Lowell Leopard News

Hello, Leopard families! The second month of the school year is upon us! Students and staff have settled into routines, built strong classroom communities, and launched into learning.

Now that everyone is up to speed with arrival and dismissal, here are a few key safety reminders:

• Car lane: The pick-up and drop-off zone begins where the mural hits the white wall. Please save the space along the mural for buses.
• Arrival time: There is no supervision for students before 8:10 a.m., so it is not safe to drop them off before then unless they are enrolled in a before-school academic class.
• Bikes: Students in Grades 3-5 are allowed to ride bikes to school on their own as long as they wear a helmet and lock up their bike. Younger students may ride with an adult family member. Everyone is expected to walk bikes on campus during the arrival and dismissal time periods. Skateboards and scooters may not be ridden on district property, and the district cannot be responsible for the loss or theft of these items.
• Walking pick-up: At dismissal, anyone walking or parking to meet a student is expected to meet them on the grass near the south portables. It is not safe to pick up students on foot at the bus entrance.

In the next couple of days, we will wrap up our beginning-of-year student assessments in reading and math. These help staff know what students can already do, as well as where they need support. The assessments include i-Ready Inform (formerly called the diagnostic). You will find the i-Ready for Families Report in ParentVUE. This provides each family with important information about their student's overall performance and suggestions to support learning at home. You can find information on how to understand the report in 16 different languages here. Please reach out to your child's teacher with any questions.

As the month began, we kicked off our second annual One School, One Book experience. Do you remember The Wild Robot from last year? This year, we are reading Charlotte's Web. On Oct. 14, our Fall Family Night will focus on related activities. Come between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. for free dinner, fun station-based activities, a chance to talk to school staff, and time with other families. Thank you to our new librarian, Ms. Seiber, for coordinating our all-school read!

Have a wonderful month, and please be sure to reach out with any questions or needs!

Mrs. Kelley, principal

We are always looking for volunteers to help in all sorts of ways at Lowell. Our opportunities are varied and flexible! Please contact your child's teacher or the office. General information about district volunteer clearance and guidelines are here.

• Every Monday: Celebrate Motto Monday by wearing a Lowell shirt, or blue and white
  
• Oct. 2: 1:35 p.m. Learning Improvement Friday dismissal
• Oct. 9: No school -- staff professional learning day
• Oct. 14: Fall Family Night, 5:00-6:00 p.m.
• Oct. 16: Popcorn Friday; 1:35 p.m. Learning Improvement Friday dismissal
• Oct. 20: Picture day
• Oct. 23: 1:35 p.m. Learning Improvement Friday dismissal
• Oct. 26: Dental screening day -- info is here, and a copy will be sent home soon
• Oct. 30: Popcorn Friday; 1:35 p.m. Learning Improvement Friday dismissal
• Plan ahead for: No school Nov. 2-3 for conferences; 12:20 p.m. dismissal on Nov. 6

You can find printable district calendars for 2026-27 here.

Every day at school matters! When students are at school, they have more opportunities to learn, connect with friends, and be part of our Lowell Leopard community. Please make every effort to have your child at school each day unless they are sick. How do you know whether they are too sick for school? See the accompanying graphic!

Our October attendance celebration is coming! Sometime during the month of October, we will have a surprise Attendance Celebration Day! Students who are at school on the special day will get to participate in a fun activity or get a prize. You never know when it will happen, so make sure you come to school each day!

Reporting absences: If your child is absent, please remember to report the absence through one of these ways:

• By e-mailing loeattendance@everettsd.org
• By calling 425-385-5305
• Through ParentVUE

September attendance: Our monthly schoolwide attendance goal is 95%! Here's how each grade level did in September. Keep it up, Leopards!

PE with Ms. Coy: During the month of October, students will be learning and practicing the fundamental skills used in soccer, including dribbling, passing, shooting, and controlling the ball. As they develop these skills, students will also focus on the importance of good sportsmanship by working cooperatively, encouraging their classmates, following the rules, and showing respect to teammates and opponents. Our goal is for every student to build confidence, stay active, have fun, and demonstrate positive sportsmanship throughout our soccer unit.

Music with Mr. Powers: Hey, Leopards! Fall is upon us! In music this month, we have been working our way through our curriculum, Quaver music. It’s a really fun, engaging, multimedia curriculum. This month, each grade level is focused on meter and beat in music. We’ve been learning to hear and feel the difference between 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4 by feeling the strong and weak beats. This is a great way to get our students thinking of music as participants, not only as enjoyers. Like Gershwin wrote, “I’ve got rhythm, I’ve got music.”

Our ukulele and choir clubs have also started! We have a great group this year, and I’m excited for all the incredible music we’re going to make! As always, thank you for your support of your students in music. Laying a strong foundation in music now creates strong programs in middle and high school, and beyond! Joy in music is one of the most important things we can impart to our students, and I see it every day!

Library with Ms. Seiber: As we wrap up our September Discovery: Library Explorers, I'm excited to head into our October Discovery: Charlotte’s Farm! This month, our library learning will connect with Lowell’s One School, One Book event featuring Charlotte’s Web. Students will explore farm life and different animals, discover what makes each animal unique, and dive into meaningful themes of friendship, kindness, helping others, and belonging — all with a fun fall focus woven throughout!

