Carkenord Elementary Weekly Update
April 13, 2026
Greetings Coyote Families!
I hope you all had a great weekend! The weather is trying to turn, but like most Aprils, we are experiencing a lot of rain. The warmer temperatures definitely get everyone excited about the summer months ahead. It is not unusual that we see behaviors rise along with the temperatures. Please continue to help reinforce positive behavior expectations at home with your child. It is crucial for students to know that we have a working partnership between home and school. The number one rule that will help in most situations is to follow adult directions. Encourage your child to keep working hard and to finish the school year strong.
With Coyote Pride,
Angela Szczepanski
You have to show to grow!
In looking at our attendance data, we have a large number of students who are here just about every day, but we still have a concerning number of students who are missing a great deal of school.
As of today, 78% of our students have missed 13.5 or less days of school (60% of them are 10 days or less). 19% of students have missed 14-27.5 days of school and 4% of students have missed 27 or more days. Missing school causes big gaps in learning. If students aren't here, they cannot get the Tier 1 instruction from their classroom teachers that they need to be able to make progress and keep up with their peers. Missing several days of school, or even walking in late once the rest of the class has been seated can increase school anxiety for students as well. Maintaining regular attendance is best not only for learning, but for emotional wellbeing too.
Make it a goal for your child to be here all day every day for the rest of the year!
Positivity Project
Dear Families,
This week, our school will continue to focus on the character strength of Perspective. This means understanding and appreciating different points of view. Perspective, often seen as wisdom, goes beyond intelligence. People with this strength are valued for their advice because they see the big picture and understand complex issues.
Those with perspective can get to the heart of difficult matters and bring clarity. They are honest, ethical, and good at seeing what truly matters. This helps them stay calm and learn from mistakes. By reflecting on their own feelings and thoughts, they can empathize with others and offer strong listening and questioning skills. They help their groups navigate challenges and find opportunities for success.
To practice and encourage the character strength of perspective at home, please visit The Positivity Project’s mobile-friendly P2 for Families (available in English and Spanish), where you will watch a video together and discuss a quote and three questions. Below are links to this week’s P2 for Families lessons. Click on the grade level that best meets your child’s needs.
Coyote Day Lunches
June 1st is our Coyote Day! This is a busy day, and to help keep things moving along, students eating a school lunch that day will be served a sack lunch. The options are SunButter and Jelly or Turkey sub. We need ALL students to be accoutned for, even if you plan to send in a lunch for your child that day. Please complete the brief form no later than April 24th at 4pm so that our kitchen staff will know what to order.
Coyote Day Volunteers
It's hard to believe but it's almost the end of the school year and we're looking for volunteers to help with our end of the year celebration, Coyote Day!! If you are able to help on Monday, June 1st, we have morning (9am-12:45pm) and afternoon (12-3pm) openings. If you'd like to volunteer all day, please sign up for both (lunch is provided for all day volunteers )! Volunteers will help at the following stations: inflatables, first aid, bingo, field games, blacktop games, gym etc. We will assign stations as volunteers arrive on Coyote Day
