LAFAYETTE LOOKOUT

2015
APRIL
LAFAYETTE LOOKOUT
Message from the Principal—Stephanie Jackman
Happy first day of spring! 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students at Lafayette Elementary have completed the
first round of PARCC testing for 2015! Students PERSEVERED, one of our character traits, during this testing
time and impressed all of the adults with their motivation to do their best. The staff and I sincerely appreciated your
support of getting students to school on time each day. There is a second round of PARCC assessments that will
take place during the testing window from April 28th through May 7th.
For the second year, 4th and 5th grade students will take CMAS (Colorado Measures of Academic Success)
in Social Studies (4th grade) and Science (5th grade) after spring break. CMAS tests are completed on computers
and specific test dates are April 14th, 15th, and 16th.
In April, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students will complete the annual BVSD School Climate Survey. The
survey consists of questions relating to the following areas: fitting in at school, learning at school, adults at school,
school safety, and school rules. These survey results are very important as they provide us with insights into
students’ attitudes towards school this year. Please encourage your child to provide honest feedback on this survey
to help us continue to make Lafayette Elementary a safe and welcoming school.
In February, our School Accountability Committee (SAC) reviewed our data from the K-5 Lafayette
Climate Survey to provide us with a mid-year check on how students are feeling about our school. Also, our staff,
Collaboration Design Team (CDT), and SAC reviews implementation toward our school’s action strategies that are
explained in our Unified Improvement Plan (UIP) throughout the school year at our monthly meetings.
Each year our School Accountability Committee (SAC) develops a plan or process to continue to
improve our school. Below is a summary of this committee’s focus from previous year’s work:
 During the 2013-2014 school year, SAC focused on reviewing and communicating the Standard Response
Protocol (SRP) during fire drills, lockouts, lock downs, or shelter in place drills. This year we practiced these
drills as part of two safety drill weeks which had us practice the lockout, lockdown, and shelter in place during
this week. Students will always have a fire drill one time each month. The SRP poster has been emailed out on
our parent listserv and displayed in all classrooms.
 During the 2012-2013 school year, our SAC focused on the School to Home Connection evening with parents
talking with parents to increase awareness of the connection between social and emotional health and academic
success. We held a similar event at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year and again this school year.
This year this night occurred on March 3rd and the discussion focused on stress and anxiety and everyday tools
to help kids develop healthy coping skills.
 During the 2011-2012 school year, SAC focused on ensuring our school was communicating our school improvement goals in a clear manner that could be understood by all parents. The result of this work are one page
formats that have been shared in previous LLOs and are available on our school website.
 During the 2010-2011 school year, SAC developed a communication survey to help us gather more information during the year. We agreed to use this survey every spring. Please take a moment to complete our
communication survey that is attached to this newsletter. This will be available electronically as well and will
be e-mailed through our parent listserv after spring break. Information gathered from this survey and the results
of the BVSD staff, parent, and student climate surveys will be used to reflect on our progress this year and
goals for next year. Your input and ideas are important and will help us continue to improve.
(continued on page 2)
WE ARE LEARNERS!
WE ARE LEADERS! WE ARE LAFAYETTE COUGARS!
LAFAYETTE ELEMENTARY 101 NORTH BERMONT AVE LAFAYETTE, CO 80026
FAX: 720.561.8901
24 HOUR ATTENDANCE LINE: 720. 561. 8902
PHONE: 720.561.8900
WWW.LAFAYETTEELEMENTARY.COM
APRIL SCHOOL CALENDAR 2015
Sun
Character Trait
INTEGRITY
Mon
Tue
March 30
March 31
Wed
1
Thu
2
Fri
Sat
4
3
School Spirit Day
Students return
from Spring
Break
Good Friday
5 Easter
6
7
8
9 Principal Chat
10
8:10-9:10
Cougar Pride
Dance
6—7:30PM
Class Pictures
12
13
14 ONLINE STATE TEST
15
16
4th Gr Soc. Studies
5th Gr Science
20 P/T Conferences
21
17 P/T Conferences
18
Exchange Day
4th Gr Learning
Fair 6—7:30pm
SAC Mtg 2:45-3:45
PTA Mtg 6:30-8:00
19
11
22
NO SCHOOL
23
24
30
May 1
25
Exchange Day
NO SCHOOL
BVSD BIKE TO
SCHOOL DAY
26
27
28
29
Volunteer Tea
2:45—3:45pm
LLO
School Spirit Day
Message from the Principal—Continued




For the 2014-2015 school year, in addition to reviewing school goals, our SAC has spent a lot of time
discussing ways Lafayette Elementary can continue to promote healthy choices and active lifestyles.
