In The Laidlaw Loop
Weekly Newsletter: September 16, 2022
Dear Laidlaw Families,
I know one thing for certain: if you start your day with Kindergarteners and 1st Graders, it's bound to be great! It brought me such joy to begin each morning this week participating in morning meetings in Kinder and 1st grade classrooms. I learned how to do a butterfly greeting in Mrs. Coleman's class; I witnessed Mrs.Fera's students practicing turn and talk techniques with their partners; I got to see Mrs. Glabus's 1st graders light up as they added charms to their reading necklaces; I played a rocks, paper, scissors tournament in Mrs. Lind's class; and, I got to see how our new 1st grade soft start is working with Mrs. MacFarlane's students. Check out the awesome design they built with the blocks in the picture below! Morning meetings and closing circles are two community building practices that all grades and classrooms are participating in this year. This is dedicated time each day to hold space for students to learn more about one another while forming connections with their classmates and teachers.
Thank you to all of the Laidlaw PTO volunteers who worked hard to make today's Walk To School event a huge success. It was so wonderful to see so many families and students getting their steps in while participating in some community building FUN on the scavenger hunt. Speaking of PTO events, make sure to mark your calendars and sign up for two FUN upcoming happenings: The Laidlaw Family Fun Run (for families) and the PTO's Casino Night (adults only). Details for both are included in this newsletter.
Have a safe & relaxing weekend,
Renee
Laidlaw Loot Positive Behavior Incentive Begins Monday
MAP Testing Makeups NEXT Week
Parent-Free Blacktop Reminder
Notes of Appreciation for Teachers
Picture Day
Items Needed From Home For STEM
Gizmos and Smart Watches Update
I purchased my daughter her first Gizmo last weekend. She's in 3rd grade and we BOTH are appreciating the conveniences of being able to communicate with another more easily. I share this tid bit with you because I know first hand the value that Gizmos/Apple Watches provide from the parent lens. As an educator though, I also understand the distraction that they can cause some students when used during the school day. I wanted to take a moment to review with you a few smart watch related reminders.
Gizmo/smart watches can be used as communication tools for before and after school; however, students are not allowed to use their watches to communicate during the school day. We have the same expectations and communicate with our students about Smart Watches just as we do for cell phones; if you wouldn't use your cell phone in class, in the hallway, or on the playground - do not use the call/text functions of your Smart Watch!
Please help us foster strong communication and self-advocacy skills in our kids as we ask them to address concerns during the school day with their teacher, the nurse, or our office staff. We find that many students attempt to use their Smart Watches to communicate with parents during the day; any requests for lunch drop-off, illness pick-ups, forgotten materials, etc. need to be handled through our main office.
Additionally, we ask that you partner with us by choosing not to initiate contact with your child via their Smart Watch during the school day; please funnel all communications through our main office, so that we can ensure that messages are received properly by all involved and that our teachers, nurses, and staff are aware of any important issues or changes for your child. Please remember that Smart Watches are only allowed as time keeping devices during school hours; when you contact your child during the school day, you are placing them in the situation of deciding between following our school rules and connecting with you.
Thank you for your partnership and support in this realm.
Laidlaw Family Fun Run Oct 1
Attention all runners, walkers and Leopards in training!
On Saturday, October 1st Laidlaw School will be hosting their first ever Family 5K and Fun Run. Events kickoff at 4PM. Register Here.
This event will include a 1 mile fun run, and an official chip-timed 5K through the Leopards' home of Old Town North. Following the race we will have a Kids 100 yard dash and a post race celebration.
PTO's Casino Night
Historical Society Event: Paint The Tower (9/25)
Lunch Volunteers Needed
Laidlaw is looking for recess volunteers to support at lunch. As we did last year, we will be setting up a weekly schedule and pairing parent volunteers with grade levels during recess. The time commitment is 11:40-12:25, and we are looking for a weekly commitment (for example every Tuesday, or every Monday/Friday). One option that worked well last year for some parents was to split a day with another parent. Volunteering in our lunch room is a fantastic way to connect with the school community. Please contact Emily Haight (ehaight@d101.org.) if you are interested!
Right At School (Before & After School Care)
Elementary School Handbook
Important Dates
Monday September 18-Friday September 22: MAP testing 2-5 MAKEUPS
Thursday, September 22: Picture Day