Announcements

It’s Party Time! Treat your child or yourself to a special event! There are still a few spots left at the Lawton fundraiser parties that were sold at the auction. Space is limited so please reply quickly if you are interested. All proceeds go to the Lawton PTA. We hope to see you there!

To Register for these events, fill out the registration form linked here leave in the Treasurer’s box in the school office with a check to Lawton PTA.  Questions? Please contact Jani Lauvrak Lee at  or Kerry Peterson.

Remaining spots are available on a first come – first serve basis. They sell out, so if you are Interested, act quickly!

UPCOMING EVENTS! (descriptions below)

Friday, May 11th – Explore Magnolia with Ms. Eppley – Sold Out
Saturday, May 12th – Aquarium visit with Ms. Rudisill – Sold Out
Friday, May 18th – Hip “Pop” Arazzi Party – Tickets Available
Saturday, May 19th – Boys Basketball Night w/SPU players – Tickets Available
Saturday, May 19th – Lost Lands of Discovery Park – Sold Out
Friday, June 1st – Bike ride Beach and BBQ – Sold Out
Saturday, June 2nd – Beach Explorers in West Seattle – Tickets Available
Tuesday, June 5th – A Putt Putt experience at Interbay – Sold Out
Saturday, June 9th – Mother and Son Bowling – Sold Out
Sunday, June 10th – Father/Child Survivor Beach Party – Tickets Available
Friday, June 15th – Mom’s Night Out – Tickets Available
Wednesday, July 11th – Zoo & Picnic w/Ms. Parks & Ms. Wong – Tickets Available
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THESE UPCOMING EVENTS ARE STILL AVAILABLE SO HURRY!
Hip “Pop” Arazzi Party
Have you ever dreamed of being a Pop Star? How do you Rock? How do you Sway? Come dressed as your favorite music artist and kick it with us at Lawton’s 2nd Annual Hip “Pop” Arazzi Party! You will be treated like Pop and Rock Royalty, walk down the red carpet and have your picture taken by the paparazzi. This will be a party to remember from the hottest tracks playing to our fun filled night of dance. And of course our party wouldn’t be complete without a Soul Train Dance Off and Best Pop or Rock Look-a-like Contest. So show us what you’ve got and we’ll show you a Hip Poppin Good Time! Parents drop off and pick up at Lawton.
Date: Friday, May 18th / 6:00pm – 8:00pm / Price: $35 per child (Grades K-5)
Thank you: Cheryl Parks • Amie Schumer • Elaine Cooper •Emmy Misner

Boys Basketball Night with SPU Players
Calling Hoopsters of all ages! Does your Lawton boy like Basketball and Pizza? Could you use a little “kid free” time on a Saturday evening? We’ve got a great idea! Sign your young athletes up for an action packed basketball and pizza party right in our own Lawton gym. We are thrilled to have College players from the Men’s SPU Basketball Team coming to lead the action. Your boys will be able to score tips from the real deal! The SPU players will help your kids with all of the basics and then some!What a great way to inspire our future athletes! Maybe they’ll even give the SPU guys a run for their money! Parents drop off and pick up at Lawton.
Date: Saturday, May 19th / 5:30pm – 8:00pm / Price: $35 per child (Grades 2-5)
Thank you: Cheryl Parks • Seattle Pacific University •Jani & Dick Lee • Kerry Peterson

Beach Explorers in West Seattle
Come explore West Seattle’s beautiful Alki Beach with Mrs. Cooper and Ms. Mitchell. Your young explorers will comb the beach for treasures and marvel at sea life revealed only by a low tide. After they’ve worked up an appetite they will enjoy a picnic lunch along the shore. There is never a better way to spend the day than by the beach! Now who’s gonna get their toes in the sand!
Date: Saturday, June 2nd / 9:30am – 1:30pm / Price: $35 per child (Grades K-5)
Thank you: Mrs. Cooper and Ms. Mitchell

