The Lawrence Elementary School
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Principal's Corner
Dear Lawrence School Families,
I hope everyone has been enjoying their summer. Lawrence School is very quiet without the children, so I am excited about welcoming everyone back to school next week. You will be returning to see newly paved roads, additional parking, better handicap-accessible walkways, and a beautiful garden dedicated to Gracie Wall.
Building positive relationships with families, children, and the community is important, so I want to invite you to come to Lawrence School for our OPEN HOUSE to meet your new teacher. Please bring your child.
Wednesday, August 28: OPEN HOUSE FOR ALL FAMILIES
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm Kindergarten Open House and visit classrooms
4:30 pm – 5:30 pm Open House for Children in Grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
4:00 pm – 4:20 pm New Families in Gr. 1-5 to Lawrence can meet the Principal & PTA
We will answer any questions and give brief overview of school
FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL: I want to remind everyone that the first day of school is Thursday, August 29, starting at 8:50 a.m. Parent drop off and the unloading of buses start at 8:45 a.m. Teachers and support staff will help children find their classrooms, and kindergarten students will be walked to their classrooms. Lunch will be served on the first day and school will be dismissed at 3:35 p.m. Teachers will help children onto their proper buses at the end of the day. It is very important that children know how they will be going home from school.
Bus Information: Bus routes will be available soon on the district website at www.middletownschools.org. On the blue banner, click DEPARTMENTS, then TRANSPORTATION, and then click on VIEW DATTCO’S BUS ROUTE DATABASE. This will give you the anticipated times for pick up and drop off and the bus stops. Please contact the Transportation Dept. at 860-638-1418 if you have any questions. If you need to contact DATTCO directly, you can call 860-635-8234, Ext. 5603. All students will be assigned a bus stop even if you plan on driving your child to school.
Enclosed is a very important purple flyer: Student Dismissal Authorization Form. We are asking families TO COMPLETE THIS FORM AND TO BRING IT TO OPEN HOUSE. We want school dismissal to be as organized and as safe as possible, so having this information is critical. If you cannot attend Open House, please have your child bring the purple form to school on the first day of school. Please list all adults whom you give permission to pick up your child throughout the school year; this is what school staff uses for safe dismissals, and we will not dismiss your child to anyone not on this list. Thank you!
Volunteering at School
I want to strongly encourage all families to become actively involved in the school. As partners with school staff, we want to collaborate with you to help every child reach his/her full potential. Please look for ways that you can make a positive impact at Lawrence School. A school is a reflection of the community it serves, and your positive, active involvement helps to make our school a special place for children.
Included in this letter is a note from the PTA about ways that you can volunteer. In addition to those activities, you may be interested in volunteering on school committees.
Climate & Attendance Committee (look at data related to behavior, attendance, family engagement)
School Safety & Facility Committee (reflect on fire drill and lockdown practices, review facility needs)
School Data Team (examine academic data to note trends, identify strategies, create school improvement plans, how data is tied to school climate, plan professional development)
School Governance Council (elected community members and parents looking at global initiatives in order to impact the school improvement plan and student achievement)
International-Mindedness and Cultural Team (help bring multicultural experiences to school, building relationships with families, exposing students to different cultures, etc.)
Future mailings will detail the dates and times for meetings, but I always welcome ideas and input. My belief is that everyone has something to share and offer, and one can learn from everyone you meet.
Please read the back
SCHOOL SUPPLIES:
To get ready for the start of the school year, here is a list of recommended supplies your children will need for their specific grades. We try our best to provide most of the supplies the children will need at school, but we recommend that all children in all grades have a set of pencils, crayons, colored pencils, scissors, and glue at home to help with homework and projects.
Kindergarten – backpack, lunch box (if needed), labeled bag with extra set of clothes (optional)
Grade 1 – backpack, lunch box (if needed), folders with two pockets, pencils
Grade 2 – backpack, pencils, folders with two pockets
Grade 3 – backpack, pencils, folders with two pockets
Grade 4 – backpack, pencils, folders with two pockets
Grade 5 – backpack, pencils, folders with two pockets
All children will be assigned a locker, so the backpacks will need to be small enough to fit into the locker. We do not lock the lockers in school, so you do not need to buy locks. Backpacks with wheels are not recommended.
ATTENDANCE MATTERS
Here at Lawrence and in all schools in Middletown, we emphasize the importance of school attendance. Being at school ON TIME EVERY DAY is our goal. School opens at 8:45 am, and teachers start morning routines at 8:50 am. Being on time every day is important. Your child will be officially tardy if not in their classrooms by 9:00 am.
