The Cove Connection 

 Sunday, October 4th, 2020

Issue #7

For Previous Issues Click Here

UPCOMING DATES

Return to School

• October 5 & 6 8:10am-11:00 AM Cohorts In Person; PM Remote

• October 7 all students remote

• October 8 & 9 12:30pm- 3:20pm PM Cohorts In Person; AM Remote

• October 7 “Becoming a Trustee” meeting via Zoom, 6:00pm 

• October 8 – October 19 Application Window for LCMSD Board 

• October 14 PTO Board Meeting, 7:00pm-8:15pm, link to follow

• October 16 No School for Students (Professional Development Day)

• October 26 LCMSD Special Appointee Board Meeting via Zoom, 6:00pm

Weekly Dates

• All Mondays LunchMaster *Pickup Time Change* See below

• All Fridays All School Assembly 11:30-12pm (new time, same link!)  via Zoom

• All Fridays Library Book Pick Up and Return 8:00am - 4:00pm

• All Fridays Spiritwear Order Pick Up (if ordered) 8:00am - 4:00pm

• All Fridays Classroom Materials Pickup 8:00am- 4:00pm (* as notified by your classroom teacher)

The following are two important messages on the health and wellness of our students, staff and families:

Cove Parent Support Session with our Counselor on Wednesday, October 7th from 9:30am-10:30am. Zoom Meeting Link

Parenting has become harder than ever with the pandemic triggering and exacerbating emotional upset and our ability to manage that upset. The loss of control has created a huge sense of discomfort and unease in our community. I will be holding a Cove Parent Support Session to help soothe the anxiety that is bubbling up for so many of us with all that is going on in the world and the upcoming changes in school structure. The goal of this meeting is one of emotional support. I will review strategies and tools to help support families and students during this transition. I listed some ideas below.

Please fill out the Cove Parent Support Session Questions Form to pre-submit a question or concern related only to the social emotional support of your children/family. It would be of great help to know your question or concern ahead of time so that I can do my best to adequately answer it. Please keep in mind that requests for cohort transfers and/or blanket complaints will not be addressed in this forum.

Here are some possible strategies that I can review and discuss during our session depending on the questions and concerns that are pre-submitted:

• Composure

  • Our brain stems are soothed by the word “safe”

  • We use language of safety in the Cove School Family Commitment.  

  • One must first be able to identify an emotion to be able to gain control over it. 

  • “No one can make you feel anything without your permission.”

  • Positive Self-Talk- “Breathe, you are safe. You can handle this.”

  • The Language of Safety

  • If you can name it, you can tame it!” 

• Self-Regulation

  • The importance of posture

  • 4 parts of the breath 

  • The long the exhale, the calmer the brain

  • Stress Busters

  • Mindful Breathing

• Reducing Power Struggles 

  • Spend 5 minutes per day, one on one, in a playful situation with eye contact and touch and power struggles will reduce by 50%.

  • Structure first, nurture second

  • Wherever there is chaos, structure is lacking

  • Connection- Connection governs cooperation

  • Offer 2 Positive choices

  • Focus on Structure

Meeting Details: Wednesday, October 7th from 9:30am-10:30am

Zoom Meeting Link Meeting ID: 830 902 7978 Passcode: 1234567

Sincerely, 

Scarlet Headley, Counselor

From the LCMSD School Nurse

Dear Families, 

It is very exciting that we are starting on-site learning tomorrow, Monday October 5! Months of hard work have gone into the many accommodations and changes that will be implemented in order to protect the safety of all students and staff. 

All of these new school rules ( social distancing, wearing masks, vigilant hand washing, regular onsite sanitation, small cohorts, supplemental virtual lessons, and strict rules related to campus movement) can help reduce illness, especially Covid-19, and help keep The Cove open to on site learning. It might even reduce the incidence of lice infestations! This year, more than ever, we recommend that you and your loved ones get a flu shot.

It is imperative that you

• carefully screen your children daily 

• not send your children to school with any signs or symptoms of illness.  

• If your child complains of headache, stomach ache, sore throat, body aches, a new cough, trouble breathing, or general malaise, they must stay home, as these are potentially signs of early stages of Covid-19 or other communicable diseases. 

Know that if they come to school with any of these symptoms and it turns out they have contracted an illness, they will have exposed many others to an otherwise preventable disease.  

Covid-19 is still circulating in our Marin community, and additionally, that flu season is on our doorstep. By being vigilant and closely monitoring symptoms you will help your children, your family  and your community.  

So please, let’s be extra safe and keep children home if they complain of signs of illness, and understand that we will be sending children home that present with signs of illness while at school.  We cannot be careful enough in keeping our community safe.

