With the recent release of students' MAP scores for our older students, we understand that parents may be left wondering about what they mean, why they matter, and what they say about what a child is learning at Lab.
As I recall sharing in most open houses, I have fundamental disagreement with the overuse of testing, the arbitrariness of what is tested, and the lack of useful data that results from testing. I also understand the purposes of testing, both theoretically - for quality control - and practically - for funding. If it was up to me, however, we would do little, if any, standardized testing (and would follow systems like those used by many private schools).
Unfortunately, as a public charter school in NC, testing is and will continue to be part of our reality.
First, I want to share with you all again the
testing presentation I gave last December, which includes articles, Lab's perspective on testing, and an overview of the tests we do give, the rationale for each, and the gaps that each test leaves.
Second, I want to share that, even in combination, these tests will never provide an accurate or comprehensive picture of what your child is learning at Lab. Each component of our model was designed intentionally to foster the habits, skills and mindsets that experts frequently cite are most important to a person's success in life (not to grow a few points on a standardized test). To learn more, I encourage you to read Tony Wagner's book,
Most Likely to Succeed. Later this year, Lab will be hosting a screening of the accompanying documentary film and we look forward to the conversation. I hope that we as a community can be part of a growing movement that wants our children - and therefore, our schools - to look beyond the numbers.
Mary Moss Brown
Head of School
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A THANK YOU FROM THE PTSO
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We would like to recognize all of the families who have joined the PTSO thus far this school year. We truly appreciate your support in helping us towards achieving our goal of 100% family participation rate. (We are currently at 30%.)
For anyone who has not joined, it is not too late! Did you know that the membership drive is one of our biggest fundraisers for the PTSO? We use these contributions to
continue providing assistance to all classrooms and various programs (music, art, books, supplies, tutoring, etc). It also helps to offset costs associated with planning events that not only help raise funds for the school, but also enrich and promote the Lab culture and community.
It's easy to join! Just download and print the form and return it to school in your child's communication folder. There are also forms available in the front office.
If you want to get in touch with anyone on the PTSO board, raise a concern, ask a question, or look for volunteer opportunities, you may use our
PTSO@charlottelabschool.org
email address. Thank you!
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| MIDDLE SCHOOL BEAUTIFICATION DAY - 10/15 |
 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.
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| STUDENT PORTRAITS START THIS WEEK |
Student portraits will run from Oct 12-23 and include individual and class/advisory photos. Please make note of your child's day listed below; portraits will begin at 7:45 am and wrap as soon as possible each day (approximately 9 or 10 am). A make-up day for individual photos only will be set after the first round is complete. See your child's communication folder for more info. Please let us know if you can help gather/organize students on one of the mornings by emailing Mandy French.
- Oct 12 & 13: Middle School Portraits
Thursday Advisories: Moss/Johnson, Berry, Serrano, Ellis.
Friday Advisories: McClain, Luft, Miller, Singh/Quinn
- Oct 16: 5th Grade
- Oct 17: 4th Grade
- Oct 18: 3rd Grade
- Oct 19: 2nd Grade
- Oct 20: 1st Grade
- Oct 23: Kindergarten
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We have heard from so many families that they want to do something to help the victims of this year's hurricanes. A small group of parents and staff put their heads together and planned Lab's very first Change Drive on Monday Oct 16- Wednesday Oct 18. 100% of the proceeds will be donated directly to hurricane relief through the
One America Appeal.
Please help support our fellow Americans by making your donation at the Lower and Middle school, during morning and afternoon carpool or at the walker line. If you plan to contribute during carpool, please have your donation ready, so we can keep the line moving.
Advisory lessons during the week will focus on age-appropriate discussion about the disasters and how Lab school is helping in one small way to support the relief efforts. We will also have a No Uniform Day on Wednesday, Oct 18 to celebrate everyone participating in the change drive. We would love a few extra hands during the Hurricane Relief Change
Drive, so if you can help with our collection process, please
sign up here
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CANTINA NIGHT - TOMORROW
Please join us at Cantina 1511 at Park Road Shopping Center on Oct 11 from 4:30-8:30 pm for a dining night out! Kelly Smith will be at the event collecting everyone's receipts. This is how the restaurant will determine how much we will get back at the end of the evening! See you there!
SPIRIT WEAR
Have you noticed lots of Green Lab Lion Shirts at drop off or in the hallways recently? Did you order new gear from our recent spirit wear website? If so, thanks for showing your school pride! We also want to give our Spirit Wear Chair, Kristi Sweeny a shout out for doing a great job. If you'd still like order any Spiritwear, contact
Kristy Sweeny.
OPEN HOUSE SIGNS
It's hard to believe that open houses are beginning for next year! We are working on yard signs with the dates to place around town for both lower and middles schools. If you have a highly visible street or place of business that we can place a sign please email
Jenny Greenspon
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Wow! We have heard from so many new and returning volunteers, and we are making progress toward filling many of the key roles. If you haven't volunteered yet this year, please consider helping in one of these ways. We need everyone to give some time (whether it is a one-time or a weekly commitment) to accomplish everything we want to do this year!
MIDDLE SCHOOL OPEN HOUSE OCT 24
We have an Open House for prospective Middle School parents on Tuesday, October 24, at 6:30 pm. We need your help! If you are interested in volunteering to help welcome prospective families and answer questions about your family's Lab experience,
please sign up here
. We had a great volunteer turn out at the last open house (thank you!!!) And don't worry if you have never helped out at an open house before, we will go over basic talking points beforehand. It'll be a lot of fun!!
