Dear Lions Park Families,

As we kick-start another exciting school year, I wanted to share some highlights from the first few days of school and offer you a glimpse into what is coming up in the weeks to come. The beginning of this school year has been truly remarkable. From the first bell to the last, our students have shown incredible enthusiasm and energy, which has set the tone for a successful and engaging year ahead. We thank the PTO for organizing our Back to School Bash and First Day Fuel Up, which offered opportunities for social connections among students and parents. Our assistant principal, social worker, instructional coach, and I led rotations where we taught students what safety, respect, and responsibility look like and sound like at recess, in the lunchroom, on the playground, and in the hallways. Our teachers and support staff worked incredibly hard to prepare learning spaces, welcome students back to school, and create classroom communities.

We are excited to build upon this strong foundation as we move forward. We value your partnership in your child's education and are here to support both you and your child every step of the way. We thank you for entrusting us with your child's education. We are excited about the possibilities the school year holds and are confident that together, we will make it a memorable and successful journey. We look forward to seeing parents and guardians at our Back to School Night on August 24th. I've included the schedule for the evening below. At this event, you will have the opportunity to hear from and meet our teachers and staff. This is an adult-only event. This newsletter will also arrive via email every other Friday.

Our dedicated team of educators is committed to providing the best possible learning experience for your child, and we look forward to nurturing their academic and personal growth. Please keep in mind that open communication is essential to us, and we encourage you to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or feedback. You are strongly encouraged to start by talking with your child’s teacher if something is worrying you or your child about their school experience. If you don’t feel better after a conversation with the teacher, you are welcome to tell the teacher you are going to reach out to me or our assistant principal,

Mrs. Grzybek to join the conversation as you continue to work together to find a mutually agreeable solution.

We will be doing some districtwide beginning-of-the-year assessments starting next week. Next week students will take MAP (Measures of Academic Progress). Students will take two computerized MAP tests- one in reading and one in math. Each test takes approximately one hour. Also, during the next few weeks, students will participate in brief assessments to look at their reading fluency and math problem-solving. Teachers will also read with each student to determine their reading level. The reading fluency test involves having students read three passages aloud for one minute per passage. The math problem-solving test is another computer-based test that takes fifteen minutes for second and third grades and twenty minutes for fourth and fifth grades.

We will have Safety Week at Lions Park the week of August 28th. During this week, we will practice what to do in case of fire, tornado, bus evacuation, or a need to lock down the building. Teachers will be talking with your children about the drills, but you may also want to speak with your children at home about the drills. Some children feel anxious and are reassured when they understand that we practice for emergencies as we prepare for tests, games, and concerts. Schools are required to allow parents to opt out of the hard lockdown drill. If you prefer that your child does not participate, please email me. When I announce this drill in advance, I share with students that we would use this procedure to keep everyone safe if there is something dangerous in the hallway. I won't go into any detail about specific scenarios that would require us to do a hard lockdown. I share that it is essential to listen to the directives of the staff in this and all emergencies.

Please don't hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Warmly,

Katie Kelly

Principal

Lions Park School