Hello, Middle School Families,

After the heartbreaking loss of sweet Bennett this past week, Miss Jordan pivoted for chapel and hosted a panel of our staff members who have personal experiences with deep grief. Mrs. Stutzman, Mr. Grimes, and Mr. Rose shared parts of their stories and highlighted the following:

Trusting God doesn't mean that we stop feeling angry or asking why.
We can trust that God's Word is true even when our situation doesn't make sense or feels out of control.
One of the best ways to support someone who is grieving is to simply show up, even when you don't have the words to say.

Romans 12:15 tells us to "weep with those who weep," and we also know that grief and sorrow are close to our Father's heart. As you and your child continue to process, consider discussing the following questions:

After such a difficult week, what thoughts are still on your mind?
What comforts you most when you are hurting emotionally?
What are some ways people deal with loss and grief in a negative way?
How do we balance being present, empathetic, and weeping with someone who is grieving without making it about us and our own emotions?

I'm so thankful for the many ways our school family and greater community showed up for the Keeran family and for our staff and students this past week! I'm praising the Lord for His kindness, especially in the midst of grief and deep sorrow. God is good!

Mrs. Yoder

Qtr 1 MidTerm Approaching... Your student Needs you!

As your student is adjusting to the start of a new school year, we encourage parents to add in some systems on the home front that will help our middle school students be as successful as possible. While they should be growing in their independence, our middle school students are still developing those cognitive muscles and finding strategies that work for them. Your support is so important!

Download the Google Classroom app on your personal device and stay logged in as your student. Schedule at least two times a week that you will review GC with your student so that you can see what's expected for the week and also check if any work is due or missing.
Access your student's email and check it regularly. If a teacher emails your student, they will assume that you have access to that communication, as well. (Student gmail accounts are first.last@lakewoodpark.org, and the password is their 5-digit student number +000).
Download the FACTS app on your phone and stay logged in as a parent. Grades are updated weekly, so take time to check grades with your student. Missing assignments will show up as a ZERO in the gradebook. Our late work policy for middle school is that students can turn in the assignment up to a week late (earning 80% credit for 6th-8th graders and full credit for 5th graders).
Check your student's accordion regularly. Check each section for homework and clear out the first section, which is the take-home tab. Students also have a planner in their accordions that can be used for noting what homework they have in each class.
Encourage students to problem-solve and persevere when they face challenging situations. Help them discern how and when to speak up or get support, and know that you are always welcome to connect with our team when you have questions or concerns, too!

Supporting Student Activities and Programs

Throughout the year, you will see many opportunities to support our students through a variety of fundraising efforts. In addition to athletics and fine arts fundraisers, our high school classes are also raising funds for different programs including their senior trip. Your support is not expected but always appreciated!

Purchase Tickets by Friday, Sept 11!

Recess is Back!

This year, our middle school students will get to go to recess once a week as a grade level during homeroom time! We hope that this will be a welcomed break in their week and an opportunity to get some fresh air and time to socialize, chill, and/or play. Talk to your student about recess and encourage them to use the time well!

Monday - 6th Grade Tuesday - 5th Grade

Wednesday - 7th Grade Thursday - 8th Grade

Tech Reminders

As a school, we care deeply about our students being prepared for success in their future endeavors while also giving the most consideration to their safety and well-being. Please review the following policies and procedures for middle school tech and check out the note from Mr. Keeran and additional parent resources below that!

School Devices

A Chromebook is issued to each LPCS student, and these will be distributed within the first few days of the school year.
Our 5/6 homerooms are now equipped with charging carts, so all 5/6 students will leave their devices at school each day. If there is a known eLearning Day, large project, or other need for 5/6 to go home with devices, we will communicate accordingly.
Chargers will be issued to 7/8 students, and they will be expected to bring their device to school each day fully charged for use in the classroom. There will be minimal need for 7/8 students to actually use their devices at home, and it should not be accessed for personal use.
Our device protection plan covers 1 accidental damage claim. Any subsequent accidental damages will be charged back to the student/family.
Cases are optional, and padded cases will need to be taken off daily for 5/6 to fit devices in the charging carts. For 7/8, we do have carrying cases available for students at no cost. Stop by the IT table at Back-to-School Night if you'd like one!

Personal Devices

Cell phones & personal devices are permitted inside the school, but they must remain in lockers, powered off during the school day (7:40-3:10). Only 7/8 students may access their personal devices before the 7:40 bell in holding room.

If a student’s cell phone or smart device (including smart watch or other text-able device) is seen or heard during the school day, it is a violation of school’s policy.
The student will receive a referral, and the reporting staff member will have the phone or device taken to the Office to be picked up by a parent at the end of the day. In the case that a parent cannot pick up the device at the end of the day, the student will need to turn in his/her device for the duration of the next school day.
The first offense will result in a verbal warning; second a lunch detention; third and beyond a Friday Night School or as determined by administration.

Dear Lakewood Park Parents,

As part of our commitment to your child’s online safety, we want to let you know about an a tool available to you, our partnering parents. We partner with Qustodio, the world’s leading provider of online safety solutions. As devices play an increasing role in our children's lives, it is crucial that we put safeguards in place. Your child already benefits from internet filtering technology, which blocks inappropriate web content on their school-owned device. Our filtering system, Linewize, grants every parent a free Qustodio Parental App account. Qustodio will give you important insights into your child’s online activity on their school device. You can use it to review and manage activities on other devices in your home, too, as you will have the option to install this on their personal mobile device, as well.

