Lafayette Leopard Look Out
Lafayette Leopard Look Out
Message from the Principal
Dear Lafayette Families,
It has been a very cold January. We are into February and hopefully warmer weather. Please make sure that your child has the proper outdoor wear since they go to recess daily. Thanks to all who came to the family dance and the SEL evening event. We had lots in attendance.
We have had an outbreak of lice at Lafayette. Lice is not an indication of personal hygiene. It spreads quickly. Please know that to get rid of lice you can purchase an over-the-counter shampoo specifically to extinguish lice. Not only do you need to shampoo with the shampoo, but you will need to clean exposed areas in your home or on the student’s clothes. Lice spreads very quickly and can reoccur, so please look over your child’s head.
This month the entire school is doing the MAP testing. It will begin on Monday, February 3rd and go through Friday, February 14th. Please make sure that students get a good night sleep and a healthy breakfast. Also, remember that Tuesday, February 4th is game night at Lafayette. School will be closed Monday, February 17th-21st for midwinter break.
I want to take the time to recognize some of the recent information in the news regarding immigration and ICE in schools. This can lead to many of us feeling concerned about student safety at school. I want to personally reassure you that I take these matters to heart. Your safety, well-being, and peace of mind are my top priorities. I am deeply dedicated to creating a safe, welcoming, and inclusive environment for all our staff, students, and families. As a school community, we stand together, and the security of every member of the Lafayette community whether student, staff, or family—is of the utmost importance to me.
In line with this commitment, and following guidance from the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), SPS has created this resource to help answer common questions about how we work with immigration enforcement authorities and the support systems available to our families. Immigration Guidance Review FAQ.
Please contact me at cpchaput@seattleschools.org or 206-252-9500 if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Cindy
Dr. Cynthia Chaput, EdD
Principal @ Lafayette
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Message from the Assistant Principal
Happy February!
I second Principal Chaput regarding winter clothing! Please, ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the wet and cold weather. If you need assistance with a winter coat, please reach out to me or Mrs. Hart, our school counselor.
We continue to encourage students to address peer conflicts directly by asking the other person to stop first. If that is unsuccessful, they should seek help from an adult. Some students have expressed concerns about appearing to be a “tattletale” and we have been discussing the important distinction between tattling and reporting:
- Tattling is when a student tells an adult about a minor rule violation that does not directly affect them or someone else, is not unsafe, and seems intended to get the other student in trouble (e.g., having gum).
- Reporting is when a student informs an adult about something that is directly impacting them or someone else or is unsafe (e.g., someone calling their friend names).
Again, we do encourage students to try to solve the problem first, and often the first question from the adult could be, “Did you ask them to stop?” Of course, if students do not feel safe asking the person of concern to stop it is fine for them to just report the situation to an adult. I hope this can support any conversations at home you may be having with your student.
Many thanks to all the parents who helped with the Cosmic Jungle Disco at the end of January, and to all those who support Lafayette throughout the year!
As always feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
In partnership-
Tom Baisden
Assistant Principal @ Lafayette
206-252-9540 tpbaisden@seattleschools.org
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Music Update from Mr. Payne
Hello Lafayette!
I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy!
In February we will be working on a variety of things, such as a new country to learn about in our World Music unit, the students will be traveling and learning about Germany, voted for by Mr. Schroeder’s class!
Also, the students have been working on a variety of new musical concepts. We are learning new music symbols, expressions, and time signatures to add to our rhythmic practice. We are also developing an understanding of melodies and learning to combine that with our rhythm to compose original pieces.
We will also be beginning a unit that I call Songs of Inspiration, where we will be listening to incredible pieces of music from past to present and discussing the message they hold while developing an understanding of the power and feeling of hope that music can bring us.
Finally, we will be continuing to practice our songs in preparation for our end of the year concerts for each grade.
If you have any questions, please email me at sapayne@seattleschools.org
Thank you for all your help and support!
-Mr. Payne
Physical Education
Hello Wonderful Lafayette Community,
We practiced a variety of skills related to basketball, pickleball, and volleyball over the last few weeks. At the start of February, we are going to play some of our favorite group games to get everyone working together and doing activities as a whole class. After Mid-Winter break we will do another round of fitness measurements. This is our mid-point or goal setting phase of fitness measurements. Students should compare the scores they get in February to the previous set of fitness measurements we took at the beginning of the year. The two sets of fitness measurements should inform students of their progress towards their end of year goals. When we take our final set of fitness measurements in June, students will have a beginning, middle, and end of year update on their fitness journey!
Family Fitness for this month is to help your students work on improving their score on the Plank, Pacer, and Hamstring stretch!
