Cordata Chronicles Newsletter
November 2021
From the Principals
November has arrived and we are delighted to welcome 1st through 5th grade families to conferences this week. We’re excited to check in and see how the year is progressing for our students and families. Family-teacher conferences demonstrate shared commitment to our kids, by taking time to meet and celebrate their growth. If you haven’t already scheduled a conference, please reach out to your child’s teacher or call our office at 360-676-6461.
Next week we celebrate Veterans Day on Thursday, November 11th. There will be no school that day as we recognize a national holiday. Students will have school on Friday, November 12th. As we are not yet holding all-school assemblies due to COVID safety guidelines, students will recognize Veterans Day in each of their classrooms through a variety of teacher led activities.
As was mentioned in the October newsletter, we are still seeking additional parent or caregiver leaders that would like to join a school leadership team. Our goal is to launch a leadership group like a PTO (Parent Teacher Organization) at Cordata as this does not currently exist. We believe parent leadership is an important part of a successful school community. If you are interested in learning more, please contact Craig Baldwin, Cordata Principal, at craig.baldwin@bellinghamschools.org.
Finally, students will be released at 12:45pm from school on Wednesday, November 24th, due to the Thanksgiving Holiday. There will be no school on Thursday, November 25th and Friday, November 26th. We’d like to wish each of our families a wonderful holiday weekend. Happy November Cordata Elementary School!
Dr. Craig Baldwin- Principal
Ms. Eva Chazo- Assistant Principal
Tales from the Bus: Ride Bobcats Ride!
Riding the bus with bobcats is always extra special. In this Bobcat selfie, I'm sharing the seat with awesome first graders who are showing off their mad bus riding skills--facing forward, feet on the floor and masks up! Our bus drivers are rehearsing bus health and safe bus riding expectations with students daily. One of my favorite moments on this bus this month was seeing a Kindergartner and a second grader seated together with a huge stack of books between them. The second grader was reading aloud, and I said, "good for you! Did you check all of those at the library today?". She responded, "No, I always have a lot of books." The kindergartner piped in, "She reads every day on the bus!" Now, that's some special bobcat magic.
The Power of Gratitude
Have you ever wondered why the news cycle can be so negative or why reality TV can be filled with some of the least positive of our human behaviors? Well, the answer lies in the way our brains work. You see, our brains are like Velcro for anything that is a potential threat. It’s our brains way of protecting the organism. Conversely, our brains seem to be like Teflon for all the more mundane and pleasant things that we experience daily. Things like, simply having shelter and heat, a stranger who holds the door open, or a cat that brushes your leg when they greet you after work. These things can simply slide right off if we don’t give them our special attention. That is the practice of gratitude. Spending some time each day listing the many things we have to feel grateful for can have a huge positive impact on our mental health and on our personal and social lives.
You see, a negative thought and a grateful thought cannot occupy your brain-space at the same time. When we fill our thoughts with gratitude, we don’t have the bandwidth for the negative thoughts that leave us feeling angry, sad, or hopeless. Try spending some time practicing and talking with your child about the many things you feel grateful for and ask them what they are thankful for. I bet you are one of those things!
Mr. Dan
Cordata School Counselor
After-School Dinner Program
After-school dinner program free for all children 18 and under
Bellingham Public Schools serves hot dinner at no cost to all children 18 and under. These meals are offered from 5 to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday through June 16, 2022. Dinner is served in the Shuksan Middle School cafeteria, located at 2717 Alderwood Avenue (at the corner of Northwest and Alderwood). It does not matter what school you attend in the district.
Accompanying adults are charged $4.75 per meal — please bring cash or check. Please plan to eat onsite in the Shuksan cafeteria.
The daily Monday through Thursday dinner menu is listed on the school menu webpage by day after the lunch listing.
Please note: Dinner will not be served on school holidays or on the following all school early dismissal days: Nov. 4, Nov. 24, Dec. 9, Feb. 10, March 10 and April 28.
Bellingham Public Schools is Hiring
Join our team in Bellingham Public Schools
Parents and guardians! Be a part of The Bellingham Promise in a new way…as a staff member! Bellingham Public Schools is hiring now for regular and substitute positions.
Current vacancies include paraeducators, office staff and bus drivers, as well as coaching and teaching positions. Most positions are on a school year schedule making this a perfect fit for your family.
Learn more about working for us at bellinghamschools.org/jobs.