Father-Child Survivor Beach Party
Grab your son or daughter and head out to Carkeek Park for a day of some serious father-child bonding!
Compete in Lawton’s annual survivor party and enjoy dinner on the beach – plenty of snacks, hot dogs,
s’mores and refreshments provided! Only the fittest Lawton kids will “survive” this wild day on the beach. Upon arrival, dads and kids will be given their tribal buffs and separate into two tribes. No one’s torch will be extinguished, but there will be challenges, competitions and a tribal council at the end
of the outing to review the day’s activities and receive individual survivor awards. K-5 welcome!
Date: Sunday, June 10th / 2:00pm – 5:00pm / Price: $50 per child (dads are free) (up to 20 kids)
Thank you: Keith and Carla Skogland,Tate and Christine McHugh

Field Day Recovery Party (aka Moms Night Out)
Field Day 2012 is over, Lawton kids are exhausted and happy, now it’s mom time. Enjoy appetizers and a
signature cocktail while relaxing with friends at our very unique Moms Night Out featuring customized “Field Night” activities. The dunk tank and bouncy houses will be packed away, but there will be some good natured competition and a fun time visiting with friends celebrating a great school year and in anticipation of summer!
Date: Friday, June 15th / 7:00pm – Jani Lauvrak Lee Home / Price: $50 per person
Thank you: Jani Lauvrak Lee, Kerry Peterson, Kirsten Dumo and Kimball Mullins

A Day at the Zoo and Picnic with Mrs. Parks and Mrs. Wong
Who doesn’t love a day at the zoo! The day will be spent at the Woodland Park Zoo with two of your
favorite Lawton teachers! Mrs. Parks and Mrs. Wong will escort five lucky explorers through the zoo and will provide a delicious picnic lunch. Safari gear is optional – but bring your sense of adventure!
Date: Wednesday, July 11th / 9:30am – 2:30pm / Price: $40 per child (Grades K-3)
Thank you: Cheryl Parks and Tessie Wong (back up date in case of rain is Thursday, July 12th)

Posted in Announcements | Sunday, May 13th, 2012

From the Lawton newsletter:

The school board is currently considering changes to the transportation plan for 2012-2013 school year. This email is intended to provide you with additional information regarding the transportation proposal, some talking points, and suggestions on how to voice your concerns.  Please note that the school board is planning to vote on the proposal next week. Any public comments need to be made as soon as possible, ideally within the next few days.

Transportation Proposal Background: SPS transportation staff are reviewing options for revising the District’s transportation plan for next year. Last week, a presentation was made to the School Board that outlined three arrival/departure times for schools. Schools are currently divided into three transportation tiers. Under the new proposal, changes would be made so that Tier One schools would have buses arriving at school as early as 7:10 am. (school would begin at approximately 7:30 am). Tier Two schools would arrive at 8:25 and depart 3:00.  Tier Three schools will have later start (arrival 9:20, start around 9:40) and end times with buses leaving schools at 3:55 p.m. and some students potentially arriving home as late as 4:40 p.m.

The school district has not communicated which schools will be assigned to each tier so we do not know how or if  Lawton would specifically be affected Lawton is currently a Tier Two School.

Although not all students arrive at school by bus, transportation decisions do impact all families because transportation plans ultimately determine bell times. How the transportation issues are resolved will determine what time students start and end school next year. Also note that the transportation issue is ultimately a budget issue. The district is hoping to save an additional $1 million in transportation costs in the next school year. Additional information on the transportation plan is available at the district website.

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From our friends at the McClure PTSA:  As reported in the McNews earlier this week, the SPS Transportation department has proposed changes to the bus schedule, which impacts start times at most schools. Information on the SPS proposal can be found here and here. If SPS adopts these changes to the bus system, middle and high schools will have a bus drop off time of 7:10 (start time 7:25). Since the proposal also allows for increasing ride time to 60 minutes (it is now 45 minutes), students could be the bus as early as 6:10. To accommodate this proposed 3 tier busing system, some elementary start times could start as late as 9:45 (dismissing at 4). This proposal will likely impact all students and their families in some way. Several parent groups have begun working on this issue.

Please see the following:

•There is a petition on the subject that can be found here. Please consider signing to send a message to the school board.

•An alternate proposal, recenlty drafted by a parent, can be found here.

•There was a meeting of interested and concerned parents at TOPS last night. Below are the talking points and notes from the meeting at TOPS last night.