One component of this has been looking at the ways birthdays are celebrated at our school, the amount of
sugar, allergies and types of food eaten during the day, and reviewing the USDA guidelines that all
schools should follow.
In the past, we have encouraged healthy snacks for birthdays and have invited families to donate books to
the library as part of our Birthday Book program. For the 2015-2016 school year, we will follow a
school-wide no birthday treats (food) initiative. This decision was made after conducting research,
reviewing other BVSD elementary school policies, and having discussions with our SAC, PTA, and
School Leadership team.
We like to celebrate and recognize birthdays at Lafayette and will continue to do this. This includes allschool recognition and classroom recognition. The change of celebrating birthdays without food will
protect students who have allergies, allow each family to control what food choices are being offered to
their children, and support our wellness and health initiatives.
I will discuss this change and additional information related to planning for the 2015-2016 school year
during the April Coffee Chat. If you are unable to make this, feel free to contact me personally so I can
answer your questions and address any concerns you may have.
Enjoy spring break!
Page 2
LAFAYETTE
LOOKOUT
CHARACTER MATTERS
The following students were
selected by their teachers for
representing the character trait of
PERSEVERANCE
What does
PERSEVERANCE mean?
“Determination to follow
through in action—Working
hard and not giving up!”
Ariana Boehm, Francisco
Chavez, Tenzin Chonden,
Isaac Doran-Stout, Cooper
Marshall, Taavi Snapp, Ellie
Fischer, Juniper Greenley,
Dede Gyaltsen, Gabriela
Lopez-Rodriguez, Jackson
Mall, Mariah Ryan, Eliana
Arnett, Aaron Laing, Edgar
Arellano Ramirez, Juliet Otteni, Evelyn Hedberg, CJ Mestas, Christian Killpack, Sydney Martinez, Daniel Oleyte,
Danielle Ellis, Kunga Palmo,
Bauer Whitney, Henry Fisher,
Luca Spurlin, Virginia Walsh,
Jason Wold, Nyima Chonden,
Sarah McKee Cooper, Henry
Thompson, Poet DeBoom,
Sarah Withycombe, Jagger
Hnizdo, Kyra Wood, Stormi
Husted, Dylan Spear, Zak
White, Ethan Bodah,
Abigail Stewart, Tad Sutter,
Gabe Hanssen, Josie Hayes,
Mikhail Adamchak, Michael
Voigt, Eldon Brown, Silas
Herke, Zion Duggar,
Jackson Killpack, Ellie Krebs,
Christopher Gallagher,
Lhanze Tenzin, Breck Doiron,
Phoebe Pollock, Garrett
Monroe, Kaden Petersen,
Elsa Vanderbilt, Lexie Ihle,
Nixi Zufelt, Kevin Bedford,
Dylan Covington, and
Hunter Petersen.
Congratulations!!
SCHOOL EVENTS
Save the Date!!
Lafayette Elementary Annual Volunteer Tea
Wednesday, April 29th, 2015 @ 2:45~3:45pm
To all Volunteers, you are invited
to a celebration of thanks and appreciation for
contributing your time and talent to enrich our
students and assist our teachers and staff.
Childcare is provided by RSVP for students attending Lafayette Elementary.
Unfortunately, we are unable to provide care for children under 3 years of age.
Childcare is offered from 2:30 to 4:00pm. Check in/Drop off in the library.
It is important to reserve a place for you child by Friday, April 24th.
To reserve a spot, call the office at 720-561-8900, and ask for Renee.
Page 3
LAFAYETTE
LOOKOUT
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Classroom Pictures will be held on
Thursday, April 9th.
Order envelopes will be in Friday Folders on April 3rd, 2015.
Please return the order envelopes to the classroom
teacher on picture day!
BVSD Bike to School Day is April 22,
2015
Get you and your bike ready!
