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Aug 16, 2016
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Covington Howler
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Important Dates:
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PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE |
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Dear Covington Families & Community Members, I’ll confess. I don’t sleep very well the night before the first day of school. It’s been my pattern since I was a first year teacher in this district (which was 22 years ago!). Some of my insomnia is the, usually irrational, fear that I have forgotten something to do to ensure a great first day. Most of my sleeplessness is caused by the genuine excitement of starting a new school year. I love the first day of school; the energy and enthusiasm of students, teachers, and parents. Needless to say, I don’t anticipate a sound night sleep tonight as tomorrow will be my first official day at Covington with all the students. As a reminder, we will start the day, as a school community, on the blacktop at 8:30am with our first daily flag assembly. There will be signage for each line to indicate teacher/room number. Kindergartners will meet their classes in the Kinder yard. Welcome back to the school year! Can’t wait to see everyone tomorrow. Wade Spenader Covington Principal |
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KINDER INFORMATION |
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REMINDER: AUG. 17-SEPT. 9TH: KINDER DISMISSAL AT 12:OO NOON. There is a snack time in the morning, but lunch is not eaten at school. SEPT. 12TH STARTS EXTENDED DAY FOR KINDER, DISMISSAL AT 2:15PM. |
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SAFETY FIRST: IMPORTANT TRAFFIC & PARKING REMINDERS |
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Remember: 15 MPH speed limit in front of the school. 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 (never leave your car unattended to go and pick up your child).
* 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! |
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Annual 6th Grade Fundraiser |
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ICE CREAM SOCIAL I scream you scream we all scream for ICE CREAM! Please join us for an Ice Cream Social Friday after school. Covington's 6th graders will collect a $2 donation and serve cream and toppings to help raise money for their end of the year gift. Siblings and families are welcome to join the fun on the blacktop. THIS IS NOT A STAY AND PLAY. It is a grab and go event so please plan to pick up your student at the regular dismissal times. Thank you for supporting Covington's 6th Graders! |
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Attendance Information: What to do if your child is absent or late |
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Attendance
Absences and late arrivals are to be reported to the school by a parent or guardian by calling the Covington Attendance Line at (650) 947-1101 by 9:00am, or sending a electronic form via our website http://covingtonschool.org/ Children who arrive after the school day begins must sign in at the office to receive a late arrival (blue slip) pass. For an appointment during school hours, please go to the office to sign out your child. Your child will be sent to the office to meet you. Observed religious holidays are considered excused absences as long as the absence has been requested in advance in writing by the parent or guardian and approved by the principal or designee (E.C. 48205, B.P. 5113). |
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PTA NEWS |
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Back to School Purchases & Donations: http://covingtonpta. Raffle Extended! Make all your Back-to-School purchases by Friday 8/19 and you will be entered into a raffle for a chance to win a brand new iPad mini with a case! (These purchases must include all of the following: PTA Membership, Classroom Fund Donations, Field Trip Donations and School Supply Donations.) Volunteer Sign-ups and Coffee Social Friday August 19th starting at 8:10am outside the multi. This is your chance to see all the volunteer opportunities and to get involved in our school community. Please stop by and have a coffee, pastry, and a grab a pen! Covington Family Pancake Breakfast on Sunday August 21 from 9:00-11:30 am. There are still spaces available for this fun family breakfast on the first weekend after school starts! Bring the whole family to the multi-purpose room as Covington dads will be flipping up buttermilk, blueberry, and chocolate chip pancakes as well as serving coffee and juice! Pancake toss fun included! To sign up, click the following link. This event is a great PTA fundraiser and is $20 per person. We hope to see you there!
http://covingtonpta. BACK TO SCHOOL AMAZON SHOPPERS – Make Your Back to School Shopping Count for Covington! Earn referral fees for Covington on purchases of books, electronics, school supplies, and more. It’s EASY and DOESN’T COST YOU ANYTHING! Please use this link (bookmark it!) or go towww.covingtonschool.org, click the Amazon logo on the lower right side, then select and purchase your items as you normally would. Covington will automatically receive a referral fee from Amazon. No sign-up required. Questions? Contact Jennie Ebbitt at jtebbitt@gmail.com. |
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HOT LUNCH |
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Hot Lunch Ordering and Volunteer Sign-ups
We are gearing up to serve hot lunch on the first day of school. We're once again using Pasta Market as our hot lunch provider. For instructions on how to order hot lunches please follow this link http://covingtonschool.org/ We need a minimum of FIVE volunteers per day, with one designated crew lead on each day. As a reminder, hot lunch set up and distribution runs from about 11:40-12:10pm. Hot lunch is a great way to lend a hand at school, quickly peek in on your kids, and see what they are eating! Use the signup sheet is below:
https://docs.google.com/ |
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PTA SPONSORED AFTER-SCHOOL ENRICHMENT CLASSES |
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Classes start in August and September. Vendors will be at Back to School picnic with class information. Mon: Speech/Debate (gr 1-2), Coach Ken Soccer (Gr K-5), Young Rembrandts Drawing (gr 1-6), Flag Football (gr 4-6, Sept - Nov), Mathletes (gr 4-6), Mathletes in Training (gr 3) might be Mon or Wed. Tues: Chess Club (gr 1-6), Tech Kids (gr 2-6), Wed: Lego (gr 1-2), CSMA Art (gr K-3), Pilates (gr 1-6) Thurs: Public Speaking/Debate (gr 3-6), Lego (gr 3-6), Run for Fun (gr K-6), Mad Science (gr K-2) Fri: Spanish (gr K-6), Basketball (gr K-6), Flag Football (gr 4-6), Middle School Mathletes (offered at Loyola Elementary but to all LASD 6th graders)
Register early to ensure you get a spot. More details and registration (not all classes are listed yet): http://covingtonschool.org/ |
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DISTRICT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY |
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NURSE NEEDED: The Los Altos School District needs Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) substitute(s). Must be available on short notice. Approximate times needed are minimum of three hours, 9:30am-12:30pm. Job will entail covering snack & lunch time to supervise students with type 1 diabetic's blood sugar levels and insulin administration; both injection and insulin pump. Monday-Friday. To apply, call Marlene Revelo 650-947-1153. |
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LAEF |
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LAEF welcomes you to the 2016-17 School Year! The Los Altos Educational Foundation (LAEF) is a non-profit organization led by parent volunteers that raise funds to provide enrichment programs and smaller class sizes for LASD students. This year's teachers and staff for STEM, PE, libraries, art, music, computer science, and smaller class sizes in grades K-3, are all supported by your 2016-17 tax-deductible LAEF donation. New this year, LAEF is also funding an Instructional Support Teacher (IST), who is dedicated to supporting our amazing teachers by improving instruction, collaboration, and learning across disciplines, with an initial focus on 6th-8th grade math. The suggested annual donation is $1,200 per student. Our goal is $3.7 million and 100% participation from all of our LASD families, so every gift in any amount is appreciated. Learn More & Make Your Tax-Deductible Donation Today atwww.LAEFOnline.org |
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LASD & Community Announcements |
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School & Community News now found via Peachjar: https://www.peachjar.com/ |
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How to Submit an Article to the Covington Howler |
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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. |
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Aug 11, 2016
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Important Dates:
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PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE |
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Dear Covington Families & Community Members, Welcome to the 2016-17 school year! We are frantically getting ready to receive your children on Wednesday, August 17th. There is a buzz in the air and the excitement is building. I can’t wait to meet all the students and get the year started. Don’t forget about the Welcome Back picnic at Covington on Monday, August 15th at 5pm. Class lists will be posted, food trucks will be on site, and there will be opportunities to get involved at Covington. It’s a great chance to get reacquainted with old friends and to make new ones! It’s also a time to meet the new principal (sorry for the personal plug)! This is the first edition of this school year’s Howler- our digital newsletter. The Howler is published on Tuesday afternoons and contains loads of information about Covington school. I encourage you to take time to read it each week as it is the primary communication source to the community. Please also spend some time reviewing the traffic and parking reminders in the section below. This is especially important if you are new to Covington. Once again, welcome back to the school year! Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. Wade Spenader Covington Principal |
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SAFETY FIRST: IMPORTANT TRAFFIC & PARKING REMINDERS |
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Remember: 15 MPH speed limit in front of the school. 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 (never leave your car unattended to go and pick up your child).
