SEPTEMBER 25 - IN THIS ISSUE
DEAR PARENTS
Guten tag! (Good day from Germany!)  

I look forward to sharing the highlights of my trip and conference with you next week, but in the meantime, it is after midnight in Germany, and I want to be sure to share the presentations from last week's Curriculum Night.

If you were not able to attend, or if you were not able to visit all of the grade level presentations that interested you, you will find the Introduction and Overview, as well as Grade Level Presentations, on our website. We have also posted our year-long Curriculum Guides here. For those of you who did not pick up a hard copy last week, we will send copies of the Curriculum Guides home in this Friday's Communication folders.

Thanks again to everyone who made time to join us at our Curriculum Night. And, please be sure to attend tomorrow night's PTSO General Meeting!

See you next week!

Sincerely,

Mary Moss Brown
Head of School

WELLNESS UPDATE FROM MRS. WHELAN

One of Lab's wellness initiatives is to provide more opportunities for both students and staff to practice wellness throughout the school day. One way of making this a reality is through our newly created Oasis Rooms at both the Lower and Middle Schools. The Oasis Rooms offer aromatherapy, fidgets, a zen sand garden, and sounds of trickling water. They are places for students and staff to be mindful and practice being or becoming calm. Check out some of the many ways students can use the Oasis room:

--A student begins to feel nervous the morning of the MAP Test and decides 5 minutes in the Oasis Room, while focusing on mindful breathing, will help him/her calm testing nerves.

--A staff member needs a mindful minute during a planning period to prepare for the next class. She/he decides to go to the Oasis Room and practice one of the mindfulness exercises she/he will do with her upcoming class.

--A student becomes angry in Quest while working on a collaborative project. A staff member suggests the student goes with the teacher's assistant to the Oasis Room to use the zen sand garden to calm down before returning and talking with his group. The student takes 3 minutes in the Oasis Room and returns in a more relaxed state, ready to talk with the other students.

These are just a few of the ways that our Lab community benefits from the Oasis Room. 

HOW YOU CAN HELP
We want to continue to expand the resources available in the Oasis Room, and we are looking for things you may already have at home but may not be using anymore, including white noise machines, low/calming lighting sources, exercise balls, stress balls and other tactile items, essential oils/diffusers, water features, and bean bag chairs.

Please contact Tracey Rosenberg  to arrange the drop off of donations. We look forward to enhancing this calming space for our students!


PTSO NEWS AND EVENTS
REMINDER - OUR FIRST PTSO MEETING IS TOMORROW NIGHT - TUESDAY 9/26
We hope you'll join us for the first General PTSO Meeting of the school year tomorrow night, with social time at 6:15 pm and start of the meeting at 6:30 pm.  Details about the agenda and parking were included in last week's e-newsletter.
 
DONUTS WITH DADS - FRIDAY 9/29
Join us Friday, September 29 from 7:45-8:30 am for Donuts with Dads or another special person! Come enjoy a sweet treat on the Lower School playground before school starts. This will also be the final day of the Book Fair, so be sure to visit! If you want to help honor our dads, please sign up to help. PARKING IS ONLY AVAILABLE AT 422 E. 9th Street; you may be ticketed or towed if you use one of the other lots.
 
FIRST OPEN HOUSES OF THE SEASON
We have an Open House for prospective Lower School parents on Tuesday, October 3 and Middle School parents on Tuesday, October 24, both at 6:30 pm. If you are interested in volunteering to help welcome prospective families and answer questions about your family's Lab experience, please sign up here. If you have never helped out at an open house before, don't worry! We will go over basic talking points beforehand, it'll be a lot of fun!!

SPIRIT NIGHT 10/11
Save the date for a Spirit Night at Cantina 1511 at Park Road Shopping Center on October 11 from 4:30-8:30 pm.  Looking forward to seeing everyone there!
 
MIDDLE SCHOOL BEAUTIFICATION DAY
Join Lab Middle School for a Fall Beautification Day. We will plant gardens, pick up litter, and come together to keep our school a beautiful place to work and learn.
 
Lab Middle School
Sunday, October 15, 2017
Drop in anytime between 10 am-2 pm
600 Seigle Ave.
   
*Please see sign-up genius for needed supplies
 
ROOM PARENT VOLUNTEERS
Looking to help your grade and Lab Staff? Check out the Room Parent Roles available -- Imaginon/Field Trip Coordinators, Staff Birthday Coordinators, Gift Collection Coordinators, and Grade Party Coordinators.  Please  use this link to learn more about each role and sign up as a volunteer ! Contact Jessica Moulton with any questions.  

