Lake Grove Elementary

Dear Lake Grove Families,

Thank you for attending Back to School Night on Wednesday! It was so wonderful to have that adult connection. We know that your partnership in support of these amazing children is critical to our success and we're so grateful!

Below I've included the video introduction that all teachers shared in case you missed it. This version also includes short introductions from our amazing specials teachers: Ms. Hotz (music), Mr. Irwin (STEM), and Mr. Sondelski (PE).

We look forward to connecting again at Parent-Teacher conferences in a few weeks.

Be well,

Principal Knapp

This year’s National Red Ribbon Week theme is:

Drug Free Looks Like Me™

Red Ribbon Week is the nation’s oldest and largest drug prevention awareness program. Red Ribbon Week is a drug prevention campaign that started in 1985 to honor the courageous work of DEA agent Enrique Camarena. People began wearing red ribbons to support and pledge to lead drug free lives in honor of the sacrifices that Enrique made for our country.

Red Ribbon Week is a national initiative to increase drug awareness and prevention among school children. By participating in Red Ribbon Week, students are encouraged to speak out in support of healthy choices. This year’s theme is a reminder that by staying drug free, you are sending a message to yourself and others about how much you value yourself, your overall health, your community and your future.

The Lake Grove School community is encouraged to honor Red Ribbon Week

by participating in the following Spirit Day activities:

Monday, October 25: “Creative Connections”

Lake Grove students will participate in a school-wide art project. Grovers can get creative and share the message of saying no to drugs in a fun way.

Tuesday, October 26: “I'm RED-y to Say No to Drugs!”

See how much RED you can wear from head to shoe to show you’re proud to be DRUG-FREE!

Wednesday, October 27: “Hocus Pocus! Healthy Choices are our focus!”

Wear a school appropriate Halloween costume (No weapons or blood & no face coverings other than your CDC approved mask.)

Thank you all for your continued patience and flexibility as we have had to cancel several bus routes this week.

Beginning Monday we will have a crossing guard on Quarry and Douglas at dismissal to help students cross safely and to remind drivers to follow the traffic rules. Remember that Douglas is a two way street, even though entry to Lake Grove can only happen from Quarry (not from Boones Ferry). Please do not drive in the oncoming traffic lane.

Also please continue to pull all the way forward to the orange cones for loading/unloading.

Lastly, if you need to get out of your car to help your children load or unload, please ask for a parking pass, and park and walk (at a crosswalk) to pick up your children.

Thank you for your cooperation as we work to get all the students to and from school safely and speedily.

Dear Lake Grove Families,

This month, we are talking about the social-emotional skill of EMPATHY. During our SEL time, we will be referencing the following definition:

EMPATHY: the ability to understand and connect to the feelings of another.

EMPATHY is a crucial skill for being in a community with others and a powerful skill to develop in personal and professional relationships. We are focusing on a few key components of EMPATHY: knowing how we feel (and having the language to describe those feelings), understanding what others are feeling, and listening to others well so we can connect in more meaningful ways.

We will reflect on powerful images which will inspire conversations about emotions, connection, and friendship. We will learn about incredible people and what they have to say about EMPATHY. Most importantly, we will celebrate what makes us different and learn about the amazing things that bring us together.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I can be reached at postw@loswego.k12.or.us or 503-534-2357. For your reference, here are links for extension activities you may wish to explore further as a family:

K-2 Empathy Parent Letter (English) K-2 Empathy Parent Letter (En Español )

3-5 Empathy Parent Letter (English) 3-5 Empathy Parent Letter (En Español )

What are the signs of Dyslexia?

Dyslexia is a common condition that affects the way the brain processes written and spoken language. It can be associated with trouble reading, but it also can affect writing, spelling and even speaking. Many children have one or two of these issues on occasion. But kids with dyslexia have several of these issues, and they don’t go away.

