Dear Covington Parents and Community Members:

Conferences are upon us!  November 25 and 26 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!

Expect Respect Club-Project Cornerstone

Last week 25 of our 4th, 5th 6th graders along with advisors:  Michele Kibble, Erin Prothro and Amber Stockstill, gathered together to attend an interactive workshop focused on improving school culture. A facilitator from Project Cornerstone led activities such as:  filling buckets, demonstrating total support for students,  getting into empathetic and upstander behaviors.  They concluded with a variety of student inspired Action Plans to have a positive impact on Covington all year long.  Students and adults both had an outstanding day.  You can look forward to updates from our student leaders over the next several months.  Thank you also to Casey Saltzman, our lead parent for Project Cornerstone. She also supported our students by attending all day. 

Computer Lab Open at Lunchtime

Students at Covington have a great deal of options at lunchtime activities and we are excited to add one more activity. Starting this week our computer lab will be open Monday's and Wednesdays.  Mrs. Adrienne Smith, our Technology Specialist will be in the lab with students on these days. The computer lab is:

• Open to all grades
• Opens 10 minutes after bell rings
• Closes 5 minutes before final bell rings
• A place for students to catch up on work missed during computer lab time.
• Available for students to use specific sites/ apps supervised by Mrs. Smith.
• All regular Computer Lab rules enforced – no food and drink, no deleting others’ work, no running around, quiet voices, etc

Festival of Lights Parade Sunday Dec. 1st – Please join our community in downtown Los Altos to watch the Festival of Lights parade.  You can cheer on our Covington representatives, Mahita Bobba & Connor Altinger. 

On behalf of our entire Covington staff, we wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday and look forward to seeing you back on Monday December 2nd. 

Sincerely,
Erin S. Green
Covington Principal 

Important Dates – Please Note:
11/22 – Indoor Assembly
11/25-11/26 – Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School
11/27-11/29 – Thanksgiving Break, No School
12/2-12/6 – Book Fair
12/13 – Indoor Assembly
12/16 – 4-6th grade music concert, 1pm
12/20-1/3 – December Break, No School
1/6/14 –School Resumes Today

Photo Order Deadline: This is a reminder that the deadline for ordering Make-up Day photos is: Thursday, November 21st.  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. 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.

COVINGTON BOOKFAIR COMING SOON!!  Experience a celebration of reading!  From December 2nd -  6th the Covington Multi will be transformed into an amazing bookstore filled with engaging, fun books.  You’ll find exciting new titles, easy readers, fiction, non-fiction, historical novels, and much more!!

The Book Fair is one of the PTA’s primary fundraisers:  25% of all proceeds go directly to the PTA to fund library books, technology, music/art, and PE to name but a few. 

Hours:                            8:15am—3:30pm, December 2nd – 6th, 2013 
Family Night:                 Wednesday, Dec. 4th  6:00pm – 8:00pm
Dads & Donuts:              Thursday, Dec. 5th    7:30am – 8:30am   

Our Reading Oasis needs volunteers as well as shoppers!  Your participation will help make our Book Fair wildly successful!  Sign up with a friend, spend some time with our students and faculty, get to know other great Covington parents, and, of course, check out all the awesome books.  To sign up, please click click here!

Crafty Parent Wanted: Our Coyote Mascot costume needs some TLC.  If you think you can help, please contact the Covington office staff.

Lost & Found: The lost and found is overflowing. Please stop by and claim your student’s items.  Anything left behind will be donated to charity over Thanksgiving break.

It is not too late to turn in your Walkathon pledges!  We are still below the total promised amount and would like to collect outstanding pledges ASAP.  Checks and cash can be given to your teachers or placed in the Walkathon box in the front office.  Thank you for helping out.

Girls On The Run (GOTR) Registration:  We are excited to offer this great program to the 3rd-5thgrade girls at Covington this coming spring! GOTR will meet on Monday and Wednesday after school until 4PM, for 10 weeks beginning the week of March 3rd.  The girls will train for a 5k run/walk event to be held on Saturday, May 17th in Vasona Park, Los Gatos.  Registration will be ONLINE ONLY and will open on SATURDAY, DECEMBER 7th at 8:00am.  Space is limited and girls will be registered on a first come/first serve basis.  Check out www.gotrsv.org for more information or contact Covington head coach, Tawni Atherley (tatherley@post.harvard.edu) 

Auction Help Wanted: “Looking for a videographer to help with the auction. Please contact Jenny Bennett for more info jenniferpbennett@hotmail.com"

Please Save The Date: 1/25/14 "Covington Boys Night Out" 5:30 - 7:30PM

More information to follow, stay tuned.

LAEF: Much to be thankful for!  We are so fortunate to live in a strong community and have the ability to provide our children with an excellent education. Parents like you support our schools with their time, energy and money, including so many donors to LAEF so far this year. We are also thankful for the volunteer LAEF board members, who share a commitment to education, enrichment programs and innovation in the classrooms.  Without all of your efforts, the Los Altos School District student experience would look very different.

Thank you also to all of our business supporters who help us make our fundraising goal and build a strong community. Local businesses give support through employee corporate matching programs, realtor donations, and special offers such as our current Tiny Prints promotion: order your holiday cards using this link, http://www.tinyprints.com/storefront/laef, and 25% go to LAEF.

Have a safe and happy Thanksgiving, Brooke Schiller and Marilyn Stanley, 2013-14 LAEF Co-Presidents

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

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

Dear Covington Parents and Community Members:

Kindergarten and New Parent Information Night: On December 5th at 7pm, we will hold our Kindergarten/New Parent information night for students entering Kindergarten or moving to our district for the 2014-15 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!

Important Safety Reminder about Visiting Campus: As you know, volunteers and visitors are valued on campus.  Whenever you are coming on campus, please remember to stop in the office first and get a visitor’s badge.  The bright orange badge allows our school personnel to recognize you as a visitor to Covington.  Student safety is a priority at school, so we want to make sure all who visit Covington are registered as official.  If you are dropping off a lunch for your child, please place it on the table outside the multi.  Thank you for helping to keep our school and students safe!

Covington School on KPIX School Cast Tonight @ 6:30pm. Paul Deanno, Chief Meteorologist for KPIX-TV, has a fun new part of the weathercast where he makes a forecast for a specific school each morning and each evening.  It’s called the "KPIX5 SchoolCast".  Covington Elementary School has been nominated and will be featured in the 6:30 pm half-hour of our newscast today, Tuesday, November 12. 

