Hello, Homeschool Families,

As we dive into February, we’re finally getting the rain we’ve all been waiting for! While the weather may keep us inside on some days, February is full of unique opportunities for learning—both indoors and out. From celebrating the changing seasons to exploring Black History Month, to tapping into the excitement of Valentine’s Day, there’s a lot to embrace this month!

Making the Most of February:

Rainy days are perfect for diving into science experiments like creating rain gauges or building paper sailboats to race in puddles, but there’s more to February than just the weather. This month offers a wonderful chance to explore a variety of themes and celebrate the richness of the world around us. Here are a few ideas for making the most of February with your homeschool students:

1. Celebrate Black History Month – Take the time to dive into the lives and achievements of influential figures in history. This is an excellent opportunity for literature discussions, research projects, and creative activities. Explore resources like Black History Month Activities for Kids of All Ages or 11 Engaging Black History Month Art Projects for K-8 for engaging ideas. Also, be sure to check out the Everybody Belongs page in the Nest, where you can find great book lists, resources, and meet our Ambassador family for this month too!

2. Valentine’s Day Projects – Whether you’re crafting heart-shaped cards or studying the history of this holiday, Valentine’s Day is full of fun ways to incorporate learning. Try a math activity around the number of hearts you can make from a piece of paper or explore the science behind chocolate with a little kitchen chemistry!

3. Winter Science – While we’re experiencing the rain, it’s the perfect time to dive deeper into the science of weather. Almost every app on your Clever dashboard will offer a plethora of resources on this topic. Why do we need rain? How does it impact the environment? Create your own weather stations or track the rainfall with homemade rain gauges. You could also explore the water cycle or even learn how to forecast weather!

4. Groundhog Day and Seasonal Changes – Did the groundhog see its shadow? Groundhog Day can be a fun way to talk about seasons, weather, and animal behavior. Use this day as a jumping-off point for discussions on how different animals adapt to the changing seasons.

5. Celebrating Love and Friendship in Homeschooling – Take time this month to emphasize kindness, appreciation, and friendship. One way to do this is by reading stories and books that focus on relationships. Also, consider doing a kindness challenge with your kids—creating a culture of support and care within your family. Need some book recommendations? Check out this YouTube playlist of heartwarming stories.

6. Indoor Exploration and Creativity – When the weather is dreary, sometimes all we need is a little cozy creativity. Build a DIY volcano, set up a rainy-day science experiment, or spend time crafting and reading together. You can find 21 rainy-day activities here or more ideas on our Pinterest board for rainy day activities.

As the weather changes, so does our homeschooling rhythm. February invites us to slow down, reflect, and embrace new learning opportunities—whether they come from the rain, a holiday, or the simple joy of creating something together. Let’s make the most of this month and find joy in the everyday moments.

Stay cozy, stay curious, and let’s make this February one to remember!

Kindly,

Kara Parkins

• Behind the Screens & Behind the Scenes: Meet our Newest Family Liaison!
• Educational Design Experts: What do you know about educational philosophies?
• National Honor Society: 2025 Induction Ceremony is here!
• TK-8 Instructional Programs: A to Z and beyond…
• HS Counseling: What is Xello?
• CCPA: Hot off the press…
• Everybody Belongs: Exciting Mondavi Event Announcement and Feb. Ambassador Family
• Lending Library: Literati Book Fair coming NEXT WEEK ONLY!
• And More…

And always at the end of The Wednesday Weekly

• Registration links and schedules for Park Days, Mondays at the CCC, and the Lending Library.

You can find more info about dates and events throughout the newsletter or on the Hawks’ Nest calendar.

Remember, this list does not include all events hosted by The Cottonwood School. Please check your personal calendar and email for field trip reminders, class reminders, and more.

• Mon, Feb 10:
• Mondays at the CCC, 10 am – 2 pm
• Mindset Mondays (See SELF Talk Newsletter for details)
• Storytime & Craft Club at The Lending Library, 2 – 3 pm

• Weds, Feb 12:
• Library on Location Van: Roseville & Antelope
• Regional Park Days: Elk Grove, Folsom, Rocklin, Antelope

Looking Ahead:

• Thurs, Feb 13: March Event Registration, 12:30 pm

• Mon, Feb 17: School Closed in observance of Presidents’ Day

• Weds, Feb 19:
• Library on Location Van: Sacramento & Elk Grove
• Regional Park Days: Elk Grove, Orangevale, Rocklin, Antelope

• Mon, Feb 24:
• Mondays at the CCC, 10 am – 2 pm
• Mindset Mondays (See SELF Talk Newsletter for details)
• Storytime & Craft Club at The Lending Library, 2 – 3 pm
• Fri, March 14: The Cottonwood School’s Annual Science Fair
• Fri, April 4th: Prom for all 9th – 12th grade students
• Fri, April 11th: The Cottonwood School’s Annual Maker’s Market

Last week, our School Board approved an updated Field Trip & Event Policy, which is now part of our Parent/Student Handbook.

