Lewis and Clark Parent Newsletter

Dear Lewis and Clark Families,

It is hard to believe that we have already completed our first month of school! September is always an important month at Lewis and Clark as students and staff establish routines, build relationships, and create classroom communities where students feel safe, connected, and ready to learn.

Moving Into Grade-Level Learning

The beginning of the school year also provides an important opportunity for teachers to review skills and concepts students learned in the previous grade. This review helps students reactivate prior knowledge, rebuild confidence, and make connections between what they already know and what they are about to learn.

As we move into October, you will begin to see a shift. While teachers will continue to review and reinforce skills when students need them, classrooms are now moving more fully into grade-level content and standards. The pace and complexity of learning will increase as students are introduced to the knowledge and skills they are expected to master this school year.

This is an exciting part of the year because we begin to see students stretch themselves as learners. It is okay for learning to feel challenging! Productive struggle, practice, feedback, and even making mistakes are all important parts of learning something new.

Benchmark Assessments

During this time of year, we are also completing our beginning-of-year benchmark assessments. These assessments provide teachers with important information about what students already know and where they may need additional instruction or support.

We don't use benchmark information simply to generate a score. Our teachers and grade-level teams analyze the results to answer important questions: What are our students doing well? Where are there gaps in learning? Who may need additional support? Who is ready for additional challenge?

Teachers use this information, along with what they see from students every day in the classroom, to make instructional decisions. It helps us plan whole-group instruction, identify students who may benefit from additional small-group instruction or intervention, and monitor student growth throughout the school year. We will return to benchmark assessments at different points during the year so we can see whether students are making the progress we expect.

Looking Ahead

October is when the school year really begins to hit its stride. Routines are established, teachers know their students better, and students are becoming increasingly comfortable with the expectations of their new grade level.

As we move forward, our goal remains simple: Every child leaving Lewis and Clark academically prepared, confident, and deeply connected to our school community. Thank you for being our partners in making that happen. Your support at home, communication with teachers, and encouragement of your child's learning make a tremendous difference.

We are looking forward to a great October with our Bruins!

Mr. Cresap
Principal
Lewis and Clark Elementary

At the next PTA meeting, Mr. Cresap will present on being a Title One school and will share information and answer questions, if I can, on the upcoming Mill Levy vote. Hope to see you there!

Bruin Buddies Volleyball Camp

October 12: Free T-shirt / Meet the Bruins / Practice with us for one hour!
October 13: Free Admission (+1 Adult) to our home match against Grand Forks Red River. Bruin Buddies will get to sit courtside and get announced with our starting line ups!

Register on our website | Deadline Oct 1

https://sites.google.com/a/fargoschools.org/fargo-south-volleyball/youth-activities

I want to first recognize the challenges of picking up and dropping off at Lewis and Clark Elementary. It is busy and parking is not convenient. I would ask that we all operate with safety in mind. If you must come into Lewis and Clark during our drop off and pick up times, please use our parking lots on the north or south ends of the building. Outside of drop off and pick up it is ok to park on 16th street outside our main entrance. Also, Lewis and Clark families are not to use the Explorer Academy parking lot. The Explorer Academy parking lot is for their families to use and access. Thank you for your help in this matter.

Oct. 1 Learn Not To Burn Classroom Presentations

Oct. 12 No School

Oct. 15 PTA Trunk or Treat Event (More info to come!)

Oct. 16 NDSU Football Players reading at Lewis and Clark

Oct. 20 1st Grade Fuego Tropical Field Trip 9:10-11:45 am

Why We Practice Fire Drills

Each month at Lewis and Clark, our students and staff participate in a fire drill. While we hope we never have to respond to a real fire emergency, practicing regularly helps ensure everyone knows exactly what to do if one occurs.

Fire drills allow students to become familiar with evacuation routes, practice exiting the building safely and efficiently, and learn the importance of listening carefully to adult directions during an emergency. Regular practice also gives our staff an opportunity to review procedures and identify anything we can improve.

For some students, especially our younger Bruins, the sound of the fire alarm can be surprising or even a little scary. Repeated practice helps make the process more familiar and predictable. Our goal is for students to understand that drills are not something to fear—they are something we practice so we are prepared.

