Lakeview Letter

A Note from the Principal

Hello Lakeview Families,

I hope this newsletter finds you and your family relaxing and enjoying the sunshine!

My name is Holly Westlund and I am the Lakeview Elementary Principal. I wanted to introduce myself to those I have not yet met and share a few things about this upcoming school year.

This is my 4th year as principal at Lakeview. I absolutely love my job and am excited for the year ahead. My husband and I moved here to Solon last May from Cedar Rapids. We have 5 children: Emma (12), Evelynn (5), Eleanor (4), Elizabeth (2), and Elliott (2). We spent our summer traveling, exploring area parks and libraries, swimming in the backyard, at many dance camps/classes and keeping up with toddler twins!

Throughout this school year you can expect a monthly newsletter communication from me. I will send this out via text and email. It will also be posted to our social media accounts. Teachers will also be sending monthly communications to classroom families. If anything else pops up that needs to be shared prior to the monthly newsletters, we will email you. Please make sure you updated your contacts email when you registered your child so that you are receiving these communications.

Parents, if you have any questions or concerns as the first day draws near, please let me know. Please also do not hesitate to reach out throughout the school year. I can be reached via email at hwestlund@solon.k12.ia.us or via my office phone at 319-624-3401, ext. 1291.

I can't wait to see you all soon.

Mrs. Westlund

Drop off/pick up procedures will look a little different this year at Lakeview. Please read below to find out more.

KEY TIMES:

7:55 am: Doors Unlock

If students need breakfast they should proceed to the gym, otherwise they can report directly to their classroom.

8:05 am: Student Day Begins

3:05 pm: Student Day Ends, Walkers, SLA, BASP & Parent Pick Up Dismissed

3:08 pm: Bus Students Dismissed

Doors unlock at 7:55 am.

We do not have supervision prior to this time. If your child is dropped off early he/she will be unable to enter the building until the doors unlock at 7:55 am.

Bus Students

Buses arrive at Lakeview beginning at 7:55 am. Students should follow the side walk around to the to the back doors near the Art Room. Students will be greeted and welcomed into the building by staff there. Students should proceed to the cafeteria for breakfast or, if they do not need breakfast, they should go directly to their classroom.

At the end of the day, students will exit the gym doors to load their respective buses.

Parent Morning Drop Off

ALL students being dropped off by parents/caregivers in the AM will do so in the front of the building this year. The back doors will only be open for students arriving by bus.

DROP OFF STARTS AT 7:55am. WE DO NOT HAVE SUPERVISION PRIOR TO THIS!

Parent vehicles should stay within the cones when pulling up to the front of the building. One lane has been blocked off in the first tier to allow for only one line of cars at a time.
Be mindful of all crosswalks and drive slowly as children may be crossing.
Preschool students do not need to be walked into the building by an adult. They should be dropped off by a parent in the drop off line or walked into the double set of doors. There you will find all the preschool teachers and associates who will guide your child to their classroom and teach them this procedure.
After the 2nd week of school we will ask students to walk into the building independently as we work to build these skills.

Parent Afternoon Pick Up

ALL students will be standing, by grade level, on the south side of the building. Parents can pull up to a cone and their child(ren) will be brought to their vehicle by a staff member. If you are the first car in line please pull up to the very first cone in the pick-up line. Each subsequent car should pull up to the subsequent cone to ensure safety of our students and staff.
Please wait for a staff member to bring your child(ren) to your vehicle. If needed please allow our staff to help buckle your child so we can keep cars moving quickly.
If you are picking your child up on the hill please be sure to walk them back through the parking lot to your car rather than walking through the line of staff and students getting into cars. This will help with congestion.
There will be NO Preschool Parent Pick-Up in the back of the building UNLESS your child is being picked up mid-day for half day preschool.

We appreciate your cooperation as it helps with traffic flow and increased student safety!

