Covington School Howler - Dec. 2, 2014

Dear Covington Families,

This week is the annual Covington Book Fair and it has already been a busy and bustling two days! At the end of every recess, there is a mass exodus of students swarming out of the multi exits holding blue book request forms filled-to-the-brim. There are older kids, younger kids, kids with goofy grins, and some who take choosing books very seriously, given their pensive faces. The love of books is an incredible and wonderful sight to behold.

Over the past two days I have asked many students if I could take a peek at their request list and they very eagerly share titles I am well acquainted with (Harry Potter, Amelia Bedelia) and some I have never heard of but am planning to learn more about (Smiles, Sisters, The Day the Crayons Quit). Their excitement is palpable; who doesn't love reading or listening to a good story? Being a bookworm myself, I have visited the Covington Book Fair at least five times already, always looking for an excuse to immerse myself in books, even if just in their physical space, and experience the Book Fair through the eyes of the students.

Through books, we laugh (Bugs in My Hair), we cry (The Fault in Our Stars), we surrender to silliness (Say Hello To Zorro!), and learn how to be brave in the face of our deepest fears (Percy Jackson series). Books can provide a gateway to explore the human condition in every possible way. If you want to listen to a children's book author expound on good books (and if you are in the mood for a good chuckle), check out Mac Burnett's TEDTalk: Why a Good Book is a Secret Door. He also has two books available at the Book Fair, Sam & Dave Dig a Hole and Extra Yarn, if your children enjoy playful and creative stories.

Also, if you would like to plan a trip to the Book Fair this week, please see the schedule below (25% of all proceeds go directly to the PTA to support Covington students!) :

Hours: December 1st-5th, 8:15am-3:30pm

Family Night: Wednesday, December 3rd, 6:00pm-8:00pm

Parents and Pastries: Thursday, December 4th, 8:30am-9:30am

Kindergarten & New Family Information Night, this Thursday Dec.4th 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.

Enjoy the week!

Raquel Matteroli
Interim Principal, Covington School

Important Dates:

Dec. 1-5 - Book Fair
Dec. 4- New Family & Fall 2015 Kinder Information Night 7p @ Covington Library
Dec. 9 - 4th-6th Grade Winter Concert 1pm
Dec. 9 - Dine Out for Covington @ Maltbys.
Dec 12 & 13 - PTA Play, Alice In Wonderland
Dec. 15-19 - 6th Graders to Walden West
Dec. 22-Jan. 2 - December Recess, school resumes on Jan 5th.

Friendly Reminder: Rainy Weather is here. Please plan for extra time to travel to school in the morning to avoid an unexcused tardy.

From Ms. Farley our STEM Teacher:
Next week (December 8th-12th) is Computer Science Education Week, a week dedicated to showing students in grades K-12 the importance of computer science education. This fabulous opportunity to gain a greater appreciation for computer science is organized by code.org with the goal to get as many students as possible of all ages (and adults, too!) to participate in one hour of coding during that week- appropriately called the "Hour of Code"!

According to code.org, "90% of K-12 schools in the U.S. do not teach computer science." Los Altos School District, thanks to funding from LAEF and an unbelievably supportive community and staff, is fortunate enough to fall within the 10% of U.S. Schools that are offering every student the opportunity to learn computational thinking through the STEM and C-STEM program.

During Computer Science Education Week, each student at Covington and throughout LASD will be participating in at least one computational thinking/coding lesson.

Grade Level Lessons During Computer Science Education Week

Kindergarten - 2nd Grade
Code.org tutorials
Scratch, Jr (http://www.scratchjr.org)

3rd - 5th grade
Code.org tutorials
Scratch: http://scratch.mit.edu/

6th grade
Will continue with c-STEM curriculum

Both days of LEGO Lunch in the STEM Lab will also be dedicated to allowing students the opportunity to engage in computer programming. LEGO Lunch is held on Tuesday for grades 1 and 2, and Wednesday for grades 3 - 6 at lunch recess in the STEM Lab. We are strongly encouraging parents to join their children during LEGO Lunch on either day!

Don't hesitate to contact me (kfarley@lasdschools.org) with any questions or concerns. We sincerely look forward to your participation in this year's Hour of Code next week!

"Everybody in this country should learn how to program a computer…because it teaches you how to think."- Steve Jobs

LAEF End of Year Reminders

Haven't contributed to LAEF yet? Donate before December 31 to get your deduction for the 2014 tax year. Remember that the money raised now is for staff who are *already* in your child's classroom. LAEF's $3.3M goal was committed in the Spring so that LASD could hire teachers for every school and every student in the 2014-15 school year.

Make your tax-deductible donation today at www.laefonline.org (or bring a check to the school office)

Already donated? Thank you so much for supporting smaller classes, enrichment, innovation, and STEM. You can also order holiday cards from TinyPrints - 25% of the proceeds go to LAEF: http://www.tinyprints.com/storefront/laef

LAEF Questions? Web: www.laefonline.org. Phone: 650.559.0445 Email:admin@laefonline.org. Thanks in advance for your support of LAEF!
The LAEF parent-volunteer team

PTA News:

Dine out for Covington: Please come by and enjoy some classic comfort food at Maltby's in Los Altos on Tuesday, December 9th. Maltby's will donate 15% of proceeds from Covington supporters all day. Please remember to mention Covington. Maltby's is open for lunch from 11:30-2:30 PM and for dinner from 5-9 PM. Maltby's is located at 101 Plaza North. (650) 917-8777. http://www.maltbys.com/

Holiday Crafting Workshop! Calling All Elves! Join your friends in Santa's workshop for a Holiday Craft and Cookie Party. Enjoy some holiday treats while you make some fun crafts and decorations, and cookies to take home!
Sunday, December 14th 2-5pm, Covington Multi ,$30 per student
Please contact Valerie Cairns vjcairns@yahoo.com to sign up

Mother/Daughter Yoga Party. Enjoy a unique and enlightening experience with a mother/daugther Yoga Class! While doing simple and fun GroovYoga dance combinations, yoga poses and a guided meditation, you will build trust, connection and have a great time. Taught by Yoga instructor and Covington mom Kathi Donnelly
Saturday, December 13th, 10:00am Ivivva, Valley Fair Mall $40 per couple
Please email vjcairns@yahoo.com to sign up

Covington elementary school is partnering with family giving tree as a community, yet another year. Please consider donating to this wonderful organization either by picking up a wish card through your child's class or through virtual giving tree- https://vgt.familygivingtree.org/covingtonelementaryschool/
Also this year to celebrate the generosity of our Covington community, we are organizing a PTA sponsored movie in the multi on Friday, Jan 9th. Details about Family Giving Tree were sent out through room parents last week.
Contact kavithaherle@gmail.com for any questions.

Make Your Holiday Shopping Count For Covington!
eSCRIP ONLINE MALL: Automatically earns Covington money every time you shop through their links. Sign up or sign in at www.escrip.com
Click on the Online Mall logo. Shop your favorite brands at online retailers to automatically earn for our group. 1800flowers.com, Adidas Store, American Eagle Outfitters, Apple Store, BestBuy, Bloomingdale's, Disney, eLuxury, Gap, Home Depot, Nordstrom, Macy's, Old Navy, PetSmart, RadioShack, Sony, Toys RUs, and many more.

AMAZON SHOPPERS: Earn referral fees for Covington while purchasing books, electronics, holiday gifts, and more. It's EASY and DOESN'T COST YOU ANYTHING!
Go to www.covingtonschool.org
Click the Amazon logo on the lower right side to go to the Amazon website
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.

Alice in Wonderland: Don't miss the Covington PTA sponsored after-school play, Alice in Wonderland! Performances: Friday December 12, 2014 @ 7pm Covington Multi
Saturday December 13th, 2014 @ 3pm Covington Multi. Tickets are paperless: $10 Adult $5 Children. To Purchase Tickets: complete a ticket form from the "Alice" box in the office, include a check, and drop back into "Alice" box.
email Arezou arezoua@yahoo.com for info

Girls on the Run Program Registration Opening Soon!
Girls on the Run is a fun, life-changing, after-school program for (3rd-5th) grade girls. The 10-week program teaches girls life skills such as confidence, how to be a good friend and how to stand up for themselves and others while inspiring them to be joyful, healthy and confident by using a fun, experience-based curriculum that creatively integrates running.

Girls on the Run begins the week of March 2, 2015, and concludes the week of May 18, 2015. The Covington team will meet on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:40-4:30pm. There will be no lessons the week of spring break. The culminating event of the season is the Girls on the Run 5K, on Saturday, May 16, 2015, at Vasona Park in Los Gatos, where program participants and community members come together for this celebratory fun run/walk.

Program registration is online only at www.gotrsv.org and will open at 8:00 am on Saturday, December 13, 2014. Space is limited and girls will be registered on a first-come, first-served basis.

EDtalk: The Los Altos School District will be hosting the second EDtalk of the school year on December 12, 2014. This EDtalk discussion will focus on updates to the district's CSTEM and STEM programs. Information will be shared about LASD's approach to teaching Computer Science and STEM to all our students. Parents and community members will have the opportunity to engage in some of the many activities our students are experiencing in their innovative classrooms, including participating in the Hour of Code .Friday, December 12, 2014 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. iLearn Studio 205 Covington Road, Los Altos RSVP: https://edtalks-cstem-stem.eventbrite.com

Covington Stem Teacher Links:
tinyurl.com/covingtonstem
https://sites.google.com/a/lasdk8.org/covington-stem/class-newsletters

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

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.

