How does one define a great school? We say just look at Cottage Lake Elementary and you will see exactly that: the definition of a great school.

The staff of Cottage Lake exudes professionalism. Over the last few months, the Northshore School District has been under pressure to balance their budget. This has been a stressful situation for staff and families alike. The Cottage Lake staff faced this difficult situation with a positive outlook. They never spoke about the circumstances in the classroom, where some children may have become upset. They supported the families affected by a potential move to a new school in a private manner. We cannot ask for anything more than that.

The Cottage Lake staff is supportive of one other. The example they put forth is one of unity, working together to create a great school. These wonderful people believe in Cottage Lake and they work hard to make our school a great place.

In addition, this staff works hard to create a comfortable learning environment for the students. They offer humor along with learning. They are diverse in their teaching methods to ensure that each child is reaching their highest potential.

As parents, we seek the best education for our children. The Cottage Lake staff makes every effort to give that to our children. For that, and for so much more, we are thankful and very lucky to have them in our lives.

What do the students have to say? “The teachers are nice and fun. We can count on them. The principals watch out for us. They are good at teaching. The teachers have a sense of humor. We get to learn great songs. The librarian has great books. We play fun games in P.E. We get Skittles on Friday. We sing Camp Casey songs in class. They are strict, in a good way. They read good books to us. Our teacher gives us center time. We have a cool classroom pet. The teachers are helpful and they support us so we do our best. The teachers give us hugs. Thank you!”