Coho Connection 09/17/24

We love our students so much! Thank you for sharing them with us. As we enter our third week of school, I want to remind you of the importance of regular attendance for students learning as well as connection and engagement with school. You can report absences to our attendance line at 206-780-6600. If you have a planned vacation, please fill out a pre-arranged absence form which can be found on our district website or in our office. If needed, please reach out to me or our counselors, Mrs. Hebert and Mrs. Watson, for any help you may need.

Safety is the number one goal of parent drop-off and pick-up. Please adhere to the procedure of using the car line. You should not be parking in the lot and asking your student to walk to you. I highly recommend using the Island Church parking lot as another option. Thank you so much for your help and partnership!

I feel so fortunate to live and work in a community that values public education! A huge thank you to the Bainbridge Schools Foundation for their support in ensuring our schools are well-funded. Please take a moment to watch this video highlighting the amazing work they do on behalf of our kids.

This week's Family Dare is called, “Take a Hike”. Search for hiking or walking trails and pick one you haven’t tried before. Even if it’s just walking around your neighborhood on a new path, get some fresh air together and keep technology and distractions at home. See if your amazing Sakai student can come up with a topic or theme for the conversation while you walk as a family.

We look forward to seeing you at our Parent/Guardian Nights this week!

Drew

Math Olympiad will begin the week of September 17th during flex time at Sakai. There are two sessions per week on Tuesdays and Thursdays that students can attend. Students are welcome to participate as often as they like. Parents do not need to sign their child up for Math Olympiad, but it would be great to check in with your student to see if they are interested in attending. They can speak directly to their homeroom teacher if they have any questions or please reach out to Heather Kochevar at hkochevar@bisd303.org. Information about contests and an end of year Math Competition will be shared with your student and also posted in future newsletters.  

The Sakai Geography Bee is focused on the United States and begins in mid September, but students can start at any time!  Each Monday there will be a new article from National Geographic posted in the Accelerated Learning Google Classroom about a state. The first state is Washington! Students are encouraged to take notes and study for a quiz they can take at the end of the week. This learning is in preparation for a school wide Geography Bee in May. Students can choose to track their progress each week in their Geo BEE Passport.  

Accelerated Learning Assignments are posted each week for students to work on during flex time. The focus of these assignments is primarily math and ELA, but some weeks have fun logic and brain teasers as well.  

Please join us for back to school Parent/Guardian Night. 

Fifth grade Parent/Guardian Night is on Wednesday, September 18th from 5:15 - 6:30 pm, starting in the gym. 

Sixth grade Parent/Guardian Night is on Tuesday, September 24th from 5:15 - 6:15 pm, in your student's homeroom classroom.

Our photographer is scheduled to take school photos the morning of Wednesday, September 25th.

Please read the Picture Day Flyer for information and instructions regarding school photos and online ordering.

Picture retakes will be on Wednesday, October 23rd.

Please mark your calendars:

First PTO Meeting if the Year!

This will be an abbreviated, 30-minute meeting in order to accommodate a 9:00 PTO Coordinating Council (PTOCC) meeting hosted by Sakai. You are welcome to attend the PTO meeting either in-person at Sakai in the library or via Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent to families prior to the meeting. 

Agenda:

Land Acknowledgment 

Welcome and introductions - your 2024-25 PTO

Welcome and update from Principal Crandall

Treasurer Update - Budget review and approval process

Coho Run Update - Dates to note, call for volunteers

Adjourn

Just a reminder that middle school and elementary school students will not be admitted to Football games without an adult. 

We strongly recommend purchasing Chromebook insurance, as the cost is $35 and it covers the device for one year. By contrast, the cost to replace a broken Chromebook is $428, and if the screen cracks, it can be over $150 to repair. 

Please visit the BISD Technology Services webpage to read the Student Device Insurance FAQ.

Click here to purchase the insurance. 

Families facing financial challenges may request to have the insurance fee waived for the year through this online form.

18: 5th Grade Parent/Guardian Night @ 5:15 p.m.

24: 6th Grade Parent/Guardian Night @ 5:15 p.m.

25: School photos during the school day