Dear Lawrence Brook Parents and Guardians,

Thank you to all who participated in our One School, One Book Family Night on Friday evening! It was such a joy to see so many students and family members enjoying each activity and reflecting on their shared reading of Lola Levine is Not Mean! This event would not have been possible without the support and planning of our PTA--thank you for bringing this program back and for planning an out of this world family night program. Thank you also to our amazing and dedicated LB staff for planning the in-school and at-home activities and for supporting the Family Fun Night by planning the STEM Project activities and attending the event. We are also grateful to the EBEA for funding the take-home materials through a grant. Having our whole school community come together over a shared love of reading is truly a dream come true.

As a part of our in-school activities, students worked together to brainstorm questions for the author of the Lola Levine series, Monica Brown. Our PTA sent the questions to Mrs. Brown who recorded a video for our students! Students watched this video together on Friday as a part of our end of program celebration. I was incredibly impressed by the thoughtfulness of our students' queries and am grateful that Mrs. Brown took the time to record such an engaging video. With her permission, I am sharing the video below for you to view at home. Once again, thank you for supporting this program at home and for helping us to bolster our culture of reading at Lawrence Brook School!

This week marks the start of The Great Kindness Challenge, a perfect follow up to the themes students explored in Lola Levine. In the days ahead, please check your child's folder for information about our annual Multicultural Programming which will take place in late February and will culminate with the return of the PTA International Night. Tomorrow, January 31, is the first day of Marking Period 3. Marking Period 2 Report Cards will be issued on Tuesday, February 7 on Parent Portal.

Have a wonderful week!

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Dunn

• 1/30/2023: End of Marking Period 2
  
• 1/30 - 2/3/2023: The Great Kindness Challenge
• 2/2/2023: LB Allies & Student Council Snack Bag Project
• 2/7/2023: Report Cards Issued via the Genesis Parent Portal
• 2/10/2023: HUES School Counselors visit 4th Grade Classes
• 2/13/2023: 100th Day of School! Wear LB Spirit Wear or Green or White to show your love of learning!
• 2/14/2023: Valentine's Class Parties: Please note, students should not exchange food or candy with their Valentine's Cards.
• 2/20/2023: School Closed, President's Day (If schools are closed for any reason prior to Jan.31 and both emergency days have been exhausted then this day will be a school day.)
• 2/24/2023: Parade of Nations (in school) and PTA International Night (evening)

East Brunswick Public Schools One-Page Calendar

School Hours

As a reminder, school begins at 9:05 AM. Students may enter the building starting at 8:55 AM.

Notifying the Office of Absences and Changes in Dismissal

Please remember to notify the Main Office as soon as possible to report absences or changes in dismissal for your child.

In the Main Office, the wonderful Mrs. LaPenta keeps track of this important information. She can be reached at 732.613.6871 OR dana.lapenta@ebnet.org.

To leave a message on the Attendance Line, call 732.613.6870, Option 1.

Attention East Brunswick residents with young children! Children who will be five years of age on or before October 31, 2023 are eligible for the East Brunswick Public School full-day kindergarten program for the 2023-2024 school year.

Please visit www.ebnet.org for information and registration instructions. All required forms and additional information can be found on the website. Incoming Kindergarten students must be registered by June 1, 2023 in order to participate in the June Kindergarten classroom visit and screening.

Family Movie Event - Saturday, February 11th, 2pm

LAST CALL! JUST A FEW SEATS LEFT!

The PTA is hosting a private, sensory-friendly movie screening of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish at AMC Brunswick Square. This event is free to LB students and one parent/guardian. Please return this flyer to school with your signup. Pickup of tickets will be Feb. 9th from 3:00-4:15pm at the front of school. Contact sarahbrandongrable@gmail.com with questions.

Nothing Bundt Cakes Fundraiser - Now through February 1st

Surprise your loved one with a sweet treat from Nothing Bundt Cakes on Valentine's Day. Orders will be accepted through February 1st. Order on MemberHub or see the flyer.