If you wish to contact the entire school board on this issue, you can email schoolboard@seattleschools.org with a cc to the Transportation department transdept@seattleschools.org. If you wish to contact specific school board members (our region’s representative is Michael DeBell), you can find individual email addresses here.

The school board will vote on this proposal on May 16th Board Meeting. To sign up to speak, click here.

Talking Points from TOPS Meeting:

TRANSPORTATION TALKING POINTS

No Public Engagement: The District introduced the new transportation plan at the School Board meeting on Wednesday, May 2 to be voted on at the next meeting, May 16. Staff admitted there was no public engagement prior to introduction of the plan. Furthermore, the proposal acknowledges that 5-6 additional schools will need to be moved to Tier One, but staff won’t disclose which schools will be affected. That robs those who will be affected of the opportunity to evaluate the impact to their school communities and provide feedback.

After Open Enrollment: The Transportation Service Standards, adopted by the School Board on February 1, 2012, state that bus arrival/departure times and school start/end times must be established prior to the start of Open Enrollment. Open Enrollment ended in March.

Enrollment: The District has not considered the impact on Enrollment if they make this change now. We predict that many families will leave option schools on Tier One because of the time change and show up at their attendance area school, many of which are already over-crowded.

Safety: The Transportation Service Standards state that option schools can have bus rides up to 60 minutes. For an option school K-8 on the first tier for buses, with a bus arrival time of 7;10 am, that means that some buses could be picking up children at 6:10 am. With a 45 minute ride, the first bus pick-up would be at 6:25 am. For bus routes with community stops, the bus stop can be up to ½ mile from a child’s home. It is not safe for young children to be walking to their bus stops and waiting at bus stops in the dark.

Sleep Issues: Young children who require 11 or more hours of sleep at night would have to go to sleep at 6 pm. Research shows that middle and high school students should start school later. This early a start to the school day will not lead to good educational outcomes for any students – elementary, middle or high school.

Parental support and engagement in homework: Research shows that parental support and engagement in homework is an important contributor to student achievement. Yet, changes to school start times will have little to no effect on the core working hours of the vast majority of parents. All it will do is reduce the number of hours that working parents and children have together to read, review assignments, and give and get help with homework.

Impact on Staff: Some staff will not be able to continue to work at schools on Tier One. For example, day cares typically open at 7 am. A staff member who is required to be at school prior to bus arrivals will not be able to work at a Tier One school. This will mean Tier One schools will be disadvantaged because the pool of available staff will be smaller than other schools in the district.

Impact on after-school care infrastructure: Spreading out the bell times for different elementary and K-8 schools will put on a strain on various aspects of after-care infrastructure. Programs will have to staff for longer and pass those costs on to parents.

Cost Analysis: The District’s proposal does not contain the kind of cost analysis the School Board should insist on before changing school start times drastically. Where is the support for the claim that doing this will save $1 million?

Need to Cut Costs: It is disingenuous for the District to claim that if the transportation is not adopted, they will have to RIF more teachers. There are other areas of the budget that can be cut. And, the District is considering the purchase of an office building and buy-back of a ground lease for $3.2 million, introduced at the same May 2 meeting and also scheduled for a May 16 vote. Does it make sense that the District can spend $3.2 million to purchase an office building and at the same time, claim that it must inconvenience thousands of families and adversely affect educational outcomes for thousands of students by changing bus times in order to save $1 million?

Failure to Consider Alternatives: The District has not considered other ways to cut transportation costs that would not inconvenience families and staff and have an adverse impact on educational outcomes. For example, District staff dismissed the proposal of one School Board Director to expand community stops to more bus routes, stating there could be discipline problems at bus stops and complaints from property owners. District staff did not consult with families or staff at TOPS, which is using community stops on all buses this year – without complaint and without discipline problems.

Three Tier v. Two Tier: If the only way the District can reliably operate a three tier bus system is to push back start times to 7:30, then perhaps we should conclude that three tiers don’t work in Seattle because of our geography and travel times.

