LABCS Weekly Newsletter - 1-4-25
Respect yourself, others, and our school. * Be Responsible for yourself, your actions, and the learning environment. * Have a growth mindset and practice Perseverance.
|
|
|
|
|
Inclement Weather Make-Up Day #2 - School in Session
1/6/2025
|
|
|
|
Monday Dress Theme - "School Colors" (girls wear yellow and boys wear green)
1/6/2025
|
|
|
|
LABCS Board Meeting - Virtual
1/6/2025, 5:30 PM – 6:30 PM
Read More...
|
|
|
|
Admissions Tour
1/7/2025, 10 AM – 10 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
Admissions Tour
1/9/2025, 1 PM – 1 PM
|
|
|
|
Monday Dress Theme - "Flip Flop Day" (teachers dress like students and students dress like teachers)
1/13/2025
|
|
|
|
LABCS Evening Seminar - "What is Dyslexia?"
1/13/2025, 6 PM – 7 PM
LABCS
|
|
|
|
Admissions Tour
1/14/2025, 10 AM – 10 AM
|
|
|
|
Admissions Tour
1/16/2025, 1 PM – 1 PM
|
|
|
|
No School - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
1/20/2025
|
|
|
|
Admissions Tour
1/21/2025, 10 AM – 10 AM
|
|
|
|
Admissions Tour
1/23/2025, 1 PM – 1 PM
|
|
|
|
100th Day of School
1/24/2025
|
|
|
|
Monday Dress Theme - "Era's Day" (dress like the 70s)
1/27/2025
|
|
|
|
Admissions Tour
1/28/2025, 10 AM – 10 AM
|
|
|
|
Admissions Tour
1/30/2025, 1 PM – 1 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dyslexia Tidbit
What is Phonological Awareness?
"Phonological awareness is the ability to recognise that words are made up of smaller units of sound (phonemes) and that changing and manipulating phonemes can create new words and meanings.
A child with poor phonological awareness may not be able to correctly answer these questions:
- What sounds do you think make up the word "hot", and are these different from the sounds that make up the word "hat"?
- What word would you have if you changed the "p" sound in "pot" to an "h" sound?
- How many words can you think of that rhyme with the word "cat"?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Open Enrollment Application for the 2025-2026 School Year is Now Available
To access the application,
Read More...
|
|
|
|
|
Amendments to the Student and Parent Handbook and the Technology Handbook - approved by the LABCS Board on 12-2-24
These approved amendments were emailed this week to the parents.
Read More...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Inclement Weather
In the case of inclement weather, please check with WYFF4 for any updates for delayed start or closure. We do not necessarily follow the School District of Pickens County since we don't fall under them, and we have families represented from many different counties.
We will also post any status updates on our social media and website, as well as sending an email.
As always, our number one priority is the safety of our students and faculty/staff.
Open Enrollment
The application for the 2025-2026 school year is now available online. If you are interested in your child being placed in the Lottery as a qualified candidate, we will be accepting applications from January 1-February 15 To access the application, click here.
Spring Break 2025-2026 School Year Feedback
We are currently looking for feedback on possible Spring Break options for the 2025-2026 school year. Unlike the past, there is no overlap with any of the school districts for Spring Break for the 2025-2026 school year. As a result, it will require us to be creative and out-of-the-box to make it work for all families.
To access the survey, click here. You will have until Saturday evening, January 4, to give your feedback. An email was sent earlier this week asking for this feedback. Thank you to the over 70 families and faculty/staff that have already responded. This is open only to current 1st-7th graders since 8th grade students will already be in high school, so this will not impact them.
A Note from the School Nurse
Students are not allowed to carry ANY medication them without physician permission, parent/guardian permission, and school permission to self-administer and self-monitor (SC Law S144). This includes over-the-counter pain relievers and allergy and cold medications, including cough drops. Over-the-counter medications can be stored in the nurse's office with parent permission (physician permission is not needed). The ONLY medications that can be in the student’s possession (with the physican permission) are for asthma, diabetes, and severe allergic reactions. If you need a medication permission form or have any questions please contact Nurse Dava at [email protected] for the form.
