Dear Laurel Families,
We are well into our summer program, and we hope you are enjoying the warm weather and having as much fun as we are!
Our summer program mornings have been full of activity- practicing research and writing skills, developing strategies for handling word problems in math, having great classroom conversations with new and old friends, and of course, learning about science and engineering principles through hands on experiences. Check out our Facebook page for some great shots from our egg drop challenge and isolation of our own cheek cell DNA! The afternoon sessions are full of art, music, and fitness! Making and decorating musical instruments, Zumba, soccer, gardening, makerspace creative time, and scooter games in our “little gym” have all been on the agenda.
The administration is using these summer months to continue researching best practices and policies for Laurel School that will serve us well as we increase enrollment and welcome older students. As we have since the school’s founding in 2012, we continue to hold our Laurel students to a high standard in terms of academic achievement and in demonstrating positive social and emotional development.
Students need cues and scaffolding to ensure positive growth and to inform the many choices and decisions they make each day. Although Laurel is still a small school and our approach can seem informal at times, our expectations are that students treat others they way they wish to be treated, that they show respect to their teachers and peers, put safety first, and above all, that they are kind to each other. Inappropriate behavior at school interferes with an individual’s learning and disturbs the learning of others. Children who exhibit poor behavior invariably require extra attention, which slows the pace of instruction and distracts all from the task at hand.
The complete and updated Parent and Student Handbook will be available online later this summer, but I want to share with you our updated
Code of Conduct
— our expectations for student behavior — which can be found by
clicking here
. Please find time to read and discuss the information with your children, so that when school begins everyone is on the same page, and we can work together to ensure the best educational experience for all of our students. We will ask parents and students sign a letter indicating that they and their children have read, discussed, and understand the information in handbook.
Please feel free to call me with any questions or concerns that you may have about the items included in
this updated policy
. The safety and care of all Laurel students is our top priority and we thank you in advance for partnering with us in our commitment to creating a school culture of respect, accountability, and kindness.
Stay cool on these very hot summer days!
Dee
P.S. There are still 2 weeks of the Summer Program left if you or anyone you know would like to join us!
