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Lions' ROAR
Newsletter from Lakeridge Elementary PTA
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A message from the
PTA Communications Team
We hope you're enjoying the new mobile-friendly Lions' ROAR newsletter. The ROAR is published every other week (with a few exceptions for school holidays).
Remember to like our Facebook page. keep up-to-date on the latest at Lakeridge. 
Don't forget to check out the Lakeridge PTA website! We're trying to keep the ROAR fun and relevant. If you have any comments, please send us an email!
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Remembering 9/11
As the Lions' ROAR goes out today, the 15th anniversary of 9/11, it's a good time to reflect on what we have to be thankful for. Everyone can remember where they were on that unforgettable, tragic day. Most of our kids weren't even born yet. We were at a different point in our lives. We thought our world would never be the same. And for some, it wasn't.
However, time moves on, that day has faded into memory, and now we're all parents of little angels (well, most of the time), and we're consumed by busy schedules, managing jobs & families, and just life in general.
Did you know that the fire station that most of us zoom past multiple times a day, has two pillars of debris from the Twin Towers? There was so much debris at Ground Zero that they ended up distributing it across the country to various fire stations. Mercer Island went through the application process and was one of the last fire stations in the country to get them. They were brought to us on flat beds, with fire truck escorts through many small towns along the way through our very united country.
So, next time you pass the fire station or walk in Pioneer Park, take a moment to look, and reflect on how lucky we are to live in this fantastic community!
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Upcoming events - mark your calendars
Click on the links to see more about each event
Are you interested in when some of the big events happen throughout the year?
Click here
Did you know you can subscribe to the Lakeridge PTA calendar to see all events? Once you're in the
calendar, click on the "subscribe" button on the bottom, right-hand side.
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Action items
There's a bunch of stuff that will help you stay connected to what's going on at Lakeridge. Have you done the following so far this year?
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Lakeridge PTA Information
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PTA membership meeting: September 22
Thursday, September 22, 9:30-11 am
Portable #3
All Invited to Attend
Kick off the new school year by joining us for our first PTA membership meeting. Principal Jenny McAlaine will be be on hand for a special Q&A session to respond to any questions you may have about Lakeridge.
The meeting is open to all PTA members and interested parties. We hope to see you there!
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Spirit Wear: orders due September 16
Show your school spirit and support the Lakeridge PTA with Lakeridge Spirit Wear. We've rolled out an entirely new line of Spirit Wear featuring our brand new Lakeridge Lions logo. The offerings are both practical and stylish. Choose from cotton and dry-fit t-shirts, hoodie sweatshirts, shorts, and girls' style t-shirts. We also have popular cinch-style backpacks sporting the MI logo. Look for the Spirit Wear display near the main office to see samples of the new line.
Back-to-school orders must be submitted by Sept. 16. This is the last chance to order spirit wear before the holidays -- don't miss out!
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Lakeridge Directory Art Contest closes September 23
We've got spirit, yes we do. We've got spirit, how about you? Come on Lakeridge students, show your school spirit by submitting an original drawing or logo that illustrates "Lakeridge Lions Spirit" by Friday, September 23.
One winner will be selected to be featured on the cover of the 2016/17 Lakeridge Student & Staff Directory.
Runners up will be selected to appear on the back cover pages as well as inside the directory.
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Lakeridge Learning Garden
Since 2009, the Lakeridge Learning Garden has been a place for stude
nts, teachers, and parent volunteers to explore the wonders of nature. From planting gardens to the life cycle
of a butterfly to growing vegetables and exploring the components of soil. A new batch of students is ready to join the Fall Garden Club. Find out how this not-so-secret
garden
came to be.
The Garden Club is open to students in grades 2-5, with a maximum of 35 students. More information on the club is available here.
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Enrichment opportunities
Did you know that the PTA helps organize outside vendors to provide before and after school enrichment opportunities that include foreign language instruction, physical activity, technology training, etc.? These activities take place on the Lakeridge campus, which makes participation easy and convenient.
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Clip BOX TOPS and help earn money for PTA programs
Clip official BOX TOPS FOR EDUCATION labels and turn them into cash for Lakeridge! The blue collection box sits by the
wooden bench right inside the front doors of the school. Drop them off yourself, or have your children drop them off. Each BOX TOP
is worth 10 cents for Lakeridge. It doesn't sound like much, but those little labels add up to hundreds of dollars every year! So even if you have one, two or fifty -- please drop them off. Thanks!
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Annual mandatory training for volunteers
ALL volunteers within the Mercer Island School District must complete the
mandatory volunteer training
every year. If you've signed up as a room parent, library or classroom volunteer, or any other event/activity at Lakeridge, you must complete this training.
Additionally, still not sure about getting involved but starting to wonder what all those other parents coming in and out of Lakeridge at all hours are up to? It's never too late to get started and be a part of it all.
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3rd Grade Bicycle Rodeo
Friday, Sept 23, 10:45 am-12:45 pm
South Mercer Playfield parking lot
Volunteers are needed from all three third grade classes to help Lakeridge third graders lasso the challenges of bike riding. Eager children on bikes, enthusiastic parents with signs, friendly policemen checking helmets, it all happens at Lakeridge Elementary School's annual Bike Rodeo. The "rodeo" consists of a series of stations for children to demonstrate their bike handling and safety skills. Participating in the program will be a visit by professional bicycle mechanics from Gerk's Ski and Cycle and some of our own Mercer Island bicycle cops.