* 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! |
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OFFICE NEWS |
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New Office Clerk - Beth Wolff decided to pursue other opportunities and will not be returning to Covington. We wish her well. However, we are so excited to announce our new clerk will be Elena Shea. Many of you know Elena, as she was a Literacy Aide last year. Elena has a wealth of knowledge and history in LASD; including roles as former Covington parent, past Covington PTA President (2005-06), and PTA Council President. We are so pleased to have Elena join our front office staff. Feel free to stop by and say hello when you are on campus.
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PTA NEWS |
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PTA Welcome Back Family Picnic Join us on Monday, August 15th from 5-7pm. Class lists will posted at 5:00pm! Food Trucks - Come hungry and ready to eat from the Hot Dog Guy, or grilled cheese from the Cheese Bandits! Don't forget about dessert from RockNTacos! See what After School activities we have to offer this year! NEW THIS YEAR: Make all your Back-to-School purchases at the picnic and you will be entered (into a raffle for a chance to win a brand new iPad mini with a case! (These purchases must include all of the following: PTA Membership, Classroom Fund Donations, Field Trip Donations and School Supply Donations.) Covington Wear: available for purchase. Come check out the new baseball tee and visors! Supplies are limited so don't miss out! Volunteer Sign-ups and Coffee Social Friday August 19th starting at 8:10am outside the multi. This is your chance to see all the volunteer opportunities and to get involved in our school community. Please stop by and have a coffee, pastry, and a grab a pen! Covington Family Pancake Breakfast on Sunday August 21 from 9:00-11:30 am. There are still spaces available for this fun family breakfast on the first weekend after school starts! Bring the whole family to the multi-purpose room as Covington dads will be flipping up buttermilk, blueberry, and chocolate chip pancakes as well as serving coffee and juice! Pancake toss fun included! To sign up, click the following link. This event is a great PTA fundraiser and is $20 per person. We hope to see you there!
http://covingtonpta. BACK TO SCHOOL AMAZON SHOPPERS – Make Your Back to School Shopping Count for Covington! Earn referral fees for Covington on purchases of books, electronics, school supplies, and more. It’s EASY and DOESN’T COST YOU ANYTHING! Please use this link (bookmark it!) or go towww.covingtonschool.org, click the Amazon logo on the lower right side, then select and purchase your items as you normally would. Covington will automatically receive a referral fee from Amazon. No sign-up required. Questions? Contact Jennie Ebbitt at jtebbitt@gmail.com. |
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HOT LUNCH |
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Hot Lunch Ordering and Volunteer Sign-ups
We are gearing up to serve hot lunch on the first day of school. We're once again using Pasta Market as our hot lunch provider. For instructions on how to order hot lunches please follow this link http://covingtonschool.org/ We need a minimum of FIVE volunteers per day, with one designated crew lead on each day. As a reminder, hot lunch set up and distribution runs from about 11:40-12:10pm. Hot lunch is a great way to lend a hand at school, quickly peek in on your kids, and see what they are eating! Use the signup sheet is below:
https://docs.google.com/ |
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PTA SPONSORED AFTER-SCHOOL ENRICHMENT CLASSES |
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Classes start in August and September. Vendors will be at the Welcome Back picnic with class information. Mon: Speech/Debate (gr 1-2), Coach Ken Soccer (Gr K-5), Young Rembrandts Drawing (gr 1-6), Flag Football (gr 4-6, Sept - Nov), Mathletes (gr 4-6), Mathletes in Training (gr 3) might be Mon or Wed. Tues: Chess Club (gr 1-6), Tech Kids (gr 2-6), Wed: Lego (gr 1-2), CSMA Art (gr K-3), Pilates (gr 1-6) Thurs: Public Speaking/Debate (gr 3-6), Lego (gr 3-6), Run for Fun (gr K-6), Mad Science (gr K-2) Fri: Spanish (gr K-6), Basketball (gr K-6), Flag Football (gr 4-6), Middle School Mathletes (offered at Loyola Elementary but open to all LASD 6th graders)
Register early to ensure you get a spot. More details and registration (not all classes are listed yet): http://covingtonschool.org/ |
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KINDER INFORMATION |
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REMINDER: AUG. 17-SEPT. 9TH: KINDER DISMISSAL AT 12:OO NOON. There is a snack time in the morning, but lunch is not eaten at school. SEPT. 12TH STARTS EXTENDED DAY FOR KINDER, DISMISSAL AT 2:15PM. KINDER PLAYDATE: The last summer playdate for incoming kinder families is this Sunday, Aug. 14th from 3pm-4pm. Come with your kinder and join other families on the Covington kindergarten playground. |
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DISTRICT EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY |
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NURSE NEEDED: The Los Altos School District needs Registered Nurse (RN) or Licensed Vocational Nurse (LVN) substitute(s). Must be available on short notice. Approximate times needed are minimum of three hours, 9:30am-12:30pm. Job will entail covering snack & lunch time to supervise students with type 1 diabetic's blood sugar levels and insulin administration; both injection and insulin pump. Monday-Friday. To apply, call Marlene Revelo 650-947-1153. |
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LASD & Community Announcements |
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School & Community News now found via Peachjar: https://www.peachjar.com/ |
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How to Submit an Article to the Covington Howler |
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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. |
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May 31, 2016
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Important Dates:
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Looking Ahead:
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Principal’s Message |
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Dear Covington Families & Community Members, This weekend my son graduated from Academy of the Arts University in San Francisco. We had family arrive from out of town, and we celebrated the long awaited accomplishment. It was so exciting to see so many young people walk across the stage with a look and smile of triumph! What a creative and inspirational group! They were thrilled to be finished with school but apprehensive about leaving their friends and routines as they venture into the unknown. I can relate. I have truly enjoyed my time here at Covington and feel as if we have just started to build something unique. I know that the work will keep moving forward and the incredible staff here will continue to support one another as they create new learning experiences for students. Although I am personally not sure what comes next, I am excited by possibilities. I trust that my talents will take me to a place that is ready for my creative spirit and innovative mindset. Covington will hold a special place in my heart and I am thankful that I was able to share this past year of growth and learning with all of you. I look forward to enjoying these final few days as we wrap up the school year. Our theme this past year was focused on “Awakening the Force!” I can’t wait to see where it takes us! Warm Regards, Kami Thordarson Covington Principal |
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PTA: Volunteers Needed |
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Hello Fellow Covington Parents, As this school year comes to a close, we are already planning for next year. Before you head off for a summer of fun, there are a few volunteer positions open for next year. The PTA would love to see some new faces and/or returning faces. :) Some of the open positions are as follows: Birthday Book Club Coordinator - work with Mrs. Starkey to ensure that the list of individuals for birthday book club is organized by class & month. Covington Wear - manage the sale & distribution of Covington t-shirts, sweatshirts and swag. We will be ordering some new designs this summer! Landscaping - work with the amazing Suzanne Kasso to keep our campus looking beautiful. Lost & Found - help manage our Lost and Found, coordinate periodic donations of items to local charities. Marquee - ever wanted to see your name in lights? Manage the postings for the Covington Marquee throughout the year. New Families - help welcome New Families to Covington at the Back to School Picnic and be available for questions throughout the year. VIP Parents - coordinate the weekly Thursday morning volunteers who do much appreciated prep work for our valued teachers. If you have questions about any of the positions, please contact Trish Carballar at ntrishwish77@gmail.com. |
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Field Day - Volunteers Needed! |
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FIELD DAY 2016 is FRIDAY, JUNE 3rd! It’s almost time for Field Day 2016! On Friday, June 3rd from 10:00 - 12:00, all Covington students will be participating in Field Day. Field Day is a fun filled event where all students participate in games (for example: bowling, "pin the nose on the coyote", seed spitting, etc.), face painting and a blow-up obstacle course. We have food, music, lots of water, and a "6th grade vs teachers" volleyball game. If you haven't had much of a chance to volunteer this year, this is the event for you! We need parent volunteers at each game, for face painting, and for serving snacks. We need your help to make it a success. Volunteer hours are from 9:30 to noon. Please sign up on the Google doc found here:
