LCE April Newsletter
LCE: A Great Place to Be!
A Note from the Principal
Little Cypress Elementary Families,
We are down to the last eight weeks of this school year. It has happened fast!
I'm so proud of the hard work of our staff and students this year, and I look forward to us all finishing out strong together.
Please ensure your child is at school every day this year. Every minute counts.
The LCMCISD Board of Trustees approved the 2024-25 calendar, and it is linked below. Please review it before scheduling events for next school year.
Our staff will soon send home End of Year MAP test results for Kindergarten through third grade. If your child met or exceeded their MAP growth, please celebrate with them! If they didn't meet their expected growth, please reach out to your child's teacher to discuss the results. If you have questions about specific skills that your child needs assistance on, please reach out. There are more detailed reports that we can provide, and we want to partner with you and make sure you understand where your child is.
Although NWEA MAP testing is new for us all this year, it is a proven assessment that will be very useful as we continue to use it next year and beyond. Overall I was pleased that we were in the 50th percentile as a campus for math growth from Beginning of the Year to End of the Year, 43rd percentile as a campus for reading growth from Beginning of the Year to End of the Year, and 56th percentile for science, tested only in second and third grades. Although we weren't at the 50th percentile, which is average, for reading as a campus, our achievement in reading was stronger in every grade level from the beginning to the end of the year. As we continue to analyze the data and improve our instructional practices, I anticipate both our growth and achievement in reading to get higher over the coming years.
After the fifth six weeks, we will be reaching out if your child has failed two or more subjects for the school year. Our goal is always to make sure students are prepared for the upcoming school year, and research on retention is kind of all over the place, in my opinion. However, I do want you to know that as a parent you have the option to choose to retain your child through SB 1697. If this is something you are considering, please send me an e-mail at ahawk@lcmcisd.org so I can schedule a time to meet with you.
Finally, some of you might have seen the press release before Spring Break about me being named the LCMHS Principal for next year. It is bittersweet to think of moving on from LCE. I have loved being the Principal at LCE for the past three years more than any other job I've had. Working with our staff, students, and families has been such an honor for me. I will truly miss the relationships that I've gained! However, I am excited about the opportunity to continue building future-ready Bears at the high school. It's my desire to make sure that the LCE transition of leadership is a smooth one, and I trust that LCE will be left in good hands. The district is currently interviewing for the new LCE Principal, and I hope to be able to share their name and information with you in next month's newsletter. I will finish this school year here at LCE while picking up some planning things for LCMHS, so if you need anything over the next few months, please do not hesitate to reach out. My e-mail will remain the same.
As always, please let me know if there is anything we can do to better serve your family. We want LCE to be the best place for students, and that begins with a partnership between home and school.
At your service,
Amber Hawk
Principal
Remember that our campus attendance goal is 96%
2023 - 2024 Yearbook
Little Cypress Elementary and Little Cypress Intermediate have a combined yearbook.
If you are interested in purchasing a yearbook, please click the link below.
A Note from Counselor Sydney Carr
Last month our focus was self-esteem.
This month I will primarily work with our third graders on STAAR test preparation, but I will discuss anxiety and coping skills with all grade levels.
As always, if your student is in need of a visit to see me, please fill out the counseling referral form linked below.
If you are interested in nominating a student for the PLUS class for next school year, please use the link below to fill out the form by Friday, April 5, 2024.
All students are eligible for FREE breakfast and lunch this year.
Upcoming Lunch Visitor Schedule
We rotate lunch visitors weekly, but we also allow two Skyward approved guests on your child's birthday.
If your child has a birthday on the weekend, you can come the Friday before or Monday after.
The week of April 2: 3rd Grade
The week of April 8: Pre-K
The weeks of April 15 and 22: No Lunch Visitors due to STAAR testing
The week of April 29: Kindergarten
As a reminder, only two guests can attend lunch, and they must be listed and approved through Skyward. Guests must sit in the assigned guest lunch area.
