Lions' ROAR
Newsletter from Lakeridge Elementary PTA
November 6, 2016


A message from the team... 

Don't forget to vote! During this super charged election, it's a good chance for us to teach our kids about the importance of democracy and that our vote counts. Make it a priority!





Lakeridge PTA Information

Upcoming events - mark your calendars

Click on the links (where applicable) to see learn more about each event

Thur, Nov 10
7:30 am to 9 am
Friday, Nov 11
Veteran's Day - NO SCHOOL (woo hoo!)

Monday, Nov 14
HALF DAY - RELEASE AT NOON!

  Tues & Wed, Nov 15/16 - All in for kids Phone-A-Thon 
(MI Schools Foundation fall fundraiser)

Thurs, Nov 17 - 6:30 pm
 
Fri, Nov 18

Mon-Wed, Nov 21-23 - NO SCHOOL (conference week)
Should we rename it No-School-November?

Mon, Nov 28 
Deadline for  Reflections Art Contest


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. 
reflections 
What is Your Story?
Reflections Art Contest

2016 -2017 Reflections Art Contest - Now Open
Entries Due by 3pm, Monday, November 28, Main Office
 
The 2016-2017 Reflections Art Contest is now open and the theme for this year is:  What is Your Story?  All Lakeridge students are encouraged to enter in any of six arts categories:  visual arts, photography, literature, musical composition, dance choreography, and film production. Detailed rules and entry forms are available here; hard copies of the entry form may also be found at the main office. Please contact Nicole Cui with any questions.   
 
National PTA Reflections is America's oldest and largest arts education program of its kind. Designed to encourage creative expression, the program aims to inspire original artwork based on a specific theme.

pancake
2016 Lions Pride Pancake Breakfast

 
Who:  All Lakeridge staff, students and families are welcome!
What:  Lots of yummy pancakes, syrup, bacon, juice, coffee - basically a delicious breakfast!
Where:  Lakeridge Multi-purpose room
When:  Thursday, November 10th, 7:30 - 9 am
Why:  Have a great morning with Principal McAlaine, your Lakeridge Community, family and friends. And we hope some special Veterans will be joining us as well.
 
We can't wait to see everyone at the breakfast! Cost is $6/person or $25/family at the door. We will be accepting cash and checks.
 
We need volunteers so please use this link to sign up! Thank you!

Do you come from an international background?  

International Bazaar Night
Tuesday, January 24
6-8 pm

Come represent your country and share  all the secrets and glories of  your home country at the 4th annual Lakeridge International Bazaar Night. Y our help is needed to make this night of family-gathering and multi-cultural celebration a success. Volunteers are needed to:  1) Represent a country!  We will provide a table and you can  share ethnic food, display art, pictures, souvenirs, anything.  2) Perform! A show is always a blast. Children and adults are all encouraged to participate. Or 3) Set up and clean up. 

If you are interested in helping or have any questions, please contact Rachel Yu or Eliana Caputo.


Compost Your Pumpkins! 

The green team is working on a pumpkin compost campaign to remind everyone that all pumpkins - even those with paint or wax drippings on them - can be composted. 

Did you know that 250 million pounds of pumpkins get thrown into the landfill instead of being composted to make new rich soil for gardens? The green team is working to change that. 
 

Lunch Menu Changes 

Lakeridge is one of the most environmentally conscious schools in our region.  The Green Team worked with Carol Bus, our district Food Service Director, to introduce Meatless Mondays and Waste-Free Wednesdays. 

Now on Mondays, no meat will be served for lunch and on Wednesdays, the lunch served will have no wrappings or packaging like single use disposable items (except for milk cartons which are recyclable)!   

Why does this matter?  
Going meatless once a week can relieve some of the environmental burdens that result from meat production. Producing animal-based protein uses more fuels, water and valuable land (for animals and their food) than plant-based protein. The global demand for meat has also led to degradation of good land and deforestation. Meatless Monday is a viable way to help the planet - what's good for our health, is also good for our planet.


Are you fluent in another language?

The Lakeridge PTA recently hosted a parent information session regarding life in the Mercer Island School District in Mandarin. This was a hugely successful event and one we would like to recreate in other languages. If you are fluent in another language and would like to support this effort, please contact our Lakeridge PTA ELL Liaison,  Rachel Yu.


Buy Your Lakeridge Yearbook Today

Order your ALL school, ALL color Lakeridge yearbook today for only $20.  All grades and students will be included in this keepsake that will be cherished by your student(s) for years to come.  Please click here to purchase your yearbook and use school code: 12703917.

Do you have pictures from Halloween, Fall Family Social, class parties, or field trips? Please contact Yearbook Chair, Laura Schaps, for easy upload instructions.


Kindergarten Sleepy Pajama Story Time


Lakeridge Library
November 17, 6:30 to 7:30 pm

Calling all Kindergartners! Put on your cozy PJs, bring your favorite lovie, and settle in for stories with our Librarian Erica Ottesen & Principal Jenny McAlaine. Bring a grownup or two to take care of you, and we'll have a magical time in the Lakeridge Library.

Yearbook
Does Your Child Like Art?

Calling all Lakeridge students. This is your chance to combine your artistic abilities with Lakeridge pride!

YEARBOOK  COVER
Submit a design for the 2016-2017 yearbook cover contest. This year's theme is Lakeridge Lions: Pride and Spirit Download and print the entry form here.

The deadline for submissions is Friday, Nov. 18 at 3:45 pm. NO LATE ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED.    One winner will be selected to be featured on the cover of the yearbook.  Runners up will appear on the back cover. Contact Laura Schaps with questions. 

