Lew Wallace Elementary School: News Archive [PDF]

News Archive Weekly News 2/9/18 1 1 Attachments: Weekly News 2/9/18 Weekly Family Letter 2/9/18

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:2/9/18 Audience: Nursing, Homepage, Anne Strangio, Homework, Staff Directory, Counseling, Tips, Tips, Homepage, School Meals, Activities, Our School, Parents and Library

Weekly News 2/9/18 1 Attachments: Weekly Family Letter 2/9/18 Weekly News 2/9/18

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:2/9/18 Audience: Nursing, Homepage, Anne Strangio, Homework, Staff Directory, Counseling, Tips, Tips, Homepage, School Meals, Activities, Our School, Parents and Library

Weekly News 1/26/18 Attachments: Weekly News 1/26/18 Weekly Letter 1/26/18

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:1/26/18 Audience: Nursing, Homepage, Anne Strangio, Homework, Staff Directory, Counseling, Tips, Tips, Homepage, School Meals, Activities, Our School, Parents and Library

Weekly News 1/19/18 1 Attachments: Weekly News 1/19/18 Weekly Family Letter 1/19/18

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:1/19/18 Audience: Nursing, Homepage, Homework, Staff Directory, Counseling, Tips, Tips, Homepage, School Meals, Activities, Our School, Parents and Library

Weekly News 1/12/18 Attachments: Weekly News Weekly Family Letter

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:1/12/18 Audience: Nursing, Homepage, Homework, Staff Directory, Counseling, Tips, Tips, Homepage, School Meals, Activities, Our School, Parents and Library

Weekly News 1/5/18 1 Attachments: Weekly News Weekly Family Letter

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:1/7/18 Audience: Nursing, Homepage, Homework, Staff Directory, Counseling, Tips, Tips, Homepage, School Meals, Activities, Our School, Parents and Library

Weekly News 12/15/17 1 Attachments: 12-15-17 Weekly News 12/15/17 Weekly Family Letter

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:12/15/17 Audience: Nursing, Homepage, Anne Strangio, Homework, Staff Directory, Counseling, Tips, Tips, Homepage, School Meals, Activities, Our School, Parents and Library

Weekly News 12/8/17 1 1 Attachments: Weekly News Weekly Family Letter

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:12/8/17 Audience: Nursing, Homepage, Anne Strangio, Homework, Staff Directory, Counseling, Tips, Tips, Homepage, School Meals, Activities, Our School, Parents and Library

Weekly News 12/1/17 1 Attachments: 12/1/17 Weekly News 12/1/17 Weekly Family Letter

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:12/1/17 Audience: Nursing, Homepage, Anne Strangio, Homework, Staff Directory, Counseling, Tips, Tips, Homepage, School Meals, Activities, Our School, Parents and Library

Weekly News 11/17/17 1 Attachments: Weekly News 11/17/17 Weekly Family Letter 11/17/17

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:12/1/17 Audience: Nursing, Homepage, Anne Strangio, Homework, Staff Directory, Counseling, Tips, Tips, Homepage, School Meals, Activities, Our School, Parents and Library

Weekly News 11/10/17 1 Attachments: Weekly News 11/10/17 Weekly Family Letter 11/10/17

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:11/12/17 Audience: Anne Strangio, Homepage, Activities, Counseling, Homework, Library, Nursing, Our School, Parents, School Meals, Staff Directory, Tips and Tips

Weekly News 11/03/17 1 Attachments: Weekly News 11/03/17 Weekly Family Letter 11/03/17

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:11/12/17 Audience: Anne Strangio, Homepage, Activities, Counseling, Homework, Library, Nursing, Our School, Parents, School Meals, Staff Directory, Tips and Tips

Weekly News, 10/27/17 1 1 Attachments: Weekly News 10-27-17.pdf Weekly Family Letter 10-27-17.pdf

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:10/27/17 Audience: Anne Strangio, Homepage, Activities, Counseling, Homework, Library, Nursing, Our School, Parents, School Meals, Staff Directory, Tips and Tips

Weekly News, 10/20/17 1 Attachments: Weekly News 10-20-17.pdf Weekly Family Letter 10-20-17.pdf

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:10/20/17 Audience: Anne Strangio, Homepage, Activities, Counseling, Homework, Library, Nursing, Our School, Parents, School Meals, Staff Directory, Tips and Tips

Weekly News, 10/6/17 1 Attachments: Weekly Newsletter 10/6/17 Weekly Family News 10/6/17

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:10/17/17 Audience: Anne Strangio, Homepage, Activities, Counseling, Homework, Library, Nursing, Our School, Parents, School Meals, Staff Directory, Tips and Tips

UPDATE: Lockdown at Lew Wallace ES - Tuesday, October 10, 2017 UPDATE: As of 3:43 p.m., the lockdown has been lifted at Lew Wallace ES. Parents may now pick up students with ID. As of 3:30 p.m., Lew Wallace ES has been placed in a lockdown due to police activity in the area. Parents will have to wait to pick up students until lockdown has been lifted. Parents must show ID. Posted by: Brian Beeler, District Admin, Albuquerque Public Schools Audience: Homepage

Published:10/10/17

Weekly News 10/06/17 1 Attachments: 10/06/17 Weekly News 10/06/17 Weekly Family Letter

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:10/6/17 Audience: Anne Strangio, Homepage, Activities, Counseling, Homework, Library, Nursing, Our School, Parents, School Meals, Staff Directory, Tips and Tips

Weekly News 9/29/17 If you shop on Amazon, our Lew Wallace AmazonSmiles account is now up and ready to go. Here's the link https://smile.amazon.com/ch/23-7532848 How does AmazonSmile work? When first visiting AmazonSmile, customers are prompted to select a charitable organization from almost one million eligible organizations. In order to browse or shop at AmazonSmile, customers must first select a charitable organization. For eligible purchases at AmazonSmile, the AmazonSmile Foundation will donate 0.5% of the purchase price to the customer’s selected charitable organization. 1 Attachments: Weekly News Weekly Family Letter

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:9/28/17 Audience: Anne Strangio, Homepage, Activities, Counseling, Homework, Library, Nursing, Our School, Parents, School Meals, Staff Directory, Tips and Tips

Weekly News 9/22/17 1 Attachments: Weekly Newsletter Family Letter

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:9/21/17 Audience: Anne Strangio, Homepage, Activities, Counseling, Homework, Library, Nursing, Our School, Parents, School Meals, Staff Directory, Tips and Tips

Weekly News 9/15/17 1 1 Attachments: Weekly News 9/15/17 Weekly Letter 9/15/17

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:9/15/17 Audience: Anne Strangio, Homepage, Activities, Counseling, Donate, Homework, Library, Nursing, Our School, Parents, School Meals, Staff Directory, Tips and Tips

Weekly News 9/1/17 1 Attachments: Weekly News Weekly Family Letter 09-01-17.pdf

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:9/1/17 Audience: Anne Strangio, Homepage, Activities, Counseling, Donate, Homework, Library, Nursing, Our School, Parents, School Meals, Staff Directory, Tips and Tips

Weekly News 8/25/17 1 1 Attachments: Weekly News Weekly Family Letter 08-25-17.pdf

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Published:9/1/17 Audience: Anne Strangio, Homepage, Activities, Counseling, Donate, Homework, Library, Nursing, Our School, Parents, School Meals, Staff Directory, Tips and Tips

8/18/17 Weekly News 1 Attachments: 8/18/17 Family Letter 8/18/17 Weekly News

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Audience: Homepage

Published:8/18/17

Kindergarten Round Up! Do you or someone you know have a kindergartener that would love to come to Lew Wallace? Send them our way!! We are currently admitting kindergarteners from the neighborhood and via transfer. Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:8/9/17

1ST DAY OF SCHOOL (kinders): AUGUST 16TH Posted by: Amy Taylor Published:7/20/17 Audience: Homepage 1ST DAY OF SCHOOL (1st-5th): AUGUST 14th Posted by: Amy Taylor Published:7/20/17 Audience: Homepage REGISTRATION: AUGUST 9, 2017 Registration will be in your child's new classroom from 9am - 12 noon. Students new to Lew Wallace will report to the cafeteria. Parks & Rec and RGEC will also be registering kids for before & after school care on that day. Posted by: Amy Taylor Audience: Amy Taylor and Homepage

Published:7/20/17

SUPPLY LISTS Attachments: 2017 - 2018

Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:7/18/17

REGISTRATION Registration will be in your child's new classroom form 9am - 12 noon. Students new to Lew Wallace will report to the cafeteria. Parks & Rec and RGEC will also be registering kids for before & after school care on that day. Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:7/18/17

Last newsletter of 2016-2017 Attachments: Weekly News

Posted by: Anne Marie Strangio Audience: Homepage

Published:5/24/17

Weekly News 5/12

May 12, 2017

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

Today we passed out yearbooks for students who ordered them. We made sure that they each put their names in their yearbooks, but it is always a challenge to keep them from getting lost, mixed-up, and stolen once we’ve passed them out. Please encourage your students to keep them at home until the last week of school when we do signatures. If your student still wants a yearbook, they can be purchased from the office for $16. We will sell them until they’re all gone! Students who don’t purchase yearbooks can bring or make an autograph book here at school for collecting messages from their friends during the last week of school.

Our Free Grocery Store/Mobile Food Pantry is next Thursday, May 18th. We have been giving food away like crazy! Anyone is welcome who could use some extra food in the house. You do not need to register, or sign-up, or anything. Also, there are many summer sites for free lunches (and breakfasts at some sites). The closest ones to us are:

Tiguex Park-19th St. & Mountain NW, starting June 5 Wells Park Community Center-500 Rosemont NW, starting June 12 (Breakfasts, too) Eugene Field Elementary Playground- 700 Edith SE, starting June 5 (Breakfasts, too) South Broadway Park-Garfield & John SE, starting June 5 Dennis Chavez Community Center- 715 Kathryn SE, starting June 5

K3+ Summer School Families: We are reeling with the frequent changes to our K3+ program by the New Mexico Public Education Department. The dates have changed again (yes – this is the third time), and now we’ll be starting on Thursday, June 15th, and ending on Friday, July 21st. While other schools are losing or cutting their programs, Lew Wallace will actually have additional classroom spaces, especially for incoming kindergarteners. So if you know of any little people planning on attending Lew Wallace in the fall, encourage them to come in and register for K3+ this summer!

