Dear Meadowlark Parents,

 

Oh.My.Goodness!!!! I can’t believe I am sending you this quick email – I am sure we just sent

the kids on their way for summer just a couple of days ago.  Summer just flies!  I hope you have

had a great summer up to this point.  I wanted to send you a quick update and some dates as

well as a current supply list. 

 

First of all – I have had a great summer.  I even made it on the TODAY show (if you count my

face in the corner of the screen with some random people – I was trying hard to get the Mighty

Meadowlark t-shirt on tv but I am way too short - I was on my tippy toes for this shot....)

 

Secondly – as I sent out in the spring update, we are having

our supply drop-off and our meet and greet on Friday, August 18 th  from 11:00am to 1:00pm. 

It is a bit of a funky calendar start for teachers this year as we are in workshops on the 17 th  and

the 21 st .  So, we are hoping over the lunch hour will work for most.  If not, your child can just

bring in their supplies the first day of school. 

Third - we have had quite a bit of construction over the summer (a new roof, new pipes in our

heating system, new flooring in the annex and music room and some of the interior rooms) so

Mr. Collins, our custodian, is working like crazy to get the building ready but there is only one of

him and a lot of square feet.  The reason I am bringing that up is I know that often times, new

to Meadowlark families like to come in and get to see the building and Mr. Collins might still be

waxing hallways for the next two weeks.  Please don't be discouraged if we have to do it closer

to the start of school - we just need to stay out of his way so he can get the school clean and

shiney for everyone!  Remember that we will have some former students at the school on

Friday, August 18th to give complete tours!!  More info on this and thanks to Mr. Collins for

getting Meadowlark ready for the kids!

 

And lastly, I will be sending out a complete email with a lot more details in a week.  If you are a

kindergarten parent, you will be getting a separate email from me with lots of fun kinder

information and I will be letting you know what students will be at our Burlington site. 

 

 

Attached is a school supply list – my kids always loved this time of year and I always had to

remind myself that school supply shopping is fun and not stressful.  Remember, if you can’t find

everything on the list life goes on…

 

Enjoy these next few weeks and you will be hearing from me soon!  Mrs. Cherry will be in the

office starting August 7 th  and I will be in the office August 2 nd  and 3 rd .

See you soon!! 

Mrs. Stacy Lemelin

lemelins@billingsschools.org

Dear Mighty Meadowlark Parents,

Welcome Back!

I completely tried to get this out Friday afternoon, but well the Blue Angels kept flying over

Meadowlark and I just had to stand out in the parking lot watching that awesome show.  I know

they saw the very enthusiastic lady in the Meadowlark parking lot waving and jumping up and

down like a kid.  It reminded me that it is okay to stop and truly enjoy the little things, see joy in

all around you and to get excited about a plane in the sky.  I love this time of year.  I am so

excited!! The school is sparkling, the teachers are excited and rejuvenated and we are so excited

to see the students.  Over the summer, I ran into a few Meadowlark students and I am sure they

all grew a foot – it must have been all of the rain in June.  Last spring, we celebrated our students

and all of the growth that they made academically and we are looking forward to building on that

success. Meadowlark kids had tremendous academic success and I applaud all of the hard work

our staff put in to make sure our students grew!   This year, we will continue encouraging our

students to have a growth mindset – working hard to problem solve, think critically and be

creative.  Teachers will be encouraging your child to try, try and try again and they will be using

words like persevere, rigor, challenge, think deeper, and reflect.  We are going to ask them to

continue to write more, in many different ways to stretch themselves!  The more they write the

more they retain and comprehend.  I love Meadowlark Elementary and I am privileged to get to

be the principal and to work with such awesome teachers.  I look forward to seeing all of my

returning families as well as my new families and getting time to visit.  My door is always open

and I am here for you.  #mightymeadowlarks

 

Communication:

We are working hard to make sure that all parents know what is going on at Meadowlark

Elementary.   All classrooms will  be using SeeSaw for Schools and communicating with you.  If

you had a SeeSaw account last year it will automatically roll over, if you are new to

Meadowlark, your child's teacher will get you a form so you can download the app.  It is

important that you are connected to SeeSaw and that you check your email.  Those are the two

most used forms of communication that we use.   SeeSaw is an amazing way to know what is

going on in the classroom as well as a great way for the teacher to get out information.  In the 3-

5 th  grade classrooms, the students will also use paper planners, but the sole purpose of a planner

is not to be used for communication but as an organizational tool for students.  Parents will be

asked to look at and possibly sign, but it won’t be the only way for you to know what your child

is working on at school.  Stay posted for more information on all of this!  Seesaw won't start

working until the first day of school so don't worry about missing anything.