Have a Gmail email account? Ever wondered how to move an email (like this one!) from the "Promotions" to the "Primary" tab?

Families often express concern that Lakeridge PTA emails (e.g. the Lions' ROAR, PTA event notices, etc.) get filed into their Gmail "Promotions" tab, as opposed to the Primary tab. The easiest way to move an email in your Gmail inbox is to left-click and hold on the email to drag it from the Promotions tab over to the Primary tab. Release the mouse to drop the email into the newly selected tab. Once dropped, Gmail displays a yellow box that asks if you want to make this change permanent.


Before & After School Activities at Lakeridge

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. 

Mercer
Mercer Island School District

Do you know an inspiring MIHS alumni?

The Mercer Island School District is now seeking nominations for its second annual Pathfinder Awards. The award celebrates graduates of Mercer Island High School whose achievements, strength of character, and citizenship inspire and challenge today's youth. If you know someone who has contributed to society in anything from arts and athletics, to business and law, to public service or phlianthropy, please nominate them!

The deadline to submit nominations online is  January 15, 2017.   Selection criteria and nomination forms are available  here . Winners will be honored at the Mercer Island Schools Foundation's Breakfast of Champions on April 25, 2017.
Advocacy
Advocacy
Make Sure Your Voice is Heard  
general election vote
 
Election Day is coming up but you need to vote for your voice to be heard. Click here for information on the Nov. 8 General Election.
 
'Neighbors in Motion' Wants Your Help  
 
Neighbors in Motion, which encourages children to bike or walk to school, is working with Mercer Island PTAs and the MISD to develop bike safety curriculum for elementary schools.  They are currently interested in hearing from parents about any bike routes to school that need improvement. If you know of any concerns, please contact Jim Stanton
ROAR of THANKS!
YAY for you guys...

Thank you to Nancy Weil, who coordinated our first ever, super cute pumpkin patch at Lakeridge. Thank you to all who donated yummy baked goods! It was much more fun than getting pumpkins at QFC and way easier than driving out to a pumpkin patch! We sold 191 pumpkins!


A special shout out to all the parents, grandparents, teachers, and staff for organizing and supporting the 2016 Lakeridge Halloween parade and class parties.  The kids and faculty looked great, the parties were well-organized, and everyone had a faBOOlous time!

 


Don't forget to say thanks to a veteran you know!


Community
In the Community*

Conference Day Art Clubs
(NO school on Nov 21-23!)

November 21-23
West Mercer Elementary School
9 am - 5 pm

This November, the Mercer Island School District scheduled three days to allow for parent/teacher conferences.  The West Mercer after school Art Club offers tuition-based art classes on these days  to students in grades K-5 from any Mercer Island school.  The fee is $75/child, and the classes run from 9 am - 5 pm.
  
Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis.   If you have any questions about Art Club or would like more information, please contact Ellen Hochberg.
beyond
Learn about cutting edge educational change!
Come watch a movie - this Thursday!

THIS Thursday 11/10: Film "Beyond Measure" at 7 pm at SJCC. 

To fix America's troubled education system, we're told that we need to narrow our curricula, standardize our classrooms, and find new ways to measure students and teachers. But what if these "fixes" are making our schools worse?

Learn more and purchase tickets ($15)  here

* MIPTA members get a DISCOUNT!
use promo code PROMO12 

Do you play basketball? 

Join the MI Boys & Girls Club 3 on 3 basketball tournament this Friday November, 11th. 

Register Here!  - Registration ends TOMORROW, November 7th!
Do you like the Mariners? 

Come to the MI Boys and Girls Club Business Breakfast and listen to Jerry Dipoto, Seattle Mariners EVP and GM speak.  This is a community event held at PEAK to support MB&G Club. 

Thursday MORNING, November 17 at 7:00am to 8:15am

Register here.

High School Fall Musical - Come support them!

MIHS drama department presents "Urinetown" beginning November 10th. Find out more here.


Holiday Gift-Making Workshops 

When: Tues Dec 13 OR Thurs Dec 15   
Time:  3:50-5:50pm
Location: Lakeridge 
Same workshop both days, so only register for one. 

Register  here. 

Mercer Island Parks & Recreation

MI Parks & REC has a lot of offerings this fall including Family Sing Alongs, Cheer Squad, Board Game Thursdays, Parents Night Out, sports, indoor playground, and Special Olympics

Click here to see their offerings. 

Youth Theatre Northwest: "Treasure Island"
November 4-20

Youth Theatre Northwest will be performing "Treasure Island"  at the Parish Hall Theatre, located on the campus of Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Nov. 4-20. Learn more about upcoming events at Youth Theatre Northwest  here

More activities in the community

To learn more about other activities in the community, check out the Lakeridge PTA website. We compiled a list of various organizations that provide sports, artistic, and educational opportunities for the kids. 

*Note, community events and organizations are NOT PTA-sponsored. These event and organization listings are only provided as an informational service to our community. 

Mercer Island School District and Lakeridge PTA have neither reviewed nor approved the program, personnel, activities or organizations announced above.  The participants agree to protect, indemnify, and hold harmless the district and PTA, including elected and appointed officials, employees, agents, staff and volunteers, from any and all claims, liabilities, damages, expenses, or rights of action, directly or indirectly attributed to the activities.  Inclusion on the Lakeridge PTA website and/or in the Lions' ROAR e-newsletter should not be considered a recommendation of the program by the school district or by the PTA.  These are neither school district nor PTA-sponsored activities.

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 editor@lakeridgepta.org by noon on the Tuesday prior to the upcoming newsletter dates: November 20 and December 4. Submission guidelines available here.