A letter is coming home today for all students registered in our K3+ program. If you did not receive a letter, but you believe that your child should be in K3+, or you want your child to be in K3+, call or email right away so we can get them in!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio, Principal K3+ Summer School Lew Wallace K3+ Summer School at Longfellow Elementary. June 15 through July 21, 8:00-2:20 every day (July 3-4 is off). RGEC available for before- and after-school care. Open for students going into kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade. The Family Dance is in ONE WEEK! Come for free hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, books, bounce house, face painting, music, fun. We need a couple of volunteers who can bring a grill from home for the food. Would you be willing to bring your grill and propane to the school that day? If so, let the office know, or contact Dominica at [email protected], or Melanie at [email protected]. Important Dates: May 15-16, Children’s Librarian Kelly Brocklehurst from the Main Library here during library time May 15-16, PE End-of-Course exams for 4th graders Monday, May 15, Master Gardener visit to Ms. Ortiz & Mr. Chavez’s classes Wednesday, May 17, Ms. Ortiz & Ms. Taylor’s class field trip to Wells Park May 18-19, Music End-of-Course exams for 5th graders Thursday, May 18, 3:30-5:30 Free Grocery Store/Mobile Food Pantry in our gym Friday, May 19, 4th grade field trip to Popejoy Friday, May 19, 5:30-7:30 Summer Literacy KickOff/Family Dance! Monday, May 22, Ms. Hernandez and Ms. Montoya’s class field trip to Dion’s Pizza. Tuesday, May 23, 5th grade fun day Wednesday, May 24, 9:30, Kindergarten promotion Wednesday, May 24, 1:00-4:00 Baskin Robbins Fund Raiser Thursday, May 25, 9:30, 5th grade promotion Thursday, May 25, Last day of school, 12:00 dismissal Friday, June 2, office closes for the summer. Thursday, June 15, K3+ Summer School at Longfellow begins July 3-4, No school Friday, July 21, Last day of K3+ Summer School Monday, August 14, First day of school for 1st-5th graders Wednesday, August 16, First day of school for kindergarteners Talent Show Thanks: A HUGE round of applause to Ms. Taylor for putting on the LWES talent show, for our PTA for all their work putting dinner together and supporting our event, to Ms. Montoya and Ms. Thomas for all their help, and bouquets of roses for our AMAZING performers! What an amazing night it was!!! Last Day of School: The last day of school is Thursday, May 25th, and we will dismiss at 12:00 that day. All students will eat lunch before dismissal. K3+ Summer School dates: K3+ is now 8:00-2:20, June 15 to July 21. Before and after school care is available through RGEC. If you haven’t signed up yet, you can get a form in the office. LWES teachers will teach the classes. There will be a school bus stop at Lew Wallace, but it will not be supervised. We have room in every grade level! Summer Programming: There will be no summer programming at Lew Wallace at all this summer. RGEC will be on-campus at Longfellow for before and after school care for K3+ students, and all day for 4th and 5th grades. For more info, go to rgec.org or call 873-6035. Attendance Through the Last Day: Data from the last two years shows a pattern of attendance dropping over the last two weeks of school. Let’s “run through the finish line” by committing to show up every day until the bell rings on the last day of school. We’re hoping to end the school year strong! Volunteering/Chaperoning: Background clearance is good for 2 years, so if you haven’t gotten yours yet, consider doing so for the next school year. The cost is $12, and you can fill out a volunteer application on the APS website at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:5/12/17

Weekly News 3/3

March 3, 2017

Dear Lew Wallace families,

On Thursday, March 2nd, Lew Wallace students joined together with the young at heart across the world in celebrating the birthday of Dr. Seuss with Read Across America Day. An author who has inspired, has brought families together for reading time and time again and, of course, has never failed to tickle our imagination with his creative rhymes. Dr. Seuss saw potential, laughter, and a story in each of his drawings. He had a unique perspective and the confidence to try, try, and try again, even when his books weren’t published at first. Thank goodness, Dr Seuss never gave up! Now today we can read and enjoy all 44 of his engaging children’s books as he reminds us, “You can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a good book!”

In celebration, Lew Wallace kicked off a week long Read-a-thon with Family Literacy night this evening. Families gathered to enjoy pizza, engaging literacy activities and all students went home with a new book to read before bedtime. Watching our students reading with their families, I was inspired, wondering, which of our Lew Wallace students, will be the next Dr. Seuss? Which student will build the next bridge, or make a scientific discovery, which student will have the vision to be a leader in their community and which students will return to Lew Wallace as teachers to support future generations of readers? And as a community, we will support our students in never giving up on their journey, as they learn to try, try and try again, just as Dr. Seuss did. “You’re off to great places! Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting so get on your way!”

Erin Northern, Principal Intern

Parent/Teacher Conferences are next Thursday and Friday. There is no school for kids those days. Teachers have been madly setting-up conference times – please be in touch with your child’s teacher if you don’t yet have a conference time. We always work hard to get every single conference done during those days. While you are here, you’ll have some paperwork to fill out. The first is our annual Quality of Ed survey. It gives us really good feedback about what’s going well and what needs attention. The second is our K3+ Summer School information for K, 1st, and 2nd grade parents. Every child needs a signed form, whether or not they are going to attend. Our K3+ program will not be on our campus this summer – we will be combining our sites with Longfellow ES on the Longfellow campus at Edith and MLK.

I’m excited to see you all here next Thursday and Friday for parent teacher conferences!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio, Principal Important Dates: March 2-8, LWES Read-a-thon & Student Council Dr Seuss Week Saturday, March 4, Honor Choir concert, Eldorado HS (8 students) Thursday & Friday, March 9 & 10, Parent/Teacher Conferences: NO SCHOOL Wednesday, March 15, Run for the Zoo Registration forms due Wednesday, March 15, Sandia Labs Family Math Night 5:30-7:00 Thursday, March 16, 3:30 - 5:30 Mobile Food Pantry. Please contact Ms.Ori if you are able to volunteer and/or a family who could use the support. You can call the school, stop by in the afternoon, or email her at [email protected]. Friday, March 17, STAR Student Lunches March 20-24, Spring Break, no school Monday, March 27, School resumes Thursday, March 30, Kindergarten/Hernandez/Montoya Music Performances for families, 10:00 Thursday, March 30 PTA meeting 4:00 Friday, March 31, Taylor/Ortiz/Chavez/Thomas Music Performances for families, 9:30 Tuesday, April 4, Picture Day Wednesday, April 5, National Day of Hope Friday, April 7, Parent/Principal Coffee and STAR Student Lunches Friday, April 14, Vernal Holiday, no school Spring Music Concerts: Families are welcome to come enjoy our Lew Wallace K/1/2/3 Spring Music Performances on March 30th & 31st in the gym. See above for times. Students have been singing away at school and can now practice at home as well! Families can visit Ms. Woodworth’s Music Website to practice their songs, just head to the Lew Wallace school website (lwes.aps.edu), click the ‘our school’ tab, then follow the ‘Music’ tab on the menu. Dr Seuss Week, March 1-8: Our amazing Student Council is sponsoring a week of fun-filled Dr Seuss themed spirit days to support our school Read-a-thon! March 6 Theme: Fox in Socks – Wear Crazy socks! March 7 Theme: Cat in the Hat – Wear a crazy or favorite hat! March 8 Theme: Oh, The Places You’ll Go! – Dress for the career/job you will have when you grow up! Read-A-Thon: “A book is a gift you can open again and again.” Remember, the Read a Thon started yesterday. Find some sponsors and READ, READ, READ! Volunteering/Chaperoning: Don’t forget to get your background clearance before any field trips or volunteer opportunities that you want to take part in. The cost is $12, and you can fill out a volunteer application on the APS website at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps It takes a couple of weeks for clearance to come through, so apply early. Clearance is good for two years, at any APS schools. Run for the Zoo…and walk with us, too! Ms. Ori is organizing a group of Lew Wallace teachers, staff, families and students, to join this year’s Run for the Zoo on Saturday, May 7th. For 32 years, Run for the Zoo has offered a fun-filled day at the ABQ BioPark Zoo featuring running & walking events for ALL ages & fitness levels. Each registered participant receives a T-shirt and FREE admission to the Zoo for the day. Applications are due March 15! Please ask Ms. Ori or the office for an application for your family. Registration fees begin at $12 for students and $30 for adults in the 1 Mile Fun Run/Walk. Please visit runforthezoo.org for more info. Pennies for Peace: Congratulations to Ms. Ortiz’s class for raising $215.85 for Pennies for Peace!!! Pennies for Peace is a program that helps fund educational projects to break the cycle of extreme poverty, terrorism, and war. New Gaming Club: We’ll have a new club starting March 29, a Wednesday afternoon gaming club from 12:40-1:40. I’ll let you know as soon as those sign-up sheets are ready! Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:3/3/17

Weekly News 2/24

February 24, 2017

Dear families,

As I scan the Lew Wallace calendar of upcoming events, I can’t help but be so grateful, excited and overjoyed for the variety of learning opportunities our students have at their fingertips. Whether it is a trip to see the ballet at the historic Kimo Theater, an afternoon spent with family using your new Explora pass or perhaps attending parent conferences to discuss academic progress, enjoying a student musical performance, or simply sitting down to relax with a great book during our school Read-a-thon, it is truly a myriad of magical choices! So, mark your calendars, families! We look forward to seeing you around campus, sharing and expanding our excitement for learning!

Oh, The Places You’ll Go! Our hard-working 5th grade students will soon be looking toward the next steps in their academic journey. Next week, they will navigate the hallways of Washington Middle School on a guided tour led by Washington staff. They will visit classrooms and get a feel for a middle school passing period when students switch classes according to their individual schedules. They will learn about the choices and new opportunities middle school offers such as film, fine art, mariachi, orchestra and other academic electives. For a sneak preview, check out the Washington Middle School website to view a fabulous student-created film entitled, “This is Life: Middle School.” The middle schoolers in the film remind students that to achieve your goals you’ll need support from your family and friends and when you get there, the view is amazing! Of course, we’re not quite ready to say good-bye to our amazing 5th grade students, but we will be with them every step of the way as they climb toward achieving their goals!

And speaking of relentless support for students, Wednesday, is Educational Assistant (EA) Appreciation day. What a great reminder to take pause and say an extra huge thank you to our dedicated EAs: Ms. Mary Lou, Ms. Megan, Ms. Lupe, Ms. Elaine, Ms. Laura, Ms. Tina, Ms. Stephanie, Ms. Judy, Ms. Melanie and Ms. Ori. They are truly gems; constantly giving, patiently listening, and always stepping up to take on any task that needs doing! On any given day, they can be found reading with students one-on-one, teaching children the responsibility of cleaning after themselves in the cafeteria, supporting small student groups with focused practice in math or reading, or comforting a sick child, and the list goes on and on. Please join us in expressing our heartfelt gratitude each and every day for the tireless work of our stellar Educational Assistants!

