4th grade wax museum

Ms. Koellner's and Ms. Cohn's 4th grade class held a Wax Museum with some very prominent historical figures that are either from NJ or had a profound impact on our state.  All of the hard work, research, and costume design were evident in the student's work today.  We are all very proud of our students and all of their dedication to this project.  Additionally, we would like to send out a special "Thank You!" to Ms. Taylor for organizing the event for the class and working with all of the students to prepare for today.  Great Job!!! You can tell by the faces on the students what a great event this was and the students certainly learned a lot about their figure from history...

Attention all parents, we have rescheduled our 5th and 6th grade Winter chorus and hand-chimes concert to Tuesday, January 22, 2012 at 7:00 pm in the LIS cafeteria.  Please add this new date to your calendar in preparation for the upcoming event.  Also, if you have any questions about upcoming events, please check out the school calendar at our LIS webpage:  http://www.ltps.org/Intermediate.cfm?subpage=5928 Looking forward to seeing you all there!

Chess Day

All 4th and 5th grade students at LIS this week were given

an opportunity to play chess with their peers.  

Ms. Heller and Ms. Westhead provided students with a brief review

and time to play with a friend as part of the enrichment program. 

 All of the students enjoyed their time and learned a few new moves on the chess board.

 

Hello LIS Parents and Guardians,

I hope that you all weathered the snow storm safely last night.  We did have a delayed opening this morning and during arrival, a hallway sensor malfunctioned.  This prompted our fire alarm to sound and we evacuated the building.  The Lawrence fire department and police department came and checked out the building.  Once the school was deemed safe by the authorities, the students and staff were permitted back in the school to continue on for a normal rest of our day.   We will dismiss at normal times at the conclusion of our school day.

Thank you all for your cooperation and support.

Have a great day!

Voting at LIS

On November 5 & 6, our LIS students had the opportunity to vote in a mock Presidential election.

Student casting a vote in the Technology lab.

Students chose one of four candidates and submitted their ballot electronically.

Everyone who voted was proud to show off their sticker!

Votes were counted electronically, and the results of the election were announced by Student Council at the end of the day on 11/6: Barack Obama won!

It will be interesting to compare the results of the LIS students to actual votes of Americans from around the country after all of the votes are tabulated.  This was a great experience for our students.
Thanks to all of our teachers who assisted in holding the LIS Mock Election!!!!!

LIS had a great visit this morning by some very special guests.  Mrs. Kim Vinch, teacher at BFS and her children, Rebecca (nursing student at William Patterson University) and Jared (5th grader at LIS) spoke with our students this morning about their summer trip to Ghana in West Africa.  The Vinchs spoke about their experiences living with the people of Ghana for three weeks and their visitations to West African Schools.    All of the students were amazed by the events of the trip and learned a lot about a culture that is different from their own.  One thing that the students all remembered related to the sports that the students in Ghana played in comparison to the students here in Lawrence.  It was a great experience for all involved.  We thank Mrs. Vinch, Rebecca, and Jared for taking the time to share their amazing journey with us.

Hello LIS Parents and Guardians,

I hope that this posting finds you all warm and dry after the storm.  We wanted to provide some updated information regarding dates and events for the next few weeks.  Lawrence Schools will be in session for full days this Thursday (11/8/12) and Friday (11/9/12).  Our first marking period has been extended to Monday (11/12/12) and the start of the second marking period is now Tuesday (11/13/12).  Report cards will still be handed out during the conferences next week.  Our conference schedule is the same:  Thursday (11/15/12) from 6:00-9:00 pm; Friday (11/16/12), Monday (11/19/12), and Tuesday (11/20/12) from 1:45 -3:45 pm.  All conference days are early dismissal days, the students are dismissed at 1:40 pm.  Please schedule a conference with your child's teacher(s) this week.  If you need any assistance, please contact the school during the day and one of our secretaries are ready to help.  

It is great to get back in a regular schedule again and we are very happy to see all of our students again!

Bus Safety Drills

We conducted bus safety and evacuation drills this week with each grade level.

6th grade safety drill

Students practiced a variety of safety drills, including how to properly buckle bus safety belts, how to safely evacuate the bus during an emergency, and how to be a safe pedestrian. We are reminding students that pedestrian safety is especially important around Halloween.  We also discussed the importance of walking with a buddy and not talking to strangers.  The students know if anything out of the ordinary happens they are to tell an adult right away.  Please ask your student(s) what they learned during their bus safety drills this week. 

The award winning LIS Character Kickoff event is coming soon... Friday, October 26, 2012.  All the students will have an opportunity to create a class banner that identifies the character education theme that they will work to achieve this school year, along with all of the activities connected to event.  We will again have the LHS Peer Leaders come to LIS to assist our classrooms with all of the day's activities.  Character Kickoff is always one of the best days of the school year!!!