Satori Academy of Martial Arts Program

It's a New Year with New Adventures! Are you looking for a new and exciting activity to introduce your child to? Satori Academy of Martial Arts is partnering with the PTA to offer a terrific opportunity. $59 will provide you with a 4-week course focusing on character development, child safety and basic self-defense (uniform is included for a value of $199!) and the entire $59 will go to the PTA!! See flyer.

International Night - Friday, February 24th, 7pm

The PTA is excited to say we have many families signed up to make food for this one-of-a-kind event. Deadlines to sign up have been extended to February 1st to provide a dish from your country and/or have your student do a performance. Please watch this quick video (and see our Facebook Page for more past years’ performances) to get an idea of what all the excitement is about! Reach out to us with any questions if you are not sure what to expect! On January 23rd, an email went out to all ambassadors, please check your spam if you signed up to be an ambassador and did not receive the email. If not in your junk mail, please contact Lynda Graham and Bridget Ahmed. Sign up here International Night Participation Form or print out the attached flyer.

PTA Board Officers, Standing Chair and Event Chair Positions Open for 2023-2024

Don't forget to submit your Letters of Intent! To run for a PTA Officer position, please email a letter of intent to LBSPTANominations@gmail.com. Anyone currently in these roles who wish to run again must also submit a letter of intent as per our by-laws. The deadline for letter submission is March 27th. Open Officer roles (two-year positions): President-Elect, VP Cultural Arts, and Recording Secretary.

Any parent interested in organizing an event or running for a Standing Chair position (part of the Executive Board) next year should contact Sarah Brandon-Grable. Board elections will take place in May, and all other chairpersons are appointed by the President. Open positions: Standing Chair Positions (Executive Board, one-year positions): Hospitality, Community Relations, Family Relations, 4th Grade Committee, Room Parent Coordinator, and Yearbook. Event Chair Positions: Ice Cream Social, Trunk or Treat, Tricky Tray, Picture Day, Scholastic Book Fair (2 events), Spirit Wear, Holiday Shop, Family Fun Night, International Night, Theater Week, Staff Appreciation Flower Sale, Plant Sale, APEX Program & Fun Run, Donuts for Dads, and Toolbox.

Attention Amazon Shoppers!

The PTA now has an account for the AmazonSmile Foundation to donate a percentage of your purchases back to the PTA! Go to https://smile.amazon.com and select Lawrence Brook School PTA 23914 as your charity of choice.

Giving Bean

Looking for locally-sourced coffee/tea? Head over to Giving Bean Lawrence Brook PTA. All items ship directly to you, and a portion of the proceeds will come back to the PTA.

4th Grade Yearbook Baby Pictures DUE Feb. 1st - Email photos to submit+1402786@edophotos.com. Add your child’s first and last name to the subject line of your email. No pictures of pictures please.

4th Grade Yearbook Cover - DUE Feb. 3rd - Show us your LB Spirit! Design original artwork for the yearbook cover using the theme "One School, One Team." Two winners will be chosen! One for the front cover and one for the back cover.

4th Grade Committee Meeting - Monday, Feb. 6th 6pm-7pm (Media Center)

Rock 'N' Air Fundraiser - Thursday, Feb. 9th 4pm-8pm
(Wear 4th Grade Shirt or LB Spirit Wear) Bring your family and friends!

4th Grade Social - Tuesday, March 28th - 3:35pm-6pm (LB Gym)

4th Grade Students vs. Teacher Basketball Game - Thursday, April 27th (Churchill Gym)

**Parent Volunteers needed for 4th Grade Social and 4th Grade Students vs. Teacher Basketball Game.

Donate to the 4th Grade Moving Up Committee

Let’s make the last year at Lawrence Brook their best year yet! Double your donation by asking your company to match charitable donations. LBS PTA is a 501c3 organization (tax id: 22-3146372). Donations can be made through MemberHub. Any questions, contact Jennifer Megna or Brittany Barkow.