Covington School Howler - Nov 18, 2014

Dear Covington Families,

Conferences are upon us! November 24 and 25 are designated conference days. Like all good conversations, parent–teacher conferences are opportunities for both parties to talk and listen. The conference is a time for you to learn about your child’s progress and engagement in school. This should focus on the whole child including both academic progress, and how your child connects with his/her peers and participates in our school community. This is also a time for the teacher to learn about what your child is like at home. Be sure to bring a list of questions that you would like to ask the teacher. Follow up after the conference by writing down the things that you and the teacher will each do to support your child. We all look forward to seeing you during these two very important days.

The parent-teacher partnership is a critical component of your child's school experience. Thank you for making time to meet with your child's teacher. Parents and staff working together is a critical combination for our student's success!

I also am happy to announce that Ms. Green had her baby. Charlotte Kathryn Bhola was born Sat. 11/15/14 and weighed 6 lbs. 5 oz.!

Enjoy the week!

Raquel Matteroli
Interim Principal, Covington School

Important Dates:

Nov. 18 - Dine Out for Covington @ Aldos - Tonight!
Nov. 24-25 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School for Students
Nov. 26-28 - Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec. 1-5 - Book Fair
Dec. 4- New Family & Fall 2015 Kinder Information Night 7p @ Covington Library
Dec. 9 - 4th-6th Grade Winter Concert 1pm
Dec 12 & 13 - PTA Play, Alice In Wonderland
Dec. 15-19 - 6th Graders to Walden West
Dec. 22-Jan.2 - December Recess, school resumes on Jan 5th.

Donate to LAEF on #GIVINGTUESDAY 12.2.14
We have a day for giving thanks. We have two for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back.
On Tuesday, December 2, 2014, charities, families, businesses, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give. Donate to LAEF on #GivingTuesday and support every child in grades K-8 by funding smaller class sizes, enrichment programs and more junior high electives. Giving to LAEF is investing in what we all value: our children’s education.

Donate at www.laefonline.org (or bring a check to the school office on Dec 2)

LAEF Questions?
Web: www.laefonline.org … Phone: 650.559.0445 ... Email: admin@laefonline.org

Thanks in advance for your support of LAEF.
The LAEF parent-volunteer team

PTA News:

Walkathon pledges are still being collected. If you haven't already done so, please help your child collect his pledges and turn in the checks in the Walkathon Box in the office. We still have many more outstanding pledges. Thank you for your cooperation. Any questions, please contact Carolyn LeBaron or Katherine Lyon (calolsen@yahoo.com, lyonkatherinek@gmail.com)

COMING SOON: COVINGTON BOOK FAIR- 12/1 thru 12/5
Come visit our Scholastic Book Fair and enter a kingdom of books! From December 1st through December 5th, 2014 the Covington Multi will be transformed into Sir Readalot’s Castle - an amazing bookstore filled with engaging, fun books.

Hours: 8:15am—3:30pm, December 1st – 5th

Family Night: Wednesday, Dec. 3rd 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Parents & Pastries: Thursday, Dec. 4th 8:30am – 9:30am

Our Bookfair needs volunteers as well as shoppers! Please sign up through SignUpGenius on the Covington Website, or by clicking here: http://www.SignUpGenius.com/go/20F044DACAD2FAA8-2014

In the event that you won't be able to join us at the Multi during that time, you can still shop online for Covington!

Online book store NOW open through December 8:

http://onlinebookfairs.scholastic.com/default.aspx?f=3343559

- Send wish lists to family and friends
- All orders ship free to the school
- Browse an expanded book selection for all ages

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

Dine out for Covington: Bon Appetito! Please come enjoy an Italian meal and support Covington by dining at Aldo on Main Street Tonight, Tuesday November 18th!. Aldo will donate 20% of earnings from the entire day to the Covington PTA. Please mention Covington. Aldo is open for both lunch and dinner at 388 Main Street, Los Altos. (650) 949-2300.

Covington elementary school is partnering with family giving tree as a community, yet another year. Please consider donating to this wonderful organization either by picking up a wish card through your child's class or through virtual giving tree- https://vgt.familygivingtree.org/covingtonelementaryschool/
Also this year to celebrate the generosity of our Covington community, we are organizing a PTA sponsored movie in the multi on Friday, Jan 9th. Details about Family Giving Tree were sent out through room parents last week.
Contact kavithaherle@gmail.com for any questions.

Make Your Holiday Shopping Count For Covington!
eSCRIP ONLINE MALL: Automatically earns Covington money every time you shop through their links. Sign up or sign in at www.escrip.com
Click on the Online Mall logo
Shop your favorite brands at online retailers to automatically earn for our group.
1800flowers.com, Adidas Store, American Eagle Outfitters, Apple Store, BestBuy, Bloomingdale’s, Disney, eLuxury,
Gap, Home Depot, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Old Navy, PetSmart, RadioShack, Sony, Toys RUs, and many more.

AMAZON SHOPPERS: Earn referral fees for Covington while purchasing books, electronics, holiday gifts, and more. It’s EASY and DOESN’T COST YOU ANYTHING!
Go to www.covingtonschool.org
Click the Amazon logo on the lower right side to go to the Amazon website
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.

Lost & Found: We will be donating items during the Thanksgiving Break. The Lost & Found rack is located on the side of the Multi, next to the water fountains. Look for the blue bin, with a double hanging rack. Please check for your any items you might be missing. The racks are overflowing!

Alice in Wonderland: Don't miss the Covington PTA sponsored after-school play, Alice in Wonderland! Performances: Friday December 12, 2014 @ 7pm Covington Multi
Saturday December 13th, 2014 @ 3pm Covington Multi. Tickets are paperless: $10 Adult $5 Children. To Purchase Tickets: complete a ticket form from the "Alice" box in the office, include a check, and drop back into "Alice" box.
email Arezou arezoua@yahoo.com for info

EDtalk: The Los Altos School District will be hosting the second EDtalk of the school year on December 12, 2014. This EDtalk discussion will focus on updates to the district's CSTEM and STEM programs. Information will be shared about LASD’s approach to teaching Computer Science and STEM to all our students. Parents and community members will have the opportunity to engage in some of the many activities our students are experiencing in their innovative classrooms, including participating in the Hour of Code .Friday, December 12, 2014 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. iLearn Studio 205 Covington Road, Los Altos RSVP: https://edtalks-cstem-stem.eventbrite.com

Covington Stem Teacher Links:
tinyurl.com/covingtonstem
https://sites.google.com/a/lasdk8.org/covington-stem/class-newsletters

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

Festival of Lights Parade: Sunday, 11/30/14, 6:00 p.m. Join your friends and neighbors for an amazing Los Altos holiday tradition! Since 1977, the Festival of Lights Parade has brought "A Child's Holiday Fantasy" to life -- and with renovated floats and newly lit costumes, this year will be our brightest year yet! Visit www.losaltosparade.com for a route map and viewing guidelines (for example, please do not set up before noon on Sunday, and do not use chalk or tape to mark your spots), or even to volunteer. We look forward to seeing you and your family at the parade!

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.

Covington School Howler - Nov 12,  2014

Dear Covington Families,

As a friendly reminder, I wanted to share the protocol for parking, pick-up and drop-off.

When driving through the pick up lane, pull as far forward as possible and please stay in your car (please do not leave your car unattended to go and pick up your child).

• You are welcome to park your car in a space and walk over to meet your children.
• Please drop your children off at the curb; the middle of the parking lot is not a safe place to drop children.
• Once you drop off your children, please proceed out of the parking lot. Traffic needs to continue to flow to avoid back-ups on neighboring streets.
• Thank you for not using your cell phone while driving in the school parking lot.
• If the Covington parking lot is full, you may use the back portion of the St. William’s parking lot.*  The church is generously sharing their parking lot and we respect their wish to keep the front lot available for their functions.  Thank you so much for helping to keep all of our students be safe! 

Please join us this Friday morning for the PTA Meeting/Coffee with the Principal, right after the flag salute/morning assembly.

Enjoy the week!

Raquel Matteroli
Interim Principal, Covington School

Important Dates:
 
Nov. 14 - PTA Meeting/Parent Coffee, 8:30am Staff Room
Nov. 18 - Dine Out for Covington @ Aldos
Nov. 24-25 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School for Students
Nov. 26-28 - Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec. 1-5 - Book Fair
Dec. 4- New Family & Fall 2015 Kinder Information Night 7p @ Covington Library
Dec. 9 - 4th-6th Grade Winter Concert 1pm
Dec 12 & 13 - PTA Play, Alice In Wonderland
Dec. 15-19 - 6th Graders to Walden West
Dec. 22-Jan.2 - December Recess, school resumes on Jan 5th.

From the School Nurse: Sometimes it is difficult, especially early in the morning, to know whether or not to send your child to school. With the flu season in full swing, the following guidelines are indications that you should keep your child home. Thank you for your help, to control the spread of colds, flu, and other contagious illnesses.

