Next week, March 2-6 is Read Across America Week. At Cascade Ridge, we will be “Celebrating a Nation of Diverse Readers.” Huge thanks to our amazing Librarian, Ms. Moore for planning a week that has something for every reader! Teachers will be provided extra ideas for read a-louds and the Library read a-louds will have an extra emphasis on celebrating diversity. Every student will get an extra check out to encourage them to:
On Wednesday we will have aschool wide “Drop Everything and Read” time! And finally, every student will get a bookmark! This is a great opportunity to continue to talk to your child about the importance of reading. Ask about what books they experience each day, ask questions about what they have read, read together as a family, let them see you reading. Reading is everywhere!
Mrs. KleinkopfPrincipal
Student Visits & Parent Orientation Nights
Our local middle school are excitedly preparing for incoming 6th grade student visits and parent orientation sessions in March. Please register now for your local middle school ENews. See below for dates and times of these events.
SUMMER TIME = SPORTS PHYSICAL TIME
Will your student be participating in the ISD sport programs offered at middle school? If so, mark your calendar and schedule their sports physical during the summer after June 1. Students entering 6th grade that plan to play sports are required to have a physical dated after June 1. A physical date in June, July or August is valid for the entire school year.
If you normally schedule your child’s physical around their birthday, we suggest you consider postponing until summer. Fifth grade students planning to play ISD sports who get their physical prior to June 1 will be required to get a second physical at parent expense. For more information on middle school sports and the required physical form check out the ISD Middle School Sports webpage at https://www.issaquah.wednet.edu/family/sports/MSsports or call the middle school office. The office team will answer all your questions.
Online Kindergarten Registration for September 2020 entry is February 3rd - March 6th!
The window to register your child for kindergarten for the 2020-2021 school year begins February 3, and must be completed by March 6. Students who are turning 5 years old by August 31, 2020, are eligible for enrollment for the 2020-2021 school year.
Please visit the ISD New Student Enrollment website to begin enrollment. Once the online portion is complete, you will be required to visit your neighborhood school to pick up additional forms that must be completed in order to finish the enrollment process. Additional Kindergarten information available at this link
We recently had a Kindergarten Online Registration Night. You may view that presentations here.
In May, we will have an Incoming Kindergarten Night at Cascade Ridge Elementary for our soon-to-be Coyote families. This will be a time for both adults and students to visit the school and learn about Kindergarten. More information about Kindergarten Night and Online Registration will be posted on the website soon.
What is the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBA)?
In 2011 Washington State adopted the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), a set of clear college- and career-ready standards in English language arts/literacy and mathematics. To assess students’ progress towards these standards, Washington has implemented the Smarter Balanced assessments (SBA) for grades 3-5 statewide. Smarter Balanced assessments provide more accurate and meaningful information about what students are learning by adapting to each student’s ability, giving teachers and parents better information to help students succeed in school and after.
Where can I find more information or practice tests?
· A video that provides information about the shift to the Smarter Balanced assessments.
· Smarter Balanced Assessment Training Test: Families are welcome to practice at home to get students comfortable with the format. These tests work best with Chrome or Firefox.
· Issaquah School District Smarter Balanced Assessment Information
· Issaquah School District Smarter Balanced Parent Resources
· OSPI: The Washington State Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction
When are grades 3-5 testing? The testing window at Cascade Ridge is from late April to June 2020. See below for specific test dates.
For more information about Issaquah School District's Assessments, please visit the ISD Assessment webpage.
Family trips taken during assessment windows will be marked as Unexcused. This is because the data collected during these assessments informs our practice and supports your child’s learning. Naturally, our preference is for families to travel during vacation periods outlined by the ISD. If your family needs to travel outside of those windows, please be aware of two things:
1) Absences during assessment windows are marked as unexcused
2) Per State law beginning 2017-18:
· 5 or more unexcused absences in a month require a letter and a petition to be filed with the courts.
· 10 or more unexcused absences in a year require a letter and a petition to be filed with the courts.
Things to note:
· Any absence is marked unexcused if you do not call in prior to the absence.
· A child arriving 2 hours or more after the start of the day is not a tardy. At that point, it is considered an absence.
· Pre-Arranged Absence Request forms have changed. The new forms are posted on our website. They are due to the office at least one week BEFORE the first day of the absence. Forms received outside of that window may not be received in time for processing and could result in an unexcused absence.
· Pre-Arranged Absence Request forms may not be completed retroactively.
· Pre-Arranged Absence Request forms are available in our Our School/Forms and Regulations section of our webpage.
The District continues to monitor and communicate with Public Health of King County regarding novel Coronavirus and will continue to follow their professional guidance. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states the risk is low for the general American public.
Please be mindful that although novel Coronavirus started in China, having Chinese ancestry – or any other Asian ancestry – does not place a person at higher risk for this illness. You can help keep our schools safe for everyone by sharing accurate information with your children and fellow community members.
As with the regular flu, if students or staff experience fever or other symptoms of illness, they should stay home from school. Please see our guidance for when to keep your child home from school due to illness.
Please check our Health Notices webpage for more information.
Dear Cascade Ridge Families:
Starting next school year MANY NEW CHANGES will be occurring for our Kindergartners and any New Students:
Kindergartners and New Students will need to visit their health care provider and comply with the NEW IMMUNIZATION REQUIREMENTS before being allowed to start school.