Change of Plans

Should you need to change your child's end of day plans, you will need to contact the office. You can do so by calling our school secretary, Mrs. Abby Cannon at 319-624-3401, ext. 1293 or you can email lakeviewoffice@solon.k12.ia.us. In order to ensure your message is received it is recommended that you contact the office at least a half hour before the end of the school day. The end of the day is a busy time and requests for last minute changes can not always be made when kids are already on buses etc.

According to the new update policy, cell phones and smart watches must be in kept in student backpacks during school hours, 7:55 am - 3:05 pm. Please inform your student so he/she is prepared to put these items away and silence/turn them off during the school day.

Here is the policy from our handbook:

Cell Phones/Smart Watches/Gizmos

All phones/smart watches/gizmos and other communication devices will be silenced or turned off and placed in backpacks throughout the school day. Students may not wear their smart watches during the school hours (from drop off to pick up – 7:45 am to 3:00 pm).

Students caught using their phones, smart watches, or personal communication devices during the school day will have their devices held in the office until the end of the day. Repeated offenses will result in additional consequences for students in line with current district and building policies.

Children are discouraged from bringing extra money, radios, electronic games, toys, balls, trading cards, cell phones, or other objects from home during the school day. The school will not assume responsibility for the loss or breakage of these items. Toys should not be out and visible once within the school building unless teachers give permission for such items as earned for a special event/party. Toys may be confiscated and parents may be contacted if they become a distraction to the learning environment.

Please be aware that some of our students do have severe food allergies to peanuts and eggs. We also want to keep wellness in mind when sending snacks and treats for special occasions. Our school handbook lays out all the details and offers some nice options and ideas for healthy snacks.

Wellness Policy

SNACKS: During daily snack time, families will send snacks for students on an individual basis. These snacks must meet the requirements of the district wellness policy. Pop will not be permitted.

LUNCH: Lunches brought to school must meet the requirements of the district wellness policy. Pop, sports drinks or energy drinks will not be permitted.

CLASSROOM CELEBRATIONS: (i.e. birthday and holiday parties) In order to protect our students with allergies and food intolerances, treats brought for celebrations must be commercially prepared food with an intact ingredient label or fresh, uncut fruit and vegetables. Items not meeting these requirements will not be used and will be returned home. No homemade treats will be accepted. (Note: Snacks are also available upon request to purchase from the school food service program. Non-food celebration items are great, too!)

To review the entire SCSD Wellness Policy please reference (Board policy 507.9).

Check out the list below for health snack ideas

Cheese sticks
Gogurt/Yogurt
Yogurt Smoothie
Granola Bars (not including those dipped in chocolate)
Clementine/Orange
Banana
Goldfish crackers
Cheez-its
All-Natural Fruit Leathers (not including fruit by the foot or fruit snacks)
Apple
Carrots
Pretzels
Trail Mix
Raisins
Graham Crackers
Peanut butter/cheese sandwich crackers
Beef sticks
Popcorn

PARTIES/CELEBRATIONS: On occasion Lakeview will hold classroom parties to celebrate holidays or special events. At certain times of the year, Lakeview may hold building-wide celebrations. Classroom parties will be scheduled by the classroom teacher and approved by the building administrator. On occasion, teachers may ask parents to furnish treats for parties or celebrations in which case items must meet the wellness policy guidelines mentioned above.

BIRTHDAY TREATS: If your child wishes, he/she may bring birthday treats during the year. If treats are brought, a treat should be brought for every child in the homeroom. Please follow the required SCSD Wellness policy guidelines as defined in Board policy 507.9.

BIRTHDAY INVITATIONS: If your child wishes to pass out birthday party invitations at school, invitations must be sent to all students in your child’s class. If a child does not have an invitation for each student in the class he/she will not be permitted to hand out his/her invitations.