ROOM PARENT VOLUNTEERS
K & 1ST GRADE CLASSROOM HELPERS
We just need a few more K & 1st grade helpers on Wednesdays. Several parents would like to alternate weeks with another volunteer. If you can commit to every OTHER Wednesday, please let us know. Sign up here. If this time doesn't work for your schedule, but you would like to help, please email Susannah Lund.
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| DONUTS FOR DADS THANK YOU |
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A big shout out to all of our Dads (or another special someone) for the record attendance at our annual 'Donuts for Dad' on Friday, September 29. The playground was filled to the brim with students and parents alike enjoying the beautiful morning and delicious treats provided by the PTSO and Johnson & Wales Culinary school. We couldn't have done it without our fantastic volunteers: Akua Carraway, Corinne Connor, Najuma Wilson, Shanna Hill, Amy Weinberg, Jackie Peterson, Angie Adams, Lori Culicerto, Libby Gonyea, Lindy Pritchard, Stefanny Fulcher, Sue Hawes and Tara Brown. We appreciate you!
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| If you are planning to attend Hornets game, please note that your tickets will be at Will Call, and you will need an ID to pick up your tickets. |
SCHEDULE CHANGE
2ND & 3RD GRADES |
| Please note that lunch and recess times for 2nd & 3rd grades have changed.
2nd grade:
Lunch - 11:55 - 12:25 (on Wednesday 12:15 - 12:45)
Recess - 12:25 - 12:50 (on Wednesday 12:45 - 1:10)
3rd grade:
Recess - 11:55 - 12:25 (on Wednesday 12:15 - 12:45)
Lunch 12:25 - 12:50 (on Wednesday 12:45 - 1:10)
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| Wed, Oct 11 |
Dining Night - Cantina 1511 |
4:30 PM |
| Sun, Oct 15 |
Middle School Beautification Day |
10:00 AM |
| Thu, Oct 12 |
Student Portraits (Middle School Moss/Johnson, Berry, Serrano, Ellis)
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| Fri, Oct 13 |
Student Portraits (Middle School McClain, Luft, Miller, Singh/Quinn)
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| Sun, Oct 15 |
MS Beautification Day |
10:00 AM |
| Week of Oct 16 |
Student Portraits (M=5th, T=4th, W=3rd, TH=2nd, F=1st)
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| Thurs. Oct. 19 |
Time Out Youth Family Engagement night (LS) |
6:00 PM |
| Fri, Oct 20 |
Hornets Game |
7:00 PM |
| Mon, Oct 23 |
Student Portraits Con't (M=K)
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| Tues, Oct 24 |
Middle School Open House |
6:30 PM |
| Sun, Oct 29 |
Middle School Ribbon Cutting |
2:00 PM |
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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!
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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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Here is the lunch menu for October. Pizza Friday is new this month; we will be providing pizza (cheese or pepperoni) from Domino's or Papa John's instead of having pizza provided by our caterer. Lunch includes 2-3 slices, fruit cup, dessert & water. Cost=$4.00 lower school and $5.00 upper school. If you want to order gluten-free pizza, please email Mrs. Malone no later than Thursday.
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FAMILY ENGAGEMENT NIGHT: Discussing Diversity With Your Family.
Join us on Thursday, October 19 from 6-7:30 pm at the Lower School.
This family engagement night is focused on developing conversations with our students around family diversity and supporting these ideals outside of the classroom. Time Out Youth Center Assistant Director of School Outreach Rebby Kern will be joining us to cover these topics and open a dialogue that we can use inside and outside of our school. The evening will cover:
- Understanding best practices for home communities to support family diversity in school;
- Engaging with and responding to difficult conversations about diverse families; and
- Identifying family-focused resources in the Charlotte community to support students.
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LOVE AND LOGICĀ® PARENTING WORKSHOP
presented by Wendy Petricoff, Owner of Charlotte Parenting Solutions!
- Who: 3rd-6th grade Parents/Guardians
- Dates: Every Tuesday, 8:45 am-10:15 am for 3 weeks beginning October 31 (Oct. 31, Nov. 7, Nov. 13)
- Where: Lab Middle School Large Commons
- Cost: $115 per family, includes a workbook
Do your kids leave you completely speechless?
Or, do they argue about things that are absolutely absurd? Most kids have mastered the art of (not-so-subtle) manipulation by utilizing all their natural resources...tears, whiny voices, slamming doors, and disrespect. Do you experience these and other symptoms?
If so...JOIN US FOR A LOVE AND LOGICĀ® PARENTING WORKSHOP. You'll get personal attention in a small group setting. You'll get tools to help make parenting a whole lot easier. Tools that you actually feel
good
about using...tools that help forge a strong parent/child relationship and build self-esteem in children. You'll learn how to give effective time-outs, avoid ridiculous arguments, and put together consequences that you can actually follow through with!
So what are you waiting for?
Start making changes that matter. Learn how to become the credible, confident and calm parent you'd like to be.
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Please join the Lab Parents Book Club in October as we discuss
Raising Cain
by Dan Kindlon, PH.D.
- 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.
- 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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Lunch payments can be made at
K12PaymentCenter.com
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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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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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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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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 - @Fk2c2Kindergarten - @bea6hFirst Grade - @2a34d2nd Grade - @8g9ccd3rd Grade - @48h4474th Grade - @hea665th Grade - @43gf3d6th Grade - @4dha6After 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
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