Guest Author

Lakeview had a very special visitor on Tuesday, December 20th. Ryan Sloth, (author, football player, coach and actor) paid us a visit to share some of his experiences. Writing two books, playing football for the Iowa State Cyclones and being an extra in several blockbuster movies were some of the memories he shared. He read his two children’s picture books, Sammy Sloth Sports Superstar and Sammy Sloth’s Big Tourney and shared the connections between the text and his real life experiences. The main message Ryan wanted the Lakeview students to take away from his visit was that it can be easy to write about things you know and love. We are all capable of being authors!!! A big thank you goes out to L.E.S.O., Lakeview’s Parent Organization, for making this visit possible.

Holiday Dinner Monday, December 19

Monday, December 19 will be Lakeview’s annual holiday dinner during lunch time at school. The students have enjoyed this opportunity to dress up, bring out the table cloths, and listen to dinner music while they visit with friends. As we continue with the holiday season, this occasion is an exciting way for students to experience getting together with friends for a special dinner. The students are encouraged to dress as if attending a party, and we’ll celebrate with some small appetizers while they get their lunch. We look forward to another nice dinner and enjoying the holiday season,

A Fall Full of Excitement

It has been a busy fall season here at Lakeview, with many activities keeping the students engaged and involved in school. Fourth and fifth grade presented a wonderful program on November 18, and the K-3 program is scheduled for December 8. The students have been working hard on these shows and will do a great job as always I’m sure. In December, we will have our annual holiday dinner during the lunch period. Watch for more details on this exciting event.
Targeted services have been underway for all grades, and beginning next week homework help will be provided after school Monday through Wednesday for fourth and fifth grade. See the attached flyer for details. The district gifted and talented program is also up and running for grade 3-5, and opportunities are being explored to expand the program. If you have questions about any of these programs, please contact your child’s teacher or the school office.
Finally, thanks to all of the families who attended parent conferences earlier this month. Attendance was very good, with most teachers reporting 95% or better. Conferences show your children how important their learning is to you and that your support will be there when needed. Thanks for helping support your student and Lakeview. Have a great Thanksgiving break and beginning of December.

Program Postponed

Due to a staff family emergency, our 4th and 5th grade program will be postponed. We will now hold the program on Friday, November 18, at 1:30 in the Lakeview Gym. If you have any questions, please call the office, 379-5020.

Veteran's Day Program

As you know, programs at Lakeview are an important part of sharing what we do in school with our families. We will present our first program of the year this week.

4th & 5th grade will present a Veteran's Day concert at 1:30 on Friday, November 11 in the gym. There will also be a dress rehearsal at 9:30 a.m. If you are unable to attend the afternoon performance, you are welcome to attend in the morning. If you are a veteran, please sit in front in the reserved seating.

Fall Conferences are Coming Soon!

Thursday Night - November 3rd (3:30-7:30)
Friday Day - November 4th (7:30-3:30)
Thursday Night - November 10th (3:30-7:30)

With seven weeks of the school year already completed, we invite you to see what your student has learned and accomplished at Lakeview. Conferences with your student’s teacher are an important piece to a successful education. We know the success your student will experience this school year will be the result of collaboration between you and us. Any and every effort you can make outside the school day to support your student’s learning and growth is valued. During conferences, teachers will provide families with suggestions of ways to support learning at home.

Please let us know if this scheduled time works for you. If you need to reschedule the time to allow for your attendance, we will make every effort possible to accommodate your needs. I would like to see 100% attendance by parents/guardians at fall conferences. We have set goals for increased student achievement for our students at Lakeview. We cannot reach this goal without the support of families.

Sweatshirt Information

Our Lakeview clothing order was sent home last week, and I just wanted to post some information to use to view samples. Please go to http://www.ssactivewear.com/ and look at item # 32384 Hooded vip sweatshirt, and #33584 loose bottom sweatpants. Some samples should also be at Lakeview for you to view early this week. To the left are the logos that are able to be chosen. Thanks to LESO and Marvic for organizing this.

Llama Llama Red Pajama

On Thursday, October 6, students in all four elementary schools read the book Llama Llama Red Pajama. The students wore their pajamas to school, and this event was part of a record breaking event known as "Read for the Record", where students from across the country read the same book on the same day. Yesterday, it was estimated that over 2 million students participated. Not only did students get a chance to read and have fun with the book, but every school was visited by a live llama. As a Reading Corps school, this is one of the neat things that is organized for our students and is meant to get students excited about reading and learning. It was fun to see the students so excited about this activity.

Reading at Home

As September comes to a close, we can celebrate a successful first month at Lakeview! Throughout the year, one of the most effective ways you can support your child's learning is to read and discuss what was read. Talk with your child about how you think while you read and make connections to the literature.
Did you know that 15 minutes of daily reading can expose children to over 1 million words per year? Please support your child's education by reading with them, asking them questions, adn engaging with their reading for at least 15 minutes each day.
We believe, with a combination of using best practices here at school and having strong parental support, our students' reading abilities will soar. Please take the time to reinforce the importance and excitement of reading with your children. Kids love to model the adults in their lives, and your continued excitement will help create children that are lifelong readers and learners.

First 2 Weeks of School

It has been an exciting first few weeks at Lakeview. It has been great to see the kids meeting new friends, re-establishing routines in classrooms, and excited to be back at school. As we finish the first full week, please keep the following important dates in mind.

On Tuesday, September 20 we will have our Lakeview family picnic. All are welcome to join us from 5:30-7:00 to enjoy a picnic dinner, meet new friends and reconnect with those you may not have seen in while. A special thank you is in order for our parent group and for the support of all of our families to allow such an exciting event to take place. We will be outside, or in the gym if it is raining. We also have our book fair running next week, please come check it out with your child as you can before or after school, or during the picnic.

Also in the next two weeks, students will be taking some assessments to help their teachers meet their needs this year. All grades will do some literacy benchmarking using a tool called AIMSweb on Tuesday, September 20, and grades 2-5 will take their MAP test in both reading and math sometime between the 21st and the 30th. Teachers will use the results of these benchmarks to help plan their instruction to make sure every child is working at their level and growing. As always, encourage your children to do their best on these tests, but remind them that it should not be stressful. The goal is to find out how much students already know, so we can make sure we keep making growth. Please contact me or your child's teacher if you have any questions about these assessments.

Thank you for helping to contribute to a great start of the school year. I am confident that as we continue to work together as a community, all students will be set up for success.

Eric Hudspith

Welcome to Lakeview

"Welcome to Lakeview!" I am honored to be joining the Lakeview team and would like to echo that comment, as I have heard it regularly in my first few weeks here. I look forward to working with the Lakeview community and continuing to create a great environment for our students. Although the school district is going through some transitions this fall, one thing remains constant: Our focus on student learning and providing a safe, welcoming environment for all students.

This year at Lakeview I am confident you will find staff not only providing engaging, effective instruction, but also communicating with students that what we do at school is important, that all students can be successful, and that teachers will do whatever it takes to help each child. The district is also utilizing several resources to ensure that we can meet the needs of all learners. Title I teachers, a renewed gifted and talented program, and a grant program known as ADSIS, will all contribute to our classroom teachers' abilities to help all students find success and experience the rigor to keep them engaged and excited in school. One of my core beliefs towards learning is "It's okay to be where we're at, just not okay to stay there." No matter where a student excels or finds challenges in school, this statement will apply as we consistently push for the next level of achievement.

Again, I am excited and privileged to be a part of Lakeview's community, and look forward to a great school year.