Dear Families:
I want to share a great BIG THANK YOU to all of the parents who made staff appreciation week so special for the Lab faculty. Lab parents certainly know how to show and share their appreciation! Everything from the fridge stocked with snacks and drinks, the King of Pops, morning muffins and coffee, the popcorn and candy buffet, and Friday's lunch were wonderful surprises for all of us during an exceptionally busy week. Thanks to Committee Chairs Jessica Weiner and Suzanne Crutcher and all of the parent volunteers who brought in food and supplies!
PTSO DIVERSITY MEETING
Looking ahead, I hope you will plan to come tomorrow, Tuesday, May 9 from 6:30-8:00 pm for our combined PTSO and Diversity meeting. This is the last meeting of the year, and our a
genda includes:
- End-of-Year Report by Mary Moss Brown;
- Diversity Committee Update and Survey Results by Members of the Diversity Committee;
- Selection of New PTSO Board; and
- Much, much more!
We'll also have dessert and some time to socialize after the meeting. And, if you are looking to get rid of any uniforms that your family has outgrown, please consider dropping them off at the meeting. The PTSO plans to sell used uniforms at this summer's events.
Parking for tomorrow's meeting is free at Hal Marshall Annex on College Street and babysitting is available by emailing the PTSO. Cost for child care is $5/family, but don't let the expense keep you from attending.
We look forward to seeing you there.
Sincerely,
Mary Moss Brown
Head of School
|
|
|
|
______________
WELLNESS UPDATE FROM MRS. WHELAN
|
It is hard to believe that it is the last month of school, and we are introducing our 9th character trait of the year. This month, we are talking to our students about "zest." Zest is a "vitality" for living and an approach to life that is filled with excitement and energy. Our students have found creative and insightful examples around this trait; therefore, I encourage you to talk to your child(ren) about what makes you feel zest in your own life.
ZEST
Ways to Show Zest
- Actively participating by asking questions;
- Showing enthusiasm through smiles or excited comments;
- Approaching new situations with excitement and energy; and
- Invigorating others around you.
Ways to Earn a Character Badge
- Actively sharing during classroom time or advisory;
- Showing excitement for learning new things and show the LAB way;
- Identifying strengths and exhibiting them in the classroom and with friends;
- Thinking about one of his/her strengths and writing or drawing a story about a time when they showed this strength at school, home, or with friends;
- Imagining that the teacher wants them to read a new book and having students give examples of how they can show zest in this situation. Or have students draw a picture of how he/she can show zest; and
- Showing the positives in possibilities (see the glass half full rather than half empty.
Follow up Questions for Students
- What kinds of activities at school could we have zest for?
- What could we show excitement and energy toward?
- What does zest sound like?
- Imagine you had a fight with your best friend, how could you show zest in that situation?
Character Books and Resources
Websites/Videos
Articles
Books
-
Professor Astro Cat's Frontiers of Space by Dominic Walliman (1
st
-5
th
)
-
Zest: Live It by Tamara Zentic (4
th
and 5
th
)
-
Pete the Cat: I'm Rocking in my School Shoes by Eric Litwin (K-5
th
)
|
|
______________
DIVERSITY CORNER
|
We are in the final week of our 30-day "Experiencing the Other" community-wide challenge. At Multicultural Night on Monday evening, we hope you will share your reflections on the experience at our collaborative art piece! If you and your family haven't participated yet, its not too late! Here are the details.
The main goal of this challenge is to help LAB families and staff have experiences that will allow them to be open, caring, and empathetic as our population becomes more economically diverse next year. Building up sensitivity to the struggles many of our families face is an important first step in creating this compassionate environment.
Here is one parent's reflection on a recent experience that changed the way she perceived people in the community who reach out and ask for help:
"Have you ever found yourself in a position of vulnerability where you needed to rely on the kindness of a stranger for monetary help? Until recently, I never had.
I rushed out of the house to run an errand and to pick up my daughter in after school. Thinking I would have time, I waited until the fuel light had been on for some time before stopping and that's when I realized I had forgotten my purse. I had no money and not enough fuel to return home. After kicking myself for getting into this jam, I realized the only way to get out of it was to ask a stranger for money.
Several questions raced through my mind: when I tell my story will anyone believe me or will they think I am running a scam? How many people will I have to ask to get enough money? Will they think I am really going to use it for fuel or something else? Regretfully, these are all thoughts I have had when approached by strangers. I immediately felt the vulnerability of being judged. It was not a good feeling to realize how unfairly I have judged others. I did not want to be in that situation, but there I was. Thankfully the first person I asked did not wait to hear my whole story before giving me more than enough money.