Here are some signs to look for:

Preschool, Kindergarten, & First Grade:

Difficulties:

• Difficulty learning (and remembering) the names of letters in the alphabet

• Seems unable to recognize letters in his/her own name

• Mispronounces familiar words; persistent “baby talk”

• Trouble learning common nursery rhymes

• Doesn’t recognize rhyming patterns like cat, bat, rat

• A family history of reading and/or spelling difficulties (dyslexia often runs in families)

• Reading errors that show no connection to the sounds of the letters on the page—will say “puppy” instead of the written word “dog” on a page with a picture of a dog

• Does not understand that words come apart

• Cannot sound out even simple words like cat, map, nap

• Does not associate letters with sounds, such as the letter b with the “b” sound

• Complains about how hard reading is; “disappears” when it is time to read

• A history of reading problems in parents or siblings

Strengths

• Curiosity

• Great imagination

• Ability to figure things out; gets the gist of things

• Eager embrace of new ideas

• A good understanding of new concepts

• Surprising maturity

• A larger vocabulary than typical for age group

• Enjoys solving puzzles

• Talent for building models

• Excellent comprehension of stories read or told to him

Second Grade through High School:

Reading

• Very slow in acquiring reading skills. Reading is slow and awkward

• Trouble reading unfamiliar words, often making wild guesses because cannot sound out the word

• Has a tough time sounding out unfamiliar words

• Avoids reading out loud

• Gets tripped up by word problems in math

School and Life

• Trouble remembering dates, names, telephone numbers, random lists

• Struggles to finish tests on time

• Extreme difficulty learning a foreign language

• Poor spelling

• Messy handwriting

• Low self-esteem that may not be immediately visible

Speaking

• Searches for a specific word and ends up using vague language, such as “stuff” or “thing,” without naming the object

• Pauses, hesitates, and/or uses lots of “um’s” when speaking

• Confuses words that sound alike, such as saying “tornado” for “volcano,” substituting “lotion” for “ocean”

• Mispronunciation of long, unfamiliar or complicated words

• Seems to need extra time to respond to questions

Strengths

• Excellent thinking skills: conceptualization, reasoning, imagination, abstraction

• Learning that is accomplished best through meaning rather than rote memorization

• Ability to get the “big picture”

• A high level of understanding of what is read to him/her/they

• The ability to read and to understand at a high level overlearned (or highly practiced) words in a special area of interest

• Improvement as an area of interest becomes more specialized and focused—and a miniature vocabulary is developed that allows for reading in that subject area

• A surprisingly sophisticated listening vocabulary

• Excels in areas not dependent on reading, such as math, computers and visual arts, or in more conceptual (versus fact-driven) subjects, including philosophy, biology, social studies, neuroscience and creative writing

If you have questions or concerns regarding your child’s learning, please contact the school principal and/or literacy specialist. Another great parent resource would be to contact your school’s Student Services Parent Advisory Committee (SSPAC) representative. Please see here to learn how to contact your school representative.

We had our first week of participation in the OHSU COVID-19 Student Screening program.

If you are choosing to participate, please see the email from Mary Kay Larson from this morning for more information. If you have any school or district questions about the program, please email: covidstudenttesting@loswego.k12.or.us.

Hello LOSD Families,

Each student must have a Technology Consent form on file each year.

The District is once again offering a Device Damage and Loss Protection Plan to ease the financial obligation if your student's District Device is damaged or lost.

When you fill out the Tech Consent form, you will "accept" or "decline" participation in the Protection Plan. The cost is $20 per student, with a family maximum of $60. Participation in the program is completely optional. Fee waivers are available for those with financial need.

Click HERE to directly access the 2021-2022 Technology Consent form.

