THURSDAY EXCHANGE NEWSLETTER
November 13, 2025
Life School Red Oak
Website: lifeschool.net
Location: 777 South Interstate 35 East Service Road, Red Oak, TX, USA
Phone: 469-552-9200
Facebook: www.facebook.com/LifeRedOak
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lsromustangs/
Hello Families,
Many of you know that Mrs. DeYoung has been out this year due to health complications. Her family has also been given an opportunity to relocate closer to loved ones. Beginning Monday, November 17th, Ms. Salinas—our current PE aide—will be stepping into the art teacher role. We are thrilled for her to share her creativity and passion for art with our students!
Upcoming Benchmarks & Campus Visits
Our 3rd–6th grade students will take their benchmark assessments next week. Please note that we will be closed to lunch visitors, classroom observations, and volunteers on Monday and Tuesday.
If you plan to attend your child’s Thanksgiving Feast or Election event on Thursday, please arrive early and bring your photo ID. We’ll have four check-in stations available to print visitor badges; however, badges will not be pre-printed in advance.
🌟 Practicing Gratitude This November
As we enter the season of thankfulness, let’s take time to practice gratitude together! Here are a few simple ways families can focus on gratitude this month:
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Start a Gratitude Jar: Each day, write down something you’re thankful for and read them together at the end of the month.
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Thank You Notes: Encourage your child to write a thank-you note to a teacher, friend, or family member. Click here to submit a shout out to a staff member to show your appreciation.
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Family Gratitude Walk: Take a walk and share things you appreciate about nature, your community, or one another.
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Model Gratitude: Share what you’re thankful for out loud—it helps kids learn to do the same!
We’re so thankful for our wonderful families and the joy you bring to our school every day! 🍁
Lost & Found Items
Please be sure to label your child’s items with their first and last name and check any items your child brings home, as jackets and sweaters can easily get mixed up during the day. Next week, our Lost & Found items will be displayed on tables, so please take a moment to look for any missing belongings that may belong to your child.
Clinic Donations Needed
The clinic is in need of donations for our little leaders! If you have any new, unused boys’ or girls’ underwear, we would greatly appreciate them.
These items are used in the clinic for students who have bathroom accidents, and your contributions help us ensure every student is cared for with dignity and comfort. We could also use snack-size Ziploc bags or disinfectant wipes to help support the clinic. Any contributions would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you in advance for your generosity and support!
Partners for Life Update
Thank you to the parents who joined us for our Partners for Life Meeting! We appreciate your time, collaboration, and valuable feedback as we reviewed and updated our Parent Involvement Policy and Parent-Student-Teacher Compact.
These updated documents reflect our shared commitment to working together for student success. You can view the finalized versions by clicking here.
We are grateful for your partnership and continued support!
Join the LifeLeader Group on Parent Square
The LifeLeader Group is your go-to spot for exploring the 15 LifeLeader attributes your student is learning at school. Inside the group, you’ll find access to Life Habits, articles, activities, and games that help bring these attributes to life at home. It’s also a great way to stay informed about how LifeLeader is being used on campus and to learn how to speak the same LifeLeader language your student uses every day. Click here to join the LifeLeader Group.
November
14: No School Friday
17-20: Lost & Found Items on Tables
17: Closed for Lunch Visitors, Volunteers, and Observations due to Benchmarks
17: 3rd-6th Grade RLA Benchmark
18: 3rd-6th Grade Math Benchmark
18: Closed for Lunch Visitors, Volunteers, and Observations due to Benchmarks
19: 5th Grade Science Benchmark
20: Birthday Thursday/$3 Free dress Day
20: Lost & Found Items Donated
20: Progress Report sent to parents via Parent Portal
20: Thanksgiving Celebrations
24-28: Thanksgiving Break, No School
Benefits of Thankfulness
Thanksgiving is a time to remind ourselves of what we are grateful for. Did you know that thankfulness has been shown to reduce depression, lessen anxiety, improve sleep, and increase heart health (UCLA)? Celebrate the season of thanks with some fun family activities!
Thankfulness Jar
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bqtS7fq7Q1ZEqlY7P285sEqOOof3Q1wYyF0vO91C58w/edit?usp=sharing
Gratitude Scavenger Hunt:
https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:bb60249c-c46c-40f5-b17b-133af7051b27
To read more about the benefits of gratitude: https://www.uclahealth.org/news/article/health-benefits-gratitude#:~:text=Relieve%20stress,to%20help%20with%20overall%20relaxation.
