Lighthouse School Newsletter
September 22, 2021
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Hello Lighthouse Families,
We are now in the groove. Students are settling in and getting into the routines of the school day. It’s hard to believe that it is almost October!
Lighthouse students in grades 2 -10 will be taking the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Reading and Math assessments the week of October 4. This is an assessment tool that helps us understand student growth over time in reading and math. Our intent is that this isn’t a stressful activity but is one input for us to see that our students are continuing to grow in their learning.
Also in October, families plan for conferences. We will communicate opportunities to connect with facilitators on student learning progress in the coming weeks.
Reminders:
- We will be having our first Lighthouse PTO meeting for the year on Monday, September 27 at 5:30 p.m. Since weather is unpredictable, we will have our meetings virtually this year. We can determine the best day and time for our future PTO meetings at our first meeting. If you are interested in attending and/or being a part of the PTO, email me at lcisew@district16.org. I will send you a link to the WebEx room. Please consider joining our PTO. It is a wonderful opportunity to meet families, support Lighthouse students and be an active member of our community.
- If your child will be absent or late for school, please call the attendance line (763-600-5209) to let us know.
- Our first Extended Learning Day will be on Friday, September 24. These days are designed for students to do work related to their inquiry project which cannot easily be done in the classroom such as library research, talking with an expert, conducting experiments, or a field trip. Students that are taking courses at Spring Lake Park High School should still check in at the Lighthouse prior to their class. To be dismissed at the end of the school day, students will need a written note from their guardian or a guardian to pick them up.
- Complete a health screening at home and keep students at home if they are sick or have symptoms. The COVID-19 hub has information about health and safety measures in place in our school. Each Wednesday, there is updated information on cases in Anoka County and in our schools. We are focused on keeping each student learning at school and are grateful for your partnership.
With Gratitude,
Lisa Cisewski
Update immunizations by November 1
Minnesota School Immunization Laws currently require all students enrolled in school to be immunized against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTap/Td/Tdap), polio, measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), Hepatitis B, and varicella (chickenpox). One dose of the meningococcal (MCV) vaccine is due in 7th grade, and a booster dose at age 16.
Students whose immunizations are not up to date by Monday, November 1 will be excluded from school until their immunizations are current.
If you have questions about whether or not your child is due for immunizations, please contact their healthcare provider. If you are interested in access to low-income options for vaccines, please reach out to Anoka County Public Health at 763-324-4240.
Reminder: Send students to school with a face mask
Face masks are currently required for Lighthouse School students due to high COVID-19 transmission rates in our community. Please send your student(s) to school with a face mask to wear and an extra in case their mask gets dirty. Thank you!
Checking in on student progress using MAP
In October, your student will be engaging in brief Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments in reading and math. While your child's teacher is regularly assessing your child's progress in learning, assessments like these provide additional information about progress in reading and math over time.
- Grade K-2: The MAP Reading Fluency assessment is one way to check on progress in reading. The assessment is developmentally friendly, feels more like a game than a traditional “test,” and takes about 20 minutes. For math at K-1, we use assessments within the curriculum to understand progress in learning. For math at Grade 2, we use the MAP Growth assessment.
- Grades 3-10: The MAP Growth assessments are used for both reading and math. Each subject takes about 45 minutes.
Lighthouse students will participate in these assessments on October 5 and 6. There is no need for special preparation.
We will use this information to personalize learning experiences and will share information with families during upcoming conferences. Our school and district use information from these assessments to look at overall math and reading performance over time. This helps us determine how learning is going for all students and identify the need for any potential adjustments.
Please reach out to your child's facilitator if you have questions.
Announcement of Game Coming, Starting September 27
Win $500 for your school and $50 Panther Store gift card for you! Starting Monday, September 27 visit the sweepstakes page to enter the daily Panther Pride Sweepstakes. Show your Panther Pride and Spirit by answering a trivia question daily, September 27 – October 6. Families can enter one time each day and can include all students in the family. A student winner and a staff winner for each school will be drawn on Thursday, October 7 and winners will be acknowledged at the Spring Lake Park High School Homecoming game on Friday, October 8. Good luck!
Last chance - sign up for after-school enrichment classes!
We still have limited spots available for our upcoming fall elementary programs. Sign your student up today for Myth Busting with Science Explorers, Drawing Class with Young Rembrandts, or Chess with Twin Cities Chess Club. Registration closes this Thursday, September 23 and all classes will begin next week, September 27. Don’t miss out on these fun enrichment opportunities!
Lighthouse School Extended Learning Day
Lifetouch Picture Day October 11, 2021
Student Poetry Contest
Creative with Clay!
Celebrating our retirees
Congratulations to the 25 staff members who retired during the 2020 and 2021 school years and who were honored and recognized at yesterday's retirement event. As a learning community, we gather to recognize their tremendous contributions to our schools and community and celebrate their next steps with them.
Read more as staff members shared words they wanted to convey to our Spring Lake Park Schools community about their journey and plans for the future.
In case you missed important information from last week's newsletter, check out the topics below and click to learn more.
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