LOS ALTOS SCHOOL DISTRICT HEALTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT
WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME FROM SCHOOL

Keep your child at home when he/she has any of the following symptoms: Fever, Chills, Vomiting or diarrhea, Nausea, Sore throat or trouble swallowing, Coughing, sneezing, and/or runny nose, Rash or unusual sores or spots, Headache, Generalized muscle aches and pains , Wheezing or trouble breathing , Unusually red, crusted or burning eyes

If you or your child develops a cold that includes a severe cough or a cough that lasts a long time, it may be pertussis (whooping cough). The best way to know is to contact your doctor.

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

PTA News:

Please join us for the PTA Meeting this Friday at 8:30 in the Staff Room.  As always there will be checks to approve and actual expenses and income to review.  New business includes: (1) a Walkathon update (please don't forget to bring in your pledges if you haven't already!), (2) Auction Update, (3) Lice Brigade Discussion and Recruitment and (4) various openings for volunteers.

COMING SOON:  COVINGTON BOOK FAIR - 12/1 thru 12/5
Come visit our Scholastic Book Fair and enter a kingdom of books!  From December 1st through December 5th, 2014 the Covington Multi will be transformed into Sir Readalot’s Castle - an amazing bookstore filled with engaging, fun books. 

Hours:   8:15am—3:30pm, December 1st – 5th
Family Night:  Wednesday, Dec. 3rd   6:00pm – 8:00pm
Parents & Pastries:  Thursday, Dec. 4th    8:30am – 9:30am

Our Bookfair needs volunteers as well as shoppers!  Please sign up through SignUpGenius on the Covington Website, or by clicking here:  http://www.SignUpGenius.com/go/20F044DACAD2FAA8-2014
Questions?  Ask Mara (marastarkey@gmail.com) or Elise (elise55@gmail.com)

Dine out for Covington: Bon Appetito!  Please come enjoy an Italian meal and support Covington by dining at Aldo on Main Street on Tuesday November 18th.  Aldo will donate 20% of earnings from the entire day to the Covington PTA.  Please mention Covington.  Aldo is open for both lunch and dinner at 388 Main Street, Los Altos.  (650) 949-2300.

Run Club News: Wow, what an amazing Coyote Pack Run Club kick-off! We had 160 runners join us on Friday! Give your child a high-five for running with The Pack! If your child didn’t run, please encourage them to join us this Friday. A huge thanks to our awesome parent volunteers, this program could not happen without your enthusiastic support each Friday!

Who: Any level of runner interested in having fun and getting great exercise; grades 1st-6th
When: Fridays at lunch recess
Where: Covintgton field
What: Please remind your child to wear tennis shoes each Friday in order to participate
Coyote Pack is a parent run activity and we need help to ensure continued success! No running required. Please sign up at https://docs.google.com/a/lasdk8.org/spreadsheets/d/1OA-6YskBAHBDE-danHUzm62zcTD71dKQARSsTU-U-ps/edit#gid=799801726
Contact Jen or Jen with questions: jen_springer@me.com or jenmcguigan@me.com

Make Your Holiday Shopping Count For Covington!
eSCRIP ONLINE MALL: Automatically earns Covington money every time you shop through their links. Sign up or sign in at www.escrip.com
Click on the Online Mall logo
Shop your favorite brands at online retailers to automatically earn for our group.
1800flowers.com, Adidas Store, American Eagle Outfitters, Apple Store, BestBuy, Bloomingdale’s, Disney, eLuxury,
Gap, Home Depot, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Old Navy, PetSmart, RadioShack, Sony, Toys RUs, and many more.

AMAZON SHOPPERS: Earn referral fees for Covington while purchasing books, electronics, holiday gifts, and more. It’s EASY and DOESN’T COST YOU ANYTHING!
Go to www.covingtonschool.org
Click the Amazon logo on the lower right side to go to the Amazon website
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.

Lost & Found: We will be donating items during the Thanksgiving Break.  The Lost & Found rack is located on the side of the Multi, next to the water fountains. Look for the blue bin, with a double hanging rack.  Please check for your any items you might be missing. The racks are overflowing!

Alice in Wonderland: Don't miss the Covington PTA sponsored after-school play, Alice in Wonderland! Performances: Friday December 12, 2014  @ 7pm   Covington Multi
Saturday December 13th, 2014  @ 3pm  Covington Multi. Tickets are paperless: $10 Adult  $5 Children. To Purchase Tickets: complete a ticket form from the "Alice" box in the office, include a check, and drop back into "Alice" box.
email Arezou arezoua@yahoo.com for info

Covington Stem Teacher Links:
tinyurl.com/covingtonstem
https://sites.google.com/a/lasdk8.org/covington-stem/class-newsletters

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

Festival of Lights Parade:  Sunday, 11/30/14, 6:00 p.m.  Join your friends and neighbors for an amazing Los Altos holiday tradition! Since 1977, the Festival of Lights Parade has brought "A Child's Holiday Fantasy" to life -- and with renovated floats and newly lit costumes, this year will be our brightest year yet!  Visit www.losaltosparade.com for a route map and viewing guidelines (for example, please do not set up before noon on Sunday, and do not use chalk or tape to mark your spots), or even to volunteer.  We look forward to seeing you and your family at the parade!

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.

Covington School Howler - Nov 4,  2014

Dear Covington Families,

Yesterday I had the privilege of sitting in on a student council meeting during lunch recess. For the entirety of the lunch period, student and teacher leaders worked through some of the logistics of their first trimester major improvement projects: repainting the 2-square lines on the Covington blacktop and posting rules and removing thorn bushes on campus that have caused damage to playground balls. Initially, students came up with project ideas by considering the following question: “How can we make our campus/school a better place?” A list of ideas was generated and the two most popular chosen for immediate action.

As you can see in the above picture, the conversation taking place in the room yesterday was around coordination of action items: project funding, advertising and timing. Students also coordinated other responsibilities around contacting staff members that would need to be involved with the project as well as posting a copy of common 2-square rules that all students can use to keep game play fair and consistent.

What was abundantly clear to me, as evidenced by the enthusiastic discussions I heard and willingness on the part of students to take on project tasks, was that they were engaged and motivated by the prospect of making a real difference for all Covington students via these improvement projects. The teacher leaders offered a “stretch” challenge to student council members: they provided a starting point, extended a concrete challenge and have been helping them in co-creating a plan to meet that challenge (see Liz Wiseman’s book Multipliers for more on effective Leaders and “stretch” challenges). What a great way to support and grow our future leaders!

If you would like to support our school in this project, please join students and teachers on November 18. Students can “stay and play (with parental attendance)” from 2:40-3:30 during which they can also purchase snacks from the student council to help raise funds for council activities. If students plan to help with the 2-square painting from 3:30-5:00, snacks will be included. Hope to see you there!

Enjoy the week!

Raquel Matteroli
Interim Principal, Covington School

Important Dates:

Nov 7 - Walkathon Pledges Due
Nov. 11 - Veteran’s Day Holiday - No School
Nov. 18 - Dine Out for Covington @ Aldos
Nov. 24-25 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School for Students
Nov. 26-28 - Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec. 1-5 - Book Fair
Dec. 4- New Family & Fall 2015 Kinder Information Night
Dec. 9 - 4th-6th Grade Winter Concert 1pm
Dec 12 & 13 - PTA Play, Alice In Wonderland
Dec. 15-19 - 6th Graders to Walden West
Dec. 22-Jan.2 - December Recess, school resumes on Jan 5th.

PTA News:

Attention Parents and students:  Please turn in your Walkathon pledges now.  The deadline is this Friday, November 7.  We had record breaking pledges but our collection is very slow. There is a big gap between what was pledged and what has been collected to date.  Please help us close this gap this week. The Walkathon assembly including awards and the slideshow will be held on November 13th.  Thank you very much!  -Carolyn LeBaron and Katherine Lyon, Walkathon Co-Chairs

Get ready to run, because The Coyote Pack is back! The Coyote Pack Run Club is a popular “run for fun” lunchtime activity open to all students, grades 1st through 6th.  Runners will be provided mileage cards to track their distance to earn ribbons for graduated milestones completed.  Who: Any level of runner interested in having fun and getting great exercise; grades 1st-6th. When: Fridays at lunch recess - beginning November 7th Where: Covington field

What: Please remind your child to wear tennis shoes on Friday in order to participate.

Coyote Pack is a parent run activity and we need help to ensure continued success! No running required. Please sign up at https://docs.google.com/a/lasdk8.org/spreadsheets/d/1OA-6YskBAHBDE-danHUzm62zcTD71dKQARSsTU-U-ps/edit#gid=799801726

Contact Jen or Jen with questions: jen_springer@me com or jenmcguigan@me.com

Seeking Language Interpreters: Los Altos School District is looking for volunteer interpreters to assist us during parent/teacher conferences, student meetings and district events. We are seeking assistance with all languages but the most needed are: Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, Japanese and Korean. Please contact Ann Haigh at 650-947-1180 or at ahaigh@lasdschools.org if you are interested.

Lost & Found: We will be donating items during the Thanksgiving Break.  The Lost & Found rack is located on the side of the Multi, next to the water fountains. Look for the blue bin, with a double hanging rack.  Please check for your any items you might be missing. The racks are overflowing!

