Dear Parents/Guardians,

It is hard to believe that we are only weeks away from the upcoming holiday break. We still have serval weeks left of Quarter 2, with the quarter ending on January 12th.

Students in grades K-5th are preparing to take their second iReady Diagnostic next week. This diagnostic allows teachers to see growth that students have made since the beginning of the year in the areas of: Phonological Awareness, Phonics, High-Frequency Words, Vocabulary and Comprehension.

I am so excited for the return of our LPE traditions and events this year. I want to recognize and thank all our staff, students, PTO, and parent volunteers, for working so hard to make our Veterans Day Celebration and Thanksgiving Feast memorable experiences for our students. There is a continued focus to create opportunities for students to take on active leadership roles, and for all students to feel connected to these important school-wide events. It is through these experiences that students begin to foster the skills that allow them to be leaders of their own learning, while building strong connections to their school.

• December 1st - Virtual Learning Day - students learn from home
• December 7th - 13th - LPE PTO sponsored Holiday House
• December 10th - 5K Walk Run - Administration Center - race starts at 8 AM
• December 13th - SAC Meeting - 4:30 PM
• December 14th - Student Picture Retakes
• December 16th - Field Day - permission slips required to participate
• December 19th - January 2nd - Winter Recess

Students Return - January 3rd, 2023

Happy December! I wanted to share important information in this newsletter regarding ways our community can help support our LPE families during the holiday season.

LPE Angel Tree Project:

I invite you to participate in our “Angel Tree Project” we have every year at Lake Park Elementary. Our Lake Park Angel Tree provides holiday gifts to Lake Park students and their families who need a little help this holiday season.

Please consider “adopting” one of our Angels and help your child experience the joy of giving to those in need this holiday season. By doing this Angel Tree Project together as a family, it will make your holidays feel extra special this year.

If you decide to “adopt” one of our Angels, please visit our Angel Tree in the Lake Park front office.

· Please take an Angel from the tree and purchase your gift

· Return your gift unwrapped or in a Gift Bag with the Angel tag attached

· All gifts are due by Monday, December 13th to our front office

· Gifts will be distributed to our Angel families on December 14th – 16th

Please contact the front office at 239-377-7200 if you have any questions. We hope you and your family decide to join us in this rewarding project.

Hurricane Relief:

We are fortunate enough to have outstanding support from our community partners and LPE families for Hurricane Relief. If any of our Panther Families have been impacted by Hurricane Ian, we would like to help. Please complete the quick form using the following link to share any needs you may have. - Link to share needs post Hurricane Ian- https://bit.ly/LPEIan22

Transportation Needs:

If you have been displaced due to the Hurricane and are having difficulty with transportation to Lake Park, please let me know. I may be able to help you with your transportation needs. Also, if you secure temporary housing that is Out of Zone, please contact me so I can ensure that your child can stay at Lake Park Elementary.

Lake Park PTO Support:

Many of our families suffered great loss due to the Hurricane and are still working on picking up the pieces. Please consider donating to the LPE PTO's Venmo. Money raised will be set aside exclusively for hurricane relief and used to directly support LPE families in need of help. So many families don't know exactly what they need quite yet, but as they settle we will be there, ready to support them.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or if I can help in any way.

I can be reached at sabaj@collierschools.com or 377-7206.

Dear Parents,

As we know, the more you read, they better reader you are. Joke and riddle books continue to be popular choices for children. What a fun way to get children to read without feeling overwhelmed by pages and pages of paragraph after paragraph. Here are some holiday riddles for you to share with your children. See if you can figure out the answers to the riddles. GOOD LUCK!

Ms. Arcand

Teacher, Reading Coach
ArcandAi@collierschools.com

Thank you to our LPE families for an amazing Veterans Day celebration! Our traditions are strong at Lake Park and I was so happy to see our families back on campus for the 11th Annual Veterans Day Ceremony.

Ms. Byington

Media Specialist
ByingtAm@collierschools.com

December is a time when students bring much energy and enthusiasm to Lake Park Elementary School. They are refreshed from coming back from Thanksgiving break and are excited about Winter vacation starting soon! A lot of great things are happening around our campus.

Each grade level has begun piano instruction by the time you read this newsletter. We will continue to develop these skills in the students from now until their spring vacation in March. It is fun to watch them experience playing a piano, many for the first time, and seeing them playing a melodic instrument. Not only does playing the piano give them a musical experience, but scientific study has proven that students who study instrumental music have the ability to use both sides of their brain at the same time. It’s no wonder that they succeed and excel at school!