Our students are looking forward to our Walk-A-Thon Celebration assembly this coming Friday.  Have a wonderful week. 

Sincerely,
Erin S. Green
Covington Principal 

Important Dates – Please Note:
11/15 – Walkathon Assembly 1:30pm
11/22 – Indoor Assembly
11/25-11/26 – Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School
11/27-11/29 – Thanksgiving Break, No School
12/2-12/6 – Book Fair
12/13 – Indoor Assembly
12/16 – 4-6th grade music concert, 1pm
12/20-1/3 – December Break, No School

Covington Directory: Directories were sent home in last week's Thursday folder (some may come home this week if directories didn't make them into last week's folder). Every PTA member in your family should receive a directory.  If you have not received one in error, please go to office to pick one up.

Hot Lunch Volunteers Needed: Would you like to meet other Covington parents, interact with the students, give back to our community and receive a weekly hot lunch credit? Then the Hot Lunch Crew would love to have you join us. We have a position available for every Friday or every other Friday from 11:40-12:15.

Please contact Suzanne Jensen: (650) 935-2338 for more information.

Family Giving Tree: Covington school has registered with Family Giving Tree to fulfill holiday wishes for the 2013 holiday! We'll deliver joy and hope to low-income children that will bring a lifetime of happy memories. On the customized site users are able to select the wish of a low-income child or children. There is also space for a flat donation to support the drive until January 5, 2013. Here is the link for our school:
http://vgt.familygivingtree.org/covingtonelementaryschool

LAEF Donations are for THIS YEAR!  The money that is being raised right now is for staff that is already in your child’s classroom.  The $3,200,000 LAEF goal was committed to last spring, so that the district could hire teachers for every school and every student in the district for the 2013-14 school year.  These teachers are already teaching additional classes so that student-to-teacher ratios are lower in K-3rd and 7th-8th grades.  This also includes PE and music instructors in grades 4-6th, Jr. High school elective teachers, librarians, Art Docent staff, Living Classroom staff, STEM teachers, and others. All current Covington students benefit from LAEF-funded staff; so we encourage participation from every family.  With online credit card payments, e-checks, and monthly payment options, it's never been easier to do your part to support your child’s education at Covington School! LAEF Representatives at Covington are: Matt Abrahams, matt.abrahams@gmail.com, Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney anjananagarajan@yahoo.com, Jessica Speiser, jessica@speiser.net, Ritu Kapoor, ritu.kapoor@gmail.com

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

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

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

Covington School Howler –  Nov, 5, 2013

Dear Covington Parents and Community Members:

This Friday Coffee/ PTA:  8:40am in the Staff Room: For those of you new to Covington School, PTA Meetings/Principal Coffees take place monthly, right after our school-wide Friday assemblies.  The assembly begins at 8:30 on the blacktop, and immediately following, parents are invited into our Staff Room for our PTA Meeting/Principal Coffee.  The PTA Meeting portion typically runs for 20-30 minutes, followed by a featured guest speaker addressing a topic of interest to our parents. This coming Friday, 5th grade teacher Jill Croft will share with our parents how our 5th grade staff is engaging our students.

After School Departure Policy/ Supporting our Students: Just a friendly reminder that we do not have paid personnel to supervise the playground after school. Unless a child has a sponsored activity or is meeting with a teacher after school, all students are expected to leave campus at the end of the day.  Students may use the playground after school with organized clubs or activities or with direct parental supervision only.

I am aware many students stay and play games with neighbors and friends after school.  I appreciate that Covington is the hub of our community, which is very important to me. When you are watching your students after school, it would be great to expect our students to adhere to our Covington standards and expectations.  Several parents have asked me to print them to assist with this, so here are a few reminders:

• Running and tag are appropriate on the grass only (not the tan bark areas or on the play structure)
• Students should go down the slide only, one person at a time
• When playing wall ball, 2-square and other ball games, students should treat others respectfully.  We need to remind students that after school we need to continue to treat each other kindly; arguing and aggressive behavior is not acceptable. Thank you so much for your ongoing support and help to make Covington a great place for children, families, staff and our community!

As you know, Monday, November 11, students will be home in honor of Veteran's Day.  I hope you and your families enjoy the three day weekend and look forward to seeing you this coming Friday at our PTA Meeting/ Principal Coffee!

Best Regards,

Erin S. Green

Covington Principal

Important Dates – Please Note:

11/4- 11/8 – 6th graders at Walden West Science Camp
11/6 – Dine Out For Covington Fundraiser – Pizza My Heart @ MV
11/11 – Veteran’s Day, No School
11/25-11/26 – Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School
11/27-11/20 – Thanksgiving Break, No School

LOS ALTOS SCHOOL DISTRICT DIGITAL LIBRARY: By the end of this week, all students should have brought home an information sheet with further details about LASD’s Digital Library including their personal library number and pin, which are required for access. Thank you to both the district PTAs and LAEF for making eBooks available at no charge to our students! For more information about ebooks visit https://sites.google.com/site/lasdlibraries/ -Maureen Drobot, Covington Librarian

eScrip and Amazon Fundraising Update: During the past few months, Covington has earned ~$400-500/month from both eScrip and Amazon rebates.  We encourage parents to continue to make their Amazon purchases through the Covington website because it raises money at no additional cost. With the holidays coming, we please remember to shop Amazon through the Covington website and TELL YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS TOO!.  Simply click on the Amazon logo in the lower right-hand corner of the Covington homepage and continue your shopping.  www.covingtonschool.org

Also remember to sign up for eScrip (http://www.escrip.com/) so Covington can continue to get rebates from stores that you already shop at every day.

Lost & Found: Please check the Lost & Found outside the multi for your children’s clothing.  The racks are overflowing!  Unclaimed items will be donated to charity over the Thanksgiving Break.

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

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

Dear Covington Parents and Community Members:

This is a busy week as we wrap up October and head into November.  Just a few important reminders about this week:

No Homework Club on Thursday 10/31, due to Halloween.  I hope everyone enjoys a fun and safe holiday.

