Leopard Connection
Family Newsletter, February 2022
A Message From the Principal
Happy February Leopard Families!
Lots of great things are happening at LPE this month from the 100th day of school to Go Texans Day and all the great learning in between. However, I think the most exciting thing happening is our schoolwide focus on Kindness!
Kindness is ALWAYS a focus at LPE, but this month we have begun an official Kindness Campaign. I believe (and research supports) that ALL children are born with an innate desire to be kind. Unfortunately, societal trends towards bullying, crime and violence often shift children away from kindness towards negativity. It is our responsibility, as families and educators, as we partner together, to pave a path for our students’ intrinsic kindness to shine through.
We know that a little kindness can go a long way, so it is our goal to foster a culture of kindness at La Porte Elementary that focuses on compassion, collaboration and those small acts of kindness that make the biggest difference. In order to achieve our goal, we are carving out time each day to intentionally promote kindness.
In order to teach kindness, we must first model kindness! Our students look to us as models for what’s expected and if we are treating others kindly, they will often follow suit. Next, we must teach empath with intentionality. One very important habit that helps students learn to be kind to others, especially when dealing with conflict is “Seek first to understand, then to be understood”. This helps students see each other through a kindness lens and appreciate what each other is feeling.
Our desire is to celebrate kindness EVERY DAY at LPE – ask your students about our Daily Kindness Challenge, our student generated Kindness Cards and our desire to all become Coffee Bean!
As educators it is our job to teach the curriculum, but it is our responsibility to teach children and our choice to teach kindness. We choose to do so because we believe that promoting kindness supports us in helping our students to be successful in their learning journey. When ALL students feel safe and valued in their learning environment, they are able to focus on learning and more likely to engage in critical thinking, express creativity, collaborate, communicate effectively, and persevere through challenges!
Ultimately, we believe that if we shift our everyday actions towards kindness, the world will be a better place. When we are kind, we inspire others to be kind and it creates a ripple effect with endless possibilities.
Won’t you join us as we promote kindness and help ensure that everyday is a great day to be a LEOPARD for all our students!
Mrs. Hyde
IMPORTANT DATES
Whataburger Read Nation, Jan. 17th - Feb. 11th
Counselor Appreciation Week, Feb. 7th - Feb. 11th - Help us celebrate Ms. Horelka!
Spinal Screenings, 5th Grade Girls, Feb. 22nd - Feb. 25th
Book Fair, LPE Library, Feb. 28th - Mar. 4th
Wednesday, Feb. 2nd
- Groundhog Day
- Interim Assessment, 3rd Grade Reading
- Progress Reports Go Home (1st - 5th), Wear a college shirt as we promote college readiness
Thursday, Feb. 3rd
- Bluebonnet Celebration
- Girl Scout Drive Through Event, LPE Small Circle Driveway, 5:00 - 6:00
Saturday, Feb. 5th
- UIL Competition, Heritage Elementary, 7:45
Monday, Feb. 7th
- 100th Day of School (rescheduled from Friday, Feb. 4th)
Tuesday, Feb. 8th
- LPISD Regular Board Meeting, LPISD Board Room, 7:00
Thursday, Feb. 10th
- STAAR Field Test, 3rd Grade ELA
- District Safety and Security Committee Meeting, ITC, 4:00 - 5:00; if you are interesting in joining this committee, please reach out to Mrs. Hyde
Friday, Feb. 11th
- Whataburger Read Nation Ends
- Wizard vs. LPISD Hoop Dogs Basketball Game, Bulldog Centre, 6:30 - 8:30
Monday, Feb. 14th
- Happy Valentine's Day
Thursday, Feb. 17th
- Random Acts of Kindness Day
- District Oral Spelling Bee, LPISD Board Room, 9:00
Friday, Feb. 18th
- Student Holiday
Saturday, Feb. 19th
- Smoothie King Day, 20% of proceeds donated back to LPE
Monday, Feb. 21st
- Student Holiday
- Parent/Teacher Conferences
- Presidents' Day
Friday, Feb. 25th
- Go Texans Day
- End of 2nd Grading Period (PK/K)
- Leopard of the Month, LPE Library, 7:15
Monday, Feb. 28th
- Beginning of 3rd Grading Period (PK/K)
- Papa John's Spirit Day - Pizza, it's what's for dinner, 20% of proceeds donated back to LPE
- Book Fair Opens, LPE Library
- LPISD Regular Board Meeting, LPISD Board Room, 7:00
- Dr. Seuss' Birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
- Read Across America Day
- Family Math and Science Night, LPE, 5:30 - 6:30
- 4th Grade Field Trip, Battle of San Jacinto
- Maintenance Appreciation Day
- Report Cards Go Home (PK/K)
- Spring/Class Picture Day, LPE
- Donuts with Darlings, LPE Basketball Court, 7:15
FRIENDLY REMINDERS
Spirit Days
- We love showing our LPE and LPISD spirit and would love for our students to join us on our weekly spirit days!
- Tuesdays are Team Tuesdays - represent your grade level teams or your favorite sports team!
- Wednesdays are Leopard Wednesday - show your LEOPARD Pride by wearing your Leopard gear!
