Woodlawn Families,

I hope you are enjoying the changing seasons and are gearing up for the holiday season. I want to remind you of the upcoming RunLawrence 5K on November 23rd in North Lawrence and hosted at Woodlawn. If you live along the run route, our PE classes will pass out flyers this week to ensure everyone knows the event details. We encourage you to mark your calendars and join us for a morning of fun, fitness, and community bonding.

As a reminder, there will be no school next week due to Fall Break. We are grateful for the incredible support we receive from all of you and wish you a restful and enjoyable Fall Break!

-Jayci

• The average attendance rate for public elementary and secondary schools in the United States was 94.8%.
• Chronic absenteeism rates were lowest for elementary school students (16.3%) and highest for high school students (19.2%).

The graph below shows weekly attendance trends for the reporting period 08/16/23-11/10/23.

The RunLawrence Thanksgiving Day 5K is November 23. The race begins at 8:30 a.m. at Woodlawn Elementary. All proceeds go to our elementary running clubs. Here is a printable entry form.

The Lawrence school board is offering opportunities for staff and community members to drop by and visit informally with their elected school leaders. December’s “Beyond the Boardroom” will be held at 6:00 p.m. Dec. 4 in the cafeteria at Community Connections at Pinckney. Bring your questions and suggestions. The board looks forward to visiting with you. Community members may attend at any location. The full schedule, once finalized, will be posted to www.usd497.org/SchooBoard.

As we enter a season of gratitude and giving, please consider supporting students in need by donating to the district’s School Nutrition Meal Support Fund. Money donated to the Meal Support Fund may only be used for negative balance accounts. The School Nutrition Meal Support Fund committee will determine how to distribute the donations. Donors contributing more than $250 (or upon request) will receive a charitable contribution acknowledgement for their generous donation. Donations can be designated for specific schools or can be designated for use district-wide.

Donations can be made via cash or check at each school (or at the ESC), or online at the link below. If donating with cash or check, please add a note stating that it is for the Meal Support Fund.

MEAL SUPPORT FUND

USD 497 and Woodlawn Elementary began implementing CharacterStrong, a research-based program that helps parents and educators teach children the skills and character traits they need to succeed in school, life, and work, this school year.

CharacterStrong PurposeFull People (elementary component) is divided into three domains: Be Kind, Be Strong, and Be Well. Each domain focuses on different skills and character traits that are essential for success.

Be Kind focuses on social skills and conflict resolution, teaching children how to be kind and compassionate to others, even when it's difficult.

Be Strong focuses on executive functioning skills, helping children develop the ability to focus, organize, plan, and set goals.

Be Well focuses on wellness strategies, such as emotion regulation and stress management.

CharacterStrong is designed to be easy to implement at home and in the classroom. The program includes a variety of resources, such as lesson plans, activities, and conversation starters, that parents and educators can use to teach children the skills and character traits they need to succeed. Look for the bright colored newsletters that come home monthly.

Some benefits of using CharacterStrong:

• Increased academic achievement: Studies have shown that students who participate in character education programs tend to perform better academically.
• Improved social-emotional skills: CharacterStrong helps children develop important social-emotional skills, such as empathy, self-awareness, and self-control.
• Reduced problem behaviors: Character education programs can help reduce problem behaviors, such as bullying, aggression, and substance abuse.
• Increased resilience: Character education programs can help children develop the resilience they need to overcome challenges and setbacks.
• Increased happiness and well-being: Children who participate in character education programs tend to be happier and healthier than their peers

Read more here! Character Strong

Ms. Cindy and Whitney work hard daily to ensure the Riverhawks have a delicious and nutritious breakfast and lunch. They know every kid by name and care for them like their children.

Ms. Cindy and Ms. Whitney are responsible for preparing and serving all meals in the school cafeteria. They work very hard to ensure that there is always enough food for everyone and take special care to accommodate students with dietary restrictions.

In addition to their culinary duties, Ms. Cindy and Ms. Whitney also spend time getting to know each student individually. They make an effort to learn about their favorite foods, their allergies, and any other special needs they may have. As a result of their dedication and care, Ms. Cindy and Ms. Whitney have developed close relationships with the students at our school. They are an integral piece in their Woodlawn story.

We are grateful for the hard work and dedication of Ms. Cindy and Ms. Whitney. They are essential to our school community, and we are SO lucky to have them.

Email: Jayci.Roberson@usd497.org
Website: https://www.usd497.org/woodlawn
Location: Woodlawn Elementary School, Elm Street, Lawrence, KS, USA
Phone: 785-832-5920
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/woodlawnelementary/
Twitter: @WLRiverhawks