‌ October 2018
Important Dates
Tuesday, October 9
PTG Meeting

Friday, October 19
Picture Day

Thursday, October 25
Marquette Science Night 5-8pm

Friday, October 26
NO SCHOOL

Tuesday, November 13
PTG Meeting

Thursday, November 15
NO SCHOOL- Parent Teacher Conferences

Wednesday, November 21- Friday, November 23
NO SCHOOL

Wednesday, November 28th
Picture Retake Day

Parent Teacher Group (PTG)

Daily Schedule
School Start/End Times:
Mondays: 7:45 a.m. to 1:10pm
(No Early Childhood or 4K classes)

Tuesday-Friday: 7:45 am to 2:42 pm

**Please note that students should not arrive to school prior to 7:30am.
Happy October! We have had a great start to the school year. Students have been busy learning behavioral expectations and routines, as well as getting to know the teachers and adults around the school. I am so excited to have opportunities to be with the students and get to know them. They are all incredible and smart individuals. The beginning of the school year is so important in establishing the culture and climate of the classrooms, as well as the school. We want to start the school year on a positive note!
Along with October comes weather that switches from cool to warm throughout the day. Please make sure your child comes dressed for the weather. Layers are always a good idea. It is also a good idea to label jackets. Very often students remove their jackets at recess because they are warm and then run in for lunch without it.
I would like to give a big shout out to the Tenney Lapham Neighborhood Association, as well as the Marquette Neighborhood Association, for their generous donations. We used the donations to purchase new culturally responsive books for our book room. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!
Many of you have reached out to me in recent days regarding events having to do with children and weapons. I want to assure you that we take safety very seriously and we are working diligently to create conditions for all students to thrive in their learning. Parents, you can assist us in keeping the building safe by reporting to the office and signing in if you are visiting your child's classroom. If your child is late, a reminder that you must accompany them into school and report to the office for a pass.
Thank you all for making me feel so welcome. I am truly feeling a part of the Lapham community and am looking forward to getting to know all of you. Don't hesitate to reach out to me at any time. Enjoy all that October and early fall bring.
  • Lapham Bookroom

What is it like to look for your reflection in a book and not see it? Lapham's current book selection for teaching guided reading is deeply lacking in diversity. Students need diverse literature where they see themselves represented. Our learners need books that are a representation of their culture, journey, background, and experiences. Highly relatable books allow kids to identify with the characters. It's validating for kids to meet a character in a story who has hair that resembles theirs, wears glasses just like they do or eats food their family cooks. When kids read titles with characters who look like them, it helps form a connection to the book on another level. Identifying with the characters in a story allows for a deeper comprehension of the text because kids are making these kinds of self connections.

This summer each classroom teacher created a Donors Choose to improve the book selections at Lapham. We currently have four campaigns not fully funded and they will expire October 6th. Please consider contributing to one of our teachers campaigns.

Huge Thank you
Thank you to the Marquette Neighborhood Association and the Tenney Lapham Neighborhood Association for their generous donations to the Lapham Bookroom. Our new books are starting to arrive and we can't wait to get them into the hands of our learners.
Lapham-Marquette Parent Teacher Group (PTG)
The PTG is YOU. Whether or not you can commit to an official position, we want to hear your thoughts and ideas. Stay connected with the PTG by following us on Facebook, joining our mailing list or by visiting our website. And be sure to check out our fall events , coming up soon!

Science Night
Thurs. Oct. 25th from 6-7:30  at O'Keeffe Field House. Come enjoy some science fun!


VOLUNTEERS needed:
Election Day bakers needed for PTG Bake Sale November 6th. (Bring donations to Lapham School.)

The PTG needs help organizing clubs. This is an easy job you can do from home. You don't have to do it alone, we've got pros who can partner with you and experts to answer all your questions. Without parent volunteers to help out, clubs cannot run. Please let us know if you can help out!

