Patriot Press - October Edition

Liberty Lake Elementary - 9.30.24

Dear Liberty Lake Elementary Community,

As we wrap up September and reflect on a wonderful start to the school year, I want to express my gratitude for the warm and positive energy you’ve all brought to our school. It’s been a joy to see our students settle into their classrooms, building friendships and engaging in meaningful learning experiences.

Looking ahead to October, we have many exciting events to look forward to, including our Active 4 Youth cross-country meets, Halloween parties, PTSA fundraiser events, and Picture Day. We are eager to see all the learning and growth that will take place this month, and we are committed to continuing our focus on kindness and character development.

In addition, we’ll be learning more about our upcoming school-wide service project with Generation Alive, an incredible opportunity for our students to give back to the community while building empathy and leadership skills. I am excited for the lessons and experiences this will bring to our entire school.

Thank you for your ongoing support, and I look forward to an amazing October filled with growth, learning, and kindness.

Warmly,

Mrs. Tesky

Update - No Parking on Boone

You will notice new signs installed along both sides of Boone Street. In an effort to improve safety and reduce congestion, the city’s public works department has added "No Student Drop-off or Pickup" signs. These changes are designed to ensure a safer environment for students and improve traffic flow during school hours.

Please adhere to the new signage and use the designated areas for dropping off and picking up students. If you use our valet service, we kindly ask that you pull all the way to the front of the school before allowing your child to exit the vehicle. This helps accommodate more cars in the valet line and ensures a safer drop-off process in the morning. If you are dropping off at the playground gate you are blocking our traffic flow in valet.

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our students safe!

Arrival Safety

As a busy mom myself, juggling school drop-offs with my own kids, now at 2 different schools I completely get it—mornings can be hectic, and sometimes traffic slows us down. However, following our Patriot expectations during arrival and dismissal helps keep traffic flowing smoothly and, more importantly, ensures the safety of our staff and students!

A few friendly reminders:

Our valet system is TWO lanes. Please remember to drive all the way to the front of the school before allowing your student to hop out. No early stops at the playground gate! We also have a convenient second lane, where Mrs. Becky is stationed to safely guide students across. Let’s help her keep traffic flowing by avoiding any lane changes in valet—no “lane-hopping,” please!

Cones are our friends! Our school assistant begins unloading at 8:45 a.m., and the cones are there for a reason. Please don’t move them, whether in valet or to access the staff parking lot. That area is not a valet zone! The green cones near the crosswalk are there to ensure our students’ safety as they cross. Let’s keep them in place and keep our kids safe.

Molter and Boone drop-offs. We’ve noticed an uptick in parents stopping on these streets to drop off students. Just a friendly reminder—these are through-traffic streets and avoid stopping on them.

We’ve conveniently placed signs to help guide our systems! (Because let’s be honest, without them, it would be total chaos.)

Thank you for helping us keep our drop-off and pick-up routine running smoothly. Your cooperation makes a huge difference! And hey, if I can manage it with my morning chaos, I know you can too!

Mrs. Tesky, mom & principal

Strive for 5!! Attendance Campaign

This month kicks off our attendance campaign "Strive for 5!" Though September was Attendance Awareness Month, the importance of regular attendance is never ending! Throughout our school year we will intentionally recognize Patriots who maintain strong attendance each month, each trimester, and for the entire year! Refer to the above flyer for specific details.

Why is attendance so important?

Studies of absenteeism show links to lower achievement levels. Students who begin missing many days of school in elementary grades later show continued patterns of excessive absenteeism. When students aren't in school, no matter the reason, they miss valuable instruction time. Although many absences are able to be "excused" due to health concerns or other reasons, students are still at risk of negative outcomes when they are unable to be present in the classroom.

Studies show:

Students suffer academically if they miss 10% or more school days.
Attending school regularly helps children feel better about school – and themselves.
Students who are chronically absent in early grades are more likely to maintain this negative pattern throughout their school career

WHAT YOU CAN TO HELP YOUR PATRIOT

Track your child's attendance
Incentivize and celebrate your students that are achieving positive attendance outcomes
Partner with your child's teacher to remove barriers keeping your Patriot from attending regularly.

SMILE - It is Picture Day!

Don't forget, Wednesday, October 2nd is school picture day at Liberty Lake Elementary! Make sure you're dressed to impress because these photos will last forever (or at least until next year's)! 😄

You can purchase your dazzling portraits online by visiting www.leosphotography.com, with code FAL225495 but don't forget—you'll still need to fill out and turn in the form! If yours went MIA in the backpack abyss, no worries, we've got extra forms in the front office. Stop by and grab one!

See you all looking fabulous on Wednesday! ✨📷

Last Call for BUS REGISTRATION

If your child rides the bus or will at any time this school year please make sure they are registered by tomorrow, October 1st! CVSD is utilizing a new system this year and all students must be registered to ride the bus. Click the link today - https://www.cvsd.org/apps/pages/BusRegistration

We are excited to invite you to Eastside Technology Night: Parenting in the Digital Age on October 9th at Ridgeline High School Theater from 6:30–7:30 PM. This event is designed to provide valuable insights into creating distraction-free learning environments and ensuring technology safety for students.

