Lowell Lions' ROAR!
January 2017
From the desk of Mrs. Larva
Happy New Year!
Welcome back to school after what we hope was a wonderful and exciting winter break spent with family and friends. It is such a pleasure being with our students once again and listening to their adventures over the holidays! Teachers are refreshed and ready to engage their students in meaningful learning opportunities.
Signing up for February Conferences
Our first semester will be ending in January, and teachers will be reporting out the progress of students at our February conferences.
Directions for signing up:
To create an account in Sign-up Genius: https://goo.gl/4a7qop
To sign up for Tuesday, February 7, 2017: https://goo.gl/2hb8sf
To sign up for Thursday, February 9, 2017: https://goo.gl/s76wn6
Click on the time slot under the correct teacher to reserve your conference time.
A team from our school is receiving on-going training in Positive Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS) and is working behind the scenes to set up systems at Lowell. Our most noticeable change at the start of our school year was our Lowell Lions' PRIDE and student pledge. We are asking our students to show their Lowell Lions' PRIDE by being Safe, Kind, Respectful and Honest students each and every day!
We are ready to begin rolling out our school-wide incentive plan for following our behavior expectations at school. We have set up expectations for the hallway, bathroom, cafeteria, and playground. Our teachers have been using the PRIDE language to support positive behaviors in their classrooms as well. Our focus will be shifting from setting up systems to recognizing the student efforts in meeting our expectations.
Your child may come home talking about the "paws" that their class has earned. We will be giving out "paws" to individuals who are demonstrating their PRIDE in the hallways, cafeteria, and playground. Additionally, specialists and teachers will be giving class "paws" for meeting expectations. We will be recognizing our "Paws-itive Behaviors" by grade-level on the bulletin board outside of the gymnasium. Classes will be able to earn extra recess time for our first incentive.
We have a few more tricks up our sleeve but will leave you hanging with anticipation for what is still to come...
January Upcoming Events:
- January 3: School resumes
- January 3-23: FAST Reading and Math screening assessment (Winter benchmark)
- January 5: Winter Wonderland Family Night 6-7pm
- January 16: MLK Jr. Day - NO SCHOOL
- January 19: Lowell Talent Show
- January 20: NO SCHOOL for students
- January 23: Immersion Information Night 6-7pm
- January 24: Lowell Night at Little Angie's
- January 27: NO SCHOOL for students
Mitten, Hats, and Shoes...Oh My!
Additionally, many students are either forgetting to bring shoes to school or are in need of shoes. Please remember to pack shoes when your child walks out the door in his/her boots. Our gym teacher can provide some shoes for those who forget but is running low on her supply. If you have new or gently used shoes in kids sizes, you can donate them to the school.
One final note:
At Lowell, we value the time our students spend outdoors. We have this beautiful space for outdoor activities and learning. Please make sure that you are dressing for the weather each and every day. Do not just assume that we will be keeping them indoors, because chances are they will go outside. We follow the district weather guidelines very carefully. If the windchill is above -18 degrees, we will be outside during recess.
Language Immersion Information Night
Lowell Elementary will be hosting a Language Immersion Information Night for new families interested in either Misaabekong Ojibwe Immersion or Nueva Visión Spanish Immersion for the 2017-2018 School year. Nueva Visión Spanish Immersion will be accepting enrollment applications for students entering Kindergarten as well as a few spaces for 1st grade. Misaabekong Ojibwe Immersion will be accepting enrollment applications for students entering grades K-2.
When: January 23rd
Where: Lowell Elementary Media Center
Time: 6-7 pm
This event will be information for parents of potential language immersion students, and childcare will not be provided.
Nueva Visión Spanish Immersion
Nueva Visión Spanish Immersion students have been busy learning letter and syllable sounds in Spanish while also working in differentiated small groups! Some of their favorite “centros” include:
Tracing letter sounds in salt
Reading books with a partner
Writing “Yo veo” books
Using magnetic letters to spell syllables & high frequency words
Spanish language apps/resources
http://learningattheprimarypond.com/blog/spanish-reading-apps/Lost and Found
We do ask that you ONLY take the items that belong to your child. We have a Kids' Closet on site if you are looking for new or gently used items for your child. Additionally, if your family is in need, we can set you up with the Duluth Kids' Closet. Please contact Amanda Borling (218-336-8895 x3020 or Amanda.Borling@isd709.org) for more information.
Misaabekong Ojibwe
The goal of Ojibwe Language immersion is to provide high quality educational experiences, beginning in kindergarten that support academic and linguistic development in multiple languages. To apply or for more information contact Edye Howes, Coordinator of American Indian Education for ISD 709, at 218-336-8700 ext. 1152 or edith.howes@isd709.org.
Videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCj6GGBkGtS6oEHKVYNctZCA
Lowell Night at Little Angie's
Tuesday, Jan 24, 2017, 04:30 PM
Little Angie's Cantina And Grill, Duluth, MN, United States
Adventure Club
Lincoln Park 5th Grade Registration Information Night
Monday, Jan 23, 2017, 05:00 PM
Lincoln Park Middle School, Duluth, MN, United States
Shiny Paper
Attention Lowell families!
We have begun collecting shiny paper as an ongoing PTA fund-raiser. The money raised will go towards improving technology at Lowell.
Collection will occur at two locations within the school that families will have access to: in the front entry, and at the parent pick-up in the back.
Brown paper bags or plastic bags are acceptable for your shiny paper’s transportation to school only, but cannot be collected as shiny paper.
What can be collected:
Magazines
Catalogs
Shiny/glossy newspaper inserts (examples: Target, Kohl’s ads, etc.)
White copy paper (new or used)
What is unacceptable:
Newspapers
Garbage
Brown paper bags or plastic bags
Wet material
Envelopes with plastic windows
Colored paper
Plastic
Phone books
Collect from family, friends, neighbors and help your student’s school improve technology!
Reminder for Parents: Text Notifications in Parent Portal
Additional School Communication Tool for Families – Sign Up to Receive Text Messages
The ability to share information and keep families informed is important. Duluth Public Schools currently use a combination of email and automated phone calls to share information and notifications. In addition to email and phone, families may now sign up to receive school information via text messages:
Have your cell phone number in Campus Portal:
· Log into your Campus Portal account
· Verify your cell phone number is entered
· Click on “Family Members” on the left hand side of screen
· Enter the cell phone number to which texts should be sent
· Click “Send Update” to save.
“Opt-in” for text message notifications:
· Click “Contact Preferences” on the left hand side of the screen
· Check the box(es) for information you'd like to receive via a text message
Click here for detailed instructions. Please contact your school if you have questions regarding Campus Portal and text notifications.
To help ensure good communication please be sure your contact information is up to date in Campus Portal and at your school. If your contact information changes, please update it right away in Campus Portal and call your school office so they can update that information in their files.
Contact Us
Email: web.lowell@isd709.org
Website: http://lowell-elementary.isd709.org/
Location: 2000 Rice Lake Road, Duluth, MN, United States
Phone: 218-336-8895
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lowelllions
Twitter: @Lowell_ES_Lions