Before we get to some local school registration information for the next school year, I wanted to share a library event for those of us taking care of children during the pandemic. Sno-Isle Libraries is offering an “Issues That Matter 2021” series. The next free installment, “Issues That Matter: Recognizing Anxiety and Depression in Kids” is on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 10 a.m.. The panelists, a local pediatrician and school psychologist, will explain “how to tell the difference between normal child behavior and changes that indicate it’s time to seek help” and where to find help  available to you and your family. They will also share tips and offer resources to help kids of all ages cope with pandemic pressures that can cause anxiety, such as remote schooling, isolation from friends and relatives, and fears that they or someone they know may fall ill. You can find information and program registration HERE.  You can find coverage of the first installment of the three-part series HERE, and a link to the first webinar HERE.

The library also offers some virtual options for kids to make some connections. There is a Middle Readers Online Book Club for grades 5 through 8. This month’s book selection is “The Girl Who Drank the Moon” by Kelly Barnhill and the next meeting is Tuesday, January 26th at 1 pm. The Awesome Reading Room is on Mondays at 4 pm. Third Grade participants in the Sno-Isle Libraries Mega-Fun, Biblio-Trivia, Rockem’-Sockem’, Third Grade Reading Challenge are invited to hang out and read the challenge books. “Tween girls ages 8-12 and a female adult are invited to join a lively book discussion” on the 4th Saturday of every month for a Mother/Daughter Book Club. The current selection is “Eventown” by Corey Ann Haydu and the full list can be found on Sno-Isle.org.

From kindergarten registration to finding ways to pay for college, there are some upcoming deadlines, info nights, and classes available. Ten years ago this week, I picked up the registration packet for my oldest to go to kindergarten that fall. It doesn’t feel possible given recent pictures of his friends learning to drive and his feet being the biggest in the house. I was reminded via the Memories option on Facebook — a look at your pictures, posts, or activity on that date in years past — which certainly lands differently lately since many of the things I see aren’t currently an option due to COVID. It is that time again for families of students who are 5 by Aug. 31, 2021. The Edmonds School District is hosting a special Kick Off to Kindergarten virtual event on Monday, Feb. 8 from 6 to 7 p.m. The virtual event will include information about Kindergarten in our district and offer a chance to meet elementary principals and see the district’s new online registration process. If you need help finding which school your student will attend, entering your residential address in the Neighborhood School Finder website will help you find your student’s school. For more information and the link to the virtual Kick Off to Kindergarten visit Edmonds.Wednet.Edu.

There is plenty of time left to register for kindergarten for the 2021-2022 school year, but the application deadline for our district’s STEM Magnet program is Jan. 31. The program, housed at Mountlake Terrace High School, is a rigorous four-year curriculum of courses in science, technology, engineering and mathematics to engage, prepare and inspire students to pursue university studies and careers in STEM fields. They have an info night each fall detailing the program’s options and registration. Since this year’s offering was virtual, you can watch it on the district’s YouTube channel HERE. For more information, you can find the STEM homepage at STEM.Edmonds.Wednet.edu and contact the district at 425-431-7000.

The Edmonds Library recently shared a “Paying for College” event from Shoreline Community College that caught my eye. The virtual event, to be held Thursday, Jan. 28 at 10 a.m., will cover different ways to pay for college including the difference between a dcholarship and a grant, or the steps to apply for student financial aid. You will need to register online at SurveyMonkey.com/r/Money4College and you can reach out to Inez Olive at IOlive@Shoreline.edu.

— By Jennifer Marx

Jen Marx, an Edmonds mom of two boys, is always looking for a fun place to take the kids that makes them tired enough to go to bed on time.