SCHOOL BOARD DIRECTOR COMMUNITY MEETINGS

Wednesday, May 9 — Director McLaren Community meeting – 12:30-2:30 p.m. at Southwest Library, 9010 35th Avenue SW

Saturday, May 12 — Director Carr Community meeting from 8:30am-10:00am at Bethany Community Church, 8023 Green Lake Dr – Christian Education Building (corner of N 81st and Stone Ave N). The entrance can be accessed from N 81st Street, next to the playground.

Saturday, May 12 — Director Smith-Blum Community meeting from 10-11:30 am, location TBA.

Posted in Announcements | Wednesday, May 9th, 2012

MSP Testing Next week for 3rd, 4th and 5th graders – May 1st – 4th

The MSP or Measurement of Student Progress test (previously known as the WASL), begins next week for 3rd, 4th, and 5th Graders across Washington State.  Please click here to see the complete MSP schedule for Lawton’s 3rd, 4th and 5th graders. 

For more information on the MSP, please see the OSPI’s website.

MSP preparation:  It is important that students be at school on testing days and that they arrive on time — please do not schedule any appointments for your child during these dates.  Students should get at least 8 hours of sleep the night before the tests and eat a hearty breakfast in the morning.  Please send your child to school with a water bottle and some healthy snacks to keep energized while testing!  This is not a timed test so students can take as much time as they need to finish, and we encourage them to work at a comfortable pace and to check their work over. We appreciate your support and positive encouragement for our 3rd through 5th graders during this testing time!

MAP Testing for all students May 14th  through June 1st

The MAP or Measures of Academic Progress is a computer-based assessment program produced by Northwest Evaluation Association or NWEA. Each child spends about 45 minutes completing each test for both reading and math, in the winter and spring, with an option to test in the fall. MAP tests are unique in that they adapt to the appropriate level for your child’s learning.  For more on the MAP test, please see the SPS MAP page.  

Click here to see the complete MAP schedule for Lawton students.

Posted in Announcements | Thursday, April 26th, 2012

Field Day t-shirts are on sale now and the deadline is Friday, May 4^th. The previous company we worked with went out of business so we longer have our previous design but this year’s new design is great! A sample is on display in the hallway outside of the gym and is on the order form.

In addition, each grade band will have a different color which will follow the students year to year so no need to order a new shirt each year as long as it still fits! Ordering a Field Day shirt is not mandatory and is offered as an option for those who want a shirt.

Order forms have been given to the homeroom teachers and your child should be bringing it home. Extra forms will be available in the front office and from Mrs. Parks in the gym. Colors for each grade are as follows:

            Student shirt colors

K= Yellow
1^st= Red
2^nd= Caroline Blue
3^rd= Light Gray
4^th= Orange
5^th= Lime

Posted in Announcements | Thursday, April 26th, 2012

Hello All.  The Annual Young Author’s Sharing Day is fast approaching for Spring 2012.  On May 25,  from 9:00 – 10:00 our entire student population is re-configured into small multi-age groups of 8-10 students.  At this time, the students share an example of some of the writing they have completed during the year. 

Leaders are needed to monitor each group as they share their work.  In order to do this, we need about 25 volunteers.  A short orientation is held in the library at 9:00 – 9:15.  Leaders receive their materials and find their locations within the building.  Students  begin their share about  9:30 and finish  by 10:00.  At which time, K-2 students go to recess and 3-5 students  return to their classroom.  

This event cannot be held without the help of volunteers to monitor the small groups.  Please consider giving an hour of your time to this worthy activity.  Contact Kathleen Dial, 252 2138 if you are available to help.  Thank you for all you do.

Posted in Announcements | Thursday, April 26th, 2012

It’s time to order your yearbooks!  If you haven’t already done so, please complete the form sent home with your child along with a check made out to “Lawton Elementary PTA” and return it to your child’s teacher or the office.  Click here for the order form.   Contact Mollie Mills with questions.

There will be very few extra copies to purchase at the end of the year, buying it now ensures your child a copy.

Thank you!

Posted in Announcements | Tuesday, April 10th, 2012

Pertussis (Whooping Cough) is in Our State

You may have been hearing in the news about a pertussis epidemic in Washington State. Pertussis is also known as “whooping cough”. It is a disease caused by a certain bacteria. Pertussis is spread through sneezing and coughing. This disease is of high concern in infants because they are too young to get the vaccination. Infants with pertussis may eat poorly, turn blue, or stop breathing. Infants are also at highest risk for severe pertussis complications that require hospitalization such as difficulty breathing, pneumonia, convulsions, and even death.

