Eagles' News from the Lake
7 January 2024
A message from Dr. Kelly, Principal
Dear, Lakewood Elementary School Community-
I hope this message finds you well and rejuvenated after a restful holiday season. On behalf of the entire Lakewood Elementary School staff, I extend a warm welcome back to our scholars, parents, and guardians as we embark on a new year filled with exciting opportunities and possibilities.
First and foremost, I want to express my gratitude for the incredible support and cooperation we received from the Lakewood community in the past year. Your commitment to the success and well-being of our scholars is truly commendable, and it is this collaborative spirit that makes Lakewood Elementary School a special place for learning and growth.
As we step into 2024, we reflect on the lessons learned, achievements and milestones of the previous year. Our scholars have demonstrated exceptional dedication to their studies, and their accomplishments in academics, and the arts have been truly inspiring. I commend our talented and dedicated staff for their unwavering commitment to providing a nurturing and challenging learning environment for all.
In the coming months, we have exciting plans and initiatives that will further enhance the educational experience for our scholars. We are committed to fostering a positive and inclusive school culture that values diversity, equity, encourages creativity, and promotes academic excellence. Our teachers will continue to engage scholars in innovative and meaningful ways, ensuring that each child reaches their full potential.
I encourage parents and guardians to stay actively involved in their child's education. Your partnership is vital to the success of our scholars, and we value the open lines of communication that exist between home and school. If you ever have questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to our dedicated teaching, professional support and administrative staff.
As we face the challenges and opportunities that the new year brings, I am confident that together, we will continue to build a supportive and enriching educational community at Lakewood Elementary School. Let us embrace the spirit of collaboration, resilience, kindness, and optimism as we work towards the common goal of providing our scholars with the best possible educational experience.
Wishing you all a joyful and prosperous New Year!🎉
Yours in enthusiasm and partnership,
Dr. Kelly, Principal
#OneBandOneSound
Lakewood ES Calendar Check - January Events
-January 2024
- 10th- Grade 5 Virtual Parent Meeting with Frost Middle School
- 15th- MLK Day of Service
- 17th- School Improvement Information Session
- 19th- Pizza Bingo Night
Community: Lakewood SY24 Master Calendar (Table Form)
Community: Lakewood SY24 Master Calendar (Table Form) This is a live comprehensive calendar for the entire school year. We will continue to make updates as events are added. I hope this helps in knowing what is happening at Lakewood, as well as supporting schoolwide programs.
If you have not already done so, please check out our Lakewood Community Playbook. We want to provide easy access to the information you need. Please feel free to share any suggestions and feedback. We want to make this work for you! Click the photo below.
Action Items, Updates & Reminders
- 8:40 am - Scholars enter the building - they can eat breakfast, check out books, or join the line outside of their classroom.
- 8:55 am - Scholars enter classrooms, unpack and order lunch.
- 9:00 am - Instruction begins
Grade 5 Virtual Parent Meeting w/ Frost Middle School- 10 Jan. 2024
Here is the link with the meeting and agenda info. Staff are looking forward to seeing you. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eO1fGGb_UPx3zkmtj3O9cQEqpgZbFk5t6Q6L8z2CM1U/edit?usp=sharing
Day of Service
Next Monday, January 15th, marks Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 95th birthday! It is also the National Day of Service. Throughout the week at Lakewood ES, our scholars will be engaging in activities to learn more about the importance of service to the community, honoring Dr. King's legacy. Click HERE to learn more about the opportunities the Montgomery County Volunteer Center has organized to continue their tradition recognizing the impact of Dr. King's life through service.
Montgomery County Volunteer Center suggested family-friendly activities:
Assembling Bags of Hope and Cups of Cheer for community members in need
Assembling "Snow Day" boxes with Meals on Wheels for homebound seniors
Constructing craft kits for children in hospitals
School Improvement Information Session - January 17th
Please join us for an opportunity to learn about the School Improvement Plan process. Our school improvement plan guides our instruction to maximize student growth. We encourage all parents to become familiar with school improvement. If you would like to attend, please sign up HERE.
MCPS Inclement Weather Decisions
MCPS is working to create a plan for virtual learning in the event that there are inclement weather days. In the interim, I want to share important information for our school community. At this point, it appears that virtual learning would happen only if there were multiple days off in a row. If this scenario arises, we will inform families with enough prior notice that there would be virtual learning for the next day. The homeroom teacher would send out a zoom link for scholars to access. Our elementary start time would be 11 am, with 4 hours of learning available. Scholars would have an ELA period, a lunch period, and a Maths period. Please stay tuned for more information as needed if winter weather approaches.
Ever wonder how decisions are made behind the scenes for weather-related school closures? Click HERE to discover the thoughtful process that goes into making these important decisions for the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community.
Personal Mobile Devices
A personal mobile device (PMD) is any device not issued by MCPS to send or receive data via voice, video, or text. Mobile phones, e-readers, tablets, personal computers, or other devices equipped with microphones, speakers, and/or cameras are considered PMD. Click HERE to review the MCPS regulation.
PMDs are allowed before or after the student's day;
PMDs are prohibited for educational use, during lunch periods, and between classes.
