WILDCAT CLIPS
FEBRUARY 8, 2023
2023 FALL SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR
October 24 - November 2, 2023
The book fair is a wonderful and engaging opportunity for all ages to come to the library, explore and purchase books in every reading level at a discounted price from Scholastic books.
We need VOLUNTEERS to help with the fair!
Volunteering is a fun & easy way to be involved to help support the school.
All volunteers also receive a discount off all purchases!
Please sign up via https://signup.com/go/yiLaFYR or contact Elizabeth Majszak at eakissner@gmail.com
Dates and Times
Tues October 24th 8:00am - 3:30pm
Wed October 25th 8:00am - 3:30pm
Thurs October 26th 11:00am - 7:00pm**
Mon October 30th 8:00am - 3:30pm
Tues October 31st 8:00am - 3:300pm
Wed November 1st 8:00am - 3:30pm
Thurs November 2nd 8:00am - 1:00pm
** Open late for conferences
Payment & Shopping Options
eWallets are a safe and convenient digital payment option for your student to shop the Fair cash-free. Any unused funds can be spent at the Scholastic Store Online or to fund an eWallet for a future fair. eWallets can be set up and managed via the link below to the school book fair website.
Please check your email for a message from Scholastic with instructions on how to apply previous balances to this coming fair.
If you are unable to attend the fair, try the online shopping with free shipping on book-only orders more than $25.
All for Books Coin Drive Challenge
Our school is participating in a classroom-level coin drive called the All for Books™ Coin Drive Challenge October 16th through October 20th. Your small change can make a big difference. Our goal is to provide books for all!
Each day represents a different coin. The money raised goes directly back to the classroom. The Lake Country School classroom teacher uses the money that the class raised to purchase books from the book fair for the classroom library.
The All for Books money we collect also helps readers beyond our school and community. Scholastic Book Fairs® matches those monetary donations with a donation of up to $1 million in books from The Scholastic Possible Fund, which distributes books to children through organizations such as the Kids In Need Foundation. Please send your donation to school with your child. Your act of kindness helps give students more access to books they’ll want to read!
WILDCAT WEBSTORE
CONFERENCES
SCHOOL PICTURE RETAKE DAY
School picture retake day is next week, Tuesday, October 17, 2023. If you would like your child to have their picture retaken, please reach out to their classroom teacher and let them know to send them up when their class is called.
DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP WEEK IS COMING UP
What is Digital Citizenship?
All students need digital citizenship skills to participate fully in their communities and make smart choices online and in life.
Digital Citizenship Week is October 16-20, 2023. Lake Country School will be promoting healthy habits for youth when it comes to media and technology. Growing up has always had its challenges. But for kids today, social media and tech can amplify the typical stresses of adolescence.
Create screen-free times and zones.
Help kids take breaks from tech by limiting screen time in bedrooms, during study time, or at the dinner table.
Try parental controls.
Set content limits that make sense for your family. Alongside conversations about healthy media habits, use features such as content filtering, privacy settings, and time limits offered by the apps and platforms your family uses to help manage access and exposure to media.
Explore built-in digital well-being tools.
Together with your kids, check out the features on their devices and in their apps that can help them use tech more intentionally. Consider turning off autoplay functions, limiting notifications from certain apps, using settings that turn off devices at a certain time each night, and more.
Establish clear family rules.
Decide together what kind of media and tech is OK -- and when it's OK to use it. A family media plan can help get everyone on the same page.
Watch and play together.
Choose quality, age-appropriate media to enjoy with your kids. Visit commonsensemedia.org to find shows, games, and more.
Use these tech planners to help your kids think through important questions around tech use: What will I do? How much time will I spend? Am I making thoughtful choices?
LAKE COUNTRY SCHOOL MUSICAL
This year's LCS musical production is Finding Nemo Jr.
Performance Dates:
November 10 at 7:00 PM
November 11 at 7:00 PM
November 12 at 2:00 PM
BOYS BASKETBALL
GR 4-8 Boys Basketball sign-up is officially open!
The DEADLINE for sign-up is FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023!