https://docs.google.com/ We need at least two parents from each class to help!! Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you! Louanne Gonzalez (louannegonzalez@gmail.com) |
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Library News |
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May 31: Library Closed for Summer Books may be returned to book return carts in most classrooms, brought directly to the library, or dropped off in the book return box in the school office. Lost Books: If you have lost your book, we will request payment in order to purchase replacement copies. Thank you! May 31 and June 1: "READING THE SHELVES” and “THANK YOU!” Morning Coffee & Afternoon Snacks Parents: please stop by the library anytime during the school day on May 31st or June 1st (or both!) to enjoy a Morning Coffee and Pastries or Afternoon Snacks and help “Read the Shelves”. At the end of each year, we need to assure that all books are in the correct order bookcase-by-bookcase, shelf-by-shelf. Many hands make light work, so your help with this task is greatly appreciated! Training is provided. |
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From the School Nurse |
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Medication Pick Up: Medications will be available for pick up from June 8th 2016 (last day of school) to June 14th 2016. We cannot store medications over the summer. If you are leaving before school ends, please pick up medications early. An Adult must pick up the medication. |
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Lost & Found |
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Lost & Found. Please check the Lost & Found bin!!! We will be donating the contents on the last day of school. There are currently close to 40 forgotten jackets & coats!! |
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Think Green Initiative |
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Think Green as you Spring Clean! As you may know, Covington has moved more fully toward becoming a “Greener” school. We have been increasing our “green education” and training our students how to understand and separate compost, recycle and trash items. We emphasize this throughout the day, but especially at lunch.
In an effort to broaden our approach and to model for our students, Covington is collecting gently used school supplies to demonstrate to students the impact of recycle and reuse on communities. We will organize and put together the supplies to push out where needed in the community. So, as you do your spring cleaning, think Green! We are collecting:
Please donate to the box in front of the Office. Thank you! |
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LAEF |
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Tick-tock: One Week to Go! Special thanks to the 20 families who contributed $22,657 last week in donations and corporate matches! We’re getting closer to our $3.5M goal and it’s not too late to donate or request a match from your company, to pay for the enrichment programs and teachers your child has enjoyed THIS current year. Every gift makes a big difference! Please donate at LAEFOnline.org or drop a check in our school’s office this week. Thanks! LAEF 2016 Annual Parent Survey Results Are In This year, 1,725 parents responded to our annual survey in English, Spanish, and Chinese. And our LAEF Survey Committee read every one of the 4,000 comments shared! Your voices have helped LAEF determine our funding priorities for the 2016/17 school year. Thank you for sharing your input! We will be announcing our 2016/17 Annual Grant shortly. In the meantime, please take a moment to review the survey results by going to LAEFOnline.org. |
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LASD & Community Announcements |
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School & Community News now found via Peachjar: https://www.peachjar.com/ |
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How to Submit an Article to the Covington Howler |
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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. |
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May 24, 2016
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Important Dates:
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Looking Ahead:
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Principal’s Message |
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Dear Covington Families & Community Members, We would like to celebrate our two teachers who are retiring this year! Mrs. Katie Campodonico Mrs. Campodonico has been teaching in our district for 19 years, after 3 years at other districts. She has taught 1st, 3rd and 5th grades here at Covington. Students had these things to say about Mrs. C. “She’s really nice and friendly. She is understanding and helps us understand things.” “She gives us second chances.” “She sometimes makes up words and tells us not to be so ‘snoizy.’” “She knows what she’s doing.” Mrs. Campidonico says she will truly miss seeing kids everyday and values the relationships that she’s built with them. “It’s been a privilege to have kids share what’s inside of them. Every morning I wake up and think, ‘I GET to do this job today.’ That’s pretty awesome!” Covington will miss her generosity of spirit and her sense of fun and we wish her amazing joy in her next adventure! Mrs. Linda Figone Mrs. Figone has been in our district for 15 years after several years teaching in Arizona. In her many years at Covington she was first a Resource Teacher and then became a member of our 4th grade team. Students have these things to say about Mrs. Figone. “She really knows about everything.” “She cares about how much we learn.” “She’s helps us understand and work hard.” Mrs. Figone says she will miss “watching them grow.” She truly loves watching fourth graders come into their own, maturing into independent learners. Covington will miss her wit and her dedication to both staff and students. Finally, congratulations to our 6th grade boys for participating in the LASD basketball tournament. It’s been fun watching them prepare for their event each day at recess. Thanks again to all parents who helped coach and make this event possible. Warm Regards, Kami Thordarson Covington Principal |
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Meet & Greet |
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ALL, come meet Covington's new principal for the next school year, Wade Spenader, on Thursday, May 26th at 2pm in the multi. He will introduce himself and answer any questions you may have. We look forward to seeing you there! |
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Field Day - Volunteers Needed! |
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FIELD DAY 2016 is FRIDAY, JUNE 3rd! Now that the Junior Olympics are over, it's almost time for Field Day 2016! On Friday, June 3rd from 10:00 - 12:00, all Covington students will be participating in Field Day. Field Day is a fun filled event where all students participate in games (for example: bowling, "pin the nose on the coyote", seed spitting, etc.), face painting and a blow-up obstacle course. We have food, music, lots of water, and a "6th grade vs teachers" volleyball game. If you haven't had much of a chance to volunteer this year, this is the event for you! We need parent volunteers at each game, for face painting, and for serving snacks. We need your help to make it a success. Volunteer hours are from 9:30 to noon. Please sign up on the Google doc found here:
https://docs.google.com/ We need at least two parents from each class to help!! Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you! Louanne Gonzalez (louannegonzalez@gmail.com) |
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Library News |
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May 27: ALL books need to be returned by this date. May 31: Library Closed for Summer Books may be returned to book return carts in most classrooms, brought directly to the library, or dropped off in the book return box in the school office. Lost Books: If you have lost your book, we will request payment in order to purchase replacement copies. Thank you! May 31 and June 1: "READING THE SHELVES” and “THANK YOU!” Morning Coffee & Afternoon Snacks Parents: please stop by the library anytime during the school day on May 31st or June 1st (or both!) to enjoy a Morning Coffee and Pastries or Afternoon Snacks and help “Read the Shelves”. At the end of each year, we need to assure that all books are in the correct order bookcase-by-bookcase, shelf-by-shelf. Many hands make light work, so your help with this task is greatly appreciated! Training is provided. |
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From the School Nurse |
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Medication Pick Up: Medications will be available for pick up from June 8th 2016 (last day of school) to June 14th 2016. We cannot store medications over the summer. If you are leaving before school ends, please pick up medications early. An Adult must pick up the medication. |
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Lost & Found |
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Lost & Found. Please check the Lost & Found bin!!! We will be donating the contents on the last day of school. There are currently close to 40 forgotten jackets & coats!! |
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PTA MINIMUM DAY PARTIES |
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JUNE 3 MINIMUM DAY PARTIES There are still spots left for the minimum day parties on June 3. Please sign-up using the links below. Your child won’t want to miss the fun! Laser Tag, Grades 2-6, Covington Field - The Games 2 U laser tag experience is an exciting combination of tag and hide & seek with a little Star Trek thrown in for good measure. Players compete in teams to find and tag their opponents using high-tech lasers. Kids will be walked over to Rosita Park for a super fun, action packed experience!