As we look forward to 2023, you will have an opportunity to see your children perform sometime at LPE. Stayed tuned for dates and times listed in future newsletters. Let’s finish this year on a positive note and keep going strong in 2023.

Mr. Stein

Music Teacher

SteinJo@collierschools.com

Dear Parents,

This month’s article will focus on safety belts. Florida law requires the use of seat belts or child restraint devices for drivers and ALL passengers under the age of 18. It also requires ALL front seat passengers to wear a safety belt while the vehicle is in operation. While it is not a law, we do recommend children under the age of 12 to ride in the backseat to prevent injury from airbag deployment should you be involved in an accident. Children 5 and under must be secured in a federally approved child restraint device.

The Sheriff’s office has a program to assist parents in proper child seat installation should you need assistance. (252-9300)

CPL. Mapes

YRD
mapesp@collierschools.com
cell (239) 253-4594

Student Pick Up/Drop Off Reminders

15 minute parent parking spots are located in the lot near the front office for your convenience

For the safety of our students, car riders MUST be picked up through the car line and not on the street near our walker/bike rider dismissal area. Help us keep our Panthers safe!

If you need to notify us with a change of transportation, please call the front office at 377-7200.

Important Car Line Reminders

• Dismissal is at 2:50 PM

• Remain in your vehicle

• Refrain from using your cell phone

• Safety Patrols should be picked up at the car rider line

• When the last car is called, ALL remaining students will be taken to the office and need to be signed out at the door

ELECTRONIC DEVICES/DISTRICT TECHNOLOGY

Parents should respect the learning environment of a school by turning cell phones to silent mode while in the building. If an adult must access a phone, please take it out of the classroom or building to an area without students.

Electronic devices are not permitted for use on campus by students. Cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off and stored in the child's backpack while on campus. SMART watches are to be used on campus to tell time only. If the device becomes distracting or is misused, it will no longer be allowed at school. The school is not liable for stolen, lost, or broken devices. Students must not use devices outside of a teachers' permission, including before or after school. If the student's cell phone interrupts the learning process or is used inappropriately, it will be taken away by the teacher and given to administration. Parents must pick up the phone/device from the school.

District Assigned Technology: Laptops assigned and checked out by students are CCPS property and need to be cared for responsibly. There will be a cost to repair or replace laptops for irresponsible damage.

Pursuant to Rule 27 of the District's Code of Student Conduct, students are responsible for the cost of repair or replacement of District property in their possession such as a laptop or other electronic device. The rule provides the following:

RULE 27.SCHOOL PROPERTY_MATERIALS/BOOKS/INTERNET

• Student are expected to take good care of school property. Students must assume full responsibly for the care of school property available to them. This includes, but is not limited to textbooks, uniforms, equipment, electronic devices, or library books. These items are issued by school personnel and must be returned to the same person upon completion of school year or withdrawal from school. Responsibility for the property rest with the student whom the property is issued.

School Board Policy AP 5600

As provided in Policy 5600 and the Code of Student Conduct (Code), students are responsible for their own behavior, conduct, and the consequences of their actions. Therefore, students are responsible for the following procedures:

They must report to school authorities any problem, circumstance, or condition, including, but not limited to, illegal, dangerous, or unsafe behaviors involving themselves or others, which affect, in any way, their health, safety and/or security or the health, safety and/or security of others whether on or off campus.

They must not ignore what they have seen, experienced, or witnessed and should adhere to the message: "See it, Say it, Don't spread it, Report it!"

This administrative procedure shall be read and applied in conformity and in conjunction with the Code. District Principals, Assistant Principals, and staff members who are or might be involved in the disciplinary process shall be knowledgeable of, and adhere to, this administrative procedure when reviewing and enforcing the provisions of the Code.

Mrs. Galloway

Assistant Principal, Elementary
galloh@collierschools.com

Vision Statement

Success for every student…every day!

Mission Statement

To create a collaborative learning community that inspires success

through high quality data driven instruction, purposeful learning, amazingly positive experiences for all stakeholders, in a safe and caring environment.

Beliefs

• Student achievement and development are the primary focus of all decisions impacting the work of the school.
• Students learn in different ways and will be provided with a variety of instructional approaches to support their learning.
• Students learn best when they are actively engaged in the learning process.
• Respect, cooperation, and communication are necessary among staff members, students, parents, and the community to create a positive learning environment.
• High expectations lead to high achievement for all.
• Success influences self-concepts, self-concept influences learning and behavior.
• Students’ potential can only be realized in an environment where they are safe and feel safe.