General information for Boys Basketball:
FIRE PREVENTION WEEK
HOMEWORK HELP
Monday's and Thursday's 3:20 p.m. - 4:15 p.m. in Room 202
Lake Country School students in grades 3-8 are able to drop-in after school on Mondays and Thursdays for Homework Help. Students must have homework and/or a book to read. A parent or guardian must sign a permission slip for the school year in order for their child to drop in. If there is no school on Monday or Thursday, there will be no Homework Help. CLICK HERE FOR THE PERMISSION SLIP
HOMEWORK CLUB DATES (See School Calendar):
October 2,5,9,12,16,19,23, and 30
November 2,6,9,13,16,20,27, and 30
December 4,7,11,14, and 18
January 4,8,11,15,18,22,25, and 29
February 1,5,8,12,15,22,26 and 29
March 4,7,11,14,18 and 21
April 1,4,8,11,15,18,22,25, and 29
May 2,6,9,13,16,20 and 23
MONOPOLY & GRADE 5
5th Grade students enjoyed playing Monopoly in the cafeteria this week in connection with their grade level read aloud, Touch Blue.
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Are you interested in volunteering at Lake Country School? We are excited to have you join us!
In order to better protect our students, staff, volunteers, and visitors, Lake Country School District requires your cooperation with Raptor Technologies. Please CLICK HERE to fill out the application for a background check. It is very important that the information you enter on the application matches your government-issued identification card including your full legal name. It is important that you provide a valid email address so you can be notified as to the status of your application and for future communication. If you are unable to provide an email address, you use the district’s email address. All information collected on the application will remain confidential and not be shared outside the volunteer program.
When you volunteer, please make sure that you are not bringing younger siblings to the school campus. This policy pertains to lunchroom volunteers, recess volunteers, holiday parties, classroom celebrations, etc. This is a liability and safety issue. School district procedures prohibit non-enrolled children from being on a school campus during school hours.
Lunchroom volunteers must check in at the school office prior to going to the lunchroom. The role of a lunchroom volunteer is to supervise children in the lunchroom to ensure they are being safe and kind. In addition, some children will need help to open lunch items. Between each lunch period, you are asked to help wipe the lunch tables. There will be lunchroom aides with whom you may ask questions regarding lunchroom rules. Please click on the link above labeled Lunchroom Volunteer to sign up. Thank you!
Recess volunteers must check in at the school office prior to going outside to the playground. The role of a recess volunteer is to supervise children on the playground to ensure they are being safe and kind. There will be recess aides on the playground whom you may ask questions regarding recess rules. Please click on the link above labeled Recess Volunteer to sign up. Thank you!
Please contact your child's teacher directly to inquire about volunteering in the classroom.
FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR
The 2023-2024 school year is underway. Each morning we welcome 462 students into the building. I enjoy seeing their smiling face and excitement to start learning for the day. I would love to hear from families about how their child(ren)'s school year is going, and/or from new families about your first impressions of Lake Country School.
Please reach out to me anytime at schraufnagelc@mylakecountryschool.org or at 262-367-3606.
SCHOOL SNACKS & BIRTHDAY AND OTHER CELEBRATIONS
The Lake Country School District promotes a healthy school environment for students and staff through education and awareness, and by providing and promoting healthy options and opportunities. The Lake Country School District will practice and promote good nutrition within the school setting. Students who practice good nutrition attend school with minds and bodies ready to take advantage of their learning environment. Eating habits are learned early in life. Therefore, the School Board, administrators and staff support a school environment that promotes and encourages lifelong nutritious eating habits.
When sending a school snack with your child, please consider sending only healthy options. Great ideas are: apple slices or other fruit & vegetables, raisins or other dried fruit, cheese sticks, applesauce, baked crackers or pretzels, granola, or Google "smart snacks for schools list".
Per policy 458 School Wellness:
We must ensure that all school activities, including classroom practices and incentives, are consistent with the sound nutrition practices taught in the classroom and implemented in the school meal program.
In the classroom, the district encourages that foods that are offered meet or exceed the USDA Smart Snacks in School nutrition standards including those provided at celebrations and parties and classroom snacks brought by staff or family members.
In the classroom, food should not be used as a reward. We strongly recommend staff use physical activity such as an extra recess as a reward when feasible.
In the classroom, non-food celebrations will be promoted and a list of allowable party foods that meet the Smart Snack standards will be available to staff and family members.
Sugary birthday treats will not be consumed in the classroom. If they are brought to school individually wrapped, they can be sent home with each student. If the treats are not individually wrapped the parent/guardian who sent the treat to school will be contacted to pick them up.
Find a list of treat ideas on our school website at:
www.MyLakeCountrySchool.org > About Lake Country School > School Wellness
LAKE COUNTRY SCHOOL PTO
Lake Country PTO is a nonprofit parent teacher organization whose membership includes all staff, parents, and legal guardians of students attending Lake Country School. The PTO’s mission is to establish a close relationship between home and school by advancing opportunities for all parents to become involved in the Lake Country School community.
