The Lake Ridge Bridge
February 22, 2020
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Weekly Recap
Hopefully this message finds you in good spirits. Another productive week of learning has concluded, and there are some highlights worth noting. Monday was a day off, but we were "on" that evening to celebrate Counselor Johnson at the CHISD Board meeting since she was recognized as the February District Employee of the Month. The week continued on with Cedar Hill Police Department partnering with us for "Lunch w/a Cop". They mingled with scholars and provided them with a sticker. The support carried on to both of our teams who were in the basketball play-offs. Even though our teams gave great effort, they encountered opposition from the referees. As their season concluded that evening, we remained proud of how they represented our campus as scholar-athletes.
Celebrating a win as we continued the week was Ms. Cooks. The district recognized her as the February Cool Clicks Award recipient. The award is provided to a campus webmaster who takes part in the monthly challenge. Ms. Cooks does an effective job of managing our campus website in addition to holding it down in 3rd grade Math/Science. The Annual Black History Program that took place featured our scholars providing a musical performance and presenting various projects. We appreciate Cedar Hill High School's Fine Arts Department partnering with us by having the Jazz Band and Choir participate with some musical performances. There was also a Black-owned Business Expo that took place in the gym. Families were able to enjoy a meal compliments of the campus to top off the evening. Kudos to Ms. Peterbark and Ms. Thompson on coordinating a phenomenal evening and all who assisted and attended to make it a great event.
On a personal note, I am extremely grateful to everyone for the love shown to me on my birthday. I was surprised to be recognized as the notable African-American at our Black History Program. It was nice to be able to hear my biography read. Unfortunately, this is not done until most have passed, so I do not take lightly being able to listen to and celebrate the work I have been blessed to do with faculty and families I respect and admire greatly. Faculty and scholars did a great job keeping this huge secret from me.
Remember that attendance matters greatly. Warning letters have been sent and will continue to be generated for those with multiple absences, and scholars with 16 or more absences will be placed on a Principal's Plan to specifically address attendance and academics. Calls will also made be for those with excessive absences and/or tardies.
This week, keep the following dates(s) in mind:
- On-going in February: Pennies for Patients Service Project
- February 25-27: No Visitors for Lunch
- Tuesday, February 25: 3rd Grade Field Trip
- Tuesday, February 25: Benchmark Exams (4th Grade Writing and 5th Grade Math)
- Wednesday, February 26: Benchmark Exams (3rd-4th Grade Math and 5th Grade Reading)
- Thursday, February 27: Benchmark Exams (3rd-4th Grade Reading and 5th Grade Science)
- Friday, February 28: Makeup Benchmark Exams
Read on below to see Scenes from the Week, Upcoming Events, Attendance Percentages, Counselor's Corner, and other important reminders.
Always remember that "The Race for Excellence has No Finish Line."
Question for You to Pose to Your Child: How were you resilient this week?
Principal McCullum
#LRENoFinishLine
#LakeRidgeNation
#LakeRidgeMontessori
Leading House
Scenes from the Week
Black History Program
Basketball Play-offs
CHISD Cool Clicks Winner: Ms. Cooks
District Employee of the Month: Mrs. Johnson
Lunch w/a Cop
Principal McCullum's Birthday
All Pro Dads Breakfast
2020 Teacher of the Year: Ms. Thompson
Upcoming Events
Attendance
Attendance Incentives
- Strive for 5: Scholars who have perfect attendance Monday-Friday will receive a "Free Dress" day on the following Monday; this also applies to short weeks.
- Weekly Class Perfect Attendance. If a homeroom class has perfect attendance for the week, they receive a pizza party.
- Class Perfect Attendance: Each scholar in a class has an opportunity to receive an incentive once the class spells out A-T-T-E-N-D-A-N-C-E (a letter will be earned each day the homeroom class has perfect attendance). This is ongoing and repeats.
- Grade Level Attendance: If a grade level has 100% attendance for the day, every scholar in that grade level receives a special treat.
Attendance Notes
- Notes regarding an absence must be brought to the office within three days of the absence; parents can also enter via Family Access. Notes should include the scholar's full name, date of absence, and signature/date of parent/guardian.
- You can email Mrs. Castillo, Attendance Clerk/Registrar, at bonnie.castillo@chisd.net for any attendance questions or concerns.
- If the method of your child getting home needs to change, notify the Main Office or your child’s teacher by 2:30 p.m. so that there is enough time to communicate the change to your child. If e-mailing the teacher, include an administrator in case the teacher is absent on that particular day.