 

Follow us on Instagram:  mightymeadowlarks

 

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meadowlarkbillingspta/

 

 New Faces at Meadowlark

We would like to welcome our new teachers and staff members.  We are so lucky to have Miss

Allie Gockley in second grade, Mrs. Karissa Gordon in 3rd grade and Mrs. Katelynn Hayes in

5th grade.  Our kinder and 1st grade students will have Mrs. Ellie Ellis as their music teacher. 

We are so excited to have them join our Meadowlark family.

 

A big , huge thank you to Mr. Scott Collins, our custodian, for working so hard to get the school

ready - he had quite a task as we had a new roof put on and new flooring in the annex and a few

interior rooms.  Mr. Collins joined us mid year last year and never really got a proper

introduction.  He is doing a great job!

 

Healthy Snacks

We know how hungry our students get about mid-morning and how developmentally important it

is to fuel the brain and body.  When thinking about sending snacks, we encourage you to think

about fresh fruit, vegetables and protein snacks.  For our younger grades, parent involvement is

critical to help supply the snacks or the funding for the snacks.  Each grade level handles snacks

a little differently, so look for guidance from your child’s teacher. 

 

SLEEP

·        Research shows that students need at least 10 hours of sleep every night.  Setting

consistent bedtimes, as well as keeping routines, help students get a good night's sleep. 

Limiting their screen time at night also helps their brains sleep at night.  According to Kids

Matter, the following tip help achieve healthy brain development: 

·       Set a ‘bed time’ for media devices - this should happen one or two hours before kids go to

sleep, and applies to adults too so everyone gets into good habits.

·       Tweak their bedtime routine - let kids wind-down properly in the run-up to bed, replacing screen

time with gentle activities like stories, talking or bathing.

·       No media devices in the bedroom - kids may kick back at first, but you will soon see the

rewards of setting and sticking to this tough rule.

 Attendance

We cannot stress enough how important it is for each child to be at school on time each and

every day.  Attendance is a HUGE focus at Meadowlark and we look forward to seeing each

smiling face every day.  

General Duty Aides and Crosswalk guards needed:  If you would love to come

spend two hours at lunch with the coolest kids in town daily, we would love to have you apply to

be a General Duty Aide.  We are short a couple people this year.  We also need a crosswalk guard

- from 7:50-8:40ish and 2:20-3:20 every day.  If you know of ANYONE who might be

interested in either of these positions please have them contact me.

Common Questions asked:

 Where do I drop off my students/which door do they enter in the morning?  That is a great

question and one that everyone needs the answer to.

Kindergarten – will enter each day through the front doors.  They will also be dismissed at the

end of the day through the front door.  Parents can wait out front if you are picking up your

child.

1 st  grade – will enter and exit at the north door (door #2).  Here is a great little parking tip for

you – no one parks across the bridge on 28 th  street and it is such a safe place to park and walk.  

2 nd  grade- will use the north annex door to enter and will exit out of both the south and north

sides of the building

 

3 rd  grade – will enter and exit at the south door (door #5).

4 th  grade – will enter and exit at the south door (door #5)

5 th  grade will enter through the commons door(door #4) and exit out the east door (door #3)

 

When you drop off your child for school please park on the street and walk to the crosswalk

guard.  Both parking lots are closed for pickup and drop-off.  The South parking lot is our bus

zone and parents may not enter and drop off children in that parking lot.  The north parking lot

is usually full of parked cars but it is also our daycare drop-off and pickup-up – so our

commercial daycare vans can utilize that parking lot. 

 

I cannot stress enough that using the crosswalk guards is a must.  Both of our crosswalk

guards will get your children across the street and onto school grounds safely.  Please do not

drop off your child and have them cross the street anywhere else and please do not stop in the

street and have your child get out.  That is super unsafe and an accident waiting to happen.  We

also need to watch our speed in the school zone – people drive way too fast by Meadowlark

and I am just asking you all to help with that.

 

School starts at 8:25 (students are tardy at 8:26).  If your child is in the annex and you are

running late they MUST check in at the office.  That way we can make sure to change their

attendance in powerschool.  School gets out at 2:28 for K-3 and 3:10 for 4& 5.

 

If your child is going to be absent we would love a phone call letting us know.  281-6213. Leave

us a detailed message if no one answers because you know how hectic it is at the office in the

morning.

