Lowell Leopard News

Welcome to the 2026-27 school year! I hope you had a fun, healthy summer! We are excited to be kicking off a new school year with the theme "Together We Leap!" Why this theme? A group of leopards is called a "leap," so it's a reminder that we must work together to have a great year. Along the way, we will focus on learning, encouraging one another, acting with respect, and persisting when things become challenging. As your child to share more with you!

The partnerships among students, staff, and families are what make Lowell a strong school. Here are some ways you can support your child in having a meaningful school experience this year:

• Use ParentVUE, our district's system to keep your information current and to access attendance, schedules, grades, and more. You can get help here.
• Review the Student & Family Handbook with your child, and complete/return the sign-off form being sent home with your child.
• Read and follow our arrival and dismissal guidelines. This is especially important for those who use the car lane or want to meet their student on foot.
• Stay current on school information and events throughout the year by visiting the school website; following us on Facebook and Instagram; reading the Lowell Leopard News family newsletter, usually sent to you on the first Wednesday of each month and found on our website (be sure to keep your e-mail address with us current); and watching for periodic e-mails, phone calls, and texts through ParentSquare.

• Join PTA! Many families worry that they must make a volunteer commitment, but that isn’t the case. Your membership supports enrichment in classrooms and beyond. The link to join is here; PTA also maintains a Facebook page. The first PTA meeting of the year will begin at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, in the cafeteria. Children are welcome, and you don't have to be a member to attend.
• Volunteer – whether it’s in the classroom or with PTA. Find more info on volunteer clearance here.
• Know that we have resources available to help families meet their children’s basic needs, such as for food and clothing. If you need something, feel free to reach out to family support para Amy Watkins at 425-385-5378 or awatkins@everettsd.org.
• Reach out to your child’s teacher, any staff member, or me when you have suggestions, questions, or concerns. We all want each child to have a great experience every day!

Here’s to a great year as partners in your child’s education! Have a wonderful month, and please be sure to reach out with any questions or needs!

Mrs. Kelley, principal

P.S. As the school year begins, make great attendance a habit. We hope to see your child daily unless they are too sick for school. Every day matters!

Lowell Elementary participates in the Title I Program. Title I, Part A, is part of the Every Student Succeeds Act. Its goal is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on challenging state academic standards. As a Title I school, we qualify for federal grant money that we use for additional staffing, parent/family involvement, staff development, and extended school day opportunities to help us meet that goal. The attached update is intended to provide you with important information about this law.

You have the right to request regular information or meetings about Title I at Lowell. Please contact Principal Elizabeth Kelley at 425-385-5300 or ekelley@everettsd.org if you would like more information. More information about our Title I program and your rights is here. We hope you will join us at the PTA meeting at 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, for more information on Title I and how we can partner to support your child.

This year, all Lowell students continue to get free meals because of the Community Eligibility Program, but families need to fill out the Child Nutrition Eligibility & Education Benefit form by Oct. 1. Why? Families that meet designated income levels may qualify for additional benefits, and help our school gain additional resources:

• Increased funding to support student education
• Additional funding for technology and discounts for internet and some utilities
• Discounts for fees associated with college application process
• Discounted fees for SAT, ACT & AP tests along with scholarship opportunities

• Every Monday: Celebrate Motto Monday by wearing a Lowell shirt, or blue and white
  
• Sept. 2: First day of school for Grades 1-5
• Sept. 4: 1:35 p.m. Learning Improvement Friday dismissal

• Sept. 8: First day of preschool and kindergarten

• Sept. 10: First PTA general meeting, 6:00 p.m., cafeteria

• Sept. 11: 1:35 p.m. Learning Improvement Friday dismissal
• Sept. 18: 1:35 p.m. Learning Improvement Friday dismissal
• Sept. 25: 1:35 p.m. Learning Improvement Friday dismissal

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

• Mr. Powers for music
• Ms. Seiber for library
• Ms. Coy for PE
• Ms. Johnson and/or Ms. Schwochow (long-term sub for Ms. McHargue) for art

Each year, your child will also get to know our counselors, Ms. McAllister (here full time) and Mr. Richert (here half time). In addition to the support they can provide to students through individual and small-group sessions, they teach classroom lessons on bullying prevention and child safety, with advance notice to families.

We also have a team of amazing paraeducators who work with students. Some provide support for students who are receiving services as multilingual learners (developing their English language skills) at the direction of ML coach Ms. Sullivan. Others work with students receiving extra support in reading or math at the direction of instructional coach Ms. O'Connor.