We’re also looking ahead to our Fall Book Fair. I need volunteers to help make it a success! Volunteers are needed for set-up on Oct. 30, during the Book Fair on Nov. 2-3 (conference days) and possibly Nov. 4th, and for pack-up on or around Nov. 4. If you’re interested in volunteering, please contact Amy Seiber at aseiber@everettsd.org or 425-385-5308.

Art with Ms. Johnson & Ms. Schwochow: During the month of October, students in all grade levels will be working on finishing projects that we started in late September. Later in the month, we will be starting on new projects. Kindergarteners and first-graders will learn how to cut five basic shapes: triangle, square, rectangle, oval, and circle. They will collage the shapes together to create a "shapescape," a landscape using shapes. Students in second and third grades will learn about mindfulness in art, and make an intuitive line drawing using shape, pattern, and color. Fourth- and fifth-graders will create a marker-painted landscape diptych based on observation of landscape images.

From counselors Ms. McAllister & Mr. Richert: As we move into fall, October brings more than just pumpkins, corn mazes, and colorful leaves. It is also National Bullying Prevention Month and a great time to help students grow in kindness and empathy. These are key life skills that help children succeed both in school and out in life.

Kindness is one of the simplest and most powerful tools we all have to make a difference. A kind word or small action can make someone’s day, especially if they’re struggling. For a student it can be something as simple as holding a door open for someone else, saying hello, or offering to include someone at recess who is by themselves. Try this at home: Regularly ask your child to name one kind thing they did or saw at school today!

Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of someone else. It’s like putting yourself in someone else’s shoes and considering what that would be like. At school, this might look like:

• Noticing when a classmate is feeling left out
• Listening when someone is upset
• Being patient when others make mistakes

Try this at home: Talk about your feelings and ask about your child’s as often as possible.

Counselors in the Classroom: Fourth- and Fifth-graders will start their bullying prevention unit lessons with the school counselors in the next couple of weeks. Ask your child what turns a conflict into a bullying situation (unfair and unkind behavior that is repeated, on purpose, one-sided, and does not stop after being asked). Also, ask them about the “Three R’s” of responding to bullying (recognize, report, refuse). Having these conversations with your student now will help them fully understand how to act if they are ever involved in a bullying situation. To learn more about the Second Step Bullying Prevention Program, explore here.

From the Lowell office:

• Absences: If your child will be absent, please e-mail us at loeattendance@everettsd.org or call the attendance line at 425-385-5305 to report their absence daily. Include the date, child's first and last name, ID number, and the reason for the absence. All absences must be reported/excused in writing, so if you aren't able to e-mail, please send a written note upon your child's return to school.
• Late arrivals/tardies: If arriving between 8:35 and 9:05 a.m., your student will be marked tardy. After 9:05, your student needs to be walked into school by an adult, as they need to be signed in. This will ensure that their half-day absences is being marked excused or unexcused appropriately.
• Changes to dismissal routines: If you are wanting to change how your student is getting home on a given day, you must contact our office before 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and by 1:00 on Fridays. The rest of each day is very busy, so we cannot guarantee that messages will get through after those times.

Our district has many great resources that can be accessed at home -- click the accompanying image, or here, to access them.

Forms to request new school clothes from the Luma NW Bright Start program are available by request from the family support office. Please contact Amy Watkins at awatkins@everettsd.org to have these forms sent home with your child(ren).

The Lowell Family Food Pantry will be open for visitors on Thursday, Oct. 15. To make an appointment or request a pantry bag be packed for your family, please click here.

Family support specialist Amy Watkins can be reached at awatkins@everettsd.org or by calling 425-385-5378.

Lowell is fortunate to have a wonderful PTA that supports our students, staff, and families in many ways. Here are updates:

Next general meeting: 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 12, in the cafeteria. You do not have to be a member to attend! Come find out about activities planned for this year -- which depend on family volunteering to happen!

Join PTA: You can join PTA here -- it's a fabulous way to support Lowell students and staff!

Spirit wear: Items are in the PTA storefront year-round!

Everett Public Schools Challenging Options Programs provide enriched and advanced academic opportunities, empowering students to achieve their highest potential. We aim to create an environment that challenges, supports, and empowers identified students, recognizing their unique abilities and needs. There are two programs to serve students in the elementary schools: learning enrichment in math, reading, or both (formerly known as LEAP), which happens in every school; and the Highly Capable full-time self-contained classrooms (none at Lowell). Grade 1 and 5 students are automatically screened for the learning enrichment program. Family members and teachers may refer Grade 1-4 students for Highly Capable testing, and for kindergarten learning enrichment screening. The deadline for referrals is Nov. 9. You can find all the info, and the referral forms, in the links.

Email: ekelley@everettsd.org
Website: https://www.everettsd.org/lowelles
Location: 5010 View Drive, Everett, WA, USA
Phone: 425-385-5300

Instagram: @epslowelles

Facebook: facebook.com/LowellEPS

ParentSquare is Everett Public Schools' and Lowell's communication system. Though you will receive messages even if you don't have an account, setting one up allows you to customize notifications. Click here or on the image for information on how to get the app and log in!

Everett Public Schools does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, ethnicity, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, homelessness, immigration or citizenship status, disability, neurodivergence, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Title IX/Civil Rights Compliance Officer and ADA Coordinator, Shawn Bryant, 425-385-4117, SBryant@everettsd.org; Section 504 Coordinator, Dave Peters, 425-385-4063, DPeters@everettsd.org; Gender-Inclusive Coordinator, Joi Odom Grant, 425-385-4137, JGrant@everettsd.org.