Dear Families:
Welcome Back
It was great to see all of our students back at school today. We hope that our Lab families enjoyed a wonderful spring vacation. In addition to the holiday last week, the Lab faculty enjoyed two full professional development days over the break. I truly believe that the combination of time off and teacher work days has given our faculty the rest and reinvigoration needed to provide an amazing finish to our school year. Can you believe that we have only 7 more weeks to go!?!
We have a great deal to accomplish during our final two months. But before looking ahead, I want to take a moment to thank all of our parents, staff, and panelists who attended our Lab Community Town Hall meeting on April 5--either in person or virtually on Facebook Live. Here is a summary of some of the highlights of the evening:
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My presentation "A Vision for Diversity" provided the context for Lab's diversity efforts; current research detailing, among many things, why segregated schools are inherently unequal and perpetuate gaps in experiences and opportunities for all kids; and finally, how Lab is ready and able to meet the needs of all students and an increasingly socioeconomically diverse community.
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Panel Moderator Janeen Bryant set the stage for the discussion saying, "I'm excited that we are here today with the notion that we are going to have this conversation to build, to expand, and to stretch our capacity, even if that hurts."
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Dr. Amy Hawn Nelson provided clarity on current research, including the belief that "
There is a significant difference between integration and desegregation. What we're talking about here is integration....
Research says that diverse schools benefit all students, especially if the focus is on integration."
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John Heffernan, Director of Central Park School for Children, said, "
Wake County had [an economic diversity-based weighted lottery] process in place for about 15 years, and when they had that in place they were the highest performing school district in the state [of NC]. That's not the case anymore now that they've changed that policy..."
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Two Lab parents who participated in CMS "busing" in the 80s and 90s shared their perspectives on what it was like to go to school and learn alongside those who were different from them. Julie Woody shared that as a student at West Charlotte High School, "We chose to see Diversity as a strength rather than something that divides us." And, Eric Montgomery added, "We had students [at West Charlotte] from all over the city of Charlotte. I went to school with the first Cambodian students in Charlotte, the first Latino population in this town, the richest Caucasians, and the poorest Blacks, and it worked."
As a follow-up to the panel discussion, we invite our families to participate in Lab's 30-Day Challenge: Experiencing the Other. This challenge presents families with a list of actions that encourage individuals to walk in another person's shoes. Many families who live in economically disadvantaged households live without certain privileges that others may take for granted. Each of the suggested actions are intended to help families experience what life could be like without these privileges. Get started today and bring your sheet to Multicultural Night on May 15 to share your reflections on these experiences. We encourage families who participate in this challenge to resist the urge to treat this like a "game." These actions reflect the daily life of real people; try to engage in this seriously and reflectively and imagine how your life might be different if this were your reality.
Looking forward, we hope that the Lab community will continue these important conversations. Please plan to attend our final General Membership meeting of the year, which will be cohosted by the PTSO and Diversity Committee. Mark your calendar for Tuesday, May 9 @ 6:30 pm; more information will be coming soon.
Sincerely,
Mary Moss Brown
Head of School
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WELLNESS UPDATE FROM MRS. WHELAN
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Hopefully, you all had a wonderful spring break and found quality time to relax with your children. This month, advisors will be focusing on the character trait:
Optimism.
Seeing that spring is here and summer is on the horizon, I have noticed that children are already feeling a bit more optimistic in our hallways and our classrooms. I encourage you all to talk to your kids about what this trait looks like and perhaps share examples of where you feel or display a positive frame of reference in your life.
OPTIMISM
Optimism is being hopeful about future outcomes combined with the agency to shape that future.
Ways to Show Optimism
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You believe that effort will improve your future.
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When bad things happen, think about what you could do to avoid similar bad outcomes in the future. Optimism doesn't mean you don't get upset when bad things happen, but you can see that it is temporary and look for opportunities to change in the future.
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Stay motivated, even when things don't go well.
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Directly connect your own power and actions to the future you desire.
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Students can create more "practical optimism"
(
an attitude about life that relies on taking realistic, positive action to increase the likelihood of successful results). More positive feelings lead to more optimism.
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An example: When a friend doesn't want to play, the optimistic child can imagine the friend is having a bad day, not that no one wants to be his friend.
Ways to Earn Character Badge
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Read The Little Engine that Could by Watty Piper and share how the engine in the story showed optimism (write or draw). How could you show more optimism at school or at home?
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Share a time when you showed a lot of optimism in a difficult situation
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- Write 5 things that you like and feel good about.
- Write or draw these 5 things.
- Share these 5 things with 5 people and talk about what happened after sharing.
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Create an Attitude Box where you put all the special things that make you feel good about yourself. Draw a picture or write notes to yourself or add things from others, as well.
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Create a "Wall of Love" at home where you write the word "Love" on the wall or a door in your house. Then each family member writes or draws on a sticky when they think of something that they love about another family member. Add this sticky note to the "Wall of Love.
Character Books and Resources
Websites/Videos
Articles
Books
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When Pigs Fly by Valerie Coulman (K-3
rd
)
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The Optimistic Pirate by Efrat Haddi (K-3
rd
)
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How Full is Your Bucket for Kids by Tom Rath, Mary Reckmeyer, and Maurie Manning (K-3
rd
)
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Chicken Soup for the Soul: Think Positive for Kids by Kevin Sorbo and Amy Newmark (3
rd
-5
th
)
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Helen Keller: Scholastic Biography by Margaret Davidson and Wendy Watson (2
nd
-5
th
)
Take care and have a restful week.