Thanks for all you do,

Erin Northern, Principal Intern Important Dates: February 28, Multiple Class Field Trips to Coppélia Ballet at the Kimo Theater – please check your child’s backpack for permission slips & let teachers know if you would like to chaperone February 28, end of second trimester Wednesday, March 1, Educational Assistant Appreciation Day Thursday, March 2, Read Across America Day, Family Literacy Night and Title 1 Family Engagement Policy and School Compact meeting 5:30-7:00. And pizza! Thursday, March 2, 5th Grade Tour at Washington Middle School March 2-8, LWES Read-a-thon & Student Council Dr Seuss Week Friday, March 3, Parent/Principal Coffee, 9:00 Saturday, March 4, Honor Choir concert at Eldorado HS(8 students) Thursday & Friday, March 9 & 10, Parent/Teacher Conferences Wednesday, March 15, Sandia Labs Family Math Night 5:30-7:00 Thursday, March 16, 3:30 - 5:30 Mobile Food Pantry. Please contact Ms.Ori if you are able to volunteer and/or a family who could use the support. You can call the school, stop by in the afternoon, or email her at [email protected]. Friday, March 17, STAR Student Lunches March 20-24, Spring Break, no school Monday, March 27, School resumes Thursday, March 30, K/1st Music Performances for families, 10:00 Thursday, March 30 PTA meeting 4:00 Friday, March 31, 2nd/3rd Music Performances for families, 9:30 Tuesday, April 4, Picture Day Wednesday, April 5, National Day of Hope Friday, April 7, Parent/Principal Coffee and STAR Student Lunches Friday, April 14, Vernal Holiday, no school Thursday, April 20, 3:30-5:30, Mobile Food Pantry in our gym Thursday, April 20, Explora Night! Pennies for Peace: After reading Listen to the Wind by Greg Mortenson, Ms. Ortiz’s class was inspired to get involved with the Pennies for Peace program, and they are inviting the school to join them. Pennies for Peace is a program sponsored by Central Asia Institute, in which school children in the United States raise pennies to help fund CAI's educational projects. Education provides the opportunity to break the cycle of extreme poverty, terrorism, and war. If you wish to participate, they can place any change in the "Pennies for Peace" jars either in their child's classroom or in Ms. Ortiz’s room. They will be collecting money until April 1. Thank you for your support! Dr Seuss Week, March 1-8: Our amazing Student Council is sponsoring a week of fun-filled Dr Seuss themed spirit days to support our school Read-a-thon! We hope you join the fun & creativity – Oh, The Thinks You Can Think! March 1 Theme: I Can Read With My Eyes Shut – Wear a shirt you can read! March 2 Theme: Book Character Day – Dress up as a favorite character! March 3 Theme: Thing 1, Thing 2 – Dress up as twins with your BFF! March 6 Theme: Fox in Socks – Wear Crazy socks! March 7 Theme: Cat in the Hat – Wear a crazy or favorite hat! March 8 Theme: Oh, The Places You’ll Go! – Dress for the career/job you will have when you grow up! Volunteering/Chaperoning: Don’t forget to get your background clearance before any field trips or volunteer opportunities that you want to take part in. The cost is $12, and you can fill out a volunteer application on the APS website at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps It takes a couple of weeks for clearance to come through, so apply early. Clearance is good for two years, at any APS schools. New Gaming Club: We’ll have a new club coming soon – a Wednesday afternoon gaming club from 12:40-1:40, led by Lew Wallace dad, Kenny Mahen. I’ll let you know as soon as those sign-up sheets are ready! Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:2/24/17

Weekly News 2/3

February 3, 2017

Dear Lew Wallace families,

I am soooooo excited! After months and months and months of planning and dreaming and hoping and meeting and working together, we have arranged to have a mobile food pantry coming to Lew Wallace once a month! On the third Thursday of each month, Storehouse New Mexico will pull their big trucks in, transform our gym into a temporary grocery store, and APS families in need of food assistance will be able to come shopping after school. It has been a long-time dream of ours to significantly address childhood hunger issues downtown, so we’ll be partnering with other downtown APS elementary schools so we can widen the impact.

If you are a family who could use the support, be in touch with Ms. Ori right away. You can call the school, stop by in the afternoon, or email her at [email protected]. If you are able to volunteer to help set-up, carry food, talk to families, or just generally help out, also be in touch with Ms. Ori. We’re going to need lots of hands to do this wonderful work!

We anticipate that our first mobile food pantry will be a little crazy, since we’ve never tried anything like this before on our little campus. But the March mobile food pantry will be even better (3/16), and by April and May we will be total food pantry professionals (4/20 and 5/18). Our hope is to expand this program to other APS downtown school sites beginning in August – we are feeling ambitious!

This program will be funded by the money we received through the Ellen Degeneres Show, and through other donations. We will be looking for other streams of matching revenue over the next months so that we can hopefully keep the program running for a long, long time.

I’m so excited to begin this new adventure with our Lew Wallace community, and I am looking forward to building something great with all of you!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio, Principal The Albuquerque Bio Park, Aquarium, and Zoo are getting ready for the 2017 Run for the Zoo on Sunday, May 7, 2017. They have invited schools to send teams of students, parents, staff, and community members. We would love to participate, but we need someone to volunteer to organize it, sign us up, take care of communication, and lead our LWES run/walk team on May 7. Does this sound like you??? If you are willing to be our team captain, let me know, and I’ll forward all the information on to you! Important Dates: Monday, February 6, National Frozen Yogurt Day Monday, February 6, 4th grade field trip to the CEC Planetarium Tuesday, February 7, Lew Wallace mariachi club field trip to the National Hispanic Cultural Center for the Festival de Bellas Artes Wednesday, February 8, 5 Star Burger Night fundraiser for LWES Thursday, February 9, Festival de Bellas Artes field trip, all day, with evening concert, 4th/5th grade Thursday February 9, 5:00 Free public performance at the National Hispanic Cultural Center (starring our 4th and 5th grade students!) Thursday, February 9, 10:30 Ms. Torres’ class field trip to the Off-Center Art Gallery Friday, February 10, Family Valentine Dance, 5:30-7:00, sponsored by our Student Council Friday, February 10, National Make a Friend Day Tuesday, February 14, “Love Your Heart” walk day – all LWES staff and students are walking 20 minutes! Thursday, February 16, Mobile Food Pantry!!!! (see back) Friday, February 17, National Random Acts of Kindness Day Monday, February 20, Presidents’ Day – No school Wednesday, February 22, National Cook a Sweet Potato Day Thursday, March 2, Read Across America Day, Family Literacy Night 5:30-7:00. Friday, March 3, Parent/Principal Coffee, 9:00 March 20-24, Spring Break, no school Thursday, March 30, K/1st Music Performances for families, 10:00 Friday, March 31, 2nd/3rd Music Performances for families, 9:30 Pennies for Peace: After reading Listen to the Wind by Greg Mortenson, Ms. Ortiz’s class was inspired to get involved with the Pennies for Peace program, and they are inviting the school to join them. Pennies for Peace is a program sponsored by Central Asia Institute, in which school children in the United States raise pennies to help fund CAI's educational projects. Education provides the opportunity to break the cycle of extreme poverty, terrorism, and war. If you wish to participate, they can place any change in the "Pennies for Peace" jars either in their child's classroom or in Ms. Ortiz’s room. They will be collecting money until April 1. Thank you for your support! Valentines Family Dance, Sponsored by our awesome student council! Next Friday, 5:30-7:00. Please do not drop students off – this is a family event, and every student needs to have an adult with them. Come enjoy fun music, boogie-ing with your kids, yummy pizza, and spending time with our student council and Lew Wallace community! New Gaming Club: We’ll have a new club coming in a couple of weeks – a Wednesday afternoon gaming club from 12:401:40, led by Lew Wallace dad, Kenny Mahen. I’ll let you know as soon as those sign-up sheets are ready! School Board Elections: VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE VOTE! Early voting goes through tomorrow, February 4. The school board election day is February 7. Our closest earlyvoting locations are 4th & Candelaria (4212 4th St. NW), and CNM Main Campus, Portable BT 2A (1401 Baehart Rd SE). Lew Wallace is in District 3. You vote for a candidate in your home area. District 3 candidates are Ali Ennenga, Lorenzo L. Garcia (incumbent), Amy Legant, Charles W. White, and Kathleen Chavez. Candle Fundraiser: Help us fund our amazing end-of-the-year Family Dance/Summer Literacy Kick-Off by purchasing a Gold Canyon candle. Brochures will come home next week. Or you can buy a candle at the Valentines Family Dance. Smencils: Smencils (smelly pencils) are on sale in the office for $1 apiece. Volunteering/Chaperoning: Don’t forget to get your background clearance before any field trips or volunteer opportunities that you want to take part in. The cost is $12, and you can fill out a volunteer application on the APS website at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps It takes a couple of weeks for clearance to come through, so apply early. Clearance is good for two years, at any APS schools. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:2/3/17

Weekly News 1/13

January 13, 2017

Dear Lew Wallace families,

I hope that you received last week’s newsletter through email. If not, be sure we have a current email address for you so that you can receive important school emails. Due to the snow day, we weren’t able to get the paper newsletters out to you, but through the magic of school email, I was still able to send it out. Remember that the newsletter goes out every single school Friday!

You’ll see a link on the other side of the newsletter for nominating a teacher for Albuquerque The Magazine’s “Above and Beyond Teacher Awards.” The magazine does “Best of” editions frequently – Albuquerque’s best doctors, best businesses, best restaurants, etc. But this is the first time they’re doing a teacher edition! Please consider nominating a teacher that you know who goes above and beyond for their students. They are looking for area educators who make a difference in students’ lives. Abqthemag.com is the link, and then click on “Above and Beyond Teacher Awards” for the nomination form.

You can nominate any educators at all – classroom teachers, elective teachers, special education teachers, school counselors, speech therapists, any people at any school who educate children.

There are some neat things below that are going on in the community on Monday to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Remember that school is closed. I’ll look forward to seeing you all again on Tuesday!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio, Principal Important Dates: Monday, January 16, MLK Day. No school. Thursday, January 19, Family Math Night 5:30-7:00 Thursday, January 19, District Spelling Bee: Go Marcos & Brooklynn! Thursday, January 19, National Popcorn Day Friday, January 20, Mid-Term Report Cards come home Tuesday, Jan 24, Ms. Ortiz & Ms. Taylor’s classes field trip Thursday, January 26, National Green Juice Day Friday, January 27, Star Student Lunches Friday, February 3, National Red Day Friday, February 3, Parent/Principal Coffee, 9:00 Monday, February 6, National Frozen Yogurt Day Thursday, February 9, Festival de Bellas Artes, all day, with evening concert. 4th/5th grade. Friday, February 10, Family Valentine Dance, 5:30-7:00, sponsored by our Student Council. Friday, February 10, National Make A Friend Day Friday, February 17, National Random Acts of Kindness Day Monday, February 20, Presidents’ Day – No school Wednesday, February 22, National Cook a Sweet Potato Day Thursday, March 2, Read Across America Day, Family Literacy Night 5:30-7:00. School Board Elections and Candidates: January 18 to February 4 is early voting, and school board election day is February 7. Our closest early-voting locations are 4th & Candelaria (4212 4th St. NW), and CNM Main Campus, Portable BT 2A (1401 Baehart Rd SE). Lew Wallace is in District 3. You vote for a candidate in your home area. District 3 candidates are Ali Ennenga, Lorenzo L. Garcia (incumbent), Amy Legant, Charles W. White, and Kathleen Chavez. District 5 candidates are Racheal Gonzales, Kayla Renee Marshall, Candelaria "Candy" Patterson, and Annie Sarah Rahman District 7 candidates are Ian Burch, David Eugene Peercy, William H. Steinberg, and Brian David Tierney District 6 candidates are Abbas A. Akhil, Elizabeth A. Armijo, C. Douglas Brown, Melissa Ann Finch, Paula M. Maes, and Paul Louis Sievert. Albuquerque The Magazine, “Above and Beyond” Teacher Nominations : This April, Albuquerque The Magazine will recognize teachers in Albuquerque who really go above and beyond to educate our future generations. Do you know of a teacher who goes above and beyond? Tell them about that teacher and they could be included in our Above & Beyond Teachers feature in our April issue. The link to nominate a teacher is: http://abqthemag.com/events/above-and-beyondteachers/ APS Transfers: If you are considering a transfer for your students, the window is open now. Transfers would be for 5th grade students wanting to attend a middle school outside of their neighborhood boundary, or Lew Wallace students who have moved outside of our boundary who want to continue attending next year, or students considering moving to a different school. You can find the transfer application and information at www.aps.edu/schools/transfers. Volunteering/Chaperoning: Don’t forget to get your background clearance before any field trips or volunteer opportunities that you want to take part in. The cost is $12, and you can fill out a volunteer application on the APS website at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps It takes a couple of weeks for clearance to come through, so apply early. Clearance is good for two years, at any APS schools. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:1/13/17

Weekly News 1/6

January 6, 2017

Dear Lew Wallace families,

Our new Principal Intern, Erin Northern, began working with us this week. I am reprinting her words here (in case you didn’t see your newsletter right before winter break). We are so happy to have her!