Parent Pro Tips: Cell Phone Safety
Regularly check your child’s phone.
Take time to review text messages, photos, and apps to ensure they are being used appropriately. Monitor for hidden files or apps. Some children may use secret folders or disguised apps to hide content. Stay informed about how these tools work.Set a nightly phone turn-in time.
Have your child turn in their phone at a set time each evening. This helps reduce late-night screen time, supports healthy sleep, and reinforces boundaries.Remember: Staying connected with your child—both online and offline—creates trust and helps protect them. When parents and children work together, technology can be a powerful tool for learning, connection, and growth.
To help our morning arrival run smoothly and safely:
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Do not drop your child off before 7:15 AM. Students are not monitored before this time—it’s unsafe and often cold.
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Arrival runs from 7:15–7:40 AM.
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Tardies begin at 7:45 AM.
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Please stay in your car during drop-off.
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Make sure your child is ready to exit quickly with their backpack and belongings.
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Stop at the stop sign and follow all staff directions.
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Be aware of other drivers and students walking in the area.
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Keep the line moving so everyone can get to class on time.
Thank you for helping us keep arrival safe, smooth, and on schedule!
As we prepare for our upcoming Fall Benchmark assessments, we want to share key dates and guidelines to ensure a successful testing experience for everyone.
Upcoming Benchmark Dates:
November 17: Reading Language Arts Benchmark (Grades 3-6)
November 18: Math Benchmark (Grades 3-6)
November 19: 5th Grade Science Benchmark (Grade 5)
November 20: Makeup Benchmark Day
These tests provide teachers with important information about what your child has learned so far and what skills may need additional focus in the spring. To help your child do their best, please make sure they get a good night's sleep and have a nutritious breakfast on testing days. We also encourage students to bring a snack and a bottle of water to stay energized and focused.
Important Reminders for Families:
To support our students in maintaining focus during testing, we kindly ask that classroom observations not be scheduled on November 17th and 18th.
Additionally, on November 17th and 18th, we request that there be no visitors for lunch across all grade levels, including Kindergarten through 2nd grade to keep the atrium area quiet for students as they are testing.
Parents of Kinder-2nd grade students who are volunteering for Thanksgiving Feast preparations are welcome to assist, but we ask that you refrain from entering any 3rd-6th grade classrooms while benchmark testing is in progress.
Thank you for your support in creating a calm, focused environment for all our students. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation!
Bzzzzz....Did you know that November is designated as Diabetes Awareness Month? Diabetes is a chronic condition that affects how the body uses glucose (sugar) for energy. People with diabetes may sometimes experience low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), which can cause shakiness, irritability, weakness, or sweating. High blood sugar (hyperglycemia) may cause fatigue, thirst, frequent urination, or blurred vision.
Treatment for diabetes may include diet, physical activity, weight management, and, in some cases, medication. There are many people with diabetes who live healthy, normal lives every day.
Let’s continue to BEE aware about diabetes education and support!
Dear Life School Red Oak Elementary School Families,
We’re teaming up with Books Are Fun and their Book Blast program to help grow our students’ home libraries and encourage more reading time over screen time. For more than 30 years, Books Are Fun has helped promote literacy by getting great books into the hands of students.
Our students learned about the Book Blast Program and the importance of having their own books at home. We are asking you to take 7 minutes to support our Student Home Library initiative.
Click Here: https://app.booksarefun.com/LSRedOakES75154
Here are the steps:
Click the link above.
Register your student(s).
Send invitations to at least 10 friends or family members to support our students (don’t worry, all the information you provide is secure and only used for this program).
Need help registering? Watch this short step by step video: Family Explainer Video
Win a trip to Disney!
Our school has been selected for an incredible opportunity! For every supporter who clicks your student’s contribution link during Book Blast, you’ll earn one entry for a chance to win a trip to Disney! For example, if five different people click the link, your family gets five entries into the drawing!
*Pro Tip: After sending invitations, follow up with a phone call to make sure they received the message.
Why I love this program:
It’s guaranteed to put new, age-appropriate books into the hands of every student!
100% of all contributions go toward new books and classroom supplies.
The book list is fantastic! It’s attached, check it out.
It will take you less than 10 minutes and there is NO financial requirement from you.
More books in your homes equals more pages being read! That’s the goal. We’re hoping for 100% participation.
Want to see Book Blast in action? Watch this news clip from Fulton Elementary: Fulton Elementary News Clip
Thank you for helping our school and community.
