Lafayette Leopard Look Out
Lafayette Leopard Look Out
Message from the Principal
Happy Spring! It is April and with April Showers we have May Flowers! Hope everyone is doing well as we enter into our last trimester of school this year. We have many field trips and we will also be taking state and district testing. Please communicate with your child’s teacher for specific dates and details.
Please remind your student that at Lafayette we Show Respect, Make Good Decisions and Solve Problems. Please make sure that you discuss with your student to keep hands, feet and bodies to themselves. Students need to resolve issues in peaceful ways. If they are unable to resolve an issue with a friend, they should be seeking help from an adult whether that be administration, their teacher or our school counselor.
This Tuesday, April 2nd, our counselor Ms. Hart will be presenting at the PTA meeting on Positive Discipline for parents. This is an excellent opportunity for the school and home to connect. The information is very useful as are the strategies that are taught. I used these when raising my own children and it was a great help!
Parents please let students enter the school independently at the beginning of the day. Many parents are escorting students in the building and it has made for very crowded halls. Students are able to do this at this time of year. We are really working on keeping our hallways clear.
This week a parent input form for class placement is coming home. Please do not put a specific teacher. Please let us know about your student and their learning style. Teachers will be using this information in May to put together balanced classrooms. Know that we do our best in doing this and appreciate your help!
Thank you to our wonderful PTA for the fabulous auction. They earned a lot of money to support programming for all students. We appreciate the support and dedication of our parents and community. Thank you again for all that you do!
I appreciate all the volunteers and families coming in to enjoy the student presentations and classroom celebrations! Please remember to sign in at the front office.
Please contact me at 206-252-9505 or cpchaput@seattleschools.org if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks so much!
Sincerely,
Cindy Chaput
Principal at Lafayette
Message from the Assistant Principal
Happy April!
Spring has officially arrived, and we have all been greatly enjoying the sunshine! I will second what Principal Chaput said regarding having safe hands and bodies at recess, and reporting to adults if there are problems occurring between peers! We are focusing on being good sports at recess and using words to solve problems. If students need help with that, or if they see anyone being treated badly by a peer, we are asking students to report the situation to a playground monitor or their teacher right away. It is much easier for us to follow up on situations if we know about them as they are occurring.
Huge thanks to the PTA for buying new playground equipment for use during recess! Everyone is very excited about the new soccer goals and all the extra balls. Thanks also to our 4th grade Leopard Leaders who are taking the lead on getting those balls collected at the end of the last recess each day.
Students have been submitting loads of jokes and book recommendations for the weekly Monday Message we have been making! There have been so many that we have not been able to include them all each week, but we are going to try to get to them all eventually.
I hope everyone has a nice Spring Break next week! Please feel free to reach out at any time with questions or concerns.
In partnership,
Tom Baisden, M.Ed. (he, him)
Assistant Principal
Lafayette Elementary
206-252-9540 (office)
206-713-8052 (cell)
Music Update from Mr. Payne
Hello Lafayette!
I hope everyone is doing well and staying safe!
As we move into the month of April, we will begin the first week with our world music unit where we will be traveling and learning about the music and culture of Italy!
We are continuing to work on new rhythmic and melodic patterns and symbols, expanding their knowledge of music theory, understanding and practice.
We are also in the steps of memorizing songs and learning new pieces in preparation for our end of the year concerts. I will be sending an email out this month with specific dates and times for each grade level end of the year concert.
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,
Everyone in 3rd – 5th grade did a mid-check up on their fitness measurements over the last two weeks. They received a sheet of paper with their previous scores, and a sheet of paper to work on goal setting and setting up an exercise routine that will help them achieve their goals. We will finish fitness measurements up at the end of May and everyone should be able to see their progress over the year.
From April 1st – 5th we will be introducing a first of its kind introduction to bicycling for students in K-2. This will be an ongoing program at Lafayette, as our school received a set of balance/ strider bikes from the district. We also have bicycle helmets, but it is recommended that all students bring their bicycle helmet from home on their PE days during the cycling unit. So, all K-2 students should bring their bicycle helmet from home April 1st– 5th if at all possible.
I’m excited for the Lafayette PE program to have an in depth beginning cycling program. Stay healthy and active around your community and keep promoting healthy activity at home and at school!
Thank you,
Shawn Cudney
He/Him/His
Physical Education Specialist
Monday- Friday (8:00 am – 3:30 pm)| Book an appointment
Fine Arts
Hello Lafayette Families,
The Art room has been busy with activity. Third grade students have finished their masks and are in the midst of working through a clay project and creating a display of their animal masks. Kindergarten is using their scissor skills while looking through Ranger Rick magazines for animal pictures. After Spring Break, Kindergarten will also create a clay project.
My Fourth and Fifth grade students are completing a collage project that challenged them to make 12 mini compositions. These colorful artworks are going up on the wall outside the art room.
First and second grades are also working through a clay project and have created two abstract pieces of art. They are learning about some of the elements of art, vocabulary for these projects comes from the Seattle Art Museum. So far, students have created art that includes lines, shapes and color. Some students also included principles of Art, such as, harmony or balance.
I hope everyone has a fabulous spring break!
Best,
Mrs. Bajaj
Multilingual Families
Hello Lafayette Families!
