The Lawrence Elementary School

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Principal's Corner   

                       Summer 2021 Lawrence School Newsletter

I cannot believe how quickly the end of the school year came. This has been a memorable year for a lot of reasons (masks, temperature checks, shields, hybrid model, etc.), but the focus on relationships and supporting students’ academic and social-emotional needs are foremost in our minds. I am so pleased to see our students using their SEL strategies. Continuing to use the Mood Meter and Meta-Moment even throughout the summer will be helpful to them.  

Congratulations to our 5^th graders on their promotion! They enjoyed an eventful June filled with their DARE graduations, Picnic, and Celebrations. I am so proud of them for being the kind, thoughtful, and loving students they are. Thank you also to the 5^th grade families who helped support our June events and for 6 years of supporting their children’s education. I like to say that a school is a reflection of the community it serves, and our 5^th grade community of families have shown so much support and commitment to their children and to all of the staff at Lawrence! I WILL MISS ALL OF YOU! I wish you the very best at Beman Middle School!        #Bulldogs Forever 

              Technology and Summer Learning for Students in Grades K-5

All children in elementary schools in Middletown are allowed to keep their IPads or Chrome books over the summer so that they can continue to access educational websites. The only students who need to return their devices are families who are moving out of Middletown. Please drop off the devices at Lawrence School if you are moving. Please call the office or email me so I can make sure someone is here to receive the device.          860-632-2158    gaudreauj@mpsct.org

I strongly recommend for students in grades 2-5 to access Pathblazer (literacy and math) and for students in K & grade 1 to access Footsteps to Brilliance. In the Tuesday folder, we sent home a list of fantastic educational apps and websites (mostly free to access).

             Math Summer Practice: below is a list of fun, interactive on-line opportunities that your child can do at home in order to practice leveled math skills.  We hope that these will assist you in supporting your child’s mathematical progress throughout the summer.

http://illuminations.nctm.org                                 http://funbrain.com

http://starfall.com                                                   http://arcademics.com

http://primarygames.com                                       http://coolmathgames.com

Two of our favorites that many teachers use are www.khanacademy.org and https://xtramath.org. Many of our students already have accounts, so enjoy!!!!

If you have any questions over the summer regarding technology, the Middletown district technology department can be contacted to offer free support. Email address: techassist@mpsct.org, for families to contact the technology department when having technical issues with the student devices. The goal is to process requests daily, depending on the number of requests, and address concerns promptly.

SUMMER READING CHALLENGE & LOGS: Please keep track of all of the books that you read over the summer and try our 3 challenges.  All children who complete a log will be recognized for their efforts in September.  J If you need a new copy of the 3 challenges, please email or call the principal. Our goal is for our students to enjoy and value pleasure reading.

     Governor’s Reading Challenge            Lawrence School Challenge            BINGO with Sora (app) 

SUMMER PACKETS: At one of our Spring ZOOM meeting with families, many of you requested paper copy math and language arts activities. The teachers put together packets for each grade, which were distributed in June. These are optional activities to complete. If you have not picked up your child’s summer packets, please email me so that we can arrange a time for you to visit Lawrence School to pick up the items.                                                    gaudreauj@mpsct.org      

                                                   Summer Lawrence School Office Hours

Our school secretary works intermittently for most of the summer, so the best way to communicate with the school is through e-mail. You can email me (Principal Jim Gaudreau) at gaudreauj@mpsct.org and I will respond to your email as soon as possible. I will be on vacation for a couple of weeks, so I will respond promptly when I return. Any questions for the secretary regarding registration for incoming or outgoing students can be sent to Mrs. Mosca at moscak@mpsct.org.

Summer Registration for Incoming & New Students in Grades 1-5: please complete the online registration on our website (www.middletownschools.org). Then, you can call Lawrence School to make an appointment to drop off any necessary paperwork (please see the website for a detailed list). You can call or leave a voicemail message for us at 860-632-2158 or email the secretary at moscak@mpsct.org or me at gaudreauj@mpsct.org. The secretary is not consistently in the office until late August, so please leave a voicemail or email and we will get in touch with you as soon as possible. Thank you.  

Summer Registration for Kindergarten:  

In a typical year, Lawrence staff and I would have already met with kindergarten families several times in the spring to help students/families with a smooth transition to kindergarten (orientation, registration, family kindergarten night). All of those planned events were modified due to the pandemic. We will plan an Open House for the late afternoon of September 7, 2021, and an opportunity for families to pick up some helpful resources to engage your child prior to the start of school. Please view the detailed Power point we created about Kindergarten. For access, go to our website (www.middletownschools.org), District Info, Kindergarten Registration, and click on the link for the Powerpoint Presentation. If you have any questions, please let me know.    