Halloween Parade on Thursday 10/31 at 2pm
Halloween is upon us and is being celebrated this Thursday 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 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:

Kindergarten students wear costumes all day
12:50 pm 1st-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.  1st-3rd Grade students will also be excused after the parade at 2:30.  Kindergarten hours will be at the regular times. And again, there will not be Homework Club on 10/31.

Sincerely,
Erin S. Green
Covington Principal

Important Dates – Please Note:

10/31 – Halloween, parade starts at 2pm. NO HOMEWORK CLUB
11/4- 11/8 – 6th graders at Walden West Science Camp
11/6 – Dine Out For Covington Fundraiser – Pizza My Heart @ MV
11/11 – Veteran’s Day,  No School
11/25-11/26 – Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School
11/27-11/20 – Thanksgiving Break, No School

Walkathon Pledges Due. Please continue to collect the pledges from your Walkathon lap sponsors. Money can be turned into the Walkathon box in the office or to your teacher by Friday, November 1st.  Classes and students that have collected the most money for Covington will earn prizes, but the money must be in by November 1st to count.

LAEF: We love smaller class sizes!  Your donation to LAEF provides lower student-to-teacher ratios in grades K through 3rd that help our children thrive. In addition, LAEF funds Small Group Literacy Instructors in first and second grades to work with small groups or individual children during literacy/reading instruction time.  LAEF is an important part of our community's commitment to high quality public education. Please support LAEF every year with your generous donations to keep class sizes smaller. Also, the Challenge Grant will match any new or increased donations received by November 1st, so please don’t wait to make your donation. LAEF Representatives at Covington are:

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

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

Lost & Found: Please check the Lost & Found outside the multi for your children’s clothing.  The racks are overflowing!  Unclaimed items will be donated to over the Thanksgiving Break.

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

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

Reminder: Today is a minimum day!  All kinders attend from 8:15-11:35am.  1st – 6th graders are dismissed at 12:15pm.  Thank you for picking up your children promptly.

Homework Club:  Homework Club starts next Monday, October 28th for students who would like a little extra help.  Students will bring their homework to the club and have a quiet place to work and receive teacher assistance.  Participation is by parent request or teacher recommendation; so if you think this is something your child would benefit from, please see our Front Office Staff or email mailto:sevard@lasdschools.org. There will not be homework club on Thursday Oct 31st due to Halloween.

Halloween Parade on Thursday 10/31 at 2pm

Halloween is upon us and is being celebrated next Thursday 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 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:

Kindergarten students wear costumes all day

12:50 pm 1st-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.  1st-3rd Grade students will also be excused after the parade at 2:30.  Kindergarten hours will be at the regular times. And again, there will not be Homework Club on 10/31.

Important Dates – Please Note:

10/22 – Minimum Day; all kinders attend 8:15am-11:35am,
            1st -6th graders are dismissed at 12:15pm; no lunch at school.
10/25 – Indoor Assembly 8:30am.
10/31 – Halloween, parade starts at 2pm.
11/4- 11/8 – 6th graders at Walden West Science Camp
11/11 – Veteran’s Day,  No School
11/25-11/26 – Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School
11/27-11/20 – Thanksgiving Break, No School

From the PTA Regarding Minimum Day Parties on 10/22: If your child is signed up for one of these, please have your children wait at the Second grade lunch tables after school dismissal at 12:15pm. They can have their lunch at these lunch tables. There will be signs posted at the tables for the parties.

At 12:30 the children will be walked to their minimum day parties.

Basketball- 12:30-2:30 @ basketball courts (18 kids)

Cooking- 12:30-2:30 @ Room 32 (13 kids)

Hip hop- 12:30-2:00 @ Multi (41 kids)

Crossfit- 12:30-2:00 @ Field (7 kids)

Tennis- 12:14-2:00 @ Rosita with Coach David (8 kids)

We are still looking for help during sign ins and sign outs. Please don't forget to sign your child out or have the child tell us if they are going to CCLC or are walking themselves home. This way we do not have to give you a call to check if your child has reached home safe.  Thank you, Kavitha Herle <kavithaherle@gmail.com>

Student Council News: Friday, October 25, we will have a Halloween Store at recess. 

Lost & Found: Please check the Lost & Found outside the multi for your children’s clothing.  The racks are overflowing!  Unclaimed items will be donated to charity soon.

LAEF: Don't forget to mail your check! If you pledged a donation to LAEF during this week's phonathon--Thank You! Please send your check as soon as possible. Your child, your Covington staff and the District appreciate - and rely on - your generous annual support.  If you are increasing your donation over last year, remember that we need to receive it by November 1 in order to take advantage of the matching challenge grant. For a list of local companies that offer corporate matching funds, contact LAEF Executive Director Shobana Gubbi at 650-559-0445 or by email laef@att.net. LAEF Representatives at Covington are:

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

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

Fundraiser: Shop Tea Collection at this link:  http://covington.onlinefundraiser.net/ from Monday October 21st to Sunday October 27th and 15% of the proceeds go to Covington (it has to be from the link above)! Tea Collection has beautiful styles and rugged quality clothes for boys and girls. Shop for your child's wardrobe, an upcoming birthday or for the holidays.  Just please shop! 

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

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

Dear Covington Parents and Community Members:

Walkathon: Thank you to our PTA and Walkathon team for a fabulous community event! On behalf of our staff, students and school, thank you for your support and help in putting on such a fantastic walkathon. All had a wonderful time and appreciated all the special touches of our PTA committee, especially the Moon Balls and delicious food! Special thanks to Sonia Brunner and Tracey Leong, our Walkathon chairs, and all the many volunteers who helped them. Their dedication and countless hours of hard work made the event a success.

LAEF: If you haven’t already donated for this school year, you will soon be getting a call during the “LAEF phone-athon.” If you are new to our community you might wonder what LAEF is and how it LAEF contributes to our school district.

• It is a non-profit group of community and parent volunteers representing each district school, funding classroom teachers, art, music, physical education and much more.
• The LAEF board of parent volunteers works hard to balance our grant evenly across grades K-8 so that all students receive an equivalent value from LAEF grants.
• At the elementary level, LAEF funds Class size reduction, Art Docents, Living Classroom, library, music, cSTEM,  PE and our new STEM teacher and program.
• LAEF partners with the Los Altos School District to enhance our children’s opportunities for enrichment so they can thrive in the global community.

Our students are engaged and inspired every day, thanks to our generous LAEF.  Thank you in advance for your contributions to LAEF!