Parents MUST check into the office every time they enter the building - parents may not go

down to the classrooms without checking in at the office and getting a pass. 

 

Parents - you must check in at the office if you are going to come and eat lunch with your child

or if you are on the playground prior to lunch.  We also ask that you do not walk your child to

their classroom unless you have birthday treats or something like that to drop off.  It makes the

morning transition go so much better.  If you need to talk to the teacher please send them a

seesaw message or set up an appointment.  It is so busy in the morning and the classroom

teachers are trying to get all of the students going on their morning routine.  Thank you for

understanding – all of the classroom teachers will make time for you after school and that way

you both have each other’s full attention.

 What time can my child come to school?  8:10 unless they are eating breakfast.  Student’s

may not enter the building until 8:10.  An adult will come to each of the doors and open them

and supervise that door every morning. Student’s who are walking in the morning with their

class (4 th  and 5 th ) may not be on the playground until 8:10 as there is not any supervision so

please don’t drop off students before them.

 

 

Breakfast – it starts at 8:00 and students must enter through door 4.  Students must eat and

then join their class.

Donations of sand toys for Kindergarten - our kindergarten kids love to play in the rocks on the

north playground.  In the past few years we have had lots of buckets, shovels, dump trucks, etc

but they have slowly been broken or fell apart and if you have any old sand toys or play dump

trucks that you could part with, our kinders would love them. 

Bus tickets:  If your child rode a bus last year, then they automatically ride the bus this

year.  If you received a letter from transportation because you were pre-registered for this year

then you have your bus information.  If your child is new to Meadowlark and you want them to

write a bus but do not have a ticket, you can get one at the office.  However, getting one during

the meet and greet is not a really good idea - the line is long and it can get frustrating.  So if you

need a ticket, please email Mrs. Cherry and she will get one written for you prior to you coming

in.

Every Wednesday is an early release - all students get out an hour early.  K-3 - 1:30 and 4-5

2:10.

Upcoming Dates:

Thursday - August 17th - Powerschool will open for you to see who

your child's teacher is.  I will click the button at about 8:00 that

morning.  Please log in and see which teacher your child was assigned

to. If you are not able to log in then when you come on Friday we will

have class lists out front with myself and Mrs. Phillip and we can point.

you in the right direction. 

Friday, August 18th - Supply Drop off and meet and greet - 11:00-1:00ish - if you can please

bring your kiddo with their supplies and meet the teacher.  There will also be a booth to buy

cool Meadowlark clothing.  Be watching for more on this topic!

PTA was trying to get food trucks to come for lunch but that is pending - watch for info. 

August 22nd - First Day of School 

August 23rd - Early release - K-3 1:30 dismissal 4 & 5 - 2:10 dismissal

September 4th - no school - labor day

September 29th - PTA movie night at Meadowlark - more details to come

 

Whew - that is a lot - there will be more coming soon!  Here is to a great learning year!

As always, my door is always open or you can call or email me.

 

Mrs. Stacy Lemelin

Dear Mighty Meadowlark parents,

 

Welcome to the second week of school.  We had a GREAT first week.  So many things went on…learning the new routines for the lunchroom was one of our greatest challenges. In order to create a more inviting environment in the lunchroom this year.  In order to do this, we are mixing up which grades eat first and which grades play first.  It was a bit confusing for the students who have done the same routine for so long but the lunchroom is so much calmer.  The Lunch Schedule is as follows: (it is confusing – so pay attention to if your child is in or out at the earliest point – Green is what they do first)

Out @ Recess                  Inside to eat

K: 11:00-11:15                   11:15-11:35

1st: 11:20-11:35                 11:00-11:20

2nd:11:40-11:55                 11:55-12:15

3rd: 12:00-12:15                   11:40-12:00

4th: 12:35-12:50                    12:15-12:35

5th: 12:15-12:30                 12:30-12:50

I am so thankful for all of the volunteers who have come to help.  We are still short one duty aide for lunch.  If you know anyone who would love to come spend two hours a day with our students, please, please send them our way!

 

Speaking of volunteers – we are promoting a new program this year in conjunction with PTA.  If every parent volunteered just two hours a year at Meadowlark (classroom, lunchroom, sprucing up the grounds, bagging popcorn, helping with Saturday Live, helping with movie night, helping with the read-a-thon, helping with the Fun Run, etc…) our school would continue to rise to the top of the schools in Billings.  All of the above-mentioned items are really important to our school and there are even more and if we all gave two hours, things would work like clockwork.  Two hours is such a small amount of time in the realm of a whole school year. So, please think about it. 