Easy, volunteer opportunity! Help sell parking passes for Breese Stevens events! All proceeds go directly to Lapham and Marquette as well as to support the efforts of the PTG. Contact the PTG if you can help:  [email protected]

REAP Fundraiser:
Information on one of our favorite fundraisers is coming home in backpack mail! Look for order forms for all your favorite local goods and holiday gifts! Also, volunteers needed to help with sorting and learning how to organize for next year. Contact Jami Wood:  [email protected]  and Kate Brunner:  [email protected]  to help!
Lapham Outdoor Classroom
Welcome back!
Our Gardener-in-Residence from last spring (Katy Clayshulte) is back at Lapham Elementary. Katy helped keep the garden in shape over the summer and is glad to be back with the kids again this fall! 

September Activities
It’s harvest time! In the visits so far this school year, students have enjoyed tasty garden tours, made kale chips baked with sun oven, and created beautiful nature wristbands. Right now growing in the garden we have: peppers, Beans, potatoes, winter squash, tomatoes, parsley, basil, a few melons, brussels sprouts, and cucumbers. We also recently seeded winter radish and salad.

Lapham Garden Fall Calendar
Outdoor Classroom Visits lead by our Gardener-in-Residence, Katy Clayshulte: Each class has 4 visits to the garden scheduled this fall. Classroom visits with the GiR are on Tuesdays through November 6th
Lapham Garden & Green Team Monthly Meetings: Third Monday of the month – during warm weather we meet at the Lapham Garden and during unpleasant weather we meet at Cargo Coffee at 750 E. Washington Ave. The meetings will be held from 6:00PM-7:30PM.
October 15, 2018
November 19, 2018

Big Thanks!
Lapham Garden flourished this summer because of the tender loving care provided by Lapham and Marquette families and community members who participated in our "Adopt-the-Garden-for-a-Week" summer maintenance program. Thank you! And special thanks also to our Garden & Green Team for their year-round contributions to bring outdoor learning opportunities to Lapham students. If you’d like to volunteer, please come to one of our meetings or email the GIR Katy at [email protected] .

We’d also like to thank the PTG and the Tenney Lapham Neighborhood Association for providing financial support for the Gardener-in-Residence program and Community Groundworks for administrative and technical support.

Lapham Garden – Learn More
Stay tuned for more information through backpack mail and the PTG Email List . Also, find us on Facebook at the Lapham Garden & Green Team Facebook Page .

Greetings from the Music Room!

We've been having a blast during the first month of school, and I'm so glad to be teaching your children again this year! All classes have been singing Kye Kye Kule ( pronounced Chay Chay Koolay), which is a call-and-response song that's popular in many African countries - and in many different parts of the world! We've also been singing the Lapham School Song, in both English and Spanish, and working on rhythmic rhymes and body percussion. Students have spent time moving through various stations during music classes, including xylophones, keyboards, books about music, rhythm creation with Legos, and mindful coloring. The students are doing an excellent job of transitioning between stations, making safe, creative, and unique choices about what work to do, and experimenting with music in new ways.

Musician of the Month - Trombone Shorty
We will learn about a new musician every month, and we started the year off with the amazing Trombone Shorty. Students loved reading the two books he has written, hearing about how he began playing trombone when he was 4 years old, listening to his performances on trombone, trumpet, and vocals, learning about trombones and more!

-Books (available from Madison Public Library)
Trombone Shorty - by Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews
The 5 O'Clock Band -by Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews

-Music
Trombone shorty & Orleans Avenue - NPR Tiny Desk Concert

Trombone Shorty - amazing circular breathering (from 2:30-5:00)

And, finally....
Do you play an instrument? Do you know songs in a different language that you'd like to sing for us? Would you like to share your skills with our classes? We love having guest musicians and would welcome your presence! Please contact me for more info at [email protected].

Mrs. Kazda




Lapham Elementary School | (608) 204-4140 | lapham.mmsd.org