With Qustodio, parents are able to:

Manage your child’s screen time
Supervise your child’s online activity
Access expert advice via Lakewood Park's Online Safety Hub

Activate Your Free Account: You can start today by visiting www.qustodio.com/my-school. Please be sure to use the same email address we have on file in FACTS for you when registering to connect to your child’s device.

Qustodio is a valuable partner that prioritizes privacy, safety, and rights of students and parents worldwide. You can visit https://lakewoodparkchristianschoo.onlinesafetyhub.io/ to learn more about Qustodio and access expert advice and other resources.

We are excited to work with you and Qustodio to help our students develop safe and healthy online habits, and we will continue the work of building a safer online environment for our students together.

Thank you for partnering!

Chris Keeran

ckeeran@lakewoodpark.org

Officer Gomez

Protect Young Eyes

Connected Families for Biblical Parenting

A Note From Food Services

We are thankful to welcome Landon Taylor as our new Food Services Lead! You can now log into FACTS to order and pay for school lunches for your student, and you can find our updated food services policies here.

🥤 Drinks Are Now Optional
In efforts to combat inflating prices, hot lunches will no longer automatically include a drink. Families can now choose whether to add a beverage to each meal, including our new strawberry milk option!

🍽️ More Meal Choices
We're excited to offer an expanded variety of delicious meal options, giving students more choices week to week. We are especially excited to be partnered with Pizza Hut for pizza Fridays!

💳 Pay When You Order
To simplify the ordering process, payment will now be collected at the time your order is placed.

Story House Groups

We are thankful to partner with Story House Counseling to offer small group sessions for our students throughout the school year. This semester, Ian from Story House will meet with groups of boys. Next semester, we will do groups of girls with Riley. If you're interested in your son participating this semester, please talk to them, reach out if you have further questions, or sign up using this link or the QR code below.

👟 🏐 A Note from ATHLETICS ⚽ 🐾

We are thankful to offer a variety of sports at the middle school level including cross country, boys soccer, and girls volleyball this fall. Winter sports include boys and girls basketball and cheer, and Spring opportunities include track and girls soccer.

If your student is interested in participating as an athlete this year, don't forget to have a physical completed and to get registered via Final Forms. Look for the email from Maleah Leitner for additional information and detailed instructions.

Click Here for the Athletic Schedule

Purchase Tickets Here!

Helpful Reminders

Start & End Times:

Mondays: Morning release bell rings at 8:20; school starts at 8:30.
Tuesdays-Fridays: Morning release bell rings at 7:40; school starts at 7:50.
Middle school students are to stay in their designated seats in the main gym until the morning release bell rings to allow them to go to their lockers.

Reporting Absences:

On-time arrival to both school and to class periods is a vital part of a student's academic success. However, we understand that illnesses and other unexpected family events happen. If your child needs to miss any part of the school day, please do the following.

Email our Registrar at attendance@lakewoodpark.org or call the Main Office (260-925-1393) by 9:00am.
Submit any needed documentation or doctor's notes.
Have students look at Google Classrooms and check-in with their teachers to ensure all school work, including tests & quizzes, are made-up and submitted.

Drop-off and Pick-up (5th-12th):

Families dropping off students in grades 5-12 (younger siblings may walk with older siblings from this carline) should follow the Blue Route (see map below).
Families dropping off students in grades K-4 should use the Red Route.
Students must use the designated cross walks and follow directions of staff.
Parents should not park and get out of the car while in carline. Instead, students will exit the car with their belongings and enter the building on their own.
Please be mindful for the one-way parking lanes in our lots.
For grades 5-12 afternoon pick up, parents should follow the Blue Route and park in the East Lot and wait for their student to find them in the parking lot. If you choose to drive through the Blue Route carline, and your student has not yet found you, you may need to go around the boulevard again or find a place to park and wait.
For the safety of our kids, please be vigilant and do not use cell phones while navigating our parking lots.

After School:

Middle school students with elementary siblings will meet them in/near the Worship Center by 3:15 to exit the building together.
5/6 students who are not picked up by 3:25 will be signed into aftercare unless they are being supervised appropriately by an older sibling.
7/8 students do not have to sign into aftercare after carline, but they must stay in the east hallway until their ride arrives. There will not be direct supervision for 7/8 students who are not picked up during carline, and parents will be contacted if staying in the east hall becomes a problem.

Dress Code Update and Reminders

In an effort to align middle school policies, we are making one adjustment that will make the dress code the same for all students from 5th grade to 8th grade. Athletic bottoms and sweat pants will now be allowed for all middle school students. The 6" inseam requirement will be strongly enforced for all shorts, so please choose accordingly. Generally, our dress code follows the guidelines of neatness, modesty, and appropriateness, but specific middle school dress code highlights are listed below. If you have other questions, please reach out!

Tops must have some sleeve and not reveal undergarments, midriff, back, chest, or shoulders.
Clothing should not be tight fitting or sheer. Leggings are not permitted.
Pants should not have gaping holes or excessive frays.
Shorts are allowed during Qtr 1 and Qtr 4 only and require a minimum 6" inseam.
Skirts/dresses must reach the knee if worn without leggings. If leggings are worn, a skirt/dress must be worn over that is no more than 4" from the knee.
Jackets/coats, hats/hoods/bandanas, and sunglasses are not permitted inside the school building during the school day.