Registration Steps: (If your child attended Snow Pre-K last year, please skip to step 3)

1. Go to Middletown’s website and click on District Information, New or K Registration
2. Create PowerSchool Parent Portal Account (If you have an older child enrolled in Middletown Schools and already have a Parent Portal Account, you add your Kindergarten student to that account)
3. Log Into Parent Portal Account and Complete Forms
4. Upload necessary documents (If you are having trouble doing this, please read below)

Please note: 

• Step 1 is the initial step. Once you submit this, it will need to be approved by the school secretary. Once she approves it, you will be notified by email and directions will be sent with a code to set up your PowerSchool Parent Portal account.  Please only do this one time.
• Registration Documents: If you have difficulty uploading some of the required documents, please plan to visit Lawrence School to drop off any of the necessary paperwork. Documents can be dropped off or we can make copies for you of any required documentation.
• All incoming Kindergarten parents are required to complete online registration forms.

Please reach out to the school secretary, Mrs. Mosca, if you need help with any of the following:

• You have not received an email saying your registration request was approved
• You are having trouble setting up your account 
• You cannot remember your login and password
• You need help adding your Kindergarten student to your Parent Portal Account
• English is not your first language and you think you may need support in completing the registration
• Any other questions regarding registration 

Mrs. Mosca:     moscak@mpsct.org                            Lawrence School: 860-632-2158   Ext: 0

Teacher Assignments for the 2021-2022 school year will be sent to all families near the end of August. Please make sure your email addresses are updated on the Parent Portal so you receive the assignment.                            

First Day of School: Thursday, September 9, 2021

Open House: Tuesday, September 7, 2021 (late afternoon – more specific times will be shared later)

Bus Information will be available on our website (www.middletownschools.org) at the end of August. Even students who will not be taking the bus will receive a route and bus stop. All you need to do is visit the website under Transportation and look for prompts that lead to bus routes. Once you type in your street address, a bus stop with approximate times will be available. If you have a question, please contact the Transportation Dept. at 860-638-1418. 

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 provide almost all of the supplies the children will need during the school day, 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)

              Grades 1- 5:       backpack, lunch box (if needed), labeled bag with extra set of clothes

International Baccalaureate Update: In April 2021, our IB consultant virtually met with our staff and conducted a site visit. She shared many wonderful compliments on the progress we are making as a school as we look forward to becoming authorized as an IB School in the Fall or Winter 2021.

Thank you to the School Governance Council for approving the Assessment and Language Policies. We are just about ready to finalize our Academic Honesty and Inclusion policies. The creation of these four policies was a true collaborative effort among teachers, families, and community members, so thank you to everyone for their involvement.

This school year has focused a lot on authentically engaging students with activities that promote inquiry and their choice and voice. Our school librarian, Mrs. Darby, collaborated with students on how to reorganize the library and how to furnish the library with seating and resources that best meet their needs. Please be on the lookout in the fall for an updated library and the opportunity for more access to the library as students’ needs adjust


 NEWS FROM DISTRICT HEALTH OFFICE

1). All medications and medical devices must be picked up by a parent or guardian no later than the close of the school day on June 10, 2021. Items left behind will be disposed of per State of CT Medication Administration regulations.

2). Updated physical exams and immunization records are due prior to entry in Kindergarten. Completed and updated physical exams and immunization records dated after June 1, 2020 will be accepted for the 2021-22 school year. Please be sure to complete and sign the first page (blue form) and submit to the school nurse at your earliest convenience to avoid delays in the start of the new school year this coming Fall.

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

Social-Emotional Strategies:

A focus at Lawrence School is in helping students to be able to recognize their feelings and to help them learn strategies to self-regulate and respond appropriately to triggers. Communicating their feelings in a constructive way is emphasized, and the Meta-Moment is shared with students.

We discuss that all of us – every student in the school, every teacher, every parent – we all have triggers, something that may get us angry or upset. Learning to recognize our triggers and the triggers of others helps us with our emotional responses. Taking the time to stop and think about the best way to respond to a peer or adult when one is triggered is emphasized.

Sample Strategies:     Take 3 deep breaths, Get a drink of water, Count to 10, Go to the Calming Corner [take a break], Draw, Write, Read a Book, Think of a Place/Person/Pet that makes you happy, Talk to someone you trust, Squeeze or hold a comfort object, Positive self-talk

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.

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.