Fall 2020

 Greetings LCE families-

 We’re nearly at the end of the first trimester of this unusual school year – one third down, two thirds to go. I want to thank you for the many positive messages the staff and I have received from so many of you since the start of the year. We are all working very hard to meet the needs of your children, and we appreciate your encouragement.

We also appreciate your feedback when things are not working so well. It gives us the opportunity to be thoughtful and make adjustments where we can. We all – school staff and families – want what is best for all our kids, so thank you for the great communication and keep it coming!

Report Cards

The trimester ends on December 4^th, and report cards are scheduled to be sent out on December 11^th. Teachers have been heavily focused on reading and math so far, so there may not be a lot of feedback on other subjects. The main focus of the report card will be on the written comments; that is where teachers will be able to give you the most meaningful information about how your student is doing so far.

 Enrichment Classes

Enrichment teachers – music, technology and PE – are only giving report card feedback on participation, which is optional for now (we hope to relieve kids and families of the burden of thinking “AND you HAVE to do this…”).

Even so, music, technology and PE lessons are being taught every week! Each of these teachers creates a menu of weekly activities that are designed to add variety and fun to the school day (and valuable learning too). Mrs. Vanderpool, Mr. Adam, and Mrs. Thomas also have regularly scheduled office hours, where kids can get their questions answered about the activities, share their work with these teaches, or just say “Hi” and enjoy a personal connection. In order to participate, your child just has to check out these teachers’ Seesaw classrooms.

 Gratitude and Celebration

The holidays are just ahead, and just like everything else this year, they’re going to be a little different for all of us. I hope that, even in the midst of that disappointment, we remember to take some deep breaths and focus on what we have to be grateful for. I also hope we remember to celebrate as much as possible, even if it’s not done the way we’ve always done it! These are the things that bring joy and hope into our lives. And if we have even just a little joy and hope, we can make it through anything.

I’ll start by sharing some of my gratitude and celebrations. I am deeply grateful the LCES staff this year, who have taken collaboration to a whole new level. We are becoming a stronger team because everyone has risen to the challenges presented to us. And I celebrate the fact that we’ve hired a new social worker! Tammie White has been working with us now for several weeks, and I know she’s going to be an amazing resource for kids, families, and staff members.

 Always remember that your La Conner Elementary School family loves and care about your family. If there is anything you need, please ask for help. Teachers and office staff are committed to doing what we can to serve our school community.

 Take care and happy holidays-

Heather Fakkema

Principal

La Conner Elementary School