Geography Club-Monday's 2:45-3:45: Mrs. Cuzzi and Mrs. Scatena facilitate the Geography Club each week on Mondays after school. The club runs from 2:45-3:45.  We still have openings for students to participate, collaborate and engage in learning about the world around us. Please contact our school office or Eileen Cuzzi and Megan Scatena directly Ecuzzi@lasdschools.org  Mscatena@lasdschools.org

Homework Club: We are starting our Homework Club on Monday, October 28th for students who would like a little extra help. Students will bring their homework to the club and have a quiet place to work and receive teacher assistance. Participation is by parent request or teacher recommendation; so if you think this is something your child would benefit from, please see our Front Office Staff or email mailto:sevard@lasdschools.org.

Have a wonderful week and thank you again for all you did to make last Saturday so much fun for our Students, staff and families!

Sincerely,
Erin S. Green

Important Dates – Please Note:
10/17 – Picture Make-Up Day
10/18 – Spirit Day: Moustache Day
10/22 – Minimum Day; all kinders attend 8:15am-11:35am,
             1st -6th graders are dismissed at 12:15pm; no lunch at school.
11/11 – Veteran’s Day, No School
11/25-11/25 – Parent/Teacher Conferences, No School
11/27-11/20 – Thanksgiving Break

Picture Make Up Day: Make up day is this Thursday Oct 17th from 8:00am-10:00am. If your child needs a make up picture, please inform their teacher in advance. Afternoon kindergartners who need make up pictures will need to be brought to school during that time for pictures.  Stay tuned; more make up instructions will be emailed tomorrow. If you have any questions about your order or Make Up Day, please email Shooting Stars Customer Service info@shootingstarsphoto.com. 

WALKATHON NEWS

Results: Covington community, you made the Walkathon a very successful fundraiser! Here are some of the impressive revenue results.
$47,500 was promised in pledges
$5,800 was contributed by family sponsors
$10,000 was donated by corporate sponsors
$7,000 was raised on Priceless parties

Every category showed year-over-year growth. This was only possible due to the 2013 Walkathon Committee. Please give a big thank you to the following people: Suzy Allison, Gabriella Bradley, Yumie Britt, Ingrid Choong, Riki Cohen, Dolly Eckinger, Diana Ekstrand, John Hamblin, Laurie Kurgas, Ken Leong, Julie Maeyama, Marianne Mahoney, Anjana Nagaragan-Bhutany, Allison Taylor, Jennifer Townhill ,Raj Vaswani, Kathleen Vitakis, Kristy Yang

Sponsor cards:  Walkathon sponsor cards are coming home in the Thursday folders. Please collect the pledges from your sponsors over the next three weeks. The Walkathon Wrap-Up document stapled to your pledge card has detailed instructions on how to turn in the money you collect. Please return all money to the Walkathon box in the office by Friday, November 1st.

________________________________________________________________

Student Council News: We are so excited about our new Student Council Officers and Representatives.  We will be kicking off this year with some great ideas. Next Friday, October 18th will be Mustache Day! Also, Friday, October 25, we will have a Halloween Store at recess. 

LAEF NEWS: Two ways to make your donation work harder! LAEF’s matching fund will match new donations dollar for dollar if received by November 1. This applies to all new families, new donors, and increases in donations over last year. If you give just a little more this year, including STEM donations, the additional amount will be matched 100%. Also, don’t forget to find out if your employer has a matching program. LAEF raises over $500,000 each year from local companies who match parent donations. If you aren’t sure, contact Shobana Gubbi, LAEF Executive Director, at laef@att.net or call 650-559-0445.
LAEF Representatives at Covington are:

Matt Abrahams, matt.abrahams@gmail.com
Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney, anjananagarajan@yahoo.com
Jessica Speiser, jessica@speiser.net
Ritu Kapoor, ritu.kapoor@gmail.com
Learn More & Make Your Tax Deductible Donation Today! www.laefonline.org

Minimum Day Parties: The PTA is once again sponsoring minimum day activities on 10/22. Options on 10/22 include Basketball, Crossfit, Hip Hop, Cooking & Tennis. If you want to sign your child up email Sangeeth Peruri sangeethperuri@gmail.com

Art Docent News: Test your Art trivia knowledge by naming the famous works of art in the new Art Docent mural. Enter at www.losaltosartdocents.org. The Art Docents will be celebrating the unveiling of their new mural with Hands-on Art projects and an Ice Cream Truck, Tuesday, October 22 (minimum day) 12:45- 2:15 p.m. @Art Docent Office at the LASD District Office
All entrants will win a certificate for ice cream at our event and be entered into a raffle to win a grand prize. Entries are due by October 15th.

Calling all Young Artists: Original Modern Student Artwork Sought for Exhibition.  The Los Altos Youth Welcomes SFMOMA on the Go exhibition will be launched with opening receptions throughout the downtown for student artists, families and community during the First Friday event on Friday, November 1st from 6-8pm. Each student whose artwork is selected will receive a $5 gift card from Know Knew Books, the newest arrival in downtown Los Altos and a special pin to wear. Students can pick up free scrap materials at Fast Frame on State Street should they wish.

Exhibit Dates: November 1, 2013 – November 8, 2013
Location: Merchants in downtown Los Altos.
Eligibility: Original modern art by elementary, middle and high school students .
To Enter: Submit modern artwork on 8 ½’ x 11” paper with name, phone number and email on the back.

