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Dear Cottonwood School Families,

A heartfelt welcome back to The Cottonwood School family! As the new school year dawns upon us, I want to express our sincere excitement and anticipation for the journey ahead. I hope you had a relaxing summer break and are ready to embrace a year filled with learning, growth, and memorable experiences.

A Year of Growth and Support: At The Cottonwood School, we are committed to fostering an environment where every student thrives. This year promises to be one of growth, both academically and personally. Our dedicated staff is here to provide unwavering support, guidance, and encouragement as your children embark on new challenges and opportunities. We hope you are already coming to rely on your HST for all s/he can provide!

Together, We Flourish: We believe that a strong … CONTINUE READING

Listed below are free, drop-in programs and notable upcoming dates.

ALL Cottonwood events can be found in the Hawks’ Nest Calendar.

• Fri, Aug 18: Back-to-School Forms Due
• Tues, Aug 22: The Cottonwood School Board Meeting @ 6pm
• Weds, Aug 23: Mobile Lending Library Van & Park Day at Auburn Rec Park @ 10am
• Thurs, Aug 24: Registration Opens for Newly Released Field Trips @ 12:30pm
• Mon, Sept 11: Mindset Mondays Begin
• Mon, Sept 11: Parallel Learning Time Begins
• Weds, Sept 13: Cottonwood CONNECT Park Days Begin
• Sept 5-8: Week of Awareness

Welcome to Everybody Belongs (formerly known as MDIP)! This is our Cultural and Diversity Program offering field trips, opportunities, resources, and cultural storytimes.

Aug 28 – First Culture Corner of the Year – 2:00 pm at the Lending Library – stories and art project

Sept 25 – Suffragette Scavenger Hunt Virtual Event – details below

Please continue to read the Wednesday Weekly for our upcoming field trips and virtual events including:

• Talk with Leticia Ordaz, local newscaster and award-winning author of bilingual children’s books, and get a signed copy of one of her books
• Spooky Stories
• Día de los Muertos
• Taiko Drumming
• and more!

"Be content with what you have; rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you."

– Lao Tzu

Your Cottonwood Tech Team is implementing a new and improved support process with a Tech Help ticketing system.

• To submit a request for tech help, please fill out the Tech Help Form.
• A ticket will be created and you will receive your Tech Help ticket number via email.
• You can reply to that ticket email with updates, add more information, or send a screenshot as needed.
• You will receive one-on-one support from our own Cottonwood Support Staff.

Our tech-help email will still be available, but we encourage you to use our new system.

We are excited to bring this new process to you and look forward to helping you in the future.

Parent and students in TK Explorers, Superstar Readers, Boost, RISE, and CVHS are invited to a morning or afternoon session of learning, connection, and fun, hosted by your Homestudy Instructional Programs’ Teachers, Lending Library Staff, Curriculum & Technology department, and High School team. Registration is filling up quickly. Sign up today!

Friday, August 25, 2023

9:30 AM – 12:00 PM or 12:45 PM – 3:00 PM with optional lunch from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

Community Connect Center | 3921 Sandstone Drive, Suite 100, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762

Students will:

• Meet their Instructional Programs teachers & classmates

• Participate in grade-level learning activities

• Enjoy free play & game time

Parents will:

• Get oriented to their students’ programs

• Enjoy coffee & pastries with other homeschool parents

• Pick up class curriculum & supplies (Superstar Readers, RISE, and CVHS)

• Get tech help or pick up tech orders

Important Notes:

Families must RSVP and select either the morning or afternoon session. You’ll be prompted to choose activities for your Boost, Superstar Readers, RISE, or CVHS students.

You can view your student’s schedule in the student portal at any time. Directions can be found in the enrollment confirmation email you received.

There is no need to order TK-8 classes in Procurify. We will charge your student’s account once classes have begun.

Parents, did you know you can use the same form to add or drop a class, request a different time for a class, or request an out-of-grade level class? Generally, it takes 48 hours for a request to appear on the student’s schedule.