Whooping cough vaccines are recommended for all children and adults. The shots children get wear off over time. Everyone age 11 and older should get a whooping cough booster, called Tdap. It’s especially important for anyone who has close contact with babies younger than 12 months to get a Tdap vaccine. This will help protect the baby from whooping cough. Pregnant women should ask their doctors about the vaccination.

It is important to contact your doctor if you or someone in your family:

·       Has a persistent cough that lasts more than 2 weeks OR

·       Has a cough that occurs in “spells” followed by difficulty breathing or gagging

Consider talking to health care provider or our school nurse, Lynne Carveth, if you have questions or concerns.

Posted in Announcements | Tuesday, April 10th, 2012

Last day of school at Seattle Public Schools finalized: Friday, June 22

The Seattle School Board on Wednesday decided to extend the school year by two days to make up for January’s inclement weather.

The last day of school will be Friday, June 22. Seattle students lost three days of school in January because of severe winter weather conditions. One day was made up on Jan. 27.

The School Board voted 0 to 7 against applying for a waiver from the state, which would have allowed Seattle Public Schools to not make up those two days. Not making up the days would have saved the district about $500,000.

“This is a statement on the value of classroom instruction,” said Board President Michael DeBell, after the unanimous vote.

Posted in Announcements | Tuesday, April 10th, 2012

World Cultures Market Day Tuesday April 10th 12:15-3:00pm

The 3rd through 5th grade are hosting the Marketplace this year. All Lawton students will tour Marketplace with their class and sample local foods from the different regions or parts of history featured by the 3rd through 5th grade classrooms. Make sure to ask you children what foods they tried at Marketplace Tuesday evening. If you would like to volunteer to help students at Marketplace this year, please contact your child’s teacher.

World Cultures Open House Thursday April 12th 6-8pm

The school is transforming into a worldly celebration. This year join us for the World Cultures open house, Thursday April 12th, from 6-8pm ands travel the world.

The kindergarten students have been studying different regions of South America, while the first grade students have focused on different regions of Asia. Travel through the South Pacific and Australia with the 2nd graders but watch out for any passing kangaroos. Upstairs student have been dicing into adventure, mythology, history and civics. The 3rd grade students have focused on North America, with emphasis on Alaska and the Klondike Gold Rush, the journey of Lewis and Clark, and the Native American and Mexican cultures in the southwest. Take a European tour with the 4th grade students before exploring the vast diversity found in the African countries with the 5th graders. It will be a spectacular display of student learning so come and travel the world through the eyes of the Lawton students. We are positive that you will enjoy the adventure around the globe.

PASSPORTS:  Lawton students will receive passports but the format is slightly different than in years past. The passports will have 2 questions from each area. Lawton students will write answers to the questions on the passports while they tour around with their families. The completed passort will be brought to Customs for an approval stamp and a travel souvenier. Passports will be collected so students can share information and discuss their trip around the globe in class on Friday to continue their learning. Passports for young siblings will be available too so they can check off their travels around the globe. Souvenirs from customs will only be available for Lawton students due to the procured amount. Thank you for you’re understanding.

CUSTOMS:  Students and families can go to Customs after they are finished touring around to get a customs stamp on their passports. Customs will be open 6:45-8:00 pm. Students can go to Customs for their stamps anytime after 6:45. Any students/families still around at 7:45 will be asked to move to customs at that time. Classrooms viewing areas will close at 7:45 and Customs will close at 8 pm. Customs will be located in the commons (a.k.a the lunchroom). There will also be a video with photos from the past few weeks of students engaged in the integrated social studies and arts, world cultures focus.

PARKING:   World Cultures is a popular event and many of the Lawton families attend. Parking is always difficult. If possible families are encouraged to walk to the event or carpool. Please remember when parking on the surrounding residential streets to respect parking laws. Please do not block any driveways and park on legal spots on the streets. In the spirit of respecting our neighbors and the world, we hope to keep our residential neighbors to the school happy.

