Cedar Wood Elementary Newsletter

Greeting Cedar Wood Families,

At our house the end of the semester was always an interesting time of year. Trish and my four children are all close in age and all attended the same elementary school at the same time.

The fascinating part of the end of the semester was that even though our children were attending the same school their report cards always seemed to be handed out at very different times. My oldest son and two daughters’ report cards always came home the earliest. They were all very good students and loved school.

Invariably, my other son’s report card was always delayed for some reason. “The teacher forgot to give them out,” or “There was mistake on mine and the teacher is getting it corrected,” were common explanations. Coincidentally, this was my son who did not like school and traditionally did not get very good marks.

This was such a consistent event that my wife, Trish, and I began to make wagers with each other on how many days late Mitchell’s teacher would “remember” to give him his report card. I still remember his 5th grade teacher set the record of 10 days late. Interestingly, when we finally got the report card it looked suspiciously like it had been shoved in the bottom of his backpack for days.

The funny part of this was Mitchell went to school where his mom taught. We already knew how he was doing in class and when the teacher had handed out the report cards. It was not until years later that Mitchell realized that we knew what he was up to all along.

Please be aware that your student, whether they are like Mitchell or not, should be bringing their report card home on Friday, February 6. This is a great time to reinforce what they are doing well or to discuss what is hard for them and ask how you can support them. As always, if you have any concerns please reach out to your child’s teacher for how we can partner to support your student.

In partnership,

Kevin Allen

2.10.26 Election Day (Turn in your ballots)

2.11.26 100th day of school

2.16-2.20.26 Mid-Winter Break

3.25.26 Talent Show

3.30.26-3.31.26 Conferences

Please remember, sometimes you are too sick to come to school and that is ok. See the photo below for a guideline on when to keep your child home! Thank you from Ms. Janice and Ms. Krista for helping keep all our students and staff healthy!

2026 District Elementary Art Show -Mrs. Versdahl recently selected 30 AMAZING student art pieces, created in the art room at Cedar Wood, to participate in a Districtwide Elementary Art Show.

Those students who turned in their permission form in by the January 30th deadline will have their art on display, at the Everett School District 0ffice, from February 27 - March 26.

Student art participants, families, teachers, and friends are invited to an Art Open House night, at the District office, on March 5th, 6-7pm. Student artwork will be honored and on display. Mrs. Versdahl will be there as well!

To update student and guardian information for the current school year, Everett Public Schools (EPS) families must complete the Information Update through the ParentVUE portal. This process is crucial due to the recent transition to the new Synergy student information system, which may have affected guardian access levels.

Steps to Complete the Information Update:

1. Login to ParentVUE (access through a web browser & not the app for this specific process)
2. Click OLR
3. Click Open Online Registration
4. Complete the Information Update

Additional Information & Troubleshooting:

• For more detailed guides or assistance, you can visit the official EPS website at https://www.everettsd.org/Page/43688.

Completing this update ensures Cedar Wood Elementary has the most current information for your family.

SchoolBus/TransportationInformation

• District Transportation Page
• View your student's bus route details.
• Download the My Stop App for bus route tracking information.
• Transportation "Let's Talk!" routes your inquiries to the person/team best suited to respond:
• Transportation Questions
• Early/Late Bus Arrivals
• Lost Items
• Concerns
• And much more!

We know the names are similar, but ParentVUE and ParentSquare provide two different important functions.

• ParentVUE gives families access to important student information.
• Report your student's attendance
• View grades, schedules, transportation information and more
• ParentSquare is where all communication from schools, teachers and the district is squared away.

If email or voicemail is preferred:

**Email cweattendance@everettsd.org as well as your teacher for absences, late drop off, early pick up, or a change in how they get home.

**Call (425) 385-7705 to leave a voicemail regarding absences, late drop off, or early pick up.

If you have a medical note and would like to share it, we’re happy to accept it. You can attach it to a ParentVUE absence notification, send it through ParentSquare, email it to us, or drop it off at the office.

CHANGE IN PICK UP PLANS

**Please notify us at least one hour in advance using ParentSquare, email, or voicemail. If that is not possible, please call the office at (425) 385-7700 to ensure we receive the message in time before school gets out.

PLANNED ABSENCES

**If you know of upcoming absences, such as travel or vacation, please complete the Planned Absence Form located at this link. (Cedar Wood website > Attendance Reporting > Planned Absence Request)

**This can be completed electronically and attached to a ParentVUE absence submission.

**There are also paper copies in the school office and this can be returned to the front desk.

With the transition to Synergy, the process for generating state-mandated attendance letters is changing. Beginning in January, if your student has accrued multiple excused and/or unexcused absences during the 2025–2026 school year, attendance letters will be generated on a bi-weekly basis. Because of this schedule, you may receive more than one attendance letter within the same time period.

At Cedar Wood, we care deeply about student attendance and are committed to prevention, early intervention, and strong family engagement to address attendance concerns. Our goal is to create a positive environment where every student feels supported and wants to attend school each day.

If you have any questions about attendance processes, please contact

Michelle Strickler, Assistant Principal

mstrickler@everettsd.org

Our lost & found items accumulate very quickly. The items are rolled out near the front office before school at drop off and after school at pick up. Students also have the opportunity to check for items as they walk into the cafeteria for lunch each day.

To keep personal belongings out of the lost & found, please label your child's jackets, sweatshirts, lunch boxes, water bottles, gloves, etc.

At the beginning of every month, all items in the lost & found will be donated to a local charity. Please encourage your children to check the lost & found before the end of each month.

We love starting each day together right on time! Teachers will pick up their classes promptly at 9:10 AM to begin the day. The tardy bell rings at 9:15 AM. Students arriving after that time will need to check in at the office. If you arrive and notice the gate is locked, please send your child directly to the front office so we can ensure they safely make it to class.

A gentle reminder that supervision begins at 8:50am (please don't drop off your student beforehand). Dropping your student off between 9:05 and 9:10 helps minimize wait time and keeps our morning routine running smoothly. Thank you for helping your student start the day ready to learn!

No Left Turn into school entrance from 168th. Please join the line to turn right into the parking lot.

When using the “Kiss and Go” Lane for student drop-off and pick-up:

· Stay in your car.

· Have your student ready to leave the car before you get to the curb.

· Have your student exit and enter on the right-hand-side of the car.

· Please pull all the way forward to the designated drop-off/pick-up area.

Please remember:

· When crossing 168th St SE, use the designated crosswalk and school entrance.

· Students will be assigned a designated area for line up in the undercover area.

· Supervision begins at 8:50am in the undercover area but bringing your child closer to 9:10am would be helpful. There is also adult supervision at the front of the school to ensure that all students get to their designated gathering area safely.