Kind regards,
Meegan
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| ONLY TWO WEEKS LEFT TO REACH OUR FUNDRAISING GOAL |
As of April 17, the Lab Innovation Fund has received $150,478 toward our $200,000 goal. This means that we need your help to raise the final $49,522. We are 75% of the way there! If you have not already made a donation, please do your part by making a gift, today.
We are so thankful for our 140 donors who have supported the campaign so far. But, we still have more work to do to reach our ambitious goal. To date, just over 40% or our families have made a donation--we hope to meet (or exceed) our year-one participation rate of 85%, and we can't do it without you!
Time is running out; please make your donation to support the school today! |
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Please note that the following tests have been completed and results will be sent home in green folders this Friday:
ELA Practice EOG Grades 3, 4, 5
Parents will receive a letter w/ reading scores and notes on what to work on. Teachers will keep passages and answers because they are using these in small groups and testing genre units.
Math Practice EOG Grades 3 and 5 only
Parents will receive a letter w/ math scores, students' test booklets and answer keys. Teachers need to keep answer sheets to use in small groups and testing units. Grade 4 tests will be completed this week and sent home next week.
In addition,
2nd grade COGAT score reports will be sent home this Friday.
The remaining test results will be sent home in Friday folders as they are completed. Questions? Contact Mrs. Tunick.
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We wanted to let our Lab community know that Ms. Markle is taking a medical leave of absence and will likely not be returning to school for several weeks. She will not have access to email,
and her duties will be covered by the following staff members:
- Dave Hartzell will be covering Ms. Markle's advisory periods.
- Meegan Whelan will serve as point of contact for any questions or concerns about academic progress for Ms. Markle's advisory families.
- Kendra Johnson will be overseeing discipline for the school.
I know that you join us in sending your best wishes to Ms. Markle, and we will let you know when we have additional information to share.
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We had a lot of student interest in the talent show; however, due to some unforeseen issues, we are unable to hold the Talent Show as planned on April 26. We plan to reschedule the show for a later date, however it will likely be structured as an opportunity for students to perform for their classmates during the school day. More details on new rehearsal dates and show date will be provided to the parents of kids who had signed up to participate.
If you have any questions, or would like to help with the Talent Show in its new incarnation, please contact Lab parent Brittany Vanderlinden. Thank you for your understanding!
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| PARK PLAY DATE & SPIRIT NIGHT THIS FRIDAY |
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Join other Lab families this Friday April 21 for a First Ward Park Playdate and Brixx Spirit Night Uptown.
Come to the park after dismissal at 3:45 pm, and when you are ready for dinner, you can help raise money for the school by dining in or taking out from Brixx Pizza. Brixx will donate $3 per pizza and $1 per kid's pizza to Lab. You must present the flyer in order to be eligible for the donation, so please get a flyer from a Lab staff person or PTSO volunteer at the event.
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| Fri, Apr 21 |
First Ward Park Playdate |
3:45 PM |
| Fri, Apr 21 |
Brixx Dining Night Out |
4:30 PM |
| Apr 25-May 12 |
MAP Testing (see schedule) |
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| Wed, Apr 26 |
POSTPONED: Talent Show |
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| Wed, May 3 |
Middle School Parent Orientation Night - New & Returning Families |
6:30 PM |
| Fri, May 5 |
Classes until noon - Half Day Teacher Work Day |
noon |
| Fri, May 5 |
Knights Spirit Event |
7:05 PM |
| Fri, May 5 |
Girls 4/5 Choir Sing National Anthem at Knights |
7:05 PM |
| Tue, May 9-12 |
Book Fair |
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| Tue, May 9 |
General Meeting - PTSO & Diversity Committee |
6:30 PM |
| 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 |
| May 23, 24 & 26 |
EOGs |
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| Fri, May 26 |
Teacher Workday- FACULTY RETREAT - NO CLASSES |
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| Mon, May 29 |
Memorial Day - HOLIDAY |
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| Fri, Jun 2 |
Report Cards Home |
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| June 6 |
Year End Carnival & Field Day |
all day |
| Wed, Jun 7 |
Last Day of School |
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Date
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Times
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Destination
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Program
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Class
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4/19
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11:10 -12:30
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CTC
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Go Dog Go
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Kindergarten
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4/20
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8:30 - 12:00
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DP - Imax
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Mysteries of China Movie and Genghis Khan Exhibit
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Grades 4-5 Chinese Students
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4/20
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8:45-10:45
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CLT Bilingual Preschool
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Outreach Program
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Select 5th grade students
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4/28
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8:45-10:45
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CLT Bilingual Preschool
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Outreach Program
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Select 4th grade students
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5/12
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10:30 - 12:30
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Harvey Gantt Museum
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Guided Tour
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Castro (3rd)
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5/19
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8:45-10:45
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CLT Bilingual Preschool
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Outreach Program
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Select 5th grade students
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5/28
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8:45-10:45
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CLT Bilingual Preschool
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Outreach Program
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Select 4th grade students
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If you have a 2nd, 3rd, or 5th grader, please send in your field trip money as outlined in the March 2, 2017 letter.
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Please be sure to come and
check out the Lost and Found items waiting to be claimed.
We will be donating all unclaimed items on April 30.
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Spring Testing Schedule can be found here.
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All after school and tutoring activities will be cancelled on Thursday, May 25 due to offsite planning meetings. All students must be picked up at the regular dismissal time of 3:45 pm on these days. Please mark your calendars!
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Have you noticed that the car-rider line is moving more quickly? That is because of our fabulous morning volunteers. You can help keep the line moving by volunteering with morning carpool. Sign up to let us know you are coming.
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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
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