My name is Erin Northern and I am honored to be joining Lew Wallace Elementary as a principal intern working alongside Principal Strangio beginning full-time on January 3rd. As a participant in the APS/UNM Aspiring Principal Graduate Program I am matched with a mentor principal in the district for this full-time internship throughout the entire Spring Semester that provides hands-on, comprehensive learning experiences of the principal role. As an educator, I am a Nationally Board Certified teacher with ten years of experience in APS having taught grades K-6. I am so excited to be welcomed to the Lew Wallace community and look forward to meeting and working with each of you and your students. Please take a moment to introduce yourself when you see me around school in January!

Next Wednesday, I will be meeting with any interested 5th grade parents at 5:30 p.m. in the library. We will be talking about middle school transition, different middle school options, the transfer process for students attending middle school outside of their neighborhood, and share information and stories. I’ll get pizza for any parents or students coming. Just drop me an email or a note, or ask your student to let me know so I have an idea of how much pizza to purchase.

It is hard to believe that we are halfway through the school year already! Teachers and staff worked last Tuesday on professional development, and will be engaging in Instructional Rounds over the next weeks, observing each others’ classrooms, reflecting on student learning, and planning big plans for the remainder of the school year. I am grateful every day to work in a school where teachers are so dedicated, reflective, and crazyhard working!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio, Principal Important Dates: Wednesday, January 11, 5:30, 5th grade Transition Meeting for families Wednesday, January 11, National Milk Day Thursday, January 12, 4:00 PTA Meeting Friday, January 13, end of second mid-term Monday, January 16, MLK Day. No school. Thursday, January 19, Family Math Night 5:30-7:00 Thursday, January 19, District Spelling Bee: Go Marcos & Brooklynn! Thursday, January 19, National Popcorn Day Friday, January 20, Mid-Term Report Cards come home Thursday, January 26, National Green Juice Day Friday, January 27, Star Student Lunches Friday, February 3, National Red Day Friday, February 3, Parent/Principal Coffee, 9:00 Monday, February 6, National Frozen Yogurt Day Thursday, February 9, Festival de Bellas Artes, all day, with evening concert. 4th/5th grade. Friday, February 10, National Make A Friend Day Friday, February 17, National Random Acts of Kindness Day Monday, February 20, Presidents’ Day – No school Wednesday, February 22, National Cook a Sweet Potato Day Good Gate News! We finally got the buzzer installed for our back gate. It was installed with mobility-impaired people in mind, and now we can buzz people in the back gate during the school day from the office without having to walk all the way outside and across the playground. When someone presses the button and activates the video camera at the back gate, we get a video connection in the office. If we recognize the person requesting access, we can push a button which will temporarily unlock the gate. The person just needs to pull the gate open, and be sure it is tightly closed behind them so it will re-engage the lock. Please be mindful that, if you decide to buzz us at the gate, we cannot reach the button from our desks, so there may sometimes be a delay as we finish a phone call, or conclude our business with a person in the office. PTA Meeting: Our next PTA meeting is Thursday, January at 4:00 p.m. PTA will be planning events, coordinating classroom support, making budgeting decisions, and looking forward. Please join us! 5th Grade Families – We will be having an informal gathering on Wednesday, January 11th at 5:30 to talk about middle school options and the transfer request process. Come hear what other parents have experienced, learn about your school options, and ask questions. Snow Days: In the event of a 2-hour-delay (usually due to snow or ice) or school-cancellation, you can find that information on any local news station, at aps.edu, or on APS social media. If a 2-hour-delay happens on a Wednesday, then we do not do our regular early release, but instead we release at 3:35. For 2-hour-delay days, the first bell rings at 10:42, and the tardy bell rings at 10:47. Cancelled days have to be made up at the end of the school year. Volunteering/Chaperoning: Don’t forget to get your background clearance before any field trips or volunteer opportunities that you want to take part in. The cost is $12, and you can fill out a volunteer application on the APS website at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps It takes a couple of weeks for clearance to come through, so apply early. Clearance is good for two years, at any APS schools. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:1/6/17

Weekly News 12/9

December 9, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace families,

Saturday, December 10th is our Lew Wallace PTA Community Craft Fair. This is a tremendous fundraiser for Lew Wallace, and a way for us to support our local community by purchasing from local crafters.

‘Best of Burque’ Sean Wells will be there with her amazing art, Ozzie and her clay dolls, we’ll have Christmas crafts, wreaths, and ornaments, jewelry, glasswork, books being sold by local authors, woodwork, hand-knit and crocheted items, hair accessories, painted bags, make-up, beadwork, quilts, dog and pet accessories, folk art, 31 Bags, tin and metal work, Pampered Chef items, stuffed animals, floral arrangements, nightlights, picture frames, Steampunk pieces, whimsical art, Herbalife, candles, decorative pieces, arts & crafts from our own Lew Wallace students and staff, and so many other wonderful things!!!!!

The New Mexico Kettlecorn truck and La Riva’s food truck (Mexican food) will both be there, along with Flying Star coffee to purchase from our PTA. The Divas Albuquerque Dance Team will be performing at 2:00.

We’ll have a silent auction with amazing items to bid on – this will be a primary fundraiser for our PTA and Lew Wallace. You can bid on movie, restaurant (including The Cellar), balloon, floral gift-certificates, Betty’s Day Spa soaks, and a variety of art pieces and holiday crafts.

You will want to be here for sure!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio, Principal

Important Dates: Saturday, December 10, 10:00-3:00 Lew Wallace Craft Fair in the gym Monday, December 12, Flu shot clinic for students Wednesday, December 14, School office closed at 1:00 for our staff holiday party Thursday, December 15, Longfellow buddies visiting December 19 through January 3, Winter Break – No school Wednesday, January 4 School resumes Friday, January 6, Parent/Principal Coffee Wednesday, January 11, 5:30, 5th grade Transition Meeting for families Friday, January 13, end of second mid-term Monday, January 16, MLK Day. No school. Thursday, January 19, Family Math Night 5:307:00 Thursday, January 19, District Spelling Bee: Go Marcos & Brooklynn! Friday, January 27, Star Student Lunches Friday, February 3, National Red Day Friday, February 3, Parent/Principal Coffee Thursday, February 9, Festival de Bellas Artes, all day, with evening concert. 4th/5th grade. Friday, February 10, National Make A Friend Day Monday, February 20, Presidents’ Day – No school

Volunteering/Chaperoning: Don’t forget to get your background clearance before any field trips or volunteer opportunities that you want to take part in. The cost is $12, and you can fill out a volunteer application on the APS website at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps

It takes a couple of weeks for clearance to come through, so apply early. Clearance is good for two years, at any APS schools.

Snow Days: In the event of a 2-hour-delay (usually due to snow or ice) or school-cancellation, you can find that information on any local news station, at aps.edu, or on APS social media. If a 2-hour-delay happens on a Wednesday, then we do not do our regular early release, but instead we release at 3:35. For 2-hourdelay days, the first bell rings at 10:42, and the tardy bell rings at 10:47. Cancelled days have to be made up at the end of the school year.

Y Ties: Please be sure to get your Y Ties orders in next week. We are all out of gold, but we have all the other colors still available as of today. These make great presents!

5th Grade Families: We will be having an informal gathering on Wednesday, January 11th at 5:30 to talk about middle school options and the transfer request process. Come hear what other parents have experienced, learn about your school options, and ask questions.

Bio Park/Santa Visit: We had such a wonderful visit from Santa and the elves this week. The Bio Park and Ms. Lula have been delivering books and presents to every Lew Wallace student for TWENTY-FIVE years!!!! This was Ms. Lula’s last year directing the event, but she has arranged for it to continue for another 25 years through her trust and her elves. We are soooooo grateful to Ms. Lula and to the Bio Park for taking such good care of Lew Wallace kids!

New Staff: Principal Intern: Ms. Erin Northern will be joining our LWES Staff in January as a principal intern. She will be moving into the principal’s office, along with Mrs. Strangio, and will help assume all the duties of principal while she finishes her administrative licensure program. We are excited to have her joining us, and working with families and students. Look for more information in the next newsletter, and you’ll see her happy face when we return to school in January! Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:12/9/16

Weekly News 12/2

December 2, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace families

I am so, so, so, so proud of our spelling bee contestants from today’s school spelling bee!!! You coulda cut the tension with a knife, as students took on crazy-hard words. They all did an amazing job. Marcos Vargas was our grand prize winner, Brooklyn Augustine was our runner-up, and Will Taylor took third place. It was a close contest, with Marcos and Brooklyn going back and forth for a long time. All of our spelling bee participants were brave, and worked so hard, and spelled their hearts out!

Ms. Ori, our family liaison, had her baby yesterday! Mya Elise Mellas is 8 pounds, and 21 inches long, and absolutely gorgeous. Congratulations to Ms. Ori and Mr. Ori, and we are so excited to have another new baby as part of our Lew Wallace community.

I hope to see you all next Wednesday at the Make ‘n’ Take and Book Fair from 5:00-7:00. There are so many fun projects and crafts to be done. I’ll be pounding carols out on the piano upstairs – come up and sing a verse or two! Then, Saturday, December 10th is our Lew Wallace PTA Community Craft Fair. This is a tremendous fundraiser for Lew Wallace, and a way for us to support our local community by purchasing from local crafters.

This week your student brought home permission slips for our Flu Immunization Clinic, which will take place on Monday December 12th. Please return the form as soon as possible in order to meet the December 5th deadline (so that the school has the correct number of vaccines). This is an injection, not the mist that was used in past years. The health department is encouraging all students to get the flu shot. If you have any questions or concerns, you can call our nurse, Carrie Pérez, at 8489409.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio, Principal

Important Dates: All next week is the School Book Fair!!! Monday, December 5, Book Fair open 8:00-4:00. Tuesday, December 6, Book Fair open 8:00-4:00 Wednesday, December 7, BioPark holiday visit and thank-you tea for Ms. Lula Wednesday, December 7, Book Fair open 8:001:00 and 5:00-7:00 Wednesday, December 7, 5:30-7:00 Family Night: Literacy Make ‘n’ Take and Book Fair Thursday, December 8, Ms. Talley’s class field trip to Kuau Ruins. Thursday, December 8, Book Fair open 8:00-4:00 Friday, December 9, 9:00 Principal/Parent Coffee Friday, December 9, Star Student Lunches Friday, December 9, Book Fair open 8:00-1:00 Saturday, December 10, 10:00-3:00 Lew Wallace Craft Fair in the gym Monday, December 12, Flu shot clinic for students Wednesday, December 14, School office closed at 1:00. December 19 through January 3, Winter Break – No school Wednesday, January 4 School resumes Friday, January 6, Parent/Principal Coffee Monday, January 16, MLK Day. No school. Thursday, January 19, Family Math Night 5:307:00 Friday, January 27, Star Student Lunches

Ms. Lula: Ms. Lula has been bringing Santa Claus, elves, presents for the school, presents for every student, and bags of coats and gloves to Lew Wallace for TWENTY-FIVE years!!! We will be honoring her with a thank-you tea after their visit next Wednesday. If you would like to send her a thank you note, or bring in something yummy to share next Wednesday, please be in touch with us in the office. We are so grateful for Ms. Lula and her dedication!!!