 

 

Speaking of PTA – here is an amazing video that explains PTA – honestly – the most important thing is building up our membership.  You can join and not volunteer, join and volunteer a little, join and volunteer as much as you want.  But please, help us stay in good standing with the State PTA and build our memberships.

https://animoto.com/play/tzMC8V2nEkjWY0jPV60eYQ

 

To join PTA please click on the link below

 

https://mtpta-00010226.memberhub.com/store/items/884645

 

Teacher Videos – Tomorrow about 4:00 you will receive a SeeSaw from your child’s teacher.  It will give you all the information you need to know about your child’s upciming year. Meadowlark teachers will share expectations, academic information and lots of great information.  It is very important that you watch these videos.  We will be sending reminders often until all parents have watched the videos.  You can watch together with your child so that everyone knows the same information.

 

 

PowerSchool Forms – we need all parents to log into PowerSchool and PLEASE update your forms – if nothing has changed you just confirm that but you still need to go in and click that button.  It is most important that you do this – even if you have a kindergarten student – Powerschool requires everyone to update after the first of August.

 

Fire Drill – we are practicing our first fire drill tomorrow (Monday).  The teachers will prepare the students so it isn’t a surprise.  We will do at least 3 of these as well as a variety of other drills throughout the year.

 

Our PTA is excited to offer some great new options for Meadowlark gear.  Be watching for more info on this – there will be an online store opening up soon.

 

Some dates coming up….

Sept 1st – Wear your college/pro/elementary colors day – everyone wear your favorite team’s colors

 

Sept 4th – Labor Day – no school

 

 Sept. 12th – National High Five Day – this will be a fun day at school

 

Sept. 19th – National Talk Like a Pirate Day – our first dress up day– look like a pirate – no weapons of any kind with the costume, though.  It is one of my favorite days of the year – such a fun day!

 

Sept. 28th – National Good Neighbor Day – something your whole family can participate in – let your neighbors know how much you appreciate them and have your kid’s brainstorm something they could do for a neighbor.

 

That is, it for now – as always please email or call with any questions or concerns.  (one note – if you email me would you send a separate email vs a reply to this email – there are several email addresses that bounce back each time and I worry I won’t see your response – thank you)

 

Mrs. Stacy Lemelin

Just a little note about lunch time and what to expect!

 

 

Dear Mighty Meadowlark Parents,

 

 Eating lunch at school is a new experience for your kindergartener.  Your child will have an

easier time adjusting if you will help with a few things:

 

If your kindergartener has a food allergy, please inform the school.

 

If your child will be buying hot lunch, you may pay in advance.  If you wish, you may send a

check with your child to give to the teacher.  Please make out to Meadowlark Elementary and in

the memo put your child’s name and what teacher.

 

Have your child practice saying his/her first and last name in a loud voice.  The lunch clerk will

soon know all of the names, but this really helps the first few weeks.  (Saying their first and last

name is also one of the Essential Skills for Kindergarten).

 

Please pack your child’s lunch to help him/her be as independent as possible.  With each item,

ask yourself if your child will be able to handle this alone.  Can they open it?

 

Practice with your child unpacking a lunch box, eating in about 20 minutes and then cleaning up

all their garbage and putting it back in their lunchbox and knowing what to throw out into the

garbage can and what to not throw out.  Also… Please take into consideration the age of your

child when you pack them a lunch from home.  Can they open, by themselves the following: 

containers, gogurt , lunchable?  Please try not to send pizza lunchables with young students

– they really struggle opening all of the plastic packages and they make such a huge mess

(obviously not a personal favorite of the principal)

 

Also – remember that we as adults think our kids can eat a lot more than they really can. 

Sometimes, parents get upset when some food comes home not eaten.  Students have about 20

minutes – in that time they can usually eat a sandwich, some fruit or veggies and maybe a

yogurt.  If you pack dessert – they will eat that first I guarantee so I would leave sweet treats out

for the first few weeks.  They will hear me say to eat their protein first (sandwiches, meat and

cheese, peanut butter and celery, etc.. and then eat their fruit and veggies and then sweet treats

last but if I had candy or cookies in my lunch I would eat them first, too, even if my mom told

me not to!)  During that 20 minutes, they will also learn (and it takes time) to eat more and talk

less.  In reality sometimes their eating time is not very long because everything is so new to

them.  Don't worry, the Kindergarten teachers will give them extra snacks these first few weeks

until everyone has adjusted.

