LCES Panther Cub Communication #6

Week of September 11-15, 2023

Panther Cub Families!  

We had a super fun homecoming week this past week.  Thank you to Felicia Fedirico and Celesta Cairns for coming to LCES with the cheerleaders, band, and senior sports participants to lead our panther cubs in a super fun pep rally.  Students PK-2 learned cheers, danced to great pep music, and were introduced to all the band instruments and got to hear what they sounded like individually.  This connected to their recent lessons in music with Mrs. Bridge on all the different instrument families.  Students were so excited to make those connections in person! 

Homecoming Pep Rally Highlights: 

Kindergarten Cornerstone: 

Kindergarten had an awesome cornerstone day on Thursday at CMC.  Students came back tired, but full of great stories of their adventures.  Here are some photo highlights from their day:

PK Families, our PK Cornerstone will take place on Tuesday, September 12.  Please see the PK Specifics section below for more details.  Also, we would love to have you join as a volunteer with your student’s class that day.  Please reach out to the front office to sign up!  

DIBELS Assessments: 

This next week, students in grades K-2 will be assessed using DIBELS 8.  This is a one-on-one assessment given to each student that takes around 10 minutes to complete.  

Why DIBELS? 

DIBELS stands for Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills. DIBELS is a series of short, quick assessments that some schools use to determine if students may be struggling with reading and need additional help. Teachers use DIBELS to inform their reading instruction. In other words, DIBELS tells teachers if students are at risk in reading and the type of help they may need. 

We will use the data we have collected from our DIBELS assessment to help us work with students on specific reading skills that they need in order to continue on grade level, or to address skills that students need in order to get to grade level.  Every day, every student is part of small groups in their classrooms that are geared toward their reading needs.  This is a great time for us to ensure that all students are getting what they need in instruction on a daily basis.  Every Kid! Every Day! Is one of our mottos this year and is a key part of our action plan to help us reach our goal of having at least 80% or more of our students on or above grade level by the end of the school year. 

Principal Coffee Chat: 

I will be going over school wide data and sharing more about DIBELS at our next Principal Coffee Chat on Tuesday, September 26th from 9-10 AM or from 6-7 PM in the library.  Rolls provided in the morning, cookies in the evening.  We hope holding this at two times will allow each of you an opportunity to attend.  Translation provided.  

NED Show: 

On Thursday, September 14 at 9:30 in the LCES gym, we will be hosting the NED Show Assembly for students in PK-2. NED will take our students on a journey to find their positive mindset. NED means: Never give up, understand the power of yet. Encourage others, speak courage in other people. Do your best, always be learning and growing. NED uses a yo-yo to teach the lesson that mistakes are okay and it’s important to try and try again. From September 18-28 students will be able to buy from the NED store. Students will bring home the order form next week after the show or you can print using the link below. The purchase of yo-yos is how our school is able to pay-it-forward for the next school to have this same great assembly. Only K-2 students are able to purchase from the NED store due to Head Start policies. Please email blovely@lakecountyschools.net with any questions. Parents are more than welcome to attend the assembly at 9:30 on Thursday, September 14th. 

Parent/Community Volunteer Shout Out! 

I want to take a moment to thank our numerous volunteers throughout the first few weeks of school.  We have had a total of 23 parent and community volunteers in the building supporting teachers and students so far this year!   

If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please grab an application in the front office or reach out to me anytime.  

Thank you all again for the privilege of getting to work with you and your students every day.  Please reach out at any time if you have questions or concerns.

Thanks, 

Katie Pongrekun

Principal, LCES

Staff of the Week Highlight!

Each week this year in family communication, we will be highlighting a staff member in the building.  If you want, please feel free to send emails, handwritten notes, or letters of encouragement to that staff member.  

Mrs. Bridge- Music Teacher

Mrs. Bridge grew up in Springfield, Ohio. She worked two years as a sub and paraprofessional in the district. She then taught Kindergarten for 4 years and is now our talented music teacher! Mrs. Bridge is inspired daily by the genuineness and excitement of her students. Her dream vacation would be to raft down the Grand Canyon and she has a hidden talent of being able to talk with her mouth closed. Thanks for all you do, Mrs. Bridge!