http://covingtonpta. Game Truck, Grades 3-6, Blacktop - The Games 2 U game truck party provides kids with a chance to experience a state of the art mobile game theater. Kids play the latest video games on screens inside and outside the mobile truck. Envision surround sound, laser lights and a fog machine and you'll realize this is an experience your kids will never forget!
http://covingtonpta. Tennis, Grades K-6, Rosita Tennis Courts - Get your game ready for summer. Take a tennis lesson with your friends with our local tennis professional, Coach David! David's program foundation is based on respect of the game, sportsmanship, and integrity. Coach David will bring out the best in your player and provide a positive tennis experience.
http://covingtonpta. Questions? Please contact Kristi Snapp, ksnapp2@gmail.com |
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Think Green Initiative |
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Think Green as you Spring Clean! As you may know, Covington has moved more fully toward becoming a “Greener” school. We have been increasing our “green education” and training our students how to understand and separate compost, recycle and trash items. We emphasize this throughout the day, but especially at lunch.
In an effort to broaden our approach and to model for our students, Covington is collecting gently used school supplies to demonstrate to students the impact of recycle and reuse on communities. We will organize and put together the supplies to push out where needed in the community. So, as you do your spring cleaning, think Green! We are collecting:
Please donate to the box in front of the Office. Thank you! |
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ART DOCENTS |
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The Los Altos Art Docents are 90 dedicated volunteers who have taught more than 815 art lessons to the elementary school children in the Los Altos School District. This year at Covington, the docents taught 121 art lessons.
Thank you to Covington parents Sharon Au, Yasmin Braun, Patrina Lee, and Sowmya Thvar who contributed to the success of the Art Docent program this year.
New docents are taught the LAAD lessons by experienced docents on Wednesday mornings from September through March. The Los Altos Art Docents welcome new members to join the next docent-in-training class in the fall. To learn more, you are welcome to come to our informational coffee on August 24th at 10:00 in the boardroom of the district office.
For more information, check us out at www.losaltosartdocents.org. |
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May 17, 2016
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In This Issue
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Principal’s Message |
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Dear Covington Families & Community Members, We have a lot of events coming up at the end of the year so please read below!! Congratulations to our 6th grade girls for participating in the LASD basketball tournament. Our girls showed true Coyote spirit by playing hard and unselfishly and supporting one another. Way to go, girls! The 6th grade boys’ basketball tournament will be this Friday.
Warm Regards, Kami Thordarson Covington Principal |
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Think Green Initiative |
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Think Green as you Spring Clean! As you may know, Covington has moved more fully toward becoming a “Greener” school. We have been increasing our “green education” and training our students how to understand and separate compost, recycle and trash items. We emphasize this throughout the day, but especially at lunch.
In an effort to broaden our approach and to model for our students, Covington is collecting gently used school supplies to demonstrate to students the impact of recycle and reuse on communities. We will organize and put together the supplies to push out where needed in the community. So, as you do your spring cleaning, think Green! We are collecting:
Please donate to the box in front of the Office. Thank you! |
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Field Day - Volunteers Needed! |
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FIELD DAY 2016 is FRIDAY, JUNE 3rd! Now that the Junior Olympics are over, it's almost time for Field Day 2016! On Friday, June 3rd from 10:00 - 12:00, all Covington students will be participating in Field Day. Field Day is a fun filled event where all students participate in games (for example: bowling, "pin the nose on the coyote", seed spitting, etc.), face painting and a blow-up obstacle course. We have food, music, lots of water, and a "6th grade vs teachers" volleyball game. If you haven't had much of a chance to volunteer this year, this is the event for you! We need parent volunteers at each game, for face painting, and for serving snacks. We need your help to make it a success. Volunteer hours are from 9:30 to noon. Please sign up on the Google doc found here:
https://docs.google.com/ We need at least two parents from each class to help!! Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you! Louanne Gonzalez (louannegonzalez@gmail.com) |
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From the School Nurse |
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Medication Pick Up: Medications will be available for pick up from June 8th 2016 (last day of school) to June 14th 2016. We cannot store medications over the summer. If you are leaving before school ends, please pick up medications early. An Adult must pick up the medication. |
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C-STEM Showcase |
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Come support computer science in LASD Schools and visit the CSTEM Showcase at Almond School, Thursday May 19, 2016 from 3:15pm-5:00pm. You check out the flyer here: http://tinyurl.com/ |
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MORE PTA NEWS |
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Ladies Sip 'n Swap: an evening of fun and fashion! Price: $40 per person (limit 30 people), please email jtebbitt@gmail.com to sign up and drop off checks in the office made out to "Covington PTA". Date/Time: May 19th, 2016, 6:00pm Location: University Club of Palo Alto Hosts: Jennie Ebbitt, Hillary Frank, Kate Lee and Lara Sullivan. Looking for some fine new fashion items and a chance to clean out your closet? Join us for a ladies only get together to sip on wine and swap your new or pre-loved clothes, shoes, handbags, jewelry and accessories that you no longer need (but are in good condition) and swap them for other great items. Bring your fashionable items to swap and leave your inhibitions behind! We’ll supply yummy eats and wine to sip! xxx |
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Girl Scout News |
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Bake Sale! Girl Scout Troop 61164 will have a Bake Sale this Thursday, May 19th after school in front of the Multi. Each item will be $1 and all proceeds will be donated to Rabbit Haven, an organization that rescues, provides medical care, and re-homes bunnies. This is not a Stay and Play. Thank you for supporting Covington's 4th and 5th grade Girl Scouts! |
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LAEF |
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CSTEM Showcase is sponsored by LAEF LAEF is proud to sponsor the Los Altos School District CSTEM Showcase on Thursday, May 19th from 3:15 to 5:00 pm in the Almond Elementary Multi. Bring your family to play games and explore projects created from all seven elementary schools. As a result of their exposure to computer science, 6th-grade students are ready to integrate coding in other academic areas and to take the new CS Elective in Jr. High, another step in expanding the CSTEM program to TK-8. To learn more, go to LAEFOnline.org. Fulfill your pledge to LAEF or donate before June 8th With a month left of school, now is the time to donate to LAEF. There are 100 families who pledged a total of $92,467 during our annual phonathon, and we’re counting on you to fulfill your pledge by June 8th to meet our $3.5M goal. All new and additional donations will also be much appreciated…every dollar makes a big difference! Please give at LAEFOnline.org or drop a check in our school’s office this week. Thank you. |
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LASD & Community Announcements |
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School & Community News now found via Peachjar: https://www.peachjar.com/ |
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How to Submit an Article to the Covington Howler |
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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. |
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May 10, 2016
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In This Issue
Quick Dates for your Calendar:
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Principal’s Message |
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Dear Covington Families & Community Members, Are We Adapting Fast Enough? One of my favorite educational bloggers is Will Richardson. We share many of the same perspectives and thoughts around educational change. One of his latest pieces is Adapt. Fast. He discusses how our current climate is one of rapid change and that the ability of adapting is a necessary skill, not only for our students, but for our educational institutions. He references the idea of “perpetual Beta.” My take on perpetual Beta is that because of our hyper-connectedness and the current move from a market to a network economy, today’s work skills need to be flexible and always adapting to fit a new need. We are always in collaborating, compromising, and learning mode. Learning to gain mastery is a life skill with a moving target and one that our students need to understand. Our focus, throughout our entire organization should be reflecting that ability to learn. Will Richardson comments, “The fact is, few schools reflect the ability to learn. Few have cultures where the emphasis is on questioning and wondering and iterating new practices for the new contexts that now surround us. Instead, schools are focused on doing the old stuff better. Better policies. Better assessments. Better practices, not new.” It’s difficult to move into the unknown, especially when we can’t always define and see the answers due to the rate of change. What we need is adaptation. In order to survive perpetual Beta, we need our entire community to collaborate and innovate new solutions. Here in Los Altos we are working to implement some better structures and systems to help our teachers collaborate, learn, and develop mastery in current educational needs while growing adaptive and agile mindsets. “In today’s world, we’re going to need to move beyond obvious thinking, strategies, and connections if we are to effectively prepare our students for a very non-obvious future.” - DCulberhouse, “The Future Will Be Very Different.” Adapting to new ideas can take time, however we must be aware of how much time we are taking for the benefit of our students. Warm Regards, Kami Thordarson Covington Principal |
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LAST PTA MEETING |
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Please come to the staff room Friday May 13th at 8:30am for the last PTA meeting of the school year. PTA will be approving the following:
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Student Council News |
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This Friday the 13th!
