Re-enrollment Contracts

Re-enrollment contracts are due today, Friday April 4. Please note that we do expect some grades to close out next year due to class size. If you did not receive your packet, please contact Douglas Hamilton via e-mail or 440-526-0717.

Pi Day

On 3/14, students in Miss Welch's math classes celebrated "Pi Day" (Pi is approximately 3.14) by kinesthetically exploring the relationship of the circumference and diameter of circular objects. They used yarn to measure  various objects (hula hoops, Frisbees, plates, etc), and enjoyed lots of yummy circular desserts. Many thanks to the parents who supplied these "circular foods"!

Middle School Dance 

On Friday, April 18, there is a CCIS "Neon Glow" dance at Lawrence School. The dance is from 4:30-7 pm and includes students from all the member CCIS schools. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased from April 7-18 during lunch time. Click here for a detailed letter and permission slip. Please return the signed permission form and $5 cash (in an envelope with the student's name on it). Students may bring money on the day of the dance to purchase food and drinks. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Tracy Pedaline or Judy Kaufmann.

If you would like to download a list of Lower School staff e-mail and phone numbers, click here.  If you would like to download a list of Upper School staff e-mail and phone numbers, click here. Please note that many administrators have new direct-dial numbers, which you are encouraged to use.

RSVP to the Benefit Auction: Be sure to RSVP to this year's May 3 Gala: Sonnets, Phonics & Pi. Last year's event sold out early so make your reservations now and come celebrate and support the spirit of Lawrence! To RSVP, click here or go online go to www.lawrenceschool.org and click on the RSVP link.

Lower School Grandparents Day: Grandparents Day at the Lower School is approaching! The sessions are split into four different dates and times, according to homeroom. Miss Dodds, Mrs. Lipinski, Mrs. Richardson and Ms. Zunt host grandparents on Friday, April 11 from 9:30-11 am. Miss Edmondson, Mrs. Kwiatkowski and Miss Budnick host on Friday, April 11 from 1-2:30 pm. Mrs. Lewis, Mr. Rogers and Miss Turner host on Friday, April 18 from 9:30-11 am. Mrs. Boyd, Mrs. Lyle and Mrs. Perillo host on Friday, April 18 from 1-2:30 pm. If you know a grandparent who is planning to attend, please RSVP to Mrs. Feith via e-mail or 440-832-7838.

High School Scheduling: High School course handbooks for the 2008/09 school year are now available. You may download a copy here, or receive a digital copy from Mr. Masa or advisory teachers. There is also a copy available for students to access on the network "R" drive at school. Students need to thoughtfully plan their schedules by consulting with teachers and parents. A schedule request form is available here (or from Mr. Masa and teachers). Parents need to sign the scheduling request form and students need to return it to their advisory teachers by Monday, April 7. Middle School scheduling will take place after the break.

Don't Miss the Online Auction: A select portion of the items for this year's Benefit Auction (taking place on May 3 at the Upper School) will be available online only - including all teacher outings and experiences! The select online preview and auction opens next Friday, April 11, and closes Saturday, April 19 at 10 am. Stay tuned to next week's Loop for instructions on how to enter the online bidding. Don't miss this chance for your child to spend time with their favorite Lawrence faculty or staff member!

Lower School Parent Coffee: Lower School parents are invited to attend a Parent Coffee on Tuesday, April 8, at 8 am. School psychologist Dr. Ethan Schafer will lead a discussion on "Are Summer Camps Appropriate for My Child?" If you plan to attend, RSVP to Mrs. Feith via e-mail or 440-832-7838. We hope to see you there!

CCIS College Fair: The Cleveland Council of Independent Schools is hosting a College Fair on Monday, April 14 from 6:30-9:00 pm at Hawken School (Gates Mills Campus). High School students are encouraged to attend. Please see Mrs. Mattes for more information.

Donate Items for the Auction: We're collecting items for the benefit auction: sports tickets, restaurant certificates, jewelry and treasures are all welcome! Items may be dropped off at Upper or Lower school office. Questions, contact Jayne Eiben at 440-832-7828 or jeiben@lawrenceschool.org.

50/50 Raffle Tickets Sent Home: Students who sell raffle tickets for the benefit auction will be included in two drawings for $50 Borders certificates. The raffle winner will receive half of all proceeds collected. Last year's winner earned more than $7,500! 