Safety is always a priority at Lewis and Clark. Thank you for helping us reinforce the message that practicing emergency procedures is one of the ways we work together to keep everyone safe.

Free and Reduced Lunch

If your family is struggling to make ends meet and paying for school lunches is difficult, you can fill out the free and reduced lunch application. If your family meets the criteria your child(ren) could qualify for free or reduced cost meals. Click on the link to access the free and reduced application.

www.EZMealApp.com

Paper copies are also available at the Lewis and Clark School Office.

Keeping Our School Community Healthy

As we move into the fall and winter months, we often see an increase in illnesses among students and staff. Fargo Public Schools has procedures in place to help prevent the spread of communicable diseases while also helping students remain in school whenever it is safe and appropriate to do so.

The district's communicable disease policy focuses on prevention, appropriate health precautions, confidentiality, and following medical and public-health guidance. Staff are trained to use universal precautions when providing first aid or handling blood or other body fluids, and established cleaning and disinfecting procedures are followed throughout the school. AP 4780 Communicable Diseases

An important part of the policy is recognizing that not every illness requires a child to stay home for the same amount of time. Guidelines vary depending on the illness. For example, students with influenza should remain home until they have been fever-free for at least 24 hours without fever-reducing medication and their symptoms are improving. Other illnesses, such as strep throat, chickenpox, hand-foot-and-mouth disease, and pink eye, have their own guidelines for when students may safely return to school. AP 4780 Communicable Diseases

The policy also protects student privacy. Families are generally not required to disclose a communicable disease unless it presents a significant health risk to others or special arrangements are needed to protect the student or others. When information does need to be shared, it is limited to those who need the information to protect health and safety. AP 4780 Communicable Diseases

How can families help? Encourage frequent handwashing, teach children to cover coughs and sneezes, and keep children home when they are experiencing symptoms that meet the district's exclusion guidelines. If you are unsure whether your child should attend school because of an illness, please contact our school nurse for guidance. The district's communicable disease guidelines also recommend contacting the school nurse or Fargo Cass Public Health with questions or concerns. AP 4780 Communicable Diseases Linked below

Working together, we can help reduce the spread of illness while keeping our Bruins healthy, learning, and connected to school.

If your child is dropped off or walks/bikes to school, please have them go to the following doors for pick up and drop off.

Kindergarten can be picked up and dropped off at door 5 (Playground doors)

Second/Third Graders can be picked up and dropped off at door 3 which is on the north end of our building off 16th street.

First/Fourth/Fifth Graders can be picked up and dropped off at door 4 (main entrance off 16th street)

State law requires immunizations in order to attend school. (There is an immunization document that can be filled out if you choose not to have your child immunized. Please contact Lewis and Clark office for exemption document.) If a student doesn't have complete immunizations, they have 30 days to provide an update to immunizations. After the 30 days, the student would not be allowed to attend school until required immunization records are provided or an exemption is completed.

Fargo Public Schools uses “Here Comes the Bus” to track students who ride the bus. Students in grades K-5 who ride the bus will receive a bar-coded card; school staff will attach the card to a student’s backpack on the first day of school or the day that your child begins riding the bus. Students in grades 6-12 will use a student ID card to scan or input their lunch number on the bus keypad.

Students will scan each time they enter the bus. When students arrive at the school, they will not scan off the bus, but the bus driver will complete a walk-through of the bus to make sure all students are off the bus (this saves valuable time each morning). At the end of the school day, returning home, your student needs to scan on and off the bus. When students scan, we can, in real-time, know that they are either on the bus or have exited the bus. This provides another level of safety for our students. Please encourage your child to participate in the scanning process onto the bus in the morning and scanning both on and off the bus after school.

If your child needs a replacement card, please notify the school office. A replacement will be given to the child at their school.

Parents/guardians can download the “Here Comes the Bus” app, which notifies parents when their children are picked up and dropped off. Click here for instructions on how to set up Here Comes the Bus. Students can also download the app and view where their bus is located.