The Lion’s Share
Lake Street School’s monthly share of news and upcoming events
Please visit our school website @ www.vernonpublicschools.org/lss-homepage
May 2016
Principal’s News
Upcoming Events:
Mon., May 2nd
Dear Lake Street Students and Families,
Gr. 3 Field Trip
It’s so hard to believe how quickly our year is winding down.
Belding Wildlife
Thurs., May 5th
Science/Book Fair
Ice Cream Social
6:00 pm
Wed., May 11th
There is still much to do in the few weeks that we have left. It’s
important for your child/ren to be here. I notice that many families are taking this
opportunity for some vacation time. This is a reminder that absences for vacations,
for whatever reason, are considered unexcused. Did you know that a child is
considered ‘truant’ if there are 4 or more unexcused absences in a month or 10 or
more unexcused absences in a year? That means, if a child misses a week of school for
a vacation, he/she is considered truant, according to state law. I urge you to plan your
vacations during our school vacation times. The calendar for the 2016-17 school year
is included in our newsletter for future planning.
Kindergarten
I am excited to share that for the first time, students from LSS participated in the CT
Orientation
Invention Convention! Fifth grade students had to create a science project to solve a
problem of their own choosing. Students presented their projects to a panel of judges.
6:00 pm
The criteria were unilateral across the state. We had many contenders, but we had to
Thurs., May 12th
PTO Meeting
6:30 pm
select three students to present their projects at the state convention.
On April 30th, these students presented their projects to a panel of judges at the
Gampbell Pavilion at UConn:
Taylor Karkevich presented The Sic Box, which assists people with a hygenic way
Thurs., May 19th
Fine Arts Night
6:30 pm
Fri., May 20th
PTO Family Fun Night
to collect dirty tissues without leaving your seat.
Samuel Krantz presented The Magna-Coat, which assists people who have
difficulty with zippers or buttons.
Kuba Laskowski presented Hawk Eyes, which assists people with low vision by
attaching a removable flashlight to your glasses. Kuba received a recognition
award for his project.
6:00 pm
All of the students did a great job presenting. We are very proud of them!
Fri., May 27th
Early Dismissal
Prof. Development Day
Thank you all for your continued collaboration and support. We look forward to
seeing you at many of our school events this month.
Tracy Duenzl
Mon., May 30th
Our Mission:
NO SCHOOL
LSS is committed to empowering students to think critically, while
becoming lifelong learners and contributing members of society.
Memorial Day
May
From the Secretary’s desk….
Mrs. Gessay

Please register your Kindergartner. Forms are available here in the office or on the Town of
Vernon website. Please don’t hesitate to call me with any questions.

Lake Street School Recognition is set for June 7th at 6:00 p.m. This is a special night for our 5th
grade students and their families. Please mark your calendars.

Please find attached the 2015-2016 AND 2016-2017 Vernon Public Schools Calendar.

Please don’t forget to check our Lost and Found for any items you might be missing.
A note from the Nurse’s Office:
Preventing Tick Bites
While it is a good idea to take preventive measures against ticks year-round, be extra vigilant in warmer months (April-September) when
ticks are most active.
Avoid Direct Contact with Ticks
Avoid wooded and bushy areas with high grass and leaf litter.
Walk in the center of trails.
Repel Ticks with DEET or Permethrin
Use repellents that contain 20% or more DEET (N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide) on the exposed skin for protection that lasts up to several
hours. Always follow product instructions. Parents should apply this product to their children, avoiding hands, eyes, and mouth.
Use products that contain permethrin on clothing. Treat clothing and gear, such as boots, pants, socks and tents. It remains protective
through several washings. Pre-treated clothing is available and remains protective for up to 70 washings.
Other repellents registered by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may be found at http://cfpub.epa.gov/oppref/insect/.
Find and Remove Ticks from Your Body
Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors (preferably within two hours) to wash off and more easily find ticks that are
crawling on you.
Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body upon return from tick-infested areas.
Parents should check their children for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between
the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair.
Examine gear and pets. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets,
coats, and day packs. Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for an hour to kill remaining ticks.
Tick Removal
If you find a tick attached to your skin, there's no need to panic. There are several tick removal devices on the market, but a plain set of
fine-tipped tweezers will remove a tick quite effectively.
How to remove a tick
1. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible.
2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin.
If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone
and let the skin heal.
