THURSDAY EXCHANGE NEWSLETTER

Website: lifeschool.net
Location: 777 South Interstate 35 East Service Road, Red Oak, TX, USA
Phone: 469-552-9200
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LifeRedOak

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lsromustangs/

Parents & Families,

We had a fantastic week of benchmark testing! Thank you for making sure your child came to campus prepared and ready to do their best.

As we approach the final week of the 3rd nine weeks and get closer to Spring Break, we encourage our students to stay focused and continue working hard throughout the spring semester.

We hope you are enjoying this beautiful weather and have a wonderful three-day weekend!

Important Arrival Reminders:

For the safety of all students, please follow these drop-off procedures:

• Do not park on the church side—this creates a hazardous situation where children must walk through traffic.
• All students must be dropped off in the designated drop-off lines—not in the parking lot.
• Walking through the parking lot is unsafe with moving vehicles. Please use the drop-off lines to ensure a safe arrival for everyone.

Thank you for helping us keep our students safe! 💙

Spring Break Soccer Camp at LMSW

A Spring Break soccer camp will be hosted by the South City Athletic Club at the LMSW grass field over spring break. Click here for details. Discount code for Life students: LIFEPLYR

Nominate an Outstanding Teacher or Staff Member

We love celebrating our amazing teachers and staff. The District is accepting nominations for teachers and staff to receive a LifeLeader Award at our annual end of year awards ceremony. Help us celebrate our amazing teachers and staff by submitting a nomination by March 31st: LifeLeader Nominations

Dyslexia and Related Disorders

The Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) requires, through their rule at 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §74.28(f), that each school district and open-enrollment charter school provide certain information about dyslexia and related disorders to parents of students enrolled in the district or school. Please click here for more information. (Spanish)

Texas Academic Performance Reports (TAPR)

The campus and district Texas Academic Performance Reports (TAPR) are available on the TEA public website https://tea.texas.gov/perfreport/tapr/index.html , and does not include A–F ratings or Distinction Designations at this time. The TAPR pull together a wide range of information on the performance of students in each school and district in Texas every year. Performance is shown disaggregated by student groups, including ethnicity and socioeconomic status. The reports also provide extensive information on school and district staff, programs, and student demographics.

District and Campus Federal Report Cards

District and Campus Federal Report Cards are now available on our website. Please click one of the links below to view the parent notification letter which gives an explanation of the information provided in the report card.

Parent Letter (English)
Parent Letter (Spanish)

February 27-Science Benchmark (Grade 5) | Makeup Testing for Math Benchmark (Grades 3, 4, & 6) No Campus Visitors

February 27-Birthday Thursday/$3 Free dress Day

February 28-No School for Students or Staff

March 1-31-Texas History Month

March 2-8-Educational Diagnosticians’ Week

March 6-End of the 3rd Nine Weeks

March 7-No School for Students or Staff

March 10-14-Spring Break

March 13-Cici's Waxahachie Spirit Night

March 17-Beginning of the 4th Nine Weeks

March 20-Report Cards available to parents in Parent Portal

March 21-Staff Development, No School for Students

In light of a recent incident that occurred at our campus, we want to take this opportunity to encourage families to start an open and supportive conversation with their children about safety and the importance of speaking up when something feels wrong. Whether it’s witnessing threats, mistreatment, or dangerous behavior, it is vital that children know when and how to share their concerns with trusted adults. To assist in this process, we will be developing age-appropriate training and discussion materials for our students, helping them better understand how to identify and respond to unsafe situations. Together, we can create a safer environment for our children by fostering a culture of awareness, responsibility, and open communication.

1. Keep the Conversation Open and Non-Judgmental:

• Let your child know that they can talk to you or a trusted staff member about anything without fear of punishment or judgment. Emphasize that their feelings and thoughts are valid, and that it's important to share concerns.

• Ensure that your child understands it’s okay to feel unsure or scared, but they can still reach out for help.

2. Use Simple and Age-Appropriate Language:

• Tailor the conversation based on their age and understanding. Younger children might need simpler examples, like explaining that if they see something dangerous, they should immediately tell an adult.

• For older children or teenagers, discussions can be a bit more complex, focusing on how to recognize warning signs and how to appropriately report threats to trusted adults or authorities.

3. Discuss the Importance of Safety:

• Reinforce that speaking up is important for everyone’s safety. Explain that sharing information could prevent harm or danger to themselves or others.

• Emphasize that by telling an adult or a trusted authority figure, they’re taking an active role in keeping themselves and their peers safe.

4. Teach Specific Scenarios:

• Provide examples or role-playing exercises to show what to look for (e.g., weapons, bullying, certain social media posts, or strange behaviors) and how to react.

• Discuss who they can talk to in different situations (teachers, school counselors, or a parent) and how they should report things they see or hear that feel unsafe.

5. Explain Reporting Methods:

• Let your child know that there are different ways to report concerns, like talking directly to an adult or writing a note to an adult.

• Encourage them to feel empowered to speak up, but also acknowledge that it’s okay to need support to figure out the best way to do so.

6. Reassure and Address Fears:

• Children might be afraid of retaliation or being seen as a "tattle tell." Reassure them that speaking out helps to protect everyone, and that telling an adult about a problem helps to find a solution.

• Discuss the potential consequences of staying silent, such as how threats or unsafe situations can escalate.

7. Discuss Trustworthy Adults:

• Teach your child how to identify trusted adults (parents, teachers, school staff, or a relative). Reassure them that no matter the issue, trusted adults are there to help.

• Remind them that it's not just about talking to you, but also about reaching out to other safe adults in their school or community if needed.

8. Revisit the Topic Regularly:

• Keep the conversation going. Checking in with your child every so often about how they feel regarding safety, threats, or mistreatment can help reinforce the message.