** The State of Washington will NO LONGER allow a 30 day Grace Period for compliance
IF YOU HAVE AN INCOMING KINDER OR A NEW STUDENT:
SEE Issaquah District LINK BELOW with all of the information you will need to know
· https://www.issaquah.wednet.edu/family/health/immunization-requirements
Check out this VIDEO link: Detailed Quick Study on the New Requirements.
Families of current third grade students: Are you interested in enrolling your student in ISD’s Science Technology Magnet Program? The Issaquah School District offers this program at three elementary school sites serving 4th and 5th grade students. Each magnet serves 50+ students in a two-year program. Each program covers all standard 4/5 district adopted curriculum with an added emphasis on science and technology. Grade specific math instruction is provided.
Families interested in participating in the enrollment lottery must attend a mandatory informational meeting, unless they have had a student previously enrolled in the program. Informational meetings will be held at Cascade Ridge on Thursday, February 27th, at Briarwood on Thursday, March 5th and at Clark on Monday March 9th. All meetings are scheduled for 6:00 to 7:00 PM.
Thank you for Voting and Renewing the Educational Programs and Operations Levy! Thank you to our community for renewing our two-year Educational Programs and Operations Levy! Your support for ISD schools ensures local kids will continue to receive a high quality education in a safe learning environment. The levy passed with 63.6% of voters approving the measure. To pass, levies in Washington State must be approved by a simple majority (50% +) of voters.
The Issaquah School District is beginning site preparation work for the construction of Middle School #6. Beginning the week of February 17, equipment will be arriving on site and continue for the next few weeks. Site clearing and grading will take place during the week of February 24 as well as moving substantial amounts of dirt in preparation for the relocation of a water line.
What to expect:
Ø Tenants will be able to access the parking garages but there may be a wait at times. This area will be clearly marked and a flagger will be on site.
Families interested in connecting with the Issaquah School District regarding support for students with dyslexia are invited to a community forum hosted at the Administration Building Thursday, March 5 from 6:30 to 8:00 p.m. at 5150 220th AVE SE. Issaquah. The purpose of the forum is to facilitate two-way communication, collaboration, and shared learning related to supporting students with dyslexia. Additional forums will be held on April 2 and May 21. Families are welcome to attend one or all of the meetings.
The annual ELPA21 assessment is an online assessment given between February 3- March 27 to all students who qualify for English language development (ELD) services.The ELPA21 summative assessment measures students' English language proficiency in reading, listening, writing, and speaking. Results from this test determine which students are eligible to continue receiving ELD services.
Impact Scholarships Available
The Issaquah Schools Foundation Impact Scholarships are open to juniors and seniors in the Issaquah School District. The scholarships will be awarded to 2 students who describe how Issaquah Schools Foundation-funded programs have enriched their education. The scholarships will be awarded in two categories. Written category ($1000) and Presentation category ($1500).
Application deadline is February 21, 2020
More information: http://isfdn.org/impact-scholars
Spread the Love 2020: Make a Contribution in Your Teacher's Name!
The Issaquah Schools Foundation loves to support our teachers! The Foundation began by providing grants to educators in the Issaquah School District, and because of YOUR donations we are able to continue this great work! This February, share the love by expressing our appreciation for the teachers of the Issaquah School District! Donate in honor of a teacher and what they give to us every day. Make your contribution here (https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=issaquahsf&id=35 )and include your teacher’s name and personal message. We will let them know of the gift you made in their honor. You can view the list of all teachers honored here! (http://isfdn.org/spread-the-love-2020/)
Dining for Kids: March
Next month's Dining for Kids partner is Big Fish Grill. Join us on Wednesday, March 4th from 11AM-10PM and Big Fish Grill will donate a portion of your bill to Issaquah Schools Foundation. These funds go to programs and resources for Issaquah School District students, including food & snack support during the school day. More info: http://isfdn.org/dining-for-kids/
Please Join the Issaquah Schools Foundation for Our Annual Fundraiser and Celebration!
Student success is personal. The Issaquah Schools Foundation recognizes the unique needs of students and works in partnership with the Issaquah School District to offer a variety of programs that give opportunities to every student at every school. From leading-edge STEM curriculum and arts programs to after-school tutoring and food for students in need, the funds you donate to the Foundation ensure( that kids of all abilities have the support they need to navigate their own unique path to success. More info: http://isfdn.org/nourish-every-mind/
Nourish Every Mind 2020:
Luncheon - Friday, May 8th
Breakfast - Tuesday, May 19th
Both Events Held at Eastridge Church, Issaquah
Cultural Bridges Magazine
The new Cultural Bridges magazine is available and can be viewed here
The Cascade Ridge Science fair is coming up on March 19th and we’re excited to see your scientists in action. Registration closes next Friday, March 6th, so sign up now and reserve a spot for your child’s project!
Register now at http://cascaderidgeptsa.org/Page/ScienceFair/Home.html.
You can still order display boards through Monday, March 2nd and all boards will be delivered to your child’s classroom next Friday, March 6th. Visit the Cascade Ridge website for lots of ideas and information to help your child with his or her project.
Every Wednesday is Coyote Spirit Day! Wear your favorite Coyote Gear or blue and/or green!
Every Friday is Team Spirit Day! Do you have a favorite team? Maybe the Seahawks or the Sounders? Maybe the Mariners or Skyline? Maybe Liberty or Issaquah? Maybe Denver or Detroit? Maybe UW, WSU or Idaho? Show your Team Spirit every Friday!
The Issaquah School District partners with PeachJar, an online bulletin board system, to help families see all the opportunities happening with community partners in the greater ISD community.