AUGUST 22: PTA Board Meeting (8:15 am)

AUGUST 23: Spirit Store Closes

AUGUST 26: GT Info Night (5:00 pm)

AUGUST 27: Grade Level Info Night - 3rd (5:00 pm); Kinder (6:15 pm)

AUGUST 28: Grade Level Info Night - 2nd (5:00 pm); 1st (6:15 pm)

AUGUST 29: Grade Level Info Night - 4th (5:00 pm); 5th (6:15 pm)

AUGUST 30: Best Buddies Info Meeting for Students (7:20 am)

SEPTEMBER 2: LABOR DAY - NO SCHOOL

SEPTEMBER 11: LOLA After School

SEPTEMBER 11: FOL Fall Kick-Off Happy Hour

SEPTEMBER 15: 4th Grade Campus Clean-Up

SEPTEMBER 19: LWE Talks Speaker Series (6:30-8:30 pm)

SEPTEMBER 20-22: FOL Campout (Camp Grady Spruce)

SEPTEMBER 27: LW Dreams Spirit Wear Day

OCTOBER 10-14: FALL BREAK - NO SCHOOL

October 18: FOL Mother and Son Dance

OCTOBER 20: Fall Fest

OCTOBER 27: 3rd Grade Campus Clean-UP

NOVEMBER 5: ELECTION DAY - NO SCHOOL

NOVEMBER 8: LECPTA Auction Party

NOVEMBER 9 & 10: LECPTA Home Tour

NOVEMBER 15: Family Movie Night

FULL LWE CALENDAR

'24-'25 DISD CALENDAR

Para ver este boletín en español, haga clic AQUÍ, elija el eNews que desea leer y luego seleccione "Spanish" en el menú desplegable en la esquina superior derecha de su pantalla.

Dear Lakewood Elementary School Families,

It has been a wonderful first week together! All of our Stallions are doing such a great job transitioning back to school routines, focusing on learning, including new friends, and even enjoying recess outside when it isn’t too hot!

Thank you to everyone for your cooperation and patience this week as we work to make things more efficient, especially during dismissal. As we continue to learn and practice our dismissal systems and routines, the carpool line will soon be flowing smoothly and quickly.

With an increase in enrollment, we understand class sizes are a topic on many minds this year, and we want to assure you that we are committed to providing the best learning environment for all our students. We are fully equipped to handle larger class sizes while maintaining a quality education. This includes strategic planning, practiced classroom routines and systems, utilizing additional resources, and ensuring that our teachers have the support they need.

We're collaborating closely with our school leadership team to tackle concerns about class sizes. We are in the process of re-adjusting classes promptly to create more balanced numbers, and are actively interviewing candidates for additional anticipated sections. While we are excited to reduce numbers in large sections, we will only do so once we have a highly qualified teacher prepared to join the Stallion team with core values that match the expectations for Lakewood Elementary. Once we make those hires, we will open the additional sections and already have the physical classroom spaces and resources prepared for new team members once they are hired on. In the interim, we have provided additional support staff for our kindergarten and fourth grade classes to support our students and teachers with needs that arise throughout the day.

As we work to add the additional sections early this semester, please be aware we will move some students to our new sections. As we make these decisions, they are not taken lightly as we know this provides an additional move for affected students. As the movement decisions are made, we continue to meticulously review input and feedback that has been provided when determining our current class placements. Thank you in advance for your patience and flexibility as we work with our school leadership to plan for our growing population. We will keep you informed of our progress and any changes that may occur.

I am excited to get this year started and to partner with you to make it a successful and joyous school year for all. One Team, One Dream!

Stallion Strong,

Principal Thompson

THANK YOU FOR YOUR DONATIONS!

A big THANK YOU to all who donated sports equipment to Pelota at Meet the Teacher! Your generosity is greatly appreciated! See below for info about our next Pelota Sports Equipment Drive!

Pre-Orders close AUGUST 23!

Don't delay!

Click image above to order now!

Best Buddies is a 501(c)(3) organization that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendship, leadership development and integrated employment for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). At the elementary level, Best Buddies offers a rich and diverse way to teach awareness, integrate students with disabilities with their peers and nurture genuine friendships of all abilities. The goal of the Best Buddies Elementary program is to introduce opportunities for peers with and without disabilities to learn, play, and grow together.

We look forward to seeing everyone and are excited for the Best Buddies program to continue at Lakewood, to create a more inclusive and accepting school and community that acknowledges and values all abilities.

**Location subject to change based on interest in this event**

Have a question for one of our PTA Committees?

Click HERE for a list of email addresses.

Student Safety

As we focus on excellent instruction and joyful classrooms, I want to remind our community of our top priority: student safety. With the help of our staff and community, we continue to reinforce the following precautions:

Controlled, monitored entrances to our building with parent guests and volunteers checking in at the front office at all times.
Commissioned Security Officer stationed on campus during school hours.
Shatterproof window filming.
Video surveillance system to monitor grounds.
Volunteer background checks in VOLY prior to volunteering in the building.
Front office check-in system (Raptor System Technologies and ID) to verify identification and screen for sex offenders.
PikMyKid dismissal system to secure students at the pick-up location and notify parents of dismissal.
Controlled, monitored front entrance with locked secondary security doors for entry from the foyer.
All staff and district employees must have visible badges at all times.
Staff monitoring hallways throughout the day.
Lock-blocks on every classroom door to immediately secure the room from the inside in the event of an emergency.
Daily perimeter and door checks outside of the building.
Locked exterior doors accessible only by electronic keycard or front door buzzer.
Perimeter fencing on Wendover to secure the campus grounds.
Regular safety drills to prepare for emergencies.
District and State-performed campus safety checks.