PE with Ms. Coy: Welcome back, families! I’m excited to begin this new journey in physical education after teaching fourth grade. In PE, students will move, play, learn new skills, work as a team, and challenge themselves to become stronger and more confident. We’ll practice being kind, respectful, and responsible while discovering that staying active can be fun for everyone. Please make sure your child wears proper athletic shoes on PE days so they can participate safely and comfortably. Each month, we have a new focus. This month we will be learning routines, practicing how to use recess equipment, and making sure we know the rules of games. I look forward to partnering with you to make this an amazing year of movement, learning, and fun!

Music with Mr. Powers: Hello, Leopards! Welcome back to another amazing musical year at Lowell! There is so much to be excited about this year! We will be working closely with our district's new music curriculum, Quaver, and exploring music from all around the world! This year we will have two after-school musical clubs. The choir will be on Mondays after school, and available for third- through fifth-graders. The ukulele club will be on Thursdays after school, available to fourth- and fifth-graders. Be looking for more information coming home next week! Please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions, comments, or just greetings via ParentSquare or via e-mail!

Library with Ms. Seiber: Hi, families! I'm so excited to start my new position in the library. This is my 24th year teaching, all at Lowell! This year in the library we will be reading, creating, exploring, and discovering new things. Ready for an adventure? You're going to dig our national park theme with a new discovery each month. Our September discovery is “Library Explorers.”

Last year, the students loved reading The Wild Robot, so in October we will be kicking off another One School, One Book event! More information will be coming soon. November 2-3 will be our first Book Fair. I will need volunteers to help make it successful, so please reach out if you're interested!

The Lowell library has a new Instagram page! I will be posting about things we are working on and special events there. Check it out if you'd like to see our newly designed learning space: @LowellLibraryAdventures

Art with Ms. Johnson (M/T & some Fridays) and Ms. Schwochow (W/TH & some Fridays): Welcome back! We are excited to start another great year of making art with our students. For the month of September, we will be starting with a focus on our art room routines and expectations, as well as art activities that explore what artists do, and the theme of belonging. Later this month, we will begin working on projects in all grade-level classes. Kindergarten and first-grade students will learn about line by creating a colorful paper rug. They will practice drawing a variety of line types, and will experiment with a watercolor wash over oil pastel to finish their artwork. Second- and third-graders will repurpose envelopes to create miniature books. They will use the envelopes to convey their feelings about home, school, and community. Fourth- and fifth-graders will explore their identity as they experiment with using colors, lines, words, and phrases. They will create a background using drawing media and overlay a micrography self-portrait on transparency film.

From counselors Ms. McAllister & Mr. Richert: Welcome to a brand-new school year and new beginnings! Whether you're returning to Lowell or joining our school for the first time, we are so happy to have you as part of our learning community. We are your school counselors, and we’re here to support your child through all the ups and downs of the school year — academically, socially, and emotionally. Our role is to help every student feel safe, confident, and capable of doing their best in and out of the classroom.

How we support students:

• Classroom lessons focused on the prevention of bullying, how to stay safe at school and home, career exploration, and emotional wellness
• Small groups to build skills like friendship, self-regulation, stress management, and more
• One-on-one check-ins for students who need extra support
• Resources for families navigating challenges or transitions

We believe that strong partnerships with families are key for student success. So, if you have a concern, a question, or something important to share about your student — please don’t hesitate to reach out. Let’s make this upcoming school year a joyful, successful, and meaningful one for all our Lowell students. We’re so grateful to be on this journey with you! Check out our website.

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.

Welcome back, Leopard families! My name is Amy Watkins, and I am the family support specialist at Lowell Elementary. I help students and their families access resources from throughout our community. Some of the things I help with include:

• Providing students with backpacks and school supplies.
• Helping families who need food support through our Family Food Pantry and weekend snack bags program. Our next open pantry day is Sept. 17.
• Signing up students for Bright Start, a free program that provides new clothing, once a year, to students who qualify.
• Connecting families with community organizations to get assistance with food, clothing, housing, utilities, employment, childcare, education, holiday needs, and more.

I also serve as the school's Kids In Transition (KIT) point person, working to address and eliminate barriers for students affected by homelessness.

Please connect with me if you think I can help with a need. I can be reached by email 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. Read on for highlights, and check out the accompanying September newsletter and event fliers.

First general meeting: 6:00 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, 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 in the PTA storefront are on sale for a limited time!

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.