3. After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.
Follow-up
If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your doctor. Be sure to tell the doctor about your
recent tick bite, when the bite occurred, and where you most likely acquired the tick.
Please contact me if you have any questions, 860-870-6088.
A message from our School Psychologist,
Dr. Berger
Keeping the Sportsmanship in Sports
(adapted from the Boys Town Press)
Spring is here and the great outdoors is calling! Whether your child is participating in
organized sports or just playing a pick-up game in the neighborhood, athletics can
provide an important opportunity to teach the value of teamwork and good sportsmanship.
The ideal situation is one in which:
-good character is a priority
-practices and games are fun
-good sportsmanship and positive behaviors are the norm for players, coaches,
and spectators
-a cooperative and positive relationship exists between coaches and parents
Adults teach sportsmanship and help build good character by modeling it themselves.
Kids watch how adults act, and don’t just listen to what they say. Consider the following “sportsmanship to-do list”:
-model appropriate behavior
-discuss ways to exhibit good sportsmanship (for example, helping opponents up after
they have fallen)
-discuss examples of poor sportsmanship when they occur
-reinforce that winning is not the sole goal of sports (ask kids if they had fun or performed something well before asking them if they won)
-offer examples of how players can be good winners or losers
-encourage kids to discuss sportsmanship as a team
….And don’t forget to have fun!
News from our Special Education Teachers -Ms. Boltseridge,
Miss Blanchard, and Mrs Kowalczyk
Children’s Books that Feature Real or Pretend Characters with Special Needs
(Extracted from humaneducation.org)
1. “Good Night, Commander” by Ahmad Akbarpour
2008. Grades 3–6.
A young boy who has lost his leg — and his mother — in the war acts out imaginary battles against his enemies, seeking revenge, until he “sees” that the “enemy” is young, too, and also has experienced loss.
2. “Goose’s Story” by Cari Best
2002. Grades PreK–3.
When a girl and her dog greet the geese as they return in the spring, she discovers one of the geese is missing a foot. The other geese shun the injured goose at first, and the girl’s parents warn her not to interfere. But the girl feels compelled to watch
out for her. One day the goose is gone. After worrying all winter, the girl and her dog discover the goose with one foot has
returned … with her new mate.
3. “My Brother Sammy Is Special” by Becky Edwards
2012. Grades K–3.
Sammy has autism, and sometimes his older brother gets frustrated with how “special” Sammy is and wants a different brother who is more like him. But then the older brother realizes that to Sammy, he is the “special brother” and begins, to his delight, to try things the way Sammy likes them.
4. “Just Because” by Rebecca Elliott
2011. Grades PreK–2.
Toby talks about his relationship and adventures with his sister and best friend, Clemmie, who happens to be in a wheelchair.
5. “Hanni and Beth: Safe and Sound” by Beth Finke
2007. Grades K–3.
Seeing-eye dog Hanni tells the story of how she helps her guardian, Beth, who is blind, and keeps her safe.
6. “Keeping Up With Roo” by Sharlee Glenn
2004. Grades 1–3.
Gracie and her Aunt Roo, who has a cognitive disability, have been best friends who play and learn together, until Gracie
starts to grow up. On the day that Gracie brings her friend Sarah home, she at first feels embarrassed about Roo’s difference.
When, in showing Sarah around, Gracie realizes all that Roo has taught her, she introduces Sarah to Roo, and they all play
together.
7. “Featherless/Desplumado” by Juan Felipe Herrera
2004. Grades 1–4.
Tomasito, who has spina bifida and uses a wheelchair, is having trouble adjusting to his new school. To try to cheer him up,
his father brings him a featherless bird as a pet. Tomasito wants nothing to do with Desplumado, until Tomasito finds a place
on the soccer team and discovers there’s more than one way to fly.
8. “Molly the Pony” by Pam Kaster
2008. Grades K–3.
Molly survives Hurricane Katrina, but when a dog injures her leg, it must be amputated. With a prosthetic leg, Molly learns
to walk again and finds a new life of friendship.
9. “Moses Goes to a Concert” by Isaac Millman
1998. Grades K–3.
Moses and his classmates, who are all deaf, attend a music concert featuring a percussionist who is also deaf.