Thank you,
Shawn Cudney
He/Him/His
Physical Education Specialist
Monday- Friday (8:00 am – 3:30 pm)| Book an appointment
Lafayette Elementary School | SPS | Seattle, WA
Fine Arts
Hello Lafayette Families,
Students are working hard in the Art room and being so creative! Third and Fifth grades have now made a clay sculpture. They are drying and will be bisque fired in a week. Then, students will brush on the glaze and I will fire the pieces again in the kiln. The other grade levels are working on collages and learning a little bit about Henri Matisse and his paper cut-outs he made late in life.
My plan with the cut-outs and collage work is to ease into the concept of negative and positive space in Visual Art. Encouraging students to look at the space around their cut-outs, tying into spatial relationships.
If you have any shoe boxes, please consider donating them to the art program!
Best,
Mrs. Bajaj
Multilingual Families
Hello!
I am Traci Hogrefe, our school’s multilingual learner teacher. You may see me around school helping all students and families at our school.
Please connect with me if you are interested in our newsletters that are sent out. Many of the topics that we cover in the newsletter can be helpful to any new family in the area or to Seattle Public Schools. Please reach out to me so I can add you to our distribution list. tdhogrefe@seattleschools.org
Families, beginning in October, we will have time allotted after dropping off your student where I invite families into our classroom in P-33 on Thursdays from 8:00-8:30 AM. I am here to help understand (while I learn as well) the school system, curricula, and even extra-curricular activities offered by our school, PTA, and around our city here in Seattle. I will make another announcement before we start, but families have found the information resourceful, and I invite you to come whether you’re a multilingual family or not.
Here are some helpful resources:
PTA
The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at Lafayette is another support that helps you get involved in the community. They are a wonderful resource and offer scholarships as well as connections to community events and activities. You do not need to join as a member to receive newsletters or be part of activities. Please let me know if you need support.
English Language Arts (ELA)
In 2016, Seattle Public Schools adopted English language arts instructional materials created by Center for the Collaborative Classroom for reading and writing instruction in grades Kindergarten – 5th. This includes reading, writing, and oral communication. This all happens in the classroom.
Mathematics (Math)
enVision Math 2020 Common Core has been adopted as the K-5 math instructional material starting in the 2022-23 school year. Students can access SavvasRealize, the digital content for enVision, through the Seattle Public Schools student portal (Clever). Here is Seattle enVision Community Support Video
Math Information in Vietnamese
Need support understanding your child’s math? Go to Bounce Pages and aim your camera at their schoolwork.
You can find videos in English and in Spanish to support your understanding of what they are learning.
Social Emotional Learning (SEL)
At Lafayette, we use several programs to support Social Emotional Learning, including:
Learn more about Social Emotional Learning at Seattle Public Schools
Science
We use amplify science curriculum.
Assessments
Besides classroom assessments, we also have district and state assessments. Information about assessments at Seattle Public schools.
Have a great school year!
Traci Hogrefe (pronounce)
she/her
Multilingual Teacher & Interventionist
Multilingual at Seattle Public Schools
Lafayette & Alki Elementary Schools | Seattle Public Schools
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Counselor’s Corner
Hello Wonderful Lafayette Families,
Thank you to everyone that attended our SEL Parent Night on Tuesday, January 28th. We appreciated everyone’s attendance and engagement. If you signed in at the event, we will email you additional SEL resources soon. If you have any feedback on the evening that you would like to share, please send it to Kenna Hart, kmhart@seattleschools.org. If you were not able to attend, but would still like to receive the resources, please send me and email.
During the month of February, Lafayette is having a school-wide Kindness Challenge! All students will get a February Kindness Calendar. There is a blank side, where students may fill in their own act of kindness OR there is a filled outside, with an act of kindness they could do each day. All students that turn in a completed calendar by Wednesday, March 5th will receive a small price.
Lastly, I want to share we now have a second school counselor and her name is Kristin Dickerson. Ms. Kristin will be here on Wednesday mornings, Thursdays and Fridays. My hours will stay the same: Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesday mornings. Kristin has been an elementary school counselor for more than 10 years and also works part-time as a play therapist in a private practice. Kristin can be reached at ksdickerson@seattleschools.org.
If you have any questions, or if Kristin or I can support your child or family in any way, please reach out!
Warmly,
Kenna Hart, School Counselor
Health Room News
Hello!
My name is Alison Angell, and I am the school nurse at Lafayette Elementary for this school year. I am at Lafayette on Tuesdays and alternating Wednesdays/Fridays. Please call or email me if you have any health concerns for your child.
Health Office: 206-252-9507
Email: ahangell@seattlschools.org. For urgent concerns please call the main office: 206-252-9500.
