From Erin Green, Principal

Dear Covington Parents and Community Members:

Still Needed:  Yard Assistants and School Site Council Members!

Lunchtime Yard Supervisors 

Do you have time each day to help supervise our students on the playground from 12:00-12:40 each day?  Or do you have a friend who wants to divide up the week and share days supervising?  We are in need of caring adults to connect with our students and to help supervisethem on a daily basis.  College students, parents, neighbors, etc. arewelcome. If you know of anyone interested, please have them call our Covington School Office 947.1100.  Vanessa Werth, a new parent to our school, will now be joining our yard assistant team at lunchtime!  She relocated to Los Altos from Texas with her 2nd and 4th graders.

School Site Council Members 

If you are interested in getting to know our dedicated staff members and helping to set school wide innovative goals forCovington, we need you!  To provide an example of the kind of work this team does, last year's School Site Council collaborated to come up with several school wide technology initiatives for teaching and learning:

• Goal 1:  Increase student access to age appropriate technology school wide.
• Goal 2:  Support technology implementation through training, coaching and collaboration.
• Goal 3: Enhance student learning via technology and the use of technology based projects.
  • Each trimester, upper grade students will produce 1-2 technology based projects.
  • Each trimester, primary grade students will produce 1 technology based project.
  • In accordance with the district technology plan, each grade level will instruct students in grade level appropriate technology skills.

We are looking for 3-4 parents interested in serving as parent leaders on our School Site Council.  Meetings take place typically the first Tuesday of each month from 3-4 pm in our school library.  We meet between 5-7 times a year.  Our first meeting will take place Tuesday, October 2nd, so we have a month to recruit a team.  Please email or contact Erin Green directly to express your interest or willingness to participate.   

Next Week is Back To School Night-Thursday, Sept. 6th

5:30            K, 4-6 SDC Classes (Hedlund and Lutz)

6:00-6:45   4th-6th grade classroom presentations

6:50-7:10   All school Gathering in the Multi-come and meet our fabulous staff!

7:15-8:00   K-3 Classrooms Presentations

I am looking forward to seeing you all at theFlag Assembly tomorrow  I hope you enjoy the Labor Day Weekend!

Sincerely,

Erin S. Green, Principal

From the PTA

Walkathon News

Save the date for the Walkathon on Saturday, October 13! This year’s walkathon takes place at Covington from 9:30 am – 3:00 pm.  With about 90 percent of Covington students participating, this is the largest (and most fun!) community event for the school.  Come out to the green field, walk laps with your children, and meet their classmates. You can picnic on the lawn with food from the booths, listen to music, and take part in fun and athletic entertainment. This event is also a fundraiser allowing students to directly improve their technology, music, art, and library programs.  Each and every student at Covington benefits from this event.  Details and student sponsor cards will be sent home Sept 13.

Become a family t-shirt sponsor.  Put your family name on the Walkathon t-shirt!  Complete the sponsor form on the Website (http://www.losaltos.k12.ca.us/covingtones/4809-Sponsorship.html) or sign-up at Back to School Night. 

Become a corporate sponsor.  The logos of corporate sponsors are prominently featured on the back of the Walkathon t-shirt worn by every Covington student.  If your company would like to sponsor the event, contact Sonia Brunner (sonia_brunner@yahoo.com) or Tracey Leong (traceysakumoto@yahoo.com).

HOT LUNCH NEWS

Minimum Days

Kid Chow is offering a brown bag Grab and Go lunch on minimum days.  Grab and Go lunch is a limited cold menu but available to make your life easier.  If you order a Grab and Go minimum day lunch, you and/or your child can pick it up in the multi after school.

Volunteers

Did you know the Hot Lunch Crew & Leads receive a hot lunch credit?  And Hot Lunch Leads have exclusive use of a primeparking space on their workday.  There are still volunteer spots available!  Sign up today at...

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnmnGEQ0mBXudFV4QVRmUVJsT0RGM1lKQzRFU1djbFE

We can't serve hot lunch without you!

PTA - OPEN VOLUNTEER POSITIONS:

Looking for an opportunity to getinvolved?  The Covington PTA needs you!  

Family Dinners Out Fundraiser Chair:  Many area restaurants like to give back to the community by donating to our schools.  The Family Dinners Out Chair organizes dining fundraisers at local restaurants that are interested in donating a percentage of proceeds generated by Covington families on a given night.  The Chair is also responsible for publicizing these events to the Covington community and following up with the restaurants to receive the proceeds.  We already have two great local restaurants lined up for you!!  Questions?  Contact Mara Starkey at marastarkey@gmail.com.

Emergency Preparedness Chair:  This chair is responsible for maintaining emergency shed supplies, assisting during emergency drills, and overseeing the classroom emergency prep volunteers.  The chair is also responsible for preparing class emergency badges used on fieldtrips and in the event of emergencies.  Questions?  Contact Mara Starkey at marastarkey@gmail.com.