Please fill out one form per student. Payment instructions will be communicated to participating families. For a complete description of the Device Damage and Loss Protection Program, please visit the District's website at https://www.losdschools.org/Page/7761

Fee waiver forms can be accessed here: https://www.losdschools.org/domain/1838 Please mail the completed form to:

Lake Oswego School District Office

c/o James Miller

PO Box 70

Lake Oswego, OR 97034

Thank you,

Computer Network Services

Do you have gently-used clothing or shoes that your child has outgrown? Lake Grove would be happy to accept donations for our health room. We are in particular need of pants and shoes.

If you wish to donate, we kindly request that you let the office know ahead of time by calling 503-534-2357 or emailing Annika Nicholas at nicholaa@loswego.k12.or.us. We know many people might be eager to donate, and this will help us plan accordingly! Thank you!

In order to ensure equitable opportunities, all second and third-grade students will be assessed this fall using the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT) to screen for intellectual ability and eligibility for Talented and Gifted (TAG) support. This 60-minute in-classroom assessment measures reasoning and problem-solving skills in three different areas: verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal. Each area is designed to evaluate specific reasoning skills that strongly correlate to academic success. The district’s testing window for the CogAT screener will be October 11 through November 12.

If your child will be absent, please email your student's teacher and copy the office at lgattendance@loswego.k12.or.us. Please list the date your child will be absent and any illness symptoms. You may also call us at 503-534-2357, or leave a voicemail on the 24-hour attendance line at 503-534-2299.

Giving Week 10/18-10/22

Red Ribbon Week 10/25-10/27

10/22 - Early Dismissal 11am

10/28-29 No School - Conferences

11/5 School Portrait Make Up Day

11/11 Veterans Day - No School

GIVING WEEK STARTS MONDAY

Grovers are invited to give back to the planet and give back to your community! Giving Week is sponsored by the PTA’s Community Building and Social Responsibility committee in partnership with Lake Grove Food Friends (our school’s newly formed food bank led by Wendy Post). The week helps students focus on giving back to their community.

Join us to bring donated non-perishable food items and gently used or new clothing to your classroom.

ALL WEEK: Walk and Bike to school to show your love to our planet and our beautiful community!

Oct 18 Macaroni & Mitten Monday - Bring any pasta item and mittens

Oct 19 Tutti-Frutti Tuesday - Bring any canned fruits and vegetables and warm hats

Oct 20 Warm Wednesday - Bring canned soups and crackers, coats and jackets

Oct 21 Thursday/Rainday - Bring beans and rice and rain gear (raincoats, boots)

Oct 22 Friday Fun Day - Donate ANY non-perishable food item and ANY clothing item and join the lake Grove PTA. https://lgs.ejoinme.org/2021PTA

Questions about Giving Week? Contact lakegrovepta@gmail.com.

DINE AT MOD PIZZA AND RAISE MONEY FOR OUR SCHOOL ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21

Take a break from cooking on October 21 and raise funds for Lake Grove Elementary at MOD Pizza’s Lake O location in Kruse Village! Lunch, afternoon snack, dinner—you name it, we earn money for PTA programs all day. You must mention you are there for the Lake Grove fundraiser and 20% of the sales will be donated to our school. Questions? Email lakegrovepta@gmail.com.

OREGON BATTLE OF THE BOOKS IS COMING TO LAKE GROVE

The Lake Grove PTA will support 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students who want to participate in Oregon Battle of the Books (OBOB) for the 2021-2022 school year.

What is OBOB? Students read the OBOB books, discuss them, quiz each other on the contents, and then compete in teams to correctly answer questions based on the books in a "quiz show" format. Teams may participate at local, district, regional, and state levels of competition. OBOB's mission is to encourage and recognize students who enjoy reading, broaden reading interests, increase reading comprehension, promote academic excellence, and promote cooperative learning and teamwork among students. Fourth grade teacher, Staci Laird; school librarian, Paula Hahn; and PTA volunteer, Erin Courtney will lead the OBOB effort for Lake Grove. Parent volunteers supporting individual teams will be recruited after teams are formed.