We welcome parents to come have lunch with their child. If you plan to eat school lunch, we will need to know your order before 9:00 am and will require you to have an account in Meal Magic. You are also welcome to bring lunch for yourself and your child if you so choose. Please remember we do not allow pop, gatorade, sports drinks, etc. during the school day.

When you get to Lakeview you will need to sign in in the office and get a red lanyard to wear while in the building. After this is done a staff member will direct you to the lunch room where you will meet your child.

Lunch times are as follows:

11:20-11:40 am: Preschool
10:50 - 11:15 am: Kindergarten
11:05- 11:30 am: 1st grade
11:40-12:05pm : 2nd grade

PRESCHOOL START DATE & HOME VISITS

Preschool does not start school until Wednesday, August 27th (this is 2 days after the rest of the school).

On Monday, August 25th and Tuesday, August 26th preschool teachers will schedule a home visit with your family to give further information about the program, answer your questions, and meet your child in their familiar environment.

A sign up genius will come out soon for you to select a time and date for your home visit.

PRESCHOOL DROP OFF/PICK OFF PROCEDURES

Drop Off/Pick Up Routine:

Please read the Drop Off/Pick Up Routine above as it includes ALL Lakeview students, including Preschool.

IF YOUR CHILD ATTENDS PRESCHOOL HALF-DAY: You can pick up your child in the BACK BUS LOOP at 11:00am.

A Note from the Nurse

Preschool Students

Before your child can start preschool they we will need the following documents on file:

IDPH Certificate of Immunization
Physical Exam and Lead screening form

Kindergarten Students

Before your child can start kindergarten they we will need the following documents on file:

IDPH Certificate of Immunization
Physical Exam and Lead screening form
Certificate of Dental screening
Certificate of Vision screening

Please contact me with any questions.

Mattea Labs mlabs@solon.k12.ia.us

Want to celebrate your favorite Lakeview student with a new book for their birthday? You can choose a book from this list to add to our Lakeview collection. We will add a special birthday nameplate to the book and your student will be first on the list for checkout! If you have any questions you can email the library at scsdlibraries@solon.k12.ia.us. Check back frequently as books will be added throughout the year!

March Sutton

UNPACK YOUR BACKPACK NIGHT

Unpack Your Backpack Night will be held on Thursday, August 21st. Feel free to stop by anytime between 4:00pm-5:30pm.

This night is a great opportunity for you and your child(ren) to drop off school supplies and share a quick visit with the classroom teacher.

We are excited to announce we will be kicking off a fundraiser for a new Lakeview playground in the near future. We are so excited to be in the beginning stages of planning for volunteers, fundraisers and all things Lakeview playground. Please look for more information in next month's newsletter.

Picture Day

Picture Day is Wednesday, September 3, 2025. Please order at Inter-State.com/Order using the order code: 0125JCF

PTO Membership Info

Membership is easy! Click the image to be routed to the link and get signed up!

The first PTO meeting will be September 4th at 7pm in the Lakeview Media Center.

A Note from the Solon Public Library

BAM POW: Build and Make, Play or Watch
Early-Out Thursday program for 1st through 8th grades at Solon Public Library starting Thursday, September 11th.

All after school programs at the Solon Public Library begin in September.
All participating children in 1st-3rd grades MUST attend the program, and be picked up by a caregiver at 2:45 PM. Older children may enjoy the program or the rest of the Library. This is a drop-in program, no registration.
There is no adult supervision outdoors at any time. We recommend parents and caregivers discuss these expectations, pick-up plans, etc. with their children.
Library staff are sharing these programs for participating children but this does not provide the need for supervised childcare.

Unattended Child Policy
The Solon Public Library staff welcomes children to use our services and facilities and we provide adult supervision during Thursday Early Out programs (1:45-2:45 PM) and during other special programming as advertised. Outside of scheduled programs, children under age 10 must be accompanied by a designated caregiver at least 11 years old.
There is no adult supervision outdoors at any time except during outdoor programming as advertised.

Solon Public Library