November 2017

With the communication tools of Facebook, the monthly all-calls, and even the school’s website, I’ve found myself thinking there wasn’t a need for my weekly updates on this blog. And then I was thinking how many people really read this blog and is it really worth my time. Yet as I consider all of the great things that are happening at Lake Elementary on a consistent basis, it's my duty to let our community know what's going on, regardless of how many "reads" it may get. So here it goes...I'm back on the blogging train.

Last school year, 2015-16, the Lake Elementary School Board took on the tumultuous task of reviewing board policy. The purpose of the review was more than just to update policy; the board also outlined a goal to provide the policy online for parents and the Lake community. (Policies should be online soon!) Through this review, we learned that, although outlined in policy, we do not have some components in place. Two that quickly rose to the top were: Service Learning Plan and Transportation Safety Plan. School Site Council is currently reviewing sample Transportation Safety Plans and will be submitting a draft policy to the board later this year.

In regards to the Service Learning Plan, once we discovered we didn't have one, we hit the ground running. Fortunately, one of our own staff, Mrs. Taylor, was working on her master's over the summer; as part of a master's project, she had been working to develop a Service Learning Plan. Simultaneously, staff members attended various professional development in which service learning was identified as a key component at school sites and in classrooms.

In a very short time we have participated in various service learning activities this year. We realized that some of the things we already do at Lake are service oriented; most notably is our Grandparents Day event. In conjunction with Grandparents Day and Patriot Day this year, every student participated in "Letters to Troops" by writing a letter to a veteran, an active member of the military, or a wounded warrior.

At the end of September, Student Council led the "Bring the Change" fundraiser in which all funds raised were donated to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This progressive coin drive focused on a different spirit-wear item and coin: Pajama Penny Monday, Neon Nickel Tuesday, Dazzling Dime Wednesday, Crazy Quarter Thursday, and Team Up for All Coins an Dollars Friday. Did you know that our small, rural school of 179 students raised over $1,000 in one week! What a great show of support for a great cause!

This week, our third graders will be taking a trip to West Haven to read to and make crafts with senior citizens. Our goal is to expand our relationship with West Haven and other community agencies through all grade levels.

As you can see, we're off to a great start, and our Service Learning Plan is still in its developmental stages! If you see a need in the community, county, region, state, or beyond, please let me know. While we are pleased to continue the strong traditions that make Lake great, we are excited and eager to engage in new service learning opportunities with our students.

Yours in Learning,

Mrs. Baker

Week of February 1

It's a good thing my New Year's Resolution wasn't to stay up on this blog, because that certainly didn't happen! Here it is, the day before February 1 and I'm writing my first post for 2016.

We will be celebrating the 100th day of school this week, always an exciting time at elementary schools. This day is celebrated a variety of ways across the country, most of which involve math. An exciting activity if you're finding yourself with some time to kill - hop on over to Pinterest and search for 100th day. There is a plethora of ideas for school and home.

In celebrating the 100th day, I have to admit it's a bittersweet time for me as it means we are over halfway done with this school year (55% to be exact). For parents of kindergartners, it's often a cause of excitement as they accurately recall the first day of school and all the jitters and now, after 100 days, dropping off their young one is a walk in the park. And for parents of our eighth graders, it means 100 days closer to 8th grade promotion, a day in which youngsters arrive on the threshold of adulthood, soon to be high school freshmen with new schedules, new teachers, new friends, new experiences, and a new school. An exciting, yet scary time, for both students and parents. Outspoken 8th graders may tell you they "can't wait to go to high school", and having been there, I couldn't wait either. However, I was also a bit nervous about the unknown and knew deep down I would miss the comfort of my junior high school and a staff I knew well.

So as our 8th grade class may be struggling with the emotions of "out with the old and in with the new", I know that many of them, if not all, will fondly remember their days at Lake. And while this sounds like an end-of-school post, it is what comes to my mind as we celebrate the 100th day. We came to this day so quickly that I know the end of the school year is right around the corner. The emotions that comes with "the end" are strong, and for me, they begin this week, the week of celebrating "100 days smarter".

May you celebrate the 100 days and reflect upon the growth of your child, both academically and behaviorally, and continue to give him/her the positive support every child deserves for the next 80 days we have together.

Happy February!