LCE May Newsletter

Dear Little Cypress Elementary Families,

I can't believe that it is already May! Though incredibly busy, it's filled with enjoyable activities. I hope you savor this month, despite how quickly it passes! Throughout this month, our students continue their educational journey while experiencing plenty of fun activities. I'm excited about our administration team for next year, and families can read about the new assistant principal and counselor below.

As summer approaches, I encourage you to remain invested in your child's education. Simple daily practices like reading or listening to books, practicing math facts, outdoor play, or watching documentaries to build knowledge can be tremendously beneficial! Children thrive with routine and structure—while summer should bring relaxation and enjoyment, we also want to prevent the "summer slide."

Students will maintain access to educational platforms like Zearn and Amplify Boost through ClassLink. If you need login credentials, please contact their teacher. Based on recent assessments, teachers can provide specific areas for improvement if requested. At minimum, I recommend participating in the Orange Public Library's summer reading program—fostering reading appreciation begins early!

As always, if you have questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out. E-mail is the fastest way to get to me, and my e-mail address is sstjohn@lcmcisd.org.

Sarah St. John

Principal

Save the Date:

July 23rd, 29th, 30th - New Student Registration

July 29th, 30th, 31st - Kindergarten Camp (See Graphic Below)

August 13th - First Day of School

*Meet the Teacher Information will be shared via social media

It is with a heart full of gratitude that I share some bittersweet news—I will be moving to Florida after this school year and stepping away from my role as Assistant Principal at our wonderful school. Being a part of the Bear family has been something truly special, and I am so thankful for the memories, the relationships, and the joy of working with such incredible students and families.

I will deeply miss the smiling faces, the daily moments of growth, and the strong sense of community that makes this place so unique. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your children’s journey. It has been an honor I will always carry with me.

With warmest regards,

Brittany Lalonde

Dear LCE Community,

I am thrilled to announce my transition from School Counselor to Assistant Principal at LCE! While many of you already know me from my counseling role, I am excited to serve our wonderful teachers, staff, and students in this new capacity.

For those who may be new to our community, I hold both bachelor's and master's degrees from Lamar University, providing me with a strong educational foundation to support our school's mission. Outside of LCE, I am married to Cody Carr, who serves as a police officer with the Port Arthur Police Department. Together, we are proud parents of two wonderful children, Collins and Crawford.

My experience as a school counselor has given me valuable insight into the needs of our students and campus as well as the importance of creating a supportive learning environment. In my new role as Assistant Principal, I look forward to supporting our exceptional teachers and staff, building relationships with students and families, and continuing to help make LCE a GREAT place to be!

I welcome the opportunity to connect with all of you as we work together to make this school year a success. My door is always open, and I'm eager to hear your thoughts and ideas. The best way to reach me is by email at scarr@lcmcisd.org.

Here's to a wonderful year of growth and learning at LCE!

Warmly, Sydney Carr

Dear LCE Community,

I’m thrilled to share that I will be stepping into the role of School Counselor at LCE! As a proud graduate of LCM, I couldn’t be more excited to continue my career in the district that feels like home. It’s an honor to support our incredible students, teachers, and staff in this new role.

For those who are new to our community, I earned my bachelor’s degree from Lamar University and am currently completing my master’s degree there as well. I am confident that my education has prepared me to support our students, staff, and families with the knowledge and skills necessary to help our school community thrive.

My background includes experience as both a classroom teacher and an MTSS teacher, which has deepened my understanding of student needs and the importance of fostering a supportive, inclusive learning environment. In my new role, I’m looking forward to continuing that work by partnering with families, collaborating with our amazing staff, and continuing to build meaningful relationships with all students.

Outside of LCE, I enjoy spending quality time with family and friends, staying active with my two nephews, my dog Fynn, reading and continuing to learn and grow personally and professionally. These experiences help me stay grounded and energized as I support the LCE community.

Please don’t hesitate to reach out with, I am here to serve you all in any way I can. The best way to contact me is by email at jordyndavis@lcmcisd.org.

Excited for a wonderful year ahead!

Sincerely,

Jordyn Davis

School Counselor, LCE

Dear Parents,

We’re excited to introduce our new Staff Shoutouts program, where you can recognize the amazing teachers and staff who make a difference in your child’s education! We believe that celebrating their hard work and dedication fosters a positive school community. Whether it’s a thoughtful lesson, a caring attitude, or going the extra mile, we invite you to share your appreciation. Scan the QR code to submit your shoutouts—let’s show our staff just how much they are valued!

Brittany Lalonde

Assistant Principal

EVENT DETAILS:

Friday, May 23rd, LCE will host class End of Year parties for Pre-K, First Grade, Second Grade, and Third Grade. We invite you to attend your child's party. To attend, please see the information below about registration. *Kindergarten will not have a party on May 23rd. Kindergarten Graduation will serve as the end of year celebration for kindergarteners.

