Bully Prevention Information

On November 1st, Lakeview will host members of Albert Lea's HS English/Speech Dept for a series of skits to help students understand the topic of bullying and the role we each have in minimizing it, and subsequently its affects on us.  These skits, are specifically designed for students in grades 3-5, and we are excited to have some of our high school students see this as a need and be willing to present them to us. 

Opening Skit-“A Bunch of Clowns” by Sandra Asher: Focus: This skit focuses on the unclear line of clowning around and cruelty. It talks about the three different groups involved in bullying: the bully, the bullied and the bystander.

Second Skit- “ Bystander Blues” by Trish Lindberg: Focus: This skit focuses mainly on the role of a bystander and how if they would have stood up and helped it would have made the all the difference.

Last Skit- “Flash Mob” by Elizabeth Wong: Focus: If a school decides to stand up to bullying, then the whole atmosphere changes and the bullied people are supported.

Each skit is about ten minutes long and there are three skits total. The actual performance will be about 30 minutes long.  These skits come from a script call The Bully Plays and are a compilation of various playwrights.

Austin Bruins

On Tuesday October 30 we had a fun visit from some players with the Austin Bruins hockey team. The players visited classes in grades 3-5, read to the students, and discussed topics such as healthy lifestyles and bullying. It was fun for our students to see these positive role models in our building and we thank them very much for spending the time with us.

Fall Activities at School!

As October comes to a close, we have several exciting opportunities coming up for students. On Tuesday, October 30, some players from the Austin Bruins will be here to read to students in grades 3-5 and discuss an active and healthy lifestyle. Wednesday, October 31 will be our fall costume parties for several grades, and Thursday November 1 some high school students will be presenting an anti-bullying skit to students in the upper grades. It will be an exciting and busy week at Lakeview!

A few other upcoming dates to be aware of:

November 2--No school for students
November 6--Picture Re-take day
November 9--Veteran's Day program at 1:30 for grades 3-5

Thanks for all that you do to support Lakeview and our students!

Evacuation Drill October 23

On Tuesday, October 23, we will be doing our annual evacuation drill to St. John’s. The students will exit the building and walk with their classes to St. John’s before returning to resume their daily activities. This drill will help students and staff be prepared for an orderly evacuation in the event it is ever needed. Please encourage your students to wear comfortable shoes and dress appropriately for this walk. We will leave Lakeview at approximately 8:30 and return between 9:30 and 10:00. Thanks for your support in helping students be ready for this drill and as always, please contact the Lakeview office with any questions.

Bully Prevention and Responsive Classroom

I am often asked about the topic of bullying and what we do to about it. As both an educator and parent, I understand the immeasurable value in being proactive in our approach to this challeng. In our district's elementary schools, we have invested a lot of time and resources in a program called, Responsive Classroom.  In fact, just this last August, 30 district teachers had a week long training in the philosphy and implementation of Responsive Classroom.  The Responsive Classroom approach is a widely used, research-backed approach to elementary education that increases academic achievement, decreases problem behaviors, and improves social skills by emphasizing a community approach to classroom processes and ideas.  When a teacher and classrom are able to do these things, acadmics are also impacted, leading to quality instruction and achievement.  One of the most important things for us to be successful in any environment is to feel safe.  When that occurs, students can focus on their learning, and Responsive Classrooms help all students to feel safe and welcome in school.  If we teach what it means to be a community and family, students are much less likely to hurt or be intentional in their wanting to hurt or harm someone due to the relationships they have formed.

Activities and Notes

October has gotten off to a great start at Lakeview, and we have lots happening for students. As I visit classrooms throughout the building, it is great to see the students engaged in their valuable work. In addition this month, first graders attend their hospital field trips, a reader's theater is presented by some volunteers with the RSVP program, and all students will have their annual vision check. On October 16, room parents are meeting with teachers to help plan for the year's events. If you have questions about being a room parent, please contact our parent group at mailto:LESO241@gmail.com. 

For a number of years Kemps has sponsored their “Nickels for Schools” program, which asked families to send in Kemps caps to be redeemed by the school. Due to a change in their program, Kemps will be discontinuing this offer as of the end of this month. In order to claim the caps we currently have been collecting, they need to be sent in my October 31.  We are asking that if you have been keeping any of these caps at home that you please send them to school by October 15 so we can get them in by the deadline. Thanks for your help as we capitalize on the end of this offer.

Thanks for all of your support of your students and Lakeview, and we look forward to a great month of October at school!