Dear Parents and Community Members:

Staffing for 2013-14

I am very excited to share our 2013-2014 Staffing plans for next year.  Teachers are already working, collaborating and making plans to greet next year’s students, just two and a half months away!  

Kindergarten -     

Danielle Garcia-new to Covington

Michelle Gibo

Christy McCracken

Angela Ping

1^st -                   

Melissa Chan

Kimberly Nero

Megan Scatena

2^nd-                   

Eileen Cuzzi

Genie Sitler

Michele Kibble

Cortney Mase

3^rd -                   

Katie Campodonico

Dorothy Cowell

Terry Pomposo

4^th -                    

Kate Goines-new to Covington

Linda Figone

Amy Wyosnick

5^th -                   

Jill Croft

Jenny Portillo

Jolene Welch

6^th -                   

Doug Core-new to Covington

Kate Kingman

Special Education 

Kinder SDC -       Debbie Schwartzman-new to Covington

Primary SDC -     Sam Kephart

Upper SDC -       TBD

RSP-                  Shannon Vassar

New Faces at Covington:

Doug Core-6th Grade:  We are pleased to announce Doug Core, a high-quality, experienced LASD teacher, will be joining our 6th grade team next year. The addition of Mr. Core to our 6th grade team will provide leadership, stability, and innovation to our upper grade team.  He and Ms. Kingman have already begun planning for a fantastic 2013-14 year.

Danielle Garcia-Kindergarten:  Danielle Garcia is joining our kindergarten team after completing a first grade long-term teaching assignment in the Las Lomitas School District.  She is excited to work with our innovative LASD staff, eager students and wonderfully supportive parent community.  Danielle has already met with our kindergarten team and is looking forward to meeting her new students in August.

Debbie Schwartzman-Kindergarten SDC: Debbie Schwartzman will rejoin our staff to lead our Kindergarten SDC. Most recently she has been at Springer where she has done a fantastic job in their Primary SDC and has taken great pride in assimilating her class and her students into the Springer community. We look forward to having her rejoin our staff.

Kate Goines-4^th: Kate comes to Covington from Gardner Bullis with a wealth of experience.  She has both led the full-day kindergarten for many years, and she has served as Gardner Bullis' interim principal this spring. She is excited to join our school community because she has heard great things about Covington.  Ms. Goines spent Monday morning meeting with our current fourth grade team.  She looks forward to meeting all of our awesome students in August.

As we welcome new staff, we would like to wish good luck to:

Ami Lutz, is moving to Loyola to teach in the Primary SDC position.  

Justine Hedlund, will be leaving our district for an opportunity up the Peninsula.

Natalie Pontino, will be going to a East Bay school district, closer to her home.

Tara Harte, after 40 years of teaching will culminate her career next Wednesday and embark on a new adventure into retirement. 

We wish our friends the best of luck and much happiness in the future.

Finally, in honor or Tara Harte, our staff and students have decided to create an award to celebrate her contributions. Look forward to next week at promotion, where one of our 6th grade students will be awarded the 1st Annual Tara Harte Inspirational Award. (see the description below)                                                                                

2012-20 Tara Harte Inspirational Award

This year, Covington will be awarding our First Annual “Tara Harte Inspirational Award” to a member of this year’s 6th grade class.  Our Covington school and staff sponsor this award. This award was created to celebrate the contributions of retiring teacher, Tara Harte.

Tara Harte is an educator and a friend ofchildren. Serving our Los Altos children and families for 40 years, she has inspired all who know her. Tara Harte has a unique understanding of children and bestows a touch of grace upon each child with whom she comes in contact.  She has made a significant and sometimes pivotal contribution to the lives of many of our Covington students.  This award will celebrate her legacy of inspiration by recognizing children who are inspiring to others.

The award is presented to the Covington student

•    Who graces life with action, inspiration and spirit

•    Who accomplishes much by positive and creative deeds

•    Who moves us and inspires us

•    Who infuses life and work with fun and

•    Who makes our hearts dance

Each member of this sixth grade class submitted a nomination essay about the classmate who, for them, best represents the qualities celebrated by this award.

One student will be honored at the 6th grade promotion and will receive the First Annual Tara Harte Inspirational Award.  

We wish all of our Coyote students, staffmembers and parents a wonderful last week of school!  I hope to see everyone at Field Day this Friday.

Sincerely,

Erin S. Green

Upcoming Events –

School News and Information

LASD eBook Library

Even though Covington Library is closed for the school year, the Los Altos School District’s eBook Library is always open 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.  If your student has access to an eReader device and has yet to take advantage of this easy and free access to eBooks, go to https://sites.google.com/site/lasdlibraries/ and follow the prompts.  All students have received from their classroom teacher or will soon receive in their Thursday envelope, an information card with a label containing their library card number &pin/password for access to the district’s eBook collection.   The eBook collection has recently been expanded thanks to LAEF to encourage reading over the summer. -Happy Reading! Mrs. Drobot

Lost & Found

We are approaching the end of the year.  Please claim abandoned clothing and other items.  Anything left here after June 12^th will be donated to charity.

MEDICATIONS AT SCHOOL – 

Pick up your child’s medications from the health office on the last day of school!

Medications cannot be stored over the summer. If your child is attending summer school, please pick up their medications and paperwork and take them to summer school on the first day. Thank you!