Provide a 1” x 3” name card for your artwork including name, age and school to be displayed with your artwork. Submit art to the Art Docent Office at the Los Altos School District, 201 Covington Road, Los Altos 94024.
Deadline: Entries must be received by Friday, October 24, 2013

Info session:  Synopsys Silicon Valley Science & Technology Championship
An informational meeting, hosted by Ann Hepenstal, a parent member of the LASD GATE Advisory Committee, is being held for parents and students interested in the Synopsys Championship.  Sponsored by Synopsys, the Championship is a regional science and engineering fair competition for students in Santa Clara County held on March 12, 2014. LASD 6th, 7th and 8th graders are invited to enter!! Our students compete in the middle school (grades 6-8) division for awards and prizes in multiple areas of study. LASD students have won prizes in prior years, and gained valuable experience with science and project management.  Winners of the Synopsys Championship compete in the California State Science Fair and may advance to the prestigious Intel International Science & Engineering Fair which presents nearly $4 million in prizes and scholarships each year. Students and parents are invited to attend the Synopsys Championship Information Session to learn more about this opportunity and how to enter: Sunday, October 20, 2:00 - 3:00 pm, Covington Multi . For more information, see the 2014 Synopsys Championship website at http://www.science-fair.org Questions?  Contact parent volunteer Ann Hepenstal at annhep@yahoo.com

Info session: Tech Challenge. Ann Hepenstal is also hosting an informational meeting for all LASD 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grade students and their parents who are interested in participating in The Tech Challenge, hosted by the Tech Museum.  You'll compete to solve a real-world problem in this annual design challenge.  This year's challenge is "Harnessing the Wind."  Your design team will figure out how to use wind power to move water to people who need it.  The project builds skills in time management, creativity, and teamwork, while working through the engineering design cycle as you build and test your design.  Most importantly--it's great fun!!! Students and parents are invited to attend the Tech Challenge Information Session to learn more about this opportunity and how to enter: Sunday, October 20, 3:30 - 4:30 pm ,Covington Multi. For more information, see the Tech Challenge website at http://thetechchallenge.thetech.org/
Questions?  Contact parent volunteer Ann Hepenstal at annhep@yahoo.com

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

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

Dear Covington Parents and Community Members:
 
Principal Coffee/PTA Meeting Friday 8:30am!
This Friday is our 2nd Principal's Coffee/ PTA Meeting. Join us in our staff room after the Friday Flag assembly.  Starting Arts will be present at our meeting and will be sharing with you how they are engaging our K-3 students in theater and music.
 
Be Safe!  Biking Reminder
Just a friendly reminder, please talk with your children about bicycle safety and following the rules of the road to and from school.  We have received several reports lately of neighbors concerned for our students on bikes:  how they are crossing the street and concerns about the side of the street on which students are riding.  I will remind students at our assembly this Friday and in the meantime, your assistance is greatly appreciated!  We want our students to be safe and responsible.
 
Geo Club has started!
Our Geo Club has commenced and is meeting on Mondays over the next few months. To get in on the action, please contact Eileen Cuzzi or Megan Scatena.  Thank you to our generous PTA for helping to make this happen!
 
Student Council Elections and Leaders Named
Over the last two weeks, many of our upper grade students were busy campaigning for student council offices. Our students prepared fantastic speeches, slogans and campaigns.  I am so proud of the number of students aspiring to lead our school. We had almost 40 students interested in offices this year; a record!  Congratulations to the following officers:
President: Majita Bobba, Vice President:  Anna Smith, Secretary: Bomi Choe,
Treasurer: Connor Altinger, Coyote Coordinator:  Audrey Boennighausen
Thank you to our fabulous Student Council Advisors:  Katie Farley, Cortney Mase and Jenny Portillo! We appreciate your leadership and guidance.
 
Have a wonderful week and I am looking forward to seeing everyone at the Walk-A-Thon on Saturday!
 
Sincerely,
Erin S. Green

Important Dates – Please Note:

10/11 – Principal Coffee/PTA Meeting 8:30am
10/11 – Spirit Day: Beach Wear or Walkathon Shirt
10/12 – Walkathon! Registration opens at 9:30 AM.  First lap is at 10 AM
10/17 – Picture Make-Up Day
10/18 – Spirit Day: Moustache Day
10/22 – Minimum Day
 
 

SCHOOL PHOTOS: THE ORDER DEADLINE HAS BEEN EXTENDED TO: FRIDAY, 10/11.  Your student’s photo Proof Sheet has been sent to the school and an access code for online ordering has been generated. The original order deadline was set for October 8th, but this date has been pushed back to accommodate the late arrival of order forms.  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.
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.
 
Student Council News: We are so excited about our new Student Council Officers and Representatives.  We will be kicking off this year with some great ideas. Next Friday, October 18th will be Mustache Day! Also, Friday, October 25, we will have a Halloween Store at recess.
 
WALKATHON NEWS
Friday is Beach Wear Day.  Get into the Walkathon spirit and wear your favorite beach gear or Walkathon t-shirt on Friday, October 11. We hope to see lots of board shorts and leis!  T-shirts will come home with the students on Thursday, October 10. All students at Covington get a t-shirt whether or not they participate on Saturday.
 
WALKATHON ON SATURDAY!  The Walkathon is happening on Saturday, October 12.  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.
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, beach balls, the Pocket Ladies, and Priceless Parties.
• 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 beach balls and lap punching.  One hour shifts are available.  Please sign up on the Google spreadsheet located at http://tinyurl.com/WAT2013Covington.
 
Sign up for Covington Priceless Parties at the Walkathon.  Each year, our wonderful Covington teachers hold parties for students in each grade level.  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. If you do not pay at the event, your child’s name will go on a waitlist. A list of the parties is available at http://www.covingtonschool.org/covingtones/4808-walkathon-intro.html.
 
Covington Wear: Covington Wear will be sold at the Walkathon.
      
LAEF NEWS: Two ways to make your donation work harder! LAEF’s matching fund will match new donations dollar for dollar if received by November 1.  This applies to all new families, new donors, and increases in donations over last year.  If you give just a little more this year, including STEM donations, the additional amount will be matched 100%.  Also, don’t forget to find out if your employer has a matching program.  LAEF raises over $500,000 each year from local companies who match parent donations.  If you aren’t sure, contact Shobana Gubbi, LAEF Executive Director, at laef@att.net or call 650-559-0445.
LAEF Representatives at Covington are:
 
Matt Abrahams, matt.abrahams@gmail.com
Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney, anjananagarajan@yahoo.com
Jessica Speiser, jessica@speiser.net
Ritu Kapoor, ritu.kapoor@gmail.com

Learn More & Make Your Tax Deductible Donation Today!  www.laefonline.org

Run Club News: Run club kicked off the year with a whopping 226 student runners…even our principal Ms. Green joined the fun!  We look forward to logging more miles this coming Friday at lunch.  Thanks to our parent volunteers: Tracey Leong, Julie McGrath, Laurie Kurgas, Suzanne Kasso, Lauren Hasenhutti & John Crawford. Please come out to cheer on our determined and dedicated runners: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnRkfFbJcu7-dG1HVXMzRl9rWW1KWXpua0NaT0JkSFE#gid=0
Contact: Jen Roy McG at jroy@apr.com or Jen Springer at jen_springer@me.com
"Me thinks that the moment my legs began to move, my thoughts began to flow." - Henry David Thoreau
 
Art Docent News: Test your Art trivia knowledge by naming the famous works of art in the new Art Docent mural. Enter at www.losaltosartdocents.org
The Art Docents will be celebrating the unveiling of their new mural with Hands-on Art projects and an Ice Cream Truck, Tuesday, October 22 (minimum day)
12:45- 2:15 p.m. @Art Docent Office at the LASD District Office
All entrants will win a certificate for ice cream at our event and be entered into a raffle to win a grand prize. Entries are due by October 15th.
 