Alice in Wonderland: Come see our own Covington 4-6th graders as they perform in the Covington PTA sponsored after-school play, Alice in Wonderland!

Performances: Friday December 12, 2014  7pm  @ Covington Multi

Saturday December 13th, 2014  3pm @ Covington Multi

Tickets are paperless: $10 Adult  $5 Children

To Purchase Tickets: pick up a ticket form from the "Alice" box in the office, complete, write a check, and drop back into "Alice" box.

email Arezou for info

LAEF: We love smaller class sizes! Close to $1M of THIS YEAR’S $3.3M LAEF grant funds lower student-to-teacher ratios. Smaller class sizes enable quality time with teachers, enhancing your child’s ability to learn. For example:

- K-3: LAEF reduces class size from the baseline of 30 students/class to an average of 25

- 1st, 2nd: LAEF funds trained instructor during Literacy/Reading so teachers can spend focused time with small groups of students in reading, writing, and literacy skills

- 7-8th: Core curriculum teachers at Blach and Egan allow for reduced class sizes in Math, English, Science and Social Studies from the baseline of 30 students to an average of 25. But we can’t do it without your support!

Make your tax-deductible LAEF donation today at www.laefonline.org (or bring a check to the school office) LAEF Questions?

Web: www.laefonline.org … Phone: 650.559.0445 ... Email: admin@laefonline.org

Thanks in advance for your support of LAEF. The LAEF parent-volunteer team

Covington Stem Teacher Links:

tinyurl.com/covingtonstem

https://sites.google.com/a/lasdk8.org/covington-stem/class-newsletters

School & 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.

Covington School Howler - Oct 28,  2014

Dear Covington Families,

Halloween Parade on Friday 10/31 at 2pm
Halloween is upon us and is being celebrated this Friday at Covington School! In order to make the celebration fun, safe and appropriate for all students, please remember that the following are prohibited:  costumes with violent themes and weapons, excessive blood and gore, and rubber masks that cover the entire head and/ or face.  Since the parties and Costume Parade all take place in the afternoon, we request that you send your child in grades K-6 to school with their costume in a bag.  After lunch, everyone will change into his or her costumes. Your child's teacher will explain this procedure to students and if you have any questions related to costumes and changing, please contact the teacher or the office.
 
Schedule:
12:50pm K-6th Grade students dress in their costumes
1:00-1:50pm Classroom Parties
2:00-2:30pm Halloween Parade on blacktop
 
Since the parade will end at 2:30, please make sure upper grade (4th-6th) students are checked out with their child's teacher before leaving campus.  Kinder-3rd Grade students will also be excused at the conclusion of the parade.

In the event of rain on Friday, we will send an email in the morning with an alternate parade plan.
 
Enjoy the week!
 
Raquel Matteroli
Interim Principal, Covington School

Important Dates:

Oct. 31 - Halloween Parties 12:45pm, Parade at 2:00pm.
Nov 7 - Walkathon Pledges Due
Nov. 11 - Veteran’s Day Holiday - No School
Nov. 18 - Dine Out for Covington @ Aldos
Nov. 24-25 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School for Students
Nov. 26-28 - Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec. 1-5 - Book Fair
Dec. 4- New Family & Fall 2015 Kinder Information Night
Dec. 9 - 4th-6th Grade Winter Concert 1pm
Dec 12 & 13 - PTA Play, Alice In Wonderland
Dec. 15-19 - 6th Graders to Walden West
Dec. 22-Jan.2 - December Recess, school resumes on Jan 5th.

PTA News:

Measure N Information Night: Covington Parents are invited to join the  Almond PTA at a Measure N information night to help address your questions on Measure N, tonight,  Tuesday (October 28th) at 7 pm-8 pm in the Almond Multi.  Jeff Baier (LASD Superintendent of Schools) and Doug Smith (LASD School Board Member) will discuss the measure and address YOUR questions. Please invite your friends and neighbors to attend as well.
 
As many of you may know, Measure N will be on the November 4 ballot. Measure N is a
$150 million bond measure intended to address the LASDs enrollment growth and other facility needs as defined by a facilities master plan. The District is committed to developing a community-driven plan to accommodate growing student enrollment at all 10 local schools.The diverse, inclusive Enrollment Growth Task Force has recommended additional classroom and school space to address overcrowding. With further parent, teacher and community input, the 2014 Facilities Master Plan will identify educational and facilities needs. More information on the measure can be found at lasdschools.org.

Sock Drive! Thank you all so much for supporting our "Socktober" sock drive.  Together, we collected 467 pairs of socks!  All donations will be delivered to the Redwood Family House.  Thanks again!

Order Hot Lunch Now for New Session Starting Nov 3: Order your hot lunches now! The next session from Pasta Market is available for ordering now!  The new menu begins Monday, November 3rd. Orders can be made as late as Sunday, November 2nd. Follow this link to start now: http://pastamarket.orderlunches.com/
Order now to ensure your child will have a lunch starting next Monday!

Attention 4th and 5th Grade Parents! On Nov. 4, all fourth and fifth grade students will have the opportunity to attend an assembly in the library featuring Kirby Larson, Newbery award winning author of Hattie Big Sky, promoting her newest historical fiction books, Duke and Dash, taking place during WW II. This author visit is made possible through Scholastic at no charge and all book sales go toward Covington’s upcoming Scholastic Book Fair.

The deadline to submit order forms to purchase books signed by Kirby Larson and dedicated as specified on the form is this Wednesday, Oct. 29.  Order forms have been attached to emails sent to you, but if you wish to pick up a hard copy, they are available in the school office, your child’s classroom, and the Covington Library.  Order forms and checks payable to Covington PTA may be returned to the Author Visit box in the office or to your child’s classroom teachers. Maureen Drobot, Covington Library

Reminder Walkathon Pledge Due: Please turn in your Walkathon pledges to the Walkathon Box in the front office as soon as possible.  The deadline is November 7th.  The Walkathon assembly including awards and the slideshow will be held on November 13th.  Thank you very much!

Get ready to run, because The Coyote Pack is back! The Coyote Pack Run Club is a popular “run for fun” lunchtime activity open to all students, grades 1st through 6th.  Runners will be provided mileage cards to track their distance to earn ribbons for graduated milestones completed. 

Who: Any level of runner interested in having fun and getting great exercise; grades 1st-6th.
When: Fridays at lunch recess - beginning November 7th
Where: Covington field
What: Please remind your child to wear tennis shoes on Friday in order to participate.

Coyote Pack is a parent run activity and we need help to ensure continued success! No running required. Please sign up at https://docs.google.com/a/lasdk8.org/spreadsheets/d/1OA-6YskBAHBDE-danHUzm62zcTD71dKQARSsTU-U-ps/edit#gid=799801726
Contact Jen or Jen with questions: jen_springer@me.com or jenmcguigan@me.com

Lost & Found: We will be donating items during the Thanksgiving Break.  The Lost & Found rack is located on the side of the Multi, next to the water fountains. Look for the blue bin, with a double hanging rack.  Please check for your any items you might be missing. The racks are overflowing!

Haunted House Fundraiser!! Dare to enter the Hawthorne Haunt and be thrilled by the spooky, scary surprises inside! It will be lots of frightful fun and chock full of chilling moments! Visit our Covington haunted house and enjoy Halloween fun for the whole family. Spooky fun for our smaller ghosts and ghouls from 5:30 - 6:30 PM.  
Experienced goblins and ghoulish gremlins ready to be chilled to your very bones? Join us from 7 - 8:30 PM." Thursday, October 30th, 530 Hawthorne avenue
$20 per family. Please email Valerie Cairns vjcairns@yahoo.com to sign up!

Alice in Wonderland: Come see our own Covington 4-6th graders as they perform in the Covington PTA sponsored after-school play, Alice in Wonderland!
Performances: Friday December 12, 2014  7pm  @ Covington Multi
Saturday December 13th, 2014  3pm @ Covington Multi
Tickets: $10 Adult  $5 Children
email Arezou arezoua@yahoo.com for tickets and info

LAEF: We love smaller class sizes!  Close to $1M of THIS YEAR’S $3.3M LAEF grant funds lower student-to-teacher ratios. Smaller class sizes enable quality time with teachers, enhancing your child’s ability to learn.
For example:
- K-3: LAEF reduces class size from the baseline of 30 students/class to an average of 25
- 1st, 2nd: LAEF funds trained instructor during Literacy/Reading so teachers can spend focused time with small groups of students in reading, writing, and literacy skills
- 7-8th: Core curriculum teachers at Blach and Egan allow for reduced class sizes in Math, English, Science and Social Studies from the baseline of 30 students to an average of 25.
 
But we can’t do it without your support! Make your tax-deductible LAEF donation today at www.laefonline.org (or bring a check to the school office)
LAEF Questions? Web: www.laefonline.org … Phone: 650.559.0445 ... Email: admin@laefonline.org Thanks in advance for your support of LAEF.
The LAEF parent-volunteer team.

Covington Stem Teacher Links:
tinyurl.com/covingtonstem
https://sites.google.com/a/lasdk8.org/covington-stem/class-newsletters

School & 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.
 