Send Mrs. Bridge an encouraging note at sbridge@lakecountyschools.net 

K-2 Specifics

Attendance: Every week that students have perfect attendance they are awarded 5 HOWLs dollars for responsibility. As part of our LCES Work Plan, we have a school attendance goal of 94% for the year. When students are here they are able to learn, when students learn they are set up for lifelong success. This week our attendance percentage by grade was as follows: 

• Kindergarten: 92%
• 1st Grade: 94%
• 2nd Grade: 95%

Thank you for bringing your children to us each and everyday.  
Thank you all for adjusting to our new breakfast and start times!  We have noticed that more students are eating breakfast now and ready to learn.  We have started to be able to get most students to their classes on time.  As a reminder, breakfast is served daily at no cost to students from 7:30-8:00.  We ask that you please have your child to school no later than 7:45 if they want to eat breakfast.  Our first class of the day starts at 8:00. 

Preschool Specifics

Curriculum:

• This week we will be wrapping up and reviewing our children’s learning for All About Me Domain including the nursery rhymes:
  • Head and Shoulders, Knees and Toes
  • Open, Shut Them
  • Do Your Ears Hang Low?
  • Where is Thumbkin?
  • Pat-a-Cake

• We are in week 5 of the second step, children will be learning how to follow directions. Here is the link to this week’s lesson.

Newsletter and In-Kind

• Thank you families for turning in your August in-kind form. If you haven’t done so you can still turn them in by sending the paper copy to your child’s teacher or scan the QR code: 
• Here is the link to our September newsletter and In-kind form. English and Spanish

PreK Cornerstone Field Work

• New location – Baseball Field behind LCES Cafeteria 
• With partnership with GOL, our preschoolers will have a chance to participate in this field work. This is scheduled on September 12th at Ice Palace Park. Feel free to join us and volunteer. 

Here is the schedule: 

 9:40-10:25 (Rm. 135 & 133)

 10:25 – 11:10 (Rm. 137 & 130)

 11:10 – 11:55 (Rm. 139 & 131)

• Please send comfortable shoes, water bottles, jackets, hats, and sunglasses (optional)
• Parent volunteers are welcome!!! Please coordinate with your child’s teachers. 

Head Start Families

• Policy council ballots will be in your child’s folder next week. Please take a moment to vote for policy council members. Thank you!

Reminders:

• Remember to have your student to school at 9am. Breakfast is served from 9:00-9:20.

• Be sure to put your student’s yellow folder in their backpack to return on Monday so that we can fill them back up with important information.   Thanks for helping with this.

• If you still have orientation paperwork such as Parent Agreement, Health forms, Goal Settings,  Child and Adult Food Care Program form during orientation, please place them in your child’s yellow folder under the Return to School section or drop it off at the front office. 

If you need to add any additional people to your pick up list, please reach out to Marissa at 719-486-6890.

Important Dates PK-2

September 11-13	DIBELS 8 Reading Assessment for K-2 Students
September 12	PK Cornerstone Day @ Ice Palace Park
September 14	9:30-10:15 NED Show Assembly in the Gym for PK-2nd grade students (information below- parents are welcome to attend. Sale will only be for K-2 families.)
September 14	5:30-7:00 PK Family Fun Night- Health
September 18-28	NED Yo-Yo Sale
September 19	Picture Retakes
September 21	K-2 Dollar Day (flier below)
September 26	Principal Coffee Chat 9-10 AM or 6-7 PM (Translation provided both times)
September 28	K-2 Community Meeting- Collaboration led by 2nd Grade
September 28	Panther Day- Fall Leaves

LCES MENUS:

Project Dream Information

If you ever have any questions or concerns about Project Dream, please reach out to Raquel Contreras, our LCES Site Supervisor (719-293-5363 or rcontreras@lakecountyschools.net).

On Friday, September 22nd, Project Dream will be spending the day at the Fish Hatchery! Please make sure your student wears good walking shoes and brings a jacket and water bottle. If you need to pick up your student before 2:30pm on this day, reach out to Raquel Contreras to make arrangements.

Transportation Update: 

We have secured a large bus for some of our major after school stops.  The new Monday-Thursday bus schedule was sent out on September 4th. You can find all current transportation routes and more information here: https://www.lakecountyschools.net/project-dream-final-information/  

Fliers

NED Show Flier

NED Show Order Form (only for K-2 students & families)

September Dollar Day (only for K-2 students and families)