COMMUNICATION FOLDER VOLUNTEERS
  We are still looking for parent volunteers for Salas' homeroom and the 4th grade class to fill the green (and some blue) communication folders every Friday between 8 am - 2 pm. Please  sign up here . Contact Jessica Moulton with any questions.
PARKING, AGAIN ...
We are running this lower school parking information for the second week in a row because we continue to have questions about where to park and when. Please take one more look at the info below, and pretty soon it will become second nature! Please also keep in mind that Lab parents must only use designated spots; do not use the Enterprise lot, UNCC loading dock, fire lanes, or any other make-shift spots. Finally, we ask that you treat all staff and neighbors with respect -- whether they are from Lab, UNCC, or Preferred Parking. We have heard on several occasions that employees from our neighboring buildings have asked Lab parents to stop parking illegally and that the Lab parents were "extremely rude" and some refused to move their cars. We know this is a rare occurrence; however, this behavior reflects poorly on our entire community. If you have any questions or concerns about parking, please contact any member of Lab's leadership team.

LOWER SCHOOL PARKING 101
  • Morning Drop Off & Afternoon Pick UpIf you are parking to walk your child to school or picking your child up at 3:30 pm, 422 E. 9th Street (the gravel lot) is the ONLY lot available to park for free.
  • Volunteer and Visitor Parking
    Effective 9/18, visitor and volunteer parking is only available at 422 E 9th Street (the gravel lot). Passes are limited for this lot, so you may want to look for parking at a meter on Brevard St.
  • Drop off/pick up DURING the school day
    If you are picking up a sick child or for early dismissal, or dropping off after the school day has started, please use lot 319 (located adjacent to the student entrance) rather than lot 300 (located across the street from the front/visitor entrance). 
  • Pick Up Parking for After School Program
    Effective immediately, please park in lot 300 and display your blue transportation card on your dashboard when parking to pick up your child from after school. This will prevent Preferred Parking from ticketing you. If you received a ticket last week, please follow the directions on the ticket to appeal.
BOOK FAIR STARTS TOMORROW
The Book Fair is starting tomorrow, and we are so excited to be working with Bedford Falls. All classes and grades will have a chance to visit the fair for a browsing day and a buying day. 

VOLUNTEERS
Thanks to everyone who has volunteered to help. We have 3 spots left -- including one first thing tomorrow. Please 

BOOK BUCKS
We will be selling Book Bucks at a discount for families in need. Each Book Buck costs $1 and has a value up to $5. Each student can purchase up to 3 (valued at $15). Book bucks are also available to purchase at full price for any family who would like to use these instead of giving their child cash. Book Bucks can only be purchased in the front offices. Note: Change will not be provided to any students using Book Bucks.

HOURS OF OPERATION
Lower School 
  • Tuesday 9/26: 7:45-11:30 am 3-4:00 pm & 5:30 - 6:30 pm
  • Wednesday 9/27: 7:45-11:30 am 3-4:00 pm
  • Thursday 9/28: 7:45-11:30 am 3-4:00 pm
  • Friday 9/29: 7:45-12:30 pm (Open during Donuts for Dads)
Middle School 
  • Tuesday 9/26: 8:00 am - noon
  • Wednesday 9/27: noon - 4:00 pm
STUDENT BROWSE/BUY SCHEDULES
  • Tuesday - Browse Day for K, 2nd, 4th & 6th
  • Wednesday- Browse Day for 1st, 3rd, 5th & Buy Day for 6th.
  • Thursday - Buy Day for K, 2nd & 4th 
  • Thursday - Buy Day for 1st, 3rd & 5th
HELP BUILD OUR LIBRARY
Teachers will have wish lists of books that they would like to add to their classrooms, and these lists will be displayed at the Book Fair. We hope that you will consider purchasing books for one of your child(ren)'s teachers.
MIDDLE SCHOOL DEDICATION
A Middle School Dedication will take place on Sunday, October 29 from 2 to 4 pm. Plans for the event include:
  • Ribbon cutting ceremony and a few words from our administrative team;
  • Student dedication of a time capsule to commemorate the founding middle school class;
  • Plans for our spirit rock will be unveiled;
  • Light refreshments; and
  • Time for connecting with other middle school parents.
All families (middle and lower school) are welcome; please join us!
LAB WISH LIST
Lots of action on our wish list. Thank you for the clocks, books, easels, puppets, and more! But, our middle school needs some love. Check out the wish list rows 76-99 for middle school specific items, and let us know if you can help. Questions? Contact Susannah Lund.
CALENDAR-AT-A-GLANCE
Tue, Sep 26-Fri, Sep 29 Book Fair
Tue, Sep 26 PTSO General Meeting 6:15 PM
Fri, Sep 29 Donuts for Dads (K-5) 7:45 AM
Tue, Oct 3 K-5 Open House 6:30 PM
Mon, Oct 9
Teacher Workday - NO SCHOOL
Wed, Oct 11 Dining Night - Cantina 1511 4:30 PM
Sun, Oct 15 Middle School Beautification Day 10:00 AM