EVENT REGISTRATION:

For the 2024-25 school year, Little Cypress Elementary is requiring ID checks for large school events. Therefore, we are requesting families to pre-register for large school events. For these events, two family members may register to attend per child. Visitors must be listed in the child's Skyward emergency contacts.
A new registration form will be used for each event. This year, we will have registration forms on Parent Square. Please click the link to enter your information to pre-register for this event. One form will be filled out with both visitors' names.
This form is for our End of Year parties. This form must be filled out by May 14th to pre-register.
If you pre-register, your Raptor ID sticker will be sent home with your child before the event or, at minimum, placed at the back cafeteria doors like "will call." In order for this to work, you will need to get your ID scanned in the front office before the registration deadline.
If you do not have a Raptor ID sticker on the day of the event, you will be required to go to the front office to get your ID scanned. Please expect a long line.

Important: If you have multiple children on campus (or at LCI), they are unable to attend their sibling's parties. You may check out all of your students at one time in the front office once all of their parties are over.

As we close out the school year and prepare to start our library inventory, all books are due back by May 9th! Please help us by returning your books on time.

Dear families, as we close out another wonderful year of adventures in our library, I encourage you to keep the pages turning all summer long! I will be posting reading logs, book recommendations, fun activities, and prize announcements on our library Facebook page all summer, so be sure to follow us there to stay up to date on all the summer reading news. (search LCE Library or visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/762536864831839)

Happy reading!

Tammi Halliburton

LCE Librarian

email: thalliburton@lcmcisd.org

LCE Families,

As summer approaches, it's important to refresh our knowledge on keeping children safe during outdoor activities. Please share these safety tips with your child and implement them in your daily summer routines.

Please see the links provided for important safety information and resources for further information.

LCE Summer Safety Resources.pdf

Community Services.pdf

Southeast Texas Mental Health Resources.pdf

We wish all of our Bears a fun and safe Summer... And looking forward to hearing all about it in August! 🙂

At your service,

Sydney Carr, School Counselor

If you're child is in need of a visit with Mrs. Carr, please fill out the form below.

We are so thankful for our partnership with the LCE PTO. They do so much for us, and it’s hard to even list or explain their impact. The Adventure Dash is the largest PTO fundraiser of the year, and what I love most about it is that all students get to participate in a fun day regardless of how much money they raise. However, if your child raises money, they do get some extra special opportunities which I will explain below. I scheduled the Adventure Dash fundraiser at the end of the school year because it serves a two-fold purpose as a campus “field day.” The best thing about the fundraiser is what PTO can do with the funds in the upcoming school year.

Examples of what PTO has spent money on at LCE include: water fountains on our playgrounds, shade that was installed over our playgrounds, playground balls, PBIS incentives, and more! With this year’s funds, we hope to help fund playground equipment and improvements, field trips, and PBIS incentives, just to name a few things. The Adventure Dash funds really help us get things that we can’t use state and federal funds on. Again, we appreciate this partnership.

As far as the actual Adventure Dash program goes, here are the details:

Dash Day for LCE is Friday, May 16th. All classes will get to participate in the Dash Day.

This year students will wear the field trip shirts that PTO has already purchased for them.

There are individual student goals for fundraising, school wide challenges, and overnight challenges.

The individual student goal for each student is $300. At different points in the fundraising, students will earn different Adventure Dash bands. Just by registering with AD online, students get a band. The bands count for different “extra” fun things that happen during the Dash time. However, again, if your child does not even raise a penny, they will still get to Dash and run through the obstacle courses, etc.

The school wide challenges are as follows: $15,000 and everyone gets Face Art, $25,000 and everyone gets to watch a show and have a snack, $30,000 and students get to "paint" their teacher, $35,000 and Dr. St. John, Ms. Lalonde, and Mrs. Carr go in a dunk tank, $40,000 and the Adventure Dash run becomes a Color Run, $45,000 and everyone gets Snow Cones, and $50,000 is a visit from the fire truck that will spray water on everyone.

On the actual Dash Day, May 16th, you will need to send your child with extra clothes and a towel. Your child’s teacher will communicate the details with you.

Although the ADFR kick off is not until May 6th, the registration and donation links are already active! Check out the links below.

Scan the QR Code above or click on the following link to register for Kindergarten Camp. Kindergarten Camp registration ends on June 30, 2025.

DROP OFF:

LCE students should be dropped off between 6:50 - 7:10 a.m. The tardy bells rings at 7:15 a.m. and instruction begins at 7:20 a.m.

Only 2nd and 3rd grade students and Self-Contained students can be dropped off at the front of the school in the mornings. Everyone else will need to be dropped off in the back.

Parents with both LCI and LCE students may drop their LCE student off in the LCI car line between 6:50 - 7:10 a.m. After 7:10, all LCE students are to be dropped off at the LCE campus.

For safety reasons, please have your child ready to exit the vehicle on the passenger side. Please talk to your child about what it means to be ready to exit the vehicle. Please also stress to them not to run but to walk safely.

