The Lawrence Elementary School

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The Lawrence School Primary Years Programme

                          Principal’s Newsletter for October 2021

I continue to be incredibly proud of our students for how well they are following our social distancing procedures. They are all consistently wearing their masks and have adjusted to being back in school five days a week. I am also proud of all of our teachers and staff for their commitment to our students and in helping them transition to school. Everyone is working hard to support our students’ social emotional learning needs and academic growth.   

IB Focus: For the month of September, we focused on the word CARING and discussed ways that we can all show caring for others, ourselves, our school, and our work/goals. The students worked with their teachers to brainstorm ways that they can take action and demonstrate caring. Here are some of the ideas that would be fun to accomplish as a family, too.
         Write letters, draw pictures, or write thank you notes to people we care about or are thankful for

        Paint or color happy pictures or phrases on rocks and leave them in the neighborhood or at school     

         Pick up litter

         Write letters to seniors in nursing homes

         Help the environment and animals by not using plastic straws

         Contribute to upcoming clothes and food drives organized by school or the community  

IB LEARNER PROFILE ATTRIBUTE FOR OCTOBER IS COMMUNICATORS

Students who are COMMUNICATORS are able to think and communicate in more than one language and in more than one way. They can express their feelings and ideas by speaking, drawing and writing. They can also communicate using mathematical language and symbols.  

How can you as parents develop students who are communicators at home?

• Encourage your child to stay in touch with relatives and friends who live outside of Middletown by writing letters, using the phone or sending email.
• When working on mathematics homework, encourage your child to explain his/her answer to you orally or by drawing a picture.
• Ask your child questions after they read or listen to a story. Encourage them to discuss their opinions with you about the characters, book, or author.
• Work with your child to improve his/her listening skills. Being a good listener is an important part of communicating with others.
• Encourage creative expression through art, music, drama, or physical movement. Oftentimes, we communicate without saying a word; we allow our creativity and bodies to communicate our thoughts and talents.
• Communicating our feelings is a huge priority at Lawrence School. We use the Mood Meter, RULER, and Meta-Moment tools to help teach children how to communicate effectively.

CARING and COMMUNICATOR are two learner profile attributes that connect well to one another. Learning how to communicate in a caring way is a great goal for October and beyond!   

Picture Day: Flyers recently went home to announce Picture Day. Picture Day will be Tuesday, October 19. All children will get their pictures taken. Families can either purchase packages and backgrounds ahead of time or you can wait to see the sample picture and then order. Retakes will be done on Monday, November 29, 2021.     

       Daily Attendance is important. Our goal is ON TIME, EVERY DAY, ALL DAY!

Please do not forget to call the school when you are keeping your child home or you know your child will be late to school for an appointment. The best number to call is 860-632-2158.

In addition to calling your child absent, a hand-written note (not just an email) from the parent to excuse the absence is also required. The note can be given to your child to bring to school when he/she returns and can be given to the classroom teacher. Thank you for your support in writing these absence notes.

Safety Drills: Every year our school practices safety procedures and protocols in case of emergencies. We have already begun to practice our fire drill procedures. 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, including an evacuation drill walk to Keigwin on Friday, October 22, in the morning.

Communication: Developing a solid partnership with your child’s teacher will help your child tremendously. There are many ways of communicating with our school. Here are a few ideas:

• Contacting the classroom teachers through e-mail with any questions. All e-mail accounts use the teacher’s last name and first initial. Ex: Jim Gaudreau is gaudreauj@mpsct.org.
• Each teacher uses a regular communication system (Class Dojo, group emails, etc.). Sign up to receive reminders and updates from the teachers.
• Visit the Middletown Public Schools webpage for detailed descriptions of the curriculum and for all of our policies.
• Read all communication between the teacher and home. A detailed description of each transdisciplinary curriculum unit is sent home to all families at the start of each unit. This summary describes the central ideas, key vocabulary, and key concepts that will be introduced in the curriculum units.
• Tuesday folders: children in kindergarten – grade 5 receive folders every week. Inside are important notices from the school about upcoming events, the PTA, and family fun activities. If you have an important message to give to the school, you can put the note/message in the folder. Folders are returned to the teacher.
• Attending PTA Meetings and School Governance Council Meetings virtually

Notes from the PTA/PTO: 

Here is a list of our meetings for the rest of the year, being held virtually via Zoom:

November 4, January 13, February 3, March 3, May 5, & June 2. All meetings start at 6:30 pm and you will receive a zoom invitation just before the meeting so you can join. Thank you to the over 20 families who participated in our first PTA/PTO meeting.

There’s still time to raise money for the Walk-a-Thon!  The window closes on Friday, October 15 for any last donations.  Incentives are still being earned, and the classroom who raises the most will be getting a popsicle party! Students who have raised over $250 will be receiving a lunch party with Mr. Gaudreau! Thank you to those who have already supported us!

Trunk or Treat with Lawrence School: Our next event is the Trunk or Treat on Friday, October 29, from 6:30-7:30 pm.  If you’d like to decorate a trunk or help set up or break down, please contact Parent Sarah Turner for more information: sarahfturner1@gmail.com or (860) 301-8940.  Come in your costumes and grab some treats from the trunks and vote on your favorite storybook pumpkin created by all the classrooms of Lawrence School! This event will be entirely outside, so come join the fun!

RECYCLE YOUR TEXTILES: Lawrence School has a textile recycling bin in the back of our parking lot. We get a $100.00 for every ton of textiles we collect, so please bring your bagged items whenever you are cleaning out the closets.  Items for recycling include clothing, shoes, accessories (hats, scarves, etc.), and linens. These items can be in any condition.  All items must be bagged before putting them in the bin. Thank you.

