Dear Cottonwood Families,
The end is near! In just over three weeks we will be saying good-bye to a great group of students and some wonderful teachers and staff. I hope you agree that this has been a great year at Cottonwood! Our year has been full of learning and growth for your children. We truly appreciate your partnership in education.
I want to give a huge shout out to our amazing PTA for a wonderful Teacher/Staff Appreciation week. Although it is not over yet, our PTA and parent volunteers have truly gone above and beyond, and we are so grateful! Thank you to all of our parents for sending in sweet “favorite” gifts to all of us as well as your wonderful and kind notes and cards.
I personally want to let you know how much love and appreciation I received today. I had no idea that today was Principal’s Day until a bouquet of flowers and over 300 hand-written notes were delivered to me this morning, and the love kept coming all day. My heart has been in my throat. My true joy is being able to come to this wonderful school and spend my days with your children, and you! Thank you for allowing me to love your children as my own and thank you for all of your love and support!
With every passing year, there are always changes. I came across a quote today that I absolutely love: “The only way to make sense out of change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.” – Alan Watts. I personally invite all of you to “join the dance” as we all know that dancing alone isn’t very fun!
Let’s share the good-bye’s first. We would like to start off and wish Ms. Ruthann Bateman, our fun PE Teacher, the best as she moves into retirement. Thank you for keeping our students physically active and learning some great life skills over the years. We want to also wish Mrs. Carrie Frederick, our awesome speech pathologist the best as she moves into the wonderful world of motherhood. We are so excited for her and her sweet new baby boy (due in June). We are excited to celebrate Miss McKell Lythgoe and support her as she begins a new chapter teaching in Chandler, Arizona next year. Those students don’t know how lucky they’re about to be. We wish the best to Mr. Paul Jenkins as he ventures closer to home as the newest third grade teacher at Crestview Elementary. Watch out cougars—you don’t know what a great thing you’ve got coming your way. Finally, we want to wish Miss Carly Holmes the best as she tackles the gifted world at Morningside Elementary as their new fifth-grade ALC teacher. WOW – they really are getting a gift!
We are excited to let you know who is tentatively assigned to teach which grade levels next year.
Kindergarten: Mrs. Bench & Mrs. Hyland
First Grade: Mrs. Bricker & Mrs. Gleave
Second Grade: Miss Blackham & Miss Williams
Third Grade: Ms. Butler & Mrs. Pixton
Fourth Grade: Miss Gilchrist & Mrs. Hillier
Fifth Grade: Mrs. Alamo & Mrs. Park
While we are on the topic of next year, please watch your emails this summer for important information. All students, new and returning must register. Registration will take place through your online Focus account and teacher placements will be made available after the registration process is completed. The first day of school is scheduled for Monday, August 12th, for all grades.
As you’re making plans for next year, please check the district calendar found on the district website. A copy of the calendar is attached to this newsletter. Our school calendar will be updated periodically throughout the summer as new information/changes are made. We are hoping to continue to boost our attendance next year and continue to lower the number of tardies. It is so important for your child’s academic and social well-being to be in school and on-time to school! Thank you for helping us out and creating an “education first” focus in your homes.
This week we are celebrating Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week. We have some of the BEST educators here at Cottonwood! A list of some of our teachers and staffs Favorite Things can be found on our Cottonwood Webpage, schools.graniteschools.org/Cottonwood. Just look for the “Favorite Things” tab. Please remember that participation is optional and there are many things that don’t cost anything. A note of encouragement from parents is always appreciated. Our teachers and staff always work above and beyond their contract hours. As a parent myself, it is a relief to know that teachers are dedicated to the social, emotional, and academic success of each and every student. Thank you teachers!
I hope you all have a great last month of school and wish you a wonderful summer vacation!
Love, Mrs. Cooper
