In The Laidlaw Loop
Family Update- September 6, 2024
It has been an eventful two weeks! Our students are doing an incredible job living "The Laidlaw Way." Our staff has been so impressed with how smoothly the start to this school year has gone and that is in large part because your students are doing such a wonderful job being safe, respectful, and responsible at school. In exciting news: next week we will unveil our September Laidlaw Loot all school reward options. As students continue to receive Laidlaw Loot they will deposit their loot into the bins (kept by the front office) for the all school reward they would love to receive. This is always a really positive way for our students to celebrate living The Laidlaw Way.
Additionally, our 1st-5th graders had the chance to participate in a really neat STEAM focused assembly last Friday, presented by STEAM Academy. If your student came home jazzed about what they saw and learned about, they can sign up for our fall STEAM Academy enrichment program (see details below).
Have a wonderful weekend,
Renee
Walk To School Event- September 13
WALK TO SCHOOL
September 13, 2024
Sponsored by the Laidlaw PTO, “WALK TO SCHOOL DAY” has become a much-anticipated annual event among many Laidlaw students and parents. Please join in the fun by looking for encouraging messages & fun chalk decor on your walk to school Friday, September 13th. Those walking from across the tracks please use the underpass to get to school.
PARENTS: This year we are asking all LL families to chalk their walk! Please take a few minutes Thursday evening or Friday morning to draw or write an inspirational message for our Leopards to read on their way to school.
STUDENTS: Will receive a Scavenger Hunt Page prior to Friday the 13th. Try to find and check off items listed on the Scavenger Hunt sheet on the way to school and turn it into one of the parent volunteers who will be located by the flagpole (by the entrance on Forest). There will be one class winner for each grade. The classes with the most participation will receive ring pops.
Safety is our number one concern so please remember the following safety rules when walking to school:
- Stay on the sidewalk
- Cross only at corners
- Stop, look and listen, at all times, for cars and trucks
Interested in Band/Orchestra?
Did you miss Band and Orchestra sign up? Is your 4th grader still interested in joining... well, it's not too late! Please contact one of our directors for more information.
Dawn Fiebrandt, Band Director
708-485-2495
OR
Hannah Andrews, Orchestra Director
708-485-2543
MAP testing (2nd-5th Grade) begins Monday
Students in grades 2-5 will take the fall MAP GROWTH assessment next week. If you would like more information about this assessment and how our school uses the results to benefit our students, please click here.
If your student(s) will be absent for any of their MAP testing, the student will make it up the following week.
We ask that students come to school with a fully charged Chrome Book (3rd-5th grade) and we highly suggest that students get a good night of sleep and eat a nutritious breakfast in the morning.
Friendly Reminder: No Dogs on School Property
This is a friendly reminder that DOGS ARE NOT ALLOWED ON SCHOOL PROPERTY. Kindly, please keep pups on the public sidewalks only and not in the direct paths of our students getting dropped off or picked up. Pups are not allowed near the first grade lineup on Forest and they are not allowed anywhere on our blacktop. While dogs are allowed on public sidewalks, we ask that families be mindful of our pick up and drop off "walking congestion" areas. Some of our students have a lot of anxiety around dogs and it can set them up for an unfavorable learning environment at school. Thank you for your attention to this.
Student Ownership Attributes: September's Focus
Our September Student Ownership Attributes are Resilient and Perseverant.
Some of the components we'll discuss at the various grade levels are:
Resilient people never give up! They keep looking for a solution, and keep on trying, even when it’s tough.
Resilient people work hard to find the next step, to look at the bright side, and to focus on how they can get better.
Resilient people like to take on a challenge and do hard things.
In order to reinforce these messages, we're utilizing the following books at each grade level:
Kindergarten: Pete the Cat, by Erin Litwin
1st Grade: Stand Tall, Molly Lou Melon, by Patty Lovell
2nd Grade: After the Fall (How Humpty Dumpty Got Back Up Again), by Dan Santat
3rd Grade: Otis, by Loren Long
4th Grade: Rosie Revere, Engineer, by Andrea Beaty
5th Grade: Nothing Stopped Sophie, by Cheryl Bardoe
We're excited to be diving back into our Student Ownership attributes and helping our students grow in these traits!