NEW Parent Tech Class: The next free technology course is "Windows Movie Maker: Beginning Video Editing" on Thursday, April 17, from 4-5:30 pm in Room 412 of the Upper School. The course will demonstrate how to use the free program of Microsoft Movie Maker. Create movies out of short video clips, still pictures and music in minutes!  Parents, staff and friends of the school are invited to attend. For questions, contact Sally Garza via e-mail or at 440-832-7840. To see the complete list of free courses, click here.

Lower School Summer Programs: Lawrene is currently enrolling students for Summer School programs, from June 16 - July 11. The Lower School offers a morning academic program with remediation in reading, written expression, language arts and math. Its afternoon program will focus on creativity and fun with technology, art and physical education. For details, please click here or visit the Summer School link at www.lawrenceschool.org. Students do not need to be enrolled at Lawrence during the school year to register, so please help us spread the word!

Upper School Summer Programs: Upper School is enrolling students for Summer School programs, from June 16 - July 11. Courses include math, science, assistive technology, organization, music, drama, cooking, physical education, history, creative writing, keyboarding, forensics and more. High school students may take courses for credit. Students do not need to be enrolled at Lawrence during the school year to register, so please help us spread the word! For a complete listing of courses and details on enrollment, please click here or visit the Summer School link on www.lawrenceschool.org.

Open House Events: Do you know a family that could benefit from learning more about Lawrence School? Encourage them to attend one of our upcoming Open House events for prospective students. The next Upper School Open House is on Sunday, April 20 at 3 pm, and the next Lower School Open House is on Wednesday, May 7 at 9 am. Call the admissions office at 440-526-0717 to RSVP.

  HEAD NOTES

Before the spring break, I suggested that we may want to consider the challenges and opportunities that are experienced by our students who are diagnosed with ADD.  I asked for questions and feedback about the topic but didn't receive any - perhaps because everyone found a warmer place to be for the break than northeast Ohio!  So, I will take a chance and delve in to a topic in which I have both a personal and professional interest.

For several years, I have been trying to re-conceptualize how children who are described as having 'attention problems' experience the environment in our schools and classrooms.  Students with ADD or ADHD account for a significant number of our population often coupled with other learning differences that impact language learning or processing. I worry that too often these students are incorrectly described as having behavior or motivation issues when the truth is that these students often put far more effort into their academic endeavors, and have less to show for it at the end of the day, than their peers who don't have the same challenges and obstacles in their path. 

Rick Lavoie, a former teacher and Head of Riverview School in Massachusetts, and author and speaker about children with learning differences, recently published a book on motivation called The Motivation Breakthrough: 6 Secrets to Turning On the Tuned-Out Child in which he observes that in all the years he worked with LD and ADD he never met a student that didn't want to do 'his work' - but met lots who didn't want to do 'our work!'  There's the rub for lots of our students--they can focus on the tasks and activities that give something back to them and reward them for their efforts, but they are less successful working on the things WE want them to do that are difficult for them and unrewarding to their efforts.

Watch a youngster at a skate park rehearse a trick on his skateboard.  They will practice the sequence over and over, perfecting every detail of the move, sometimes in the face of painful falls and frustrating mistakes. They will allow others to comment and give suggestions, but there's camaraderie even though there are different levels of accomplishment and skill around the park. It is a culture of achievement! There is no way we would describe such kids as unfocused or unmotivated.  But that same child confronted with a sheet of math programs in school where he must be still and quiet might face withering discouragement fueled by delays for processing, poor memory for math facts, and feelings of defeat even before he starts.

Are our children any different from us? In our careers, we tend to "play" in our areas of strength - and avoid those tasks and activities where we feel ill-suited or poorly equipped to compete. I realize we all need to do things we don't like or may not be good at, but what if we were stuck in a situation where most of the day we were confronted with such tasks and then judged by how well we accomplished them? What if we were called lazy or unmotivated because it took us longer than someone else to complete such a task? 

We all realize that this is exactly what so many of our kids experience, and it is clear to me that it is our job as teachers and parents to help get our kids through this experience uninjured and whole.  How do we do that?!

The first thing I suggest is to change the way look at these kids and their struggles. And perhaps as Wayne Dyer says, "When we change the way we look at things, the things we look at change!"

In next week's column, I will discuss the ways that we at Lawrence help our students manage and work with their attention issues, and will also offer some suggestions for what can be done at home to help families re-frame the conversation about ADD and move forward successfully.

Enjoy your weekend!

Did this week's Head Notes column inspire you, puzzle you, or otherwise stir a response you would like to share? Let Lou know how you feel!  He welcomes all comments and correspondence via e-mail or phone (440-832-7820).