AMAZON SHOPPERS: Make Your Shopping Count for Covington!
Earn referral fees for Covington on purchases of books, CDs, electronics, toys, and more. It’s EASY and DOESN’T COST YOU ANYTHING! Go to www.covingtonschool.org, click the Amazon logo to go to the Amazon website, then select and purchase your items as you normally would. Covington will automatically receive a referral fee of at least 6.5%!  No sign-up required. Questions? Contact Dale Tritschler at daletritschler@gmail.com.
 
District & Community News: http://www.lasdk8.org/PDF_Files/Current_School_News.pdf
 
Post an Announcement in the Howler? If you have an announcement to include in Howler, please send it to sevard@lasdschools.org.  Announcements must be received by 12:00pm on Friday in order to be considered for the Howler scheduled for the following Tuesday.

Dear Covington Parents and Community Members:
 
Safety Practice Today
This morning your children had an opportunity to practice a comprehensive earthquake evacuation drill, complete with our own Search and Rescue and various other emergency support stations.  Students were able to experience how our staff would respond in the case of a real emergency.  We learned a great deal from the practice today and as always, we will continue to refine our practices and offer opportunities to review safety procedures with our staff and students.
 
Lunchtime Opportunities—Thank you to PTA and LAEF!
We have a great deal of offerings for students each day at lunchtime; students have the option to play on their own or participate in structured, facilitated activity.
Courtesy of PTA:

• Mr. Heeb Sports:  Tuesday & Thursday. Join our PE Teacher, Mr. Heeb in a game of Infinity Kickball, classroom intramurals or team sports.
• FIT Games: Monday, Wednesday, Friday. Come play structured games with the two FIT coaches. Tug-a-War, Infinity Ball, Street Hockey and grass games are popular with our students.
• Bingo in the Lair: Monday. Join in on Bingo Fun in Room 32.  One of our fantastic dad's helps to coordinate and facilitate Bingo each week.
• Run Club : Friday. Come and join in our Run Club Fun with our fabulous volunteer parents. Students are encouraged to both run/ walk to the Friday music tunes and track their lap progress.

Courtesy of LAEF:

•  Stem Club :Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. Students are invited to join our STEM Teacher, Mrs. Farley for a lunchtime full of tinkering, design challenge problems and fun.
• Library: Open every day at recess & lunch. Visit Mrs. Drobot in our library to check out books, browse and spend time in our beautiful library. 

Thank you for your support of both LAEF & PTA.  Thanks to you, we can offer so many inspiring and enriching activities for our students.
 
Mark your calendars:

• The next Principal Coffee/PTA Meeting will take place Friday, October 11th. Our topic for the coffee next week is Starting Arts. Starting Arts will share how they are engaging your children in the arts from Kinder-Third Grades.
• The Walk-A-Thon is just 10 days away! We cannot wait for this fantastic community event.  

Have a wonderful week.  Thank you for your ongoing support!
 
Sincerely,
Erin S. Green

Important Dates – Please Note:

10/1 – Dine Out for Covington @ The Counter, MV - TONIGHT
10/2 – Vision Screening for K, 3, 6 & SDC classes
10/4 – Otter Pop Friday, Turn in Walkathon Sponsor Cards 2:20p-3:15pm
10/11 – Principal Coffee/PTA Meeting
10/12 – Walkathon!
10/17 – Picture Make-Up Day
 

Vision Screening: The District Nurses will be doing vision screening at Covington School for all Kindergarten, 3r & 6th grades tomorrow, October 2.  If your child has glasses or contacts, please make sure that they wear them to school on the day of the screening.  The nurse will mail a referral form to the parents of students who do not pass the vision screening.
 
Geography Club: If your child is interested in geography and would like to spend some extra time with peers to prepare for this year’s Geography Bee (January 2014), then the Geography Club is for them!  We will meet every Monday, on Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28, Nov. 4, 18, Dec. 2, and the 9th in room 12 from 2:45-3:45. During our meetings, we will study world geography and review Geography Bee practice questions.  A sign-up sheet will be hung up on a clipboard outside of room 12. Please sign up by Wednesday, Oct. 2nd.  Once sign ups are complete, we will email you more information! Thank you!  -Mrs. Cuzzi and Mrs. Scatena
 
WALKATHON NEWS
Sponsor cards due on Friday, October 4!  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, Surfer’s Snack Shack Café, water and first aid, field monitors, or beach balls. One hour shifts are available.  Please sign up on the Google spreadsheet locatedPlease sign up on the Google spreadsheet located at http://tinyurl.com/WAT2013Covington.
 
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. Parties include great events for each grade level including Mad Science party, Hot Fudge Sundae party, Laserquest party and more! Details are available at http://www.covingtonschool.org/covingtones/4808-walkathon-intro.html.
      