10. “My Brother Charlie” by Holly Robinson Peete
2010. Grades K–3.
Callie and Charlie are twins who adore each other and have a lot in common. They’re also different. Charlie has autism. Callie talks about many of the things she loves and admires about Charlie — and about some of the challenges of living with a
brother who has autism.
11. “Kami and the Yaks” by Andrea Stenn Stryer
2006. Grades K–4.
Set in the Himalayas, in the midst of a search for the family’s yaks, a storm hits. Kami finally finds them, but the baby yak
has his leg caught in a crevice. Kami rushes to his father and brother, and because he is deaf and cannot speak, he uses his
resourcefulness to share with his family what has happened. The yaks are rescued, and Kami’s courage and determination are
rewarded.
Information from our Reading Specialist, Amy Hardell
With summer just around the corner, it’s important to start thinking about what we can do to help prevent
summer reading loss. Summer reading loss refers to the decline in children's reading development that sometimes happens over summer vacation (Allington & McGill-Franzen,
2003). In order to help prevent this, parents need to make sure that their children have enough reading materials to sustain daily reading over vacation. A great and affordable way to do this is with regular trips to the
Rockville Public Library. The Rockville Library has great summer programs with lots of incentives to read. Students can borrow books for free, for up to three weeks with as library card. They can also borrow movies and
music too! Tag sales and library sales are also great ways to acquire new books for minimal cost. Literacy does
not only refer to the reading of books. Enjoying magazines, online publications and newspapers also helps students maintain their reading proficiency and stamina over vacation.
Amy Hardell
Reading Specialist
News from the Math Corner!
Mrs. McKee
I want to share with you another one of the 8 Standards for Mathematical Practice this month– Attend to precision. Students
are asked to think through the problem and give a clear equation with accurate symbols, a picture or diagram to show their
thinking. Additionally, students need to be sure answers are in simplest form and labeled with the appropriate units.
Jordan School District 2012
Fact fluency at home tip:
Play math toss. Toss a ball (or balloon) to your child. As you toss, call out a math fact. Your child has to shout out the answer
before catching or bouncing back the ball/balloon (or call out the answer before passing it on). This game can be played inside, outside or even in the pool this summer!
Melissa McKee
Math Intervention Teacher
[email protected]
MUSIC NOTES from Mrs. Davis
The LSS Chorus will wrap up a very successful year with their performance of “Let’s Eat!” on May 19. The group will sing, dance and act
for two audiences. The first performance will be for their school friends
during an afternoon assembly and the second will take place in the evening as part of the Fine Arts Night
program.
Students in Kindergarten, First and Second grade are working on songs and games using classroom instruments. Our 3rd grade students are learning about the major scale. Ask them to show you their musical sign
language.
Fourth and fifth graders are developing orchestrations for two folk songs. The students in grade 4 are
learning “The Erie Canal. Their orchestration will include recorder parts. Fifth grade musicians are “Goin’
to Boston” in music class as well as for their field trip!
News from the Art Room
Miss Johnson
Spring is here! As the weather warms up, we are exploring Southwestern art. Students are learning about
the landscapes, plants, animals, and artists of the American Southwest! Kindergarten students are working
on Navajo sand paintings and exploring textures. First grade students are creating collages by making color
and pattern choices. Second grade students are learning about watercolor paint mixing and creating a cactus painting in a patterned pot. Third grade students will be learning about Petroglyphs and creating their
own prints. Fourth grade students are using their knowledge of landscape drawings to design a detailed
Southwestern style landscape in pen and ink and watercolor. Fifth grade students are finishing up their silhouette paintings and moving into mask design.
Fine Arts Night is coming soon, and many of these projects will be on display down every hallway of our
school!
Physical Education
Mr. Johnson
Well May is here and gymnastics has just wrapped up where students learned skills on apparatuses such
as the parallel bars, rings, trapeze, balance beam and floor exercises. Students also have completed the
famous obstacle course where students in grade 5 were timed and had a chance to break the all-time top
10 list! With June approaching, students in all grades will be preparing for field day which will take place
the first week of June. Students in grades 3-5 will have field day on Wednesday, June 1st and students in
grades K-2 will have field day on Thursday, June 2nd. The rain dates are the 3rd and 6th respectively. As
always, I will be looking for parent volunteers to help run stations and a form will be coming home for those
interested. Hopefully, we will have a nice day for it but not too hot. With warmer weather coming, let’s keep
our children active and find fun activities to do outdoors!