After School Enrichment Opportunities- REGISTRATION OPEN
I am pleased to share several after school enrichment (optional, paid) opportunities for our Laidlaw students that are run by 3rd party vendors. Here is our fall schedule. Registrations are open. If you have questions about any of our enrichment programming, please reach out to the 3rd party vendors directly. Thank You.
Monday -
1st-3rd graders STEAM Academy (new this year)
4th-5th graders STEAM Academy (new this year)
Tuesday-
Wednesday-
Sticky Fingers (cooking class)
Thursday-
Friday-
Sticky Fingers (cooking class)
Golf (new this year): Elementary Golf School is offering an exciting junior golf program at Laidlaw School, designed to expose golf to juniors of all ability levels. This program is created and taught by PGA Professionals, to include lesson plans that are fun, safe, and educational. Youngsters will be given the opportunity to experiment with playing a variety of different shots. Our program teaches basic fundamentals, with plenty of variation for practicing and playing. We will not only teach the shots, but also the etiquette, behavior and finer points of the rules of the game. Our instructors will be able to adjust the level of complexity to each child’s individual level of progress.
For more information, or to register for the after-school golf program at Laidlaw School, please visit www.elementarygolfschool.com or call (630) 853-6348.
Right At School Opportunities
If you would like more information about the Right At School before and after care program, please see the included flyer or visit their website at https://rightatschool.com/.
2024-25 School Calendar
Please find the 2024-25 calendar HERE
Upcoming Dates
Monday, September 9- Friday September 13: Fall MAP testing (grades 2-5)
Friday, September 13th: AM Walk to School Event (details above)
Saturday, September 14th: Laidlaw Fun Run (sponsored by PTO- details below)
Wednesday, September 25th: Half Day (PM inservice for teachers) (students are dismissed at 11:40AM)
Wednesday, September 25th: 6PM Parent Presentation at McClure (Cyberbullying)
Elementary School Handbook
This summer, the administrative team spent considerable time updating the Elementary School Handbook. Please do spend some time reviewing some of the important information regarding attendance, academics, behavior/discipline, technology, etc. The handbook can be found via the link above.
Interested in joining Cub Scouts?
Please click here for information on joining Cub Scouts.
Community Happenings
Laidlaw PTO Information
Sign up for Garden Club on September 10th. Click HERE for more details!
3rd Annual Laidlaw 5K Saturday, September 14th
Register HERE
Volunteers needed - sign-up HERE
Marla’s Lunch Volunteers Needed
Volunteers will check in at the Front Office at 11 am to help sort and organize purchases by classroom and grade.
Click HERE for dates and to sign-up to help!
Sponsored by the Laidlaw PTO, “WALK TO SCHOOL DAY” has become a much-anticipated annual event among many Laidlaw students and parents. Please join in the fun by looking for encouraging messages & fun chalk decor on your walk to school Friday, September 13th. Those walking from across the tracks please use the underpass to get to school.
PARENTS: This year we are asking all LL families to chalk their walk! Please take a few minutes Thursday evening or Friday morning to draw or write an inspirational message for our Leopards to read on their way to school.
STUDENTS: Will receive a Scavenger Hunt Page prior to Friday the 13th. Try to find and check off items listed on the Scavenger Hunt sheet on the way to school and turn it into one of the parent volunteers who will be located by the flagpole (by the entrance on Forest). There will be one class winner for each grade. The classes with the most participation will receive ring pops.
Send your back to school photos to Johnlaidlawyearbook@gmail.com
Upcoming Events
Friday, Sept 6th - Charleston Wrap Fundraiser Begins
Friday, Sept 13th - Walk to School Day
Saturday, Sept 14th - Laidlaw Family 5K and Fun Run