I was so touched by his unquestioning generosity that I was moved to tears. I was able to pay him back the next day and I have been eagerly paying it forward every opportunity since -- without judgement. There were several lessons learned that day. Help may come from the least likely person, no one wants to have to depend on others, and there truly are good Samaritans out there."
|
|
 |
|
|
WOW! What an amazing final week we had to close out the Lab Innovation Fund. Thanks to our fabulous Lab families and extended community,
we exceeded our goal of raising $200,000 for the school. Hip Hip Hooray! We are still completing the final calculations and determining which class had the highest level of participation and won a pizza party, so please stay tuned for more good news. In the meantime, thank you to the Lab community for supporting your school.
|
|
Want to share your enthusiasm for Charlotte Lab School? The
Lab Mentor Families
program is kicking off with a call for volunteers to serve as mentors to our newest families. We need your help!
Goals of the Lab Mentor Families program:
-
To increase our connections with new families over the summer and to ease their transition in the fall.
-
To increase the engagement of all families during the school year.
-
To facilitate families building and expanding relationships.
Responsibilities of a Mentor:
-
Attend a brief training to better understand your roles and responsibilities.
-
Serve as a grade level ambassador at summer events to help welcome and connect with new families in the same grade(s) as your child(ren). This may involve making phone calls, sending emails, sharing PTSO volunteer opportunities, and connecting face to face with new families to encourage community engagement.
-
Possibly serve as a mentor to an advisory group of families in the same grade(s) as your child(ren).
Our first event will be a play date at the school on Saturday, May 20 from 10-11:30 am at Charlotte Lab School
To volunteer, please use this link to enter your information electronically OR you may fill out the flyer that will be going home in green folders Friday, May 12.
|
| BOOK FAIR AND MUFFINS FOR MOMS - THIS WEEK |
The Book Fair is underway, and we are so excited to be working with a new book vendor, Bedford Falls. All classes will have a chance to visit the Fair this week for a browsing day and a buying day. The Book Fair will also be open each afternoon following dismissal, tomorrow night for the PTSO meeting, and Friday morning during Muffins for Moms.
Book Bucks
We are also excited to announce a new program for our families. We will be selling Book Bucks at a discount for families in need. Each Book Buck costs $1 and has a value up to $5. Each student can purchase up to 3 (valued at $15). And, book bucks are also available to purchase at full price for any family who would like to use these instead of giving their child cash. Book Bucks can only be purchased in the front office. Note: Change will not be provided to any students using Book Bucks.
Book Fair Schedule
Monday - Browse Day for K, 2 (Group 1 & 2 only), 4, and 5
Tuesday - Browse Day 1, 2 (Group 3 only), and 3
Wednesday - Buy Day for K, 2 (Group 1 & 2 only), 4, and 5
Thursday - Buy Day 1, 2 (Group 3 only), and 3
Help Build Our Library
Teachers have made wish lists of books that they would like to add to their classrooms, and these lists are displayed at the Book Fair. We hope that you will consider purchasing books for one of your child(ren)'s teachers.
Summer Reading
Here is a sneak peek at the summer reading lists for Lab. Some of the books are available at the Book Fair, and don't forget that a percentage of all sales comes back to the school.
Volunteers
The book fair would literally not happen without our amazing Committee Chairs Mandy French and Kelly Schwartz, as well as the rest of our parent volunteers. We still need a few volunteers to help with the Book Fair this week; please give us a hand if you can. Sign up here.
|
As a reminder, ALL tutoring programs will stop on Thursday, May 18. This includes both the volunteer- and teacher-driven programs.
If your family is interested in tutoring over the summer, the following staff members will be offering private tutoring opportunities. Scheduling and fees should be arranged directly with the individual staff member.