Raising Cane's Waxahachie
Chick-fil-A Red Oak
Cici's Waxahachie
Weekly I Will Statements
During morning announcements, we will focus on one LifeLeader Attribute each week and learn what we need to do to develop each attribute so that we can become effective leaders in our school and in our community. We encourage students and families to memorize these statements together and talk about how the attribute is exhibited at home, school and work. We will share the I Will statement in the weekly newsletter and on our campus Facebook page. We look forward to hearing how students are exhibiting the attributes at school and home. Click here to view all 15 LifeLeader attributes.
LifeLeader School Rules - Growing Leaders of Character
During the first six weeks of school, we’re introducing our LifeLeader School Rules to help students grow as leaders of strong character. Every two weeks, we’ll focus on one of the three school rules, reinforcing positive behaviors that support our mission.
We invite you to partner with us by asking your child how they are demonstrating these school rules both at school and at home.
Click here to view the teacher guide with examples of behaviors that align with each rule
Please see below reminders regarding school uniform and dress code:
- Elementary students must wear navy pants, skirts, or plaid jumpers or skirts. Elementary students should not be wearing khaki pants or skirts.
- Elementary students must wear navy or red polo shirts or a white oxford (button-down) shirt with the Life School crest.
- Spirit T-shirts can only be worn on Thursdays. Polo shirts must be worn Monday-Wednesday.
- For more information, please see our Student/Parent Handbook.
All households need to complete the Free and Reduced Price School Meal Application each school year, even if your child does not purchase school meals. The application is available throughout the school year and available to complete again should your family have a change in income or additional family members in the household.
Click here to view the breakfast and lunch menus.
Students and parents are not allowed to use food delivery services to have food brought to school during school hours.
Breakfast is from 7:15-7:40.
Any students arriving to the cafeteria after 7:35 will not be able to eat breakfast.
School Hours: 7:40 am – 4:05 pm.
Morning Drop-off/Arrival: 7:15 – 7:40 am.
No student will be allowed to enter the building before 7:15 am.
Students must be inside their classrooms and ready for learning by 7:40 am. Students will be marked tardy beginning at 7:45am.
Click here to report an absence.
Any questions regarding absences, tardies/early pickups please email the Attendance Clerk at attendance.lsro@lifeschools.net.
Attendance is available for you to review at any time in the Parent Portal.
Excessive absences can result in filing with the truancy court and possible expulsion from Life School.
For more information, please see our Student/Parent Handbook.
Students in Kindergarten through 12th grade are prohibited from using the following personal electronic devices during school hours and while on school property:
Cell phones
Smart watches (including fitness trackers with texting/calling features)
Earbuds/headphones (including AirPods)
Tablets and personal laptops (including iPads and gaming devices)
These personal electronic devices must be turned off and stored out of sight in a backpack or purse during the school day. The use of any of these devices during the school day may result in confiscation and disciplinary consequences. This includes all areas of the school building and property, such as but not limited to classrooms, cafeterias, common areas/hallways, and locker rooms.
Please note: This policy does not apply to Life School-issued devices, which will continue to be used for educational purposes. Students may use a personal device only if:
It is required by their IEP or 504 Plan; or
A physician’s order is on file for a medical need.
We appreciate your support in helping us create an environment that allows students to fully engage in learning without unnecessary distractions. If you have any questions or believe your child may qualify for an exception, please contact your campus administrator.
Thank you for partnering with us to support student success!
It's easy! Here's how it works:
- Download the Box Tops app and create a login. Choose to give to Life School Red Oak, our zip code is 75154!
- Buy Box Tops products. With thousands of participating products, there are lots of chances to earn!
- Scan your receipt with the Box Tops app within 14 days of purchase and automatically earn for Life School Red Oak with every Box Tops product you buy.
- You can even link your Walmart account to skip scanning receipts! See the app for more details.
- Spread the word to grandparents, friends, and family! This allows others to earn for our school!
Every Box Tops product counts towards our goal. Let's make a difference for our teachers & students!
Katherine Cypher-November 2nd
Trudy Berry-November 3rd
Cassie Peterson-November 4th
Kathryn Ochoa-November 5th
Charolette Washington-November 10th
Victoria Celaya-November 12th
Rebecca Salinas-November 16th
Christen Arroyave-November 20th
Leslie Mathews-November 23rd
Melissa Herbert-November 25th
Mercedes Rocha-November 27th
To view staff favorites, click here.