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C-STEM Showcase |
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Come support computer science in LASD Schools and visit the CSTEM Showcase at Almond School, Thursday May 19, 2016 from 3:15pm-5:00pm. You check out the flyer here: http://tinyurl.com/ |
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MORE PTA NEWS |
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PET PARADE: Walk with your Covington friends and critters this Saturday May 14th in the annual Los Altos Pet Parade. Parade starts at 10am, lineup starts at 9:15. Our line up area B-4. See map for location. Wear your blue and orange! Hope to see many of you there! FIELD DAY 2016 is FRIDAY, JUNE 3rd! Now that the Junior Olympics are over, it's almost time for Field Day 2016! On Friday, June 3rd from 10:00am - 12:00pm, all Covington students will be participating in Field Day. Field Day is a fun filled event where all students participate in games (for example: bowling, "pin the nose on the coyote", seed spitting, etc.), face painting and a blow-up obstacle course. We have food, music, lots of water, and a "6th grade verses teachers" volleyball game. If you haven't had much of a chance to volunteer this year, this is the event for you! We need parent volunteers at each game, for face painting, and for serving snacks. We need your help to make it a success. Volunteer hours are from 9:30 to noon. Please sign up on the Google doc found here:
https://docs.google.com/ We need at least two parents from each class to help!! Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you! Louanne Gonzalez (louannegonzalez@gmail.com) Ladies Sip 'n Swap: an evening of fun and fashion! Price: $40 per person (limit 30 people), please email jtebbitt@gmail.com to sign up and drop off checks in the office made out to "Covington PTA". Date/Time: May 19th, 2016, 6:00pm Location: University Club of Palo Alto Hosts: Jennie Ebbitt, Hillary Frank, Kate Lee and Lara Sullivan. Looking for some fine new fashion items and a chance to clean out your closet? Join us for a ladies only get together to sip on wine and swap your new or pre-loved clothes, shoes, handbags, jewelry and accessories that you no longer need (but are in good condition) and swap them for other great items. Bring your fashionable items to swap and leave your inhibitions behind! We’ll supply yummy eats and wine to sip! Spots still available for the Caddyshack Party - May 14th Calling all Bushwood Country Club members and caddies - Join us fore a night of golf themed activities, food and adult beverages. Don't miss out, be part of this Cinderella story, It's sure to be a Hole In One! Come dressed as your favorite character or dress to Tee-off! The Snapps, Schuders and Townhills, May 14th , 4:00pm Brushwood Country Club aka The Snapp Residence 180 Marvin Avenue, Los Altos, Price - $100 per couple. Please RSVP to Jennifer Townhill - jennifer@townhillfamily.com. Please make your check out to “Covington PTA” and drop it in the PTA box in the office or bring it to the event” |
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Think Green Initiative |
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Think Green as you Spring Clean! As you may know, Covington has moved more fully toward becoming a “Greener” school. We have been increasing our “green education” and training our students how to understand and separate compost, recycle and trash items. We emphasize this throughout the day, but especially at lunch.
In an effort to broaden our approach and to model for our students, Covington is collecting gently used school supplies to demonstrate to students the impact of recycle and reuse on communities. We will organize and put together the supplies to push out where needed in the community. So, as you do your spring cleaning, think Green! We are collecting:
Please donate to the box in front of the Office. Thank you! |
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LAEF |
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It’s not too late to request a corporate match to support LAEF
With just 25 days until the end of school now is the time to submit a matching request to your company. You might be able to double or even triple your donation! Did you know that in 2014/15 corporate matching contributed $530,000 towards our annual grant? Amazing! And it all starts with you. With a little more than $100,000 to go to meet our goal, every dollar counts. Find out if your company matches by going to www.doublethedonation.com/laef |
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LASD & Community Announcements |
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School & Community News now found via Peachjar: https://www.peachjar.com/ |
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How to Submit an Article to the Covington Howler |
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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. |
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May 3, 2016
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In This Issue
Quick Dates for your Calendar:
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Principal’s Message |
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Dear Covington Families & Community Members, “Culture Eats Strategy for Breakfast” Peter Drucker is often quoted as saying, “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.” One of the most important elements of our school campus is the unspoken culture that resides here. It reveals itself in the way our students treat each other on the playground, in the interactions between teachers and parents, and in the simple day to day routines that we employ. And while we recognize that Covington is a great place overall, there is always room for improvement and growth. We need a little strategy in order to build culture. Looking to next year, there are several new programs that our staff are working on that will benefit and grow our culture. You may hear teachers talking about Responsive Classroom (RC). RC offers an approach to teaching that focuses on academic, social, and emotional growth within a strong school community. It emphasizes that how children learn is as important as what they learn, and that academic success is closely tied to students’ social-emotional well being. Many of the Covington staff will be attending training this summer to learn more about RC and you will see and hear new classroom routines and strategies that reflect this program. Also, some of our teachers are attending or have attended workshops around Mindfulness. With the continual build up of stress in our students lives, learning to manage anxiety and emotion is becoming a much needed addition to our curriculum. See how one school has embraced this idea by reading, “What Changes When a School Embraces Mindfulness?” by Katrina Schwartz. And finally, we are introducing a new problem solving component for students through a program called No Bully. Students are more and more comfortable calling each other bullies without truly understanding the term. The No Bully System will give our community a process and tools that will help students problem solve all conflicts, including those instances of true bullying. We are looking forward to building our Solution Team and empowering students to be part of the answer. Peter Drucker also said, “The best way to predict the future, is to create it.” I predict that the Covington culture will continue to not only be great, but will grow into a community that increases its value for emotional well-being along with strong academics. Warm Regards, Kami Thordarson Covington Principal |
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C-STEM Showcase |
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Come support computer science in LASD Schools and visit the CSTEM Showcase at Almond School, Thursday May 19, 2016 from 3:15pm-5:00pm. You check out the flyer here: http://tinyurl.com/ |
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PTA NEWS |
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Ladies Sip 'n Swap: an evening of fun and fashion! Price: $40 per person (limit 30 people), please email jtebbitt@gmail.com to sign up and drop off checks in the office made out to "Covington PTA". Date/Time: May 19th, 2016, 6:00pm Location: University Club of Palo Alto Hosts: Jennie Ebbitt, Hillary Frank, Kate Lee and Lara Sullivan. Looking for some fine new fashion items and a chance to clean out your closet? Join us for a ladies only get together to sip on wine and swap your new or pre-loved clothes, shoes, handbags, jewelry and accessories that you no longer need (but are in good condition) and swap them for other great items. Bring your fashionable items to swap and leave your inhibitions behind! We’ll supply yummy eats and wine to sip! Spots still available for the Caddyshack Party - May 14th Calling all Bushwood Country Club members and caddies - Join us fore a night of golf themed activities, food and adult beverages. Don't miss out, be part of this Cinderella story, It's sure to be a Hole In One! Come dressed as your favorite character or dress to Tee-off! The Snapps, Schuders and Townhills, May 14th , 4:00pm Brushwood Country Club aka The Snapp Residence 180 Marvin Avenue, Los Altos, Price - $100 per couple. Please RSVP to Jennifer Townhill - jennifer@townhillfamily.com. Please make your check out to “Covington PTA” and drop it in the PTA box in the office or bring it to the event” PET PARADE: Save the Date Saturday May 14th. Bring your pet (or not) and walk with Covington in the Pet Parade. More information will be coming next week. |
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LASD Junior Olympics |
Junior Olympics: Dear 4,5,6 grade parents, Junior Olympics was a fantastic day! Over 1,600 students, their families and friends came out to enjoy some friendly competition at Mountain View High School! We look forward to our awards ceremony and slideshow on Friday, May 20 at 1:45 pm. Parents are welcome to join! You can find 2016 results and records at lasdjo.com.