While some changes will take effect next fall, we want to bring your attention to a new Code of Conduct for students, parents, and chaperones at field trips and events. This Code of Conduct aligns with the existing expectations for our classes, as outlined in the Parent/Student Handbook.

For full details, you can view the Field Trip & Event Policy which is now included in The Cottonwood School’s Board Policies.

Hi! I’m Saralynn, and I’m thrilled to be a homeschooling mom to two wonderful boys. They’re in 2nd and 6th grade at Cottonwood. We have been a Cottonwood family since 2021, and our growth over the years has been immeasurable. One of the things I appreciate most about homeschooling is the ability to tailor their education to fit their individual needs and interests. Cottonwood, our HST, and the entire staff have helped us navigate homeschooling for our family. Over the years, we’ve explored various educational philosophies, creating a rich and diverse learning experience for them. Our days are filled with a mix of home curriculum, Rise and Boost classes, fun park days, field trips, sports, and visits to our favorite enrichment centers.

I’m excited to take on the role of Family Liaison for the Folsom area and can’t wait to meet you and your children! I look forward to connecting and building a supportive community together.

At January’s board meeting, our students shined! Cash captivated the audience with an exciting presentation on dinosaurs, sharing fascinating facts. Jacqueline impressed everyone with her insightful discussion on North Korea’s food supply shortage, demonstrating both knowledge and confidence. Claire showcased her passion for filmmaking by presenting her own student-made short film.

We are so proud of these exemplary students!

Kindergarten Promotion

• Tuesday, May 20, 2025, in the morning – location coming soon!

8th Grade Promotion

• Thursday, May 22, 2025, 1:00 pm at William Jessup University

High School Graduation

• Thursday, May 22, 2025, 4:00 pm at William Jessup University

High School Families: Check out the High School Graduation page in the Hawk’s Nest for details for the HS Graduation Ceremony this year! Where to find it: Academics > Commencement > High School

Kindergarten & 8th Grade Families: Keep an eye out for Nest pages for 8th grade Promotion and Kindergarten Promotion coming soon!

💥Service Orders – IMPORTANT REMINDER: To ensure that monthly service order requests are processed and received by vendors, submit service orders by the following dates:

• March service orders by Friday, February 14th
• April service orders by Friday, March 14th

GREAT NEWS – PRO TIP! You may now submit all remaining service orders for the school year (March, April, and May) for approval.

🔹 Final Deadline: Wednesday, March 26th is the last day to request all service and non-Amazon product orders for the remainder of the school year.

🔹 End Dates: All service orders must end on or before the last day of May. We cannot process orders with end dates in June or later.

These processes ensure our Community Partners receive service orders before students begin services. Thank you for your cooperation and attention to these deadlines!

As part of your child’s preparation for the CAASPP (California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress), one key area they will be assessed on is opinion writing. This essential skill helps students express their thoughts clearly and persuasively, supporting their opinions with strong reasons and evidence.

How to Support Your Child in Opinion Writing

1. Understand the Structure of Opinion Writing

In opinion writing, students express their viewpoint on a topic, support it with reasons, and conclude by reinforcing their opinion. Here’s a typical structure:

• Introduction: Clearly state the opinion on the topic.
• Body: Provide at least two or three supporting reasons, each backed by specific examples or evidence.
• Conclusion: Restate the opinion in a compelling way and briefly summarize the main reasons.

2. Practice with Simple Prompts

Encourage your child to practice using opinion-writing prompts such as:

• Do you think school should start later in the day? Why or why not?
• What is your favorite season, and what makes it the best?
• Should kids be allowed to have cell phones at school? Give reasons.

Tip: Have your child write their opinion first, then come up with at least two strong reasons to support it. Each reason should be backed by an example or evidence to make it convincing.

3. Help Organize Their Thoughts

Before writing, teach your child to organize their ideas using a graphic organizer like this:

• Topic: What is the question or issue?
• Opinion: What is their viewpoint?
• Reasons: Why do they feel that way?
• Examples: What evidence or examples support their reasons?

This structure ensures their writing is clear, logical, and well-organized.