A Note from the Front Office
Absence Notes
If your student is absent please submit a parent note or a doctor's note within 3 days of your child returning to school. Please send all school excuses to Michelle Tennant at mtennant@labcharterschool.org.
If you bring your student to school late, 8:15 or later, you must walk in with them and sign them in.
A Note from the Development Director
THANK YOU for your contributions to our Annual Fundraising Campaign! From October through December, we raised almost $40,000 which will go to expenses, such as replacement furniture, LEAP Clubs, student activities, and more. Donations help us bridge the gap between the limited public funds we receive and the individualized education we offer to our brilliant student innovators.
You can still donate at any time of the year as the funding gap occurs year-round.
-
-
By check made out to Lakes and Bridges Charter School with "Donation" in the memo line
-
By cash in an envelope with your name, the amount, and "Donation" on it and given to the front office
-
Through your IRA minimum distribution requirement -- contact your financial advisor
-
A Note from the Student Wellness Coordinator
Word of the Week: Intention (n): the reason for acting a certain way; purpose; motive
Competency: Decision Making
Admissions Tours
Admissions Tours are held every Tuesday at 10:00 and Thursday at 1:00. These are designed to allow potential families the opportunity to see our school in action before and during the Open Enrollment period, which runs from January 1 through February 15.
Please call the front office at 864-442-5580 to schedule a tour on one of these days. Space is limited for these tours, and these last about 30-45 minutes.
LEAP Clubs
We are looking for parent volunteers that want to help with clubs on Friday afternoons from 12:50-2:50. You can volunteer for one hour or both. You can volunteer for all weeks or just one or two. We love getting our parents involved in this special program for our students! Email Ms. Phifer at [email protected] if interested.
Evening Seminar
January 13, 2025, 6:00 pm at Lakes and Bridges Charter School
"What is Dyslexia?"
Please join us for this evening seminar discussing what dyslexia is with Gloria Hash Marcus, LPC, LPES, NCSP, SLT. Ms. Marcus is a Licensed PsychoEducational Specialist, a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Nationally Certified School Psychologist, and a Structure Literacy Teacher with 47 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults. She is the founder of Halsey Counseling and Educational Center, Inc., and was also featured in LABCS's documentary "Written Off: America's Failure to Educate Dyslexic Children."
Electronic Devices Reminders
On January 7, 2025, the new state-wide cellphone ban, which includes Smart Watches, goes into effect. The policy will ban phones, smart watches, tablets and gaming devices during the school day. They would need to be powered off and put away. Exceptions will be allowed for students with IEPs and medical plans if the device is needed for medical or educational purpose
School hours are defined as beginning with the student’s arrival on campus as they exit their parent’s/guardian’s/carpool’s car during morning car line and ending when the student has entered their parent’s/guardian’s/carpool’s car to leave for the day.
Students must adhere to the school’s established communication devices/cell phones/smart watches protocol as directed. Failure to adhere to the policy established will result in the following consequences:
- 1st offense – confiscation for the remainder of the school day (no exceptions)
- 2nd offense – the device is, devices are, not allowed to be at school for two weeks (no exceptions)
- 3rd offense – the device is, devices are, not allowed to be at school for the remainder of the school year (no exceptions)
What is Chronic Absenteeism?
Chronically absent students are defined as having missed 10% of the total days within a school year. Research shows that students with a history of chronic absenteeism face a serious risk of falling behind in school, thus making it more difficult for them to succeed in the classroom.
- All types of absences contribute to chronic absenteeism:
- Excused (Lawful) Absences
- Unexcused Absences
- Suspensions
- A student is absent if he or she is not physically on school grounds and is not participating in instruction or instruction-related activities at an approved off-grounds location for the school day.
Lawful Absences
- Lawful absences include but are not limited to
- (1) absences caused by a student’s own illness and whose attendance in school would endanger his or her health or the health of others,
- (2) absences due to an illness or death in the student’s immediate family,
- (3) absences due to a recognized religious holiday of the student’s faith, and
- (4) absences due to activities that are approved in advance by the principal.
|
|
|