Hearing Screenings
Students in grades K, 1, 2, 3 & 5 will have their annual mandated hearing screenings during January and February. If you have any questions about your child’s hearing, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Stay Home when Sick
Please remind students to wash their hands and cover their coughs!
Call or email the school attendance line 206-252-9502 or lafayette.attendance@seattleschools.org and keep your child home when they show signs of:
- Fever (100.4 or higher) or chills (can return to school with no fever within the past 24 hours without medication)
- Cough (new, changed, or worsening)
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea, vomiting, or Diarrhea (can return to school if no vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours)
- Unknown rash
Updated guidance on Respiratory Illness from SPS, including advise on when to return to school.
Department of Health information about Flu, including Flu and Covid vaccine information.
Immunizations
Being fully immunized is important to keep all our students and staff safe and healthy. Some immunizations are required for continued attendance at school. Students may be excluded if their immunizations are not up to date.
If you received a letter from Seattle Public School’s Health Services letting you know that your student’s immunization status was ‘conditional,’ meaning your student is missing required vaccinations to attend school, please help us update your records. You can provide the missing immunization information directly to your school nurse.
Seattle Public Schools uses the Washington state Immunization Information System (WAIIS) to track a student’s compliance. Access this immunization registry.
Head Lice Information
Please help keep lice from spreading at school! Be sure to check your student for any signs/symptoms of lice infestation and see this important information:
- Signs & Symptoms – itching, tickling feeling of something moving in the hair, live lice and eggs (nits) attached to hair roots, sores or scratch marks on head caused by scratching.
- Transmission – direct head-to-head contact or via personal articles (hats, combs, clothing, etc.). Lice cannot jump, hop or fly, and cannot live away from a human host.
- What to Do if Lice Present – Notify School (and parents of friends your child might have had close contact with), begin treatment, and continue to come to school.
- Resources – There are drugstore over-the-counter products as well as lice salons that remove lice. Whichever route you choose, be sure to be vigilant and follow all instructions. Getting rid of lice often involves more than one treatment. Helpful information about lice from Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Alison Angell, MSN, RN (she/her)
School Nurse, Health Services
Lafayette Elementary
Tuesdays, alt. Wednesdays, alt. Fridays, 7:30-3pm
Phone: 206-252-9507, Main Office: 206-252-9500, Fax: 206-252-9501
Alki Elementary
Alt. Wednesdays, Thursdays 7:30-3pm
Phone: 206-252-9057, Main Office: 206-252-9050, Fax: 206-252-9051
Library News
The 4th & 5th graders have been busy reading & studying the 8 titles in this District Wide Event. Lafayette has 7-Global Reading Teams this year. They are preparing to test their book knowledge for the Quiz Bowl on Wednesday, Feb. 5th from 8:15-9:15 in the lunchroom. (This will be rescheduled)
The winning Team will advance to the Semi-Final Round. The Semi-Final Round is set for Friday, March 14th from 10:30-11:45 at the Downtown Public Library.
The K-2nd graders are participating in the Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book Award (WCCPBA) by listening to a variety of books and will be voting for their favorite. Click the link to view Presenting this years Washington Children’s Choice Picture Book Award nominees presenting this year’s nominees. Using these books students will explore and learn about a variety of topics and genres. We are currently learning about Biographies and discovered why pianist Mahani Teave is a special person to know about creating the Rapa Nui School of Music & Arts.
In Partnership,
Linda Nakagawa
School Librarian
Important Dates
- Tuesday, Feb. 4th – PTA Game Night 6:30 pm
- Sunday, Feb. 9th – West Seattle High School Softball Clinic @SWAC upper field 8:30 am
- Tuesday, Feb. 11th – 3rd Grade field trip to MOHAI Rooms 8 & 11
- Thursday, Feb. 13th – 3rd Grade field trip to MOHAI Rooms 10 & 14
- Friday, Feb. 14th – Valentines Day
- Monday, Feb. 17th – Presidents Day – No School
- Feb. 17th – 21st – Mid-Winter Break – No School
- Friday, Feb. 28th – 2nd Grade field trip to The Seattle Children’s Theatre
- Wednesday, March 5th – Kindergarten field trip to The Seattle Children’s Theatre
- Thursday, March 13th – 5th grade field trip to The Washington State Capitol in Olympia
- Friday, March 14th – GRC Quiz Bowl Semi-Final at The Seattle Public Library Downtown
WSHS Softball Clinic
February 9, 2025
Beginners: 8:30-10:00 am
Advanced: 10:15-11:45 am
$25
Learn skills in fielding and hitting from WSHS softball players
