LMS Newsletter
August 2026
Message from the Principal
Dear Lakeridge Families,
I hope you are enjoying a wonderful summer! Our team at Lakeridge is already hard at work getting classrooms prepped for an exciting year ahead. This year, we’re thrilled to encourage our students to embrace our 2026–2027 school theme: "Ready to Soar!"
To help every Hawk reach new heights, we are committed to keeping our school a safe, welcoming, and engaging place to learn every single day. We’ll guide this growth using our core values of Hawk PRIDE:
Preparation: Showing up on time with your materials and a growth mindset.
Respect: Valuing yourself and those around you.
Integrity: Choosing honesty and doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.
Determination: Pushing through challenges and staying committed to learning.
Excellence: Giving your best effort every day.
When we put these values into action together, our whole school community is truly “Ready to Soar”.
We can’t wait to kick off the new school year, and we hope our Hawks are looking forward to coming back too! A quick reminder: the first day of school is Tuesday, September 1st. Please take a moment to look through the rest of this newsletter for details about beginning of the year events and key start-up information.
We are excited to welcome you back for another fantastic year of Hawk PRIDE. See you very soon!
Toby Udager
Principal
Upcoming Dates
Hawk Check-In Days - Aug 25 & 26
During Hawk Check-In Days, students may visit the school to pick up a printed copy of their schedule, find their classroom locations, collect curriculum resources for their classes and turn in health-care/immunization forms (if not done previously). 6th grade students and new students will also check out a new Chromebook. Families may also use this opportunity to pay in-person for any applicable school or athletic fees. Payments may also be made through our online payment portal.
All students are invited to attend. To speed up the check-in process and allow for a consistent flow of visitors, we have assigned student groups based on alpha by last name.
Please note that school pictures will not be taken during time. This event is optional and all materials and information will be available to students on the first day of school.
First Day of School - Special Schedule
6th Grade
School begins at the regular 7:25 am start time.
Sixth graders will be picked up according to the regular (Tue-Fri) bus schedule.
Breakfast and lunch will be available.
Students will spend the day with WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) student mentors who have been trained to help new Hawks learn about how to be successful at Lakeridge and make connections with peers.
7th & 8th Grade
Seventh and eighth graders will begin school at 12:00 pm.
Bus transportation will be 4.5 hours later than the regular weekday schedule. (For example: if your regular morning bus pick-up time is 7:05 am, please be at your bus stop by 11:35 am.)
School lunch will not be served to 7th and 8th graders.
School is dismissed at 2:00 pm for all students.
Back-To-School Resource Links
Please visit the district Back-To-School page where you will find the following information and resources:
School Supply Lists
Transportation
Meal Information
Health Forms
Athletic Information
Key Dates / Calendars
Communication Tools
New Cell Phone Policy
As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we are excited to share an update regarding our cell phone and technology policy. Our new "No Cell, Bell-to-Bell" approach is designed to ensure a focused, safe, and distraction-free learning environment for all students.
Preparing for Future Success
This policy aligns directly with the cell phone expectations at our local high schools. By practicing these habits now, we are ensuring our middle school students are well-prepared for the expectations and transitions they will encounter as they move toward high school.
Why "No Cell, Bell-to-Bell"?
We are committed to protecting the integrity of our classroom time. Research consistently demonstrates that the presence of mobile devices, even when silenced, can reduce a student's cognitive capacity and their ability to focus on complex tasks. By keeping phones away during class, we aim to decrease classroom distractions, boost engagement with peers and teachers, and prioritize meaningful, face-to-face social interaction.
Classroom Expectations & Procedures
To support your student's success, we ask for your partnership in reinforcing the following:
Daily Reminders: Teachers will proactively remind students of our expectations at the start of each class to help set a positive tone for learning.
The Process:
Proactive Approach: Students are expected to keep cell phones on silent, in their bags, and out of sight from bell to bell.
A Private Reminder: If a student’s phone is out during class, the teacher will provide a private, verbal reminder to put it away.
Persistent Usage: If the behavior persists after that reminder, the student will be asked to take their phone to the front office to be locked away for the remainder of the school day.
Parent Notification: Before the phone is secured in the office, the student will send a message to their parents to let them know their device is being stored safely for the day.
We appreciate your support in helping us maintain a productive and distraction-free environment. If you need to reach your student during the school day for an emergency, please contact our front office at 253-891-5100, and we will be happy to assist you.
Thank you for your continued partnership in our students' success.