- 2:45 p.m. is the latest that a scholar may be checked out due to preparation for dismissal.
Counseling Corner
Pennies for Patients/February Service Project
Pennies for Patients is the February Fundraiser for Lake Ridge Elementary. The campaign will be hosted by the House of Isibindi and sponsored by the Leukemia Society. Money collected will fund important cancer research and local patient services- both viral to the fight against blood cancers. Scholars are encouraged to donate loose change and at least one day of snack money in addition to seeking donations from family, friends, and community members. The class that collects the most money will win a lunch party sponsored by Olive Garden. Our campus goal for 2020 is $1500.00.
From the Clinic
GET INVOLVED
All Pro Dads
Email Address: lakeridgeAPD2018@gmail.com
Next APD Breakfast: Friday, April 17, 2020
- Join APD to see how you can be a part of involvement, connections, engagement, partnership and mentorship. Reach out so that you can be ready for 2019-2020.
PTA NEWS
PTA President: Mrs. Kristi Lacy
Email Address: lakeridgeelempta@gmail.com
JOIN PTA FOR THE 20119-2020 SCHOOL YEAR; WE HAVE ESTABLISHED SOME GREAT TRADITIONS. WE NEED YOU! MORE INFORMATION WILL BE SHARED SO THAT YOU CAN JOIN AT OUR "MEET THE TEACHER" EVENT IN AUGUST.
On-going Opportunities to Donate/Serve:
- Amazon Smile: Don't forget to increase PTA Texas Congress 10239 Lakeridge Elementary's AmazonSmile donation potential by shopping at smile.amazon.com. Go to smile.amazon.com/ch/72-1526809 and Amazon donates to PTA Texas Congress 10239 Lakeridge Elementary.
- Kroger Plus: If you shop at Kroger, you can help our PTA help our campus. The included document shows parents step-by-step how to link their Kroger Plus Card to the Lake Ridge PTA. This is a very easy way to earn money for our school because our students’ families and friends all shop at their local Kroger. https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzoByVmF8VTnc0gyejQ0TVBEekJaNGRlVE45OWJtcE5qMzVB/view?usp=sharing
Volunteer via Voly
Become a Volunteer!
Keeping the safety and well-being of our students first, state law and district policy require that all Cedar Hill ISD volunteers (students between age 13-17 and District Employees are exempt) complete the district's volunteer application which includes a Criminal Background Check. Applications must be renewed each school year. The background screening report can take up to 72 hours to process.
Volunteer Process
- All volunteers must be approved through cedarhillisd.voly.org in order to volunteer in CHISD.
- Once a Voly account has been created, an email will be sent from JDP asking volunteer to complete a background check.
- Approval time is normally 5-7 business days pending there are no flags in the applicant's background.
- If the account is flagged for any reason the approval of your account could take up to 2 weeks. If you have any questions please email face@chisd.net.
- All volunteers must use their legal name. Any error when entering information will prolong the approval process.
- You are encouraged to become a FAN of the school you wish to volunteer with during the application process in order to receive specific volunteer opportunities and be shown as a regular volunteer.
Reminders
Arrival/Dismissal Procedures
Morning Arrival Procedures:
Doors open daily at 7:15 a.m.
Scholars in PK & their siblings will be instructed to enter through Door #12.
Scholars in Longoria/Lynn/Rangel & their siblings will enter through Door #11.
All other scholars, including Montessori, (car riders, bus riders, and walkers) will enter through Door #1/Main Entrance.
- Parents may enter the school driveway via the back driveway that runs behind the building and form one line.
- Only those going to the Main Office or dropping off with the classes indicated for Door #11 and Door #12 should enter the main driveway.
Parents should follow the arrows that indicate the flow of traffic, and drop off only in the lane next to the sidewalk. Children should not be dropped off in the center lane to ensure safety.
After the first day of school, parents will not be able to walk their children to their classrooms unless an observation has been scheduled with the teacher. All parents & visitors must report directly to the Main Office.
Dismissal Procedures:
Dismissal occurs daily at 3:00 p.m.
Scholars in Crow/Stelter & their siblings will exit through Door #12.
Scholars in Longoria/Lynn/Rangel & their siblings will exit through Door #11.
Scholars who ride the bus or walk home will exit through Door #14.
Scholars picked up via Private Daycare transportation will exit through Door #1.
Scholars who are picked up by car, including Montessori, will exit through Door #5 (remain in cafeteria until called).
Parents may enter the school driveway via the back driveway that runs behind the building and form one line.
As the cars approach the pick-up area, the scholars will be called outside and will wait for a faculty member to load them into the cars.
