LWE Newsletter

October 2005: to print a copy of the Newsletter as a PDF file, Click Here

September 2005: to print a copy of the Newsletter as a PDF file, Click Herecl(ic

k he9re

Back

PFT News

Pumpkin Carving
On Wednesday, October 26, parents and students can carve pumpkins together in the LWE gym from 6:30-8:00 pm.

Bring your own pumpkin and carving knife and join the fun!

We will also be collecting Box Tops for Education, Campbell Soup Labels, Tyson and Foster Chicken Labels. All of these products help benefit school programs.

Office Depot—5% Back to Schools
LWI can receive 5% back in FREE SUPPLIES every time teachers, staff members, students and families shop at Office Depot. Just give LWI’s school code #70106765 when making your purchase. We greatly appreciate your support.

Back

School Conferences
Support Your Child
October 25-29 is conference week. Parents will be receiving an invitation to come to school and visit with your child’s teacher. This is a great way to find out more about what your child will be learning. You can share things about your child with the teacher. You can also learn things that will help your child have a successful school year.
The following are examples of questions parents might ask during conferences.
How can I work with you?
What can we do at home?
What will my child be expected to learn this year?
What is your policy on homework?
How will you measure my child’s progress?
When and for what reasons should I contact the school?
What’s the best way to get in touch with you?

Wednesday folders

Each Wednesday students will bring home important notices and information in a Character Education Folder.

Please review the items and return the folder to your child’s backpack or bag.

This newsletter will be sent home the 1st Wednesday of each month. Please share your thoughts on the newsletter by calling the school office or sending email to richardr@edmonds.wednet.edu

Back

Student Safety Information

Providing for your student’s safety when school is in session is a major responsibility of the school staff. All schools have a disaster plan for student safety. The principal and school staff is prepared to make prompt and responsible decisions in any situation that could threaten the safety of students.
The need to close a school and evacuate the students before the regularly scheduled closing time could arise from a relatively minor emergency such as a prolonged interruption of power or from a major event such as fire, disastrous earthquake, or severe storm. At times, communication and/or transportation may be disrupted.
IN THE EVENT OF A MAJOR DISASTER
Information will be broadcast to parents over local television and radio stations (see communication on page 8) Information will also be published in local newspapers, posted at the school site, and posted on the district web page at: www.edmonds.wednet.edu
No student will be dismissed from school unless a parent (or individual designated by a parent) comes for him/her.
No child will be allowed to leave with another person, even a relative or baby sitter unless we have written permission to that effect or that particular person is listed on the student’s Emergency Release Authorization Form (P-139) in our files and is able to identify him/herself.
All parents or designated persons who come for students must sign students out at the school office or at the temporary student release station. Signs will be posted if this alternate location is required.

We are prepared to care for your child in emergency situations. If you are not able to reach the school, we will care for your child until you or a designated person arrives. We have a number of staff members with first-aid certificates and we will be in communication with local emergency services. We do ask your help in the following ways:
Please do not call the school. We must have the lines open for emergency calls.
Do turn to radio and television stations or the district web page for information.
Following an earthquake or other emergency, do not immediately drive to the school. The school access route and street entrance areas must remain clear for emergency vehicles and/or may be cluttered with debris.
School personnel will be involved with emergency response following an emergency or disaster. An orderly plan for student release will be organized. PLEASE ALLOW ONE HOUR FOLLOWING AN EMERGENCY BEFORE COMING TO SCHOOL TO PICK UP YOUR CHILD.

IN THE EVENT OF A LOCK-DOWN
If our school is ever locked-down for any reason, all doors will be locked and staff and students will remain indoors. Please do not come to the school or call the school until after the lock-down is lifted.

It is important that we be prepared personally and in relationship to others in our school community as well as the broader community. During the year your student will be trained in the necessary emergency procedures. Students will learn how to react, where to assemble, and what to expect in an emergency situation. Education, knowledge, and preparation are our best allies.

If you have any questions regarding your school’s disaster plan for student safety, please feel free to call our school office at (425)670-7615. The above information is available in the Family Handbook (red cover) issued the first week of school.

STUDENT ALCOHOL
AND DRUG USE POLICY

The Edmonds School District recognizes that the use/abuse and possession of alcohol, controlled, illegal, addictive, or harmful substance(s), including anabolic steroids, is a societal problem and may represent an impairment to the normal development, well-being, and academic performance of students. To ensure the safety, health, and well-being of all students, the district is committed to the development of a program which emphasizes prevention, intervention, aftercare support, and necessary corrective actions.

The district also recognized the effects to the school, home, and community resulting from drug and alcohol use/abuse. While the primary obligation to seek assistance rests with the student and his/her parent(s)/guardian(s), school staff shall work with the home and community to develop and implement a comprehensive prevention and intervention program.