NEWS WORTH REPEATING
Middle School Fundraiser is underway.  Lab Middle School students are selling GoPlaySave coupon books (formerly Citipass) over the next few weeks to raise money for an end of year trip (details to be determined). Coupon books and subscriptions to the mobile site (paperless coupons!) are available for purchase for $30 each and $15 of your purchase goes directly to the middle school. Included are coupons to hundreds of local restaurants, destinations, and retail locations. Be sure to get yours while they last! See a middle school student or use this link to purchase yours. 
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Tomorrow is the last chance to buy amazing jewelry pieces for adults and kids designed especially for Lab by Erin McDermott. 40% of sales from these these pieces will be donated to Lab & Levine Children's Hospital. Offerings include a beaded stack of bracelets and a necklace, as well as two special necklaces with the words "innovation" & "be kind" on the bar of the necklace. You can learn more, see pictures and shop online here.
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Lunch payments can be made at  K12PaymentCenter.com. I t is not necessary to order your lunch in advance; however, if your child requires a special meal (gluten free or vegetarian) please let Mrs. Malone know in advance.
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Please turn in the Box Tops you have saved over the summer and start reaching out to family, friends, and maybe even your church or neighbors to collect Box Tops and raise money for the school this year.  We will have a promotion running until October 27 to see which class can bring in the most Box Tops. 
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Drink Coke products? Great! Each Coke product has a code on it. Create a Coke account at  coke.com  and enter the codes on your Coke products. Make sure to donate the points to the school so we can earn money for valuable school supplies.
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Enjoy a night out with the Charlotte Hornets and Lab families on Friday, October 20 (game starts at 7 pm)! $5/ticket will go directly back to the school. The first 40 students to purchase tickets will receive an on-court fan experience. Flyer can be found here.
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If you are making a change to your child's afternoon dismissal, please make sure to complete the online transportation form NO LATER THAN 2:00 pm. After 2:00 pm, you must call the school and let Ms. Fulcher (LS) or Ms. Clinch (MS) know.  And don't forget, e arly dismissal ends at 3:00 pm. If you arrive after 3:00 pm, you will be asked to wait to pick up your child until regular dismissal at 3:30 (LS) or 3:45 (MS). 
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LAB PARENTS' BOOK CLUB

Please join the Lab Parents Book Club in October as we discuss Raising Cain by Dan Kindlon, PH.D. (Due to lack of participation the Sept. 20 discussion of Disconnected has been cancelled.)

  • Book: Raising Cain, Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys by Dan Kindlon, PH.D.
  • Date: 4-Thursdays on Oct. 5, 12, 19 & 26
  • Time: 8:30-10 am or as soon as you can make it after drop-off.
  • Location: Amelie's on North Davidson. Grab a yummy treat or drink at the counter, then join us for the discussion. We meet in the courtyard area through the back door of the restaurant.
  • Pre-Work: Read Introduction & Chapters 1 - 3.
  • Alternative Viewing Option: Watch the PBS Home Video, Raising Cain, Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys
  • RSVP: Let us know you are coming by emailing Michele Davis at write2mdavis@yahoo.com. We need a minimum of 4 confirmed attendee's to hold the discussion.

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Don't forget to like Charlotte Lab School on Facebook. There is also a Charlotte Lab School Parents Page. This page is managed by parents and not visible on Facebook for security reasons, so if you want to join the group, please email the page administrator Nicole Bowen, and she will invite you to join.
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Please note that on days that your child is sick or absent, we ask that you email his/her homeroom teacher and our Front Office Managers  Stefanny Fulcher   (Lower School) or Lauri Clinch (Middle School) before 8:30 am. A note from parents (and a doctor's note, if applicable) is necessary and should be sent immediately and no longer than 3 days after the absence. Don't forget that our funding depends on our attendance the first 20 days of school, so please make every effort to ensure your child is at school.
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Jessica Borgnis is offering in-school, private piano and private voice lessons which run 30 minutes per lesson per week to children ages five and above. She will also do a combination piano and voice lesson, which is 45 minutes per week. Lessons are typically scheduled during recess time. For more information email her directly at  jessica@charlotteschoolofmusic.org . 
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Be sure to sign up for Remind 101 and receive last minute reminder texts from Lab. Just text the correct code (below) to 81010. Be sure to sign up for the Entire School messages, plus the relevant grade levels and after school if applicable. Standard text rates do apply. 

  • Entire School - @Fk2c2
  • Kindergarten - @bea6h
  • First Grade - @2a34d
  • 2nd Grade - @8g9ccd
  • 3rd Grade - @48h447
  • 4th Grade - @hea66
  • 5th Grade - @43gf3d
  • 6th Grade - @4dha6
  • After School - @labschoola
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    Parents are invited to celebrate their children's birthdays at school, and we ask that you follow these policies:
    • Parents may join their child for lunch and bring a small treat to share with advisory to celebrate their child's special day.
    • Birthday celebrations must be arranged IN ADVANCE with the child's advisor so that he/she knows when to expect you and can plan an alternative treat for those children who might not be able to enjoy what you bring.
    • All treats must be NUT-FREE
    Charlotte Lab School
    301 E. 9th Street
    Charlotte, NC 28202

    info@charlottelabschool.org

    General Info: 704-464-3830

     
    Teaching and Learning for the Next Generation