Back to School Combined Payment Information

This week in your student’s weekly folder, the PTA will be sending a paper version of the Back To School Combined Payment Form. This includes PTA membership, donations for field trips, assemblies, class party funds, and school supplies.  While donations for these are a choice and are not required by law, if it is within your means to pay for them, the PTA asks that you do make the donation.  At this point, the PTA has only received donations from about 30% of our school community.

Covington's Back to School Purchase Forms are a big way the PTA raises money and directly helps Covington Elementary School be the California Distinguished School it is.  Your donations for the school supplies (school toolbox) and the Birthday Book Club ensure your child has pencils, crayons, markers, binders and paper in their classroom to learn with and great books for them to read!  Your donations for field trips ensure your children have wonderful field trips and enriching assemblies (that will have to be cancelled without enough donations).   

You can turn in the paper form or pay online with echeck: http://covingtonschool.org/covingtones/4770-Back-to-School-Purchases.html

The generous support of our PTA Community is much appreciated by students and parents.

Walk-A-Thon

Sponsor Cards Due Friday: All sponsor cards are due back by this Friday, October 2nd. We will have a card drop-off station at the main entrance. Cards may also be handed in at the school office. All students who get their sponsor cards in by Friday will get an Otter Pop!

Last Chance To Order A T-Shirt: This week is the last chance to order a FREE t-shirt for your child. Every child gets a shirt even if they can’t join us on the day of the event. Please order your t-shirt at: https://covington.liveimpact.org/li/7370/formtemplate/18639/1/194680

Volunteer at the Walkathon! We need your help to make the Walkathon a success. On the day of the event we need help with the set-up, registration, snacks, water, and more.  Please sign up on the Google spreadsheet located here:

http://tinyurl.com/o9n5soo

GEO CLUB

Join the Geography Club!  Calling all 4th-6th graders who can meet on Tuesdays from 2:45-3:30, October 6th-December 15th.  We’ll have fun  learning about Geography in Room 18.  Email Mrs. Chan mchan@lasdschools.org, Mrs. Scatena mscatena@lasdschools.org, or Mrs. Wyosnick awyosnick@lasdschools.org for questions or sign up here:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11DPYn3RfMXDzJ5t28jMA20gUzneTvt-kYzeouwW0Bow/edit?usp=sharing

Homework Club

Homework Club.  Homework Club starts on October 5th,  and meets Mon, Tues & Thur from 2:45p-3:40p in Room 27. Space is limited.  To enroll pick up a form in the school office.  Space will not be held by phone or email, you need to sign the permission slip to secure a spot for your child.  Homework club is designed for students who need support after school to do their homework.  No Homework Club on Minimum Days or the  Open House day.

LAEF

Save LAEF a call and your donation could be matched up to $100,000!

Save our friendly parent, community and LAEF staff volunteers a call by donating or pledging today at LAEFonline.org. All NEW gifts and any dollar you give OVER your contribution amount last year will be matched by LAEF’s Board of Directors, up to $100,000.  Thank you!

It’s the LAEF Phonathon! Join the fun and help us meet our $3.5M goal.

Our annual phonathon is coming up on Monday and Tuesday, October 19-20. The phonathon is a wonderful opportunity to thank parents for all they do for our kids, to build community spirit and to educate our new families about the enrichment programs we fund. Last year, our group of volunteers and LASD staff helped to raise $566,700 by personally calling 900 families. Sign up to help make calls at LAEFonline.org.

STEM STUFF NEEDED

We will be designing and creating many new products this year in the STEM Lab and could use all of the recyclable materials we can get our hands on!  If you have materials/scraps around your home that you’d like to get rid of, feel free to donate them any time throughout the school year.  Some examples of materials that are wonderful are: paper towel tubes, tissue paper, buttons, wooden rods, craft sticks, pipe cleaners, blocks, small wheels, tops of water bottles, etc.Please send in some S.T.U.F.F.  (Scraps That are Used For Fun!) 
 

Thank you in advance for your help in our new discoveries!           

Mrs. Katie Farley  

STEM Teacher

PTA NEWS

Please join us for our next PTA General Meeting on October 9, 2015 at 8:30am in the Staff Room.  Topics of discussion include: (1) normal business, (2) a Walkathon update, and (3) a discussion and vote on whether to make a fixed donation to EPACS (East Palo Alto Charter School, a charter school that educates K-8 children living in the Ravenswood School District located in East Palo Alto serving children from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, a stone's throw from where we live).  You can see more about the school at this link: http://www.epapa.org/ and we will of course present more about the school at the meeting.  In the craziness of the first PTA meeting, I made a mistake in not bringing the possibility of this donation up earlier, of that, I am truly sorry.  I look forward to seeing you at the PTA meeting October 9th at 8:30am and to listening to all your comments and concerns. Your PTA President, Jessica Speiser

PTA Survey: In an effort to get more attendance at PTA meetings, we have constructed the following survey.  While it it is not perfect, it is a way for us to determine the best ways to get more of our community interested in attending our meetings.  Thanks for taking some time (2-3 minutes tops) to complete it!

http://goo.gl/forms/Y6oPuYuoHo

Mabel’s Labels: Are you tired of losing your children's water bottles, coats, sweatshirts, etc. to the bottomless pit of lost and found because you don't have an easy way to label their stuff? You are? I was too, and I found Mabel's Labels to be the best solution. Not only is it a great solution, but if you buy through this link (and choose Covington PTA in the drop down) a portion of their proceeds goes to Covington! The labels go through the wash (laundry or dishwasher) without falling off. I highly recommend them.  Please use the following link to purchase all types of labels:  http://mabelslabels.com/c/?type=fundraiser&b=2542&cur_website=us_website

LASD & Community Announcements

Los Altos School District is looking for volunteer interpreters to assist us during parent/teacher conferences, student meetings and district events. We are seeking assistance with all languages and it is very helpful if you are able to translate at a different school. Please contact Ann Haigh at 650-947-1180 or at ahaigh@lasdschools.orgor complete this form if you are interested.

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

How to Submit an Article to the Covington Howler

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.