Mark your calendar for the seventh annual BVSD Bike to
School Day, the school district’s largest single-day event. It’s
Earth Day too!
Registration opens April 1. Parents are invited to participate but only students
and staff may register. The school with the greatest participation, based on
registration, will be rewarded with a fruit-smoothie party courtesy of the BVSD
School Food Project.
To learn more, please visit bvsd.org/toschool.
KIND REMINDERS
AFTER SCHOOL PLANS:
-After school plans need to be arranged at home. Students are not allowed to make phone
calls after school to plan an after school play date.
Please call for emergency messages only for your children.
SAFETY:
-Parents! Remember there is no adult supervision on playgrounds before 7:45am and after
2:45pm. Students must be dropped off/picked up within these hours. If your student is told
to walk home after school, that is what he/she should do right after the bell rings.
ATTENDANCE MESSAGES:
To call the attendance line, dial directly: (720) 561 8902, before 8:15 am. After 8:15am
please call the main office at: (720) 561 8900
Page 4
LAFAYETTE
LOOKOUT
PARENT ENGAGEMENT NETWORK PRESENTS:
Thriving During the Elementary Years: Transitioning into Middle School
By Jan Hittelman
The transition from Elementary to Middle School represents a significant developmental shift from childhood to adolescence. In addition to increased expectations regarding independent student responsibilities, there are also neurological, hormonal, emotional and social changes that occur. Increased concerns regarding at-risk behaviors also become an issue. Not surprisingly, this can be a time of heightened anxiety for parents and students alike. To maximize
the chances for a successful transition, it is helpful to have a proactive approach and not simply react to challenges as
they occur.
To help with this task, consider the following suggestions:
● Create an opportunity to have a special family event to acknowledge this important transition in your child’s life. A
special meal, trip, or activity to commemorate this event and honor your child’s accomplishment, will help make
this important time more meaningful and significant.
● At a positive moment, start with a conversation with your child. Try to elicit their feelings and concerns regarding
this transition. In a supportive way, share your concerns as well.
● Based upon you conversation, identify areas of concern and try to develop an action plan to address them. Empower your child with ownership of this process, while letting them know that you are eager to support them in
any way that you can.
● Write down your action plan and review it together to ensure that it accurately reflects both your child’s and your
thoughts.
● As your child begins their transition to their new learning environment, check in often regarding how things are
going. Reassess your action plan and make modifications as needed. Identify unanticipated challenges or concerns
and brainstorm strategies to address these issues as well.
To learn more about making the transition to middle school a success, join me for the upcoming free webinar:
Navigating the Transition to Middle School
When: Wednesday, April 15th, Noon-1:00pm
Where: From the comfort of your own home or office!
To Register: www.boulderpsychologicalservices.com/free-webinars
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
UPCOMING PEN EVENT:
Natural Highs
With Avani Diliger and a Panel of Natural High Youth Participants
www.NaturalHighs.us
Thursday, April 9, 6:30-8:30pm
Monarch High School (329 Campus Drive, Louisville)
To Register: www.penbv.org/naturalhighsmhs
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Learn more about PEN by visiting their website: www.parentengagementnetwork.org or by contacting Paula Nelson, PEN chair
(pjn6225@yahoo.com, 303-880-6030) or Betsy Fox, PEN Lead Coach, (foxbetsy123@msn.com, 720-563-7007). Dr. Jan Hittelman,
a licensed psychologist, is Director of Boulder Psychological Services and the Founder of the Boulder Counseling Cooperative.
Questions or comments for this monthly column can be sent via email to: jan.hittelman@gmail.com, or by phone: 720-217-3270.
