Covington Howler

November 29, 2016

Covington Elementary commits to a high level of learning for every student and adult. Together we foster a safe culture, where we learn actively and collaboratively, think creatively and critically, develop perseverance, live respectfully and responsibly, and contribute positively to our diverse community and beyond.

Important Dates:

• Nov 28 - Dec 2 - Book Fair

• Nov 30 - Family Food Truck Night @ the Book Fair 5pm

• Dec  1 - Kindergarten and New Student Information Night.

• Dec 5 - Parent Ed: Ability Awareness

• Dec 8 - Winter Concert 1pm, Grades 4-6

• Dec 9 - Covington Choir Concert 6:30pm, multi

• December 19- January 2 – December Recess (NO SCHOOL)

• January 16 – Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday (NO SCHOOL)

• January 17 – Staff Development Day - (NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS)

Principal’s Message

Dear Covington Community,

I hope you had a restful Thanksgiving break, filled with good moments with family and friends.   We now have three weeks before we take our winter recess and there’s plenty going on during that time.

The annual Scholastic book fair is running all this week.  This is a great opportunity to do some holiday shopping and support Covington’s PTA.  The fair will be open Wednesday evening, complete with food trucks!  

On Thursday evening, we will host Kinder/New Family information night.  If

you or your neighbor has an incoming kindergartner, or if you’re recently new to Covington and missed all of our orientation events, please mark your calendar for THIS Thursday at 7:00 in our library.  After a presentation, families are invited to tour our kindergarten rooms.  Information about registration will also be discussed.  

I also want to point your attention to our parent Ed night regarding Ability Awareness on Monday, Dec. 5th at 7pm in the multi.  This presentation will give parents insight on the types of activities our students will be doing during our Ability Awareness week (Jan. 3rd-6th) which will help promote compassion and empathy for all.   

Hope to see you at one (or all of these events)!

Regards,

Wade Spenader

Principal

Kindergarten & New Family Night

Kindergarten & New Family Information Night, this Thursday Dec.1st at 7pm: We will hold our Kindergarten/New Parent information night for students entering Kindergarten or moving to our district for the 2015-16 school year.  Information will be presented on our district and school programs, highlights and registration.  If you have a child who will be entering kindergarten in the fall, you won't want to miss this night!  Please join us at 7pm in the library on Thursday night.

Los Altos Educational Foundation

LASD Winter Music Concerts & Computer Science Ed Week

We hope you enjoy the sounds of the season coming from our 4th, 5th and 6th grade LASD Winter Music Concerts in addition to hearing inspiring stories of our K-8 students participating in “Hour of Code” during Computer Science Education Week.  Parent donations to LAEF have made these enriching educational experiences possible. That’s why we are requesting your support by donating at LAEFonline.org by 12/31.

Buy Your Holiday Cards from Tiny Prints & Support LAEF

By ordering your holiday cards from Tiny Prints at https://www.tinyprints.com/storefront/laef, you’ll save on your cards and LAEF will receive a donation from every order! It’s another easy way to support LAEF during this season of giving. Thank you!

Absence Information

Friendly Reminder: The State of California Education Code only allows 3 unexcused absences per year. The only excused absences are for illness, medical appointments or family emergencies. If you are planning to travel during scheduled school time, please visit the office and request an Independent Study Program.  Independent study is an optional educational alternative to classroom instruction available to all students in the district.  We offer short term independent study which has specific guidelines of a minimum of 5 days, maximum of 15 days.  Teachers need at least 3 days notice to prepare work for an independent study.

PTA News

SUBJECT: Registration for Girls on the Run!  Calling all 3rd - 5th grade girls! We are thrilled to continue our Girls on the Run program this year and hope you can join us. Here are the quick details:

• Register at http://www.gotrsv.org

• Open lottery registration starts this Saturday, December 3rd - Monday, December 5th

• The program is 10 weeks long from March 6 - May 20th

• We meet every Monday and Wednesday from 3 - 4:30pm

• The cost is $230 which includes: snacks, all program materials, 2 t-shirts, a water bottle and the 5K registration Have more questions, please contact, Christine Wedner, cwedner@mac.com.

