In The Laidlaw Loop
Weekly Newsletter: September 9, 2022
Dear Laidlaw Families,
It brought me great joy to welcome parents to our first IN PERSON curriculum night in over two years this past Tuesday. The energy was contagious from the staff and the parents in attendance. Thank you to everyone who made it work in their schedules to be there.
One of my own highlights of this past week was visiting Mrs. Kropf's 3rd grade classroom to see & participate in a reading lesson and also pushing into Mrs. Hornbeck's 2nd grade classroom to be part of an iReady Math lesson, a new math curriculum that 2nd grade is piloting. In Mrs. Kropf's room, I loved conferencing with student groups about their text-to-self and text-to-world connections after a whole class read-aloud. And, in Mrs. Hornbeck's room, it was really exciting to see the iReady Math in action. Students worked on individually practicing a skill, conferring in a small group, and then shared their thinking on the screen with the large group. My favorite aspect of being principal (by far!) is getting to spend time in classrooms with the students.
Mrs. Haight and I have been meeting with each grade level over the course of this week to remind students of the specific & tangible ways that they can be respectful, responsible, and safe at Laidlaw. During these grade level assemblies, we are reminding students about how to responsibly use Gizmos and Apple Watches if they have them, and we are introducing our new whole school behavior incentive: Laidlaw Loot. I overviewed this program at curriculum night, but if you missed the whole group presentation on Tuesday, I'll be sharing details about it in NEXT Friday's update, so stay tuned!
I am eagerly anticipating Laidlaw's annual Walk To School Event next Friday, September 16th. Mark your calendars and I hope to see you there (details from PTO below!).
Happy Friday!
Renee
MAP Testing begins Monday
Walk To School Day- NEXT FRIDAY
Sponsored by the Laidlaw PTO, “WALK TO SCHOOL DAY” has become a much-anticipated annual event among many Laidlaw students and parents. For those who live too far to walk, simply park your car a few blocks away and join the parade of walkers! If you are unable to walk that morning and complete the scavenger hunt form (due to a before school program or another circumstance), feel free to do it the day or night before and send me a pic of your sheet with name and teacher!
Safety is our number one concern so please remember the following safety rules when walking to school:
- Stay on the sidewalk
- Cross only at corners
- Stop, look and listen, at all times, for cars and trucks
- Given the increased number of students and family walking this day, we ask to not brings pets along
Look for the scavenger hunt sheets to come home next Wednesday or Thursday. Stop by under the pavilion for bagels, coffee, and OJ and to hand in your sheets!
Any questions? Please contact Sue Colson (susie48197@hotmail.com)
Parent-Free Blacktop Reminder
Gizmos and Smart Watches Update
I purchased my daughter her first Gizmo last weekend. She's in 3rd grade and we BOTH are appreciating the conveniences of being able to communicate with another more easily. I share this tid bit with you because I know first hand the value that Gizmos/Apple Watches provide from the parent lens. As an educator though, I also understand the distraction that they can cause some students when used during the school day. I wanted to take a moment to review with you a few smart watch related reminders.
Gizmo/smart watches can be used as communication tools for before and after school; however, students are not allowed to use their watches to communicate during the school day. We have the same expectations and communicate with our students about Smart Watches just as we do for cell phones; if you wouldn't use your cell phone in class, in the hallway, or on the playground - do not use the call/text functions of your Smart Watch!
Please help us foster strong communication and self-advocacy skills in our kids as we ask them to address concerns during the school day with their teacher, the nurse, or our office staff. We find that many students attempt to use their Smart Watches to communicate with parents during the day; any requests for lunch drop-off, illness pick-ups, forgotten materials, etc. need to be handled through our main office.
Additionally, we ask that you partner with us by choosing not to initiate contact with your child via their Smart Watch during the school day; please funnel all communications through our main office, so that we can ensure that messages are received properly by all involved and that our teachers, nurses, and staff are aware of any important issues or changes for your child. Please remember that Smart Watches are only allowed as time keeping devices during school hours; when you contact your child during the school day, you are placing them in the situation of deciding between following our school rules and connecting with you.
Thank you for your partnership and support in this realm.
Lunch Update
Another "first" after two years at Laidlaw is a normal lunch period! There are several staff members who work lunch in order to ensure a safe, smooth, and positive experience for our students at lunch, including Carrie Dolan, our dedicated lunch coordinator. I, too, am personally in the lunch room with the students most days as well as Mrs. Haight.
The lunch period this school year is shorter than last school year (by 10 minutes) So, students are getting used to a little less time to eat and play. However, even with all the new protocols we have in place to ensure student safety at lunch, students in each half of lunch still have at least 18-20 minutes seated at their tables with dedicated time to eat. There are about 5-6 minutes total of procedures to both enter and exit lunch (these procedures are important and necessary to keep kids safe as they get to their tables). There are a lot of students at lunch and our number one priority is that they are safely entering and exiting lunch while also providing them plenty of time to eat their food and nourish those bellies.
It is taking some time for students to get used to it our lunchroom procedures. However, every single day it gets quicker, smoother, and more efficient. I am confident this will continue as we move into our 2nd full week of school next week. It will be a well oiled machine before we know it.
I will close by saying that many students are spending a lot of time socializing at lunch (which is great!); however, gentle reminders at home that eating while in the lunchroom is the priority and and heavy socializing might be best saved for their time on the playground/blacktop are always encouraged. I will be reminding students about this myself during lunch today myself. Thank you for your partnership in providing these reminders to students.
Laidlaw Family Fun Run Oct 1
Attention all runners, walkers and Leopards in training! Save the Date:
On Saturday, October 1st Laidlaw School will be hosting their first ever Family 5K and Fun Run. Events kickoff at 4PM.
This event will include a 1 mile fun run, and an official chip-timed 5K through the Leopards' home of Old Town North. Following the race we will have a Kids 100 yard dash and a post race celebration.
Stay tuned for more details and registration coming soon!
If you or a local business you are a part of would like to sponsor this event please reach out to Laidlaw PTO to get in on the fun!
Enrichment Update
Lunch Volunteers Needed
Laidlaw is looking for recess volunteers to support at lunch. As we did last year, we will be setting up a weekly schedule and pairing parent volunteers with grade levels during recess. The time commitment is 11:40-12:25, and we are looking for a weekly commitment (for example every Tuesday, or every Monday/Friday). One option that worked well last year for some parents was to split a day with another parent. Volunteering in our lunch room is a fantastic way to connect with the school community. Please contact Emily Haight (ehaight@d101.org.) if you are interested!
Right At School (Before & After School Care)
Cub Scouts Signup
Indian Guide Information
Music Makers
Please feel free to contact Music Makers of Western Springs if you would like to learn more about our programs. We can be reached via text/phone at 708-246-8222 or email . You can also visit us via the following platforms:
Music Makers of WS: www.musicmakerstudio.com
Music Makers Theatre: www.musicmakerstheatre.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MusicMakersWS
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/musicmakersofwesternsprings
Elementary School Handbook
Important Dates
Monday September 12-Friday September 16: MAP testing 2-5
Friday, September 16: Walk To School Day
Thursday, September 22: Picture Day