 

Practice opening and closing thermos bottles.  Children sometimes don’t finish, forget to put the

lid back on, and it leaks….all over.  Also, practice opening packages of chips, juice containers,

etc., with your child.  Juice boxes and Capri suns can be a challenge for them these first few

months – we help as best as we can but it can be hard to get to everyone.

 

 

If your student will be purchasing milk, put the money in his/her lunchbox, and explain that it is

for milk.

 

Talk to your child about the difference between “School/Hot” and “Home” lunch.

 

Talk to your child about raising his/her hand in the lunchroom if they need help with something.

 

Thank you for taking the time to help your child have a more pleasant lunchroom experience. 

Soon it will be one of your kindergartener’s favorite times of day.

 

Parent volunteers are welcome and appreciated to come to lunch – especially the first few weeks

of school! (11:15-11:35 is when Kinders will eat lunch)

That is all for today - I am sure I will have more!  

This is going to be the best year ever!!

Mrs. Stacy Lemelin

Dear Mighty Meadowlark parents,

I hope that everyone had a great, relaxing three-day weekend and had some quality time doing whatever you love to do!  

Week two is in the books.  The kids survived the hot weather at recess and PE and are settling into routines nicely.  As you all know, the first few weeks are a fine balance of getting into a school routine, understanding expectations, remembering things like: where are the bathrooms, taking lunch boxes out of backpacks and putting them in the tubs, remembering water bottles and snack, remembering to get assignment notebooks signed and returned and just in general remembering that we have a lot to accomplish this year and we need to get to work. 

First of all, I need to thank the teachers and staff for two awesome weeks.  I know, without a doubt, that I have the best staff in Billings.  I am proud of the work each of them do every day and how dedicated they are.  They all worked hard to make sure everything was ready to start the year and their excitement and laughter has been just what was needed.  Your children truly have the best of the best.

I also want to thank you, the Mighty Meadowlark parents.  Thank you for helping get routines set up at home after summer.  Thank you for helping get water bottles, lunches, signed weapon forms, and loving on your kiddos as they get back into the groove.  Everyone is exhausted the first two weeks and often you get the brunt when your child gets home, which can come as tears or grumpiness, because they are so tired.  Their bodies will soon adjust and the routines will set in.  Also a big thank you for watching the SeeSaw Open House videos that each teacher sent out last week.  If you did not watch it,  you need to, as it explains all you need to know about the upcoming year.  

 

 As I walk around the school and visit with students, I spend a lot of time just reminding them what being a Mighty Meadowlark student means.  We stand by our three rules ~ Is it Safe? Is it Kind? and Is it Helpful?  I encourage each student to make their decisions by these rules and always ask themselves if their actions followed each of those statements.  If the answer is no, then we need to think about how to change our actions.  There are always big growing pains at the beginning of the year for kids (and parents, too ~ believe me I always have to reset my brain as a parent).  We are hitting the ground running and expect big things from these Mighty Meadowlarks this upcoming year.  We want to grow their brains, help them to think for themselves and encourage them to problem solve.  It is okay for kids to face adversity and work their way out of something that they consider a problem.  The only way our kids will grow up to be the next problem solvers of the world is to start now.  Last year, I overheard a dad tell his daughter at the bus line that it was okay to be scared but we have to try new things and be brave in order to get better each day.  I loved that and I will continue to share that story!  As a mom, I often had “mom guilt” or wanted to fix my kids' problems for them and when I didn’t let them solve the problem solve, it usually ended up a much bigger problem than it should have been.  I have had to back off and let them experience adversity so they can make better decisions for themselves.  Probably more than you wanted to know about your child’s principal but good background information on how I think.

 

Is it a big problem or a little problem?  You will hear the staff at Meadowlark use this statement often to help the kids figure out their path and how to solve it.  Forgetting their assignment notebook or planner ~ little problem but being called an unkind name ~ much bigger problem.

 

The world revolves around me:  Often, students start the year having a hard time sharing, keeping in their own space/bubble, using kind words and monitoring their own actions.  If I think about our youngest students, something like taking a ball from a peer at recess because they want to play with it NOW or getting upset if a student gets in line in front of them are all age-appropriate misbehaviors and by definition, very different from bullying. Everything is a teachable moment at school.  When age-appropriate misbehavior happens, the teachers take time to use it as a teachable moment.  There is a lot of age-appropriate misbehavior that happens, especially in transitions and unstructured times of the day.  Lessons are woven in from the teachers all day long, using these moments to learn and get better.  It is amazing to see the growth of our students and how they mature and these behaviors subside – some very quickly and others over time.