                                    Curriculum and Specials Updates

Kindergarten – Unit on Who We Are

In this unit, students will inquire into the roles and responsibilities of members of a community from an individual, local and global perspective.  They will engage in read alouds of nonfiction texts about the topic and participate in virtual or in-person interviews with school community members.  They will develop thinking and questioning skills as they develop their own questions for a mystery guest. In Music, they will inquire into what role musicians play in our community and maybe even meet a local musician.  We’ll explore where musicians make their music, why they make their music, and for whom they make their music. 

Grade 1- Unit on Who We Are

In this unit, students will identify their own and characters’ feelings and chart them on the Mood Meter.   They will participate in interactive Read Alouds in which they will gain an understanding of story elements such as characters, setting, key details and problem/solution.  They will inquire about the qualities that make a good friend and how the gestures of friendship make an impact on those around us.  

Grade 2- Unit on Who We Are

In this unit, students will inquire into the concept of universal beliefs and values as they share Realistic Fiction and Traditional Literature read alouds.  They will discover their own personal beliefs and values, as they make connections to classroom, family, culture and universal values.   In Art, students will explore mood and message in an art piece as they compare two pieces with a similar subject.  They will apply their learning to illustrating the setting of their summative stories.  

Grade 3- Unit on How We Express Ourselves

In this unit, students will inquire into the range of human emotions and how they are expressed in literature, music, art and in their own lives.  They will learn how to identify emotions using physical and behavioral cues.  As they read texts, students will learn about the techniques authors use to show character growth over time and will be able to describe key events leading to that change.   In Music, they will inquire into how a piece of music makes them feel and the techniques the composer uses to convey a feeling.  In art, students will explore artwork that tell a story.  After determining different ways artists tell stories through their art, students will illustrate a personal story. Students will explore and create emotional regulation tools using our Meta Moment strategies and apply them to situations of working in collaborative groups with peers. 

Grade 4- Unit on Sharing the Planet

In this unit, students will inquire into how resources shape our lives.  They will explore ideas about equal opportunities and access to resources needed for survival through a variety of realistic fiction shared texts.  As they explore and discuss each story, they will inquire into the resources found in each setting and how they impact the characters’ lives.  They will develop map skills while learning about the various settings in different points in history.  

Grade 5- Unit on Who We Are

In this unit, students will be inquiring into the human experience of developing perseverance through adversity. They will share read alouds in the classroom and in Library class involving a variety of realistic and historical fiction texts, and students will explain how key events caused the character to develop perseverance.  Throughout the unit, they will be connecting to their own experiences while living through challenging times and considering the perspectives of others. 

Art

Kindergarten artists are learning about lines, are making lines with different tools, shapes and primary colors. 

In first grade, students are learning about portraiture. 

Second graders are demonstrating their understanding of our learner profile attribute of caring by creating Keith Haring inspired artwork. 

Learning how art helps us to express ourselves is the theme of and inspiration for third grade students to tell a story through their art. 

Fourth grade artists are practicing ways to create designs through line variety and unity.

One-point perspective drawing is the focus for grade 5 students this month. 

Music

Hi Lawrence Families! 

In October, Kindergarten students are learning about the different roles musicians play in our community, while 3rd Grade students are exploring how music makes them feel, and how they can convey emotion through music. All students will continue to develop their musical knowledge and skills by listening to and learning songs from Central and South America in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month. Our Lawrence musicians will also begin preparing for their 2021 Winter Concert. We hope you'll be able to join us over Zoom.

Keep making music!

Mrs. Read

Grade 4 and Grade 5 Band

The Lawrence School Band is off to a great start!  There are currently over 40 students between the Fourth and Fifth grades learning a new instrument or continuing from last year.  We are looking forward to having the opportunity to perform together as a group this year, starting with a live streamed concert in December!  Band students will meet for small group lessons once each week, during the school day, for 30 minutes.  Any Fourth or Fifth grade families with questions about Band can contact me at OttoL1@mpsct.org, and/or join our Band Google Classroom with code: 5czgfy2.  Looking forward to performing for you later this year!!

Library Media

Happy October! It has been wonderful to see everyone back in the library this year.

This month, students in grades K-5 are setting goals to do their best learning in the library. Different grades are using different technology platforms to share their learning, and the complexity of the process increases according to their grade. Students have been very reflective in this process so far.

I am also excited to share that we will have two virtual author visits this month! Students in grades K-2 will meet Brendan Wenzel, author of the Caldecott Honor Book They All Saw a Cat. Students in grades 3-5 will meet Katherine Applegate, author of many books including The One and Only Ivan. Families will have an opportunity to order books by these authors through Wesleyan RJ Julia Bookstore, which is sponsoring this FREE event. I will send more information through Class Dojo soon.

Sincerely,

Kerry Darby

Library Media Specialist

Physical Education

Students in Kindergarten will be finishing up their summative performance of Baby Shark using the cardio drums! Following this IB unit, the students will move right into moving their bodies using various locomotor movements and practicing safe personal space boundaries.

Students in grades 1-2 will be finishing up team building activities and transitioning to throwing and catching skills.

Grades 3-5 will be tested in the PACER test, as the students have been working hard to improve their cardiovascular system. Following this, the students in grades 3-5 will also be working toward improving their throwing and catching skills. Exploring various games that utilize these skills will be prioritized, as we learn strategies that can translate across sports. I look forward to seeing the school community improve their physical literacy.

Spanish

We are currently looking for a new full-time Spanish teacher, as Senora Calvo-Piedra left Lawrence School three weeks ago. Children are still building their vocabulary and learning greetings, the calendar, and will be learning about Hispanic cultures around the world.

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.