Lyman Elementary
April 2023
Note From Mr. McPhee
Dear Lyman Families,
Spring is here at Lyman Elementary and the school year is moving fast. And as I think back to September, I'm excited about the progress that I have seen with our students’ academic, social and emotional growth. Our teachers work hard every day to develop our students for the next grade level and beyond and I am proud to work together with them to help every student reach and achieve success.
Looking ahead, the Washington State assessments in English, math and science will start up after spring break. We will complete all of the state assessment by the end of May. Please make sure that your child gets plenty of sleep and a healthy breakfast each day so they can be ready for these assessments and classroom learning. These state tests measure each student's progress towards mastery of the Washington State learning standards. They are rigorous and thoughtful assessments that challenge students to show their best thinking, writing, reading, math and problem solving skills.
The third week of April our sixth-graders will head to Camp Orkila on Orcas Island for the annual four-day camp experience. This is the first time that all sixth-graders in the district will be together as an entire class. Students participate in workshops about the environment, marine biology, problem solving and team building activities. This is an exciting camp experience for all our students and one they will remember for the rest of their lives.
April 25 through April 29 is Administrative Professionals week. I want to thank our administrative secretary, Kristi Johnson for all her hard work at Lyman. Kristi is critical in keeping everything in our school working efficiently. She works every day to make Lyman a great school. Please stop by the office and thank Kristi for all of her efforts.
We will also celebrate public school volunteers' week April 17-21. Several of you have volunteered here at Lyman Elementary and you are a crucial part of our school family and success. Our staff appreciates the volunteer help for a variety of assistance with student learning. When I see our volunteers in the classroom, I always think that a great school starts with a great community.
Thank you for all you do!
Sincerely,
Scott A. McPhee, Principal
Important Dates
April
1-9 ~ Spring Break
11 ~ Parent Group Meeting, 6:00
12 ~ Late Start Wednesday
13 ~ Kindergarten Registration Open House, 5-7
17 ~ Camp Orkila Luggage Drop Off, 5:00-7:30 @ Evergreen
18-21 ~ Camp Orkila
19 ~ Late Start Wednesday
26 ~ Late Start Wednesday
27 ~ K-2 Field Trip, 9:45-2:30
28 ~ Wildcat Assembly, 9:35
Kindergarten Registration
The Sedro-Woolley School district is looking forward to welcoming all kindergarteners for the 2023 – 2024 school year. Children who will be five years old by August 31, 2023, are eligible to register to enter kindergarten in the fall of 2023. Parents are encouraged to take advantage of early registration. Lyman’s in-person registration date is April 13th from 5-7 pm. Online registration is also available on the district website.
What to Bring:
- Birth certificate
- Immunization records
- Proof of residency
Students will not be able to start school in the fall without these items on file.
What You Will Receive:
- An appointment for fall kindergarten screening
- Information about kinder-start (first week of school)
We encourage all families living within our boundaries to participate in early registration so the school district has time to plan well for your child’s arrival. We certainly look forward to welcoming all kindergarteners and families. Please share this information with friends, family, and neighbors who may have a student starting Lyman next year.
Field Trip Volunteers
Smarter Balance Testing Grades 3-6
State testing is just around the corner, and it can be an understandably stressful time for your child. As a parent, it's important to know the basics of state testing to better support your student. Here are some basics of state testing and some tips on what you can do to better support your child.
What are state tests?
State tests are assessments administered by schools and districts to measure school effectiveness, student learning, skill acquisition, and academic achievement at the end of the school year.
Why do we have state tests in the first place?
These tests are also a means of accountability for schools, for ensuring that students are meeting specific learning objectives, which are set by the state (e.g. state standards).
What are some ways I can support my child during testing season?
- Provide a structured bedtime and breakfast. Make sure that your child gets enough sleep, and give your student a good breakfast the morning of the test. Make sure that your breakfast includes some sort of protein, not something overly sugary that could result in a crash later in the day. These basics can prevent your child from feeling distracted from hunger or losing focus because of sleepiness.
- Help your student lay out comfortable clothes the night before. This will help reduce stress the morning of the test and help your student be comfortable on test day.
- Please make every effort to have your child in attendance on test days. Please ensure that your student arrives on time. Our recommendation is to arrive by 9:20 when the warning bell sounds.
- Support and encourage. Help your student see the bigger picture by reminding him/her that you love him or her no matter how well he/she does! Send your student with words of praise and support. Suggest that your child do deep breathing exercises to relax before the test begins.
- Remind your child to check over answers before submitting the test.
Lost and Found
Camp Orkila Information
Lyman Elementary
Website: https://www.swsd.k12.wa.us/Domain/405
Location: 8183 Lyman Avenue, Lyman, WA, USA
Phone: 360-855-3535