Covington Elementary School

PTA Back to School Picnic 
The PTA Picnic is Monday evening before the first day of school, from 5pm - 7pm.  Bring your own food or there are food trucks.  PTA has a Welcome table for new families.  T-Shirts are for sale.  Class Assignments are posted.  A fun, end-of-summer, community event.

First Day of School
Bring a mind ready to learn!
Except Kindergartners, all students line up on the blacktop at their classroom lines when the 8:27am bell rings.  Covington begins each day as a community with a daily flag assembly (rain cancels).

• Where to go: We have a brief flag assembly on the blacktop every day.  Parents are welcome to attend.  Students line up by class and after the assembly, walk into class with their teacher.
• What time to arrive: The playground opens at 8:10am.  No students should arrive earlier as there is no supervision.
• Drop off/pick up process, including where to park: Walking & biking to school is encouraged for those who live nearby.  If not, you can drive and park in the school lot, the back of St. William Church (adjacent to the kinder playground) or at Rosita Park right next door.
• Covington’s PTA provides school supplies for every student on the first day of school.

PTA Coffee/Volunteer Sign-ups 
First Friday of School, 8:30am-9:30am.  Enjoy coffee with other Covington parents and sign-up for various classroom and school-wide volunteer opportunities.

Back to School Night (BTSN)
Parents-only event to meet your child’s teacher, and learn about their class goals, teaching style, & methods. Most classes have some sign up opportunities for classroom volunteers & field trip chaperones during this evening.

Specific Information for Kindergarten Parents
At drop off time go to the kindergarten playground. You will say goodbye to your child when they line up for class. The teacher will meet your children on the playground. The first three and a half weeks of kindergarten, the students are dismissed at 12:00 noon and do not eat lunch at school.

Snack
Most students bring a snack and water bottle for morning recess.

To make your Back to School Donations, visit: LINK COMING SOON.  You may also purchase a la carte "spirit items" to support Covington programs, if you'd like, using the links below:

• PTA Membership ($15 for one parent, $25 for two members in same family)
• Birthday Marquee ($25)
• Covington Wear (Varying Prices) 
• Los Altos Educational Foundation (LAEF) 

Call the attendance line, 650-947-1101, or email covingtonattendance@lasdschools.org. Attendance policies are found on this page.

Students walk, bike or are driven by parents/caregivers. LASD does not have school buses. Children can ride their bikes. There is a bike cage at the front of the school on Covington Road near the kindergarten playground, and one cage at the side entrance of the school near Rosita Park/Champions. Bikes should be locked during the school day. The bike cages themselves are not locked. For routes to school, see Safe Routes to School map.
 

Kinder pick up: by the gate between Room 2 & Room 3

1st-2nd grade pick up: at the front of the school, by the central corridor.

3rd-5th grade pick up: at the front of the school, by the multi

Parents are not allowed to walk to the classroom door or wait on the school premises beyond the school office.

Places to park: the school parking lot, the back of St William’s Church by the kinder playground and Rosita park. If you circle the school parking lot, NEVER get out of your car. You must keep pulling forward to avoid causing a back up.

ClassroomParent (CP) is the secure online directory solution used by the Los Altos School District.  You control your privacy settings and may choose to make some or all of your information public or private.

CP is an all in one web-based, easy-to us, mobile-friendly application that supports your PTA organization.  This application is a parent directory and so much more.  It is also a tool to easily communicate via email or text to the entire school or a particular grade-level or classroom.

Disclaimer: We do not recommend any programs, just provide information.

Champions

• Our on-site after school provider is Champions. Please contact them directly regarding space availability and rates: Champions at Covington Elementary or (650) 559-7900.

Club J

• Some families use the off-site provider: Club J at Palo Alto JCC. They provide transportation from Covington to the Palo Alto JCC Club J. You can contact them at OFJCC Website or (650) 223-8625.

Way to Go Spanish Immersion at Los Alto Christian School

• phone: (408) 829-2460
• website: https://www.waytogoprograms.com/after-school-programs/spanish-immersion-camp/
• Transportation from Covington

Safari Kids Mountain View

• phone: (650) 282-5930
• email address: mtview@safarikidsca.com
• Transportation from Covington

Lola & Friends Home Based After School Program

• phone: (650) 526-2305
• website: Lola and Friends
• Transportation from Covington

See our After School Programs page.

The school dress code is based on safety, good taste and appropriateness. Generally speaking, dress that is disruptive to school is not allowed. References to guns, alcohol, drugs or other inappropriate themes should not be worn on clothes. All school policies including wellness, dress code, etc are found on our School Policies page.

No uniforms for PE. Closed toe shoes are required on PE days and recommended for every school day for student safety. Your child's teacher will share with his/her students their class's PE schedule at the start of the year.

Students bring their personal water bottles to school. All teachers allow access to water during class.

All forgotten items should be brought to the school office.

An InfoSnap Letter was emailed to you at the beginning of school or when you registered. InfoSnap online registration needs to be completed for each student every year. Current phone numbers and addresses as well as Emergency contacts are very important to have in our database.

Also known as SBAC testing, these state-mandated assessments are given to students grades 3 through 6 in the late spring (April/May). The Smarter Balanced Assessment system utilizes computer-adaptive tests and performance tasks that allow students to show what they know and are able to do. This system is based on the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics.

It varies by teacher and grade level. After the first day of school, teachers routinely send out classroom newsletters that explain the learning that is taking place in their classrooms as well as other important information.

It varies by teacher and grade level. Generally speaking, there is no homework in Kindergarten. Beginning in 1st grade, students do receive some homework, roughly about 20 minutes per night. As students move up through the grade levels, homework increases. Teachers design homework to be practice or review for students.

Parent-teacher conferences are the Monday and Tuesday preceding Thanksgiving. Students do not have school on those days. Your student's teacher will go over the 1st trimester progress report and answer questions you may have.

The music teachers have an assembly in the first few days of school for 5th & 6th graders to explain the options for music instruction.

The schedule of the school nurses varies depending on needs. Any Health Questions, including food allergy policies, medical conditions and medication policies: you should contact LASD Health Services

Covington has “nut free” tables located in each eating area where students with nut allergies can sit. No nut products of any kind are allowed at the “nut free” tables and are routinely patrolled to ensure that. Kindergarten, including classrooms and lunch tables, are a completely nut free zone.

Please see LASD Health Services.

Please see LASD Health Services.

The last Friday before school is out for the summer, the students play organized games on the blacktop & field. Many parents volunteer at this event. The day concludes with a 6th graders vs. the staff water balloon volleyball game. 

Usually, the 2nd Saturday in October is the date of the Walk-a-thon. Every LASD elementary school PTA hosts a Walk-a-thon, a long-distance walk organized as a fundraising event. More importantly, the Walk-a-thon serves as a community wide event, where all Covington families can join together for a day of fun.

All events are on the Covington School website google calendar, located on the home page in the Calendar section.

Some after school sports are part of the PTA sponsored enrichment offerings. See the After School Programs page for more info.

• Join PTA and volunteer for a PTA position
• Attend a fundraising party
• Join an after school club (Howler newsletter)
• Be a classroom volunteer (ask your child’s teacher)
• Join Girl Scouts
• Join Boy Scouts