- Thursday are LPE Spirit Days - show your LPE Spirit by wearing an LPE shirt, don't have one, check with our PTO!
- Fridays are La Porte Spirit Days - show your Bulldog Pride by wearing a La Porte/Bulldog spirit shirt!
Attendance/Tardies
- Consistent attendance for ALL our students is one of our top priorities - when students miss school, they miss valuable instruction and often have a difficult time catching up!
- We understand that everyone must follow the district COVID procedures and while we know this can be difficult at times, we appreciate your support in helping us to keep our learning/work environment safe for our all our students and staff.
- To help with attendance, we ask that you do your best to have your students at school every day that they are healthy and able to attend! When possible, please work to schedule doctor appointments, vacations, etc. after school hours or on school holidays!
- On a good note, tardies are improving (with the exception of bad weather days)! Thank you for striving to have your student at school by 7:40 each day - this will ensure that they are in their seats, ready to learn when the tardy bell rings at 7:50.
- Our plan is to have an attendance incentive at the end of each month to help encourage 100% attendance! The incentive will vary for each month, from Donuts with the Principal to drawings to be Principal/Asst. Principal/Counselor/Nurse for the Day! Our students are excited so hopefully this will help you to get them out of the house on those "hard to get moving days"!
Dismissal
- Just a reminder that you must notify the office if your child has a transportation change. This must be done by 2:30 in order to communicate the change to the classroom teacher.
- Also, if you need to pick your child up early, for any reason, you must do so before 3:00. This helps the end of our day run smoothly!
- Also, just a reminder that you must have a car tag in order to pick up your student in the car rider line. If you happen to be missing your tag for any reason, we will do a quick license check to ensure the safe dismissal of ALL students.
Tutoring
- As we continue to promote the consistent progress of ALL students, we are excited to be able to offer a variety of in school, afterschool and Saturday tutorial/enrichment opportunities.
- The goal of these opportunities is to fill in gaps and provide learning extensions that will help ALL our students advance in their level of mastery!
- A survey was sent home for you to complete to indicate if you would be interested in having your child participate. If you did not send the survey back, no worries, just let your child's teacher know so we can plan accordingly.
Parent/Teacher Conferences
- Save the Date for Monday, Feb. 21st - this will be a student holiday so that we can hold parent/teacher conferences to discuss how we can continue to work together to ensure the success of every student. Our plan is to meet with EVERY parent, so be sure to mark the date on your calendar!
- Teachers will be reaching out to schedule individual conferences - our preference is to meet with you in person, but if this does not work for you, please communicate with your child's homeroom teacher so they can provide an option that will meet your needs.
Fun Family Opportunities
- The La Porte Education Foundation Hoops Classic returns on Friday, February 11th with the LPISD Hoop Dogs hosting the world famous Harlem Wizards at the beautiful Bulldog Centre. Tip off is set for 6:30 and all proceeds benefit the Education Foundation. You can purchase your tickets at https://harlemwizards.thundertix.com/events/194343! Come support Coach Guidry and the LPISD Hoop Dogs! If you and your child would like to attend but are unable to purchase tickets at this time, please reach out to Ms. Horelka as a limited number of sponsored tickets are available.
- La Porte High School Project Graduation is hosting a 5K Run/Walk Event March 5th at 7:30 am at Sylvan Beach Park. All proceeds from this event will benefit LPHS Project Graduation 2022. Scan the QR code below to register!
Label, Label, Label
- Cooler weather is here, so don't forget to label all outerwear (jackets, gloves, hats, etc.) with your child's first and last name! Lunch kits and water bottles should also be labeled. This helps us return all misplaced items to their rightful owners!
- Our lost and found is already filling up, so if your child is missing anything, please encourage them to check the lost and found!
Additional Questions/Concerns
- If you have additional questions or concerns about our routines, procedures and expectations, feel free to contact myself or your child's classroom teacher via phone or email OR click on the link below to view the LPE Student Handbook!
PROJECT GRADUATION 5K Registration
Counselor's Corner
Greetings, Leopard Families!
I cannot believe it is already February. Our character trait for the month is Empathy. It has been proven to be one of the most powerful ways of making a difference in the lives of others by helping them feel connected and supported. As Dr. Brene Brown states, “Empathy is simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of ‘you are not alone’.” My heart is warmed when I see students intentionally reaching out to classmates that appear sad or lonely and just being there for them. Additionally, we are promoting a kindness campaign which includes students recognizing others for compassionate acts by using “Kindness Cards”. I really look forward to hearing all the ways they notice each other making LPE and the world a better place. As always, please reach out if I can help your child or family in any way.
Nurse's Nook
Reminders:
February 22nd will start 5th grade girls spinal screening. We request that girls wear a halter-top, tube top, or sports bra underneath their shirt the week of the screening. Parents will be notified of the screening results only if a professional follow up is necessary.
Please keep the nurse’s office updated on any changes in your child’s health such as allergies, illnesses or surgery. The school health record we maintain will follow your child through high school. It is very important to keep the record current.
Cold weather is here, and we ask that parents be sure to send children to school in proper attire for outside recess if weather permits (don't forget to label those jackets).