Covington School Howler - Oct 21, 2014

Dear Covington Families,

I am thrilled to be serving as Interim Principal at Covington school while Mrs. Green is welcoming a new member to her family. In the weeks ahead I look forward to being able to continue to support the outstanding teachers in the important work they do every day: educating your children.  As I have walked around campus during recess, lunch and before and after school, many students have taken the time to introduce themselves. Not only am I impressed with their willingness to approach a new face around campus, but the confidence and enthusiasm with which they carry themselves is astounding.

The inclination to take a positive risk, albeit a small one, is a clear indication to me that students feel safe and supported here at Covington, due in large part to the strong connection between teachers and students. This relationship cannot be underestimated. According to Maslow’s hierarchy, the most basic human needs (physiological, safety) must be met before confidence, self-esteem and creativity can be developed within an individual. In conjunction with your support at home, Covington teachers and staff do a phenomenal job of building secure and meaningful relationships with students so that students can focus on critical thinking, communication, collaboration and creativity.

One of my essential roles as Interim Principal is to continue to help foster an environment in which students continue to be curious about the world around them and ask lots of questions. I am confident that the families, teachers and staff will help me be successful in this part of my job!

Here is a link to a TEDtalk: Three Rules to Spark Learning, which I believe does a stellar job of highlighting the teacher’s role in “cultivating curiosity and inquiry” in students.

Enjoy the week!

Raquel Matteroli
Interim Principal, Covington School

Important Dates:

Oct 24 - Kinder Sock Drive Collection Deadline
Oct. 31 - Halloween Parties 12:45pm, Parade at 2:00pm.
Nov. 11 - Veteran’s Day Holiday - No School
Nov. 18 - Dine Out for Covington @ Aldos
Nov. 24-25 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School for Students
Nov. 26-28 - Thanksgiving Holiday
Dec. 1-5 - Book Fair
Dec. 4- New Family & Fall 2015 Kinder Information Night
Dec. 9 - 4th-6th Grade Winter Concert 1pm
Dec. 15-19 - 6th Graders to Walden West
Dec. 22-Jan.2 - December Recess, school resumes on Jan 5th.

LAEF Highlight: Funding STEM in K-8. LAEF will contribute $820,000 THIS YEAR to bring innovation and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) to LASD's K-8 grade students. For example, this month alone:
- K students were introduced to the programming Bee-Bot App
- 3rd graders used MIT's Scratch interactive and animation app to reinforce science concepts learned about moon cycle
- 6th graders started the CSTEM program (more info at http://www.computersforcreativity.com/school-programs/lasdcstem)
- Computer Programming is being integrated into the 7th and 8th graders curriculum

Also, have you heard about Lunch Club? Lunch Clubs are a big part of the LASD's STEM program for K-6. Weekly challenges include creating musical instruments, zip lines, catapults, oobleck, Rube Goldberg, reverse engineering, egg drop and the list goes on and on…
 
Every K-8 LASD student benefits from STEM programs made possible thanks to *THIS YEAR'S* $3.3 Million LAEF grant. Our goal is 100% parent participation. Requested donation per student is $1,000 (or $100 per month for 10 months). Any gift in any amount is appreciated. Make your tax-deductible LAEF donation today at www.laefonline.org (or bring a check to the school office) LAEF Questions?
Web: www.laefonline.org … Phone: 650.559.0445 ... Email: admin@laefonline.org
Thanks in advance for your support of LAEF! -The LAEF parent-volunteer team

PTA News:

Walkathon, A BIG Success!  Thank you, Covington families, for participating in this year’s Walkathon!  Last Thursday/Friday your child brought home their sponsor card and the wrap up materials .  It is time to collect your pledges and turn them into the office.  Please place all pledges (preferably by check) in the Walkathon Box in the office by the November 7th deadline.  Thank you!

Dine Out for Covington:  Thank you to everyone who supported Covington at Mountain Mike's!  Save the date for our next dine out event which is scheduled on Tuesday, November 18th at Aldo Los Altos on Main Street.  On that day, Aldo will donate 20% of proceeds all day to Covington supporters.

Lost & Found: We will be donating items during the Thanksgiving Break.  The Lost & Found rack is located on the side of the Multi, next to the water fountains. Look for the blue bin, with a double hanging rack.  Please check for your any items you might be missing. The racks are overflowing!

Make Up Photos: If you had your child take a make-up photo, deadline to order with free shipping is Nov. 15th. Any questions, contact Shooting Stars directly info@shootingstarsphoto.com, or (800) 311-7784 x11.

Haunted House Fundraiser!! Dare to enter the Hawthorne Haunt and be thrilled by the spooky, scary surprises inside! It will be lots of frightful fun and chock full of chilling moments! Visit our Covington haunted house and enjoy Halloween fun for the whole family. Spooky fun for our smaller ghosts and ghouls from 5:30 - 6:30 PM.  
Experienced goblins and ghoulish gremlins ready to be chilled to your very bones? Join us from 7 - 8:30 PM." Thursday, October 30th, 530 hawthorne avenue
$20 per family. Please email Valerie Cairns vjcairns@yahoo.com to sign up!

PARENTING YOUNG INNOVATORS
An Interactive Workshop
Friday, October 24 9:00am – 11:00am Covington School Multipurpose Room
205 Covington Road, Los Altos RSVP: https://edtalks-parentingyounginnovators.eventbrite.com
See attached flyer for more information.

Covington Stem Teacher Links:
tinyurl.com/covingtonstem
https://sites.google.com/a/lasdk8.org/covington-stem/class-newsletters

School & 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.

REMINDER: Today is a Minimum Day. All Students are dismissed at 12:15pm. Grab N Go lunches only.

Covington School Howler - Oct 14, 2014

Dear Covington Parents and Community Members,

Walk on the Wild Side-Amazing!
Thank you to our PTA and Walkathon team for a fabulous community event! It is safe to say, EVERYONE had a wonderful time last Saturday and appreciated all the fun opportunities created by our PTA committee, especially the mechanical bull and the delicious food! Everyone also enjoyed the special guests on the kick-off lap! An extra special thank you to Carolyn LeBaron and Katherine Lyon, our Walkathon chairs;
they deserve a standing ovation! Many thanks to all of the volunteers who collaborated with Carolyn and Katherine. We could not have done this without you! Thank you for making our Walk on the Wild Side a memorable event!

Staff Development -Minimum Day, Dismissal at 12:15pm for all.
After your students leave early today, our teachers will be participating in an afternoon filled with learning opportunities focused on both our LASD Vision of Revolutionizing Learning for all Students and Learning Principles. Thank you for supporting our culture of learning!

Thank you to PTA and Parent Community
I would like to thank all of you for the well-wishes and baby gifts last Friday at our PTA Meeting. I feel so grateful to work in such a wonderfully caring community. I really appreciate everyone's kind words and support. While I am excited for this new phase of life, I will miss you all over the next few months. I will look forward to seeing you all when I return to Covington in the Spring.

Best Regards,
Erin S. Green

Important Dates:

Oct 14 - Minimum Day, K-6 Dismissal at 12:15pm.
Oct 16 - Picture Make Up Day
Oct 16 - Dine out for Covington @ Mountain Mikes
Oct 24 - Kinder Sock Drive Collection Deadline
Oct. 31 - Halloween Parties 12:45pm, Parade at 2:00pm.
Nov. 11 - Veteran's Day Holiday - No School
Nov. 24-25 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School for Students
Nov. 26-28 - Thanksgiving Holiday

Sock Drive. After watching Kid President's newest pep talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eCtVlNcmCgw, our kindergartners got inspired to host our first "Socktober" sock drive! To help the homeless, we are collecting new pairs of socks. Please put donations in the boxes by the kindergarten playground or in Room 19 by Friday, October 24. Donations will be given to Redwood Family House. Thank you

LAEF: Don't forget to mail your check. Last week's LAEF Phonathon was a great success! Thanks to all who volunteered time or donated to provide small class sizes and enrichment programs for LASD students this school year. Special thanks to new parents or families who increased their contribution: we met our "new or increased donation" matching program goal of $100,000! If you pledged, please send your check or pay online at www.laefonline.org ASAP.

LAEF: Does your company Match?
Don't forget: you can make your dollars work harder through your company's corporate matching. For a list of local companies that offer matching funds, contact LAEF at admin@laefonline.org. It's Not Too Late!
We still have a way to go to achieve our $3.3M goal. Every LASD student benefits from LAEF, so we hope to get 100% parent participation. Any donation is welcome and appreciated. Make your tax-deductible donation today: www.laefonline.org (or bring a check to the school office).

Call for Spare Clothing: Our office is short of small sized clothing to keep on hand for emergencies. Especially shorts and sweatpants for small girls and boys. Basketball shorts, sweats and leggings are great! If you are cleaning out your child's closets, please keep us in mind. Sizes to fit kinders to 2nd graders are most needed. Thank you!

School Photos: THE DEADLINE FOR ORDERING IS today October 14th, 2014
To receive free shipping, please be sure to place your order by today. After the deadline has passed the school will no longer accept paper proof order forms, and all orders placed online will ship direct to home.

Picture Make Up Day is Thursday October 16, 2014. Here is the link to request make up photos http://www.shootingstarsphoto.com/photoday/reschedule-photo-appointment/student-for-make-up-day/

Questions? Email or call Shooting Stars at info@shootingstarsphoto.com, or (800) 311-7784 x11.