Safe Schools Tipline

The Edmonds School District provides students, parents, and community members a way to report safety concerns. The Tipline is on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and is checked twice during each school day. “Tips” are referred to school or law enforcement authorities. The number is:

425-670-7010

Back

Food Drive Nov 14th-18th

LWE will be collecting canned food and donations for our local food bank the week of November 14-18. Students may bring in non-perishable items and donations during this week. Monetary donations can be made by sending checks made out to Lynnwood Food Bank. Please help support our efforts. Thank you.

.

Back

Non School Day News

Once each month, a day has been set aside where students do not attend school but the staff meets for professional development opportunities, to have time to plan with colleagues, to breathe deeply, and do all of the things that turn a school into a cohesive learning community.

September 23 was our first non-student day. The teaching staff met in the morning to review medical procedures with our school’s nurse, Nancy Varg. Although we only get Nancy on Tuesdays this year, she is indispensable in monitoring our school’s health issues. Items covered in the training included how to use an epi-pen, medical alerts, medicine dispensing, and preparations for field trips. While this topic may not be directly related to student learning, obviously student safety is a vital area.

We also reviewed an earlier proposal from our Character Education Committee related to our PAWS initiative (see Principal’s Place article, p.1). This initiative will help us link students 1st grade – 6th grade into multi-age groups focused on building relationships up and down the grades. Please attend the Parent Faculty Team meeting on October 13, 7:00 pm in the library to receive even more information from our Character Education Committee on this and other character education projects.

Lastly, we discussed the upcoming parent conferences and how we would like to be proactive in accommodating parents with more than one student conference to attend as well as making sure that needs for language interpreters were being addressed.

The afternoon was used for individual planning time or collegial meetings. This block of time was very useful. The building’s Technology Committee held their first meeting of the year to discuss the current state of technology distribution. At the end of last year, the staff agreed to re-distribute computers so that all of our new teachers would have access to a teaching station as well as computers for student use. We also were host to the district’s PE teachers who received training on their technology teacher stations. Additionally, our 1st and 2nd grade teachers re-organized a book closet to hold their common curriculum materials.

Back

Back

FOCUS OF FITNESS

Susan Sellers, Physical Education
No time to Exercise? We all know that a minimum of 20 minutes of exercise performed a least 3 times each week promotes personal wellness. The latest research even tells us that the minutes need no be continuous! We can benefit from even the shortest amount of exercise, as long as those minutes add up to the minimum of 20 minutes by the end of the day! To fit exercise into your busy school or work day, try this easy exercise program:

TV FITNESS
While watching your favorite television program, perform the following exercises during the commercial breaks. Performing one exercise for the length of one commercial will be about 30 seconds or 20-30 repetitions if done continuously at the correct pace. As with any exercise program, start with a few repetitions (7-10) at a time, and do the exercise movement slowly – about 1 second for each repetition. Increase repetitions only as you are comfortable – NEVER CONTINUE AN EXERCISE THAT IS OR BECOMES PAINFUL!
CURL-UPS - keep your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. To avoid neck fatigue, keep the chin tucked. Arms should be crossed on the chest or held straight out in front or along your sides. Placing hands behind the head can cause neck strain.
Push-ups – begin with just holding the “up” position” until you can do this for the length of one commercial, then slowly add the repetitions. Keep the head in a neutral position – avoid looking up. Head should stay in front of the hands. If you must put your knees on the floor – make sure they are behind your hips.
Lunges – Keep both feet facing forward. As you step forward, make sure the bending knee is over the toes. Use a table, chair or wall for balance if necessary.
Jumping Jacks, running in place, or jump rope actions will provide some aerobic fitness into your routine!

Back

Back

Koins For Katrina

This month LWE students raised a total of $1080.

This money will be donated to Mercy Corp to continue to provide relief for hurricane victims.

Thank you LWE students and families for your donations and participation in this school wide effort!

CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM:

THE CHARACTER EDUCATION PROGRAM
AT LYNNWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL…

*is a comprehensive program that involves home, school, and community.
*uses a common character language.
*implements classroom and school-wide character programs.
*is visible through posters, bulletin boards, and banners.
*has everyone focusing on Character Education and they make a deliberate effort to teach character directly and to integrate it into the existing curriculum.
*uses modeling as an important tool to develop character. (i.e. people caring about people)
*involves ALL students and gives them leadership positions in the school and provides them with opportunities to do good things.

The 2005-2006 school year will mark LWE’s 5th year of the Character Education Program. Each month our school focuses on a character trait and students participate in a variety of exercises emphasizing that trait. The character trait for October is RESPECT. Please go through the following check list with your child and ask them to evaluate themselves by selecting (4) always, (3) most of the time, (2) sometimes, (1) beginning.

