Lawton Families,

What a great start to the year we are having! Our new arrival procedure on the playground is going great, and we appreciate all the families who have paid the Student Supply fee so far this month! Our classes are busy working on the first units of study in all subjects (including Music and PE), and we have given our first WAVE winner recognitions at our weekly school-wide Wednesday assembly this week!

Our 4th and 5th grade students learned about the options for Wednesday clubs this week, and all of our students have been to the library and have been issued their iPads or laptops for use at school. Lunches and recesses are going great, and our support staff, including counseling, multi-language learning, Academic Intervention, and Special Education have created their schedules for working with students this fall. We even had our first Emergency Drill last Friday – a required evacuation conducted by the Magnolia Fire Station – and our students did an amazing job leaving the building and lining up on the playground.

We have lots of great events coming up at Lawton too! Today we have a visiting author speaking to classes about her books, and next week we have School Pictures, Open House and the PTA Back to School Bash (details below)! In October our PTA will start their After School Enrichment, Art Docent Programs, and Direct Drive, as well as getting Room Parent communications going through Konstella. We’re off and running!

Dina Clagg, Principal

Please see the attached flyer for picture ordering information. We will take both the class picture and individual student pictures on the following days:

Thursday, Sept. 25

McDonagh, Lundgren, Conner, Noel, Soccorsy, Wong, Hafzalla, Swartzman, Grellner

Friday, Sept. 26

Dominguez, Via, Polik, Bakker, Leache

PTA After School Enrichment Programs

The PTA is proud to offer our After School Enrichment program at Lawton. Starting in October, a variety of classes that promote creativity, athleticism, and skill building are available to your children Monday thru Thursday afternoons. Class information and registration can be researched at 6Crickets.com Registration opens September 23rd at 7:00am, classes fill up quickly. Scholarships are available if needed, please email afterschoolprograms@lawtonelementary.org to request.

SPS Vaccine Clinics

Seattle Public Schools is partnering with the Seattle Visiting Nurse Association to offer flu vaccines to anyone age four to adult; and COVID-19 vaccines to anyone age five to adult. SVNA clinics require insurance (most insurance accepted) or payment. See upcoming dates and how to register here: https://www.seattleschools.org/departments/health-services/vaccine-clinics/

How to Avoid Losing Student Belongings at School

We have collected a good amount of items in the Lost and Found already, and it is so easy to reunite coats, sweatshirts, lunch boxes and water bottles with their owners when the items are labelled. Please label all outdoor clothing and food/drink items you send to school to avoid them ending up in the Lost and Found!

Tuesday, October 7th is Bike, Walk, or Roll to School Day!

Join the Lawton community in celebrating this fun and active event. Encourage your student to participate and help reduce pollution and traffic congestion—plus, it’s a great way to start the day energized and ready to learn! Stickers and prizes will be handed out to participants—don’t miss out!

November Family Conferences and Thanksgiving Break

Just a note for your planning – students in Elementary School Only have no school the entire week of November 24 – 28. Students in Secondary School in SPS do not have 11/24-26 off.

Nov. 24-26 is set aside for Family Conferences, followed by the Thanksgiving holiday (and day after) off school. We expect all families of our students to sign up for an in-person teacher conference during this time, as fall conferences are an essential part of our collaboration with you, our families, and our staff in providing the best educational experience possible for all of our students.

September 22 – October 17, 2025

9/25: Lawton Open House (4:30-5:30pm) and PTA Back to School Bash (5-7pm)

9/25 & 9/26: School Picture Days (teachers will communicate which day for their class)

10/3: School Spirit Day – Tropical Getaway

10/9: Principal Coffee for Families (8:00am)

10/10: NO SCHOOL (Teacher In-Service Day)

10/20: PTA Fundraising Direct Drive Starts

SPS Approved Volunteers – Change in Procedure!

As of October 1, 2025, only individuals recruited by SPS to directly support SPS personnel and SPS-sponsored activities may apply to and act as a volunteer in SPS schools. The volunteer application process is now as follows:

1. An SPS staff member invites a person connected to our school to a specific volunteer role/position by emailing them tasks to complete. This is for all volunteer work inside the school and each instance of a field trip throughout the year.

2. If the volunteer is currently approved to volunteer, move to step 3. If the volunteer is a first time volunteer or needs to renew their application, they will be sent the link to the volunteer application.

3. The completed (or previously approved) volunteer application is sent to the school for vetting. The staff member who invited the person to volunteer will reach out when the application is approved and ready to go.

4. Approved volunteers are loaded into the on-line volunteer kiosk system located by the Main Office and only approved volunteers will be able to volunteer in the school and must check in using the kiosk.

Please connect with Lawton staff for a volunteer invitation if you have a pre-arranged, regular or established volunteer role so that staff person can invite you to get set up in the kiosk system.

Lawton PTA

Our amazing PTA makes our lovely neighborhood school a vibrant and thriving community! Please, please make sure you join the Lawton PTA Konstella platform so you can get Room Parent communication, info about PTA events and opportunities, and stay up to date on what is happening with your child’s class and our family community. The PTA supports student enrichment, class size reduction, Jump Start, arts and STEM education, Family Events, and so much more – and there are so many ways for you to be part of the PTA, including through volunteering, donating to their fund raising, and joining the PTA as a member.