Pictures Needed! Please post pictures here here for inclusion in our slideshow. Lost something at JO? Lost & Found items are in a box at Santa Rita near the Electronic Sign.
Suggestions and feedback? We always appreciate hearing from you on ways to improve this event. Please send e-mail to jochaircovington@gmail.com
Thank you, thank you, thank you! So many people are needed every year the make this event happen: PE specialists, LASD personnel, MVLA personnel, parents, high school students, middle school students, as well as our very own 4-6 participants.
We would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to the following people in our community who went over and above to make the 55th Junior Olympics a spectacular event! We could not do it without YOU!: Sarah Andersen, Alene Baronian, Olga Biberman, Yumie Britt, David Brunner, Owen Brunner, Sonia Brunner, Jim Cairns, Olivia Cairns, Grace Chin, David Chou, Yvonne Chou, Sara Colpitts, John Crawford, Michael Croft, Srinivas Dharmasanam, Parth Dhanotra, Diana Ekstrand, Chunbei Feng, Himanshu Gupta, Kathryn Han, Lauren Hasenhuttl, Marjorie Hondl, Cheryl House, Surbhi Jain, Moonhee Jang, Suzanne Jensen, Judith Kau, Scott Kaufman, Suzanne Kasso, Laura Kerestezachi, Laurie Kurgas, Ben Lai, Mary Lai, Carolyn LeBaron, Tim LeBaron, Matt Leong, Tracey Leong, Fionnuala Loughran, Ian Loughran, Jarend Maeyama, Julie McGrath, Kate McGuigan, Jen McGuigan, Peter Meyn, Allie Murdock, James Murdock, Wendy Murdock, Saori O'Reilly, James Reilly, Lisa Schuder, Claudia Sgro, Rita Grover-Sidhu, Kathleen Smiley, Stuart Sweet, Chester Te, Miles Townhill, Richard Townhill, Elsa Villalobos, Sophie Wang, Christie Wilson, Takako Yanase, Kristy Yang Himanshu Gupta Special thanks to Ms. Marquis, our amazing PE teacher and to our 4-6th grade teachers and principal. Want to help plan the fun in 2017? E-mail jochaircovington@gmail.com to join a very fun crew! Your JO Covington Committee, Valerie Cairns Louanne Gonzalez Kristi Snapp Jen Springer Mara Starkey |
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LAEF |
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LAEF: $150,000 short of reaching $3.5M goal LAEF presented its first installment of our annual grant to LASD at Junior Olympics, but we are still $150,000 short to pay for all of your child’s favorite enrichment teachers and programs including STEM, PE, library, art, music and computer science. April was a banner month with 112 families contributing $121,450, including 28 new donors who helped LAEF meet our $15,000 matching grant challenge. Thank you! If just 18 more families from each campus donate and we receive the same number of corporate matches again this year, we will reach our goal! We strive for 100% participation from our families and any amount in greatly appreciated. If you haven't already donated or submitted your employer match, please do so today by going to LAEFonline.org or drop a check in our school’s office this week. |
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LASD & Community Announcements |
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District English Language Advisory Committee (DELAC) meeting is May 5th, 8:45 AM in the LASD Board Room There will be a District English Language Advisory Committee (DELAC) meeting, a meeting about the English Learner program in the Los Altos School District (LASD). This is a public meeting and all who are interested are invited to attend. Please contact Ann Haigh at (650) 947-1180 if you have questions. The district-wide meeting is in the LASD Board Room, 201 Covington Road, Los Altos.
