The Lawrence Elementary School​

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International Baccalaureate PYP Program

Principal's Corner

     Principal’s Newsletter for October 2019

The students have transitioned well to school and are getting used to the routines. For the month of September, we focused on the word CARING and discussed ways that we can all show that we care about others, ourselves, our school, and our work/goals. Our word for October is COMMUNICATOR. These words are 2 of the 10 learner profiles that IB Schools embrace.  

IB October update: We are excited to begin our first IB units in grades 2-5 (grade 1 will begin in Nov. and Kindergarten will begin in Dec.).  Grade levels have collaborated with specials teachers and the IB PYP coordinator to design units that will combine the Middletown curriculum with IB teaching and learning practices under our new transdisciplinary themes.  The students will have greater opportunities for voice, choice and ownership of their learning, will be co-creators of new learning experiences and will embark on opportunities for student-led inquiry.  A resource about this month's Learner Profile attribute focus (Communicators) is going home in the Tuesday folder on Oct. 8.   We will be working on speaking and listening skills, non-verbal communication skills, sharing our thoughts and feelings using the mood meter, and communicating in more than one language. Below are brief summaries of the upcoming IB units for grades 2-5.  

Grade 2: Who We Are- An inquiry into how stories communicate beliefs and values. Students will explore stories in written and visual art forms.  Students will reflect on their own personal values, and communicate shared classroom and human values through their writing and art pieces.

Grade 3: Where We Are in Place and Time- An inquiry into how our local community has changed over time. Using images and artifacts from Indigenous cultures of the Northeast, students will explore an area of interest to compare their lives today to our community in the past. 

Grade 4: How We Express Ourselves- An inquiry into how individuals have expressed their values and changed our world.  Students will discover through biographies of historical and contemporary figures of the Northeast that there are ways an individual can change the world through expressing their ideas. 

Grade 5: How the World Works- An inquiry into how human behavior and Earth’s systems change in relation to one another.  Students will research the balance between human behavior and the environment in the past and present.  

NEWS from Library Media Center 

We are continuing to explore our new MakerSpace materials in structured and unstructured ways. Students in grades 3-5 showed enormous creativity in designing logos and taglines for the Middletown Schools MakerSpace Challenge. We are in the process of selecting a winning design for the school, which will be entered in the district-wide competition. Students will also be introduced to this year’s selections for the Nutmeg Nominees.

Kerry Darby

Library Media Specialist

               

 News from the Art Room

Students in Grade 4 will be visiting Wesleyan University on Wednesday, October 30^th.  More information and permission slips will come out closer to this date.

Visit the Lawrence Art site to see what your children are studying and creating in the art room this month by: Going to the Middletown Home Page.  Click on the staff directory circle.  Type, Alison Kaye, in the search bar, then click search.  Under my name you will see a small globe icon, click on this and you will be brought to the Lawrence Art page.

                                               

  News from Physical Education

In PE this month, the students will be starting their fitness unit. We will be exploring various ways to exercise the most important muscle in the body: the heart. The students will be participating in different activities that get the heart pumping! Please ask your child about the fun activities they are doing in the gym.

                      


Walk-a-thon: October 13 from 10:30-12:30

 All Lawrence families are invited to participate in the Walk-a-thon.  It will start at 10:30 am on Sunday, October 13.  We will of course do the walk, and beyond that, we will have a DJ to get everyone moving and lead some fun activities. We'll also have food, door prizes, and more.  It will be a great way to spend some time outside of school with your friends and families. 

Door prizes include: 3-month membership to Anytime Fitness, 1-month membership to 9Round, Lawrence Bulldogs spirit wear, 4 tickets to a Hartford Yard Goats game, 4 tickets to the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, Scholastic Dollars certificates for the November book fair, and more.  Your participation means so much to our school and we hope to see you at the Walk-a-thon event.

If you haven't done so already, please register your child(ren) at Getmovinfundhub.com; from there, you can easily post messages requesting donations to your Facebook or Twitter account, or just as easily send out a link through email or text.  You can also collect donations in person from neighbors, friends and family members.  Online donations through Get Movin' will be accepted until October 20; in-school (cash/check) donations will be accepted until October 18.  October 20 is the date that final prizes will be determined.

Dining for a Cause – Chili’s on Wed., Oct. 9

 Lawrence School is dining for a cause at Chili's in Cromwell this Wednesday, October 9. 15% of sales from 4-11 pm will be donated to Lawrence School. Take out is included!

We hope to see you there!

IMPORTANT DATES AT LAWRENCE

Monday, October 7:    Morning Fun Run starts at 8:15 am                         continues every M-W   We are still looking for parent volunteers to help monitor   contact the principal     Please see the permission form on the back
This is a great way for students to get exercise before the day starts  

 Wednesday, October 9: DINE OUT AT CHILI’s IN CROMWELL   4-11 pm
Lawrence School earns 15% of all sales, including take-out orders
Simply let your server know that you are from Lawrence – profits support our PTA

Sunday, October 13: Walk-a-thon      10:30 – 12:30
Students can get exercise, listen to music from our DJ, and enjoy snacks

This is our big fund-raiser for the Fall, so we hope you can come and have fun

Monday, October 14:    NO SCHOOL – Columbus Day

Tuesday, October 15:   PICTURE DAY    all students have pictures taken with their class and an Individual picture taken for the yearbook

Families may order additional pictures; please see order form in Tuesday folder

Tuesday, October 15:  Canned Food Drive starts to support Amazing Grace Food Pantry
The drive ends on October 23

Friday, October 18:  BINGO BOO BASH   starts at 6:30 pm

We are looking for volunteers to help at this fun event

Friday, October 18: SPIRIT DAY          BACKWARDS DAY   students can wear clothes/items in a backward way

Monday, October 28: EARLY RELEASE DAY  students dismissed at 1:25 pm

Students will be served lunch

Safety Drills: Every year our school practices safety procedures and protocols in case of emergencies. We have already practiced our fire drill and lockdown procedures throughout September. The children are told that these are practice to lessen any possible anxiety. The police and fire departments work collaboratively with Lawrence School to provide meaningful feedback and monitoring of the drills. The drills are continuing throughout the fall.

                  
Middletown Public Schools’ Policy of Nondiscrimination

Each year the Middletown School District is required to notify staff, students, and parents about the Middletown Public Schools’ Policy of Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Sex and the grievance procedures.  The policies and forms are located on the district website and will also be e-mailed to parents. Marco Gaylord is the District Title IX Coordinator.  He can be reached by phone at 860-638-1485.His office is located at the Middletown Board of Education, 311 Hunting Hill Road, Middletown, CT  06457

Also available on the website is a list of all Annual Notifications which can be found under District Informat

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:

1. We foster students’ emotional intelligence because we believe social-emotional learning is key to the development of the whole child.

    

2. 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.

    

3. 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.

    

4. We engage learners by purposefully planning lessons that encourage inquiry and critical thinking, value student interest, and promote collaboration and discourse among all students.

    

5. 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.

    

6. 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.