Please Save us a Phone Call!  Cheerful Covington parent volunteers will soon be making phone calls during the annual LAEF phonathon.  Please help our team save a call by completing your tax-deductible donation before October 11th.  It’s in that “to do” pile on your desk… LAEF committed to raise $3.2 million for the District, so now we need your donations! 100% of Covington students benefit from LAEF's grant, so our goal is for 100% of Covington families to donate at any level they can afford. Please do your part and give generously to keep our school district strong. Make a one-time donation or spread your payment out using our flexible monthly installment options. LAEF Representatives at Covington are:
Matt Abrahams, matt.abrahams@gmail.com
Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney, anjananagarajan@yahoo.com
Jessica Speiser, jessica@speiser.net
 Make Your Donation or Pledge Today!  www.laefonline.org
 
Dine Out for Covington @ The Counter, TONIGHT OCT 1. Show your support for Covington and enjoy dinner out at the same time.  Tuesday October 1st, the Counter in Mountain View will donate 15% of net sales to Covington School.  Dine in or take out, lunch or dinner 11am-10pm.  Just be sure to present the flyer available on the Covington website: http://www.covingtonschool.org
 
Run Club News: The Pack starts running on Friday, October 4th at lunch.
The Coyote Pack Run Club is a “run for fun” club open to every level of runner or walker, grades one through six. There is no need for students to sign up ahead of time. Bring tennis shoes, a water bottle and meet out on the Covington field at lunch recess. Parents: Your help makes this program a success. Please come out and have fun with us! No running required. Sign up to help for 1 hour on Friday at lunch.  Please see link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AnRkfFbJcu7-dG1HVXMzRl9rWW1KWXpua0NaT0JkSFE#gid=0
 
Run Club is cancelled if it is raining or the fields are wet.  We will try to e-mail you to let you know of any cancellations.  Questions: Please contact Jen Springer (jen_springer@me.com) or Jen Roy McG (JRoy@apr.com)
 
Calling all witches (or those who just like Halloween)!  Come in your most wicked finery for an evening of dinner, drinks and trouble making.  Don’t forget your broom! Ladies, come on over for an evening of good fun with your fellow witches:  Saori, Christine, Gabriella and Sandi.  Dress up as a witch, enjoy a great meal with good friends, drink some fun concoctions that will delight you, and enjoy the company of other mom’s just out for a relaxing evening (that is sure to be unlike any other). Proceeds go to Covington PTA.

Date: Saturday, October 19th, 2013
Time: 6pm until the witching hour
Cost:  $50 per witch
Location: The spooky house, 169 Giffin Road, Los Altos CA 94022
RSVP to Sandi_elefant@yahoo.com

AMAZON SHOPPERS: Make Your Shopping Count for Covington!
Earn referral fees for Covington on purchases of books, CDs, electronics, toys, and more. It’s EASY and DOESN’T COST YOU ANYTHING! Go to www.covingtonschool.org, click the Amazon logo to go to the Amazon website, then select and purchase your items as you normally would. Covington will automatically receive a referral fee of at least 6.5%!  No sign-up required. Questions? Contact Dale Tritschler at daletritschler@gmail.com.
 
Two Great Opportunities for Parent Education:
Talk for Parents by Challenge Success "Keep it in Perspective: Strategies for Raising Healthy & Motivated Kids" THIS Friday, 10/4/13, at 7pm at Stanford University (Memorial Auditorium)
Attention ALL parents!  This is an exciting opportunity to discuss the meaning of success in today's education and the "real world" and how we can raise well-balanced, motivated, and successful children.  If you are familiar with Carol Dweck's concept of a "growth mindset" (vs. fixed mindset) or you're just interested in learning how to instill in your children a strong drive to learn and thrive, this talk will be right up your alley.  The speakers are 3 well-known authors and educators (Dan Pink, Drive and To Sell is Human; Denise Pope, Doing School; and Madeline Levine, The Price of Privilege and Teach Your Children Well).
More information and registration:  http://www.challengesuccess.org/for-educators/school-conferences/2013-fall-conference-stanford/public-parent-education-event.aspx.  I highly recommend this event to all parents – I hope to see you there! Erin Prothro, School Psychologist

Parent Education: Awaken the Possibilities in your Family
Admission is Free. Tuesday, October 8th, Los Altos High School, 7-9pm
Madeline Levine, Ph.D,  will address our current narrow definition of success, discuss the development of skills needed to be successful in the 21st century: creativity, collaboration, and innovation. Event FREE, Reservations recommended: https://levinelosaltoshigh.eventbrite.com/ .  Audience:  Parents/guardians of K-12th grade students. Sponsors: Mountain View Los Altos High School Foundation, Los Altos Educational Foundation, and Los Altos Mountain View PTA Council
 
Annual E-Waste Recycling Event on 10/5: Clear your clutter, help the environment, and raise money for the Egan Science Department by ensuring that toxic electronic waste is responsibly recycled. On Saturday, October 5, from 9 AM – 3 PM, Green Mouse recyclers will be at Egan to collect your e-waste items.  If you're interested in supporting outreach for the event, or volunteering on the day-of, contact Margie Suozzo at egangogreen@gmail.com.
 
District & Community News: http://www.lasdk8.org/PDF_Files/Current_School_News.pdf
 
Post an Announcement in the Howler? If you have an announcement to include in Howler, please send it to sevard@lasdschools.org.  Announcements must be received by 12:00pm on Friday in order to be considered for the Howler scheduled for the following Tuesday.

Dear Covington Parents and Community Members:
 
Friday Staff Development-No School for Students
This coming Friday is our first district wide professional development day which will provide our staff with many opportunities to explore strategies and hands on experiences that directly align with our essential question:  How can we develop and use performance based assessment to inform instruction and engage students in creative learning experiences?
 
While your students are home on this day, our teachers will be participating in a learning day filled with learning opportunities aligned with our goal of exploring performance based assessments that inform our instruction.  Thank you for supporting our learning and growth.
 
PTA & LAEF work together!  Both organizations cooperate to fund enrichment programs for our children. The PTAs raise funds for “stuff”—important items and supplies needed to support activities such as art, science, library and PE, as well as technology for the classrooms and so much more! LAEF raises money for “staff” to pay teachers who provide the enrichment programs and who teach additional classes to keep student-to-teacher ratios low. Both PTA and LAEF are critical to our children’s education in the Los Altos School District. So please donate generously to both—every year!
 
LAEF Representatives at Covington are:
 
Matt Abrahams, matt.abrahams@gmail.com
Anjana Nagarajan-Butaney, anjananagarajan@yahoo.com
Jessica Speiser, jessica@speiser.net
Ritu Kapoor (incoming member-at-large), ritu.kapoor@gmail.com
 
Learn More & Make Your Tax Deductible Donation Today!  www.laefonline.org
 
Lunch Bells
 
Beginning next week, we are going to explore a longer eating period and alter our lunch bell from 12:10 to 12:15. Several of our Los Altos Schools have provided students with a slightly longer time to eat lunch and they have seen tremendous results such as:

• Students are eating more of their lunches/ less garbage and waste are being generated.
• Students are not rushed and are able to take their time to eat and enjoy their lunch
• Students are ready to learn when they go back into the classroom after lunch because they have had time to both fuel up and play

We look forward to experimenting with this this and reporting back the results to you all.  We would love any feedback regarding this idea.
 
