Greetings Lavallette School Community,
"The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others' burdens, easing each other's loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of the holidays.”
We have had a wonderful month of learning, connecting, and celebrating throughout the month of December at Lavallette School!. Our holiday show and band concert were held this month under the final direction of Mr. Vincent Espinosa, who has taken a new position with Antrim Elementary School. We are excited to welcome our new music teacher and band director, Mr. Zach Clements, who will join us when we return from the holiday break.
I also want to extend a big Thank You to our PTO for the first Lavallette Winter Wonderland on the weekend of December 6th. From the vendor fair to the food trucks and tree sales, it truly put our families in the holiday spirit!
Lavallette Teacher of the Year
We are excited to announce that our Teacher of the Year Committee has selected an exceptional educator as the Lavallette Elementary School Teacher of the Year – Mrs. Sophie Savage - an excellent choice!
Mrs. Savage is the inspiration behind our One
Book One School schoolwide initiative and is fondly respected by students, parents, and
her colleagues. Mrs. Savage was honored at a student assembly this afternoon, and will also be recognized at the Ocean County Teacher of the Year Breakfast in the spring. Congratulations to Mrs. Savage!
County-Wide Parent University
I hope you’ll mark your calendars for January 29th when we will be hosting a county event for the documentary, Screenagers, which explores how tech time impacts kids’ development and offers parents solutions for empowering kids to navigate the digital world and find balance. The event will be held at the Gateway Theater at Ocean County College in Toms River and more information will be shared with families shortly. The event is limited to 200 parents and registration is required. You can register HERE.
Freshmen Interviews at Point Beach HS
Mr. Hajisafari and I had our annual meeting on December 6th with Lavallette graduates who are currently freshmen at Point Beach HS. The purpose of this meeting is to have students complete a survey and then participate in a focus group to share their perceptions of readiness as they transitioned from Lavallette Elementary into high school.
Overwhelmingly, the students report high levels of satisfaction in their preparedness. The focus group data will be shared with our 8th grade teachers so they can hear feedback in some areas that might benefit students.
Legacy Wall
Looking for a last minute holiday gift? The Lavallette Legacy Wall is a wonderful way to honor a student, a family member, or someone special with a lasting keepsake. This wall, which is the first thing parents, students, and visitors see as they enter the school, is growing with legacy tiles and allows students or family members to custom design their own 8x8” tile for $75 each. For more information, please click on this link Order Tile or see the Wednesday Folder.
New Partnership - Preferred Behavioral Health
As a result of the ongoing work with our Community Connections Committee, Preferred Behavioral Health will be providing sixteen (16) student assemblies/classroom presentations on a variety of topics, including anti-bullying environments, conflict resolution, diversity & respect, and 8th grade transition to high school. In addition, we will be having them facilitate three (3) Parent Universities in the spring and three (3) staff workshops in February and March. These are all grant-funded, evidence-based programs that are free of cost to the district. More information about the Parent Universities will be shared with parents in January.
Parents Needed for Portrait of a Graduate Committee!
This year our district will be embarking upon the Portrait of a Graduate process. This process engages all stakeholders in the school community in developing a comprehensive picture of the 21st century skills that our district believes students should embody and exemplify by 8th grade graduation. If you are interested in participating in this committee, please contact the Main Office.
Make the Writing Process Easier with Guided Thinking
Ask any writer about the hardest part of writing and you’re likely to hear the same answer: Getting started. What’s true for a seasoned writer is even more true for an elementary school child who’s staring at a blank page. What on earth will your child write about? It can feel overwhelming. Help your child get off to a running start by asking questions and offering comments to promote thinking. If your child is asked to write about a personal experience, for example, follow these three steps:
Help your child make a list of recent experiences: putting up the tent in the backyard (and watching it fall down); scoring a goal in the soccer game; etc. Then, have your child select one of the experiences to write about.
Ask your child to tell you about the experience. Telling a story is an effective way to remember the key points. Why were they putting up the tent? Where was the tent stored? Did they read the instructions? Your child can even draw pictures about what happened first, second and third.
Have your child answer the basic newspaper reporter questions: who, what, when, where, why and how. Answering these types of questions will help your child collect all of the important details needed for the writing.
Follow a Game Plan to Limit Your Child's Recreational Screen Time
In today’s digital age, it’s increasingly important for families to help middle schoolers manage their recreational screen time. Excessive screen use can impact sleep, academic performance and overall well-being. Studies link excessive screen time to greater stress and poorer mental health. Experts recommend practical strategies to help middle schoolers find a healthier balance. Here are four to try :
Have your child spend one week writing down the amount of time spent on recreational screen time activities. Challenge your child to reduce that time the following week.
Create a tech curfew. Your child should have at least 30 minutes of “unplugged” time to wind down before bedtime. The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep.
Establish digital-free zones and times where all family members leave their screen devices behind.
Don’t use screen time as a reward or punishment. It’ll make it seem even more important to your child.
“Put down the phone, turn off the laptop, and do something—anything— that does not involve a screen.” —Jean Twenge, Psychology Professor
(Excerpt copyright © 2024, The Parent Institute®)
Lavallette School's Social Media and Communication Platforms
We have so many wonderful things happening here at Lavallette Elementary School and our staff is committed to highlighting all of these exciting learning activities and school community events. We invite you to download the Lavallette School mobile app, visit our website at www.lavallettek12.org, and follow Lavallette School on the following social media platforms:
Thank you to each and every one of our parents for your ongoing support and partnership in your child’s education at Lavallette Elementary School! I wish all of our families the happiest of holidays!
Sincerely,
Dr. Lisa J. Gleason
Superintendent/Principal
Leadership Achievement Values Aspirations
#LAVAproud