4th Grade "Walk This Way" Program

Safe Kids Worldwide and program sponsor FedEx created Safe Kids Walk This Way to teach safe behavior to motorists and child pedestrians and create safer, more walkable communities. On October 3, our 4th grade students had the opportunity to practice pedestrian safety and to see the inside of a FedEx truck.

Mrs. Schwartz's class poses with Boomer!

Students checking out the FedEx truck

NJ ASK Results & Upcoming Dates

NJ ASK test results (from May 2012 testing) were mailed last week. If you have not yet received them, or if you have questions about the results, please get in touch with your child's guidance counselor.

4th grade Back-to-School Night is Tuesday, October 2 @ 7:00 pm

5th grade Back-to-School Night is Wednesday, October 3 @ 7:00 pm

6th grade Back-to-School Night is Thursday, October 4 @ 7:00 pm

Take part in a Community Conversation on October 17 in the Lawrence High School Commons. Registration form is available online!

Remembering 9/11

September 11 is designated as Patriot Day and a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

Patriot Day was signed into law on December 18, 2001 as a day to remember those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on our country. In 2009, President Barack Obama signed a law that also makes September 11th a National Day of Service and Remembrance.

On September 11, all of our students observed a moment of silence before they said the Pledge of Allegiance to honor those individuals who lost their lives as a result of the terrorist attacks. Later in the day, our fourth graders formed a human flag.

Welcome Back!

Hello, LIS students and families. Welcome to an exciting new school year! Our staff has been working hard to plan excellent learning and leadership opportunities for our incoming students. We are looking forward to a fantastic 2012-2013 school year.

6th Grade Netbook Distribution

Parents and guardians of rising 6th grade students can now select a date/time to pick up their student's netbook.

Netbooks will be distributed beginning Monday, August 13. Time slots may be selected online and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. A parent/guardian AND the student must attend (no exceptions). At time of pick-up, parent/guardian and student will be required to sign a verification that they have read the district policies and procedures regarding the laptop program. Please plan on 15-30 minutes to complete the netbook pickup process.

Please visit our district website laptop information page to read the policies and to schedule your pickup time.

6th Grader Visits Gamestar Mechanic Headquarters in NYC

Recently, Zeke D’Ascoli (6th grade) visited the Gamestar Mechanic headquarters in New York City.

Street view of 7th Avenue in NYC.
Gamestar Mechanic is on the 20th floor!

That is where they make the gaming website to which grades 4-6 currently subscribe. Here is Zeke’s account of the visit:

“They were extremely open and were welcoming to visitors such as myself. First, I was introduced to the staff. I met most of the GSM team (the ones that didn’t leave for Memorial Day weekend, anyway). After a thorough introduction and brief job description, I went to see some new sprites that they were working on. Sprites are what GSM is about, a story for each character.

After I saw the upcoming sprites, I took a look at a new game platform that they were developing. You can take a sneak peak of it at the E-Line Media web-page. I play-tested that for a while and then my visit had come to an end. I said my goodbyes and left, but not without graciously thanking them for the visit.

The most enthralling part of the visit was meeting the team who had made such an awesome gaming platform.”

 What an exciting day and a great entry into game design for Zeke!

Summer Reading

The end of the school year shouldn't mean the end of reading! Summer is a great time to read whatever you like. Try a new author or genre. Our Library Media Specialist, Mrs. Casieri, has some great summer reading recommendations for you. You can find them on the LIS Library Media Center website or on Mrs. Casieri's teacher page.

Students who were enrolled at LIS during the 2011-12 school year can drop by the library on Tuesdays during the summer between 10:00 am and 12:00 noon to check out a book. One book may be checked out per visit. Click here to view the summer library hours.

Finally, every student should consider signing up for a summer reading program. One of our 6th grade students interviewed two of the Youth Services Librarians from the Lawrence Branch of the Mercer County Library for our LIS morning show. You can find out more information about the MCL Summer Reading program here or in the Online Backpack.

Sophia S. (6th grade), Mrs. Casieri, Laura Gruninger (MCL), & Jen Post (MCL)

Middle School Students Visit LIS

On June 5, some of our LIS Alumni visited the school to tell our 6th graders what to expect next year when they join the LMS Nation.

Ask your students about reaching for the stars at Middle School. (Hint: Houses)

LIS has Winning Students!

We are so proud of the following LIS students and would like to congratulate them for their winning accomplishments!

Congratulations to Kendra B. (6th grade), who won an essay contest celebrating the United Nations International Day of the Family. She was honored by The Mercer County Commission on the Status of Women and the Zonta Club of Mercer/Trenton at a ceremony in May.

Congratulations to Catherine K. (6th grade), who read her first-place Memorial Day Essay at Veterans Park following the Lawrence Memorial Day Parade.

Congratulations to Ryan M. (6th grade), and Dylan W.(4th grade) who also wrote prize-winning Memorial Day Essays.

We would also like to congratulate Aluen T-K. (4th grade) and Zoe L. (4th grade), who entered the "My County" contest sponsored by the Constitutional Officers Association of New Jersey (COANJ). Aluen's poster won 1st place.

