Today, December 22nd we will be performing our Annual Christmas Program Virtual. You can watch your children perform with the following links.
Intermediate Program (3rd/4th, with 5th) at 8:30 am
https://youtu.be/ySkacPmpN2A
Primary Program (K-2, 5th) at 10:00 am
https://youtu.be/A2DKwjN9jGw
Happy Holidays!
In lieu of a Winter Concert this year, the Prelude High School Band recorded “Deck the Halls” and made this video. We were toying with Stop Motion video as the hallways were being decorated. This turned into a fun way to gather video footage to go with song. Happy Holidays!
https://youtu.be/5utvkEmyUUA
Seven brave seventh and eighth graders are competing in a virtual speech and debate tournament today! Coached by high school seniors Haiden Wiggins and Bill Pettit, the kids are the only participants from outside the metro Portland area with a total of 155 competitors. The tournament ends later today - we will update regarding results. Pictured are the parlimentary debate team of Angel Shields-Mars and Taylor Weishaar arguing their case on an impromptu topic of cameras on or off during comprehensive distance learning.
Cove School District is happy to report some good news: It was announced a few moments ago that ODE updated their Safe Harbor Clause set to expire on January 4. The bottom line? Since our school is already open, regardless of what the local or state metrics are, we can remain open for in-person instruction. The only reason for us to close would be based upon what happens within our own school community and based upon local decision-making. Thank you for your support in helping us to continue to stay open for in-person school. It's a good day to be a Leopard!!!
The USDA has extended the Federal program providing free breakfast and lunch to all students, K-12. All students are eligible to receive free school breakfast and lunch through the entire school year, with no application required.
REMINDER: School Board Meeting Tonight, 7PM, Cafeteria. For those wishing to view the meeting virtually, click here: https://zoom.us/j/98230164750
The agenda and background information may be reviewed here: https://5il.co/npae
While the term "Sweet 16" might bring a bit different image to your mind, we at Cove School are happy to apply it to our feelings of being in our sixteenth week of in-person school! We are beyond excited to have made it this far, and have every hope of continuing through next week and returning on January 4. Thanks for all of your support!
Are you looking for a great family read aloud??? If so, pick up a copy of White Fur Flying by Patricia Maclachlan. Our class just finished reading this beautiful story about family, friendship and the value of accepting, loving and learning from each other. The Cassidy family rescues Great Pyrenees dogs, which help their new neighbors connect to each other. AND lucky for us, Ms. Britt, one of our favorite paraprofessionals, brought her two Great Pyrenees dogs in to visit us!!! This experience helped us all realize how important the dogs in White Fur Flying were to the Cassidy’s and their new neighbors. We LOVED hugging on Mr. Bear and Moose so much! They brought their little buddy, Cooper, a Miniature Aussie, to visit as well. We hugged on him a bunch too! I can’t think of a better way to help kiddos connect to a story!
A Christmas program sneak peek of the fourth grade Tush Pushing their way into the holiday spirit.
Today OSAA published a new calendar for extra-curricular activities, which adjusts the dates of our sports seasons. Football, Volleyball and Cross Country are now Season 2 sports, beginning practice on February 8 for football and February 22 for volleyball and cross country. Basketball, Wrestling and Swimming are now a Season 4 sport, and are allowed to begin practice on May 10. For more details and to view the revised calendar, please click here: https://5il.co/no2x
Christmas Decoration Donations Needed!
The high school students will be taking part in a progressive Christmas activity (we did gingerbread houses last year), and we are in need of all sorts of Christmas decor: artificial trees (4' and up), tinsel, lights, ornaments, inflatable characters, etc. If you have old decorations that you have been wanting to get rid of or if you just want to donate something, please bring it to Dr. Farrell by Dec. 17. Questions? Contact Dr. Farrell.
Cove Speech and Debate Team Competed Virtually Today! Cove Speech was led by Team Captain Haiden Wiggins with a 4th place finish in Varsity Radio and a 7th place finish in Varsity Prose today. The Clackamas/Cleveland Tournament had 44 teams competing with 431 students and is the largest tournament in Oregon. Other members of the Cove team competing were: Wil Slagle, Chance Rivard, Jack Deem, Kade McLean, and Bill Pettit. Full results will be published in an upcoming newsletter. Special thanks to Andy Lindsey and Karen Moore for serving as 2 of the 241 judges for the tournament.
While the school metrics for on site operations seem to be shifting even after 9 months of mitigating pandemic risk, several superintendents from eastern Oregon worked together to craft and deliver the attached letter to Governor Kate Brown: https://5il.co/njv2 Cove School District leadership believes the data makes clear that the safest place and best place for our children's education is on-site.
The Fall Play is now ready to view! Please visit my Extracurricular Theatre website for the links: https://sites.google.com/covesd.org/drfarrellsliteraryzone/extracurricular-theatre-2020?authuser=0
In the past 2 weeks, we have had 3 positive or presumed positive cases of COVID-19 among our students. Thanks to the prompt actions of parents, students, and staff, quarantine measures were implimented in a timely manner and there was little to no risk of exposure to other students or staff. There has been no indication of spread to others, and we are able to continue in-person school at all grade levels at this time.
With stories of Contact Tracing scams being reported in our area, please read the following information on what Local Public Health Authorities will ask and will NOT ask if you get a call from them for Contact Tracing information:
https://core-docs.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/1009661/Contact_tracing_questions.pdf
More information on Contact Tracing can be found on the school website under Documents/COVID 19 Information.
Week 12 has concluded! This week came with it's share of hurdles, but we've been able to get over them. We have had to exclude a few students to quarantine for 2 weeks due to outside exposure to positive COVID cases, and a coach tested positive as well. Thanks to our safety protocols, exposure to other students and staff members was very minimal. As the holiday season approaches, please remember to use all precautions possible to stay safe and healthy. Keeping our school open depends on all of us working together.
Fall Play Online--The fall play will be available to view online after we are able to get it recorded next week. This is not a livestream.
For those unable to attend tonight's school board meeting, you may view the meeting live at: https://zoom.us/j/97698006644 The agenda may be reviewed at https://5il.co/myod and background information may be viewed at: https://5il.co/myoi
Cove has completed its 10-year radon testing of all buildings. The summary statement is, "All radon test results for Cove School District are below the EPA action level of 4.0 pCi/L and no further action is required." The full report may be viewed here: https://5il.co/n3z7