Lake Trafford Gator Gazette
September 2021 School News
Note from Principal Alvarez
It is a pleasure to see the smiling faces of students returning to school. Students appear to be happy to return and have been eager to meet their teachers and classmates.
I want to extend a big congratulation to students, families and staff for their dedication and hard work this past year. Even when faced with challenges like a pandemic, our students, parents, and staff continue with the commitment for student learning. Our LTE Gators continue to learn despite the challenges, and this is a great tribute to the determination of LTE students, parents, and faculty. Please be proud of your child’s/children’s accomplishments and determination because it would not happen without your support.
We will continue with our mission to achieve excellence for our students. We are proud of the dedication and perseverance of our students, families, and staff. Our theme this year is “Superheroes: What is your Superpower?” because we know our LTE Gators have superpowers.
I am looking forward to another year of working with the parents and students of Lake Trafford Elementary. It is a pleasure and honor to serve you and your children. Please contact me if you have questions. I’m looking forward to an amazing year!
Mrs. Alvarez - Principal
LTE Administrative Team
We are honored to serve our students, families, and school community. We welcome you to partner with us in ensuring you child has a successful 2021-2022 school year.
Attendance
Hey Gators! Lake Trafford Elementary is bringing back our ON TIME all day EVERY DAY initiative. Did you know that missing just 2 days a month means a child misses 10% of the school year? If a student misses 10% of school each year, the student will essentially miss an entire year of school instruction over their educational career. If a student is sick and cannot come to school, please bring a doctor note, and call the school to ensure that we can excuse the absence. As one of our school wide goals, we are having staff and students track their attendance in their leadership binders. We encourage all our stakeholders to check in with students about their goals and talk about their progress. Please reach out will if you need any support with getting your child to school every day. As always, GOOOOOO Gators!
Dr. Poteet - Assistant Principal
Back to School Healthy Habits
Welcome back to a new start of the school year! Here are some reminders to keep students on track and moving towards success.
A good day begins with a good night’s rest. It is recommended that students get enough sleep each night, so they are prepared for each new day.
Breakfast: Our school start time is 7:50. Students should arrive between 7:20 and 7:50 to ensure a great start with a healthy breakfast.
Homework: Students are expected to complete and return homework to school daily. All homework assignments are written in agendas at the start of each day.
Communication: Agendas and communication folders should be returned to school every day. Parents are encouraged to sign agendas and check communication folders daily for important documents.
Remember to always begin with the end in mind! Good habits and routines will prepare each student for a great and successful school year!
Mrs. Redding - Academic Coach
Counselor's Corner
This year, LTE is very excited to participate in the district’s new program called Connect For Success. Each Tuesday and Thursday for 15 minutes, classes will engage in various activities that will promote student engagement, a sense of belonging, and trust. These lessons will ultimately help our students become college, career, and life ready. Ask your student what topics they have discussed during Connect for Success.
Mrs. Parisi - School Counselor
Strategies to Support Strong Readers
Through reading aloud, providing print materials, and promoting positive attitudes about reading and writing, you can have a powerful impact on children's literacy and learning
- Invite a child to read with you every day.
- When reading a book where the print is large, point word by word as you read. This will help the child learn that reading goes from left to right and understand that the word he or she says is the word he or she sees.
- Read a child's favorite book over and over again.
- Read many stories with rhyming words and lines that repeat. Invite the child to join in on these parts. Point, word by word, as he or she reads along with you.
- Discuss new words. For example, "This big house is called a palace. Who do you think lives in a palace?"
- Stop and ask about the pictures and about what is happening in the story.
- Read from a variety of children's books, including fairy tales, songbooks, poems, and information books.
Mrs. Rincon - Literacy Coach
Math
As we approach the halfway mark of the first quarter of the school year, you can help set your child up for Mathematical success by helping them practice their number fluency each night.
In the primary grades, Kindergarten through 2nd grade, number fluency means that they can first, quickly recognize a number and then begin to work on simple addition and subtraction patterns, such as doubling, counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s. Spending 5 minutes a day working on number fluency helps your child be more successful in their math class.
In the intermediate grades, 3rd through 5th, number fluency turns into fact fluency, where they start to look at multiplication and division fact families. You can have your student practice each night for 5 minutes using flash cards of multiplication or division facts. You will be getting a letter from your child’s homeroom teacher soon that has games to play, using multiplication or division flash cards.
Mr. Crary - Math Coach
Science
In the month of September your child will be learning about the following concepts in science and should be able to do the following by the end of the month so make sure you ask your child all about the great things they are learning in science.
Kinder: It’s all about using their 5 senses to make observations of the world around them.
1st Grade: Learning how to describe and sort objects based on their observable properties. (size, shape, color, temperature, weight, texture, sink or float.
2nd Grade: Demonstrate that magnets can be used to make some things move, compare the volume of liquids using containers of various shapes and sizes, classify, sort and categorize objects by observable and measurable properties. They will also learn how to identify objects as a solid, liquid or gas and explain the key parts of each property of a solid, liquid and gas (using water).
3rd Grade: Classify and sort flowering and non-flowering plants into major groups, describe the structures of plants and their roles and be able to describe how plants use energy from the Sun to make their own food.
4th Grade: Explain the processes of flowering plants (pollination, fertilization, germination, seed dispersal), compare the major stages in the life cycles of Florida plants and animals and distinguish between complete and incomplete metamorphosis.
5th Grade: Recognize that all matter is composed of atoms, explain how materials combined in a mixture are separated, identify the conditions that will speed up or slow the dissolving process and investigate the difference between a physical and chemical change.
Ms. Wilkinson - Science Coach
Mark Your Calendar
September 20-24: Book Fair
September 21: Curriculum Night 6-7pm - In person at LTE or online via Canvas
September 28: School Advisory Council Meeting at 3:30
October 2: Interim Reports Published
October 7: School Picture Day
October 18: Teacher Plan Day; No School for Students
October 22: Fall Festival 5-6:30pm
October 25: Early Dismissal at 11:50
October 25: Report Cards Published
Lake Trafford Elementary
Website: https://www.collierschools.com/LTE
Location: 3500 Lake Trafford Road, Immokalee, FL, USA
Phone: 239-377-7300
Facebook: facebook.com/LearningatLTE/
Twitter: @LearningatLTE