| FAMILY GUIDE TO LIFE @ LAB |
When we started out, we never dreamed that it would turn into a 65 page document, but the more we wrote, the more we had to say. Within its pages, you will find everything from staff lists and contact info (pg 12) to attendance and inclement weather policies (pgs 17 & 20) to curriculum and testing guidelines (pgs 38-42) plus a handy index to help you locate all the other info you need (pg 65).
A hard copy was sent home in your child's green folder last Friday, and we ask that you read it and sign and return the Acknowledgement Form. Just in case you haven't had a chance to read the ENTIRE book yet, here are some of the most frequently asked questions and policies that we want to be sure you know.
Birthdays
Families are invited to celebrate their children's birthdays at school, keeping in mind the following policies: 1) Birthday celebrations should be arranged, in advance, with the child's Advisor (so that he/she can inform other students' parents and provide you with an accurate count); 2) Any treats should be brought in for, and enjoyed during, a child's regularly schedule Advisory time (please contact your child's advisor to check timing); 3) All treats must be NUT-FREE; 4) You may also join your child for lunch on his/her birthday however you are asked NOT to bring treats during lunchtime. If you do not want your child to participate in birthday celebrations for other children, please communicate that request with your child's Advisor. If your child has an allergy or other food restriction, please make arrangements with your child's Advisor in order to provide an alternate treat during birthday or other Advisory celebrations. (See pg 22.)
Homework
Because of the lack of research to support homework for students in the elementary
grades, Charlotte Lab School teachers are neither required nor encouraged to assign
homework. If a teacher decides to assign homework, the following requirements must
be met: 1) The homework is connected to the previous or following day's lesson; 2) The homework provides practice on an important skill; 3) The homework is to finish up an assignment not finished during class time; 4) The homework is collected, reviewed, or checked in some way; and 5) If the homework is collected, it must be checked and returned in a timely manner to the student.
Instead of nightly homework, we hope that families instead will be able to spend the
evening hours enjoying enrichment activities or family time. At the beginning of each
quarter, parents will receive a curriculum guide which lists any out-of-class work or
suggested home-school connections. Some curriculum guides may also provide a
general list of "at-home practice" that parents can use at their discretion. Additionally,
it is expected that all students should be reading (or be read aloud to) for 15-35
minutes every night. (See pg 27)
Student Illness or Injury
Although Charlotte Lab School does not employ a full-time school nurse, our front office staff is prepared to manage student illness and/or injury. A student who becomes ill or injured while at school is sent directly to the Health Room, located adjacent to the Main Office. In case of minor scrapes or bumps, CLS staff may provide bandages, ice packs and water; we do not administer over-the-counter medication such as Tylenol or Advil for pain or fever. All injuries and illnesses are logged at the front desk and are monitored for frequency and/or patterns.
Parents of students who require early pick-up due to illness or injury will be notified and are asked to arrive at the school within one hour of the time notified. If your child has gotten sick and soiled the Health Room floor or linens, it is always appreciated if the parent is able to help clean the items since our facility is limited. If a child requires medical attention, parents are asked to contact the school to provide updates on the child's condition. In event of a medical emergency, CLS staff will call 911 and will request that your child be transported to the closest appropriate medical facility. CLS staff will notify parents immediately and, whenever possible, will request that the ambulance wait for parent arrival. If a parent/guardian is unable to arrive at the school prior to the ambulance's departure, a staff member will accompany the child in the ambulance to the hospital and will remain in contact with the parent and other CLS personnel. (See pg 19.)
There is lots more to discover in the handbook; please take some time this week to review it and let us know if you have any questions.
Dr. Mary Moss Brown
Head of School
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| FAMILIES - WE NEED YOUR HELP |
It wasn't long ago that we were all in the position of wanting to learn more about Charlotte Lab School, and now is your chance to be the Lab School representative. We need you for a variety of recruitment initiatives this fall. Don't worry--training and talking points will be provided. If you have any questions, please email Director of Diversity and Inclusion Kendra Johnson.
KINDERGARTEN OPEN HOUSE - TOMORROW
Join us at school tomorrow night! We are looking for 5-6 volunteers to help greet parents, answer questions, and have informal one-on-one conversations with prospective parents. Please plan to arrive around 5:30-5:45 pm and check in with Kendra Johnson. You will be paired with a staff person and/or given talking points.
Sign up here.
HOLA CHARLOTTE
Hola Charlotte Festival has been rescheduled and will take place on Sunday, October 16. We would still like for parents to meet us at the school at 2:00 pm in your Lab gear to enjoy the festival and spread the word about Charlotte Lab!
Sign up here.
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| Our catering company is asking that we provide a volunteer to help with lunch each day from 10:45 am-12:45 pm. For each day that you volunteer, your child(ren) will eat for free. If your child eats lunch at school, we hope you will consider volunteering regularly for this job. Sign up here. |
| Have you met our bus drivers? Do you want to say thanks to our amazing volunteers and staff who attended the Festival Latino Americano last weekend and helped recruit prospective families to the school. Read all about it in this week's Blog post. |
We are in for a treat again this year; student portraits will be taken by a Lab Parent--this time it is Mandy French. Mandy has her own photography business, and she specializes in family and individual photos.
Pictures are scheduled on the following days:
- 5th Grade: Monday, 10/17
- 4th Grade: Tuesday, 10/18
- 3rd Grade: Wednesday, 10/19
- 2nd Grade: Thursday, 10/20
- 1st Grade: Friday, 10/21
- Kindergarten: Monday, 10/24
A make-up day will be scheduled at a later date for students who miss their picture day. Ordering details will be emailed to parents approximately 3 weeks after the picture days.