We’ll continue next week with next steps. Happy prepping!

Never fear! All of the Testing Tips of the Week are available in the Nest!

Where to Find It: Navigate to the Academics section of The Hawks’ Nest > Test Success Tips

February is here, and so is PFT testing! 🎉

Below are videos demonstrating each exercise that our 5th, 7th, and 9th grade students will be performing. We encourage students to practice and familiarize themselves with each exercise ahead of time.

📌 Need details about your testing date and location? Contact your HST with any questions.

You will be notified via email if your PFT date is rescheduled due to weather.

PFT Exercise Videos:

1. Aerobic Capacity​ One-Mile Run Video [4:08 minutes]

2. Abdominal Strength and Endurance​ Curl-Up Video [4:54 minutes]

3. Upper Body Strength and Endurance​ Push-Up Video [3:29 minutes]

4. Trunk Extensor Strength and Flexibility​ Trunk Lift Video [3:37 minutes]

5. Flexibility​ Shoulder Stretch Video [3:27 minutes]

Cottonwood Curriculum Office Hours:

Mondays 10 am -11 am

Thursdays 3 pm – 4 pm

Curriculum Zoom

Whether it’s essays, research papers, or everyday assignments, Grammarly for Students helps your learner write with confidence by:

✅ Enhancing clarity and structure

✅ Catching grammar and spelling mistakes

✅ Strengthening academic writing skills

Want to learn about and explore a variety of homeschool-friendly educational philosophies? Bring your students and join us for our parent workshop,

Celebrating Educational Philosophies

📅 When: Thursday, February 20th
⏰ Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM

This Thursday is the Night! 🎉

The National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society will be celebrating our new members during the Virtual Induction Ceremony this Thursday from 5-6 pm.

Students who were accepted should have received an email with their official invitation and important next steps to complete before the ceremony.

Thank you all for your interest in our program this year—we look forward to celebrating with you!

📩 For questions or more information, contact: kyle.lutkemuller@cottonwoodk12.org

Many of you already use Learning A-Z for Superstar Readers. We have now expanded access to Learning A-Z for all kindergarten through second-grade students. K-2 students can login automatically through your Clever account. Students in TK or grades 3+ can request access by signing up for Superstar Readers with the TK-8 Request Form.

Quick Start Guide for Learning A-Z

Reading Planet

• Level Up! The student takes a short placement quiz – do not read this to your student. The student then has access to books at their reading level for listening and reading.

• Reading Room: Read or listen to books. Text is highlighted as it is being read by natural voices.

Foundations Planet

• Quests: Decodable books and shared readers for Superstar Readers

• Explore Zone: lessons and activities that align with the Science of Reading and Superstar Readers

For any questions about level placement or using the app, contact SuperstarReaders@cottonwoodk12.org.

Please check your bookmarks. We use special shortened bitly links for our Instructional Programs classes. The bitly link redirects you to the correct Zoom room .

TCS High School Highlights Student Edition Feb. ‘25

This spring, CVHS is all about Innovation—a theme woven into every subject, Live class, and in-person event. We’re challenging students to explore, collaborate, and create, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible as they tackle real-world challenges from the past, present, and future.

🚀 Kicking off our in-person events is the CSUS Sustainability Tour on March 6th—an exciting walking tour showcasing groundbreaking innovations in sustainability. Join us as we discover how CSUS is leading the way in building a greener future.

📢 CVHS students—don’t miss out! Sign up below to be part of this inspiring experience.

Speaking of innovation, starting next week, students will put their economic knowledge to the test in a real-world Zombie Survival Simulation!

🔹 The Mission: Design and manage a city of 1,000 people while navigating unpredictable disasters in real-time.
🔹 The Challenge: Tackle concepts like scarcity, opportunity cost, and trade-offs while making critical decisions to allocate resources and adapt to challenges.
🔹 The Goal: Work together to ensure the survival of the city and its citizens!

This engaging simulation will not only strengthen problem-solving, collaboration, and innovation skills but also deepen students’ understanding of economics in an exciting, hands-on way.

Let the survival strategy begin!

On Friday, January 24, our entire staff spent part of our Professional Development Day exploring Jonathan Haidt’s book The Anxious Generation and the accompanying Let Grow Initiative.

At its core, The Let Grow Experience is a simple but powerful challenge: “Go home and do something new on your own.” This fosters independence, resilience, problem-solving, and joy.

Think back to the powerful memories you may have of your own independent experiences when you were younger. Many parents may hesitate to give their children this freedom—that’s where we come in! The Cottonwood School is utilizing the Let Grow resources so we can all be a part of a growing trend of adults who step back, so our kids can step up!

