LCE September Newsletter
LCE: A Great Place to Be!
A Note from the Principal
Little Cypress Elementary Families,
It has been great to have all of our students back on campus! Our teachers have been starting the year strong by practicing school procedures and reinforcing expectations with your students. We have started reinforcing positive behaviors through our PBIS tickets and drawings. Be on the lookout for our weekly winner pictures on our LCE Facebook page!
As we get into our curriculum, I encourage you to work with your child on their homework each day. Although homework is not required, it is strongly encouraged as it reinforces the concepts that are learned in class. Practicing math facts and reading with your child daily also reinforces foundational skills and builds fluency in both math and reading.
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
LCE September Calendar
Did you know that September is Attendance Awareness Month?
Addressing chronic absence is a key component of improving graduation rates, increasing academic achievement, and giving young people the best chance at success in their adult life. Join the Attendance Awareness Campaign and make a difference in your community. http://bit.ly/1oqflD7
LCM Football Games
The LCM Bear football season has begun! LCE/LCI students who attend games must be with a parent or guardian. Students should remain with their parent/guardian throughout the game. Please do not leave children unattended or allow them to run and play under the bleachers or around the stadium grounds.
Beginning of Year Testing
All LCE students are taking Beginning of the Year assessments. Each grade level takes their tests on different days, and we have adjusted our curriculum calendars to ensure that as little time as possible is taken for testing. We want to maximize our instructional days.
Please ensure that your student is on time and present this month. After testing is complete, we will share testing results with families.
Click the link below to get a little more information about our beginning of year testing for grades kindergarten through third grade.
Family Orientation Night
Once the school year starts, if you still have some questions about Little Cypress Elementary, our Family Orientation Night is a great opportunity for you to come get an overview of the campus and get your questions answered.
Park in the back of the campus and enter through the cafeteria doors.
Administrators will go over some campus basics and then be available for questions.
Teachers will not be available this evening.
Please schedule a conference with your child's teacher if you have individual questions about their class.
**Parents of students in our first grade through third grade PLUS classes are invited to stay after Family Orientation for a PLUS class informational meeting in their child's classroom.
Fall Picture Day
LCE Fall pictures will be taken on September 10th. Be on the lookout for more information about how to order pictures.
LCE is a Title 1 School
Title 1 is a federal education program that supports low income students throughout the nation. Funds are distributed to high poverty schools, as determined by the number of students who qualify for free or reduced lunch. The funds can be used to hire additional teachers or teaching assistants, to provide computers or software, to fund before, after, and summer school programs, and to purchase additional materials or equipment.
LCE is considered a Title 1 school because of the percentage of our students who qualify for free or reduced lunch and breakfast.
LCE will hold a meeting on Thursday, September 12th to give parents more information about the LCE Title 1 program and services. Parents may attend in person at 9:00 a.m. in the LCE cafeteria or via a live steam link shared on the LCE Facebook page.
A Note from Nurse Coleman
Welcome back to a wonderful 24-25 school year!
I would like to share some tips for staying healthy as we are enjoying our days together.
*Encourage good hand hygiene
*Cover your cough/sneeze
*Don't share hats, jackets, hair accessories, etc.
*Encourage a well-rounded diet
*Please report confirmed cases of Strep, Flu or Covid to Nurse Coleman
*District policy for fever: The student must be fever free for 24 hours without fever reducing medication before returning to school.
*District COVID policy: The student must be fever free for 24 hours without medication and you must show significant symptom improvement to be able to return.
LCE hearing and vision screenings began at the end of August but will continue for Pre-K, Kindergarten, and Special Education classes on September 3rd and 4th.
Again, welcome back LCE families and please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.
A Note from Counselor Sydney Carr
Last month I introduced myself to all students, and this month, our counseling focus is on identifying emotions.
We are excited that our campus master schedule includes Morning Meeting times for each grade level, and we will utilize that time this month to focus on our emotions.
If your student is in need of a visit to see me, please fill out the counseling referral form linked below.
Car Line Procedures
Morning Drop Off
Afternoon Pick Up
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.
Bus Rider Information
Changes? Call Transportation at 670-4601 by 1:30 p.m.
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.
All students are eligible for FREE breakfast and lunch this year.
Upcoming Lunch Visitor Schedule
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 September 2nd: Kindergarten and ECSE
The week of September 9th: 1st grade
The week of September 16th: 2nd grade and Life Skills Grades 1-3
The week of September 23rd: 3rd grade
The week of September 30th: Pre-K
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.
Dress Code
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!
Little Cypress Elementary Contacts
5723 Meeks
Orange, Texas 77632
409-886-2838
Sarah St. John, Principal
Brittany Lalonde, Assistant Principal
Sydney Carr, Counselor
Lisa Fisher, Secretary
Bianca Sanchez, Registrar
Misty Coleman, Nurse
Meagan Washburn, At-Risk Coordinator
Tammi Halliburton, Librarian