
The Latest at Lowell
An update from Principal Hessler (4/16/23)
Last 8 Weeks!!
Boozhoo, buenos días and greetings Lowell families!
After a taste of spring last week, it's hard to watch the snow fall today. I remind myself it´s temporary and that it helps me focus and get stuff done.
During April and May, our Lowell teachers will engage in some professional development about one of our school improvement goals as we learn the research behind and the processes that form a solid Check In/Check Out behavior program. Our objective is to start off strong with full implementation for the 2023-24 school year. Our School Improvement Team is also putting the finishing touches on a Practice Profile for the main aspects of Explicit Instruction so we can evaluate where teachers are and where they will need training and professional development for next year.
Our 4th Graders will head to Wolf Ridge on Wednesday! They are the first group to stay overnight in over three years. We are excited for them to have this memorable experience. Special thanks to Mr. Troy Erie and the 4th grade team for organizing everything and making the trip possible.
As we move into the last eight weeks of the school year, always the fastest 8 weeks, I look forward to watching our Lowell students finish out the school year strong. These last weeks are always full of mud and fun!
In this brief newsletter, you will find information on the following:
- Enroll for Kindergarten NOW!!
- MCAs continue
- Nurse's Office Update - Clothes needed!!
- 5th Grade Immersion Proficiency Testing
- Attendance Goal Update
- Morning Zipper Merge Reminder
- PTA Corner
- Save the Date
- Community Offerings
In educational solidarity,
Eve Hessler
Enroll Now for Kindergarten in Fall 2023!
Children who will turn five years old by 9/1/23 and are for sure attending Lowell Elementary School for kindergarten, can be enrolled now! Online enrollment information can be found here or stop by the office to pick up paper forms.
Immersion Program Enrollment Information
- Misaabekong Ojibwe Immersion - All forms and documents past due (waitlist)
- Nueva Visión Spanish Immersion - All forms and documents past due
- Immersion families will be notified by the end of April regarding their status for next year
Contact Lowell's secretary rachel.beilke@isd709.org if you have any questions about paperwork.
Minnesota Comprehensive Assessments Continue!
- April 18 & 19 - Math 3rd & 5th
- April 26 & 27 - 4th Math, 5th Science
Students and teachers from Buddy Rooms have done a great job of motivating students to relax and do their best!
From the Nurse's Office - Clothing items needed!!
Hello Lowell Families,
If you have any new/gently used elastic banded sweatpants, leggings, underpants to spare, the Nurse's Office at Lowell will happily accept donations. We are especially in need of sizes 5-10, preferably in neutral colors or patterns. We do NOT need any shirts at this time.
We encourage families to send a spare set of clothing to keep at school.
Thank you!
Nurse Leino & Nurse Paula
5th Grade Spanish Immersion Language Proficiency Assessment, May 8 - 12
We will be able to take our results and compare them to the outcomes of other immersion programs in Minnesota and across the country. Our goal has always been to develop students that are both bilingual and bi-literate. The STAMP results, combined with MCA results, provide us data to analyze and make adjustments to our programming as we progress in our continuous improvement cycles.
Last year, based on our data, we learned we had to push our students to speak more Spanish in the classroom, at an earlier age. Please ask your student about what their teacher does to encourage more language output on a daily basis.
Attendance Goal Update
Attendance letters are sent home when students have missed 7 school days. The letters are meant to make parents aware and offer support if needed.
Our immersion family handbook includes an expectation of 90% positive attendance for program continuance. Letters were recently sent home to immersion families that have fallen below the expectation.
To learn, students need to attend school. Please reach out to Assistant Principal Nathan Anderson, attendance team head, at nathan.anderson2@isd709.org for more support or clarification of goals and expectations.
MORNING ZIPPER MERGE!!
PLEASE WAIT TO MERGE. WHEN YOU MERGE AT THE CURVE YOU BLOCK BOTH LANES AND NOBODY CAN MOVE FORWARD. And, as always, stay in your car and keep moving forward.
Mr. Kevin Anderson, Ms. Holt, Mr. Daw, and Ms. Bergerson are rock stars for their continued daily work in keeping our students and families safe in our parking lot!
PTA Corner - Lowell Family Dance- Friday, April 28!!!
Lowell PTA April PTA Meeting this Thursday (4/20) at 6:00 pm virtually via Zoom. Click here to join and help make Lowell even more awesome!
Special shout out of thanks to our Lost & Found fairies that return labeled items, tidy up the areas, and made a generous donation at the start of break!
Save the Date:
April 18 & 19 3rd & 5th MCA Math
April 19 - 21 4th Grade Wolf Ridge Trip!!
April 26 & 27 4th MCA Math & 5th MCA Science
April 28 PTA School Dance, 5:30 - 7:30 Lowell Gym
May 8-12 5th Grade Immersion STAMP Language Proficiency Testing
May 17 Fit & Fun Run, 9:15 - 11:15 (3rd - 5th Grade)
May 19 Cultural Night at Lowell, tentatively from 5-7
May 25 Lowell Spring Concert, 9:00 KG-2, 11:00 3-5
May 26 TENTATIVE, All School Bingo!
June 7 TENTATIVE 5th Grade Graduation
June 8 Field Day and LAST DAY OF SCHOOL
RECESS MONITOR NEEDED - Mondays and Fridays
COMMUNITY OFFERINGS
Lowell Elementary
Nathan Anderson, Assistant Principal
Rachel Beilke, Lead Clerical
Brooke Gauthier, Attendance Clerical
Attendance Line 218-336-8895, option 2
Email: lowell@isd709.org
Website: https://lowell.isd709.org/
Location: 2000 Rice Lake Road, Duluth, MN, USA
Phone: 218-336-8895
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lowelllions