MCPS will not be responsible for any loss, theft, or damage to a device or for unauthorized use of such PMD.
Amid the recent increase in COVID-19 cases, we kindly request your attention to the MCPS community message. In the event that your child tests positive for COVID-19, we urge you to follow the necessary protocols.
Please promptly inform your child's classroom or homeroom teacher via email, ensuring to copy Mrs. Winifred Robinson, our dedicated attendance secretary, and registrar, and our assistant principal, Mrs. Leah Levy. This will help us take immediate and appropriate steps to ensure the safety and well-being of all scholars and staff. Thank you for your understanding and continued support.
Newsletters
Check out what's going on this month in our classes!
Attendance Update
If a scholar arrives late, due to appointments, parents or caregivers must provide the reason as "Doctor/Dentist Appt." We will require either an email confirmation from the parent/caregiver or a doctor's note before marking it as an excused absence. The same procedure applies in cases of scholar absences. For each day a scholar is absent, we will need an email from the parent, clearly stating the reason for the absence, particularly if the child is sick. Your cooperation in following these procedures is greatly appreciated as it helps us maintain accurate attendance records and ensure the well-being of our students. Thank you for your understanding and continued support. Click HERE for the MCPS Attendance Action Plan.
Volunteering
*Please consider volunteering. Many classrooms still need room parents.
Interested in becoming a Lakewood Volunteer? We would LOVE to have you! You can volunteer helping the teacher in the classroom or we also need volunteers at lunch and recess. There are a few steps to complete before beginning your service as a volunteer in our school.
Volunteer Form
Complete the MCPS Parent/Guardian and Community Volunteer Form . The form serves as an introduction of yourself, your interests and availability in volunteering, and some important reminders about volunteers in schools. Turn in this form to the teacher or the main office.
Online Training
Complete the mandatory online Recognizing Child Abuse and Neglect Training. This training is required for any volunteer who regularly supports schools, chaperones a field trip, etc. and is available in multiple languages. When the course is completed, a report is created to serve as proof of satisfying the training requirement.
Contact the teacher or lunch/recess volunteer coordinator
After you have completed the volunteer form and the online training, contact your child's teacher if you would like to volunteer in the classroom or Mrs. Chanel Press for volunteering at lunch or recess at - Text: 785-979-3863 or Email: chanellee39@gmail.com .
Technology Help
Staff Roster
Looking to contact a staff member? We welcome two-way communication! Click the picture below for our staff roster.
At Lakewood Elementary, we recognize that open and honest communication is the cornerstone of a successful educational environment. We are committed to keeping you well-informed about your child’s education. I will strive to ensure that our communication channels are not only efficient, but also encompass a wide range of topics, including academic updates, school events, and important announcements. I encourage you to reach out to us with any questions or concerns you may have-your active participation in the educational journey of your child is welcomed by me and is invaluable. Please CLICK HERE for the 6 Tenets of Communication.
Spiritwear
CHECK OUT OUR SPIRIT WEAR ONLINE STORE!
Community Agreements
Code of Conduct, Behavior Flow Chart, and our Community Agreements
Please review our Community Agreements, the Code of Conduct, and Behavior Flow Chart with scholars.
MCPS & Lakewood use Restorative Justice practices. What is Restorative Justice?
Restorative Justice is a mindset and philosophy toward school climate and relationship building. Important components are:
- Proactively and intentionally developing relationships and building community.
- Restoring, repairing, or healing the school community when harm has occurred
The focus is on education, learning from mistakes, identifying and working on the root of the behavior, making deep-level change, repairing relationships, and restoring students and staff to the environment.
The Key Values of Restorative Justice include:
- Nurturing healthy relationships built on trust
- Fostering mutual respect between individuals
- Feeling a sense of responsibility for your community
- Repairing harm and transforming conflict
- Reintegrating back to your community if harm has been caused
Principles of Restorative Justice
We work together to foster the physical, social, psychological, and academic well-being of students, staff, and families through:
Community Building: Building caring communities and healthy relationships based on mutual trust, respect, and responsibility
Self Care: Learning to recognize and regulate our emotions, so we don’t cause harm to ourselves or others
Conflict Resolution: Recognizing when our words or actions have harmed others and taking steps to repair that harm
The state of Maryland passed House Bill 725 in 2019, which requires school systems to incorporate the use of restorative approaches. The majority of the work in Restorative Justice is preventative and proactive. Montgomery County Public Schools has worked diligently to incorporate restorative justice and restorative practices in all of our schools to better serve the needs of our students.
The MCPS Restorative Justice Unit will prepare and engage all stakeholders in restorative practices through meaningful trainings, school-level support, collegial collaboration, and supported community partnerships. CLICK HERE for the RJ website.
Zones of Regulation
Social Media
LES Social Media Pages
Twitter:
@PrincipalLES5
@LakewoodAP
Dr. Kelly, Principal
Yours in Partnership.
Website: https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/lakewoodes/
Location: 2534 Lindley Terrace, Rockville, MD 20850, USA
Phone: 240.740.5750
Twitter: @PrincipalLES5