Guests are not allowed to take photos of other students on campus, and other students are not allowed to sit with guests. Food can only be shared with your child.
April Dyslexia Newsletter
Bus Rider Information
Changes? Call Transportation at 670-4601 by 1:30 p.m.
Students must ride the bus to their assigned drop off location (home address/licensed day care).
All bus transportation changes must go through the Transportation Department 409-670-4601. Changes must take place before 1:30 p.m.
Without a note, the child will follow their established routine.
In an emergency, a phone call will be accepted but will require the student's last four digits of their social security number.
An adult must be present at the bus stop for all PK, Kindergarten, and 1st grade students to be dropped off.
Car Line Procedures
Morning Drop Off
Afternoon Pick Up
DROP OFF:
LCE students should be dropped off between 6:50 - 7:10 a.m. The tardy bells rings at 7:15 a.m. and instruction begins at 7:20 a.m.
Only 2nd and 3rd grade students and Self-Contained students can be dropped off at the front of the school in the mornings. Everyone else will need to be dropped off in the back.
Parents with both LCI and LCE students may drop their LCE student off in the LCI car line between 6:50 - 7:10 a.m. After 7:10, all LCE students are to be dropped off at the LCE campus.
For safety reasons, please have your child ready to exit the vehicle on the passenger side. Please talk to your child about what it means to be ready to exit the vehicle. Please also stress to them not to run but to walk safely.
We will begin shutting the back doors at the 7:15 a.m. tardy bell.
Once the back doors are closed, you will need to drive to the front of the school, park, and escort your child into the building.
TURN RIGHT when exiting Meeks during drop off and pick up hours.
For the safety of your child and others, please do not use your cell phone while in the car drop off and pick up lines.
PICK UP:
The dismissal car line begins at 2:50 p.m.
Students cannot be checked out through the front office after 2:30 p.m. as we are in our final transition for the day. We will ask you to join the pick up line at that point. On Early Release days, final front office pick up will be at 10:50 a.m.
Please ensure that you are in line to pick up your child by 3:10 p.m.
If your child needs assistance to buckle, please pull ahead into the grassy area.
THE SCHOOL ISSUED CAR RIDER TAG MUST BE VISIBLE IN ORDER TO PICK UP YOUR CHILD. THIS IS A SAFETY MEASURE.
TURN RIGHT when exiting Meeks during drop off and pick up hours.
For the safety of your child and others, please do not use your cell phone while in the car drop off and pick up lines.
Dress Code
The district prohibits any clothing or grooming that in the principal’s judgment may reasonably be expected to cause disruption or interference with normal school operations.
Shorts and skirts should be at least mid-thigh length and be hemmed.
Shirts should cover the midriff and have at least two (2) inch shoulder strap or sleeves. No muscle shirts or spaghetti straps.
Pants must fit at the waist or be belted. Baggy pants and jeans with holes above the knee will not be allowed. Holes above the knee with backing are allowed as long as the backing is intact.
All students are required to have shoes that are safe for participation in all physical education activities. Backless shoes, high-heeled shoes of any type, and flip-flops are prohibited. This is a safety issue and is in the best interest of the student. All rubber soled, laced up, closed back shoes (tennis shoes or any athletic type shoe) will be acceptable. Crocs are not allowed in PE.
Should you have to remove your child during the school day, please sign him/her out at the front office. School personnel will call for your child to meet you.
Please remember to send any doctor's notes upon the student's return to school. When absent, the student must have a signed parent note or doctor's excuse upon their return to school.
You can e-mail attendance documentation to Attendance Clerk and Registrar Bianca Sanchez at bsanchez@lcmcisd.org.
Little Cypress Elementary Contacts
5723 Meeks
Orange, Texas 77632
409-886-2838
Amber Hawk, Principal
Sarah St. John, Assistant Principal
Sydney Brittain, Counselor
Lisa Fisher, Secretary
Bianca Sanchez, Registrar
Misty Coleman, Nurse
Meagan Washburn, At-Risk Coordinator
Tammi Halliburton, Librarian