Technology Committee Chair:  The Technology Committee supports the implementation and use of computer-related technology as a core teaching tool at Covington. The committee draws on the talents of our technology-savvy parents to augment the work of the computer lab aides who support teacher technology needs. They welcome volunteers who help with the planning and implementation of technology projects throughout the year.  We’re looking for a chair who will assess our students technological needs, and then work with the PTA and other parent volunteers to meet these needs.  Questions?  Contact Mara Starkey at marastarkey@gmail.com

Auction Co-Chair:  Are you outgoing and want to help run the most lucrative fundraiser Covington has each year?  We have one person and we need one other to help manage the tons of volunteers already committed to make this fundraiser a success.  Interested?  Contact Jessica Speiser at jessica@speiser.net

Register/Renew eScrip

eScrip is our most important shopping fundraiser, bringing in more than $5000 last year. Register all your existing grocery cards, credit cards, and debit cards with eScrip.  When you use these cards at participating stores you’ll automatically start earning cash rebates for Covington. Participating stores include: Safeway, Draegers, Andronicos, and many more. Registration and participation cost nothing, so please take a few minutes to sign up at www.escrip.com. Existing users: Please login and update all your cards. Safeway cards must be renewed yearly.

If you have any questions, contact kathrynhan@gmail.com.

School News

AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS:

Many After School Enrichment Programs are starting in mid-September including: Science Explorers, HOOPS, PYT, Art Club, Chess Club, Wizbots, Spanish, Flag Football & Tennis.  Please visit the Covington Website Afterschool Page for links to flyers and registration information.http://www.covingtonschool.org/covingtones/4757-After-School-Programs.html

Flag Football

Join the Covington Flag Football Team for grades 5 and 6.  There is another team for grade 4, but no one will be excluded.  Each Elementary School in the district will field an ATeam (5th/6th grade) and a B Team (4th/5th grade). Each team will play the other schools in a Fall 2012 season starting in September and ending by November 5th. There will be one practice on Wednesdays (Santa Rita and Almond) and Fridays (Bullis Charter School, Covington, Gardner-Bullis, Loyola, Oak and Springer) and one game per week on Mondays and or a Wed./Friday practice slot for all the schools. Both will be scheduled from 3:30 to 5:00 PM on a weekday after school. This is intended to be a recreational sport and we are not discouraging kids from participating in other sports or activities. Our approach is to have fun. The season will end with playoffs Nov. 1st, 3rd and 5th. The fee for the season is $185. Fee for additional children from the same family is $170. All equipment, except cleats will be provided by the league.  Email coach Daniel Cornell (Ben’s Dad) with any questions: cornelllawgroup@gmail.com<mailto:cornelllawgroup@gmail.com> Register at www.afterschoolathletics.com<http://www.afterschoolathletics.com/>

Covington Coyote Lair Now Open

The Coyote Lair Lunch Time program is up and running on Mon-Thurs. in Room 32.  Activities include: Doodles, Origami, Bingo & Games.  The Lair could use some more volunteer parents.  This is a great way to get to know the children at Covington school and only takes a minimal time commitment.  If you interested, please email Suzy Allison at  suzykallison@yahoo.com.

Covington Running Club

Startingthis school year, we are excited to offer students, Grades 1st through 6^th, a lunchtime running opportunity.  The Covington Running Club will meet each Friday at lunch, beginning October 5th. This is a self-paced, “run for fun” activity, open to every level of runner. Runners will be provided mileage cards to track their distance to earn ribbons for graduated milestones completed.  From October through December, Coyote Runners will be encouraged to work toward the goal of participation in the Los Altos New Year’s Day Fun Run. Between January and May, Coyote Runners will be encouraged to run with a goal in mind to participate in the Run for Zimbabwe & Los Altos Hill Pathways Run. Participation inthese events is optional, with more information to follow. Each Coyote Runner will earn a t-shirt to proudly wear to school and these local running events.  More information will be posted on the Covington website in September. For more information and to volunteer to help make Covington Running Club a success,please contact Jen Roy McGuigan (jenmcguigan@me.com) or 650.248.9532.  

Dismissal Times & Pick Up

Please remember to pick your children up promptly at dismissal time. Primary Grades (1-3) dismiss at 2:20pm and Upper Grades (4-6) dismiss at 2:40pm.  If you have children in both grade levels, we ask that you pick up your younger child and wait with them until the older children are dismissed.  This is a safety concern since we do not have supervision for younger children to wait on their own for 20 minutes.  Thank you.

Important Safety Reminders about Traffic/Parking Lot

For the safety of our students, teachers and staff, and a safe and orderly drop off and pick up, please make sure to follow these basic rules:

• Do not speed through the driveway or parking lot. 
• Pull all the way forward in the driveway.  (To the sign outside of the Kindergarten rooms)  Even if you or your child is late, do not stop in front of the Office or the Multi as this blocks traffic and encourages other to "pass on the left". 
• Do not get out of your car unless absolutely necessary and then only as safely and quickly as possible.  
• Please proceed out of the traffic line behind the car in front of you as soon as you have dropped off or picked up your student(s).  The curb IS NOT a place for parking.  If you or someone else in your car want to accompany your child to the blacktop in the morning or pick your child up at the classroom after school, please park your car.
• When walking from the parking lot, please cross at a crosswalk.  Watch and follow the direction of the crossing guards.  If crossing guards are not present, follow the same rules and use common sense. 

From Los Altos School District

SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY NEWS:

Follow this link for the School & Community News http://www.lasdk8.org/PDF_Files/Current_School_News.pdf

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For Howler submissions, please email sevard@covingtonschool.org by Monday for that week’s Howler.