Lilja Lions

Dear Lilja families,

I hope you all had a nice and refreshing summer! Here at Lilja Art Studio we are excited to be back to create and grow as artists! Below is a snapshot of what we are doing in each grade level these days:

Kindergarten and 1st Grade- Inspired by the book, “I’m not just a Scribble” students are busy, creating their unique scribbles in response to music. Kids listen to the music and dance with their crayons on the paper to draw their scribble!! Scribbling to the music is a great meditative way for anyone and a great way to start our artistic journey this year.

The following session brings our scribbles to life:

• Students paint their scribbles with Warm colors.

• Learning about the concept of Collage in art, students cut and collage their scribbles and improve their motor skills. We think and talk about different feelings and create our unique scribble characters.

2nd Grade- Inspired by the International Dot Day,September 15, and the book, The Dot, 2nd grade students decorate their paper plates with different Patterns, Using Sharpie and paint them with watercolor using Warm and Cool colors using Wet on Wet technique to turn them into colorful patterned dots!!

3rd & 4th Grade- It’s all about Collaboration in here!

Inspired by the International Dot Day, September 15, and the book, The Dot, students work in pairs to make their marks on big papers(we talk about Organic Shapes) drawing with black ink while listening to music. The following session is focused on painting their work and Tinting and Shading their colors.

Have a Colorful Fall!

Ms. Golestani

Follow us on Instagram @ Patterned.pom.poms

LILJA OPEN HOUSE!

We have redesigned the night formally known as "Curriculum Night." This year, we will be hosting a family friendly Open House to provide a more equitable and inclusive experience. This event will be the evening of Thursday, September 21st from 6:00-7:00pm! Please plan to enter the building through the cafeteria doors at the Oak Street lot. See details here!

** Please note** while your student and their immediate siblings are able to attend this year, there is NO CHILD CARE PROVIDED. During this event your child(ren) are under your direct supervision. Please enforce the rules and expected behaviors for our building.

PICTURE DAY WILL BE OCTOBER 3RD!

Fliers will be sent home in your child's backpack in the coming weeks. If you are in need of financial assistance to purchase a photo package please reach out to our counselors, Ms. McMillan (Grades K, 1 &1/2s) amcmillan@natickps.org, or Ms. Simoni (Grades 2,3 &4) csimoni@natickps.org.

REGISTER FOR ACTIVE KIDS (FORMERLY KNOWN AS BOKS)!

We are pleased to announce the launch of Active Kids (formely BOKS), a before school physical activity program, at the Lilja Elementary School this fall. Active Kids prepares children for a day of learning and is an important step in helping children gain an appreciation of the benefits of exercise and healthy choices that will last a life time. Classes are filled with team-oriented games and provide plenty of opportunity for play, since the program focuses on fun! Read about this program here and complete your registration today!

REGISTER FOR GLOBAL CHILD!

Global Child is an after school program that delivers instruction to support students in learning a new language. Program description and registration information can be found here.

WE'RE HIRING!

Lilja is still looking to hire one more cafeteria monitor. This is a fun role with excellent hours for parents of school aged children! Please spread the word and direct any interested applications here.

LILJA SCHOOL COUNCIL

The Lilja School Council had its first meeting last week. The School Council, in serving as representatives of our larger community, seeks to enrich and enhance opportunities for teaching and learning that result in improved learning outcomes for students. We strive to improve the support available to teachers, students, and their families as we work together to better meet the needs of all our learners. This group serves as an advisory committee to gather feedback, takes information from schools back into the community, and shares the community perspective with schools. Please reach out to parent representatives Abigail Fusaro, Beth Cunningham, Joni Factor, or Shannon Merrell to share your perspective with this team!

REMINDER: COMPLETE YOUR REQUIRED YEARLY FORMS!

Please log in to your Powerschool account to complete the required yearly forms! These must be done EVERY YEAR. This information allows us to get in touch with you in the event of an emergency and gives us information on your preferences for your child, including photo permissions. If you have any difficulty please reach out to the front office staff.

The Lilja PTO is a group of volunteer parents. Our goals are to enrich the education of our children, support the teachers and staff, and serve the Lilja community as a whole. We fundraise to supply materials, fund programs, organize social functions, and coordinate parent volunteers, all of which enhance the experience of Lilja students and build a sense of community within the school.

We need your help! Please reach out to the PTO at pto@liljapto.org to volunteer! We are looking for people willing to head some of our events throughout the year (Trunk or Treat, the Lilja Carnival, etc). These events are much beloved, and have a foundation already in place. All we need is YOU to make it happen! We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Natick Public Schools does not discriminate in employment nor its educational programs, services, and activities based on race, creed, color, age, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions, physical and intellectual differences, immigration status, homeless status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Please be aware all electronic communication to and from Natick Public Schools is public record and subject to public disclosure per Massachusetts General Law Chapter 66, Section 10.

• Title I: Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990Title II
• Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990Title VI
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964Title IX
• Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972
• MGL, Ch.76, Section 5: Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 76, Section 5