Principal Communication

From: Allison Deno Last week, Governor Inslee signed an emergency proclamation intending to ensure all students across the state have the option of some in-person learning. This week, the District and Seattle Education Association (SEA) reached a Tentative Agreement, setting in motion plans to offer an in-person hybrid learning model starting Monday, April 5th. We recognize this creates a range of emotions among families and staff. Lawton is beginning to plan based on what we see in the Tentative Agreement, recognizing that both SEA and the School Board must ratify the agreement before it’s final. This is a fast timeline with a lot of moving parts and communication pieces coming at families. I want to share the below information so that

It was so nice to have students back in class this week. As we move into March, we are excited about a couple of all-school art and literacy initiatives: Women’s History Art Lesson. In celebration of Women’s History Month, Lawton Dolphins will be creating planet mosaics inspired by the art of Alma Thomas and the space exploration of Mae Jamison. We are grateful to our arts committee for offering this shared learning experience for all students. Look for project supplies in your March learning packet.March Madness – Battle of the Books. This month we’re celebrating fabulous picture books. Check out this New York Times article on the joys and benefits picture books for all ages. All students are invited to participate in a “March Madness” bracket tournament

Happy (almost) Valentine’s Day! We hope next week’s mid-winter break gives you quality time with the ones you love. We look forward to seeing students back in class on Monday, February 22nd.  February is an in-between time in each school year – celebrating the solid relationships between students and teachers and evidence of learning and growth while we make plans for the year to come. Last week we hosted tours for families planning to join the Lawton community in the fall and we are now in the midst of our budget and planning cycle for next year. Community Budget Survey (please complete by February 26th) Lawton Elementary and the Lawton PTA start their budgeting processes at this time

This week is National School Counseling Week. Our school counselor, Erica Barry, provides a wide range of supports at Lawton. She serves as a liaison for families in need, provides social emotional learning instruction in our classrooms, hosts lunch bunch and social friendship groups, and meets individually with students. Her work is a key component to Lawton’s systems of support for students and families. We are so appreciative of Ms. Barry’s support for our Lawton Dolphins and the Lawton PTA’s financial support of this position.  Packet and Library Book Pick Up Today for ALL GRADES Library books and paper packets are outside today from 8am to 3pm. Students who redeemed tickets at the WAVE store will find their

Principal Newsletter - January 29, 2021 Next week, Lawton staff and students will join with teachers and students from across the nation to participate in Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action. Ensuring welcoming, student-affirming learning environments has been a focus for our school, families, and district for years. Identity safety (the opportunity for students to see themselves and their culture and history represented) in school is fundamental to this effort. At their board meeting on Wednesday, January 27, 2021, the Seattle School Board unanimously adopted a resolution encouraging district-wide participation in the Black Lives Matter At School Week from February 1-5 and as well as district-wide participation in the Black Lives Matter Year of Purpose 2020-21,

From: Allison Deno <andeno@seattleschools.org>Date: Fri, Nov 13, 2020 at 9:01 AMSubject: Principal Newsletter - November 13, 2020 Each year when November comes and the days get shorter, colder, and wetter it can be difficult to maintain enthusiasm for new learning. This year presents several additional challenges – including Remote Learning. I encourage you and your students to be strength spotters. Take time to discuss with your students what they see as their own areas of success, academic and social. You will learn a little more about what success looks like from their perspective and can use those conversations to support them to apply what works across settings.  Fall Virtual Book Fair on Now Shop online or in person at Secret Garden Books

From: Allison Deno <andeno@seattleschools.org>Date: Fri, Oct 30, 2020 at 9:01 AMSubject: Principal Newsletter - October 30, 2020 Today’s Principal Newsletter has lots of information. Please read on for updates about curriculum night, fall conferences, Thanksgiving meal support and internet safety.   Dolphin Curriculum Connection and Fall Conferences This year, Lawton Elementary is hosting Curriculum Night asynchronously on Flipgrid. We invite you to learn more about our teachers at Lawton and what they are teaching at each grade level this year. This is also where you’ll be able to sign up for conferences. Step 1: Click this link and watch welcome video. Step 2: Go to the “View 8 Topics” dropdown menu to browse videos by grade level. Please note that some grade levels tackled curriculum by subject, and you will learn from each teacher. Remember

From: Allison Deno <andeno@seattleschools.org>Date: Fri, Oct 23, 2020 at 9:01 AMSubject: Principal Newsletter - October 23, 2020 I continue to be amazed by the learning happening at Lawton in our online spaces. From Kindergarten students practicing letter formation and identification – showing their work on the screen as well as in Seesaw – to 5th grade students articulating what mature throwing is in PE and then demonstrating using socks, plastic bags, and even rolled up paper. Remote learning is hard (as Ms. Barry reminded us this week) and at the same time has brought out the innovator in each of us. The Lawton community continues to be dedicated to serving our students. If you missed Ms. Barry’s Parenting in a Pandemic presentation, you can review a summary

From: Allison Deno <andeno@seattleschools.org>Date: Fri, Oct 16, 2020 at 9:02 AMSubject: Principal Newsletter - October 16, 2020 This week saw students and teachers learning about Indigenous People’s Day. Students are learning about contemporary Native Americans and Washington State tribal history. For more information, please feel free to check out these resources on the SPS website. In the coming weeks all families in Seattle Public Schools will be asked to complete a survey sharing their experiences with remote learning. Please share your feedback to help our school and district leaders plan for how best to support students and families during remote learning.  New Meeting Links & Expanded Tech Center Hours Your teachers have likely sent your student new meeting links. We are responding to tech staff

From: Allison Deno <andeno@seattleschools.org>Date: Fri, Oct 9, 2020 at 9:02 AMSubject: Principal Newsletter - October 9, 2020 Thank you for sharing your students with us for another great week of remote learning. Last Friday’s whole school library and packet pick up day was a success. Students now have library books for the next month as well as musical instruments for applying their new music knowledge at home!  This week, Lawton 5th graders Talia Wilson and Naomi Haddad were featured in a Seattle Times article. Inviting and amplifying student voice is a key feature of the work our teachers put into designing engaging instruction for students across content areas. While your students are enjoying a well-deserved day off today, teachers at Lawton are spending time learning