Anyone picking up a scholar must have the color-coded card prominently displayed. If the card is not present, then the scholars(s) will be sent to the front office, and the driver will need to show proper identification.
Parents, please stay in your car at all times. Children will not be released if a parent walks up to the cafeteria door.
Only those going to the Main Office for appointments or picking up with the classes indicated for Door #11 and Door #12 should enter the main driveway.
If there is a change in how a scholar regularly gets home, please send a note to the scholar's teacher or call the front office by 2:30 p.m. This will help avoid confusion.
The latest time to check a scholar out via the Main Office is 2:45 p.m. After that time, please wait until the regularly scheduled dismissal.
The picture below shows how to properly place your car tag(s) for dismissal:
Birthday Recognition
If you would like to recognize your child at school on his/her birthday that falls on a school day, please contact your child’s homeroom teacher so that he/she can notify the office. On your child's birthday, you may bring store bought cupcakes or packaged fruit and individual juice/water at the time indicated by the teacher if you have communicated with the teacher. Cupcakes should not be dropped off and left with the teacher or the office. If your child's birthday falls on a weekend or on a non-school day for students, no alternate arrangements will be made.
Arrangements should be made prior to the child's birthday so that the teacher can verify that it will not interrupt scheduled class activities.
Montessori
Birthdays in Montessori are celebrated with an activity called "Walk Around the Sun". We will celebrate birthdays each month on the last Friday of the month unless otherwise stated. On that Friday, each child that is going to Walk Around the Sun is asked to bring uncut, fresh fruit that we will wash and prepare in class. Our room parent will help organize this monthly event. For example, if we have 4 children celebrating birthdays in September, one child can bring 4 uncut oranges, one can bring a sealed container of uncut strawberries, one can bring 4 apples, and one can bring an uncut pineapple. Due to allergies, please do not send nuts. In class, the birthday scholars will help prepare a fruit salad for the class. Each birthday child will then have their opportunity to Walk Around the Sun and we will sing a collective Happy Birthday. If there are only one or two children celebrating a birthday in a particular month, a bag of apples or
Cuties would be appreciated. Please do not send cupcakes or other high sugar
items. August and summer birthdays will be celebrated in May.
In addition to sharing a fruit snack with their friends, the birthday children may also bring a poster that displays photos of them as a baby, at 1 year old, at 2 years old, etc. until the current year. The birthday children are encouraged to present this poster and the photos to their peers. This activity is optional.
Bus Transportation
Join the respective Remind account for your child's bus route. In the event that we are notified of delays, we will send a message to the route(s) affected:
- Route 5022: Text @7bka3hf to the number 81010.
- Route 5028: Text @d8chbbff to the number 81010.
- Route 5039: Text @2d7a8e to the number 81010.
2019-2020 Bus Routes:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/19tZMBvTKKxIDnL-2HdujI_PT3iRlI_2N6VEKrDUE_Rs/edit?usp=sharing
Have a Concern?
All concerns are encouraged to be addressed at the lowest level possible first in an effort to resolve the matter using the steps below:
Step One: Contact the teacher, and have a meeting/phone conference.
Step Two: Contact the Assistant Principal (all discipline issues) or Counselor (mental health/academic advisement).
Step Three: Contact the Principal (if a school-wide concern, this becomes step one).
When emailing or calling the Main Office, it is helpful to provide details so that the call is directed to the correct individual.
Upcoming Activities/Events
- Ongoing: Pennies for Patients Service Project
- February 25: 3rd Grade Field Trip
- February 25: Benchmark Exams (4th Grade Writing and 5th Grade Math)
- February 26: Benchmark Exams (3rd-4th Grade Math and 5th Grade Reading)
- February 27: Benchmark Exams (3rd-4th Grade Reading and 5th Grade Science)
- February 28: Makeup Benchmark Exams
- March 5: Volleyball Spikefest Parent Information Meeting and Registration at 6:00 p.m. (at CHHS Competition Gym)
- March 6: CHISD PD Day/No School for Scholars
- March 9-13: Spring Break/No School
Ms. McCullum, Principal
marquita.mccullum@chisd.netDr. Washington, Assistant Principal
emily.washington@chisd.netMrs. Johnson, Counselor
rashonda.johnson@chisd.netLake Ridge Elementary
Email: marquita.mccullum@chisd.net
Website: http://www.chisd.net/Domain/16
Location: 1020 Lake Ridge Parkway, Cedar Hill, TX, United States
Phone: (972) 293-4501
Twitter: @LRELonghorns