School & Community News now found via Peachjar:https://www.peachjar.com/ |
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How to Submit an Article to the Covington Howler |
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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. |
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April 26, 2016
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In This Issue:
Quick Dates for your Calendar:
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Principal’s Message |
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Dear Covington Families & Community Members, In a stuck moment it is hard to see how to get unstuck and look for positive forces when all we see are obstacles. This is actually a good time to practice gratitude, not for what’s in our way, but appreciating what isn’t. While in the classroom, I challenged my students to keep a gratitude journal for 30 days. We checked in with each other each day to share our thoughts and stories. At the end of the 30 days, we all had discovered that learning to think with gratitude helped lesson panic when we were stuck and helped us see new solutions. We had a new attitude. In my short time of being here, I have witnessed how giving the Covington community can be, through their time, their energy, and their donations. I wanted to take this opportunity to say Thank You! Your time and financial support is appreciated both in our community and in our classrooms. At the district level, parents offer support through LAEF and their work is valued as well. Many of our programs such as PE, Music, STEM, and Library, are supported by the foundation and they are an essential part of what allows LASD to be a leader in revolutionizing learning. At the Junior Olympics this Saturday, LAEF will make its grant to LASD to fund this year’s programs, in addition to smaller class sizes in K-3. LAEF serves every one of our students and that is why giving to LAEF is about participation and gratitude. To reach its $3.3M goal, LAEF needs 30 more families from our school to donate by April 30th. Please give today at www.laefonline.org I am grateful for the work that is done by so many of our community members. You all help us see our way out of those sticky situations. So here’s to practicing gratitude this week! (Try the gratitude journal app and read “How Feeling Grateful Can Make You More Successful”) Junior Olympics Saturday, April 30th from 8:00am-4:00pm This annual, fun-filled, all inclusive, inter-school track meet celebrates over 50 years of physical education in Los Altos School District. Fourth, fifth, and sixth graders from all seven district elementary schools compete in both traditional and nontraditional track and field events. We are very short on Covington Volunteers needed for Junior Olympics. The Junior Olympics is only possible because of the time put in by our parent community. It is an incredible experience; one that our students will remember for a lifetime. If you haven't yet volunteered much of your time at an event this school year, NOW is the time to do so. It is a Saturday event, so for those who work outside the home, this is a great opportunity to lend service to your child's education. While the bulk of volunteers are from our 4th-6th grade parents, any parent can volunteer. In fact, it’s a great chance for 3rd grade parents to see what Junior Olympics are all about. PLEASE sign up for a volunteer spot here:
https://docs.google.com/ See you all in ORANGE this Saturday at Mountain View High. Warm Regards, Kami Thordarson Covington Principal |
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After School Lego Class Cancelled on Wed 4/27 |
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Attention Parents of Children in the After School Lego Class: NO CLASS TOMORROW 4/27. Please pick your children up at the regular dismissal time. |
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C-STEM Showcase |
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Come support computer science in LASD Schools and visit the CSTEM Showcase at Almond School, Thursday May 19, 2016 from 3:15pm-5:00pm. You can check out the flyer here: http://tinyurl.com/ |
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New Speed Limit on Covington Rd - 15MPH |
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Did you know the speed limit in front of Covington School is now 15 miles per hour? The Los Altos police will be strictly enforcing this starting this week. To learn more about traffic safety join the Los Altos Police on Tuesday (tonight) April 26 from 6:30pm-7:30pm at the Grant Park Multi, 1575 Holt Ave, Los Altos. Free, Open to all. Please RSVP: http://bit.ly/LosAltosTraffic |
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LASD Junior Olympics |
The 56th LASD Junior Olympics is coming! Saturday, April 30, 2016 / 8am-4pm / Mountain View High School General Information Junior Olympics is coming up this Saturday April 30th! As you probably have heard, the event is scheduled from 8 am to 4 pm at Mountain View High School. The kids have been working very hard training during their PE time and are all very excited for the day to come. We are in need of parent VOLUNTEERS to make Junior Olympics possible. Each of the LASD schools is responsible for running a few events, staffing various booths, and baking some baked goods. All parents of participating students are asked to contribute some time to make this wonderful event a success. If you have a fourth grader and have not been to Junior Olympics before, it is a wonderful district wide event. You do need to stay at Mountain View High School all day as long as your child is there, so we encourage you to sign up to help for a time slot. It is so much fun! PLEASE sign up for a volunteer spot here:
https://docs.google.com/ To be sure that you are available for your child’s events, we’d suggest checking the map & schedule which is available at lasdjo.com. Please contact JO Chairs if you have any questions. jochaircovington@gmail.com THANKS! Jen, Mara, Louanne, Valerie and Kristi Covington Junior Olympics Committee |
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LAEF |
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$15,000 Matching Grant Extended to April 29th There is still time to get your donation to LAEF matched before we make our 2015/16 grant at Junior Olympics! A fellow LASD family has extended their kind offer to double all new gifts received by 4/29. Help us reach our goal this year to pay for your child’s favorite enrichment teacher whether it’s STEM, PE, library, art, music or computer science. Donate today at LAEFonline.org or bring a check to the school office this week. |
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LASD & Community Announcements |
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District English Language Advisory Committee (DELAC) meeting is May 5th, 8:45 AM in the LASD Board Room There will be a District English Language Advisory Committee (DELAC) meeting, a meeting about the English Learner program in the Los Altos School District (LASD). This is a public meeting and all who are interested are invited to attend. Please contact Ann Haigh at (650) 947-1180 if you have questions. The district-wide meeting is in the LASD Board Room, 201 Covington Road, Los Altos.
School & Community News now found via Peachjar: https://www.peachjar.com/ |
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How to Submit an Article to the Covington Howler |
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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 Howlerscheduled for the following Tuesday. |
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April 19, 2016
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In This Issue:
Quick Dates for your Calendar:
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Principal’s Message |
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Dear Covington Families & Community Members, Welcome back from Spring Break! We are now entering the crazy, fast-paced downhill portion of the roller coaster ride. You know that feeling, when the coaster comes over the top of that really long upward hill that goes so slowly, and then suddenly takes off as it races through the rest of the course. The upward hill seems to take forever and the end rushes up so quickly that you wonder what happened to the rest of the ride. While it may feel like the world is rushing by, it’s helpful to remind students that the end is where we finish strong. We still have much learning and excitement ahead before we hit the end of the track. I love this time of year because students are reaching their stride. They have a feel for the course and they lean into the turns. Remind them to take a deep breath and enjoy the best part of the ride. Next week our students in grades 3-6 will participate in the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium California state testing (SBAC). The test is completely online for English-Language Arts and Math, while the California Standards Test (CST) in Science will still be administered in paper/pencil format to 5th and 8th graders. We are in our second year of SBAC testing and both teachers and students are more comfortable with the online format. Good food and plenty of rest can help students stay focused and comfortable during tedious testing sessions. Our teachers do an excellent job of balancing those long hours with engaging learning experiences and with helping students feel successful throughout the process. While testing provides us with important data around student learning, it is only one piece of a rather large puzzle. Testing can raise anxiety levels in students and it’s helpful to remember that not everyone’s genius will be apparent in the results. This is Genius. It’s important that we keep sight of the students among the test scores. 2016-2017 Staffing plans... Staffing plans are currently being made for the 2016-2017 school year. Each year there are a few staff adjustments in teaching assignments due to postings within LASD, and other various reasons. As soon as plans are finalized, I will share our 2016-2017 staffing list with you. As we look forward to next year, our staff will continue our commitment to building balanced classes. Research indicates that achievement is higher in classrooms that have healthy dynamics. We seek to develop the best possible dynamics in EVERY classroom. This includes balancing classes by gender, personality types, social needs, cognitive skills, and English language needs so that all students have an equal opportunity to learn, be challenged and develop into their full potential. Teachers, administrators and specialists follow a systematic process to ensure each child is placed in the best possible learning environment for his/ her success. If you feel your child has specific needs that we may not be aware of, please stop by the office and complete a parent input form. Forms are available in the office and must be returned by May 18th. Thank you ahead of time for not requesting a specific teacher by name. I appreciate your support and look forward to sharing our staffing assignments with you in the near future. Warm Regards, Kami Thordarson Covington Principal |
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Commute to School Survey |
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The district would like to know how each and every Covington family commutes to school. As such, could you please complete this very short survey as soon as possible? |
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LASD Junior Olympics |
The 56th LASD Junior Olympics is coming! Saturday, April 30, 2016 / 8am-4pm / Mountain View High School General Information JUNIOR OLYMPICS: The Junior Olympics are coming up! The Junior Olympics is a district-wide event bringing our Los Altos community together through friendly competition between our district elementary schools. Like the Walkathon, but bigger, it is a day of fun competition, community bonding, and lots of fun activities. The Junior Olympics is for everyone in the district! Although students must be in Grades 4-6 to be eligible to compete, all students and families of LASD are welcomed and encouraged to attend the Junior Olympics to cheer on their school. Visit our Junior Olympics website for more information and make sure to mark your calendars for Saturday April 30. The 1320 yard run kicks off at 8am and Opening Ceremonies will commence at 9am. All local sports events are canceled specifically for Junior Olympics so you can come cheer on our Covington athletes. More information is available at lasdjo.com. |
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PTA Announcements |
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Jeff Baier, Superintendent of LASD Schools, is scheduled to come to our Multi on April 20th at 8:30am to gain input about our school and what exactly we would like from an incoming principal. He would love to gain input on: (1) what makes Covington unique and what makes us proud of our school, (2) how we envision our school engaging students in learning over the next 5 years, and (3) what are our desired leadership characteristics of an incoming principal.