PTA News:
After-School Play and Stay Sports and Games with Mr. Heeb: Please go to the following website for more information: www.stayandplaylasd.com. Please note that kids in lower grades must have parental supervision until 2:45pm. You can sign up for as little as a one day session or for the full year.

Dine out for Covington: Mark Thursday, October 16th on your calendar for a pizza day! Mountain Mike's Pizza at 1724 Miramonte Avenue in Mountain View (near the Miramonte Safeway) will donate 20% of proceeds from Covington supporters all day. Just mention Covington at the time of purchase. Mountain Mike's hours are 11 AM to 10 PM. (650) 988-9090. See attached flyer for details.

Fundraiser! 10/13 - 10/19 Covington is participating in the Tea Collection "Tea School Days" to raise money for our school. Covington will receive 20% of the final order total (before tax and shipping). In order to use the code for Covington, please go to teaschooldays.com. Once you are ready to place your order, enter the following code in for the Promo Code at checkout: SDF14COVINGTON.

You will also receive free 6-10 business day shipping on your order (you must select this option).

You can also post this code on Facebook to encourage others to buy with our code. The more people we can get to participate, the more money we will raise for Covington!

Thanks in advance and happy shopping!

Covington Stem Teacher Links:
tinyurl.com/covingtonstem
https://sites.google.com/a/lasdk8.org/covington-stem/class-newsletters

PARENTING YOUNG INNOVATORS
An Interactive Workshop
Friday, October 24 9:00am – 11:00am Covington School Multipurpose Room
205 Covington Road, Los Altos RSVP: https://edtalks-parentingyounginnovators.eventbrite.com
See flyer for more information.

School & 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.

Covington School Howler - Oct 7, 2014

Dear Covington Parents and Community Members,

Student Opportunities at Lunchtime

You might wonder what types of activities your children engage in when they are not in their classrooms. Below is a list of student opportunities that are available each week for your children at lunchtime.

Mondays
PE games with FIT Grades 1-6
Library Grades 1-6

Tuesdays
STEM Lab Grades 1 & 2
Computer Lab Grades 3-6
PE Games with Mr. Heeb Grades 1-6
Library Grades 1-6

Wednesdays
STEM Lab Grades 3-6
PE games with FIT Grades 1-6
Library Grades 1-6

Thursdays
Library Grades 1-6

Fridays
Computer Lab Grades 1&2
Library Grades 1-6

Covington's Lunchtime PE games with Mr. Heeb and FIT are generously funded by PTA. LAEF funds our STEM Program and the Library. Thank you for your contributions to both PTA and LAEF. We appreciate you!

Homework Club is Coming!
Our Homework Club is opening this coming Monday, October 13th! Homework Club meets Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays from 2:45-3:40 in room 27. Homework Club is specifically for students who would benefit from assistance and a quiet place to work on homework before going home. Students who attend Homework Club must bring enough independent work to complete to fill an hour of time. You can pick up a sign up form in the Covington office. Space is limited to 28 students.

Walk-A-Thon It is here!
I am so excited for the Walk-a-thon this coming Saturday, October 11th! It is a great day to come together and celebrate our community while also raising money to support all our great programs and events here at Covington.

PTA Meeting / Coffee This Friday!
Our October PTA Meeting & Coffee will take place immediately after this Friday's Flag Assembly.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the Covington events this weekend!

Best Regards,
Erin S. Green

The City of Los Altos, in coordination with the Los Altos and Cupertino Unified School Districts, is seeking to improve school travel choice, safety, and education by further developing its Safe Routes to Schools (SR2S) program as part of the comprehensive Pedestrian Master Plan process currently underway. The plan will include updated Suggested Routes to School maps and safety education materials.

The parent/guardian survey is an essential component of this planning process, and we hope you can take 5-10 minutes to participate in the online survey at
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LosAltosParentSurvey by Wednesday October 10th.

Important Dates:

Oct 9 - Vision Screening, Grades K,3,6, SDC
Oct 10 - PTA Meeting/Parent Coffee 8:30am. LASD Candidate Presentations.
Oct 10 - School Spirit Day: Safari Theme
Oct 11 - Covington Walk-A-Thon
Oct 14 - Minimum Day, Early Dismissal
Oct 16 - Picture Make Up Day
Nov. 11 - Veteran's Day Holiday - No School
Nov. 24-25 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School for Students
Nov. 26-28 - Thanksgiving Holiday

Picture Ordering Information:Proof forms for all students were sent home last week. Included are ordering instructions, as well as an access code for online ordering.

THE DEADLINE FOR ORDERING IS October 14th, 2014
To receive free shipping, please be sure to place your order before this date. After the deadline has passed the school will no longer accept paper proof order forms, and all orders placed online will ship direct to home.

Picture Make Up Day is Thursday October 16, 2014

ID Cards
Please note the photo printed on your student's ID card will be selected automatically by Shooting Stars.

If you have not yet received your proof sheet, please check in with your student's teacher, or contact Shooting Stars at info@shootingstarsphoto.com, or (800) 311-7784 x11.

WALKATHON NEWS

Friday is Safari Day. Get into the Walkathon spirit and wear your safari gear or wild animal clothing and accessories. T-shirts will come home with the students on Thursday, October 9. All students at Covington get a t-shirt whether or not they participate on Saturday.

Please note: The t-shirt brand this year runs slightly small so your child may receive a shirt size 'one size up' from the one you are expecting.

WALKATHON ON SATURDAY! The Walkathon is happening on Saturday, October 11. With so many students and families participating, we are sure to have a fun-filled, exciting day. If you haven't turned in a sponsor card, don't worry! You can still participate. Just bring your signed card to registration on Saturday or fill out one there. We will have extras, and you can participate even if you didn't get any sponsors.

New!!! More parties for sale at the Walkathon. Please bring your checkbook. First come, First Serve. In addition to the very popular teacher sponsored priceless parties, we will also be offering some great new Minimum Day parties and some new community-wide parties for parents to enjoy. These fun parties are similar to the parties that are sold at the Covington Auction and help raise money for the PTA. These parties sell out fast so be sure to check out the parties table at the Walkathon.

Here are a few things to remember:
· Registration opens at 9:30 AM. First lap is at 10 AM. Walking stops at 3 PM.
· Bring a water bottle and wear comfortable shoes.
· Bring cash and a checkbook for food booth, mechanical bull ride, the Pocket Ladies, and Priceless Parties (and minimum day and auction-type parties, too!).
· Sign up for Covington Priceless Parties at the Walkathon. Sign-ups start at 10:30 AM and will close when all parties are full.
· Wear the Walkathon t-shirt. Every student gets one!

Volunteer at the Walkathon! Be part of the year's biggest community-building event. Slots are available for FUN jobs like mechanical bull and lap punching. One hour shifts are available. Please sign up on the Google spreadsheet located here:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgCd_21OaAiFdG9PRWkyVUhBMjRUMlNUSVNoZ2liR0E&usp=sharing#gid=0

PTA News

PTA Meeting this Friday, October 10 at 8:30am in the Staff Room: We will be discussing normal PTA business (including an update on the Walkathon) and will have presentations from 4 out of the 5 LASD Board candidates (Tammy Logan cannot make because of a family commitment). I hope you can make it out to learn about each candidate's stances and to ask them questions afterward.

ART WORK FOR THE COVINGTON DIRECTORY Calling all students!
We are looking for art work for our Parent Directory this year. The theme is "Take a Walk on the Wild Side". The winning picture will be featured on the cover of the directory. The rest of the submissions will be featured on the inside of the directory.

Please send all submission to me, cwedner@mac.com, in a black and white PDF.
Deadline for artwork is: Friday, October 10th.

PTA After School Play: Travel down the rabbit hole and join Alice's madcap adventures in Wonderland as she chases the White Rabbit, races the Dodo Bird, gets tied up with Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, raps with a bubble-blowing Caterpillar, and beats the Queen of Hearts at her own game! Come see our own Covington 4-6th graders as they shine on stage in this classic story of Alice in Wonderland.

Performances: Friday December 12, 2014 7pm @ Covington Multi
Saturday December 13th, 2014 3pm @ Covington Multi. Tickets don't go on sale until November, but you will have the chance to bid on front row seats at the Walkathon!

PTA Minimum Day Activities: We have a minimum day coming up on Tuesday, October 14th and we have some exciting minimum day parties lined up for the day.

All minimum day parties are held on site and begin immediately after school dismissal at 12:15. That means if you sign your child up to one of these amazing parties, your child can stay back and have fun learning a skill or two, while raising money for your school and you don't have to rush to school to pick him/her up early. You pick them up at 2:30, after they are done with their minimum day party. It is a win-win- win for you, your child and the school!!

For Tuesday,October 14th, we have lined up-
Full of Falafel Party at Multi from 12:30-2:30
1 on 1 Basketball Party at Covington Black top from 12:30-2:30
Drawing party at Room 32 from 12:30-2:30
Math Circle for 4th-6th Graders from 12:30-2:30 at Covington Library

We will have sign up sheets available at the Walkathon, for you to sign your child up.