• Inclusive event available to all Cottonwood TK students
• Each morning 8:45-9:00 am

Our dedicated team will also be present at select park days and events, equipped with activities suitable for TK students. We anticipate the opportunity to embark on exciting explorations with all our TK students in the upcoming year.

Find all the times, dates, and Zoom links by clicking the button below!

Registration Updates: Parents and HSTs will receive confirmation of their student’s enrollment in Superstar Readers by Friday, 8/25.

Join us! There’s still room in Superstar Readers for your student who is learning to read. If you’re not sure which level is best for your student, please reach out to Literacy Development Coordinator Sarah Zuev for help or check out the “Which Level Is Right for My Child?” slides or webinar on the Superstar Readers page in the Nest.

Students in Superstar Readers will be able to pick up their Superstar cape, mask, and books at the fall kick-off event on the 25th! Classes begin September 11.

We are currently processing requests for students who registered for Boost after July 31st and will send an enrollment confirmation email by 8/25/23. This confirmation email will contain details for parents to pick up or ship their student’s Boost supply kit. Parents can check their student’s portal to view their student’s class schedules and see updates as they are made. There are a very limited number of spots left in Boost for 23-24.

Boost enriches the homeschool experience of our K-6 students with engaging, teacher-led activities and hands-on projects. We work right alongside your curriculum to provide academic and social enrichment opportunities.

22-23 Boost Highlights

Learn more! Info Session Slides

Boost Class Schedule – classes begin September 12

Waitlisted Classes: If a class has been waitlisted, it will say “waitlist only” on the TK-8 Request Form. Most waitlisted classes have 5-10 students on the waitlist. Typically only the first 3 students on the waitlist will receive a spot.

Add/Drop Period: The last day to add a Boost class is 9/26/23. The last day to drop a Boost class with a full refund is 9/19/23.

Important Dates:

• 8/16 & 8/17 – Virtual Orientation during regular class times
• 8/21 & 8/22 – First day of classes

Add/Drop Period:

• The last day to add a RISE class is 9/29/23.
• The last day to drop a RISE class with a full refund is 9/8/23.
• The last day to drop a RISE class (without a refund) is 9/29/23.

Wed/Thurs August 16 & 17 – Live! class orientations during the regularly scheduled Zoom class times.

Monday, August 21 – Live! classes begin

Go to this CVHS QUICK START GUIDE to find all of the essential information you need to get started in you Semester One class(es).

CVHS is still enrolling for Fall 2023 in both the Live! and Self-Paced Classes.

Sign up for our Homestudy Instructional Program Fall Kick-Off Event happening Friday, August 25. We have activities for all ages in our morning and afternoon sessions. To RSVP, sign up for your session of choice using the buttons below. (Space is limited)

✅Work Permits

If you have a student who needs a new work permit, please follow the work permit process on the Parent Nest to get the process started. If you have any questions about work permits, please email karson.davis@cottonwoodk12.org

Check out these resources designed to support you on your homeschooling journey with your high school student:

• The Cottonwood High School Course Catalog
• The Cottonwood High School Family Resource

For questions, comments, or concerns about the Course Catalog and or Family Resource, please contact:

Carey Brown, High School Success Coordinator/HST

c: (530) 545-3256 e: carey.brown@cottonwoodk12.org

The events section of this newsletter is your gateway to all the information you need to sign up for enrichment events all year long. Some events have limited capacity and tend to fill up rapidly, so it is a good idea to plan ahead and be prepared to register.

Registration Process: To sign up for a field trip, you’ll find the green buttons below that will direct you to Eventbrite, the platform we use for registrations. Before you proceed, thoroughly read the event details to ensure you have all the necessary information.

Important Tips for Registration:

1. Individual Registration: Each participant who plans to attend the field trip must be registered. (If there are age restrictions or requirements, that will be included in the event details.)
2. You must list each student’s name for tickets to be processed. Please ensure you are not registering yourself for all the tickets.
3. Ticket Types: Pay close attention to the ticket types available, as they indicate the participant’s identity, cost, and whether student funds or personal payment will be used.
4. Non-Refundable: Please be aware that field trip registrations are non-refundable. Ensure your availability before registering to avoid any inconveniences.
5. Chaperones: When using instructional funds for tickets, please observe these ratios.