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Bookaneer Book Fair.  Come visit our Scholastic Book Fair and experience a celebration of reading! From November 28th – December 2nd, the Covington Multi will be transformed into an amazing bookstore where reading is the treasure. Hours: 8:15 am – 3:15 pm (November 28th – December 2nd)

Family Food Truck Night: 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm Wednesday, November 30th

Questions?  Ask Mara (marastarkey@gmail.com) or Elise (elise55@gmail.com)

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PTA Play: Peter Pan Jr. Registration.  Registration forms went home in Thurs/Fri envelopes for all 4th, 5th and 6th graders.  Additional forms are available in the office Peter Pan box.  Please drop off registration forms and cash/check payments in the Peter Pan box in the office. For Credit card payments use online registration- link below.  Deadline for registration is December 9th, 2016. Cost is $250 which includes T-shirt. Scholarships are available. Contact Arezou Bahman (arezoua@yahoo.com) with any questions.  Online registration: http://covingtonpta.3dcartstores.com/Peter-Pan-Jr-Registration_p_

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Covington School PTA is proud to partner with the Family Giving Tree, a charitable organization dedicated to inspiring underserved children and individuals throughout the Bay Area.  For over 25 years, the Family Giving Tree has fulfilled more than 1.3 million specific holiday wishes and is looking to our group to continue their work. This year, Family Giving Tree has set a goal to fulfill the holiday wishes of 75,000 local children.

Our group has committed to fulfill 275 wishes! I am writing to invite you to join us as we try to reach this goal by December 12, 2016.

You can fulfill the holiday wish of a local child or adult in one of the following ways:

1. Choose a card and shop for the specific gift. Wish cards with the name, age, gender, and wish of a person in need are located in each classroom and in the school office.

2. Go online and sponsor a child or adult's wish by visiting http://vgt.familygivingtree.org/CovingtonElem

Please contact me if you have any questions, or visit www.FamilyGivingTree.org for more information about the Family Giving Tree’s Holiday Wish Drive.

Every gift is another wish fulfilled! We will have donation drop off boxes located outside the office starting Monday, November 28th.  All gifts are due by 8:30am on December 12th.  For all those that participate in making a wish come true there will be a movie and pizza night on a date to be determined in February.

Please contact us with any questions. Thank you, Trish Carballar ntrishwish77@gmail.com, Angela Wilson angelawilson618@gmail.

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HOLIDAY AMAZON SHOPPERS – Make Your Holiday Shopping Count for Covington! Earn referral fees for Covington on purchases of books, electronics, school supplies, and more.  It’s EASY and DOESN’T COST YOU ANYTHING! Please use this link (bookmark it!) or go to www.covingtonschool.org, click the Amazon logo on the lower right side, then select and purchase your items as you normally would.

Covington will automatically receive a referral fee from Amazon.  No sign-up required. Questions? Contact Jennie Ebbitt at jtebbitt@gmail.com.

LASD & Community Announcements

Egan Holiday Craft Faire.  Come shop for the holidays!  Egan School seventh and eighth grade students are busily making all kinds of homemade crafts and gift items to sell at their annual Holiday Craft Faire. Items for sale will include pillows, soaps, jewelry, clothing accessories, hats, candles, origami as well as ornaments, holiday crafts, decorations and food items.  The Holiday Craft Faire will take place on Friday, December 9 from 7:30a-12:30p at Egan School (100 West Portola Avenue).  Everyone is welcome!

Become a LIVING CLASSROOM docent... share your love of nature with kids!  It's time to build bird nests, make yummy soup from the veggies we harvest from our school gardens, discover symmetry inside fruit, and make natural dyes from plants!  If you like all those things and more, please consider becoming a Living Classroom docent!  LIving Classroom is looking for docents to help deliver hands-on garden-based lessons to the students of the Los Altos School District.  No experience necessary as we provide all the training needed!  Our Winter Docent Training will take place at the LASD iLearn Studio on Monday mornings from 9 - Noon on 12/5, 12/12*, 1/9 and 1/23 (*the 12/12 training will take place at the Palo Alto School District Science Resource Center).  Please click here to view our Winter Training Flyer.  Apprentice-style training also available for those who can’t make our Monday morning trainings. Questions? Email us at livingclassroom@lasdschools.org or call (650) 947-1103.  For more information about Living Classroom, please visit our website at www.living-classroom.org.

School & Community News now found via Peachjar: https://www.peachjar.com/index.php?a=28&b=138&region=54001

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