If you are interested in signing up for the upcoming Minimum day parties before the walkathon, please follow the link below-
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_uJAl_UcqEHy2Sz0GSNWMf0XPVvhh9uSsLAGFqet4I4/edit?usp=sharing

Birthday Book Club Off to a Roaring Start: The Birthday Book Club is off to a great start with forty new hardcover books added to our collection with just August and September birthdays recognized so far. (Kindergarten summer birthdays will be recognized at the end of the school year to coordinate with their classroom tradition.)
The Birthday Book Club bulletin board will be on display in the library soon and will be growing by leaps and bounds as we make our way through the school year.
Thank you! Maureen Drobot, Covington Library
mdrobot@lasdschools.org

Protocol for parking, pick-up and drop-off, friendly reminder.

When driving through the pick up lane, pull as far forward as possible and please stay in your car (please do not leave your car unattended to go and pick up your child).

You are welcome to park your car in a space and walk over to meet your children.
Please drop your children off at the curb; the middle of the parking lot is not a safe place to drop children.
Once you drop off your children, please proceed out of the parking lot. Traffic needs to continue to flow to avoid back-ups on neighboring streets.
Thank you for not using your cell phone while driving in the school parking lot.
If the Covington parking lot is full, you may use the back portion of the St. William's
parking lot.* The church is generously sharing their parking lot and we respect their wish to keep the front lot available for their functions. Thank you so much for helping to keep all of our students be safe

Covington Stem Teacher Links:
tinyurl.com/covingtonstem
https://sites.google.com/a/lasdk8.org/covington-stem/class-newsletters

Upcoming Living Classroom Events – All are Welcome to Attend!

Living Classroom Family Day at the Chicken Ranch
Sunday, October 12 from 10:00am – 3:00pm
160 West Portola, Los Altos, CA 94022 (click here for directions)

Please join us on Sunday, October 12th from 10am - 3pm for a fun-filled day at the Chicken Ranch with the folks from the Living Classroom! We've got something for everyone - lots of activities for the kids, garden workshops, bee and chicken experts, face painting, a balloon man, good food, and great music from our neighbor, Jim Altoff and his band "Fully Funded" (from 11-1). And don't forget your checkbook for some awesome raffle and auction items, too! Bring your neighbors and head on over to the Chicken Ranch! All proceed from this event go to support the Living Classroom program who's mission is to inspire children to learn and value our natural world through garden-based education. Please click here to view a flyer of this event. For more information, please contact the Living Classroom at livingclassroom@lasdschools.org or call us at (650) 947-1103.

Ohlone Life and Plant Use Presentation by Local Naturalist and Educator Keith Gutierrez
Monday, October 20th from 10:00am – Noon
Los Altos School District Office Conference Room #2 (next to Covington School)
201 Covington Road, Los Altos, CA 94022 (click here for directions)

Please join us for a special Living Classroom sponsored event with local naturalist and educator Keith Gutierrez. Keith will teach about the life of the Ohlone Indians and the many ways that they used various local plants. A fire starting demonstration will highlight this event! Click here to view a flyer for this event. Please RSVP to livingclassroom@lasdschools.org by Thursday, October 16th if you plan to attend. We would love to see you there!

Art Docent News
Los Altos downtown merchants are sponsoring an art Contest. See flyer for more information.

School & 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.

Important Message from PTA regarding upcoming bike rodeo:   Bike Safety Rodeo for Covington Elementary

First annual PTA Bike Safety Rodeo will take place on Friday, October 3rd from 3 - 5pm.  Students must have a parent present to attend. Permission slips are due into the office by this Thursday, October 2nd. We are in need of parent volunteers for this event. If you can help out for the afternoon, please contact, Christine Wedner, cwedner@mac.com

Covington School Howler - September 30, 2014

Dear Covington Parents and Community,

LASD Learning Principles

Have you been hearing bits and pieces from your child’s teachers about the LASD Learning Principles? New this year in LASD, our district has adopted the seven simple principles to act as guideposts for teachers in designing learning experiences on our journey of revolutionizing learning for all students.  The LASD Learning Principles are used in a myriad of ways to assist us in guiding decision making throughout the district.

• Connect Experiences
• Personalize Learning
• Nurture a Growth Mindset
• Process & Outcome
• Empower Students
• Leverage Technology
• Act Now

Lately, I have been thinking about how we empower students. At Covington, we strive to empower students by providing students with choices both inside and outside of the classroom. Teachers have implemented Genius Projects in the classroom to encourage students to pursue projects representing their passions and some teachers have even had students “design their own homework.”  Students creating their own Covington newspaper, independent of any adults on campus, is authentic example of how students are empowered each day.

Just last week, almost 40 student leaders stood before our student body on Thursday at an assembly and shared their passions, voices and why they should be selected to lead various positions on the Student Council. Not only was I thrilled to see such enthusiasm for students to participate in shaping the culture of our school, but I was amazed by many of our student’s speeches, presentations and creativity!  

At the end of the day, what is more meaningful than being elected to an office, is the manner in which each student embraced the challenge.  All of the students were willing to take a risk and share a part of themselves with the entire student body.  Whether it involved singing, rapping, or leading the audience in cheers, every student felt empowered by both the process and the positive reception to each presentation.  I am so proud of our Covington Coyotes!

Here’s to empowering students!

Homework Club is Coming!
Many of you have been asking about Homework Club.  In the Howler next week more information and sign-up procedures will be detailed.  

Best Regards,
Erin S. Green

Important Dates:

Oct 3 - Otter Pop Friday - turn in Walkathon Cards
Oct 11 - Covington Walk-A-Thon
Oct 14 - Minimum Day, Early Dismissal
Nov. 11 - Veteran’s Day Holiday - No School
Nov. 24-25 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School for Students
Nov. 26-28 - Thanksgiving Holiday

LAST CHANCE: Double your LAEF Donation with Matching Funds Until October 8!

Make your donation work harder by taking advantage of LAEF’s matching program. Until October 8, any NEW and INCREASED donation will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $100,000, by DeLeon Realty and a group of private donors.  

How it works:

If you are a new family or new donor, 100% of your donation will be matched.

If you have donated in the past, any increase over your last gift will be matched.

Every K-8 LASD student benefits from this year’s LAEF grant so our goal is 100% parent participation. Requested donation per student is $1,000 (or $100 per month for 10 months). Every gift in every amount is appreciated.

Make your tax-deductible donation today: www.laefonline.org (or bring a check to the school office).

LAEF Questions?
Web: www.laefonline.org.
Phone: 650.559.0445
Email: admin@laefonline.org

Thanks in advance for your support of LAEF!

The LAEF parent-volunteer team

Back to School Combined Payment Form: Families can still order BTS purchases (PTA membership, Class fund, Class Field Trips, Birthday Book Club, directories, Covington Wear). One FREE copy of the School Directory is included for each adult PTA membership.  BTS items can be ordered through link on Covington website (http://www.covingtonschool.org —>  Covington Purchases —> Back to School Purchases) OR using the paper order form (also available on website).  Payments can be made through electronic checks, paper check or cash (to be put in PTA box in office).  Questions:  Please email Trish Carballar (ntrishwish@yahoo.com).

_____________________________________________________________________

WALKATHON NEWS

Sponsor cards due on Friday, October 3!  Turn in sponsor cards on Friday afternoon at the Otter Pop station in front of the Multi or return them to the Walkathon box in the main office.  Everyone who hands in a card by Friday afternoon gets an Otter Pop.

Volunteer at the Walkathon!  This is THE most fun event of the school year; volunteer to be a part of the good times.  Help with field set-up, registration, Safari Snack Shack, water and first aid, field monitors, or face painting. One hour shifts are available.  Please sign up on the Google spreadsheet located here:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AgCd_21OaAiFdG9PRWkyVUhBMjRUMlNUSVNoZ2liR0E&usp=sharing#gid=0

Covington Priceless Parties:  Each year, our wonderful Covington teachers hold parties for students in each grade level.  These parties are both fundraisers AND community-building events.  Kids get a chance to spend time with their teachers in a social setting, and the PTA benefits from your donations. Sign-ups for these parties will be at the Walkathon.  Each grade level will have one or two events, but space is limited!  Sign-ups open at 10:30 AM and will close when each party is full.  Plan to arrive on time with your checkbook/cash to take advantage of these fun events. A list of the parties is below.

Geography Club: If your 4th, 5th, or 6th grade child is interested in geography and would like to spend some extra time with peers to prepare for this year’s Geography Bee (January 2015), then the Geography Club is for them!  We will meet every Tuesday, beginning October 12th, in room 18 from 2:45-3:30.  The dates for our meetings are: During our meetings, we will study world geography and review Geography Bee practice questions.  A sign up sheet is hung up in Room 6 on the bulletin board right inside the door.  Students may come during recess to sign up.  Please sign up by 10/5.  Once sign-ups are complete, we will email you more information!

Thank you! Mrs. Chan, Mrs. Scatena, and Ms. Wyosnick

PTA News

INFORMATION REGARDING YEARBOOK Hello ! We will be using TreeRing again this year to help create our yearbooks. If you have received email promotions to order your yearbook feel free to take advantage of TreeRing's offer. If you are new to Covington and would like to pre-order your yearbook, please follow the steps below:

• log onto:   www.treering.com/validate?PassCode=1013595707721745
• use the passcode:    1013595707721745

Follow the prompts to order your yearbook for this year. Yearbooks are generally distributed a week before school ends. Thank you!