Page 5
LAFAYETTE
LOOKOUT
CELEBRATIONS
Lafayette Elementary School sends
5 Destination Imagination Teams to Regionals
2
nd
Grade – The Phobia Masters
Davey Banner, Liam Brennan, John Cunningham, Xander Dzilvelis, Alex Kugler, Zoe Kugler, Finn Sweeney
3
rd
Grade – The Fire Breathing Cougars
Jorja Bond, Lela Henderson, Zak White, Sam Breezley, Tiernan Meagher, Noah Klein, Luca Disciullo
4
th
Grade – The Seven Surviving Rubber Duckies on Imagination Island
Reese Burke, Hannah Floyd, Christopher Gallagher, Sidera Hilt, Jakob White, Linnea Stock
5
th
Grade – We Does Has Better Grammar Than You Does Has
Keira Bond, Alex Klein, Morgen Hoffmann, Erica Bridgestock, Ben Osborn
5
th
Grade – The Seven Untamed Slugs in a Hot Tub
Robert Marquez, James Chinnery, Tryg Holt, Daniel Fellows, Elizabeth Boian, Lilly Smith, Autumn Godard

Third Place/Fine Arts - The Untamed Slugs in a Hot Tub – This team also received a special award for their amazing 3-D Brain

Second Place/ Improv – The Seven Surviving Rubber Duckies on Imagination Island – This team will be heading to
state competition on April 25th.

First Place/ Service Learning – We Does Has Better Grammar Than You Does Has – This team received a special
award at Regionals and will be heading to state competition on April 25 th.
Congratulations to all these students for their wonderful performances at
Regionals in their different challenges
Seeking School Webmaster for
Lafayette Elementary Website
Want to volunteer and are looking for a flexible opportunity that fits your
schedule? How about Webmaster? It’s a great way to be in touch
& volunteer from home!!
Web updates take less than one hour a week on average. You do not need
to know how to build websites or code, it’s pretty easy. Training and
support is available through BVSD classes and support from Lafayette
Elementary & Lisa Chinnery. For more information please
email lisachinnery@gmail.com.
Typical Updates -- including but is not limited to:
 Calendar Updates
Lafayette Lookout
Reviewing main pages for updates such as:
TAG, SAC, Principal Message, After School Clubs,
Garden to Table, PTA—Etc.
Weekly emails to the blog for archival purposes
New volunteer or event opportunities
Updating the news items on the home page
THANK YOU TO:
Shayna Whitehouse, Erika
Laing, Amy Rivers and
Amiee Lavoie for planning
the parent event on
March 3, 2015.
This SAC subcommittee,
Alison Fischer, and Amy
Rivers helped make our
3rd Annual
SCHOOL HOME
CONNECTIONS NIGHT
a Success!
2014-2015 Lafayette Elementary Communication Survey
This survey was developed in 2011-2012 by our School Accountability Committee. The information gathered from this
survey will help Lafayette continue to improve our communication and to adjust our communication plans for the
upcoming school year. Please take a few moments to answer the questions below. A link to complete this electronically
will be emailed on our parent listserv message sent out on Mondays.
1. Please select the number of children attending Lafayette Elementary in the 2014-2015 school year.
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
2. Are you satisfied with the communication from the administration and office team?
Please circle: Yes
No
(Please explain your answer)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
3. Are expectations regarding homework clear?
Please circle: Yes
No
(Please explain your answer)
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________.
4. How do you receive communication from your child’s classroom teacher(s)? Please select all that apply and
provide comments below.
_____E-mail _____Classroom _____Newsletter _____Web site _____Notes in planner _____Phone Calls _____Other
Additional comments:
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5. Do you feel you receive information with the appropriate frequency regarding your child’s academic progress?
Please circle: Yes
No
(Please explain your answer)
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6. What are your communication expectations from specialists (Music, Art, PE and Library)? Explain if we are
meeting/exceeding these expectations and/or provide ideas for improvement.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
7. What are your communication expectations from interventionists (ESL, Special Education, Literacy, TAG)?
Explain if we are meeting/exceeding these expectations and/or provide ideas for improvement.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
8. Safety on Bermont Avenue and Geneseo Street:
a. Do you feel the new pedestrian lights have increased school safety?
Yes or
No
b. How do you feel the new pedestrian lights have impacted school safety?
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Additional comments regarding our pick up and drop off procedures.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
9. Below is Lafayette’s Vision and Mission. Please share any additional comments, celebrations or thoughts
about our school. Lafayette Elementary is a nurturing neighborhood school with a Talented and Gifted focus.
Proud Learners and Leaders , Relationships with Respect , Invested in Academic Achievement & Enrichment
Diversity Valued & Celebrated , Empowering Students to Excel
Your comments:
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
If you need more space, please use the other side of the paper.
Please return this survey to the office by April 21st, 2015.