The PTO sponsors assistance to teachers in classroom settings, raises funds for supplemental educational materials and experiences, supports school and family social interaction, and provides a forum for sharing information on issues that impact our children. The PTO believes that when parents support school through a positive partnership, it offers the best possible learning environment for our children.
🔆 Lake Country School PTO is on Facebook!
🔆 Trunk or Treat
We are one week away from the LCS Trunk or Treat, but we need YOUR help! In order to make this event a success we need more volunteers to decorate their trunks and pass out candy. If we do not have enough cars willing to participate, we will need to cancel the event.
Please visit this link to sign up to decorate your car. https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/9040C45AEAB28A5F94-44583502-lcstrunk
No need to sign up if you are simply planning to attend.
Prizes for best trunk, best individual costume, and best family costume!
We hope to see many of you there! Details can be found on the invitation below.
ARROWHEAD HIGH SCHOOL CAMPS & ACTIVITIES
COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
FOLLOW MAA on Facebook for updates and www.mertonathletics.org for more detailed information about programs.
Upcoming WINTER Programs: Registration will OPEN Nov. 1st
- Indoor Soccer (5K - 6th grade)
- 3rd/4thgrade Boys Basketball
Did you leave something at Pollworth ballfields this summer? Check out the pictures on the MAA Facebook Page.
Mark Your Calendar: Dick’s Sporting Good Shopping Event will be November 3-6, 2023
LEVEL UP WITH SCHOOL LUNCH
To recognize the National School Lunch Program, serving nearly 30 million children each day, schools will celebrate National School Lunch Week from October 9-13, 2023. The fun and creative campaign theme, “Level Up with School Lunch,” highlights the importance of a healthy school lunch to a student’s success both in and out of the classroom.
Research shows children are getting their healthiest meals at school. National School Lunch Week will highlight the nutritious foods available daily at schools. The federally funded National School Lunch Program (NSLP) has been fueling students for success for 77 years.
The “Level Up with School Lunch” campaign is made possible by the nonprofit School Nutrition Association and Kellogg’s. Parents and students can follow the fun on social media using the hashtags #NSLW23, #LevelUpWithSchoolLunch and #SchoolLunch.
Action Packed National School Lunch Week Activity Guide
National School Lunch Week will be celebrated October 9-13, 2023.
PARENT RESOURCES
Technolgy Tips
Set clear limits for daily screen time use AND for specific topic usage. You can create an action plan that works for your family by using the American Academy of Pediatrics' Family Media Plan
Check in devices with parents or in a general area at night to not disturb sleep
Limit phone use during homework time
Practice what you preach--lead by example with your own screen time use
Monitor media usage- what apps, accounts, sites and games being used
Discuss safety and respectful behavior with media usage
Enforce the rules with your agreed upon technology expectations.
Screen time recommendations from the CDC: CDC: Screen Time vs. Lean Time
Navigating Social Media recommendations from Common Sense Media
Screen time recommendations from the AAP: Media and Young Minds
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Strategies to Make Homework Go More Smoothly
Homework has been around as long as public schools have, and over the years considerable research has been conducted regarding the efficacy of homework practices. Besides contributing to academic success, homework can help teach children how to take responsibility for tasks and how to work independently. Homework helps children develop habits of mind that will serve them well as they proceed through school and through life. Specifically, homework helps children learn how to plan and organize tasks, manage time, make choices, and problem solve. All of these skills contribute to effective functioning in the adult world of work and families. Homework also helps parents stay involved with their child’s education.
We encourage parents to help and assist their children to follow a nightly homework routine. Below are some recommendations from the National Association of School Psychologists. If you have further questions please reach out to your child’s teacher. CLICK HERE FOR HELPFUL HOMEWORK ROUTINES
If you have further questions, concerns or need to collaborate about your child’s education or social/emotional/behavioral health; please reach out to your Student Support Team.
Heather Thurin, School Counselor EXT 132
Kelley Berlin, School Psychologist EXT 134
Quick Links
2023-2024 School Calendar (select link at top of page)
WILDCAT CLIP SUBMISSION DETAILS
- E-mail submissions to Nicole Brown in the School Office at: brownn@mylakecountryschool.org
- Submissions for the Wildcat Clips must include a contact name and phone number for the readers to contact if they need additional information. Lake Country School District reserves the right to edit and/or limit items submitted.
- Click here for deadline dates and publications.