Zoe's poster won 4th place. The winners were honored at a ceremony in May at the Mercer County Library Headquarters in Lawrence Township.

D.A.R.E. Graduation & Essay Contest Winners

Our 5th grade students recently completed the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program sponsored by the Lawrence Township Police. The D.A.R.E. Graduation will be held on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 at 9:30 am at LIS.

Congratulations to Emily M., Nicole R., and Tiffany R., who won the D.A.R.E. Essay Contest. These students will read their essays to the 5th grade at the D.A.R.E. graduation, and they each also won a $10 gift card to Rita's Water Ice.

Congratulations to Saman K., Sandra J., LeAnna N., and Vivian J., who also wrote wonderful essays. Their names will be announced at the D.A.R.E. graduation and each of these students won a $5 gift card to Rita's Water Ice.

Dates to Save for Rising 7th Graders

Attention Upcoming 7^th Grade Parents…

Save the Dates:

June 8^th – Parent Orientation 10-11:15 am LMS Auditorium

 August 28^th – Student Orientation 9-11:30 am

Parent Orientation 10:30-11:30 am

 Back-to-School Nights: Sept. 12, Sept. 13 at 7 pm

Click here to download this flyer in PDF form.

Pennies from Heaven

The 5th grade "Pennies from Heaven" Club collected spare change from LIS Students and Staff to benefit Homefront. The club collected $99.00 and Christine's Hope for Kids matched their contribution. On Thursday, May 10, representatives from Pennies from Heaven and Christine's Hope for Kids presented a check in the amount of $200.00 to Homefront. As always, we are proud of our LIS community's commitment to caring. Great job!

Presentation of check to Homefront by Pennies from Heaven & Christine's Hope for Kids

Cool Clubs!

Did you know that the LIS PTO sponsors some really cool Early Bird and After School Clubs? We are in our final Club season, and our students are enjoying Early Bird soccer, basketball, and robotics/technology.

Our After School clubs include Gamestar Mechanic, rocketry, track, chess, and gardening.

3rd Marking Period VIP Assembly

Congratulations to all of our 3rd Marking Period VIPs!

3rd Marking Period - 4th grade VIPs

3rd Marking Period - 5th grade VIPs

3rd Marking Period - 6th grade VIPs

Our VIP Assembly for the 3rd marking period was held on April 4 and featured a special performance by members of our Annie Jr. musical cast.

We would like to thank all the parents and families who attended our assembly. It was a wonderful day for LIS, and a Big Thank You goes out to all of those who helped make this a special day for our students. We are looking forward to our final Awards Assemblies in June.

2nd Marking Period VIP Assembly

Congratulations to all of our 2nd Marking Period VIPs!

2nd Marking Period - 4th grade VIPs

2nd Marking Period - 5th grade VIPs

2nd Marking Period - 6th grade VIPs

Our VIP Assembly for the 2nd marking period was held on February 10 and featured special appearances by the Operation Smile team from the High School.

We would like to thank all the parents and families who attended our assembly. It was a wonderful day for LIS, and a Big Thank You goes out to all of those who helped make this a special day for our students.

NJ ASK Testing

Next week, we will begin NJ ASK Testing at LIS. The testing schedule is as follows:

5th & 6th grade will be testing on Monday, April 30 and Tuesday, May 1 in Language Arts. Math testing will be held on Wednesday, May 2, and Thursday, May 3.

4th grade will be testing on Monday, May 7, and Tuesday, May 8 in Language Arts. Math testing will be held on Wednesday, May 9, and Thursday, May 10. Science will be tested on Friday, May 11.

Please remind your students to get a good night's sleep and have a nutritious breakfast before their testing days. Also, students must arrive promptly in the morning, as testing begins each day at 9:00 am.

Welcome Back! & Spring Book Fair

We hope that everyone enjoyed spending time with family and friends over Spring break. Our students and teachers are refreshed, renewed, and ready for all the upcoming activities at LIS.

Parent/Teacher conferences are going on this week, and so is the Spring Book Fair! Please make time while you're in the building to visit the book fair in the library and support our PTO.

End of Marking Period 3 & Conferences

The third marking period ends on April 5. Report cards will be given to parents during April Conferences (4/18, 4/19 & 4/20). Students who do not have a parent/teacher conference will bring report cards home on April 20. Signed report card envelopes will be due on Wednesday, April 25.

Sixth grade parents, don't forget to check your child's progress in PowerSchool.  If you need help with PowerSchool access, please take a look at the PowerSchool Overview.

Don't forget to visit the Spring Book Fair in the Library Media Center before or after your conference!

Chess Challenge

 

On March 27th and 28th, our 4th and 5th graders participated in a Chess Challenge. Our students enjoyed the activity as they strategized and planned their moves with the hopes of victory. This opportunity is in conjunction with the teachings of our Enrichment Program led by Mrs. Heller, our Gifted and Talented teacher.