Leopard Connection
Family Newsletter, November 2021
A Message From the Principal
Today marks the 50th day of school and it has been a great 50 days!
I am amazed each and every day by every one of our students!
If we are being totally honest, school is hard right now - perhaps harder than it has ever been! It's hard for everyone - each for their own reason! Some children are struggling because they missed foundational skills while we were at home during the quarantine and are working hard to "catch up". Some children are struggling because they missed out on important socialization and are having a difficult time getting along with their peers. Some children are struggling because they watch the news and listen to "adult talk" and are not sure what to do with all of the information that they hear, but don't truly understand! Some children are struggling because they have experienced an unexpected loss over the last year and a half that hurts their heart each and every day.
But no matter what our children are going through, they all share somethings in common - the 2 that come to my mind are kindness and perseverance! We see it every day - in every one of our children! Maybe not in every one of their actions or all their words (after all, we are all still a work in progress), but on a consistent basis, your children treat each other with a kindness that warms my heart, and they attack their learning with a perseverance that should make you proud! Your children - our children are overcomers - and if we all continue to work together to support them in education and in life, they will be the reason our world is a better place.
After all, we are #StrongerTogether and it will always be a GREAT day to be a LEOPARD!
Mrs. Hyde
IMPORTANT DATES
Thanksgiving Holidays, Monday, Nov. 22nd - Friday, Nov. 26th
Monday, Nov. 1st
- LPISD School Health Advisory Council Meeting, LPISD Board Room, 4:00, if you are interested in serving on this council, please reach out to Mrs. Hyde
Tuesday, Nov. 2nd
- Student Holiday/Staff Professional Development Day
- LPISD Board Meeting, LPISD Board Room, 7:00
Friday, Nov. 5th
- RSVP due for Donuts with Dudes
- Fall Back Time Change, Don't forget to set your clocks back by 1 hour
Monday, Nov. 8th
- Burger Libre Spirit Day, 20% of all sales will be donated to LPE
- District Stakeholder Meeting, LPHS Student Center, 6:00, all stakeholders are welcome
- 5th Grade Veterans Day Program, link will be sent home for families to enjoy
- End of 1st grading period (PK/K)
- Starbase (select 5th graders)
- Beginning of 2nd grading period (PK/K)
Friday, Nov. 12th
- Donuts with Dudes, LPE Basketball Courts, 7:15 - 7:45, please RSVP by Fri., Nov. 5th
- Progress Report Grade Cut Off (1st - 5th Grade)
- Report Cards Go Home (PK/K)
Tuesday, Nov. 16th
- Fall Picture Retakes
Wednesday, Nov. 17th
- Progress Reports Go Home (1st - 5th), Wear a college shirt to promote college readiness
Thursday, Nov. 18th
- GT Parent Night, James H. Baker 6th Grade Campus, 6:00
- Starbase (select 5th graders)
Friday, Nov. 19th
- Leopard of the Month, LPE Library, 7:15
Thursday, Nov. 25th
- Happy Thanksgiving
Monday, Nov. 29th
- Papa John's Spirit Day, 20% of all sales will be donated to LPE
FRIENDLY REMINDERS
Attendance/Tardies
- Please continue to help your student be successful by promoting good attendance - the habits you help them create today will last a life time.
- Although we do want you to keep your student home when they are truly sick, when they are healthy, please make sure that are at school, on time, every day!
- Our daily goal is 0 tardies (in class by 7:50) and a 96% attendance rate (no more than 27 absences). Help us to reach our goals so we can celebrate!
Label, Label, Label
- As we enter into the season of cooler weather, please remember 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!
- We do have a lost and found that tends to start filling up this time of year with unclaimed items! If your child is missing anything, please encourage them to check the lost and found!
Homework
- Homework is an important part of EVERY child's education for a variety of different reasons, like:
- It gives students an opportunity to practice the skills they are learning in class.
- It provides information to teachers on how they can help students be more successful.
- It helps students learn about time management.
- It teaches students to work independently.
- It helps students to stay organized, act and plan!
- It provides an opportunity for parent to see what their child is learning.
- However, despite it's importance, completing homework is often a struggle for many of our students, again due to a variety of reasons, like:
- Afterschool commitments (sports, chores, etc.)
- Emergency situations
- Lack of motivation
- So, how can you help?
- Communication with the teacher so both you and your child know the expectations.
- Help your child create a weekly plan for completing homework.
- Set up a homework friendly area in your home.
- Help keep distractions to a minimum.
- Make sure your child does their own work.
- Be a motivator and a monitor.
- Communicate with the teacher if homework expectations become overwhelming!
Ultimately, in order for our student to reach their full potential, we must ALL work together!
PTO/Spirit Shirts
- Our PTO is up and running! We had a great response to our Membership Kick Off at our Family Literacy Night. If you did not get a change to attend the event or to join the PTO, no worries, we will be sending out membership information soon so that you can join this amazing group of parent volunteers and together we can make this the best school year every for ALL of our students.
- The PTO will be selling spirit shirts so be on the lookout for information regarding purchasing/ordering your child a spirit shirt - our goal is that EVERY student wear an LPE spirit shirt every Thursday to show our Leopard Pride!
- If you are on Facebook, be sure to follow the La Porte Elementary PTO Facebook page, for up to date information!
Volunteers/Visitors
- LPISD and LPE are excited to announce that we are getting ready to slowly reinstate visitors and volunteers on the campus' during the school day. While our goal is to continue to provide a safe learning and work environment for our staff and students, we understand the importance of involving our parents and our community in the education of children!
- Our plan is to start small, by allowing visitors in for conferences, program and ceremonies and by allowing volunteers in to come and help in the PTO room, assist with special projects/events and mentor students.
- Although we will continue to be closed to visitors at lunch at this time, we look forward to expanding our visitor procedures as the year goes on.
- If you are interested in volunteering on campus, please reach out and let us know! you will also need to complete the volunteer application - just click on the link below and it should guide you through the process!
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!
Counselor's Corner
Hello, LPE Families. November is the perfect time to emphasize how extremely grateful we are to have your students here at LPE. They all are truly special and make our days so much brighter. Our character trait of the month is gratitude. Throughout the month, we will stress the importance of finding things to be thankful for even with all the challenges we have faced especially the past couple of years. Recent studies have shown that people who focus on things that they are grateful for are happier and have less anxiety. Thank you for sharing your students with us and making our lives more joyful! As always, please reach out if I can help your student or family.
Nurse's Nook
Fall is in the Air – and so is the stomach bug.
The Stomach bug is a very contagious virus that is transmitted from another person’s unwashed hands, contaminated surfaces, food, and drinks that contain the virus.
Symptoms typically last 24 hours to one week and include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach cramps.
If you experience vomiting, wait 2 hours after your last episode to start fluids. Drink small sips of water, clear broth, sports drinks (pedialyte), or tea. Eating ice chips also helps.
Once the nausea and vomiting start to subside, begin to re-introduce foods to your gut that are easy to-digest. Follow the BRAT Diet recommendation:
Bananas
Rice
Apple Sause
Toast/Tea
AVOID Caffeine, dairy, high sugar, fried, fatty, and spicy foods until you are completely well.
***Seek Medical attention if you have any symptoms of dehydration, unable to keep fluids down, have not urinated in 6-8 hours, have a fever, bloody stools or vomit, or any symptoms that seem sever or worrisome to you.
LPISD protocol is that if a student is experiencing vomiting or diarrhea, they must remain out of school for a day and can return once they have been vomit/diarrhea free for 24 hours without medication.