ART WORK FOR THE COVINGTON DIRECTORY Calling all students!

We are looking for art work for our Parent Directory this year. The theme is "Take a Walk on the Wild Side".  The winning picture will be featured on the cover of the directory. The rest of the submissions will be featured on the inside of the directory.

Please send all submission to me, cwedner@mac.com, in a black and white PDF.

Deadline for artwork is: Friday, October 10th.

Covington Stem Teacher Links:

tinyurl.com/covingtonstem

https://sites.google.com/a/lasdk8.org/covington-stem/class-newsletters

GSACA Schools Survey: The Greater San Antonio Community Association (GSACA) seeks input from local residents regarding the need for elementary school facilities in our area.

The Los Altos School District has placed a "Measure N", a school bond measure on the November ballot.  The district has assembled a Facilities Master Plan Committee to provide community guidance on how to spend the bond funding, should the measure pass.  GSACA is running a survey to poll the interest in pursuing a new school in the "North of El Camino" area (the LASD attendance area bounded by El Camino Real, Adobe Creek, the Caltrain Tracks, and Ortega Avenue).

We seek responses from residents of the "North of El Camino" area. Please share this announcement with your neighbors, so we can have as broad participation as possible.

Link to survey:  http://tinyurl.com/GSACA-survey

Questions can be directed to Tanya Raschke (tanya_raschke@comcast.net) GSACA Representative to the LASD Facilities Master Plan Committee.

School & 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.

Covington School Howler - September 23, 2014

Los Altos Educational Foundation Update:

Your donation to be matched until Oct 8th!
LAEF's goal this year is to raise $3.3M to fund enrichment programs and smaller class sizes for all nine schools, benefitting every child K-8. Did you know that all NEW and INCREASED donations made by October 8th will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $100,000, by DeLeon Realty and a group of private donors? Take advantage of this great opportunity to double your donation. If you are a new family or new donor, 100% of your donation will be matched. If you have donated in the past, any increase over your last gift will be matched. Make your tax-deductible LAEF donation today at www.laefonline.org (or bring a check to the school office). Every gift and every amount is appreciated. Thank you for your support.

Safe Routes to School

The City of Los Altos, in coordination with the Los Altos School District, is seeking to improve school travel choice, safety and education by further developing its Safe Routes to Schools (SR2S) Program as part of the comprehensive Pedestrian Master Plan process currently underway. The plan will include updating the existing Suggested Routes to School maps and safety education materials.

On Friday, October 3rd, the City of Los Altos staff will hold "office hours" from 2:45pm - 4:30pm at Covington School. During this time, City staff will seek to obtain input and comments from the school parent community on an updated Suggested Routes to School map. Input and comments can include confirming existing routes are still in use, suggesting alternative routes, identifying physical or operational improvements to the transportation network and identifying any barriers in getting to school. The feedback received will be considered and will help staff refine the Suggested Route to School Map. This opportunity will be held in conjunction with a PTA after school event. Look for more information regarding this from PTA.

This Friday, our assembly will be a regular outdoor gathering. I look forward to seeing everyone out on the blacktop Friday morning at 8:30am!

Best Regards,
Erin S. Green

Important Dates:

Oct 11 - Covington Walk-A-Thon
Oct 14 - Minimum Day, Early Dismissal
Nov. 11 - Veteran's Day Holiday - No School
Nov. 24-25 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School for Students
Nov. 26-28 - Thanksgiving Holiday

Double your LAEF Donation with Matching Funds!

LAEF is pleased to announce that all NEW and INCREASED donations made by October 8th will be matched dollar for dollar, up to $100,000, by DeLeon Realty and a group of private donors.

How it works:
· If you are a new family or new donor, 100% of your donation will be matched.
· If you have donated in the past, any increase over your last gift will be matched.

Save us a call by making your tax-deductible donation today: www.laefonline.org (or bring a check to the school office).

We Need Phonathon Volunteers
We need parent helpers for our upcoming Phonathon September 29-October 2. Sign up at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/60b0f4da8a92f4-losaltos. Thanks in advance for becoming an active participant in your child's education!

Questions? Contact the LAEF Office at 650.559.0445 or email toadmin@laefonline.org.

Back to School Combined Payment Form: Families can still order BTS purchases (PTA membership, Class fund, Class Field Trips, Birthday Book Club, directories, Covington Wear). One FREE copy of the School Directory is included for each adult PTA membership. BTS items can be ordered through link on Covington website (http://www.covingtonschool.org —> Covington Purchases —> Back to School Purchases) OR using the paper order form (attached and also available on website). Payments can be made through electronic checks, paper check or cash (to be put in PTA box in office). Questions: Please email Trish Carballar (ntrishwish@yahoo.com).

From the School Nurse

Sometimes it is difficult, especially early in the morning, to know whether or not to send your child to school. In the last few weeks we have seen many cases of the stomach flu, colds and fevers. The following guidelines are indications that you should keep your child home. Thank you for your help, to control the spread of colds, flu, and other contagious illnesses.

LOS ALTOS SCHOOL DISTRICT NURSING DEPARTMENT / WHEN TO KEEP YOUR CHILD HOME FROM SCHOOL: Keep your child at home when he/she has any of the following symptoms: Fever, chills, vomiting, diarrhea, sore throat or trouble swallowing, nausea, coughing, sneezing, runny nose, rash or unusual sores, headache, generalized muscle aches and pains, wheezing or trouble breathing, unusually red crusted or burning eyes. Please call the Covington Attendance Line when your child will be absent or tardy: 650-947-1101

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

WALKATHON NEWS
Fill up your sponsor cards! Students received their Walkathon sponsor cards on Sept 11/12. Encourage your child to ask family and neighbors for pledges. The top-earning classroom at each grade level will earn an ice cream party. Cards are due on Friday, October 3rd. Students turn in their sponsor cards and receive an Otter Pop.

Request Alternate t-shirt size no later than this Friday, Sept 26th. Every child gets a FREE Walkathon t-shirt that will be distributed a few days before the event. Sizes are automatically determined by the child's grade. Grades K-1 will receive a Youth Small; Grades 2-3 will receive a Youth Medium; Grades 4-5 will receive a Youth Large (YL); Grade 6 will receive an Adult Small. If you need an alternate t-shirt size please visit now: http://www.covingtonschool.org/covingtones/4914-Request-Alternate-T-Shirt-Size.html.

Volunteer at the Walkathon! You can be part of the year's biggest community-building event. We need adult volunteers on Saturday, October 11 for jobs that include field set-up, clean up, registration/check-in, incentives tables, Safari Snack Shack, water and first aid and field monitors. One hour shifts are available. Please sign up on the Google spreadsheet located here

PTA News

Bike Safety Rodeo for Covington Elementary
Our first annual Bike Safety Rodeo will take place on Friday, October 3rd from 3 - 5pm.

What is a Bike Rodeo?
The bike safety rodeo course is an interactive exercise that allows students to learn about safety by walking and bicycling through a miniature city called "Safe Moves City". The course will be put together by Safe Moves, http://safemoves.org.

"Safe Moves City" consists of streets, sidewalks, intersections, crosswalks, traffic signals, traffic signs, residential areas, business districts, cars, trucks, buses and a railroad track with signals, crossing gate and train. "Safe Moves City" is designed to simulate the diverse traffic environments in Los Altos and to create "problem solving" experiences for each grade level.

The activities for the 2 hours will include:

• Safe Moves Mini City
• Obstacle Course
• Blender Bike
• Helmet Inspection/Adjustment Booth
• Bicycle Inspection Booth
• Traffic Safety Games

We are in need of parent volunteers for this event. If you can help out for the afternoon, please contact me, Christine Wedner, cwedner@mac.com

After-School Play and Stay Sports and Games with Mr. Heeb: started Tuesday September 16th. Please go to the following website for more information: www.stayandplaylasd.com. Please note that kids in lower grades must have parental supervision until 2:45pm. You can sign up for as little as a one day session or for the full year.

The following after-school classes are still accepting enrollment: Yoga (Tues), Mad Science - Chemistry (Tues), CSMA Art (Wed), Skyhawks Multi-sport (Wed), Public Speaking/Debate (Thurs), and Spanish (Fri). http://covingtonschool.org/covingtones/4757-After-School-Programs.html

Skyhawks will be offering after-school programs for Covington Elementary starting September 24th. Space is limited! Don't let your child miss out on the amazing experience Skyhawks' Family Choice Award Winning programs offer. Sign up for programs today.
http://www.skyhawks.com/

Soccer! Please join us for a soccer game with San Jose Earthquakes. Each ticket you buy gives $5 back to our PTA. The game is on Saturday, October 18, at 7:30PM, at the Buck Shaw stadium @ Santa Clara University: 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara 95050. To buy tickets please follow the link: https://covingtonquakes2014.eventbrite.com
Hope to see you there!

Covington Voices: Want to keep abreast of what is going on at Covington and the greater LASD community? Want to join a venue that allows you to ask other Covington parents for recommendations from everything from babysitters and tutors to electricians and vacation spots? Please ask to join the Covington Voices Facebook group here: www.facebook.com/groups/CovingtonVoices/

Covington Stem Teacher Links:
tinyurl.com/covingtonstem
https://sites.google.com/a/lasdk8.org/covington-stem/class-newsletters

School & 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.