From Erin Green, Principal

Dear Covington Parents and Community Members:

Happy New Year and Welcome back!  I hope you all had a wonderful and relaxing holiday and vacation.  We are excited about the possibilities this year and have many engaging events andprograms planned for the coming months.

Auction Informational for Kinder Parents Tomorrow 11:15 am

It is hard to believe our Auction is only twomonths away.  Tomorrow, Sangeeth Peruri, our Auction Chair, and our PTA Auction Committee will be meeting with Kinder parents from 11:15a-12:05p in the Kinder Play Yard area.  Come join us in the play yard to hear about our March 16th Auction.

Welcome to Covington, Ms. Ping!

We are very excited to welcome our new 6th grade teacher, Ms. Ping. She brings with her over 15 years of educational experience in public schools.  Most recently, she has served as the ilab math and science enrichment teacher in the Hillsborough School District, where she also taught 3rd through 5th grade in a self-contained classroom and worked in the pre-school lab.

Ms. Ping holds a BA from San Francisco State University and considers herself a lifelong learner. Her colleagues describe her as "energetic, creative, flexible and a very hard worker."  

Another colleague shared, "Ms. Ping is regarded in the community as a teacher who is genuinely concerned about theneeds of her students. She likes to get involved in the school community and has helped to organize extra-curricular activities such as the Science Fair, San Jose Tech Challenge and the Tinkering Club.  She understands that good communication is a critical part of teaching and learning."

We are very pleased to have Ms. Ping on board, and look forward to a fantastic future with her as part of our Covington community.

Homework Club

Our Homework Club is running again. Students are invited to our school library on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2:45-3:45.  We still have a few openings. To enroll your child, pleasesign up in our school office via Susan Evard, our school secretary.   

January PTA Meeting/ Parent Coffee—Library News!

Next Friday, January 18th, is the January PTAMeeting and Coffee, beginning at 8:30am. Our topic next week will be Library News & Ebooks.  Our librarian, Mrs. Maureen Drobot will be our presenter.  Join us next Friday in our staff room to hear about some of the new initiatives being implemented in our LASD libraries.

Sincerely,

Erin S. Green

Principal

Important School Messages

Parking Lot Etiquette: Please avoid parking in parking spaces that have a special designation.  Our District Nurse spot must be kept available for our nurses in case of medical emergencies.  Also, some spaces are designated for individuals or families who generously donated at our auction for that privilege.  Lastly, the handicap spot is reserved for those with a special DMV plate.  If you have trouble finding a parking spot, remember that we can use the back parking lot at St. William Church.

From the School Nurse

Flu Season is Here!  Help limit the spread of germs:

You must keep your child home if they have any of the following symptoms:

       Fever of 99.9 or higher

       Vomiting, Diarrhea, or Nausea

       Coughing, Sneezing and/or Runny Nose

       Sore throat or trouble swallowing

       Chills

       Headache

       Wheezing or Trouble Breathing

       Rash or unusual sores or spots

       Generalized muscle aches & pains

       Unusually red, crusted or burning eyes

       Nits or Lice

You need to keep your child home until he/she has been symptom free without medication for 24 hours.

Pertussis Booster for Students in grade 6: Students currently in grade 6 must have proof of a Tdap or Dtap (Pertussis or Whooping Cough) booster given after their 7th birthday (after 10th birthday is recommended) in order to begin seventh grade in August of 2013. Please provide a copy of your child’s immunization record to your school office by March 15, 2013.

From the PTA

Father-Daughter Dance.  An event you won't want to miss... The Father/Daughter Sweetheart Dance!  Scheduled for Friday, February 1st, from 6:30-8:30 in the Covington Multi.  Spaces Still Available.  $50 per couple, contact Tracey Leong tsakumoto67@gmail.com to register.   *(Father Substitutes are welcome i.e. Uncle, Special Adult, Adult Brother etc.)

SCIENCE NIGHT IS ALMOST HERE!  On Jan 29, Lawrence Hall of Science will present: 

Flames, Flares, and Explosions: The Science of Fire.  This assembly will set your students' scientific curiosity ablaze. From the beginning of time, humans have marveled at fire. But how is it made? What is a fuel, and how does it burn? Learn about early fire-making tools and the three basic elements needed for fire. See how various fuels ignite and behave; and find out if different gases, such as hydrogen, oxygen, and helium, will combust.

This year's Science Night will be in an assembly format in the Multi, with two assemblies back to back.  The assemblies are identical content, just geared to younger crowds (6 - 6:50 p) and older crowds (7:10 - 8 p).  You are welcome to attend either or both! 

Assembly 1:  Grades K-2:    6 pm - 6:50 pm

Assembly 2:  Grades 3-6:     7:10 pm- 8 pm

Questions?  Please contact Ingrid Choong (ichoong2@gmail.com)

Mark your calendars for our annual auction.  The theme this year will be Fashion's Night Out! The auction will be held on Saturday, March 16 at the Crowne Plaza Cabaña. Registration is now open for the Auction and if you register by January 31, you will get reduced Early Bird Pricing.  Everything can be done online this year at: covington.schoolauction.net/2013<http://covington.schoolauction.net/2013>. 

If you have any questions or would like to help out with the auction, please contact sangeethperuri@gmail.com<mailto:sangeethperuri@gmail.com>

From Student Council

Student Council News!

We will be having Sports Day next Friday, January 18th. Student Council will also be running a Valentine's Candy Sell on Friday, February 8th, at lunchtime. Thanks, Coyotes!

From Los Altos School District

Parent Ed Event: Upgrading the Curriculum with Common Core Standards January 25, 2013, 8:45 am, iLearn Studio (located at the District Office next to the Board Room) All LASD teachers have committed to upgrading units of instruction this school year.  Come learn more from Alyssa Gallagher, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction, about what it means to upgrade curriculum and how Los Altos School District is aligning instruction to the Common Core Standards.

SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY NEWS:  

School & Community Newsletter is attached to the Howler.

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