What books do I read? Here is the list. As a team, figure out a way to read the 16 books on this year’s list. Sometimes all team members read all books, and sometimes teams divide up the books so that 1-2 people read each book.

How do I make a team? Form your own team of four or five students in third, fourth or fifth grade, or contact lakegrovepta@gmail.com to be placed on a team. Due to current covid-19 restrictions, students are required to practice virtually or masked and 6 feet apart and all competitions are being held virtually. Once the program gets started, OBOB teams will practice with Ms. Laird and Miss Paula one time per week during lunch.

How do I sign up? Families must submit their request by email to lakegrovepta@gmail.com by Wednesday, October 27.

Any other questions? Contact lakegrovepta@gmail.com.

VIRTUAL BOOK FAIR STARTS TODAY!
Visit the Fair HERE between October 15-28. You & your kids can enjoy a "virtual experience" shopping as you would in person, exploring titles and plots and discovering inspiring characters or opt for the traditional online format. Bring on the joy of reading while supporting Lake Grove—every dollar you spend will benefit our school directly with 25% back to us in book rewards! Check out teacher wish lists HERE at the top of the book fair home page!

The online store offers virtual & online shopping:

• Access to over 6,000 items, including new releases, best sellers, and value packs
• All orders ship direct to home; FREE shipping on book-only orders over $25
• Many Books available in SPANISH (Shop by Format & Subject/Spanish Language)

SEEKING A VOLUNTEER TO LEAD CULTURE TRAVEL

Have you traveled to a faraway land and become mesmerized by the different landscapes, food, music, festivals and art? Please share your experiences with our kiddos! Let’s travel together, virtually, and enjoy a moment of discovery, culture and joy! Please contact us to learn more about the Culture Travel program and find out how you can help students learn about the world. Together with our volunteer, the PTA will select one country to explore in-depth. Recent culture travel experiences have taken kids to Ethiopia, Mexico, Canada and Australia…where will we go next? Email lakegrovepta@gmail.com to help out.

DESIGN THE 2021-22 YEARBOOK COVER

We are excited to announce the Lake Grove Elementary Yearbook Cover Design Contest. It’s easy and fun!

Download and print the yearbook cover template. Please include your name, grade, and teacher on page 2. Design and draw a picture that represents what you think this year will be like at Lake Grove. Please include the school name and 2021-2022. Consider the following concepts in your art:

• Friendship
• Persistence
• Kindness
• Creativity
• Collaboration
• Empathy

Drop your finished cover in the vestibule in the contest mailbox by Monday, November 15.

Students will receive a survey to vote for their favorite cover in November after all artwork is submitted. The favorite drawing from each grade will be featured on the cover. All submissions will be included in the yearbook. The Yearbook Club invites teachers to submit covers as well. Questions? Email 2122LGEYearbook@gmail.com.

LO SCHOOL BOND: LAWN SIGNS AVAILABLE FOR PICK UP AT LAKE GROVE

If you’d like to show your support for the LO School Bond by placing a lawn sign on your property, pick up a sign next time you’re at school. Signs should not be placed on city property or any public right of way, but they would sure look nice on your lawn! Visit https://buildinggreatloschools.com/ or LOSD School Bond Measure 3-577 / School Bond Measure 3-577 (losdschools.org) to learn more about the bond.

ORDER SPIRIT WEAR BY NOVEMBER 2

Show your school spirit in a Lake Grove t-shirt or hoodie! Need a back-up mask? We’ve got you covered with Lake Grove Spirit Wear. Paper forms are coming home with students very soon! Or, download and print your own PDF. Return completed forms with your student or drop them off in the front office with your personal check. Orders due by Tuesday, November 2.

At Lake Grove, we are an inclusive school community fostering social, emotional, and academic growth for all students.

Website: https://www.losdschools.org/lg
Location: 15777 Boones Ferry Road, Lake Oswego, OR, United States
Phone: 503-534-2357