November 18, 2009
Conference Week is upon us—This is one of those crucial times for you and your child’s teacher to sit down and talk about your child and our student. I feel these conferences so important that I would love to be able to do this several times a year and I know other districts and states do. However, we have the shortest instructional day of just about any district around Western Washington and therefore every learning day is very precious. Enough soapbox—I’ll simply state again that this is a very important time to meet with your teacher to get a picture of who your child is as a student, where they are academically and where they are socially. Please make every effort to attend your scheduled conference and take the time to ask questions.
Our Fall Fund Drive is currently underway and I would ask that you participate in some way. I’m sure you know that PTA contributions to Coe are a major factor in our school budget and fund a wide variety of vital school functions and many enrichment opportunities for your children. The programs and positions either partially or fully funded by direct PTA support include:
• Our Art teacher
• Our Performing Arts teacher
• Our Instrumental Music teachers
• Our ALO teachers
• Our Reading Specialists
• Our supply budget
• Our Kindergarten Tutoring program
• Our Sound Partner tutors
Additional funds go directly to the classroom for teachers to purchase teaching materials, grants to fund larger classroom—sometimes multiple classroom—projects, field trips and much more. Our school budget has been cut so drastically and restructured so that we have little actual dollars, simply positions. Therefore our PTA has been a major source of very basic supplies and everyday materials as we try to provide the best education possible for our children. I understand completely that the economy has hurt many families and simply ask that you are thoughtful about your giving to Coe and that you participate in this campaign. Thank you so much for those organizing and those who have already given.
I want to wish you a very relaxing time over the Thanksgiving holiday. For those of you cooking, for those of you traveling, for those of you whose families may be less than relaxing, I’m sure there will be moments of high anxiety but I really do hope that you will find the time to enjoy whatever traditions you have established. Our family Thanksgiving will be spent at my in-law’s farm on Camano Island, having the whole traditional meal in a 110 year-old log cabin with a roaring fire in the huge fireplace. Pretty “picture postcard” kind of day and one the whole extended family really does look forward to every year. I wish you the best.
The Seattle Kid’s Marathon is just ten days away, November 28th. If you are registering your child please send me an email or note, as there is no school registration this year. Our PTA web folks have added a page for marathon information at www.coepta.org. Use the dropdown menu under Home to Principals Page and then Coe Running Club. Hope to see you there. Please contact me with questions.
Take Care,
David Elliott