Wishing you a very healthy and successful start to the return to The Cove!

Warmly, 

Gail Hurwitz, RN, Credentialed School Nurse

ghurwitz@lcmschools.org

SCHOOL NEWS

From the Library When you purchase books from The Book Passage, and mention The Cove we receive a percentage back to purchase books for our library! Return your Books! If your child has library books from last school year at home, please return them. We are still missing hundreds of books. Individual email reminders are now being sent. Books may be returned to the Library Book Drop Fridays from 8am-4pm, in front of the school main entrance. Soon with in-person learning, we will have more options for return. 

School Lunch: Every student is eligible for a Free lunch now through December 31, 2020. Please take advantage of this generous offer from the California Dept of Education.  

• AM cohorts pick up ordered lunch at 11am when they pick up their student.

• PM cohorts pick up ordered lunch at 12:30pm when they drop off their student.

• Distance learning, you can come at either time (11am or 12:30pm).

It is important to pick up your lunch if you order one. When a lunch is ordered but not picked up the District is not reimbursed by the state and loses $30 per box. This adds up. Orders for Monday pickup but be placed by the Thursday prior at 10am. LunchMaster will open a month of ordering at a time to help alleviate missing the deadline.  The October menu is open now! Issues, questions, or need to order for not signed up, please contact nurrea@lcmschools.org.  Updated lunch info can be found on our Covid-19 website

PTO UPDATES

Gratitude for Our Cove Teachers and Staff I just wanted to take this time to send a huge thank you to everyone at the Cove who has worked beyond the call of duty to ensure our students are engaged, learning, happy, and safe. It truly takes a village and I believe ours to be pretty spectacular. If you have any questions please email me at president@covepto.org. With Gratitude, PTO President, Kristen Slowe

Return to Campus On Monday and Thursday the PTO & SPARK will be helping to spread some welcoming joy to our returning students as well as providing a boxed lunch to our teaching staff on Monday. Please know that your tax-deductible donation to the PTO helps to create these small moments that mean so much. Please consider donating- you will find a link to do so in your Actionaly app. 

SPARK UPDATES

Look for your Annual Giving in the Mail! Learn about how SPARK provides essential funding for 1,500 students at our three schools. Your financial support makes all of this possible and has never been more crucial. Set up automatic monthly payments or pledge now pay later. Corporate Match can help boost your donation - check here to see if your employer participates.

Join us for the 1st ever SPARK Drive in Movie on October 25h  Two movies on two screens, choose your movie, Coco or Ghostbusters. Parking lot opens at 5:30pm, movies start at 7pm, at the overflow parking lot at the Village at Corte Madera. Tickets are $75 per car. More details here.

SPARK Volunteer Opportunity Join the Annual Giving team for family outreach. We will provide you with content and you connect with 10 families at our schools. This is an important way to get involved. Email annualgiving@SPARKschools.org if interested

Biz Partner Spotlight Sage Educators is now offering half-day programs to round out the school day - perfect for students and parents looking for an extended learning day! Click here for more details https://sageeducators.com

LCMSD NEWS

Trustee Seat Available on LCMSD Governing Board Are you interested in working with a high functioning governance team dedicated to serving all students in LCMSD? If so, then we encourage you to learn more about the vacancy on LCMSD’s Board of Trustees. The term for this opening is four years. We thank Sasha Morozoff for his service to the District since June of 2019 through the November 18th, 2020 board meeting. Please join us in wishing him the best with family and future endeavors.   

• October 7, 2020 Informational Meeting on “Becoming a Trustee” at 6:00 p.m. via Zoom. Visit www.lcmschools.org for log-on information the morning of October 7th.

• October 8 – October 19, Application Window. The application is attached for reference, (by noon) and a fillable form will be posted on the home page of  www.lcmschools.org on October 8th. Applications may be dropped off at the District Office or emailed to mokeeffe@lcmschools.org by noon on October 19.

• October 26, Board Meeting to interview and appoint a new Trustee.This Special Board Meeting will be held at 6:00 p.m., most likely in person.

COMMUNITY NEWS

Please click link to view Community News that includes updates from: 

• The Corte Madera Parks and Recreation Department

• Outdoor Spooktacular Musical Magic!

• For the Corte Madera Chronicles

• Measure M  

Follow Us! #CoveSchool  #WeAreLCMSD

ABOUT THE COVE CONNECTION The Cove Connection is a digital bulletin published by the CovePTO and distributed to The Cove School community each Sunday via email. To submit content to the Cove Connection, please email info@covepto.org. To receive a subscription to The Cove Connection, or to change your email address, send a note to  covesecretaries@lcmschools.org.