

LP Brown Community Newsletter
January 2024
No School and Early Release Days in January
Early Release January 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th, 31st. Dismissal at 1:25 PM
No School January 15th- MLK Day Recognized
Message From Mr. Shaughnessy
I am really excited to get back to school! 2024 is going to be a fabulous year of growth for our students!
Just a quick note to say how thankful I am for this community of supporters and LP Brown advocates. When we were faced with tough times this fall, facing school closure, this community stood up strong. Not only did we stand up strong for LP Brown, but we stood up strong for ALL schools! The Olympia School District is unique in the State of Washington. We are defined by our small, community schools. I am so happy to work in this fabulous community!
New Classroom
I am pleased to announce the addition of a new classroom at LP Brown. While enrollment is down in other places around the district, LP Brown is growing! Since September, we have enrolled over 30 new students in our school!
Cassie Jenson was hired over Winter Break to run a 2nd and 3rd grade multi-age classroom. Ms. Jenson has worked in a variety of capacities in our district and surrounding districts for the past couple of years. We are thrilled to welcome her to LP Brown for the remainder of the 23-24 school year.
This new classroom will help bring class size down in all of our 2nd and 3rd grade classrooms. Beginning now, the largest classroom at LP Brown will be a classroom with 22 students! Most of our classrooms will have 18-20 students. This provides us with a fabulous student to teacher ratio that will help us provide great learning opportunities for our kids!
Lost and Found
Our lost and found is overflowing. If you are missing coats and/or sweatshirts, please come by the school to check out the lost and found rack. All items left on the rack will be donated to the Little Red Schoolhouse on Monday, January 8th.
Outdoor Learning
This Fall, I wrote a grant to OSPI and was awarded $40,000 for work towards outdoor learning. Some of the money will be used to rebuild the observation platform over the seasonal wetland and some of the money will be used to contract with the Pacific Education Institute (PEI).
The PEI will be working with classroom teachers to build comprehensive units of study around outdoor learning. At the end of the day, I want every grade level to have at least one comprehensive unit of study related to outdoor learning and use their learning to do something to improve our outdoor learning space on our campus.
This Winter, I will also be coordinating with the Sierra Club and their partners to bring organizations to our campus to help remove invasive species and build trails through the woods. We also have plans to rebuild the garden space so that it can be enjoyed by students for many years to come.
In the near future, as we look to engage in this work to improve our outdoor space, I will be looking for parent helpers. Having large groups of dedicated parent volunteers will be essential to pull off the work that is ahead. I will be sure to give lots of advanced notice for any work parties or volunteer needs that we have.
Arrival/Dismissal Request
Arrival: Please have kids here at 7:45 AM. The gym is open at 7:45. The tardy bell rings at 8:00 AM. Students arriving after 8:00 AM are missing their morning meetings in their classrooms and breakfast with their classmates. We have about 30 kids coming in the door every day after 8:00 AM. This morning time is super important to set the tone for the day. Students are better prepared and more regulated during the day when they arrive on-time in the morning. I know it is early. Thank you so much for your help with this.
Dismissal: We take dismissal very seriously and want nothing more than to make sure your child makes it back to you at the end of the day in a way that you expect that to happen. To help us with this, I have one request. If you are going to change the typical dismissal routine for your child on any given day, it needs to be communicated to the main office prior to 1:45 PM (Monday/Tuesday/Thursday/Friday) or before 1:00 PM (Wednesday). Unless there is some kind of family emergency, we will not be making changes to dismissal plans after these times. When we make changes too close to the end of the day, mistakes are made. We do not want to make mistakes when it comes to the safety of your child. Thank you for your understanding.
STAR Night
Just a placeholder for your calendars in January. We will once again be hosting our annual Sit Together and Read Night (STAR) with lots of new activities and special guest readers.
Dinner will be provided.
The event will be held on Thursday, January 18th from 5:30-7:30 PM.
Olympia Schools Supportive Education Council (OSSEC)
Do you have a student receiving support through an IEP or 504 plan? If so, you are encouraged to join this group of fabulous advocates at their monthly meetings. The next meeting is January 17th at 6:00 PM through Zoom.
Financial Assistance Available
The Olympia School District Education Foundation provides support to families in need. With their support, we can help with:
Rent and utility bills
Clothing and shoes
Eye exams and prescription glasses for students
Transportation
School supplies
School-related expenses
Internet through Xfinity and so much more...
We can also provide grocery vouchers to Ralph’s or Bayview grocery stores and gas vouchers to help with transportation.
Parent Square
However, please sign up. This platform is amazing. It will allow you to keep track of all school communications and it will allow you to update your Skyward information with ease.
Here is a link to sign up for Parent Square.
Here is a link to learn more about Parent Square through the district website.
PTO NEWS
PTO Meeting
The meeting will take place in the library at LP Brown.
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Important Upcoming Dates
January 3: Early Release @ 1:25 PM
January 10: Early Release @ 1:25 PM
January 16: MLK Assembly @ 8:20 AM
January 15: No School-MLK Day
January 17: Early Release @ 1:25 PM
January 17: PTO Meeting @ 6:00 PM
January 18: STAR Night @ 5:30 - 7:30 PM
January 24: Early Release @ 1:25 PM
January 25: K-2 Star Student Assembly @ 1:45 PM
January 29: 3-5 Star Student Assembly @ 1:45 PM
February 2: Half Day For Grading. Dismissal @ 11:05 AM