Here’s what to expect:

Welcome & Event Purpose
Learn about the importance of distraction-free learning environments. Hear firsthand from teachers and students about the positive changes taking place in the classroom.
Technology Safety: Insights from "Anxious Generation"
Our school counselors and local law enforcement will share vital information on mental health, device addiction, and how parents can ensure phone safety for their children. We'll also touch on the role of AI in today’s world.
School District Technology Policies
Understand why following district technology policies is essential for student success and well-being in creating distraction-free learning environments and how you can help support our schools.
Practical Resources for Parents
Get access to helpful resources and information to take home, empowering you with the tools to support your child’s healthy tech habits.
Closing & Next Steps
We’ll wrap up with ways to stay informed, including how to sign up for additional resources, videos, and podcasts.

We look forward to seeing you there for this important discussion. Together, we can create a safer and more focused learning environment for our students.

Eastside Administrative Team

Signing students in & out at the front office

Parents, we kindly ask that you come inside the school to sign out your child when needed. In order to protect as much instructional time as possible, we do not call students down early, so please plan to allow a few extra minutes for the process. Also, if your student is running more than 5 minutes late in the morning, please call the office or come in with them to excuse their tardy. Your cooperation helps us keep things running smoothly, and we truly appreciate your support!

If your child will be arriving late to school please call our attendance line at 509-558-4312. It is also helpful to let us know if they will be having hot lunch so our kitchen staff can plan accordingly.

CVSD Community Connection Events

Link with our schools & discover innovative school programs

Join us in our three regional Central Valley learning communities for these “Community Link Events”:

Western Learning Community - Tuesday, Oct. 8, 6pm

Horizon MS, 3915 S Pines Rd, Spokane Valley

Central Learning Community – Tuesday, Oct. 22, 6pm

Evergreen MS, 14221 E 16th Ave, Spokane Valley

Eastern Learning Community - Tuesday., Oct. 29, 6 pm

Ridgeline HS, 20150 E Country Vista Dr, Liberty Lake

Enjoy pizza and hotdogs as you peek inside our school programs and learn about the state of the district.

You’re an important link with our schools. We hope to see you there!

Find out more & RSVP today! CVSD.org/CommunityLinkEvents

Active 4 Youth Basket - Donations Needed

We are collecting items for the Active 4 Youth Basket to support their upcoming auction. Liberty Lake's theme is Gift Cards Galore.

If you would like to donate a gift card, proceeds from the auction will help all CVSD students participate in this free Cross Country program, including all Liberty Lake Elementary students who are participating this year. Your donations will play a key role in providing these valuable opportunities for our students!

Please drop off donations at the LLES front office by Monday, October 7.

PTSA Fall FUN Event

Mark your calendars! Don’t miss one of the biggest fundraisers of the year! Our wonderful PTSA will be hosting a night of fun for the entire family, all while raising essential funds for important programs, activities, and resources that will enrich the experience for our students at Liberty Lake Elementary School this upcoming school year. Your participation will directly contribute to enhancing our school community and providing valuable opportunities for our students.

Meet the Masters - Art Program

Meet the Masters is an interactive art program designed to introduce children to the world of art. Students learn the history and style of three artists each year, in turn creating masterful art using different mediums, such as clay, payons, oil pastels, colored pencils, tempera and graphite. Meet the Masters is funded by the PTSA and provided entirely by volunteer docents!

This fall, students will create abstract art using simple symbols, shapes and movement inspired by Swiss-German artist Paul Klee. Klee combined his passion of music and art to create over 8000 paintings.

If you would like to assist the docent in your child’s classroom this year, please email: libertylakeartists@gmail.com

Don't miss out on purchasing your Popcorn Passes! These passes are a great way to support our PTSA and ensure your student gets a popcorn treat on designated days. You can purchase them at the link below, which also includes other important PTSA information.

Get your passes today and stay informed on upcoming events! POPCORN LINK

Halloween Mini Dance Camp

Join the Ridgeline Dancers in our annual Halloween themed minicamp! Campers will be encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes both days to be in the true spirit of Halloween! Dancers will get to play games, work on dance technique, and learn a Halloween themed routine from the RHS dancers! Thank you for attending camp and supporting the ridgeline dancers on their quest to fundraise for this year's competition uniforms! Please print and sign the minor participant waiver and bring with you to check in on day 1!

October 22nd 6-8pm Camp

October 23rd 6-7:30pm Camp

October 23rd 7:30pm Final showcase for family and friends to come watch the full group performance!

RHS Main gym

K-8th welcome!

T-shirt provided

$50 - Register here - Halloween Mini Dance Camp (incoming K thru 8th grade) - Camps - Oct 22, 2024 - Oct 23, 2024 (gofan.co)

Eastside Community Events

As an Eastside administrative team, we are always looking for ways to come together as feeder schools to strengthen our community and share positive experiences. Each year, Greencacres Middle School and Selkirk Middle School participate in future falcon games hosted at Ridgeline High School during sports seasons. The first future falcon game of the year is this Tuesday, where our former students will face off on the football field.

We hope to see you at some of these games throughout the year! We will continue to share the dates of upcoming games as they are scheduled.

Halloween Parties

Halloween is creeping up, and we can’t wait to see all the fun costumes! But let’s keep it spooky, not scary. Leave the fake weapons and accessories at home (trust us, they’re not as cool in a classroom). Also, no blood or gore—save that for your haunted house adventures! Costumes are welcome, but masks? Those are party-only materials—so keep them off until the festivities begin! If you’re itching to join the party as a volunteer, just be sure you’re CVSD-approved. Reminder that you need to update your volunteer status every two years.👻🎉

Volunteer Registration Link Here: https://cvsdvolunteers.myschooldata.net/Register.aspx