Snow Days: In the event of a 2-hour-delay (usually due to snow or ice) or school-cancellation, you can find that information on any local news station, at aps.edu, or on APS social media. If a 2-hour-delay happens on a Wednesday, then we do not do our regular early release, but instead we release at 3:35. For 2-hourdelay days, the first bell rings at 10:42, and the tardy bell rings at 10:47. Cancelled days have to be made up at the end of the school year.

Make ‘n’ Take and Book Fair: Be sure to join us next Wednesday night, between 5:00 and 7:00 to make fabulous holiday crafts, join in for a sing-along, shop at our Lew Wallace Book Fair. You can purchase a Del Taco dinner plate for $3/person.

Nightly Reading: One of the most powerful ways families can support their kids is with nightly reading. 20 minutes of reading every night adds up to 121 hours of reading per year, nearly 2 MILLION words for an average 3rd grader. For younger students, reading with an adult is powerful, while older students develop strong habits reading independently.

Bio Park/Santa Visit: On Wednesday, December 7th, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be visiting Lew Wallace. Ms. Lula has been sponsoring this event at Lew Wallace for 25 years!!! We will be celebrating her, and her dedication to Lew Wallace kids this year. If you would prefer that your child not receive a visit from Santa or an Elf, please let me know. Each child will be given a book and a gift – let me know as well if you would prefer that your child not receive a gift.

Craft Fair Booths Available for Vendors and Crafters: Saturday, December 10th is our Lew Wallace Craft Fair! This is an awesome event for our community as a fund raiser, as a get-together, and for folks to do their holiday shopping from local artists and small businesses. We are still looking for artists, vendors, crafters, local artisans, food trucks, etc. 8x8 booth rentals are $30 and we have a few left. If you or someone you know is interested in having a booth, contact Dominica Rivera at [email protected] or 270-9401. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:12/2/16

Weekly News 11/18

November 18, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace families,

My heart is so full tonight! I just got home, thoroughly exhausted, after our most-incredible New Mexico Family Culture Night. Two of our fabulous Lew Wallace Students, Adriano Begaye and Lafadrian Tsosie, along with their mom Earlvandaline, and lots of extended family and friends, delighted us with drumming, singing, and dancing, representing the Navajo Nation, the Pueblos, and the Sioux Lakota tribe. They were truly amazing, and had me crying happy tears much of the night. They ended by leading us all in a circle friendship dance, and we were an amazing blend of cultures, experiences, and backgrounds, all united as the Lew Wallace community.

We also made cornhusk dolls, punched tin, made crafts, rolled out homemade spaghetti, and had a wonderful time coming together and celebrating our diversity and our unity. Thank you so much to our teachers, staff, and volunteers who made this happen!

Our Thanksgiving lunch earlier in the day was also a celebration of our community, and a chance to be thankful for each other. And Wednesday morning, students got to enjoy Cocoa with a Cop, get autographs, meet a police therapy dog, and ask questions. Thank you to Melanie Lewis for arranging that, and thank you to our volunteers that helped pull it all together.

We have so much to be thankful for at Lew Wallace – families, teachers, a beautiful school, a great staff, heat, food, security, and most of all, each other. I am grateful for every one of you and for your beautiful children.

Enjoy your Thanksgiving holiday week with your families, and I will hold you all in my heart until we are back together again.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio, Principal Important Dates: Monday & Tuesday, November 20 & 21, Parent/Teacher Conferences. No school. Wednesday/Thursday/Friday, November 22/23/24, Thanksgiving Break. No school. Monday, November 28, School resumes Tuesday, November 29, 4th grade bike rodeo Wednesday, November 30, Fire Marshal assemblies Thursday, December 1, National Eat an Apple Day Friday, December 2, School Spelling Bee (3rd/4th/5th graders) December 5, School Book Fair opens! Wednesday, December 7, BioPark holiday visit Wednesday, December 7, 5:30-7:00 Family Night: Literacy Make ‘n’ Take and Book Fair Thursday, December 8, Ms. Talley’s class field trip to Kuau Ruins. Friday, December 9, 9:00 Principal/Parent Coffee Friday, December 9, Star Student Lunches Saturday, December 10, 10:00-3:00 Lew Wallace Craft Fair December 19 through January 3, Winter Break – No school Wednesday, January 4 School resumes Friday, January 6, Parent/Principal Coffee Monday, January 16, MLK Day. No school. Thursday, January 19, Family Math Night 5:30-7:00 Friday, January 27, Star Student Lunches Thanksgiving Lunch Thanks A HUGE thank you to Ms. Gabby, our amazing kitchen staff, and all the LWES staff and volunteers for such a great Thanksgiving lunch. The food was delicious, the company was delightful, and decorations were perfect. What a beautiful time for all of our community to come together. Another thanks to Ms. Sandra Abruzo who purchased tables for us so we could have all of the kids eat in the cafeteria!!! No School Next Week Parent/Teacher conferences are Monday and Tuesday, and Thanksgiving break is Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. We’ll see you back for school on Monday November 28th! School Spelling Bee: Our school spelling bee will be Friday, December 2nd at 9:00 at the First Spanish Fruit Avenue Baptist Church. All are invited! Thank You to our Downtown Neighborhood Association: Our Downtown Neighborhood Association donated $1000 to Lew Wallace, through our PTA. This will be used to support classrooms, with a focus on more access to art and music. We are grateful for their support! Nightly Reading: One of the most powerful ways families can support their kids is with nightly reading. 20 minutes of reading every night adds up to 121 hours of reading per year, nearly 2 MILLION words for an average 3rd grader. For younger students, reading with an adult is powerful, while older students develop strong habits reading independently. Craft Fair Booths Available for Vendors and Crafters: Saturday, December 10th is our Lew Wallace Craft Fair! This is an awesome event for our community as a fund raiser, as a get-together, and for folks to do their holiday shopping from local artists and small businesses. We are still looking for artists, vendors, crafters, local artisans, food trucks, etc. 8x8 booth rentals are $30 and we have a few left. If you or someone you know is interested in having a booth, contact Dominica Rivera at [email protected] or 270-9401. Bio Park/Santa Visit: On Wednesday, December 7th, Santa and Mrs. Claus will be visiting Lew Wallace. Ms. Lula has been sponsoring this event at Lew Wallace for 25 years!!! We will be celebrating her, and her dedication to Lew Wallace kids this year. If you would prefer that your child not receive a visit from Santa or an Elf, please let me know. Each child will be given a book and a gift – let me know as well if you would prefer that your child not receive a gift. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:11/18/16

Weekly News 10/28

October 28, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace families,

Tonight is Fall Festival, and we are all a-quiver with excitement. This spirit week has been so much fun – there is nothing better than coming to school in pajamas! Today was Fall Festival Dress-Up Day, and kids and staff had fun showing off their outfits. Thank you to our amazing Student Council members, and their teacher Ms. Taylor, for organizing such a fun week! On Monday, Halloween Day, we will not be in costume – As much as is possible (hahaha!), we will have a nice, quiet, normal day.

Our PTA members and school staff have been working like crazy getting ready for Fall Festival. The school looks amazing, with decorations everywhere. Booths are built, tickets were sold, food was ordered, a million bazillion details were taken care of. Please give them a big thank-you for putting together such an amazing event. They have been at the school until late into the evenings getting things together. The Fall Festival is our biggest PTA fund raiser. All of the money raised by our PTA goes directly back to the school by way of paying for field trips, busses, and classroom supplies.

And thank you to YOU, Lew Wallace families who generously support the PTA, the school, and Fall Festival. It wouldn’t be the success that it is without your purchasing tickets, donating items, and showing up. I can’t wait to see you all at Fall Festival tonight!!!!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio, Principal Important Dates: Tonight -- Friday, October 28, 5:30 Fall Festival!!!!! Monday, October 31, Normal, quiet, regular ol’ day Tuesday, November 1, 5th grade climbing wall activities Wednesday, November 2, Picture Re-takes Thursday, November 3, National Sandwich Day Friday, November 4, Parent/Principal Coffee and Chat Friday, November 4, STAR Student Lunches Tuesday, November 8, Election Day – No School Wednesday, November 9, Science Assemblies with awesome Dr. Duda Friday, November 11, Veteran’s Day – No School Monday, November 14, World Kindness Day Tuesday, November 15, 5th grade field trip to Popejoy for the New Mexico Symphony Wednesday, November 16, 8:30-10:00, Morning Cocoa with a Cop Thursday, November 17, Thanksgiving Lunches Thursday, November 17, 5:30-7:00 p.m. New Mexico Culture Night for families Friday, November 18, Roots of Jazz Assembly for 3rd/4th/5th grades Monday & Tuesday, November 20 & 21, Parent/Teacher Conferences. No school. Wednesday/Thursday/Friday, November 22/23/24, Thanksgiving Break. Monday, November 28, School resumes Tuesday, November 29, 4th grade bike rodeo Wednesday, November 30, Fire Marshal assemblies Thursday, December 1, National Eat a Red Apple Day Friday, December 2, School Spelling Bee (3rd/4th/5th graders) December 5, School Book Fair opens! Cocoa with a Cop! Members of the APS Police Department are coming on Wednesday, November 16, from 8:30 to 10:00 to meet and greet parents and community, and then have a cup of hot chocolate with kids. Parents and kids are welcome to drop in to the gym before school to meet some of the awesome people who help keep our schools safe, ask questions, and find out more about our APS Police. Students will also get to visit once school begins. No School 11/8 & 11/11 All APS schools will be closed for Election Day on November 8th, and for Veteran’s Day on November 11th. That means we’ll only have school on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday of that week! No Toys at School Please help your little ones remember not to bring any toys to play with at school. They are easily lost, broken, and stolen. Have you Liked us on Facebook??? Not only will you find this amazing weekly newsletter there, but you’ll get up-to-the-minute information, see fun pictures, and always have the latest scoop! Background Checks In order to volunteer at the school, or work in a classroom, or be a chaperone on field trips, adults must be cleared through APS with a background check. All background checks are done online. They cost $12 and are good for two years. The website is: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps Navigating the system can be tricky – if you have trouble with it, I am happy to sit with you and help you get through it quickly. It generally takes 1-2 weeks to get your clearance, so be sure to plan ahead for any upcoming field trips. If you do not have APS background clearance, you may not attend a school field trip. Please do not put our teachers or students at risk by showing up for a field trip without it. Looking for Volunteer Do any of you speak Navajo (Diné bizaad) or Tewa? Or are you a Native person who would be willing to share about your culture? Would you be willing to lead an after-school culture or language club? We have a growing population of Native students, and we would love to offer more opportunities for them to explore and share their culture at school. Please let me know if you are willing to come and help us with this! Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:10/28/16

Weekly News 10/21

October 21, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace families,

Fall Festival is right around the corner, and we are busy getting ready for tons of fun and playing. We’ll have game booths in every room, a cake walk, jack-o-lantern contest, pizza, caramel apples, and cotton candy to purchase, and fun at every turn. Families are welcome to come in costume, but please nothing too scary for our littlest ones, and absolutely no pretend weapons at all.