World Cultures Closing Assembly Friday April 13th 2:15-2:45pm (3rd through 5th grade only in attendance)

A performance of Polynesian dance with Room 103, as well as songs from a couple of classes. Teachers of the classes performing songs will let parents know via e-mail later in the week.

Posted in Announcements | Tuesday, April 10th, 2012

NOTE to Lawton Families, these meetings are where SPS takes community feedback about schools and buildings and the plans for addressing projected enrollment data.  See the preliminary plan here. NOW is the time to voice your opinion and learn about building renovations and long term plans for schools in the district (for ex. a high school at Lincoln).

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Seattle Public Schools Seeks Input for Building Excellence IV (BEX IV) Capital Levy Project Options (From SPS)

Seattle Public Schools will host three community meetings on April 3, 5 and 10, to share information, and ask for feedback about options for possible building construction projects to be included in the Building Excellence IV (BEX IV) Capital Levy package. Once final, this list of construction projects will be in front of Seattle voters in February 2013.

The community meetings will be held:

Tuesday, April 3, 6:30-8:00pm at Eckstein Middle School

Thursday, April 5, 6:30-8:00pm at Denny International Middle School

Tuesday, April 10, 6:30-8:00pm at Mercer Middle School

Each meeting will include presentations by Capital Projects and Planning staff members, followed by a question and answer period with community attendees. Comments from the community will be collected, recorded, reviewed, considered and included in considering the Building Excellence IV Capital Levy projects package.

The public can also send their comments and feedback anytime to capacity@seattleschools.org

The capital levy is part of Seattle Public Schools’ long-range plan to upgrade and renovate aging school facilities on a planned and predictable timetable. BEX III was approved by Seattle voters in 2007 and included the major renovation of Chief Sealth International High School, Hamilton International Middle School, Ingraham High School, Nathan Hale High School and Rainier Beach High School, as well as the new school construction of South Shore Pre k-8 and Denny International Middle School.

For further information, please contact Tom Redman, Capital Communications Manager

Email: tlredman@seattleschools.org Phone: 206-252-0655.

Posted in Announcements | Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

April 2012

Dear Lawton Staff, Families and Community Partners,

Thank you for the kind words that many of you have extended to me with the announcement of my appointment as Lawton Principal.   I am truly excited to be leading and growing with this dynamic community of students, teachers and families.

One of the ways that I would like to learn from the community and be available to you is by setting aside time for principal chats.  Friday, April 6, will be the first of these in the school library from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m.    We have planned three dates for the remainder of this year (April 6, May 11, and June 1) for you to be able to ask questions and learn about the work we are doing at Lawton.

One of the visible changes we’ve made recently is in the front office.  Our office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.    We are working to streamline our systems to support the working of the school.  We want to be accessible to the community, welcoming to visitors, and be efficient in our systems.  One of the goals of these changes is for the principal to be out in classrooms, hallways, common spaces and the playground more.   To facilitate this, Ms. Thomas has taken on calendaring and managing my time and files, and has moved back into the office adjacent to the conference room.  This removes some of the interruptions from her day, but may shift more to Ms. Godon and Ms. Jensen in the front office.   There are several ways you can help us work effectively:

• First, please use the attendance email: attendance@lawtonelementary.org  or our newly created attendance line (206) 252-2139 to inform us about attendance issues.  Emails and phone messages left before 9:00 a.m. will be picked up and entered before calling families to check on unaccounted-for students.
• Second, help us minimize disruptions to the office and the classroom by planning for and communicating in writing alternate pick-ups, play dates, or changes in bus routes before the start of the school day.  These messages can be sent as a note via kid-mail to be dropped off at the office in the morning or sent as an email message to the attendance line: attendance@lawtonelementary.org
• Finally, please make sure to pick up your child promptly at the end of school or after-school activities.  As a school, we are not staffed to provide supervision for students after the end of the school day; however, we recognize that emergencies sometimes arise. Please notify us immediately (206) 252-2130 if something arises so we can have your child wait in the office for you.

The halls at Lawton are abuzz with World Cultures preparations.   I’m looking forward to sharing this tradition with our school community as we learn about and celebrate the cultural diversity of our world.     Thank you for all your support with homework and projects and volunteering at school to bring this integrated learning project to successful fruition.