You will notice a new Let Grow section in each Monday’s SELF Talk newsletter with links and suggestions. You can also find the monthly resources to encourage this type of growth at home on the SELF Pages in the Parent Nest. We are so thrilled to work with you to foster independence, growth, and joy for our students!

The Coppage Family has been part of the Cottonwood community for three years now!

💬 “We absolutely love the opportunities the school brings to our family. Our heritage is Puerto Rican, Dominican, African American, and Irish, and we plan to explore more of our Irish and Dominican roots.

For fun, we love to travel as a family. This summer, we’re excited to go on a cruise for a family reunion! Family is very important to us, and we cherish creating memories of all the places we’ve been.”

We love having the Coppage family as part of our Cottonwood Community!

🎶 Celebrate Black History Month with Dahlak Brathwaite! 🎶

Join us for an immersive oral telling of American history through music with acclaimed author and performer Dahlak Brathwaite. Through spoken word poetry and hip hop, Brathwaite takes us on a journey from gospel to blues, jazz to R&B, showcasing the cultural impact and historical context behind some of the most innovative music of the 20th century.

While these songs may be easy on the ears, their origins often emerged from times of tension and struggle. Adapting History, performed entirely by Brathwaite, explores how, despite discord, creativity flourishes and unites us.

🎥 Watch the video trailer and register for this innovative virtual event using the button below!

Starting in February, join us each Wednesday at one of our four Park Day locations! Check out the details for next week’s Park Days on Wednesday, February 12th:

📍 Elk Grove – Kammerer Park, 12 PM (with Alaynah M.)
📍 Folsom – John Kemp Park, 10 AM (with Saralynn D.)
📍 Roseville – Kaseberg Park, 10 AM – 12 PM (with Amanda B.)
📍 Antelope – Dry Creek Park (Roseville), 11 AM – Join us for crafts! (with Maria O.)

🔹 Stay Updated! Join your local Remind group for updates on activities led by the Family Liaison team, including weather-related cancellations and upcoming events.

Sign up to receive Park Day reminders and stay in the loop all semester long!

REMIND: Rocklin/Roseville/Lincoln Park Day

REMIND: 50 Corridor: Folsom/Placerville/Rancho Cordova

REMIND: Elk Grove Park Day

REMIND: Antelope/Fair Oaks/Citrus Heights

From 10 AM – 1 PM, Mondays at the CCC have an “Open House” vibe—feel free to drop in whenever you’d like!

For our guided activities from 1-2 PM, we ask that you reserve your spot using the signup so our specialty staff can prepare a great experience for your students. (Note: February 24 is an exception, as we have two special activities!)

🔹 Check out the signup to see what’s coming up, but please only sign up for activities you plan to attend so we can allocate resources appropriately.

We can’t wait to see you there! 🎉

📅 Mark Your Calendar! 🚀

All March field trips will open for registration next Thursday, February 13th, at 12:30 pm! ⏰

Start planning now by checking the Upcoming Field Trips & Events Spreadsheet. We’re thrilled to offer exciting experiences like train rides, magic shows, art museum tours, The Science Fair, and more!

🔹 Not seeing a hyperlink on a field trip? That means the event listing page isn’t ready yet—keep checking back for updates!

We can’t wait to see your students on these amazing adventures!

• All registrations and payments are final. Please carefully review all event details before registering. Tickets are non-transferable.
• Student ID Numbers are now required for registration.
• Punctuality is crucial. You must arrive on time for all events. Late arrivals will not be permitted out of respect for the venue, coordinators, and other families.
• Parent supervision is required for the entire event unless it is a designated Teen Drop-Off event.
• Registration closes two weeks before the event date.

Thank you for your cooperation—we look forward to seeing you at our upcoming events!

• OFFICIAL Facebook Community Group
• Official and private, moderated by Cottonwood School staff.
• Ensures accurate information and verifies active members as parents/legal guardians.
• A secure space for information, updates, and community connections.
• Public Instagram
• Pinterest – Tons of resources and ideas to be found.

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: Mondays at the CCC

REMIND: Rocklin/Roseville/Lincoln Park Day

REMIND: 50 Corridor: Folsom/Placerville/Rancho Cordova

REMIND: Elk Grove Park Day

REMIND: Antelope/Fair Oaks/Citrus Heights

• The Parents Hawks Nest – Everything you need to know and more is found here.

• Past Wednesday Weekly Newsletters
• 2024/25 School Calendar

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