Dear Families,

We are happy to welcome more students back on campus this week as students make the model changes you requested in December. Teachers and staff are excited and eager to see more smiling student faces each day! Thank you for remaining safe and vigilant at home. If you traveled over the holidays, we appreciate you following the recommended guidelines for staying home after your return. If your child has any symptoms that are consistent with Covid-19, please be proactive in keeping them at home and communicating with us.

We know the events at the capitol last week have affected many of us deeply, and we remain committed to providing a safe, healthy learning environment for all students. Our priority at Lake when distressing events happen in our country and community is to support students' mental health and well-being. To that end, Mrs. McManus has offered some tips for how parents can discuss difficult topics with children below in the McManus Minute. Please reach out to us if we can support you or your family in any way.

Coming at the end of this month, January 25-29, is the annual Great Kindness Challenge. This is a great and timely opportunity for our students to learn about and practice showing kindness to others. Look for more information about how your child can participate to be coming in the next couple of weeks!

Please mark your calendars for some upcoming important dates:

• Monday, January 18th - NO SCHOOL for Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Monday, January 25th - NO SCHOOL
• Wednesday, February 3rd - MINIMUM DAY for staff development (dismissal at 12:45)

Do you have a student switching from Virtual to Classic in TK, Kinder, 1st, or 2nd? Please return their music kits to school in a Ziploc bag with their name on the outside so that they have a personal music kit on campus.

5th Grade Classic- Please continue to remind your child to bring their ukuleles EVERY Tuesday to school for Music. Daily practice at home is encouraged as we move into more difficult music this Spring. All ukulele music is available in Mrs. Corso’s 5th Grade Music Canvas Course. Thanks:)

ALL 3rd & 4th Grade- Please encourage your child to turn in Flipgrid videos for their recorder assignments so that Mrs. Corso can help students individually via Flipgrid.

Dolphtones resumes this Thursday, the 14th, with all Virtual students from 2-2:30 and all Classic students from 2:30-3:00 via Zoom.

Do you have a 3rd, 4th, or 5th grader who is interested in Dolphtones? Mrs. Corso will be taking new members in January. Dolphtones is a commitment every Thursday from 2-2:30 for Virtual and 2:30-3 for Classic via Zoom. Here is the link to SIGNUP!

Dolphtones Sign-up

Contact Mrs. Corso at jennifercorso@vistausd.org if you have any questions.

As we start this new year we have a lot to hope for, and with luck we will be able to leave some events in the past! 2020 has given us a lot to overcome, and I am impressed with the students, staff and families who have been able to face these challenges head on with an attitude of resilience, adaptability and optimism. That being said, we have had our share of difficult situations and it is sometimes confusing to know how to talk to kids about what is going on in the world. Here is a quick guide to help you navigate through these tricky conversations.