The cherry blossoms and April have arrived, and my son Spencer is turning 6 months old over the spring break.  As Spencer was born the week I became principal, his age serves to remind me how long I have been in this role.  As I reflect on these last 6 months, I am motivated by the work our staff is doing and humbled by the task of leading it.  I hope your spring is off to a strong start – filled, as my home and garden are, with laughter and learning and new life.

Thank you for partnering with Lawton to make it great!

Neil Gerrans
Principal Lawton Elementary

Posted in Announcements | Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012

About World Autism Awareness Day

In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly declared April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD), with the goal of bringing the world’s attention to autism, a pervasive disorder that affects tens of millions.

World Autism Awareness Day shines a bright light on autism as a growing global health concern. WAAD activities help to increase and develop world knowledge of the autism crisis and impart information regarding the importance of early diagnosis and early intervention. Additionally, WAAD celebrates the unique talents and skills of people with autism, and features community events around the world where individuals with autism and their families are warmly welcomed and embraced.

Posted in Announcements | Monday, April 2nd, 2012

Thank you to all who took the time to offer their opinions on PTA programs and funding priorities. We had 76 total responses from both new and returning families. Of these, 73% are PTA members, 82% have donated to the PTA this year, and 75% have volunteered their time.

Some highlights of the survey responses are below:
Fundraising: Most people (61%) think the PTA does “about the right amount” of fundraising. However, a significant minority (36%) thinks that we do too much.
Direct Drive: Support for a direct drive is strong and growing! Fifty-three percent favored a direct drive over an auction (24%). This is a big change from last year, when only 37% preferred to make a direct donation versus 41% who preferred an auction.
Spending Priorities: Firstly, we would like to apologize for a technical error that limited responses on the spending priorities question. Although we were able to correct this problem within an hour of the survey going “live,” a few people were unable to fully answer this question. Nevertheless, we think we got some valuable information on the things you value. In short – everything! A majority of respondents rated almost all the programs that the PTA funds as “somewhat important” or “very important.” The top ten priorities that emerged from the survey are:

1.Playground supervision (a whopping 97% think this is somewhat or very important!)
2.Teacher grants (as requested for classroom materials)
3.Enrichment – Science Week
4.Playground equipment and maintenance
5.Safety patrol/crossing guard
6.School-day tutoring
7.Library materials
8.(TIE) PE equipment and maintenance; Music equipment and maintenance
9.Enrichment – Visual Arts
10.(TIE) Tuition assistance for PTA programs and 5th grade camp; Enrichment – Outdoor Education
Your input is valuable to the PTA Board as we begin to plan for next year. Thank you again to all who participated. If you would like to see the full survey results, please click here.

We will present our proposed 2012-2013 budget to the general membership at the April general meeting (date TBD). Please join us!

Posted in Announcements | Monday, April 2nd, 2012

March 23, 2012

Dear Lawton community,

Today I am excited to officially appoint Dr. Neil Gerrans as your new principal.

Dr. Gerrans stepped into the role of interim principal in October and has developed collaborative relationships between the PTA and the Building Leadership Team, including creation of a new mission and set of core beliefs for Lawton, helping guide the community. Dr. Gerrans also created a unique experience for teachers to learn from each other via “Lawton Walks,” where teachers have time to observe colleagues teach, and come together to learn in teams.

Nancy Coogan, Executive Director of Schools for the central region, conducted the community input process on Dr. Gerrans’ performance as interim principal. Feedback included discussions with staff, families, and community, as well as a survey of staff, parents/guardians and the community.  Individuals also submitted feedback through email.

Before coming to Lawton at the start of the 2011-12 school year, Dr. Gerrans taught grades 1-4 in the Renton School District since 2003. This past year, he completed his administrative credentials through the UW Danforth Educational Leadership Program, serving as a principal intern at Concord International School and Kennydale Elementary School. Before going back to school to become a certified teacher, Dr. Gerrans worked at the management consulting firm of McKinsey & Company as a strategy consultant and was a research assistant while earning his Ph.D. at Carnegie Mellon in computational electromagnetics.