|
Teacher
|
Grade Levels
|
Subjects
|
|
|
Rising Kindergarten, Rising 1st Grade, Rising 2nd Grade, Rising 3rd Grade, Rising 4th Grade, Rising 5th Grade, Rising 6th Grade
|
Mathematics, Reading, Writing
|
|
|
Rising 2nd Grade, Rising 3rd Grade, Rising 4th Grade
|
Mathematics
|
|
|
Rising 2nd Grade, Rising 3rd Grade, Rising 4th Grade
|
Reading, Writing
|
|
|
Rising 3rd Grade, Rising 4th Grade, Rising 5th Grade
|
Mathematics, Reading
|
|
|
Rising 2nd Grade, Rising 3rd Grade
|
Mathematics, Reading, Writing
|
|
|
Rising 1st Grade, Rising 2nd Grade, Rising 3rd Grade, Rising 4th Grade, Rising 5th Grade, Rising 6th Grade
|
Spanish
|
|
|
Rising 2nd Grade, Rising 3rd Grade, Rising 4th Grade, Rising 5th Grade
|
Mathematics, Reading, Writing
|
|
|
Rising Kindergarten, Rising 1st Grade, Rising 2nd Grade, Rising 3rd Grade
|
Mathematics, Reading, Writing
|
|
|
Rising 2nd Grade, Rising 3rd Grade, Rising 4th Grade
|
Mathematics
|
|
|
Rising 3rd Grade, Rising 4th Grade, Rising 5th Grade, Rising 6th Grade
|
Spanish
|
|
|
Rising Kindergarten, Rising 1st Grade, Rising 2nd Grade, Rising 3rd Grade, Rising 4th Grade, Rising 5th Grade, Rising 6th Grade
|
Mathematics, Reading, Writing, Science, Computer Skills, Google 101, Executive Functioning Skills, Coding
|
|
Book Fair Volunteers
Proctors for World Language Testing
|
| PARENT BOOK CLUB - ALL WELCOME |
Join us on four Thursday mornings in May as we discuss the book Blessings of a Skinned Knee by Wendy Mogel, PHD. Participants will be asked to read 2-3 chapters of the book prior to each discussion. Not able to attend all four discussions? No problem, join us whenever you are available. Check out wendymogel.com for more information.
Book club will meet immediately after drop-off. Get your child safely to school, find a parking spot (parking passes will not be available), grab coffee or a muffin over at Einsteins (in the UNCC building), and then join us for a group discussion. Prior to the first meeting, purchase a copy of the book Blessings of a Skinned Knee, through
Amazon Smiles
.
Book Club Details:
- Date: 4 consecutive Thursdays on May 11, 19, 25 & June 1
- Time: 8:30-10:00 am
- Location: Break Room at UNCC, check with the lobby attendant for room number (it will change from meeting to meeting)
Prior to the 1st Meeting:
- Purchase Blessings of a Skinned Knee, by Wendy Mogel, PHD
- Read the first 2 - 3 chapters of the book.
RSVP: Let us know you will be attending by sending an email to Meegan Whelan.
|
| thru May 12 |
MAP Testing (see schedule) |
|
| Tue, May 9-12 |
Book Fair |
|
| Tue, May 9 |
General Meeting - PTSO & Diversity Committee |
6:30 PM |
| Wed, May 10 |
4th & 5th Grade Boys Book Club |
10:55 AM |
| Fri, May 12 |
Muffins with Mom |
7:45 AM |
| Mon, May 15 |
Multicultural Night |
6:30 PM |
| Tues, May 16 |
Multicultural Night - Poster Session |
7:45 AM |
| Tue, May 16 |
Chipotle - Midtown |
4:30 AM |
| Fri, May 19 |
Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast |
8:15 AM |
| Sat, May 20 |
New Families Park Playdate (location tbd) |
10:00 AM |
| May 23, 24 & 26 |
EOGs |
|
| Fri, May 26 |
Teacher Workday- FACULTY RETREAT - NO CLASSES |
|
| Mon, May 29 |
Memorial Day - HOLIDAY |
|
| Fri, Jun 2 |
Report Cards Home |
|
| Mon, Jun 5 |
Kindergarten Showcase |
1:00 PM |
| Tue, Jun 6 |
Year End Carnival & Field Day |
all day |
| Wed, Jun 7 |
Last Day of School |
|
|
Since we have implemented summary billing, you will not always receive a separate notification for upcoming field trips. To assist with your planning, this calendar captures upcoming field trips.
| DATE |
TIME |
WHERE |
WHAT |
CLASS |
| Fri, May 12 |
8:45-10:45 |
CLT Bilingual Preschool |
Outreach Program |
Select 5th grade students |
| Fri, May 19 |
8:45-10:45 |
CLT Bilingual Preschool |
Outreach Program |
Select 4th grade students |
If you have a 2nd, 3rd, or 5th grader, please send in your field trip money as outlined in the March 2, 2017 letter.
|
Spring Testing Schedule can be found here.
_____________________________________________
|
Sign up for text reminders using
Remind 101
. By subscribing to the Whole School AND
your child's grade level
, you will receive up-to-date text reminders of need-to-know information. Simply text the correct code to 810-10. Standard text rates do apply.
- Whole School - @Fk2c2
- Kindergarten - @2a34d
- 1st Grade - @8g9ccd
- 2nd Grade - @48h447
- 3rd Grade - @hea66
- 4th Grade - @43gf3d
- 5th Grade - @4dha6
- After School - @labschoola
|
|
|
