Lawrenceville Elementary School

Dear Families,

As we continue to navigate this academic year together, your partnership and support remain invaluable. This month, I'd like to highlight the importance of good character and how we can work together to instill this in our students.

Character education plays a pivotal role in preparing our students for success in all aspects of life. In addition to academic achievements, possessing good character traits such as integrity, respect, responsibility, and empathy is crucial for navigating the complexities of the world and contributing positively to society.

Our Commitment: We are dedicated to creating a school environment that promotes the development of strong character in our students. Our teachers integrate social/emotional learning in their lessons using the Second Step curriculum, and we provide opportunities for students to engage in meaningful discussions and activities that reinforce these values during Morning Meeting and Mrs. Wall's lessons. Our Awesome Assemblies highlight students making positive choices by announcing Shining Star winners and sharing the joys of our service learning projects. We use language that promotes "expected" behaviors so that all students feel safe and comfortable at school. "Unexpected" behaviors make others feel unsafe or uncomfortable.

How Can Parents Help?

Parents are the first and most influential teachers in a child's life. Your support and involvement in fostering good character at home are invaluable. By modeling and reinforcing positive behaviors, you contribute significantly to the overall development of your child.

1. Family Discussions: Engage in discussions with your child about the importance of values and character. Encourage them to think before they act and to reflect on their actions and choices, fostering a sense of responsibility and self-awareness.

2. Service Learning: Take part in school service learning activities that promote character education. These experiences provide valuable opportunities for students to witness and participate in acts of kindness and service.

3. Home Reinforcement: Reinforce character education at home by setting clear expectations for behavior, encouraging empathy, and celebrating acts of kindness within the family. Remind your child of these expectations before attending school or community events.

Thank you for your continued partnership in nurturing the holistic development of our students. Together, we can empower them to become not only successful learners but also individuals of exemplary character.

Sincerely,

Melissa N. Lockett

Dates to remember in March!

March 4-8 Read Across America Week-we will read for 100 minutes this week in honor of our 100th anniversary! Students will receive bookmarks to track their minutes.

March 5-Local musician Siri Om will be joining us to share all about his tradition musical instruments and songs.

March 8-International Women's Day! Wear purple to celebrate the accomplishments and further the empowerment of women around the world!

March 9-St. Baldrick's-Go LESter's Lifeshavers!!!

March 15-Students have an early dismissal. PK will dismiss at 12:45. K-3 will dismiss at 1:15.

March 21-World Down Syndrome Day-see information below about the Lots of Socks campaign.

March 21-The 3rd grade musical, "It's a Hit!" will show in the LES all purpose room at 7:00 pm for families.

Flashlight Fun!

This week, we allowed the students to bring a flashlight to school to read their favorite book. Here are some ways to use the flashlight at home for fun learning activities.

Pre-K Activities

• Ask a child to shine the flashlight on something you name or describe. Have him repeat your words.
• Ask a child to name or describe something for you to shine the light on.
• Spotlight new items that you have added to the play spaces. Talk about what each is, what you use it for, etc.
• Talk about location, direction, and opposites like up/down, over/under, and light/dark. For example, Shine the light on the box under the table.
• Find many examples of a category of items, such as furniture or vehicles. Talk about what makes them the same and different.
• Explore and discuss shadow shapes.

K-3rd Activities

• Post and find letters or sight words around the room or the house.
• Trace letters with the flashlight.
• Paper cup constellations or luminaries
• Make and trace silhouettes
• Learn Morse Code and send messages

LES celebrated our 100th day of our 100th year by creating a school-wide number line highlighting 100 ways to be kind! Many students created projects and practiced counting to 100 in various ways.

SEL Day is an opportunity to collectively spread the word about the importance and impact of social emotional learning. Studies show that SEL improves well-being and academic outcomes, builds a positive school climate, and provides children with the necessary skills to excel in today’s world. Check out this video by Committee for Children, who created our Second Step program, to learn more about the benefits of social-emotional learning.

LES will be celebrating SEL Day with our continued focus on mindfulness, gratitude, belonging and fun!! We invite all students to to dress in their comfiest, relaxed clothes on Friday, March 8 so we can enjoy a day of taking care of our social and emotional health.

Looking for a way to strengthen SEL skills at home? Check out the bingo board HERE and below. Share your SEL Day activities on social with the hashtags #SELDay and #MySEL

LES and the CARE Kids would like to THANK YOU for your very generous donations to our Dollars for Diapers Drive! Thanks to your support, we were able to donate 2,927 diapers to HomeFront NJ to distribute to local families in need.