Dr. Gerrans has many plans for Lawton’s future, including developing a strong and integrated arts program in partnership with the PTA. To ensure high-quality interventions are in place to help students that are struggling, Lawton is planning implementation of a small-group instructional block for each grade level in the coming year.  This will create a structure for focused interventions as well as rigorous enrichment opportunities for those students that have mastered core-level content.

I know Dr. Gerrans will continue to work with all of you to ensure success at Lawton Elementary.

Sincerely,

Susan

Susan Enfield, Ed.D.
Interim Superintendent
Seattle Public Schools

Posted in Announcements | Monday, March 26th, 2012

Lawton Auction a Rockin’ Success!

Thank you to everyone who attended the Lawton Rocks PTA Auction on Saturday night! It was a truly fun evening filled with great energy and enthusiasm for Lawton, and dancing the night away to The Throbs! We are still working on a final total, but together this community raised a net total of nearly$90,000 for the Lawton PTA!! This funding ensures we can continue the many arts, safety, tutoring, enrichment, community, cultural and more programs vital to our kids’ unique experience here at Lawton.  The spirit of hope and generosity in the room at Safeco was palpable and made us all proud to be part of such a caring community of parents, friends and staff. 

Lawton Rocks gear is still available!  Buy your Lawton Rocks t-shirt (kids and adults available), wristbands and stadium cups!  Watch for an order form this week in your kidmail.  Items will also be sold at Bingo Night on Thursday!

A special thank you the the Auction Committee whose talents and effort made the event a success: Lisa Blau, Brian Bogen, Margaret Bolger, Kirsten Dumo,Kelly Fulks, Bryan Hester, Tony Johnson, Jani Lauvrak Lee, Kimball Mullins, Kerry Peterson, Eric Pozil, Marlene Scott, Diana Deen Thompson, and Susan Washington.

Did you miss the auction?  Are you saying “Drat, I wish I had pledged?”  It’s not too late. You can still be part of the game by making a tax-deductible donation in any amount to help Lawton meet its funding goals.  See “Donate” button at www.lawtonelementary.org or email Lisa Blau with questions.  Thank you!
*Reminder: many employers have charitable donation matching programs. If you donated, your company may match it, doubling your gift to Lawton!

Look next week for a follow-up with final totals, an official shout out to all of the volunteers and sponsors, and information on how you can still sign up for fun parties and teacher experiences!

Posted in Announcements | Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

February Book Fair was a Great Success!

 Thank you to all the families who supported our February Usborne Bookfair.  The final sales total was $2,671.05.  The Lawton Library received half of that total in new books…100 new books!   You all are the best!  Our library continues to grow through your support of book fairs, birthday books and general donations.  We are very fortunate to have such an active community.

Posted in Announcements | Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

Calling all Lawton families!!  Please come dressed as your favorite movie star and join us for $5 pizza, salad and a drink dinner, FREE BINGO, and a little fun runway competition!  Mom’s, Dad’s, brothers, sisters and friends can all try their luck at winning some fabulous movie packages during our 4 Bingo games.  BINGO is totally free!!  Dinner will be HOT at 5:30pm.  BINGO starts at 6:00pm.  BAKE SALE goes all night long!  Best part of all????  NO SCHOOL THE NEXT DAY!!!!! 

Please contact Deana Metteer at deanametteer@yahoo.com if you want to volunteer…..we can always use an extra set of hands!

Posted in Announcements | Wednesday, March 14th, 2012

Lawton was crazy for visiting author, Laura Kvasnosky, and her lively presentations she used to educate and entertain our children. We weren’t able to have much time for book sales last week so, if you’re interested in one of her many well-known books, you can order them through school this week only at great discount prices!

Please make out checks (all tax is included) to Laura Kvasnosky and leave in the envelope marked LuAnn Mitchell in the office by Friday, March  16th. Books will be delivered on Monday, March 19^th.

The price for all paperbacks is $3.00, (regularly $4.99)
 
Titles include
Zelda and Ivy and the Boy Next Door
Zelda and Ivy One Christmas
Zelda and Ivy and the Runaways
And
Frank and Izzy Set Sail,hardback is $8.00, (regularly $15)  

Posted in Announcements | Wednesday, March 14th, 2012