We know it will take a few days to get everyone used to drop off procedures again. After a few days, we will begin shutting the back doors at the 7:15 a.m. tardy bell.

Once the back doors are closed, you will need to drive to the front of the school, park, and escort your child into the building.

TURN RIGHT when exiting Meeks during drop off and pick up hours.

For the safety of your child and others, please do not use your cell phone while in the car drop off and pick up lines.

PICK UP:

The dismissal car line begins at 2:50 p.m.

Students cannot be checked out through the front office after 2:30 p.m. as we are in our final transition for the day. We will ask you to join the pick up line at that point.

The pick up line will run a little long for a few days, but after we get into the routine, it normally ends right at 3:10 p.m.

Please ensure that you are in line to pick up your child by 3:10 p.m.

If your child needs assistance to buckle, please pull ahead into the grassy area.

THE SCHOOL ISSUED CAR RIDER TAG MUST BE VISIBLE IN ORDER TO PICK UP YOUR CHILD. THIS IS A SAFETY MEASURE.

TURN RIGHT when exiting Meeks during drop off and pick up hours.

For the safety of your child and others, please do not use your cell phone while in the car drop off and pick up lines.

Students must ride the bus to their assigned drop off location (home address/licensed day care).

All bus transportation changes must go through the Transportation Department 409-670-4601. Changes must take place before 1:30 p.m.

Without a note, the child will follow their established routine.

In an emergency, a phone call will be accepted but will require the student's last four digits of their social security number.

An adult must be present at the bus stop for all PK, Kindergarten, and 1st grade students to be dropped off.

We rotate lunch visitors weekly, but we also allow two Skyward approved guests on your child's birthday. If your child has a birthday on the weekend, you can come the Friday before or Monday after.

The week of April 28th: None (STAAR Testing)

The week of May 5th: Second Grade / Life Skills Grades 1-3

The week of May 12th: Third Grade

The week of May 19th: None (Last week of school)

As a reminder, only two guests can attend lunch, and they must be listed and approved through Skyward. Guests must sit in the assigned guest lunch area or at the assigned table for their child's class.

Guests are not allowed to take photos of other students on campus, and other students are not allowed to sit with guests. Food can only be shared with your child.

The district prohibits any clothing or grooming that in the principal’s judgment may reasonably be expected to cause disruption or interference with normal school operations.

Shorts and skirts should be at least mid-thigh length and be hemmed.

Shirts should cover the midriff and have at least two (2) inch shoulder strap or sleeves. No muscle shirts or spaghetti straps.

Pants must fit at the waist or be belted. Baggy pants and jeans with holes above the knee will not be allowed. Holes above the knee with backing are allowed as long as the backing is intact.

All students are required to have shoes that are safe for participation in all physical education activities. Backless shoes, high-heeled shoes of any type, and flip-flops are prohibited. This is a safety issue and is in the best interest of the student. All rubber soled, laced up, closed back shoes (tennis shoes or any athletic type shoe) will be acceptable. Crocs are not allowed in PE.

Should you have to remove your child during the school day, please sign him/her out at the front office. School personnel will call for your child to meet you.

Please remember to send any doctor's notes upon the student's return to school. When absent, the student must have a signed parent note or doctor's excuse upon their return to school. New for the 2024-2025 school year: Absence notes must be turned in within 5 school days for a student to be counted excused.

Dear Families,

We are excited to announce that we adopted a new form of school-to-home communication at LCMCISD called ParentSquare. This unified communications platform is designed to keep parents and guardians informed and encourage greater engagement and connection with LCMCISD. It provides a safe way for district administrators, school principals, teachers, staff, and parents to:

• Send and receive school and class information

• Share pictures and files

• See calendar items

• Sign up to volunteer

• Schedule parent-teacher conferences

• and much more . . . all in one centralized place!

Parents—Getting Started Video

All district and school, grade level and classroom information for next school year will be sent to your computer or phone via email and/or text. For even more convenience, download the ParentSquare app (available for free for iOS and Android devices).

Have questions? Click the question mark in the top right corner of the desktop version or the Help tab on the app (tap the triple bar icon at the top left) to find answers to most of your questions.

We are asking parents to go ahead and download the ParentSquare app to be ready for next school year!

5723 Meeks

Orange, Texas 77632

409-886-2838

Sarah St. John, Principal

sstjohn@lcmcisd.org

Brittany Lalonde, Assistant Principal

blalonde@lcmcisd.org

Sydney Carr, Counselor

scarr@lcmcisd.org

Lisa Fisher, Secretary

lfisher@lcmcisd.org

Bianca Sanchez, Registrar

bsanchez@lcmcisd.org

Misty Coleman, Nurse

mcoleman@lcmcisd.org

Meagan Washburn, At-Risk Coordinator

mwashburn@lcmcisd.org

Tammi Halliburton, Librarian

thalliburton@lcmcisd.org