Dear Covington Parents and Community Members:

Math Circles 3:00pm-4:15pm today: Don’t forget if you signed your child up for the math circles enrichment program today after school, it runs from 3:00pm-4:15pm.  Please be sure to pick your child up promptly at 4:15pm. We would love to have parent helpers, so please join us if you can.  Also, school policies are still in effect, so primary students attending the math circles need to be supervised from 2:20pm-3:00pm.  Thank you very much for your support.

Family Science Night; Please plan to join us on Tuesday January 28 from 6pm-8pm in the Covington Multi. Thanks to Ingrid Choong for organizing this for our Covington Community!

After School Pick Up Guidelines: Just a friendly reminder that afternoon kindergarten is in session until 3:05pm. The play area outside those classrooms is not open for public play until after that time.  Children can play on the main playground after school hours (2:40p) with parent supervision.  Thank you for picking up your children promptly at the designated dismissal time.  We do not provide supervision after school and your children’s safety is our top priority.

Substitutes Needed: If you would like to spend more time on our campus and become a credentialed substitute teacher, we need you!  Its easy, if you have a Bachelor’s Degree, you just need to take the CBEST test and then register as a substitute with the SCCOE and our district. For more information on sub requirements:http://www.sccoe.org/depts/Human-Resources/Credential-Services/Pages/Substitute-Teacher-Reqts.aspx and the LASD applicationhttp://www.lasdschools.org/files/user/1/file/Certificated%20Substitute%20App%202013.pdf We would love to add to our substitute pool and have Covington parents serve as our guest teachers. 

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Sincerely,
Erin S. Green, Covington Principal

Important Dates – Please Note:
Jan 25 -  Boys Night Out
Jan 28 – Family Science Night 6pm-8pm, Multi
Jan 29 & Jan 30 – Egan & Blach Parent Tours
Feb 7 –Author Visit: 4th – 6th grades
Feb 7 – Father/Daughter Dance
Feb 17- Feb 21  – NO SCHOOL:  President’s Day plus Winter Recess
Mar 29 – Save the Date: Covington School Auction!

Author Visit 4th-6th grade: Author Tony Abbott will Visit Covington on Friday, February 7 at an afternoon assembly for fourth through sixth graders.  

Bestselling author of Secrets of Droon series is back with an epic new middle-grade series, the Copernicus Legacy, which begins with The Forbidden Stone.

Mr. Abbott is author of more than 95 children's books, and has sold more than 12 million books worldwide.  IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PARENTS!  For those who wish to purchase a copy of The Forbidden Stone, please return the order form (found on our website http://www.covingtonschool.org) and a check payable to Kepler's Books to your child's classroom or the Author Visit box in the office no later than Friday, January 31. -Lori Parsons, Author Visit Chair & Maureen Drobot, Librarian

Father-Daughter Dance: An event you won't want to miss... The Father/Daughter Sweetheart Dance!  Scheduled for Friday, February 7th from 6:30-8:30 in the Covington Multi.  Spaces Still Available.  $60 per couple.

(Available to all Covington girls and their escorts)

contact Tracey Leong tsakumoto67@gmail.com to register

Auction Party/Space still available: Aroma & Spice and All Things Light - Pakistani/Indian Cooking Class. Host: Sumaira Nabeel Time: 6PM . Date: Friday, February 7th, 2014 Location: Mian residence at 1015 Border Rd, Los Altos. Pakistani/Indian food cooking class led by Zareen Khan, the chef/founder at Curried Away Catering.  Participants will learn to make: Masoor Daal (Lentil Soup), Karahi Chicken Curry, Peas Pilau (a rice pilaf), Persian Cucumber and Mint Yogurt Raita and Mango Kulfi (dessert). Included are: drinks & appetizers, dinner, cooking instructions, recipe cards, and takeaway gift.   Contact sumaira.nabeel@gmail.com if interested. $60 per person

Space Still Available at Boys Night Out: Join Covington Boys and Dads for Boys Night Out.  Spend the evening at the Area 151 Arcade+ Red Racer Hobby Shop in Downtown Los Altos.  Super Fun!!

Pizza/Soda/100 Tokens/Slot Car Track/Legos.

Saturday January 25th / 5:30 - 7:30PM / Pizza/Soda/100 Tokens/Slot Car Track/Legos. $25 per person/ $50 for Father and Son

Pizza at Area 151 at 5:30PM. To save your spot please email John Crawford at jbcrawfo@aol.com. Make checks payable to: Covington PTA and return to Boy's Night Out box in Covington Office

Covington Auction tickets now on sale! Early bird pricing available until January 31st! For more information and ticket purchase,

http://covington.schoolauction.net/auction2014

Project Cornerstone News: Hello Fellow PC Leads!

We are hosting a Take It Personally parent study group starting Monday, January 27th .  The workshop will take place in the Gardner Bullis Library from 7:00 – 8:30PM.  Linda Silvius will be facilitating.  Also, if you have any readers that haven’t taken Assets 101, feel free to encourage them to come, this workshop fills that requirement. 

Thank you for your generosity and your donations to Family Giving Tree- Holiday Wish Drive: We have outdone ourselves and have fulfilled more wishes than in the past! Way to go Coyotes!!! Nearly 68,000 Bay Area children received gifts this holiday thanks to your generosity!

Organization name: Covington Elementary School

Total wishes fulfilled: 125

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 2014. Please provide a copy of your child’s immunization record to your school office by March 14, 2014.

Did you Know...K-3 class sizes are 25 or smaller because of LAEF?

The 2013-14 LAEF grant provides funding for the teachers needed to keep class sizes lower. Kindergarten through third grades are limited to a maximum of 25 students per class because of your donations.  In addition, first and second grade classes have a trained instructor during Literacy/Reading lessons for 45 minutes, four days a week. This lowers the student-to-teacher ratio even farther. Keeping student-to-teacher ratios lower during these critical educational years is important to LASD parents, and these dollars are hard at work in our classrooms today.

The LAEF grant benefits every student in every grade evenly. We have less than $1 million to go for programs that are currently in place in our classrooms this year.

LAEF Representatives at Covington are:

Matt Abrahams, matt.abrahams@gmail.com
Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney, anjananagarajan@yahoo.com
Jessica Speiser, jessica@speiser.net
Ritu Kapoor (member at-large), ritu.kapoor@gmail.com

Make Your Tax Deductible Donation Today!  www.laefonline.org

District & Community News: http://www.lasdk8.org/PDF_Files/Current_School_News.pdf

Post an Announcement in the Howler? If you have an announcement to include in Howler, please send it to sevard@lasdschools.org.  Announcements must be received by 12:00pm on Friday in order to be considered for the Howler scheduled for the following Tuesday.