your student needs to leave before the end of the school day, email the school office at PennyCreek@everettsd.org in advance. Please include in your email message:

• The specific DATE
  
• The TIME you will pick up your student. Please know, we will call your student to the office once you have arrived to the school.
  
• WHO will be picking up your student. If an adult designee is coming to pick up your student, an email from the guardian needs to be sent to confirm the information.

For the safety and security of students, we will ask for photo identification.

Our Everett Public Schools January newsletter is attached below. These monthly articles connect all of our families with information pertaining to all of our schools/programs. To view, please select the "Download" link.