Principal Communication

There was plenty to celebrate at Lawton this week – a bit more daylight, third graders performing at Benaroya hall, students rollerblading in the gym, leprechauns causing mischief in downstairs classrooms, and heaps of fun STEAM activities, culminating in our fun and interactive assembly and class visits from the Pacific Science Center! I want to thank all the families and Lawton staff who helped us make our 1st ever Pi Night such a fun and tasty evening! It was so wonderful to see students playing games with each other and with families, and we appreciate all the delicious pies that were contributed! Looking to continue the science, tech, engineering, art, and math fun at home? Try to memorize

The period between Mid-Winter Break and Spring Break is one if our longest, uninterrupted stretches of learning and Lawton students are doing exciting things with this time! Students are engaging in research, collaboration, and creative problem-solving all over the school. Kindergarteners have been doing activities related to the 100th day of school. 1st graders have been creatively exploring gymnastics stations in PE. Second grade’s great conversations about Black History in February have transitioned to Women’s History in March. You can now ask a Lawton 3rd grader for PowerPoint tips – they’ve been learning to make well-designed and visually attractive presentations to share their research on animals. 4th graders are researching countries and making persuasive and well-supported arguments in

Lawton celebrates STEAM Week (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) March 13 – 17th and we are getting excited about it! We’d love your support with this fun week filled with special learning activities. Here’s how you can help: Get your student excited about the Cardboard Challenge Mark your calendar for Pi Night and sign up to bring a pie Sign up to help with exhibits during our Friday Science Center extravaganza Cardboard Challenge Cardboard Challenge is optional and starts now! You can begin planning and building your creation right away. Check out our flyer here. Students who choose to participate should plan to bring their creations to school to share on Thursday, March 16th. Pi Night Mark your

We enjoyed celebrating Valentine’s Day this week. Thank you to all the volunteers who donated time and treats to classroom celebrations, and to the PTA bakers who treated our staff to sweets as well! 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 27th. Global Reading Challenge Congratulations to the fourth and fifth grade readers who completed the Global Reading Challenge on Wednesday! Team Snow Leopards (Dalia, Eloise, Lucy, Madeline, Marte, Naiya, and Serenity) had the highest score. They will travel to the Seattle Central library in March to represent Lawton in a competition against other teams from around the

This week marked the beginning of the second half of the school year. We are off to a great start at Lawton and looking forward to a strong second act!  On Tuesday evening, our fourth graders showcased their singing and instrumental skills. Thank you, Mrs. Cooper, for organizing this concert. Yesterday, all students watched a Book It Theatre performance of “Tiara’s Hat Parade” which connected with our Black Lives Matter at School Week lessons. Thank you, PTA, for your partnership bringing in this artistic performance. The Seattle Education Association (SEA), the SPS Ethnic Studies Task force, and community partners have developed Black Lives Matter at School Week lessons to support educators and students. These lessons offer important insights

Today’s school spirit day filled our hallways with joyful rainbow colors and the WAVE store caused lots of smiles as students redeemed their WAVE coupons for prizes. Next 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 social groups, and meets individually with students. Her work is a key component to Lawton’s systems of support for students and families and we are grateful for her. Dress Warm and Label Your Layers Please make sure your student is dressed to comfortably play outside every day. Remember to label all coats and

The salmon tank in the main hallway is attracting lots of attention this week. Our salmon are in the alevin stage – spending most of their days in the gravel with their yolk sacks hanging below them providing the nutrients they need. Our students are busy measuring the water daily to keep it healthy. It’s a joy to watch their collaboration and pride as they care for our swimming guests. Book Fair Update Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s book fair a big success. We raised nearly $2,000 for library books! Math Game Donations In preparation for Pi Night in March, we are seeking donations of math games in good working order. Have some your

This week had a lot of great community building opportunities at Lawton! We filled a FedEx delivery van with sneakers collected by our 4th grade students (more than 1,000 shoes!). This effort was such a success that we will continue to collect used sneakers in the front lobby for the rest of the year. Students loved visiting the Book Fair and listening to a story from our 4th and 5th grade Library Leaders. It was also great to have so many families in the building for Bingo Night! Safety Reminders It takes all of us working together to keep students and families safe during drop off. Students arriving by car should: Be packed and ready to exit the

This week has been a busy one at Lawton, with the bike unit for 3rd – 5th grades in full swing, enrichment programs starting after school, and classrooms spending time learning about the impact of Dr. Martin Luther King’s leadership both in the 1950’s-60’s and in our lives today. Today’s school assembly was a student-led celebration of this learning and launched us into the long weekend with a sense of purpose and excitement. School Budget Survey This is the time of year we start budget planning for the next school year. An important part of that process is gathering staff and community input. Please use this community budget survey to share things you want considered as we develop

It was wonderful to welcome students back to school on Tuesday. We also welcomed our salmon eggs to the tank this week where we will get to watch them grow and change. We hope 2023 is off to a great start for your family and will be filled with curiosity, learning, and joy. We have exciting things happening at Lawton in January: 3rd – 5th Grade Bike Unit. Lots of riding and skill growth happening on the field this week. Thank you, Mr. Peters, for making this happen! Secret Garden Book Fair January 17th – 20th. See detailed blurb below with hours and volunteer needs. 4th Grade Music Concert January 24th. This year we’re moving our music events