Issue 18 - January 14, 2024

Cove Connection, Issue 19 - Sunday, January 14, 2024

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Cove School Guiding Principles 

Experiential LearningSocial Emotional Growth,

CreativityCommunity
TLDR; The Cove School’s 8th Annual Readathon Fundraiser is underway! The 2024 Readathon is the only PTO fundraising event for the year, so please help us make it a success - goal is $175 raised per child! Bring in books to donate for the Book Swap (The Cove PTO will be collecting kids books starting Tuesday, January 16 - Thursday, January 18) 

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Let's get reading, Cove Coyotes!


UPCOMING DATES

  • January 15 - MLK, Jr Holiday No School

  • January 16 - 18 - Bring in books to donate for the Book Swap (The Cove PTO will be collecting kids books)

  • January 17 - LCMSD Board Meeting 6 - 9pm, Hall Middle School Library

  • January 19 - Book Swap

  • January 22 - Fiscal Advisory Committee 3:30 - 4:30pm, Hall Middle School

  • January 25 - Health & Wellness Meeting 3:45 - 4:30pm

  • February 1 - Save The Date: Talk with Dr. Tracy Foose, Children and Anxiety6:30 - 8pm, The Cove Gallery


PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE


Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! 

As we enjoy this long weekend, I invite you to take a moment to reflect on Dr. King’s legacy. In Friday’s assembly, I shared about the important work of Dr. King and his speech that he gave just over 60 years ago!

Our teachers are continuously folding in important lessons we learned from Dr. King, not just this week, but all year long. Martin Luther King wanted equality. He wanted peace for our world. Martin Luther King was a risk-taker, he was courageous---just like we encourage all of our students to be here at The Cove School. His work started as trying to make the world equal for people with different skin colors. His work then continued on to strive for peace for all kinds of different people. We have learned about how much it helps our world to have people who are all different from each other. And, we still have more learning to do. 

Let’s acknowledge and celebrate our differences as we further the work that Dr. MLK started. We are continuously working to make The Cove School a welcoming, safe, inclusive space for all!

Sincerely,

Michelle Walker, Principal

 
SCHOOL & PTO UPDATES

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Read
athonLast Friday students learned about the Readathon at the assembly and started tracking their reading minutes. Every student also took home their own personalized library tote bag! Check out the photos from the pep rally and assembly here. Many students have already started getting pledges - we are off to an awesome start! If you surpassed your goal...keep collecting! For more information please visit 99pledges and our Readathon website.The Readathon is the only fundraising event dedicated solely to The Cove School, so please help us make it a success! 

 
Events this week:
  • Tuesday, January 16 - Thursday, January 18 - Readathon Book Swap Donation in the Gallery. Bring in one book or bring in a box! Every kid will go home with at least one new book to read on January 19th. 

  • Thursday, January 18 - Readathon Week 1 Minute Tracking ends at 6p. Record minutes when you receive the notification from Parent Square at 6p (enter minutes by 8p)

  • January 19 - Readathon Dress as your Favorite Story Book Character Day | Book Swap (On Friday, Jan 19th, students will choose a few books to take home with them)

  • January 22 - Readathon Bedtime Stories w/ Principal Michelle WalkerZoom, 7p

  • January 25 - Readathon Week 2 Minute Tracking ends at 6p. Enter Week 2 minutes by 8p.


Attendance Vs. Absenteeism Matters! The Cove School is a 2023 California Distinguished School! State Superintendent Thurmond said, “California Distinguished Schools represent examples of not just excellent teaching, learning, and collaboration, but also highly successful, data-driven school efforts ranging from professional development for educators to mental health and social-emotional wellness strategies to address the needs of students and families.”


Cove was selected for this honor based on data reported through the 2022 Dashboard including CAASPP assessment results, chronic absenteeism, suspension rates, and socioeconomic data. However, our attendance data shows that we are not tracking to be eligible for this award next year because of our increase in absenteeism. Please do all you can to ensure your vacations are scheduled during days when the school is closed (Calendar). While the state has just recognized us as a Distinguished School, this is the result of years of hard work and investment from our whole Cove community, so please do all you can to help us maintain this status! Thank you!