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ORDER BEFORE OCT 28
Take advantage of our early bird pricing and buy your yearbook now! If you purchase your yearbook before October 28, you can buy your yearbook at last year's price of $20 plus tax. With this early bird special, if you personalize the yearbook with your child's name ($5), you will also receive 4 icons for free (normally $3 each.) Buy now online.
COVER CONTEST
Create an original work of art for our Yearbook Cover Contest. Suggested themes include Life @ Lab, your Lab Community, or our new mascot, the Lab Lions. Take your time, do your best, and return your artwork by Nov 10 to the Art Room in the "Yearbook Cover Contest" box. Additional info was sent home in your child's green folder last week. Several finalists will be chosen, and the winning artwork will be featured in this year's yearbook.
PHOTO FUN!
We also need fun photos for the yearbook! Please upload your photos from Lab School events to the ReplayIt App. You can download the app from the app store on your smart phone. For questions, please contact Zoe Balsamo at
zbalsamo@me.com
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PARENT/STUDENT YEARBOOK VOLUNTEERS
Volunteers needed for the Yearbook Committee! We are looking for a parent and student volunteer for each grade level, and currently have openings in 3rd and 4th grade. These volunteers will be in charge of collecting information and photos about their grade throughout the year. If you are interested please email Zoe Balsamo at zbalsamo@me.com
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NEWS FROM OUR WORLD LANGUAGES TEAM
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We are so proud of how much your students are learning already this year! Please see below for links to free activities for optional at-home practice - both are available in an online browser or in the app store.
Vocabulary: Quizlet
Check out the flashcard sets and games with vocabulary selected by your CLS teachers. Click on the link for direct access to our class sets, and see your student's curriculum guide to help him/her select appropriate themes for practice.
If your student is interested in practicing reading, writing, listening, and speaking, this interactive app will motivate his/her progress with levels and awards. Learn more here. (It's like a video game, but for learning!)
International Travel Survey
Thank you for all you do to support your child's language learning experience.
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We have an unexpected vacancy on the PTSO Board resulting from a family relocating out of state. We need to fill the critical role of VP of the Nominating Committee. This position is perfect for a volunteer who is interested in meeting lots of new Charlotte Lab families and serving on the PTSO Board. Primary responsibilities include recruitment and nomination of PTSO Board Members for the 2017-18 school year using a fair and open process that draws from the entire Charlotte Lab School parent community. You'll also help ensure that PTSO Committee and Subcommittee Chair positions are full at all times. If you're interested, please contact Tracey Rosenberg
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We have heard a few questions about our Family Directory. Here is the scoop. The online version, My School Anywhere (MSA) will be the online directory again for this school year. In the coming weeks, new families will receive an email from MSA asking for confirmation of new directory information. Families from last year will also receive an email from MSA asking them to update the student grade, teacher and any personal information (email, phone#) that may have changed. The PTSO expects this information to begin rolling out next week and to be completed by October 31. If you have any questions about the directory, please reach out to Nola McClure at
lmowatt@gmail.com
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DINING OUT @ NOTHING BUT NOODLES - THIS THURSDAY
Come out and help us raise money for the school by attending our DINING OUT NIGHT.
Date: October 13.
Location: Nothing but Noodles,
1605 Elizabeth Ave.
Time: 4-8:00 pm
FALL FESTIVAL AT STUDIO CELLAR
Date: Sat. Oct 22
Time:
noon-9pm
Fall crafts for kids, face painting, Trick or Treat candy, music, and more. Stop by anytime between 12pm-9pm. If you mention you are with Charlotte Lab School, kids will get a discount on painting a pumpkin and canvas they can bring home ($11 for both). Studio Cellar is located in the South End at 1800 Camden Rd.
YOGA IN THE PARK
Every Thursday at 8:15 am & 9:30 am in First Ward Park. (We are working with UNCC to have an indoor space when the weather doesn't cooperate.) RSVP here
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HORNETS BASKETBALL GAME
Tickets are going fast. If you would like to attend the Nov 18 game, please
return this form with payment to the front office.
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| Thurs, Oct 13 |
Nothing But Noodles Dining Night Out |
4:00 PM |
| Sun, Oct 16 |
Hola Festival - Outreach Event |
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| Week of Oct 17 |
Student Portraits (M=5th, T=4th, W=3rd, TH=2nd, F=1st) |
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| Mon, Oct 24 |
Student Portraits Con't (M=K) |
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| Fri, Oct 28 |
End of Q1 |
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| Mon, Oct 31 |
Halloween - NO SCHOOL: Teacher Work Day |
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| Nov 1-4 |
Parent - Teacher Conferences (more info coming from advisor) |
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Sign up for text reminders using Remind 101. By subscribing to the Whole School AND your child's grade level, you will receive up-to-date text reminders of need-to-know information. Simply text the correct code to 810-10. Standard text rates do apply.
- Whole School - @Fk2c2
- Kindergarten - @2a34d
- 1st Grade - @8g9ccd
- 2nd Grade - @48h447
- 3rd Grade - @hea66
- 4th Grade - @43gf3d
- 5th Grade - @4dha6
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We are off to a great start with our Reward programs! Please don't forget to send in your Box Tops, My Coke Rewards and Labels for Education. Every penny counts for our school!
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