1. I treat myself in a respectful manner.
2. I use a respectful tone of voice and refrain from back talk and sassiness.
3. I refrain from swearing or using obscene gestures.
4. I respect the privacy of others; I knock before entering a room.
5. I refrain from gossiping or talking about people unkindly.
6. I treat my possessions and the property of others respectfully.
7. I use respectful posture when listening to others ( no smirking, rolling eyes, shaking head, turning away).
8. I use my manners and courteous phrases such as “excuse me”, “Please”, and “Pardon me”, without reminders.
9. I listen to ideas openly and do so without interrupting.
10. I treat others with respect regardless of age.

the Action against Bullying

Every day in our schools and communitie, children are teased, threatened, or tormented by bullies. Bullying is a problem that creates a climate of fear, that affects the whole school, and in some cases, the entire community. When we fail to recognize and stop bullying behavior as it occurs, we actually promote violence. We are saying to the bully, “You have the right to hurt people,” and to the victim, “You are not worth protecting.” Safe schools are everyone’s responsibility and everyone can help keep our schools safe.

WHAT IS BULLYING?
Bullying involves repeated acts of physical, emotional, or social behavior that are intentional, controlling, and hurtful. Bullying is a learned behavior, evident as early as two years of age. Bullying can be either direct or indirect. Direct bullying usually is seen and felt readily. Indirect bullying (deliberate exclusion, name calling, etc.) is much more difficult to remedy, and should be clearly seen as different from direct bullying. Boys are more typically engaged in direct bullying and girls in indirect bullying, but that is not always the case. Just be alert and consider the following:
Bullying is defined by a power imbalance between the bully and the target.
A bully’s power can be derived from physical size, strength, verbal skill, popularity, or gender.
A bully’s target feels tormented, helpless, and defenseless.
Bullying can include hitting, name-calling, threatening, intimidating, kicking, spreading rumors, teasing, pushing, tripping, excluding someone from a group, or destroying someone’s things.

WHY STOP BULLYING?
Bullying interferes with learning in school and may lead to increased absenteeism and dropout rates.
Students feel less safe and less satisfied in school when there are high levels of bullying in the school.
Bullying children may become bullying adults and are more likely to become child and spouse abusers.
The longer bullying lasts, the harder it is to change. Bullies identified by age 8 are six times more likely to have a criminal conviction by age 24.
Bullying may be linked to other delinquent, criminal and gang activities, such as shoplifting, drug abuse, and vandalism.

IF YOU SUSPECT YOUR CHILD IS BEING BULLIED
DO:
Make sure your child knows being bullied is not his or her fault.
Let your child know that he or she s\does not have to face being bullied alone.
Discuss ways of responding to bullies.
Teach your child to be assertive.
Tell your child not to react, but to walk away and get help if pursued.
Tell your child to report bullying immediately to a trusted adult.
Contact the school/teacher

DON’T:
Ask children to solve a bullying problem between themselves-because of the differences in power, the child who has been bullied will suffer further. Bullying problems require adult intervention.
Advise the bullied child to fight the bully. Fighting is in violation of the school conduct code and the child might be seriously injured
Try to mediate a bullying situation. Bringing together children who are bullied and those who do the bullying, to “work out” the problems between them, generally is not a good idea. It may further victimize a child who is being bullied and it sends the wrong message to both parties.
Blame either the victim or the bully. Instead, gather as much information as possible. Look at your own child’s behavior and style of interaction and consider how you might help him/her to handle these types of situations in the future. Contact the school for assistance.

If You Think Your Child is a Bully
Be sure that your child knows that bullying is NOT acceptable behavior.
Tell your child the penalties for bullying and be sure that you enforce them fairly and consistently.
Help your child learn alternative ways to deal with anger and frustration.
Teach and reward more appropriate behavior.
Work out a way for your child to make amends for the bullying.
Help your child develop an understanding of the impact of their bullying on the target.
Seek help or counseling if the behavior continues.
If contacted by the school, STAY CALM-TRY NOT TO BECOME ANGRY AND DEFENSIVE! Make yourself really listen. Remember this is ultimately about the well-being of your child!

ANTI-BULLYING BOOKS:
Allen. Dancing in the Wings
Blume. Blubber
Cohen. Molly’s Pilgrim
Cosby. The Meanest Thing to Say
Crisp. My Dog, Cat
DeClements. Nothing’s Fair in Fifth Grade
Hahn. Stepping on the Cracks
Naylor. Reluctantly Alice
O’Neill. The Recess Queen
Skinner. Wrecker
Spinelli. Crash
Spinelli. Stargirl

Anti-Bullying Pledge

We do not bully others
We help students who are bullied
We include students who are left out
We tell an adult at school and an adult at home when somebody is being a bully.

If you prefer you can email this information to your child's teacher. Click here for teachers emailils