Helmets will also be checked for proper fit.
After completing the Rodeo, children
may ride their bikes to school with parental approval.
Labeled bikes and helmets should be dropped off the morning of
September 23
on the grassy area next to the swings at Rainbow Park.
If you are interested in volunteering, please email
Erin Krawiec
.
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Walkers Club
Fall Session: Tues/Thurs Sept 27 - Oct 27
Walkers Club is picking up speed and we need volunteers to
encourage (and monitor) students in this fun activity by tallying their completed laps, cheering them on and providing them with charms when they complete milestones. The fall session will run each
Tuesday
and
Thursday
during lunch recess (
12:30 pm to 1:30 pm
).
For those new to Walkers Club, the students earn a charm for walking two "laps around the school," and a big foot charm for completing their card.
Thanks for your help in making this popular activity a success.
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Hearing and Vision Screening
Thursday, November 3, morning and afternoon sessions
All hands on deck! Please consider volunteering to help with the all-school hearing and vision screening on Thurs, Nov. 3. We need 36 volunteers to support this important screening day, with morning and afternoon shifts available. Morning coffee and a mid-afternoon treat will be provided for all volunteers. We can't do it without you!
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Co-Chairs for 5th Grade Operetta
Do you get giddy at the thought of HMS Pinafore? Hum when you hear the Mikado? Feel the excitement with The Pirates of Penzance? If so, you may be a perfect co-chair for the annual Lakeridge 5th grade operetta, scheduled for March 8, 2017. Co-Chairs will work closely with the operetta directors (Lakeridge staff) and other volunteers to help make the show happen.
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Mercer Island School District
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MISD Diversity Advisory Committee
The Mercer Island School District is looking for volunteers to serve on the district's
Diversity Advisory Committee (DAC).
The DAC is made up of staff, students, parents and community members representing the diversity of our school community. The committee meets monthly during the school year. You may volunteer for a term of up to three years.
By embracing diversity and the elimination of bias, the Mercer Island School District strives to promote a positive and respectful learning environment for all. The DAC is charged with reviewing the district's continued efforts to achieve this.
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Symetra Heroes in the Classroom: teacher recognition
The Symetra Heroes in the Classroom®
teacher recognition program is entering its 11th
season.
Symetra and its longtime partners, the Seattle Seahawks, are always looking for great nominations.
Teachers may be nominated by their principal, district staff, student or student's parent. Honorees are selected based on their ability to make a real difference in students' lives; to go above and beyond in their day-to-day responsibilities; and to help students build life skills.
Symetra Heroes in the Classroom are recognized in front of their students and peers at surprise in-school presentations. Symetra makes a $1,000 donation to each teacher-Hero's school for classroom books and supplies. Heroes honorees also receive tickets to a Seahawks home game, where they are acknowledged during on-field presentations at CenturyLink Field.
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Advocacy Update: School funding, the McCleary Ruling and what it means for MISD - brown bag lunch
Thursday, September 22 - Noon
(
Note date change from Sept 15)
Mercer Island Boys and Girls Club (PEAK)
4120 86th Ave SE
Join us for a Brown Bag lunch with Dean Mack, CFO for the Mercer Island School District, to discuss upcoming changes to school funding. With the expiration of our local levy and depending on how the legislature fulfills the McCleary ruling, the Mercer Island School District could lose significant funding.
Get educated on how the decisions our elected officials in Olympia make will directly affect Mercer Island Students. More info.
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Buddy Bench
You'll find a new special bench right across from the new play structure on the Lakeridge playground. Fourth Graders,
Raquel Libman and
Hadley Holtzclaw, focused their "Giraffe Project" (a project focused on "sticking your neck out" to help one's community) on installing a "Buddy Bench," and it's finally here!
What is the Buddy Bench? If you are feeling lonely or are not sure what to play on the playground, you can go sit there. If someone sees another person sitting there, they go up to that person and ask them if they want to play.
This focuses on the letter "E" -
Empathetic in Lion PRIDE (outlined in Principal McAlaine's
September newsletter).
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We have lots of great volunteers - make sure to thank these awesome people who worked over the summer to get the school year started off right!
Kelsey Joyce and
Meena Millman organized the Back-to-School Welcome Coffee.
Natalie Woods and
Becky McAuley put together another fun Fall Family Picnic Night despite the weather!
Kate Lamperti (with the help of our longtime webmaster
Kristin Hart) worked really hard on the very convenient payment forms we all use now!
And who's got spirit?!? The Spirit Wear Chairs:
Beth Flume and
Erin Krawiec! We're all so excited to wear our new gear - thanks for making it happen!
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Submissions to Lions' ROAR
The Lions' ROAR is a communication from the Lakeridge PTA about school events and PTA programs, and is distributed nearly every other Sunday. For inclusion in the next issue, please email activity and event information to the Lions' ROAR Co-Editors at [email protected] by noon on the Tuesday prior to the upcoming newsletter dates: September 25 and October 9. Submission guidelines available here.
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