• ONE Required Chaperone ticket for 1-4 enrolled Cottonwood students attending the trip.
• TWO Required Chaperone tickets for 5+ enrolled Cottonwood students attending the trip.
• Additional chaperone tickets must be purchased out of pocket via Eventbrite.
• Chaperones must be adults. Students may attend a field trip with another family from Cottonwood, but please understand that the parent attending as a chaperone is responsible for supervision of ALL students they bring to the trip. The best practice is for the chaperoning parent to place the order for all students in their group so that the tickets are bundled as one order.

We want to ensure that every student has the opportunity to take part in these incredible events. By using Eventbrite, we streamline the registration process to make it convenient for everyone.

We look forward to sharing all of the adventures to come this year!

Join Family Liaison Amanda B on Tuesday, August 29th at 1pm to discuss Plan Your Year: Homeschooling Planning for Purpose and Peace by Pam Barnhill. Please join us whether we’ve read all, some, or none of the book! Amanda B will be summarizing the book and we can discuss what inspirations we’ve gathered for our own homeschooling lives.

Get the book on Amazon (can use Amazon Punchout and Procurify!) or from your favorite book retailer.

Click the links below to add yourself to our REMIND list for our Park days. A weekly text will be sent to remind you of our upcoming event. Additionally, if there are last-minute location or time changes, you will be updated.

REMIND: Rocklin Park Day

REMIND: El Dorado Hills / Folsom Park Day

REMIND: Elk Grove Park Day

Our regular Family Liaison Park Days will resume in September on Wednesdays. Please keep an eye on The Wednesday Weekly for future updates!

As we prepare for all the beginning-of-the-year events and Instructional Programs ramping up, our weekly park days have changed to Wednesdays! This month, your Family Liaison team will be following the Mobile Lending Library Van. Please see the schedule below for the rest of the month:

• Week 3: 8/16 – Elk Grove – Kammerer Park w/ Maria O

• Week 4: 8/23 – Auburn – Auburn Recreation Park w/ Kara P

Receive Text Reminders for Storytime & Library Announcements: Join our Storytime & Craft Club REMIND

Location & Hours

🕐 Monday – Friday, 9am – 4pm

📍 3921 Sandstone Dr. El Dorado Hills, CA 95762

📱 530-285-2003 option 4

📥 lending-library@cottonwoodk12.org

🗓️ Check out the MOBILE LENDING LIBRARY park day schedule HERE.

Remaining Photo Session Dates:

• Thursday, October 12 at 10:00 am at Johnson Springview in Rocklin
• Thursday, October 19 at 10:00 am at Kammerer Park in Elk Grove

6 sessions – Thursdays, Oct. 5 – Nov. 9 at 6:00 pm-8:00 pm

Blue Oak Elementary in Cameron Park

Registration Fee $40/individual or couple

To register for Parenting the Love and Logic Way®, email counselor and facilitator Carin Chumbley at pearlsofparenting@gmail.com

• The Parents Hawks’ Nest – Everything you need to know and more is found here.
• Facebook Community Group – Remember to answer all the questions to join the group and join our conversations!
• Instagram – This is a public page seen by all.
• Pinterest – Tons of resources and ideas to be found.

• TCS High School Announcements Facebook Page – Make sure to follow our Cottonwood High School page for all things high school announcements such as college fairs, etc
• High School Concurrent Enrollment Guidelines
• 23/24 Community Partner List
• 23/24 Community Partner Application
• Star Student Submission Form – To see your student featured in our newsletter as a Cottonwood Star, click the button to submit an entry. They will be given a certificate and their own Cottonwood star in addition to their recognition here.
• Tell Us a Story! – Your story may be the very thing that someone needs to read. Won’t you share with us? Click to submit your story and photos.

THE COTTONWOOD SCHOOL

Serving transitional kindergarten through 12th-grade students in El Dorado, Amador, Alpine, Placer, and Sacramento Counties.

Location: 3921 Sandstone Dr. Ste 100, El Dorado Hills, CA 95762, USA