As always, thank you for your support, and along the same lines, we are still looking for yard assistants at lunchtime. If you would like to join our team, please call our school office. We have two (2) positions available.

Sincerely,
Erin S. Green

Important Dates – Please Note:

9/27 – NO SCHOOL, Staff Development Day
10/1 – Dine Out for Covington @ The Counter, MV
10/2 – Vision Screening for K, 3, 6 & SDC classes
10/4 – Otter Pop Friday, Turn in Walkathon Sponsor Cards 2:20p-3:15pm
10/12 – Walkathon!
10/17 – Picture Make-Up Day

CSTEM for 6th Graders

As some of you may know, your sixth grader started the CSTEM class in early September. This weekly class is taught by me, Sheena Vaidyanathan (known as Mrs V. to the students). During the year long CSTEM program, I will introduce your child to Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) concepts through the 3 Cs of Creativity, Collaboration and Computer Science. CSTEM is funded by parent donations to LAEF.
 
Details of the curriculum, and links to various articles on the importance of STEM education and Computer Science education are available on my web site at
 
http://www.computersforcreativity.com/school-programs/lasdcstem
 
The students will be using Edmodo for classwork and for some work outside of class. Edmodo provides your student a safe place to learn digital citizenship and it extends CSTEM learning to outside the classroom. Some homework  will be assigned each week, and will be done in the online CSTEM notebook.
 
Prior to my teaching CSTEM and Digital Design in the Los Altos School district, I have worked in Silicon Valley as a computer scientist. I look forward to sharing my passion for computer programming, math and art with the sixth graders.I hope your child will enjoy the class. If you have questions, please email me at sheena@lasdschools.org
 
Best wishes
-- Sheena
-------------
Sheena Vaidyanathan
6th grade CSTEM Program
Los Altos School District

Vision Screening:

The District Nurses will be doing vision screening at Covington School for all Kindergarten, 3r & 6th grades on Wednesday October 2.  If your child has glasses or contacts, please make sure that they wear them to school on the day of the screening.  The nurse will mail a referral form to the parents of students who do not pass the vision screening.

Geography Club:

If your child is interested in geography and would like to spend some extra time with peers to prepare for this year’s Geography Bee (January 2014), then the Geography Club is for them!  We will meet every Monday, on Oct. 7, 14, 21, 28, Nov. 4, 18, Dec. 2, and the 9th in room 12 from 2:45-3:45. During our meetings, we will study world geography and review Geography Bee practice questions.  A sign-up sheet will be hung up on a clipboard outside of room 12. Please sign up by Wednesday, Oct. 2nd.  Once sign ups are complete, we will email you more information! Thank you!  -Mrs. Cuzzi and Mrs. Scatena

WALKATHON NEWS

Fill up your sponsor cards!  Students received their Walkathon sponsor      cards last week.  Encourage them to ask family and neighbors for      pledges.  The top earning classroom at each grade level will earn an ice          cream party.  This is the chance for students to directly improve their    school.  Cards are due on Friday, October 4th.
 
Volunteer at the Walkathon! You can be part of the year’s biggest community-building event.  We need adult volunteers on Saturday, October         12 for jobs that include field set-up, clean up, registration/check-in,        incentives tables, Surf ‘n Sand Snack Shack, water and first aid, field         monitors, and giant beach balls. One hour shifts are available. Please sign up   on the Google spreadsheet located at http://tinyurl.com/WAT2013Covington

Request an Alternate T-Shirt Size. Every Covington student will receive a FREE Walking on Sunshine t-shirt.  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 size, please visit http://www.covingtonschool.org/covingtones/4914-  Request-Alternate-T-Shirt-Size.html. We will not be able to change your student’s t-shirt size after that date.

Dine Out for Covington @ The Counter, Oct 1st:

Show your support for Covington and enjoy dinner out at the same time.  Tuesday October 1st, the Counter in Mountain View will donate 15% of net sales to Covington School.  Dine in or take out, lunch or dinner 11am-10pm.  Just be sure to present the attached flyer.

Calling all witches (or those who just like Halloween)!

Come in your most wicked finery for an evening of dinner, drinks and trouble making.  Don’t forget your broom! Ladies, come on over for an evening of good fun with your fellow witches:  Saori, Christine, Gabriella and Sandi.  Dress up as a witch, enjoy a great meal with good friends, drink some fun concoctions that will delight you, and enjoy the company of other mom’s just out for a relaxing evening (that is sure to be unlike any other). Proceeds go to Covington PTA.

Date: Saturday, October 19th, 2013
Time: 6pm until the witching hour
Cost:  $50 per witch
Location: The spooky house, 169 Giffin Road, Los Altos CA 94022
RSVP to Sandi_elefant@yahoo.com

Annual E-Waste Recycling Event on 10/5:

Clear your clutter, help the environment, and raise money for the Egan Science Department by ensuring that toxic electronic waste is responsibly recycled. On Saturday, October 5, from 9 AM – 3 PM, Green Mouse recyclers will be at Egan to collect your e-waste items.  If you're interested in supporting outreach for the event, or volunteering on the day-of, contact Margie Suozzo at egangogreen@gmail.com.
 
District & Community News: http://www.lasdk8.org/PDF_Files/Current_School_News.pdf
 
Post an Announcement in the Howler? If you have an announcement to include in Howler, please send it to sevard@lasdschools.org.  Announcements must be received by 12:00pm on Friday in order to be considered for the Howler scheduled for the following Tuesday.

Dear Covington Community Members,

• Arrive promptly at dismissal time.
• If driving through the pick up lane, pull as far forward as possible and do      not leave your car.
• Or park your car in a space and walk over to meet your children.                               
• Do not pick up or drop off children from the middle of the parking lot.
• Children are not allowed to play on the playground unsupervised after school; please make sure you are with your child when they are engaging in games after school.                      

Upcoming Events:

School Site Council Needs you!

WALKATHON NEWS

Coyote Pack Run Club News:

Don't forget to register for eScrip:

LAEF: Welcome to the 2013-14 School Year!