 

Please update your Power School forms for your child as soon as possible.  These forms have very important information that needs to be updated. 

 

Phone calls to the office – If your child is going to be absent, we appreciate a call to the office- even if you let the teacher know on SeeSaw, they don’t always have time to communicate that to us so a quick call or email to Mrs. Cherry (cherrym@billingsschools.org) is an awesome way to let us know. 

 

Communication for kids at end of the day – If you call to change plans for your child after 2:00 there is a very good chance that message might not make it to your child.  Mrs. Cherry is only one person and with the phone ringing off the hook and trying to track down classrooms, we don’t always get the message to the child.  So please, make plans in the morning with your child and then if something changes, please, please call before 2:00.  Thank you for understanding just how crazy it can be at the end of the day at the office and how important it is to us that all students get where they need to go after school.

 

Protocols at doors – When you, as a parent, come to Meadowlark you must enter through the front doors.  When you ring the bell to be let in, know that we will greet you but we need to know who you are and what your business is.  For example, Mrs. Cherry will say “Can I help you” and the response could be “This is Stacy Lemelin, Kale’s mom and I need to drop off his birthday treats” and Mrs. Cherry will then release the door to open.  Please know, this is our protocol as we need to know who is entering our building.  We appreciate your understanding and patience with this. All parents must also check in at the office – even if you are going down for a 30 second drop-off to pay for lunches.  If you are going to the annex, please come to the main office and check in first.

 

Checking out students:  If you are having anyone besides you (the parent) pick up your child early from school and they have to check out your child at the office, we will ask for an ID and check to see that they are on the contact list on PowerSchool. You can update your Powerschool contacts at any time – so please make sure they are up to date.

 

Safety of students – each and every day we work hard to make sure that students are safe and in order to do that we practice a variety of drills.  One drill that we do several times a year is a fire drill where we evacuate the building to the perimeter of the grounds.  Another drill we practice is relocation drill where if there was a reason to evacuate the building (such as a gas leak) we would take the students to an alternative location.  Our location is Rocky Mountain church just down the street from us.  We will be practicing a relocation drill sometime this fall.  A third drill that we practice is a lockdown drill – there will be more specific information coming about a lockdown drill as we get closer to our practice time.

 

Lunch time / eating   Money for lunch should be sent in an envelope – clearly indicating that it is lunch money and on the memo line please indicate who the money is for and the grade and teacher (i.e. Stacy Lemelin 5-L) then our lunch clerk knows exactly who the money is for and what account to put it in.  If you want the money split between children, then remember to put all student’s names on the check or on the outside of the envelope. 

We work hard to make sure our kids have between 15-20 minutes to eat their lunch.  The older kids do this without a problem but the younger students are still figuring it out.  Please take a look at what you are sending them – I guarantee that they will eat the oreo before the sandwich each and every time.  The volume can also be overwhelming for the littles.  When they open their lunchbox and see a big variety they don’t really know what to choose.  Watch to see what they eat and don’t and adjust from there.  I tell the student’s all the time to talk to their parents about what they will eat vs what they should eat so that you know, too.  I have students tell me all the time that they don’t like something that was packed for them.  I encourage them to tell their parents so that what is in their cold lunch gets eaten.  Please try to make sure that they have protein in their lunches and we will work on them eating that first.  We tell them that is how they get their brainpower for the rest of the day.

Also, know that you can join your child any day for lunch.  If you are planning on eating hot lunch, please call the kitchen so they know to make an extra lunch or two.  

 

 

Questions – if you have specific questions for classroom teachers an easy way to ask is on SeeSaw.  However, teachers are teaching and don’t always get your SeeSaw messages during the day and will answer them after school.  Please know that a last minute change for a student after school might not happen if you send a SeeSaw message or even call the office – it is just better to plan ahead and let everyone know at the beginning of the day.  Also, when it comes to classroom teachers and staff, I have learned that there is no work/life balance – if there was, you are only giving 50% to your job and 50% to your family.  So, I have asked my teachers to give 100% when they are at school and then when they walk out the door to give 100% to their families.  I have given them permission not to check email or SeeSaw until the next morning so they can be present with their own children and family.   I know you can all appreciate and understand that thought process.

 

Updating our website  - we are working on updating our website.  We will have PTA events, school events and such updated shortly.

 

Parent/Student Handbook – The handbook is updated and as soon as I can have one of my techie teachers show me how to link it to you all in a view only format, I will share it.  It will be posted on our website tomorrow.