PowerSchool Assistance

PowerSchool is a DISD online tool that allows parents/guardians to access their students' grades, assignments and attendance. Please email the following front office staff if you need parent portal access in PowerSchool. Please include the students’ first and last names. For access to students from the last name below, please email the following:

We will respond within 48 hours starting on August 1.

District Code: TKBS
School Code: Only pertains to Pre-K students
Who to call for help? 972-925-5560
Click here for more details on PowerSchool from DISD

This year we will continue to use PikmyKid as our dismissal platform. Now is a great time for all families to get their apps set up!

Below are some helpful links for families when it comes to registering and using the parent app.

If you don't see your children in the app, please email Mrs. Nowakowski at brmckinney@dallasisd.org.

'24-'25 BUS ROUTES

If your child is riding the bus, please email Mrs. Nowakowksi the student name and bus route so that she can add it to your student's PikMyKid account. BRMCKINNEY@dallasisd.org.

Using the PikMyKid app (details below), please ensure that you have designated your child's mode of transportation with their bus number, or they will not be boarded on to the bus and you will have to come and pick him or her up from school.

In the mornings, buses will follow their designated routes and drop off at Lakewood. There are staff members on duty to escort and supervise bus riders in the school cafeteria until school starts.

In the afternoons during dismissal, students will go to their designated bus rider's location to be escorted to busses and verified in the Pik My Kid App before boarding.

The campus behavior coordinator shall take steps to maintain acceptable student conduct while riding school buses, including the discretion to deny the privilege of school bus transportation. All Student Code of Conduct Offenses are subject to the same disciplinary actions while riding Dallas ISD provided transportation. Students are expected to follow bus rules.

Please see additional Bus related information at https://www.dallasisd.org/Page/59008

Room reps are such an essential part of our school community. Thank you in advance for volunteering! One Team, One Dream!

PLEASE COMPLETE THE FORM BY AUGUST 23.

Room Reps will be chosen randomly and announced on the evening of August 27. Be on the lookout for a post on instagram!

GET IT TODAY - Lakewood Dreams Limited Edition Merch!

Fall is (hopefully) coming soon! Get your kids ready for cool mornings by pre-ordering your limited-edition here!

These can also be worn on Lakewood Spirit Day on 9/27. All pre-sale online orders end on 9/8. Order today!

NEW SMART TECHNOLOGY POLICY

Rationale: Research has shown that the use of smart devices such as cell phones, smart watches, and AirPods during school hours can significantly impact student achievement, behavior, mental health, and social interactions. In an effort to support all our students, we are implementing a consistent policy across the Woodrow Feeder pattern. This unified approach is based on data indicating that these devices distract from learning, reduce instructional time, fragment student attention, and contribute to anxiety, bullying, and addiction. By removing access to these devices during school hours, we aim to create a more focused, supportive, and community-oriented environment for our students.

Protocol:

Collection and Storage: Upon arrival, homeroom teachers will collect students' smart devices, including smart watches, Gabb watches, cell phones, and AirPods. These will be stored in labeled pouches within a storage tub, kept in a secure area inaccessible to other students.

Non-Compliance: If a student does not comply with this policy, an administrator will collect the device, and the parent will be required to pick it up from the front office. Parent contact will be made immediately after the first offense.

We believe that these measures will greatly benefit our students by enhancing their focus, improving their mental health, and fostering better community interactions. Your support and cooperation are vital to the success of this policy.

Thank you for your understanding and partnership in making Lakewood Elementary a great place for our children to learn and grow.

Embrace the Power of Dreams!

LECPTA’s Lakewood Dreams Auction Party is on November 8, 2024 at The Empire Room (tickets on sale 9/26)! Get a full vision of the theme by watching this video!

And don’t forget to follow @LWDreams on Instagram for info, inspo and more!

Take a minute and think about who you know coming into Lakewood this year and forward this email to them so they can subscribe themselves!

Don't forget to have your spouses subscribe, too, and anyone else who is actively involved with your kids' schedules (nannies, grandparents, etc).

While you're at it, make sure you and anyone new to the school is following @Lakewoodelementarypta on Instagram and on Facebook!

Lunch Buddies Update for the 2024-2025 School Year!

Lunch Buddies is a chance for a parent to join their child for lunch once a semester. After classes are set, PTA will circulate a Sign-Up Genius for parents to claim their date!
NEW! For Fall of 2024, Lunch Buddies will occur every Wednesday from September 4, 2024 - December 4, 2024.
NEW! Lunch Buddies will only happen on Wednesdays in the Fall, rather than five days a week, but each grade will NOT have an assigned month like last year, so parents can pick a date across the entire semester. There will be two spots for your class each Wednesday.
Parents are asked to limit their lunch visit/sign-up to one guest per semester.
PLEASE NOTE: Lunch Buddies is not the same as Lunch Bunch. Lunch Bunch parents volunteer to help teachers oversee and clean the cafeteria. Two Lunch Bunch volunteers for each section (K-2 and 3-5) are needed EVERY DAY to help lunch run smoothly and allow teachers a much-deserved break