March ended our WIDA testing, and Mr. Harlson and I have returned to the classrooms with our multilingual students.
All families are welcome to come to our Thursday afternoon gatherings right after school in room P-34. We have snacks and games for the kids and some useful information for parents. Please join us if you’re new to Seattle, Seattle Public Schools, or if you would love to share any information about what you can do you to support your child in and out of school. We support families by answering questions about curriculum, navigating SPS, enrolling students in enrichment, after school activities, and summer programs! We also try our best to help families get scholarships they may need to join these activities.
Thank you for supporting our school and each other!
Traci Hogrefe (pronounce)
she/her/hers
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Counselor’s Corner
Hello Lafayette Families!
During the month of April, we are focusing on Friendship. Friendship is a vital component to a positive and happy life, both for adults and kids. What do you look for in a friend? What makes you a good friend to others?
Alfred Adler, the founder of Adlerian Psychology, believed we are all driven by our need to feel significant and that we belong. We are social creatures and having a strong sense of belonging (or not) can have a huge impact on how we behave, interact with others, and navigate our world.
On a more basic level, friends are there for us through thick and thin. They help us celebrate our accomplishments and support us through our challenges. They make us smile, laugh, and sometimes cry. They encourage and support us to be our best selves.
Looking to add more dinner conversation around your table? Try these conversation starters:
- Who are some of your good friends?
- How do your friends make you feel?
- What makes you a good friend to others?
- Would you rather have one close friend or five friends that you are not as close to?
- Is there anyone in your life that is not a good friend to you? What makes that person not a good friend?
If you have any questions, or if I can support your child or family in any way, please reach out! My email address is kmhart@seattleschools.org. I am at Lafayette on Mondays, Tuesdays, and half-days on Wednesdays.
Warmly,
Kenna Hart, School Counselor
Health Room News
Seattle Public Schools wants to ensure a healthy return to school and work for our students, families, and staff.
During the colder months, we encourage you to follow these steps to help limit the spread of respiratory illnesses such as COVID-19, flu, RSV and others.
Stop Germs, Stay Healthy
Stop Germs, Stay Healthy
- Stay home if you feel sick. Students and staff experiencing new, changed, or worsening respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms should stay home and test for COVID-19.
- Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use hand sanitizer when unable to wash hands.
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper arm, not your hand.
- Wear a high-quality, well-fitting facemask (such as an N95 or KN95) in crowded areas and indoor public spaces.
- Get vaccinated. Vaccines and boosters are the best protection against illnesses.
- Test for COVID-19. Even if you test negative, it’s important to follow Department of Health guidance and stay home if you are experiencing symptoms. Please be sure to test for COVID-19 before and after travel.(Free home COVID-19 tests can be ordered from the federal government).
- Get plenty of sleep and eat nutritious foods. Taking care of yourself will help your body stay healthy.
- Improve indoor ventilation by opening windows and doors and using air filtration devices.
Shellee Boyd BSN RN
Email: slboyd@seattleschools.org (preferred for fastest response); Phone: 206-252-9507
Library News
2nd Trimester email notices for overdue books will be sent to families over the next 2-weeks. Please return finished books to the library to prevent fines being issued.
Reading with Rover is looking for more volunteers with dogs that would qualify to serve more Seattle schools in the upcoming school year. The program is made possible by the volunteers and dogs who show up every week to support children in their growing love of reading. If you’d like to become involved or to learn more about Reading with Rover,
contact Becky Bishop at becky@puppymanners.com
Team Elements of Reading competed in the GRC Semi-Final Round on March 14th. Two schools had a perfect score after 3-Rounds of questions-Lafayette and North Beach. North Beach won the tiebreaker and Lafayette placed 2nd. This year’s City Championship was held on March 26th and Loyal Heights: The Sparky Beavers won after a 10 question tie breaker and a 5 way tie.
(back) Josephine Scheer, Marley Saulter, Emma McDaniel, Sadie Bridge,
(front) Violet MacKinnon, Roma Bloom Willis & Lucia Romero
Library Link is a collaboration between The Seattle Public Library (SPL) and Seattle Public Schools (SPS). The goal is to explore ways that SPL and SPS can work together to improve SPS student access to SPL’s vast collection of information resources. All K-12th grade students can log in to access our online resources without signing up for a Library card. This includes eBooks through Libby, animated picture books and nonfiction through Bookflix, movies and graphic novels through Hoopla, research databases, and much more!
Ms. Nakagawa
Elementary Librarian
Important Dates
- Monday, April 1st-5th – Spirit Week
- Monday, April 1st – Sports Day
- Tuesday, April 2nd – Beach Day
- Wednesday, April 3rd – Hat Day
- Thursday, April 4th – Superhero Day – 2nd grade to The UW Botanic Gardens
- Friday, April 5th – Jungle Day
- April 8th – 12th – Spring Break – No School
- Friday, April 19th – PTA Sponsored School Dance
- Monday, April 22nd – Class Group Photo & Make-Up Day – Earth Day
- Thursday, April 25th – 4th grade to The Burke Museum
- Wednesday, May 1st – 3rd grades rooms 8 & 11 to MOHAI
- Friday, May 3rd – 3rd grades rooms 10 & 14 to MOHAI