Donations Requested

Brownie Troop 61164 - School Supplies Drive

We are so fortunate to have well supplied classrooms here at Covington.  Unfortunately, not every school is this lucky - there are many schools within a 20 mile radius of here, as well as in developing countries that are getting by with much less than we are.   As you know, at the end of each school year, some classrooms send excess supplies back home with your children.  If you feel you could do without these at home, and would like to donate them to a school in a disadvantaged area, please place these supplies into the bin outside the school office.  The bin will be outside the office between Monday and Wednesday next week.  New supplies, or other very gently used supplies from home are welcome too.  We will also be collecting supplies the first week of the new school year, so if you are stocking up for 2013/14, why not buy an extra set and donate those too.

Thank-you for your support.  Troop 61164

Kick-Off for LASD Instrument Drive

Music enriches lives, and LASD is dedicated to offering instrumental music to every 5th-8th grade student who wants to participate. In order to give all students access to quality instruments, LASD will be conducting an instrument drive May 30-June 30. Donating your working used instrument will ensure that all students, regardless of need, will be able to learn about music and be part of a weekly or daily music program at our elementary and junior high schools. Now is the time to clean out those closets, talk to relatives, neighbors, and friends, and putthose instruments that are gathering dust into the hands of students eager to learn and be part of a musical group.

*   When: May 30-June 30

*   Where: Drop off at the Los Altos School District Office, 201 Covington Road, Los Altos, between the hours of 8:00 am -12:00 pm and 1:00 pm -4:00 pm. Donation receipts will be provided.

*   What: Working band and orchestra instruments: trumpets, trombones, flutes, clarinets, violins, violas, cellos.

Please refer any questions to Raquel Matteroli, Coordinator of Categorical Programs at rmatteroli@lasdschools.org<mailto:rmatteroli@lasdschools.org>.

From the Covington PTA

Dine out for Covington at Amici’s, tonight, June 4^th.

Enjoy Amici’s menu of gourmet pizzas, pastas and salads all while supporting Covington Elementary School. Present the attached flyer to your server when you order and Amici’s will donate 25% to Covington Elementary School. Tuesday, June 4, 2013 790 Castro Street (near El Camino). Mountain View CA 650-961-6666 11am-10pm Dine In or Carry Out Only (No Delivery). No Reservations Will Be Taken, Amici’s cannot promise to seat groups together

Living Classroom Fundraiser AT Whole Foods

We are fortunate to have the Whole Foods Market in Los Altos (on El Camino) to offer a special benefit day for the Living Classroom Programs at LASD and MVWSD! 5pc of sales benefites the L Please spread the word to your friends and forward this email.  Even if you don't regularly shop at Whole Foods, mark June 5th as the day to stock up on items you may not find at other stores.  Thank you!    -- The Living Classroom Staff

Open PTA Positions:

We need YOUR help next year! Open PTA positions include:

*  Afterschool Enrichment Chair- work with outside vendors to schedule afterschool programs.

*  Staff Appreciation Parent- help coordinate potluck lunches for our teachers!

*  Multi-cultural Fair Chair- plan and run Covington's Multi-Cultural Fair

*  Emergency Prep- coordinate safety procedures with classroom emergency parents

Questions?  Contact Mara Starkey at marastarkey@gmail.com

The Coyote Pack News:

The Coyote Pack did it! On Friday, The Coyote Pack completed their final twentymiles to meet their goal. Since beginning the journey in October, The Coyote Pack has run a cumulative distance equivalent to running across the United States, from Covington Elementary to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Yes, that's 2,855 miles on foot!! High-five your runner for their awesome efforts participating in a fun and successful year at run club!  Couldn't do this without our volunteers! On Friday, Elina Bortok, Elena Volkova, Maria Dadoyan, Steve Smiley and Suzanne Kasso (& two Jens!) were there to help make these cool memories happen for our students.

Until next year... Jen Roy McGuigan jenmcguigan@me.com and Jen Springer jen_springer@me.com

AMAZON SHOPPERS – Make Your Shopping Count for Covington!

Earn referral fees for Covington on purchases of books, CDs, electronics, toys, and more. It’s EASY and DOESN’T COST YOU ANYTHING! Go to www.covingtonschool.org, click the Amazon logo to go to the Amazon website, then select and purchase your items as you normally would. Covington will automatically receive a referral fee of at least 6.5%!  No sign-up required. Questions? Contact Dale Tritschler at daletritschler@gmail.com.

Classroom Supply Donation - School Tool Box

To enhance the educational experience of all of our students, we are requesting sufficient donations of supplies and materials to provide for each child at Covington.  We do this through your online orders to School Toolbox.  Our online School Tool Box store is now open for the 2013-2014 school year! Thestore will remain open until June 1, 2013. Orders are online only. School toolboxes are $70 this year and include all the supplies your teachers haverequested.   Toolboxes are offered as a convenience to families wishing to donate school supplies to their child's classroom and supplies are purchased in bulk, which saves costs.   So please go online to www.schooltoolbox.com and order today!!  Just register at the website and follow the easy instructions.  Thank you from Covington PTA.

From Los Altos School District

SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY NEWS:  http://www.lasdk8.org/PDF_Files/Current_School_News.pdf

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For Howler submissions, please email sevard@lasdschools.org by Friday for the next week’s Howler.