• Encourage them to share what’s going on in their world, whether it's related to school, friends, or social media.

9. Empower the Child with Confidence:

• Empower your child to believe in their own ability to make safe decisions and to help others who might be in trouble.

• Let them know that they have the power to make a positive difference in their school or community by being aware and willing to speak up.

10. Model Behavior:

• Show your child through your own actions how important it is to report concerns or unsafe situations. This could mean modeling how to speak to others respectfully or telling them about a time you reported something to help someone.

By creating an open line of communication and making sure your child feels supported, they’ll be better prepared to handle tough situations and understand that speaking out when they notice something concerning is not only the right thing to do, but an essential part of building a safer environment for all.

We want to inform you that The Oaks Church has began construction on a new park area. As a result, Life School will implement minor adjustments to arrival and dismissal procedures.

Please read below for further details, and thank you for your patience and cooperation during this time.

Construction Area

As indicated by the orange and black lines, construction at The Oaks Church will begin next week. During this time, families will not have access to park on The Oaks Church property and walk.

As a reminder, all students must be dropped off and picked up through our designated arrival and dismissal lines.

Front Arrival & Dismissal

As construction begins at The Oaks Church next week, we will be adjusting the exiting lanes at the front arrival and dismissal location. The construction area will block off three parking lanes and one exit lane.

Our arrival and dismissal staff will be on-site to help direct traffic and ensure a smooth process. Please follow their guidance to navigate to the correct exiting lanes.

Back Exiting Lanes-Light Blue Lines

As you may have noticed, a new exit lane has opened on the south side of the property. Families are welcome to use this lane for exiting only; however, please note that Life School staff and families are not permitted to use it as an entrance.

To ensure a smooth traffic flow, we kindly ask that families take turns merging onto Oaks Blvd with other exiting traffic from Life School.

We do not anticipate any major inconveniences with these adjustments, but we kindly ask all drivers to remain alert, be patient, and show kindness during arrival and dismissal.

Your cooperation helps ensure a smooth and safe process for everyone. Thank you for your support!

For the full policy, please refer to the Student & Parent Handbook.

Arrival & Tardies

• Students should arrive between 7:15 a.m. and 7:40 a.m.
• Tardies begin at 7:45 a.m.
• Students arriving after this time will be marked with an unexcused tardy unless appropriate documentation is provided.
• Frequent tardiness can interfere with learning and impact attendance records, which may lead to disciplinary measures. Please ensure students arrive on time each day.

Absence Cutoff

• Students not on campus at 10:00 a.m. will be recorded as absent.

• Dismissal begins at 4:00 p.m.
• Students checked out before that time will be marked with an unexcused early release unless appropriate documentation is provided.
• Frequent early checkouts can interfere with learning and impact attendance records, which may lead to disciplinary measures. Please limit early departures when possible.

Documentation for Absences, Tardies & Early Releases

• A parent note alone does not excuse an absence, tardy, or early release.
• A note from a provider (e.g., doctor, dentist, therapist) specifying the excused dates is required. Any dates not specified in the note will be considered unexcused.

• Providing falsified documentation for attendance purposes is a serious violation and will not be tolerated. Any attempt to submit a forged doctor’s note will result in the absence remaining unexcused and may lead to further disciplinary action. Additionally, such matters may be escalated to the appropriate authorities for review.
• For non-illness-related absences, refer to the handbook for specific documentation requirements.

Nurse-Directed Absences

• If a student is sent home by the nurse with instructions not to return until they have been symptom-free for 24 hours without medication, parents must still report the absences for it to be excused.

Reporting Absences

• Report absences and submit documentation using the “Report an Absence” button in the Thursday Exchange newsletter or on the Life School Red Oak website under the Parent section.
• Absences can also be reported via email at attendance.lsro@lifeschools.net.
• Documentation may also be submitted to the front office.
• Please use only one designated method to submit absence information.

Tracking Attendance

• Parents can monitor attendance records through the Parent Portal, which can help to maintain compliance with the attendance policy.
• Please allow up to three school days for records to be updated, as workload demands may occasionally cause delays.

• Shout-out to all of the arrival staff who have braved the bitter cold this week and ensured our kiddos are safe on the way inside!
• Ms. Swodeck consistently demonstrates exceptional teaching skills by inspiring students to learn, creating a fun and engaging classroom environment, going above and beyond to support students, and overall great communication, all while earning the respect and admiration of students and parents. I am happy to have her as my son's teacher!

We would like to recognize LSRO staff for all the amazing things that they do each day for our students. If you have someone that you would like to brag about, please fill out this form and we will share the Shout Outs through the weekly Thursday Exchange.

Want to submit a staff shout out? Click here: Staff Shout-Outs!!!! (Google Form)

Every day we have Life Habits time that is focused on building social, emotional and behavioral skills. Each week we will post Life Habits conversation starters in our newsletter that are aligned with the Life Habits lessons from the week. We will also have signs in the pick up line for you to access the questions of the week. We hope you enjoy hearing about what your child is learning at school.

During morning announcements, we will focus on one LifeLeader Attribute each week and learn what we need to do to develop each attribute so that we can become effective leaders in our school and in our community. We encourage students and families to memorize these statements together and talk about how the attribute is exhibited at home, school and work. We will share the I Will statement in the weekly newsletter and on our campus Facebook page. We look forward to hearing how students are exhibiting the attributes at school and home. Click here to view all 15 LifeLeader attributes.

All households need to complete the Free and Reduced Price School Meal Application each school year, even if your child does not purchase school meals. The application is available throughout the school year and available to complete again should your family have a change in income or additional family members in the household.

Click here to view the breakfast and lunch menus.

Breakfast is served each day from 7:15-7:45.

Loralei Hoggard-February 2nd

To view staff favorites, click here.

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