______________________________ Covington PTA Presents: Aladdin Jr. Performances are at the Covington multi: Saturday April 23rd 7pm & Sunday April 24th 3pm. Tickets are $10 each - general admission. **Last day to pre-buy your tickets to this weekend's performances of Aladdin Jr. is Thursday. Tickets will be sold at the door if space is available. ** Ticket forms can be found here:
http://www.covingtonschool. Please print, complete and drop off with payment to the Aladdin box in the office. Additional forms are also available in the box. Doors open half hour before the shows. Concessions will be available for purchase. Please contact Arezou arezoua@yahoo.com with any questions.
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LAEF |
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LAEF’s in the final S-T-R-E-T-C-H: We need 30 more families to give! There are just a couple weeks until LAEF makes its 2015-16 grant to LASD at Junior Olympics on April 30th. With $279,056 to raise between now and then, every dollar you give will help! Did you know that if 30 more families gave at each school, we would reach our goal? Your donation to LAEF directly benefits your child’s educational enrichment THIS school year. Please give online today at www.laefonline.org or bring a check to the school office this week. |
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LASD & Community Announcements |
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Pack 76 Cub Scout Picnic: Cub Scouts is fun! Come to Pack 76's Spring picnic to learn all about Cub Scouts. During the school year, we go camping, hike, help the community through service projects, build and race Pinewood Derby cars, build and shoot rockets, eat s'mores around the campfire, and learn new skills. When: Thursday, April 28, 2016 Time: 5-7pm Where: Shoup Park, 400 University Ave, Los Altos What: Free food/beverages and fun activities Who: Boys in K-4th grade interested in Cub Scouts + a parent RSVP: Lauren Hasenhuttl, Pack 76 Committee Chair (lhasenhu@gmail.com) District English Language Advisory Committee (DELAC) meeting is rescheduled for May 5th, 8:45 AM in the LASD Board Room; the April 21 meeting is cancelled. There will be a District English Language Advisory Committee (DELAC) meeting, a meeting about the English Learner program in the Los Altos School District. This is a public meeting and all who are interested are invited to attend. Please contact Ann Haigh at (650) 947-1180 if you have questions. The district-wide meeting is in the LASD Board Room, 201 Covington Road, Los Altos.
School & Community News now found via Peachjar: https://www.peachjar.com/ |
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How to Submit an Article to the Covington Howler |
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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 Howlerscheduled for the following Tuesday. |
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April 5, 2016
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In This Issue:
Quick Dates for your Calendar:
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Principal’s Message |
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Dear Covington Families & Community Members, We have two celebrations this week! We are first celebrating our teachers as this week is Teacher Appreciation Week. This year has offered more than a few challenges as we’ve worked to implement new classroom strategies, new ideas, and new tools in our shift to Standards Based Teaching and Learning. Most of you know this has not been a smooth transition. I have been dipping in and out of the book, The Risk Factor: Why Every Organization Needs Big Bets, Bold Characters, and the Occasional Spectacular Failure, by Deborah Perry Pescione. We could have entered the water slowly, which may have been more comfortable and given us more time to clearly communicate the change, but we took a huge risk and jumped into the deep end. It was a big bet and many would term it our “spectacular failure.” I would argue that while some of the tools failed, the more important efforts and learning that have occurred during this frantic swim have been invaluable. Our conversations around student learning and our definitions of feedback and mastery have been rich, thought provoking, and have had positive impacts on creating student agency in our classrooms. While there is still much work ahead in moving us forward, this is a great time to celebrate our teachers who have taken this leap into the deep end. It’s one thing to talk about change, it’s another thing to do it. Education is in need of some big bets and bold characters and I am proud to say that here in Los Altos, our teachers are willing to embrace the risk and the occasional spectacular failure as we work to create value and a rewarding educational experience for every student. Our second celebration this week is our students. We invite you to Open House this Thursday night from 6:00-7:00 pm. This is an opportunity for you to visit your child’s classroom and let them share with you all of the amazing learning that is happening each day. You will see not only finished work, but work in progress as well. Ask your student about the process. How did they get to that end product? What discoveries did they make along the way? How might they do something differently next time? What are they most proud of and what goals might they still accomplish between now and June? Open House offers great moments for students to reflect with parents around their work. Enjoy the conversation and look at learning through their eyes. Happy Spring Break! Warm Regards, Kami Thordarson Covington Principal |
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Message from the School Nurse |
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Pertussis Booster for Students in grade 6: Students currently in 6th grade must have proof of a Tdap or Dtap (Pertussis or Whooping Cough) booster given after their 7th birthday (after 10th birthday is recommended) in order to begin 7th grade in August of 2016. Please provide a copy of your child’s immunization record to your school office as soon as possible. |
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LASD Junior Olympics |
The 56th LASD Junior Olympics is coming! Saturday, April 30, 2016 / 8am-4pm / Mountain View High School General Information JUNIOR OLYMPICS: The Junior Olympics are coming up! The Junior Olympics is a district-wide event bringing our Los Altos community together through friendly competition between our district elementary schools. Like the Walkathon, but bigger, it is a day of fun competition, community bonding, and lots of fun activities. The Junior Olympics is for everyone in the district! Although students must be in Grades 4-6 to be eligible to compete, all students and families of LASD are welcomed and encouraged to attend the Junior Olympics to cheer on their school. Visit our Junior Olympics website for more information and make sure to mark your calendars for Saturday April 30. The 1320 yard run kicks off at 8am and Opening Ceremonies will commence at 9am. All local sports events are canceled specifically for Junior Olympics so you can come cheer on our Covington athletes. More information is available at lasdjo.com. |
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PTA Announcements |
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Covington PTA Presents: Aladdin Jr. Paperless Tickets are now available for purchase. Performances are at the Covington multi: Saturday April 23rd 7pm Sunday April 24th 3pm Tickets are $10 each - general admission. Ticket forms can be found here: http://www.covingtonschool.org/download.cfm?id=1929 Please print, complete and drop off with payment to the Aladdin box in the office. Additional forms are also available in the box. Doors open half hour before the shows. Concessions will be available for purchase. Please contact Arezou arezoua@yahoo.com with any questions. ________________________________________________________________ Kindness is cool! With this in mind, we're working with DUDE. Be Nice to help promote this positive message within our school. Not only will our kids have an awesome t-shirt customized for Covington, but this is a way for Covington PTA to raise funds to keep our school strong. Each t-shirt is priced at $22. To place an order, please add your order information here. Payments will be collected once the order is placed. Thanks for helping spread this awesome message! Hillary Frank, Kathleen Chang, Kathi Donnelly and Tracey Leong |
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6TH GRADE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT, SAVE THE DATES |
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6TH GRADE BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT, SAVE THE DATES The 20th annual 6th grade Bob Celeste "Everyone plays" basketball tournament will be played on the following dates.
Both tournaments will begin at 3:30, and will be played at Blach Jr. High. More information about the tournament will be coming soon. |
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LAEF |
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Three things to know about LASD STEM Launched three years ago with funding from LAEF, the LASD STEM program is now recognized nationally for its exciting, well-integrated student-centered projects.
Your donations to LAEF have helped to fund our outstanding team of STEM teachers and district STEM coach this school year. To learn more or to support this program by making a donation, please go to LAEFonline.org. |
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LASD & Community Announcements |
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School & Community News now found via Peachjar: https://www.peachjar.com/index.php?a=28&b=138®ion=54001 |
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How to Submit an Article to the Covington Howler |
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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. |