I hope you are all having a great time with your students this summer. It is hard to believe that in just a few weeks we will be back to the beginning of a school year. I had the opportunity to meet many of you this past school year, but wanted to use this opportunity to share a bit more about myself.

I am originally from Falmouth, Massachusetts and attended my undergraduate at Westminster Choir College in Princeton, New Jersey. While attending Westminster, I had the opportunity to learn and perform with many names you may be familiar with including Josh Groban, Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli. I later received my Masters in Education Leadership from American College of Education.

I began my time with OCPS ten years ago as the Choral Director at Glenridge Middle School. While I was the choir director, I had the opportunity to work with hundreds of students, working to build a classroom centered on community and commitment to excellence. I also music directed and choreographed many musicals with our students, including Into the Woods and Mary Poppins.

After some time, I became the instructional coach and IB Coordinator at Glenridge and worked with the administration to build the IB Middle Years Programme with an approach on inquiry, action and service.

While I have been at Lawton this past school year, I have had the privilege to learn from our teachers, our students and our families. I truly believe that Lawton is a special place because of our community. I encourage you to say hello the next time you see me around campus.

Have a great rest of your summer!

For car Riders, Kindergarten through 5th Grade families should use the Bloomfield Drive entrance. Our VPK and Pre-K families should use the Rouse Road entrance.

Our school doors open at 8:15am. When dropping your student off in the car line area please make sure to pull all the way down to #1 to help with traffic flow in the morning. Students can enjoy FREE breakfast in our cafeteria.

The 2nd bell rings at 8:45am - Students should be in class and ready for a fantastic day of learning. Parents, if your student is arriving to school after 8:45 am, you should park and bring the student to the front office and sign in on the tardy sheet.

Car Riders: For car riders, Kindergarten through 5th Grade families should use the Bloomfield Drive entrance. Our VPK and Pre-K families should use the Rouse Road entrance. If your child is getting picked up in the car rider area, please make sure to have the car tag located on the driver side at all times and all people should remain in your vehicle at all times. Please keep in mind that we do have two lines that form in the afternoon for pick up, when you are pulling up to the school we have the first line on the left hand side that is only designated for KG and 1st grade students; the second line on the right hand side is for student in the 2nd grade through 5th grade including siblings.

Walker area: If your student is a walker, please make sure to have your walker tag at all times. This is for the safety of all students. We thank you for your cooperation.

Buses: We release the buses as soon as we are able to. There are times when buses run late. If we have prior knowledge, we will do our best to post to Class Dojo to alert you of time changes. Please be aware that the district has made an adjustment to bussing schedules and they may not get picked up from school until approximately 3:30 pm.

Changes in Dismissal: If you need to make a temporary or permanent change to the way your child goes home, you must call the front office to make the change and a note must be sent to the teacher before the change will take place. No changes will be made after 2:00 (M, T, TH, F) or 1:00 (W).

The beginning of the school year falls during some of our stormiest times of year. As a school, we monitor the weather throughout the day. In case of bad weather, we will inform you of any dismissal changes through Class Dojo. You may also receive a ConnectOrange phone call. During these circumstances, parents are welcome to come to school and check out their students prior to 2:30 pm (1:30 pm on Wednesdays). Dismissal process will be significantly slower in the car line on these days to ensure every students safety. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. All walkers during delayed dismissal will be moved to the gate by the PE pavilion. During rainy day dismissal all car rider and walker tags will need to be presented. Anyone without a dismissal tag will be sent to the front office to verify their ID. ID must be presented in the front office.

In the event that your child will have to walk home during dismissal regardless of weather conditions, please expect that he/she may be delayed in getting home. The administration retains the right to delay dismissal of walkers until the weather is less threatening. During severe weather, the District’s Delayed Dismissal Weather procedures require that the nationally recognized “30/30 Rule” be enacted by the school if thunder is heard within 30 seconds of a lightning strike. Students will remain inside the school at all times during a 30/30 Rule. Parents/guardians who wish to pick up their child/children during delayed dismissal (30/30 Rule) will be allowed to pick up their child/children. You will need to bring your car/walk tag and pick up the student at the front door/lobby. Bus riders will be delivered home when conditions are all safe for dismissal.

o School email: [email protected]

o Parent Engagement Liaison email: [email protected]

o Registrar email: [email protected]

o Follow us on Facebook: Lawton Chiles Elementary – OCPS

o Follow us on Twitter: @LCE_OCPS

Please join us for a fun event- Popsicles with the Principal! (July 31)

RSVP: Popsicle with the Principal

Kindergarten registration is now open. Parents are welcome to come in and register your child during summer office hours from 7am to 5:30pm, Monday- Thursday. We will return to our normal office hours of 7:30-4:30 beginning Friday, July 28th.

Are you looking for a new creative way to check in with your student after school each day? Try the Dice Debrief to make “How was your day?” a fun time at home.

We are so grateful for our Media Specialist, Ms. Lowe, for hosting Summer in the Media Center. We had families come and enjoy story time and activities with the Orange County Public Library Alafaya Branch. 

Some of our leadership team members attended a conference in Atlanta, Georgia to find new and creative ways to continue to support our students and community at Lawton. 

John Erskine learned this most valuable lesson of his life when he was only in middle school. His piano teacher asked him, "How many times a week do you practice, and how long do you practice each time?"

He told her that he tried to practice once daily for an hour or more.

"Don't do that," she responded. "When you grow up, time won't come in long stretches. Practice in minutes, whenever you can find them—five or ten before school, after lunch, between chores. Spread your practice throughout the day, and music will become a part of your life"

Her advice obviously worked. Erskine became a concert pianist who performed with the New York Philharmonic, and he later served as president of the Julliard School of Music and director of the Metropolitan Opera Association. He also went on to teach literature at Columbia University and wrote more than forty-five books. His most famous work, The Private Life of Helen of Troy, was written as he commuted by train to Columbia.

Fax 407-737-1471 | EEO Statement

Reproduction of this material, either written or electronically, including the general layout, graphics, analyses, and content topics without the express approval of Target Performance Systems, Inc., a Florida corporation, and OCPS - Lawton Chiles Elementary School is forbidden without written consent. Thank you for your support of Lawton Chiles Elementary School and the Orange County Public Schools. Please contact Principal Willis at [email protected] with any questions or for further information.