 

After school – if you are waiting after school, between dismissals, and you would like to be outside with your child, you can be on the north playground or on the small playground at Millice park - just south of our blacktop.  Our south blacktop, field and jungle gym are used by the 4th and 5th grade classes and our CARE academy from 2:30-3:30.

Whew that is a lot, I know.  As always, if you have any questions my door is open.  You can call (281-6213) or email lemelins@billingsschools.org.

Mrs. Stacy Lemelin

Dear Mighty Meadowlark Parents,

 

I love this time of year, the leaves turning, the cool, crisp mornings and watching our students settle in and become learners.  October is a huge month of growth for our students as review is over, expectations are clear and lots of new learning is happening.  It is so fun to see the students really digging in and growing their brains, making new friendships and playing full steam at recess.

 

For our older students it can also be a huge adjustment.  Learning how to use their time wisely in class and get work done so they don’t have homework seems like a foreign concept.  They do figure it out and it gets better.  One thing to remember as a parent is that every year, at every grade level, we expect a little more and a little more.  We want them to write better(more quality), longer sentences and we want them to write more clearly and legibly.  We want them to take their time and give quality answers – appropriate for each grade level.  By 5th grade, we need them to get their work done each and every day so that they can show what they know.  It can be a huge learning curve but is achievable.  So, take a deep breath, encourage your child to give it their all during the day and remind them that growing their brain, having grit, perseverance and expecting their best self is part of growing up. 

 

As I mentioned earlier in September, but worth mentioning again, we are constantly working on behavior expectations both in the school and out at recess.  Often, the word bullying gets thrown out at every conflict that happens and while we will never tolerate bullying there is a HUGE difference between age-appropriate misbehavior and bullying. Bullying is an unwanted, repeated behavior that has a perceived or real power imbalance. If you think about a kindergarten student coming to school and suddenly, they have a ton of peers around them and make social decisions in a nanosecond.  Up until this point, the world has really revolved around them and so when they take a ball from someone or cut in line because they want to be first or even tell their peers that they can’t play with something, it isn’t bullying but definitely age-appropriate misbehavior and the teachers and staff have perfect opportunities to make these learning/teachable moments.  If you take that same thought process to each and every age group you can see countless examples of age-appropriate misbehavior and you can then see staff working with them to change those behaviors.  Often it is a quick conversation about why that wasn’t Kind, Safe or Helpful (our three principles that we run Meadowlark with) or there is a natural consequence.  We take both age-appropriate misbehavior and bullying seriously but handle them very differently.  My point is, there are a lot of teachable moments each and every day that help every student become a better, stronger student that can deal with uncomfortable and upsetting situations and adversity and grow from that experience.  The amount of growth your child will gain this year socially will be amazing. You will be getting a handout that shows milestones and expectations at every elementary age in the next week or so.

 

Zones of Regulation –  Every year I discuss  The Zones of Regulation and I thought it would be helpful to share our vocabulary with students when we are trying to discuss what zone they fall in.

Blue Zone:  Down in the dumps, Downhearted, Why the Long Face?, Feeling blue, and Under the Weather.

Green Zone:  I feel ten feet tall, On top of the World, On cloud nine, Cool as a cucumber, Pleased as punch, I’m cool, I’m down with that!

Yellow Zone:  At my wit’s end, butterflies in my stomach, Woke up on the wrong side of the bed, Chip on your should, Cause a stir, At the end of your rope, Under the wire, Ants in your pants, Fish out of water, Wound up!

Red Zone:  Lost my cool, Ready to boil, Blow off some steam, About to explore, Beside yourself, Go Bananas, Go to piece, come apart at the seams, Thrilled to bits, Over the moon!

As you can see, there are many ways of describing our moods/feelings and figuring out how we can get back to the GREEN ZONE!

 

The zones of regulation are one of the most effective ways I have ever found as an educator to help students nail where they are in their day.  You know as an adult that sometimes you can’t really explain why you are agitated or silly or grumpy and putting words to a feeling helps.  If you would like to see our resources on the zones, please contact me or google them. 

Movie Night - it was a huge success.  I can't remember a time where we had so many families out watching the movies.  And while you were enjoying the movie I was being devoured by piranhas while drawing for the baskets (if you were there you know).  It is actually fun and I enjoy every minute of it!  The kids got so excited and the baskets were amazing.  Thank you to everyone who came, who put baskets together and who donated.  I know for a fact that next year we will need a volunteer to take over the management of the baskets - which entails helping get the baskets on display and move them to the lunchroom the day that movie night takes place so think about it!  A huge thank you to everyone who showed up and helped out and especially Nikki Stricker for her organization of it all.

