Cougar Connection for February 7, 2018

February 7, 2018 | Cougar Connection

Thanks for donating to our service project!

For our January service project, students and their families donated an estimated three carloads' worth of coats and socks to wildfire victims in Santa Rosa. Your generosity has brought warmth to so many families!

Announcements

School News

Construction on Mark Thomas Drive

Major construction work will begin on Mark Thomas Drive in the next few weeks that will affect traffic around campus. We will keep you informed about the start date, alternate routes to and from campus, and other details as they become available to us. Please select and bookmark this link for construction information and updates relevant to our school community.

16 students win regional Scholastic Art Awards

An even number of seventh- and eighth-graders took home awards in digital art, photography, and film and animation. The top winners go on to national judging and will have their work on display at the Pacific Grove Art Center from March 1-31. Congratulations to all winners!

Mrs. Ford nominated for Best K-12 Teacher

Third-grade teacher Cris Ford was nominated in the Monterey County Weekly's Best of 2018 contest, and Santa Catalina School was nominated as Best School. We're so grateful that Mrs. Ford joined us this year. Please consider voting and showing your support!

ERB Testing set for February 19-23

ERB Testing for students in grades 2 through 8 takes place February 19–23 from 8:00 to 10:00 a.m. daily. Please make sure your children arrive at school by 7:55 a.m. each day and that they are well-rested and have eaten breakfast.

We ask that you not make any appointments during the scheduled testing periods. Students who arrive after testing begins are not be admitted to class because classes cannot be interrupted. There are no make-up tests.

During this week, we modify the students' homework load. Home practice remains important for students to retain content, especially since Winter Break follows ERB week. To allow students to practice important concepts but still remain fresh for the ERB, the students' normal homework load is cut in half. In addition, there are no tests or quizzes during ERB week.

Visit Grade 5's Mini City
On Friday, February 23, from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., fifth-graders are offering creative goodies, crafts, and activities in the Assembly Room for their annual Mini City. Some features: Putt-putt, ring toss, hot chocolate, sea glass jewelry, slime, bath bombs, emoji squishies, desserts, and raffles. Stop on by!

Upper School girls offer Valentine's Day babysitting
Upper School students offer you a worry-free date night … and a fun night of pizza and entertainment for your kiddos! To raise money for prom, they are offering to watch your children from 5:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 14, in Upper School Classrooms 1 and 2. (Adults are also present.) Cost is $25 for your first child, $15 for each additional sibling. Please RSVP your children's names and ages by February 9. Thank you!

Giving News

We are excited about this year's Annual Benefit Celebration and so thankful for the support that has been pouring in from our community. We can't wait to share this year's event with everyone!

New this year is a dessert auction that has been donated by the most sustainably-conscious bakers from around the Monterey Bay. In addition, we have our established farm-to-table dinner and a sustainable-drink service provided by MEarth. Our evening aims to provide zero-waste sustainable beverages. Our goals are no plastics and no unnecessary waste—only local, farm fresh, and compostable.

One of the traditional highlights of the evening remains the same: the Lower and Middle School class projects! We are thrilled to showcase the amazing work of our students. Here's a sneak peek at a few of the items:

PreK: A Santa Catalina chicken coop accompanied by two laying hens and a special basket of coop accessories. Delivery is included.

Kindergarten: A beautiful hand-painted tray

Grade 1: A heart-shaped terracotta planter of succulents, decorated by the students' thumbprint artwork

Grade 2: A spectacular butterfly wind chime

Grade 8: A memory book documenting all of this year's special moments in the eighth grade

For more information and updates about the evening, please visit our Facebook event page. We look forward to seeing you on March 10 at the 36th Annual Benefit Celebration!

—The Benefit Celebration Committee