This week I went down to the City Annex (next to the Palms on Lomas) and voted. It was fast and convenient, and so close to school! All other early voting sites will open on Saturday, October 22nd. On Election Day, Tuesday, November 8th, all schools are closed for voting (although Lew Wallace will not be a voting site). Later that week, Friday, November 11th, is Veteran’s Day, and schools are closed again. What a weird week! So, we will have school only on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday that week. Please be sure not to send kids to school Election Day or Veteran’s Day since nobody will be here at the school.

Our afterschool clubs are well underway, and are mostly full. We are looking for a community member who might be willing to teach a Native Culture club. If you are willing, or if you know of anyone who might be, please let us know. Also, if you happen to have any extra guitars, violins, or trumpets in your attic, our mariachi club needs more instruments, either to keep or borrow.

I hope to see you all next Friday at our awesome Fall Festival. This is our biggest event of the year, and is a great time to connect with our community.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio, Principal Important Dates: Monday, October 24, Crazy Hair Day Tuesday, October 25, Sports Jersey Day Wednesday, October 26, School Colors Day (royal blue and silver) Thursday, October 27, Pajama Day Thursday, October 27, Ortiz & Taylor’s class field trip to Wagner Farms Friday, October 28, Fall Festival Dress-Up Day Friday, October 28, 5:30 Fall Festival!!!!! Tuesday, November 1, 5th grade climbing wall activities Wednesday, November 2, Picture Re-takes Thursday, November 3, National Sandwich Day Friday, November 4, Parent/Principal Coffee and Chat Friday, November 4, STAR Student Lunches Tuesday, November 8, Election Day – No School Wednesday, November 9, Science Assemblies with awesome Dr. Duda Friday, November 11, Veteran’s Day – No School Monday, November 14, World Kindness Day Tuesday, November 15, 5th grade field trip to Popejoy for the New Mexico Symphony Thursday, November 17, Thanksgiving Lunches (see attached) Thursday, November 17, 5:30-7:00 p.m. New Mexico Culture Night for families Friday, November 18, Roots of Jazz Assembly for 3rd/4th/5th grades Monday & Tuesday, November 20 & 21, Parent/Teacher Conferences. No school. Wednesday/Thursday/Friday, November 22/23/24, Thanksgiving Break. Monday, November 28, School resumes Tuesday, November 29, 4th grade bike rodeo Spirit Week Next Week! Our Student Council is sponsoring Spirit Week, and every day next week will have a theme for kids to participate in, if they choose to. Monday: Crazy Hair Day Tuesday: Sports Jersey Day Wednesday: School Colors Day (royal blue and silver) Thursday: Pajama Day Friday: Fall Festival Dress-Up Day (nothing gory or scary, no pretend weapons, nothing that will interfere with learning) Fall Festival Donations needed We need lots of cheap little trinkets/toys (like dollar store stuff), 12 packs of soda, bags of candy, jars of large whole pickles, and bottled water. No Toys at School: Please help your little ones remember not to bring any toys to play with at school. They are easily lost, broken, and stolen. Have you Liked us on Facebook??? Not only will you find this amazing weekly newsletter there, but you’ll get up-to-theminute information, see fun pictures, and always have the latest scoop! Background Checks: In order to volunteer at the school, or work in a classroom, or be a chaperone on field trips, adults must be cleared through APS with a background check. All background checks are done online. They cost $12 and are good for two years. The website is: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps Navigating the system can be tricky – if you have trouble with it, I am happy to sit with you and help you get through it quickly. It generally takes 1-2 weeks to get your clearance, so be sure to plan ahead for any upcoming field trips. If you do not have APS background clearance, you may not attend a school field trip. Please do not put our teachers or students at risk by showing up for a field trip without it. Do We Have Your Email Address On-File??? Every Friday your child comes home with a school newsletter. If you have your email address in our system (on the registration card), you will automatically receive the newsletter by email each Friday. This is especially useful when there are two households, or if your child has a black hole in their backpack. Be sure we have updated email addresses so you are always in-the-loop. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:10/22/16

Weekly News 10/14

October 14, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace families,

We are seeing some awesome things happening around Lew Wallace as a result of proposals for increased safety measures. One of those is having two crossing guards before- and after-school at the corner of 7th and Fruit. Fruit Street is our scariest area, and I am grateful to have these wonderful guards slowing down traffic, crossing children and families, and keeping us safer. Please give these women a wave and a thank-you when you see them, and be extra-alert as you come for pickup and drop-off.

There are a few other initiatives that we have requested that are being worked on by the city of Albuquerque and APS Maintenance and Operations: Locking the front door with a doorbell and buzzer so we can buzz parents in during the day; Turning the Fruit Street curb into a no-parking zone so kids don’t have to dodge between cars beforeand after-school; Increased video coverage of the campus; Installing a buzzer on the back gate so we can buzz parents in after we make identification via video confirmation.

Being in a downtown school means we have lots of extra excitement in our periphery – news helicopters when there’s a breaking story, the sounds of sirens when APD heads out on a call, community members walking by, etc. We live in a sweet little parallel universe here in the school – we are always close to the action, but rarely a part of it (thank goodness!). Our increased security measures come out of a desire to stay ahead of any potential problems and continue to keep our children and our community safe, healthy, and thriving!

I’ll keep you posted as to the progress of these initiatives in the coming weeks!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio, Principal Important Dates: Sunday, October 16 5:30 p.m., Lew Wallace staff is participating in the Walk Like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) at UNM. Let me know if you’re interested in joining us! October 17-21 is Safe Schools Week. Thursday, October 20, 3rd grade field trip to the CEC Planetarium and Albuquerque HS Thursday, October 20, 4:00-7:00 Lights on Afterschool and School Choice Fair, Convention Center (see below) October 24-28, National Red Ribbon Week Thursday, October 27, Ms. Ortiz & Ms. Taylor’s class field trip to Wagner Farms Friday, October 28, 5:30 Fall Festival!!!!! Tuesday, November 1, 5th grade climbing wall activities Wednesday, November 2, Picture Re-takes Friday, November 4, Parent/Principal Coffee and Chat Friday, November 4, STAR Student Lunches Tuesday, November 8, Election Day – No School Wednesday, November 9, Science Assemblies with the awesome Dr. Duda Friday, November 11, Veteran’s Day – No School Monday, November 14, World Kindness Day Tuesday, November 15, 5th grade field trip to Popejoy for the New Mexico Symphony Thursday, November 17, Thanksgiving Lunches (see attached) Thursday, November 17, 5:30-7:00 p.m. New Mexico Culture Night for families Box Tops: Box tops need to be turned in by October 28th to be counted for this semester’s contest. The class with the most box tops will win a pizza party! Background Checks: In order to volunteer at the school, or work in a classroom, or be a chaperone on field trips, adults must be cleared through APS with a background check. All background checks are done online. They cost $12 and are good for two years. The website is: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps Navigating the system can be tricky – if you have trouble with it, I am happy to sit with you and help you get through it quickly. It generally takes 1-2 weeks to get your clearance, so be sure to plan ahead for any upcoming field trips. If you do not have APS background clearance, you may not attend a school field trip. Please do not put our teachers or students at risk by showing up for a field trip without it. Fall Festival Donations needed: We need lots of cheap little trinkets/toys (like dollar store stuff), 12 packs of soda, bags of candy, jars of large whole pickles, and bottled water. Entertainment Books: Please be sure you have turned in any unsold Entertainment books and order forms. We will be turning everything in to the fundraising company on Monday morning. School Choice Fair/Lights On After School: On October 20th, 4:00-7:00, you can find Lew Wallace staff at the Convention Center, along with folks from a variety of other APS and charter schools. If you are thinking about your middle school options the next years, this would be a great place to come and see what options are out there. Besides showcasing our wonderful little school, we will also be showing off our clubs program, answering questions about after-school clubs, and talking about the need for strong after-school programming and options for keeping kids busy. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:10/14/16

Weekly News 9/23

September 23, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace families,

We finally got approval for our re-configured Afterschool Clubs, and we are ready to roll!!!!

Here’s the weekly schedule:

Monday mornings, 8:00-8:30, 4th/5th grade Rhythm & Movement with Ms. Jennifer in the gym Monday afternoons, 3:45-4:45, 3rd/4th/5th grade Student Council with Ms. Taylor Tuesday mornings, 8:00-8:30, K/1st/2nd/3rd grade Rhythm & Movement with Ms. Jennifer in the gym Tuesday afternoons, 3:45-4:45, 3rd/4th/5th grade Yoga Club with Mr. Chavez Wednesday mornings, 7:40-8:40 Mariachi Club with two awesome community members, Raymundo and RaeAnna. We have instruments to lend to participating students! Thursday afternoons, 3:45-4:45, 3rd/4th/5th grade Spelling & Vocabulary club with Ms. Jennifer (for students interested in participating in the school spelling bee) Friday afternoons, 3:45-4:45, K/1st/2nd Gardening Buddies with Ms. Montoya.

If your child was already signed up for a club, even if the day or teacher changed, they are still on the list. You just need to fill out the attached CSI Student Registration Form. If your child was not already signed up for a club that they want to participate in, just fill out the CSI Student Registration Form, and we’ll let you know right away if there is still room in that club.

If your child is in Parks & Rec or RGEC after clubs, we’ll make sure they get there. If you are picking them up, please be sure to be there by 4:45. We don’t have anyone available after 4:45 to watch students.

And let me just give one more little plug for Mariachi Club! J Raymundo and Raeanna were both students of mine when I was a music teacher at Washington Middle School, a million years ago. They both grew up to be accomplished mariachis, and are both playing professionally now, as well as helping me run the Festival de Bellas Artes each year at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. They are amazing young adults and they bring a wealth of experience and culture. We have a stash of guitars and violins, and even a couple of trumpets to lend students who want to participate. Older students with little or no experience, or younger students with some music experience will do well in this club.