 

 

Bus Zone:  Just a friendly reminder that when the buses are in the bus zone, morning or after school, they have the right of way.  Please don’t drive next to the buses or try to go through the bus zone when they are moving.   I know many people park in the lot that houses the bus zone so if you do, know that you will probably need to wait until the first set of buses are gone from the zone before you leave the lot.  We have 10 buses that we have to get on their way.  You will often see me out helping to stop traffic so that our buses can go.  If you see the buses moving we appreciate you stopping and not blocking the bus exit.

 

A few dates coming up that you need to know:

October 5th - National Be Nice Day - wouldn't it be grand if the whole world did this for one day?

No School – October 19th and 20th

Spirit Day/ Popcorn Day – Oct 27th

Parent/ Teacher conferences will be held November 1st and 2nd and 3rd and the students will attend until noon on those days.

 

Change of plans - if your family has a change of plans that you need your child to know about, please call well before 2:00 - once they are out and in bus lines we move quickly and if we load them on the bus they are usually gone before we can get back to that particular bus.  If you can let your child know before school starts that is usually the best plan.

 

Lunch boxes - please put your child's name on their lunchbox - there are just so many similar/same lunchboxes and sometimes the kids don't really know what was packed for them.

 

Lunch in general - you are always welcome to come and eat lunch with your child.  We have the lunchroom figured out and we have room for parents to sit right at the long tables with the kids - now whether you want to experience the organized chaos of the lunchroom, that is another thing....

 

Thank you for visiting with your children about eating their sandwiches or protein first.  I have actually watched more of that happening and have a few students explain that their treat was the last thing they could eat.  Keep coaching them up!!

 

Speaking of Lunch – we are in need of substitute General Duty Aides.  We have an amazing team of ladies who come in and work each day in our lunchroom but they can’t always be there and occasionally we need help and someone who can sub for them.  In October I know I am going to need help for a few weeks as one of our gals is going to be out for a short period.  So, if you can and are willing, please sign up to sub. 

 

Weather - it is that time of year when the weather changes quickly.  Please take some time to see if we are expecting hot, rain, or even snow and be ready for everything.  We do go out in the rain unless it is a torrential downpour.  Umbrellas are just fine to have if we are expecting rain.  It won't be long before we get that first big snow in October (that melts and goes away until November) so be thinking about snow gear, too.  Yes, I said snow gear - I know that I was that parent who looked at my kids and said "what do you mean your snow boots hurt your feet and your snow pants are too short..... well I guess you will have to stay on the blacktop today as I forgot you grew this last year and didn't get you new snow gear!!"  It happens and everyone survived and my children grew up without any ill effects but I thought I would just throw that out there.

 

Lastly, in accordance with new Montana laws, you received a letter from the Superintendent in August and as a follow up this is the latest communication:

We value open communication with parents regarding the content and materials included in our district curriculum. Our curriculum encompasses a variety of instructional components, including lessons, readings, texts, discussions, and more. Additionally, students are offered access to optional resources such as book clubs and classroom libraries.

Billings Public Schools remains committed to adhering to Montana laws that uphold the rights of parents. These laws grant parents the authority to request an opt-out for specific topics related to human sexuality or those that may contradict their personal beliefs or practices.

 If any concerns arise concerning lessons or materials, we encourage parents to initiate a conversation with the teacher involved. This dialogue aims to provide a deeper understanding of the lesson's context and the intended learning outcomes. Often, these conversations can lead to a resolution by addressing the concerns through enhanced information sharing.

Should a resolution not be reached through conversation and an opt-out or alternative assignment is still desired, the parent may submit a written request using the District Alternative Material Request Form. In the event that an objection is lodged, the teacher will collaborate with the building principal to identify a suitable alternative option. This alternative will align with the appropriate course or grade level guidelines, offering the student an independent study opportunity as permitted by state law and local policy. These independent study alternatives will be consistent with the level (resource, lesson, unit, or course) to which the parent has raised objections.

For any inquiries or concerns, we encourage parents to reach out to their student's teacher or the principal. To access the District Alternative Material Request Form, kindly use the following weblink: https://bit.ly/44gjUe4

 At Billings Public Schools, fostering a supportive learning environment and addressing parental concerns constructively are integral aspects of our educational commitment.

 

Whew, I think that is a lot for now.  As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please email me or give me a call.  My door is always open.

Mrs. Stacy Lemelin