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Behavior Refresh/ PBIS Week 1 Recap: Last week (Jan 8-12), we launched our pilot Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) matrix. We worked as a school to reset expectations to further improve our school climate. All of this is geared toward supporting an emotionally and physically safe learning environment so all our students can thrive. Teachers engaged students in lessons to explicitly teach expectations in various settings around the school (assemblies, playground, bathrooms, gallery, lunch area, etc) as well as their classrooms. Here are some notes from week 1:

  • Teachers taught our students about expectations in various settings using the Coyote PAWS Expectations Matrix

  • 2nd graders have tables at lunch now to provide more structure

  • Grades 1-5 had a refresher lesson on recess/ playground expectations, specifically about our end of recess routine called “Peace on Earth” 

  • Students entered our assembly in a quiet, calm way and we revisited expected behaviors for assemblies.

  • The whole Cove staff met on Thursday for a safety grant-funded meeting. It was a timely meeting to discuss how last week went and prepare for this coming week’s next steps: teaching students about consequences- both positive and negative.

 
SPARK NEWS

Spring Online Auction Volunteer Needs: It’s easy to get involved and contribute to the success of our students, teachers and SPARK!  


  • Join the Solicitation Team: Ready to make a positive impact? This opportunity is tailor-made for you! Just a few hours a week from mid-January through February and you get to decide how many accounts to take on – whether it's five or twenty - it’s up to you. We equip you with all the essentials, including an email template to connect with businesses on our targeted list. Most businesses are previous donors and well-acquainted with our Online Auction outreach efforts. The success of this event relies on the generous contributions from businesses and we're looking for a robust team of volunteers to make it happen. Contact info@SPARKschools.org to join us. 


  • Join the Catalog Team: Calling all Copywriters and Editors! We're on the lookout for 5-8 awesome individuals to lend a hand from mid-February to early March. We provide a style guide and you get to flex your copywriting and editing skills on the descriptions for our auction packages. It's a fantastic gig you can tackle from the comfort of your home! Connect with Lori Stein at lstein@SPARKschools.org to dive in! 


Join us as our VIP guest for the Grand Opening Preview Party and Ribbon-cutting Ceremony of SPARK's newest Biz Partner, Total Wine & More! This exclusive event offers a special sneak peek before their doors open to the general public. Join us on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at 71 Tamal Vista Blvd, Corte Madera where you’ll enjoy free samples, live music, local bites, and receive a welcome gift featuring a Riedel O Glassware set & more. Plus Total Wine & More is generously donating 10% of wine sales from 1/24/24 to 1/28/24 to support SPARK! Save the date and RSVP here today (limited space available).


Biz Partner Spotlight: Pavers Express GroupThere's no better time to start planning your backyard renovation, driveway update, or retaining wall replacement than the beginning of the new year. If you're ready to start planning your next project, call Corte Madera family-owned hardscape construction company and SPARK business partner, Pavers Express Group. SPARK DISCOUNT: 10% off all projects signed in January and February. Initial consultations and estimates are free! Call Pavers Express for more information: 415-690-3773. 

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SPARK STEM Program Spotlight: Computer Science Coding in STEM Class. 2nd Graders used Dash to write code for these robots last week. 

DISTRICT NEWS

Board Updates The Board met on January 12, 2024 for their annual self-reflection/governance team workshop. The next Board meeting will be on January 17, 2024 at 6:00 in the Hall Library. The Board will vote on the School Accountability Report Cards and the budget development calendar. Trustees will determine their committee assignments for 2024. Additionally, Trustees will be presented with an update from Curriculum Council regarding assessments and curriculum adoptions. The meeting will be live streamed via Zoom (link; passcode - lcmsd). Please know, public comments will only be taken by in person attendees; public comments via Zoom will not be available. We hope to see you there.

 

New Student Registration for 2024-25 will open on Monday, January 15. Please visit Enrollment Process for detailed information.


COMMUNITY NEWS

Check out this link for exciting local events 

  • Andrews Camps

  • Broadway Training

  • Corte Madera Cheerleading

  • Corte Madera Invitational Art Exhibition

  • Corte Madera Town Rec Winter/Spring Classes 

  • Hall Career Day 2024

  • Marin County Board of Education

  • Marin Scholastic Chess

  • Marin Healthy Youth Partnerships (MHYP)

  • Warriors Basketball Academy