If you have any questions about clubs, or are interested in helping out, be in touch any time.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio, Principal Important Dates: Fall Clubs are starting next week!!! More information on back. Tuesday, September 27, 2nd grade field trip to the CEC Planetarium and Bio Park Tuesday, September 27, Fall Festival PTA Planning Meeting, 3:45 in room 102. Wednesday, September 28, 4th grade Animal Humane presentations Friday, September 30, 9:00 Coffee with the Principal. Friday, September 30, STAR Student Lunch Monday, October 3, National Kale Day. Tuesday, October 4, Picture Day October 6-7, Fall break, no school Tuesday, October 11, 4th grade field trip to the Rio Grande Nature Center Tuesday, October 11, Kindergarten field trip to McCalls Pumpkin Patch Sunday, October 16 5:30 p.m., Lew Wallace staff is participating in the Walk Like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) at UNM. Let me know if you’re interested in joining us! Thursday, October 20, 4:30 Lights on Afterschool celebration of clubs October 24-28, National Red Ribbon Week Friday, October 28, 5:30 Fall Festival Tuesday, November 1, 5th grade climbing wall activities Wednesday, November 2, Picture Re-takes PTA Information: A Fall Festival Planning meeting is Tuesday, September 27th at 3:45, and the PTA needs lots of help. The Fall Festival is as great as the strength and contributions of the amazing people who pull it off! The PTA is looking for fall decorations such as scarecrows, pumpkins, bales of hay, and such to decorate for the Fall Festival. If you can help with organizing, running a booth, or setting up, please let us know! Christmas Cantata: Members of the Gracias Choir from South Korea have invited our school to a Christmas Cantata on September 27th, 7:00, at Tingley Colliseum. Because of the religious nature of this concert, I am not sending the tickets and flyers home with students, but I have them here at the school for anybody who would like to attend. They are asking for donations, but the tickets are free. Attendees must be at least 5 years old to attend. Background Checks: In order to volunteer at the school, or work in a classroom, or be a chaperone on field trips, adults must be cleared through APS with a background check. All background checks are done online. They cost $12 and are good for two years. The website is: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps Navigating the system can be tricky – if you have trouble with it, I am happy to sit with you and help you get through it quickly. I also have a little money set-aside to pay for background checks for anyone who needs help. It generally takes 1-2 weeks to get your clearance, so be sure to plan ahead for any upcoming field trips. If you do not have APS background clearance, you may not attend a school field trip. Please do not put our teachers or students at risk by showing up for a field trip without it. Spanish Class: We are so fortunate to have Mr. Richard Cisneros here this year teaching many of our Spanish classes. Every student at Lew Wallace gets Spanish instruction, either from their bilingualcertified classroom teacher, or from Mr. Cisneros. Students participate in Spanish classes for 45 minutes a day, every day except Wednesdays. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:9/23/16

Weekly News 9/16

September 16, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace families,

This week was startlingly easy and wonderful. After two weeks of worrying and fretting about all the changes to primary classes, everyone showed up on Monday ready-to-go, and by 10:00 Monday morning, you would have had no idea that anything was different. Students were learning, teachers were teaching, and everything looked normal. Ms. Ortiz returned home from her epic journey to Russia, Mr. DeLaO began his wonderful K/1 class at his new school, and our resilient students hardly missed a beat. It’s been a good week of living into the newness.

If you have a 4th grader in your family, you can get FREE access to ALL national parks, lands and waters for a full year by visiting https://www.everykidinapark.gov/! And how awesome is this? If you are visiting a site that charges per-person, this pass admits all children under 16 and up to three adults for free! And if you visit a site that charges vehicle entrance fees, the pass admits all children under 16 and all adults in up to one passenger vehicle for free! To snag this pass, your 4th grader just needs to head to https://www.everykidinapark.gov/get-your-pass/fourthgrader, complete an online activity, and then download and print their personalized voucher! The paper voucher can also be exchanged for a more durable Annual 4th Grade Pass at certain federal lands or waters sites. These passes are valid for your whole 4th grade year!

We have several teacher-trainings coming up in the next weeks. Most teacher trainings happen on school days, and most are required for teachers as new programs and curricula are implemented. Fortunately, we have some pretty amazing in-house substitute teachers and educational assistants that take good care of our kids while teachers are being students, and with teachers’ good sub plans, classrooms are able to stay right on track. But we are always looking to broaden our substitute teacher pool. If you think you have what it takes, and hanging out at Lew Wallace with some of the awesomest kids in the world sounds like a good time to you, let me know so I can help you get started with your substitute teacher application! I have to admit, we have a darn good time here at school, and we all work hard together to create a great learning experience.

And if you’re looking at something with a little less responsibility, consider volunteering! You will need to get background clearance in order to do so – the website for applying is http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps. If you need help getting through the application, or help paying the $12 fee, be in touch with us in the office. It generally takes about 2 weeks for clearance to come through, so be sure you apply well before any field trips or classroom activities that you want to participate in.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio, Principal Important Dates: CANCELLED: Fall Clubs We are holding off on the start of clubs for a couple of weeks. Thursday, September 22, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Sandia Labs Family Science Night. Pizza will be served beginning at 5:30. Volunteers needed! Thursday, September 22, 5th Grade Sandia Mountain Field Trip Friday, September 23, Globalquerque field trip (Montoya, Chavez, Kasprzak, and Talley) Friday, September 23, Kona Ice Truck is coming after school! PTA Fundraiser. Tuesday, September 27, 2nd grade field trip to the CEC Planetarium and Bio Park Tuesday, September 27, Fall Festival PTA Planning Meeting, 3:45 in room 102. Friday, September 30, 9:00 Coffee with the Principal. Friday, September 30, STAR Student Lunch Monday, October 3, National Kale Day. It really feels like we should do something to mark this day. Any ideas? Tuesday, October 4, Picture Day October 6-7, Fall break, no school Tuesday, October 11, 4th grade field trip to the Rio Grande Nature Center Tuesday, October 11, Kindergarten field trip to the pumpkin patch Thursday, October 20, 4:30 Lights on Afterschool celebration of clubs Friday, October 28, 5:30 Fall Festival PTA Information: Lots of stuff is happening with our awesome PTA! They are always looking for volunteers. You can still sign up to be a member – Stop by the office and pick up a membership form, or visit the PTA link at lewwallace.aps.edu. A Fall Festival Planning meeting is Tuesday, September 27th at 3:45, and the PTA needs lots of help. The Fall Festival is as great as the strength and contributions of the amazing people who pull it off! Science Night: Be sure to mark your calendars for our first Family Engagement Night on Thursday, September 22nd beginning with PIZZA at 5:30 p.m., and dozens of awesome science experiments starting at 6:00, sponsored by Sandia Labs, Lockheed Martin, and Explora! We need 3-4 adult volunteers to help with serving pizza, setting up, and helping with science centers, so be in touch if you can lend a hand! Afterschool Clubs on hold, postponed temporarily: We’re getting close, but we are waiting for approval of our new clubs and our new clubs budget. Fingers crossed that we will be able to start really soon – I’ll keep you posted! So far, here’s what it’s looking like… Student Council will move to Mondays with Ms. Taylor Tuesday afternoons we will add a Spelling Bee club with Ms. Bayley, especially geared towards 3rd/4th/5th graders who want to participate in December’s Spelling Bee. Monday and Tuesday mornings will continue to be Rhythm and Movement with Ms. Bayley (4th/5th Mon, K3rd Tues). Wednesday mornings we will have Mariachi Club!!!! 7:40-8:40, taught by two young adult mariachi masters. Thursday afternoons will continue to be Yoga Club with Mr. Chavez. Friday afternoons will continue to be Gardening Buddies Club with Ms. Montoya. As soon as we get the thumbs-up, I’ll send out information! If your child was already enrolled in a club, they are still on the list for that club. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:9/16/16

Weekly News 9/9

September 9, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace families,

Mr. DeLaO requested that we not have a good-bye party for him today. So, to respect his wishes, but also to have a little fun, we did not have a good-bye party, but instead had a good-PIE party. Staff and friends brought homemade pies, and store-bought pies, and even ice cream to top the pies. Mr. DeLaO’s class, along with Ms. Thomas, the new 3rd grade teacher, took over the front lawn, and enjoyed a variety of pie a la mode in the sunshine, with wonderful parents and staff serving. It was a perfect send-off for our beloved teacher. Mr. DeLaO will start at Sombra del Monte Elementary School on Monday, teaching a Kindergarten/1st grade combo class. He is super excited about getting back to his early-childhood teaching roots, and starting in a fresh new classroom, in a school close to his home. We sent him off with sooooo much love and good wishes. He will always be in our hearts, and has made a tremendous impact on Lew Wallace students for over 14 years.

Ms. Thomas worked closely with Mr. DeLaO this week on getting ready to take over his classroom, and she will be ready to hit the road without missing a beat on Monday morning. We moved our 1st and 2nd grade students around this afternoon, and they had time with their new classes and got settled in so that they will also be rarin’ to go on Monday morning. Ms. Ortiz has been texting and emailing like crazy from Russia where she is part of a cultural exchange, and has been participating in all of the decisions about classroom moves from afar. I think that the hardest part is over, and I am so looking forward to watching our new classrooms take flight next week!

So many of our families have been incredibly gracious and supportive this week, even though it has been so stressful. We would never choose to move students once school begins. But because our numbers dropped so significantly in 2nd grade, we were not allowed to keep the classroom position. However, I do feel like we just made a huge pot of sweet delicious lemonade out of lemons, and I am always humbled and grateful to be reminded how awesome our whole community is when we band together for the good of our kids.

Very truly, and very gratefully,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: CANCELLED: September 6, Fall Clubs begin We will hold off on the start of clubs for a couple of weeks. Thursday, September 15, 5:00, PTA meeting in the library Friday, September 16, Constitution Day at school Saturday, September 17, 11:00-12:00, Blue Box Cooking Class. RSVP to the office by Wednesday, September 14. Thursday, September 22, 5th Grade Sandia Mountain Field Trip Thursday, September 22, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Sandia Labs Family Science Night. Pizza will be served. Tuesday, September 27, 2nd grade field trip to the CEC Planetarium Friday, September 30, 9:00 Coffee with the Principal. Tuesday, October 4, Picture Day October 6-7, Fall break, no school Tuesday, October 11, 4th grade field trip to the Rio Grande Nature Center Tuesday, October 11, Kindergarten field trip to the pumpkin patch Saturday, October 15, 11:00-12:00, Blue Box Cooking Class Thursday, October 20, 4:30 Lights on Afterschool celebration of clubs Friday, October 28, Fall Festival Afterschool Clubs on hold, postponed temporarily: With our unexpected budget cut, and with staff changes, we will need to postpone the start of clubs for a little bit. Please bear with us a for a couple of weeks while we get our ducks back in a row, and put our budget and our programs back together. I will let you know as soon as our new budget is approved and we are ready-to-go with the new clubs! Science Night: Be sure to mark your calendars for our first Family Engagement Night on Thursday, September 22nd beginning with PIZZA at 5:30 p.m., and dozens of awesome science experiments starting at 6:00, sponsored by Sandia Labs, Lockheed Martin, and Explora! Pre-School: If you know of any pre-K students, A Child’s Garden Preschool (located in the First Presbyterian Church building downtown) has availability in their daily 9:00-1:00 preschool program, and they have full-tuition scholarships available. Contact them at 764-2920, [email protected], or visit them online at http://www.achildsgardenabq.org Blue Box Cooking Classes: St. Martins Hospitality Center provides us with food bags for families on Fridays. They’re also offering monthly Saturday cooking classes here at school! The next cooking class will be Saturday, September 17 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in room 101, Ms. Sonya’s room. The whole family is invited! RSVP by Thursday, September 15th to the school office, or to Jamie Clauss at St. Martins: (505)843-9405 ext.221, or [email protected] Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:9/9/16

Weekly News 9/2

September 2, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace families,

This week’s letter is a hard one to write, and it may cause great stress for some of you, as well. We found out on Wednesday, because our numbers are too low in second grade this year, that we will need to cut one teacher. At a tearful staff meeting on Wednesday afternoon, we discussed our many bad options, and at the end of the day, Mr. DeLaO, a Lew Wallace treasure for over 14 years, decided that this was his opportunity to move on and try something new, while being closer and more available to his family. We are incredibly sad to see him leave – he has been a beautiful champion of Lew Wallace students.