We greatly appreciate if doctor’s appointments can be scheduled outside of the school day. If your child is ill and needs to be out of school, it is important that the school receives a hand-written note from you as the parent to excuse your child’s absence. Please help us to reach our goals of having children in school and learning.
TUESDAY FOLDERS: In an effort to make sure that all families receive every flyer and notice from school, Lawrence School uses TUESDAY FOLDERS. Families should expect these red folders to come home every Tuesday. All messages from the PTA, community organizations, and the school will be coming home on Tuesdays. It is important that families ask their children for the folders on Tuesdays. The folders should be returned to school the next day so that the teachers can hold on to the folders until the next Tuesday. The TUESDAY FOLDER will go home on the first day of school with important messages from school!
SUMMER READING: We are asking all students to return the summer reading logs distributed in June or create their own summer reading logs. The logs should be handed into your new teacher to show how much reading you have done. Developing reading as an enjoyable habit is a great goal for many, so hopefully all of our students have found some entertaining books to read over the summer.
Kids Korner: If you need your child to attend before school or after school care, the Middletown YMCA organizes Kids Korner in our cafeteria. Please contact them for more information. Children who attend Kids Korner will be walked to their kindergarten lines for the first few days of school. Kids Korner opens at 7:00 am (enter through the cafeteria door).
EMOTIONS MATTER: Throughout the school year, you will be receiving flyers and information about the language the teachers and I use to address children’s emotions and responsible choices and problem solving. Reinforcing at home the language we use at school will help your children develop effective coping strategies and emotional regulation. All of the strategies we use come from The Anchors of Emotional Intelligence, by Dr. Marc Brackett from Yale University. Terms like Mood Meter and Meta-Moment become very familiar with students. Enjoy!
I am looking forward to a great year. My door is always open if you ever have any questions or concerns.
Fondly,
Jim Gaudreau, Principal gaudreauj@mpsct.org (860) 632-2158
VISION:
The Lawrence School is an inclusive community that supports and values the academic, social, physical, and emotional development of every student through an engaging and relevant transdisciplinary curriculum that fosters students as collaborators, communicators, thinkers, and global citizens.
MISSION STATEMENTS:
- We foster students’ emotional intelligence because we believe social-emotional learning is key to the development of the whole child.
- We cultivate a growth mindset among students, families, and staff because we believe in the value and importance of perseverance, varied learning dispositions, risk-taking, goal setting, and reflection.
- We foster a safe and welcoming environment that promotes a mutually-supportive school community of empathetic and collaborative individuals who are globally responsible, curious, and action-oriented.
- We engage learners by purposefully planning lessons that encourage inquiry and critical thinking, value student interest, and promote collaboration and discourse among all students.
- We value a balanced and comprehensive arts and physical education program that enhances the core curriculum and allows students to explore, experience, and appreciate world cultures and language experiences while encouraging creativity, curiosity, and healthy movement.
- We provide rigorous challenges so students take ownership of their learning as they use reasoning and thinking skills and academic risk-taking in order to develop creativity, perseverance, and recognition of their role in the global environment.
Social and Emotional Learning Opportunities
CLICK HERE FOR THE LATEST SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL NEWSLETTER
We emphasize the importance of students being able to recognize their emotions and to learn strategies on how best to regulate their emotions. The staff has been trained in the RULER, a strategy from the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence (ei.yale.edu).
R Recognizing Identifying emotions in ourselves and others
U Understanding Knowing the causes of emotions (why do we feel the way we do)
L Labeling Knowing feeling words to help us communicate feelings accurately
E Expressing Learning how to display our feelings and act in the school setting
R Regulating Developing strategies to manage our feelings
Your children will be coming home and will most likely be using some of the vocabulary and strategies we teach at school. You may hear about the META-MOMENT or TRIGGERS or your children may talk about breathing techniques and strategies. We will send home for you copies of the strategies and vocabulary we use so that you can also reinforce this at home if you so choose. Thank you.
Statement of Non-Discrimination
The Middletown Board of Education is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer, and it does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious creed, age, marital status, civil union, military or veteran status, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or past or present physical or mental disability in any of its education programs, activities, or employment policies. All educational programs and offerings, including vocational education and extracurricular activities, subscribe to this policy. Marco Gaylord, Director of District Operations, has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the district non-discrimination policies and may be reached at 311 Hunting Hill Avenue, Middletown, CT 06457; phone (860) 638-1485.