The Cove Connection 

Sunday, November 13th, 2022

Issue #14

For Previous Issues Click Here

Principal's Message

SPARK Giving Day is November 15th!

As the season of giving thanks is upon us, I want to take a moment to recognize all that we have to be grateful for here at Cove. I am grateful every day for our incredible community of students, teachers, staff and parents!

During the SPARK Giving Day Participation Challenge, we encourage everyone in our community to show their appreciation for all our schools have to offer with a charitable gift to SPARK. Every donation to SPARK makes an impact just as every student benefits daily from learning opportunities in music, art, science, technology, wellness and more. 

Thank you to the families and business partners who have already shown their commitment to our schools with a financial donation this year. 

SPARK relies on parent support to help raise $1.5M this year. Please join our efforts with your gift to SPARK so our students can continue to receive an excellent and engaging educational experience, not just today, but in the future as well.  

Thank you for all you do to support our schools and the LCMSD community!

Sincerely,

Michelle Walker, Principal

Giving Day is Tuesday, November 15th - Can we count on you? The Participation Challenge is the biggest fundraising campaign for SPARK every year and we’re counting on you to help us reach our 70% participation target by SPARK Giving Day this Tuesday, November 15th! To reach our overall goal of $1.5M we need your financial support. Make your pledge or donation today!

Did You Know?

• Annual Giving makes up nearly 80% of total SPARK revenue and is the most impactful way to support SPARK.

• Money raised this school year, covers salaries and benefits for this same school year.

• SPARK supports programs District-wide for our three schools: Cove, Neil Cummins and Hall.

Participation Challenge Update: 

Thanks to more than 300 families, we’re inching upwards. Is your name on our list? Check out our updated overall percentage and grade level percentages here!

Oh yeah, we have prizes!

• When we reach 70% of families donating or pledging by November 15th, every student gets a coupon for frozen yogurt courtesy of Easy Breezy in Town Center Corte Madera.

• The K-5 grade level with the highest participation wins a special goody bag for each student chock-full of fun items.

• Classes at Neil Cummins and Cove with 100% participation will have an opportunity to win customized hoodies for every student in the class. (Please note: tie-breaker will be based on dollars raised)

• Your donation automatically enters you in our raffle drawings! New District families and returning families with a higher donation than last year will receive two entries in the raffles.

NEW this year - there will be incentive drawings on our way to 70% participation. Prizes include:

• $100 Nugget gift card at 50%, 

• $250 Picco gift card at 60% 

• grand prize $500 Apple gift card when we reach 70% of families donating or pledging by November 15th

Quick Links:

• Make a donation here

• Make a pledge here

• Check out the updated grade level and classroom participation percentages here

• View the updated family donors list here 

• Frequently Asked Questions here 

School & PTO News

Coyotes Voting for our 2022-2023 Yearbook Cover on Election Day!

Thank you to Emily Zalewski, Kate Kropf & Catherine Wold

Conferences this week- 11/14-11/18, 1:15 Dismissal All Week! One very important way you can learn about how your child is doing is through a parent-teacher  (or parent-teacher-student) conference. You can expect to see work samples from your child and to hear about their progress academic and socially. Teachers really value this conference time to work with you as a team for your child’s success. Here are some conference tips!

Office Update: Diana Nay is out on medical leave November 9th - January 3rd. She is having major surgery due to diverticulitis complications. Let's all wish her well for a successful surgery and speedy recovery! Dawniele Pasha will be her substitute during this time. If you need to email the office, please email Dawniele and Cathleen at this email account: covesecretaries@lcmschools.org. Thank you!

CoveCares PTO Committee is a thoughtful way to show we are here to support our Cove community (eg. flowers, cards, setting up meal trains, connection, and resources). If you know of a family who may be grappling with a major life event, please email covecares@covepto.org.

Birthday Book Program Have a child with a November birthday? Look for a Birthday Book Program flyer in your child’s backpack inviting you to celebrate their birthday with a new book for the library. By making a donation to this much-loved program, your child will get to choose a brand new book with their name written inside, for all to enjoy at The Cove Library. 

Cove Celebrates a Spirit of Giving! Cove Holiday Store returns on Friday, December 9th.  Prepare to be delighted by the gifts chosen by your children from the new and gently-used “inventory” donated by the Cove community as we transform the Gallery into a “Holiday Store.” Students love shopping for important people in their lives at this special annual event. This opportunity instills a spirit of giving in our children. Students bring in $2 and get to shop for 2 gifts. Our awesome volunteers wrap the gifts and the students bring them home to you! 

 We need your help to make this happen! 

• DONATE by Thursday December 8th - Bring items to the Gallery!  Treasures in high demand include: costume jewelry and women’s accessories, hobby supplies, holiday-themed decor, housewares, cookbooks, DVDs, and anything for men! We cannot take used clothing without tags, dirty or broken items, toys, or stuffed animals.

• VOLUNTEER for store set-up on Thursday 12/8 and for shopping assistance and gift wrapping on Friday, December 9th. Please sign up here.

• Send $2.00 with your child on the day on Friday, 12/9

Students and families may continue to shop the Holiday Store for more gifts after school in the Gallery- proof of vaccination proof required for adults. Proceeds support PTO programs at Cove!

District News

Board Updates Congratulations and welcome Beth Blair and Natalie Medved to the LCMSD Board of Trustees. Additionally, thank you incumbents Amir Movafaghi and Eric Schmautz for committing to another term on the Board. All four will be sworn in during the December 14 Board Meeting. 

The next Board Meeting is scheduled for November 16 where we will celebrate CGI math student and teacher successes. A public hearing will be held to sunshine initial contract proposals for LCMEA/LCMSD negotiations. Trustees will vote on a Board authorization for a Math teaching assignment, the Hall Single Plan for Student Achievement, and the Cove and Neil Cummins site Local Control Accountability Plans. CAASPP Part II will be presented and discussed, specifically addressing local comparisons and subgroup progress. 

Additionally, the Board will be provided with the status of the interdistrict permit agreement between RUSD and LCMSD. 

The Board Meeting will be held in person at 6:00 pm in the Hall Library; no RSVP required. The meeting will also 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. If you cannot attend the meeting, public comments are welcome via email (mokeeffe@lcmschools.org) and will be included in Board Meeting minutes. We hope to see you there!

Community News

Please click link for Community News that includes updates from:

• Marin County Inclusion Inspiration Series

• Twin Cities Girls Softball registration is now open!

• Park & Rec Classes Winter & Spring Classes!

Community News

Please click link for Community News that includes updates from:

• Marin County Inclusion Inspiration Series

• Twin Cities Girls Softball registration is now open!

• Park & Rec Classes Winter & Spring Classes!

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.