Lawton Families,
The 23-24 school year is off to a great start, and we loved having our Kindergarteners join us last week! We had our first weekly Wednesday all school assembly last week as well, and the whole student body sang a sweet song about Lawton that Ms. Kinder taught them in the first week of music; it was such a wonderful surprise that several staff found themselves so touched, they were wiping away tears.
Lawton Open House (Curriculum Connections) is Tuesday, Sept. 19, from 5:30-6:30!
The Lawton Staff welcomes students and families to come in the school, see our learning spaces, and meet our staff this Tuesday evening. The event will start in the Commons at 5:30 with a welcome and introduction of both staff and members of our PTA Board. Then families will have time to visit classrooms and tour the school; classroom teachers will have curriculum materials and resources available so you can see the academic skills developed for each grade level.
More New Staff Updates
Lawton is excited to announce that Jessica Luke is our new Administrative Secretary, and we are also pleased to have Erica Collis return to our staff as a 5th grade teacher while Ms. French is out on Leave. Our Speech Language Pathologist Hannah Bowley and our Occupational Therapist Makenzie Frid are also out on leave, so we are delighted to have Brett Myles and Victoria White (SLPs) and Chase Lane (OT) join us this year. Rounding out our new staff are Jenny Hill (Psychologist), Zoe Geiger (Physical Therapist), and Toni Perez O’Brien (Culinary Services Manager).
Class and individual school pictures are happening Thursday, September 21st and and Friday, September 22nd
All students will be photographed for school files and the yearbook, regardless of whether families choose to order photos. To request a school photo scholarship, email lawton.
You may preorder photos here: https://prepaysystems.com/view/9_bs5ybW/lawton-elementary-23-24 The link closes on Friday, September 22nd. If the preorder link has expired, you will need to wait until the images are posted into the online gallery – about three weeks after picture day.
Retakes: We will schedule a picture retake day in November for students who miss our September photo day.
Photo suggestions: Solid colors in medium to dark tones photograph well. Avoid green, all white, pastel, neon and busy prints-they draw attention away from the subject. The photographer works hard to avoid glare from glasses, but some glasses are particularly challenging. Consider removing glasses that do not have anti-glare coating as well as those with sapphire coating (reflects blue/purple) or transition lenses (they photograph like sunglasses in many cases).
Health and Safety Information
- We love seeing so many students walk to school, and last week you likely noticed that our Safety Patrol program got up and running. This is a great leadership opportunity for students, and helps us create safe routes to school each day. We are so excited about our new stop signs on 27th and Elmore, but remember that our Safety Patrol controls that intersection from 7:40-7:55, so we ask that you follow their directions during that time. We would love to add more 5th grade students and parents to our Safety Patrol team, so please reach out to Kristen Noel (kanoel) to join us!
- As a public school, we are required to hold monthly safety drills – in fact, our 1st Fire Drill was on 9/8. In Seattle Public Schools, we practice fire/evacuation, earthquake, reverse evacuation (playground into building)/shelter in place, and lockdown drills over the course of the year. Our exterior doors and playground gates are closed and locked during the school day, so please always use our Main Entrance buzzer when you visit the building.
- Student illness and COVID process: https://www.seattleschools.org/resources/covid-19-health-and-safety/
- We will continue to send students home from school who exhibit any symptoms of being too ill to be at school.
- We will NOT be testing for COVID in school. Depending upon supply, we will send rapid antigen tests home with families who come to pick up their sick child, or to staff and families who request a test.
- Anyone who tests positive outside school must complete a 5 day isolation and should wear a mask when returning to school days 6-10.
- The DOH flowsheet has not changed: https://doh.wa.gov/sites/default/files/2023-02/420456-COVID19DecisionTrees.pdf
Upcoming Events
The PTA is planning – and already working on – several fun events and activities throughout the upcoming year. However, these are not possible without your support. Please share your talents with the community and help us make this year the best one yet. Read through the PTA committee descriptions and sign up here.
9/19 Curriculum Night, 5:30-6:30
9/21 & 9/22 Picture Days
9/25 PTA Kindergarten Popsicle Playdate at Lawton Park, 4-5pm
9/29 PTA Back to School Bash, 5pm-7pm
Lawton PTA invites your family to celebrate with us at the Back To School Bash on Friday Sept 29 from 5-7 at Lawton School.
Weather permitting, most events will be outside on the playground (the Commons and Gym are rain backup).
Dinner can be purchased at the event from the Secret Sausage or Mexicuban food trucks.
Baked goods will be for sale as a cash only transaction.
This event is only possible with our terrific team of volunteers, to join us please sign up here.
We hope to see you there!