Because of our low second grade numbers, we have been directed to create a 1st/2nd grade combo class, in addition to two 1st grade classes and one 2nd grade class. We don’t yet know exactly what that configuration will look like yet – there are a lot of pieces still to think through. I do know, however, that Ms. Thomas (1st grade teacher) will be moving to 3rd grade to take Mr. DeLaO’s class. Ms. Thomas is rock-solid teacher, and I am thrilled that she’ll be able to keep that classroom humming, and pick up right where Mr. DeLaO left off. She already popped in to meet the students, and she and Mr. DeLaO have already started planning a smooth transition.

Ms. Thomas’ students will move into the 1st/2nd combo class, or into one of the remaining 1st grade classes. We will be very conscious of maintaining good balance in all classes, while making the best academic decisions for each of her students. I should have that information by next week, and we will be in touch with Ms. Thomas’ families directly as soon as we know. As well, some of our second graders will also be changing classrooms, as some will move into the larger straight 2nd grade class, and others will move into the 1st/2nd combo class. Again, we don’t yet know who will be teaching what, but when we do, we will make the best decisions for those students, and will be in touch with families directly.

I’m sure you can imagine the anguish our LWES staff is feeling right now, but the brightest spot in my week was the way our staff pulled together on Wednesday night, and committed to doing absolutely whatever was necessary to serve our sweet students. The conversations on Thursday were all about individual students, and their needs, and how we were going to be sure each of them have the least trauma in moving, and the most set-up for success. I received texts from teachers well into the night with just one more thought about one more student to consider. And I promise you, each one of them will be considered and cared for with all our hearts as we move into this next week.

1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade families, I will be back in touch next week as soon as I have concrete information about classroom configurations.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Monday, September 5, Labor Day, no school CANCELLED: September 6, Fall Clubs begin We will hold off on the start of clubs for a couple of weeks. Thursday, September 15, 5:00, PTA meeting in the library Saturday, September 17, 11:00-12:00, Blue Box Cooking Class. RSVP to the office by Wednesday, September 14. Thursday, September 22, 5th Grade Sandia Mountain Field Trip Thursday, September 22, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Sandia Labs Family Science Night. Pizza will be served. Tuesday, September 27, 2nd grade field trip to the CEC Planetarium Friday, September 30, 9:00 Coffee with the Principal. Tuesday, October 4, Picture Day October 6-7, Fall break, no school Tuesday, October 11, 4th grade field trip to the Rio Grande Nature Center Saturday, October 15, 11:00-12:00, Blue Box Cooking Class Thursday, October 20, 4:30 Lights on Afterschool celebration of clubs Friday, October 28, Fall Festival Afterschool Clubs on hold, postponed temporarily: We were originally planning on starting our afterschool clubs next week. However with our unexpected teacher budget cut, and with so many staff changes happening over the next two weeks, we will need to postpone the start of clubs for a little bit. As well, with Mr. DeLaO’s departure, we will be working to find new leadership to carry on his wonderful clubs. Please bear with us a for a couple of weeks while we get our ducks back in a row, and put our budget and our programs back together. Blue Box Cooking Classes: St. Martins Hospitality Center provides us with food bags for families on Fridays. They’re also offering monthly Saturday cooking classes here at school! The next cooking class will be Saturday, September 17 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in room 101, Ms. Sonya’s room. The whole family is invited! RSVP by Thursday, September 15th to the school office, or to Jamie Clauss at St. Martins: (505)843-9405 ext.221, or [email protected] Science Night: Be sure to mark your calendars for our first Family Engagement Night on Thursday, September 22nd beginning with pizza at 5:30 p.m., and dozens of awesome science experiments starting at 6:00, sponsored by Sandia Labs, Lockheed Martin, and Explora! After-School Pick-Up: Remember that pick-up should only happen on the school-side of the street. Please don’t ever let your student run between cars to cross the street, or ask a duty teacher to dodge between cars to safely deliver your student. Circle the school in a clockwise manner, so we can keep all of our children safe. Parking is always a challenge. There is a pay lot across the street at 6th and Fruit, and sometimes you can find a space on the curb on 7th Street. Please please please do not park in our cafeteria loading area, or in front of the dumpster. Also, our neighbors to the south on Roma have been complaining that LWES parents are parking in their business lot. Please be mindful of where you park, and help us preserve good relations with our downtown neighbors! Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:9/2/16

Weekly News 8/26

August 26, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace families,

I am writing this week’s letter with a heavy heart. The news is still breaking, and with every sound byte, the horrific story of the murder of Victoria Martens gets worse. Victoria was a 4th grade student at Petroglyph Elementary School. I can’t even fathom how that school community is coping. But I know that their principal and their staff must be absolutely devastated.

Your children are our children. There is nothing we take more seriously than the safety of all of our kids. Sometimes it drives our students crazy (“Seriously, ANOTHER fire drill???”). Sometimes it drives you crazy, especially when it slows you down, or is frustrating, or when you think a staff member is trying to make your life difficult. But everything we do is with children’s safety at heart, even when it is hard to understand all the reasons.

We are painfully aware that school staff are the front line when it comes to identifying child abuse. We take this responsibility very seriously, staying alert for any signs of abuse or neglect, and praying not to ever see it in one of our students. Any time we make a call to CYFD, we do so with heavy hearts, knowing that no matter the outcome, the next pieces are hard. But as long as there are babies like Victoria Martens, and Jayden Dayea, and Omaree Varela who lost their lives far too young, we will continue to be vigilant, and love your sweet children, and put their needs and their safety first, always.

Today we held your children a little bit tighter in our hearts, and swallowed hard as we went about our day as if everything was normal. And we may have hugged them a little bit longer before we sent them back to you. I hope you will do the same with them this weekend. And when you let them come back to school on Monday, with a little more trepidation and worry, know that we will be similarly anxious to see them again, and squeeze them, and love them into a new week.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Wednesday, August 31, 12:00-9:00 p.m., Five Star Burger fundraiser night for our Lew Wallace PTA. Mention Lew Wallace or bring the flyer, and we will get a portion of the proceeds! Friday, September 2, 9:00 Coffee with the Principal. All parents welcome to stop by for a cup of coffee and a pastry, sit and talk about what’s going on at the school, and get answers to all of your burning questions. Monday, September 5, Labor Day, no school September 6, Fall Clubs begin Saturday, September 17, 11:00-12:00, Blue Box Cooking Class. RSVP to the office by Wednesday, September 14. Thursday, September 22, 5th Grade Sandia Mountain Field Trip Thursday, September 22, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Sandia Labs Family Science Night. Pizza will be served. Friday, September 30, 9:00 Coffee with the Principal. Tuesday, October 4, Picture Day October 6-7, Fall break, no school Saturday, October 15, 11:00-12:00, Blue Box Cooking Class Friday, October 28, Fall Festival Coffee with the Principal: Once a month (usually the first Friday of the month) I have “office hours,” where there is always a pot of coffee, and usually pastries, and parents are welcome to drop in and chat. Sometimes people come with a topic or list of questions, other times we have lively conversation about kids, school, activities, and life. There is no agenda – just time to connect and talk together about whatever is on our minds. Our first Coffee is Friday, September 2nd at 9:00 a.m. Drop by! Blue Box Cooking Classes: St. Martins Hospitality Center provides us with food bags for families on Fridays. They’re also offering monthly Saturday cooking classes here at school! The next cooking class will be Saturday, September 17 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in room 101, Ms. Sonya’s room. The whole family is invited! RSVP by Thursday, September 15th to the school office, or to Jamie Clauss at St. Martins: (505)843-9405 ext.221, or [email protected] After-School Pick-Up: Remember that pick-up should only happen on the school-side of the street. Please don’t ever let your student run between cars to cross the street, or ask a duty teacher to dodge between cars to safely deliver your student. Circle the school in a clockwise manner, so we can keep all of our children safe. Parking is always a challenge. There is a pay lot across the street at 6th and Fruit, and sometimes you can find a space on the curb on 7th Street. Please please please do not park in our cafeteria loading area, or in front of the dumpster. Also, our neighbors to the south on Roma have been complaining that LWES parents are parking in their business lot. Please be mindful of where you park, and help us preserve good relations with our downtown neighbors! Clubs Information: We are excited for the return of after-school clubs! Fall clubs will begin the week of September 6th. We have before-school and after-school clubs this year. Information and registration forms are available in the office for students to pick up, or can be found attached to the online version of this newsletter. After-School Pick-Up Information For Cars: (3:35 M/T/ThF, 12:30 on Wed) This does not pertain to students in Parks & Rec, Wells Park, or RGEC after-school programs, or if they walk. Our absolute number one priority is always always always keeping kids safe. Parking and pick-up is our biggest challenge at Lew Wallace, since we have no parent parking lot. Sometimes it is frustrating, and tempers flare when it gets bottlenecked. Always know that duty teachers are focused solely on children’s safety, so please don’t challenge them or yell at them when they insist on following the safety rules below. Pick-up time is the most stressful time of the day for us, and your help following these rules will create a safer, less chaotic pick-up time. Kindergarten: Pull up in front of the bus, and the kindergarten duty teachers will put your child in your car. 1st/2nd grades: Pull up on the school side of the street only, and a duty teacher will put your child in your car. 3rd/4th/5th grades: Pull up on the school side of the street only, and a duty teacher will supervise your child getting in your car. If you have children in multiple grades, they may be picked up at the appropriate location for the oldest child. Rules for pick-up: 1. Do not park or get out of your car during pick-up times. When cars are parked, there aren’t enough spaces for pick-ups, and then children start darting between cars, which is extremely dangerous. 2. Never encourage your child to run between cars to get to you in the middle of the street, nor to cross the street to get to you. Duty teachers will only excuse children to cars on the school-side of the street. 3. Only drive clockwise around the school for pick-up. 4. Never use 6th Street for pick-up or drop-off. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:8/26/16

Weekly News 8/19

August 19, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace families,

We are so lucky this year to have been able to add a family liaison position at Lew Wallace. Ms. Oriandi DeLaRosa has been working hard to set up a new family room at school, organize our Friday food bags, and connect with families. Our Friday food bags are provided through a generous Blue Box grant from Blue Cross/Blue Shield, and administered by St. Martins Hospitality Center. If your family finds themselves needing support with having food in the house, you can contact Ms. DeLaRosa at school any time, and she will get you on our list. As well, if you are a family with surplus food or resources, and you would like to support our Friday food bags, you can also contact Ms. DeLaRosa to let her know how you would like to help!

Kids and parents have been asking about before- and after-school clubs, and they are starting to come together now. We’ll have initial sign-ups at Open House next Wednesday, and students may continue to sign-up in the office through September 2nd, or until the clubs are full. Clubs will start on September 6th, the day after Labor Day weekend. So far, it looks like we’ll have clubs for gardening, buddies, student council, rhythm and movement, morning wellness, yoga, and others, and we’ll have clubs before-school and after-school! Look for the clubs sign-up area near the office at Open House. Those forms will also come home with next Friday’s newsletter.

Mr. Cisneros is our new Spanish teacher. Here at Lew Wallace, we are continuing with a 45-minute Spanish block each day where every student learns basic Spanish speaking, reading, and writing. We have done this for many years within our classrooms, with gradelevel teachers swapping classes. Many of our teachers are certified to teach in Spanish, but for those classes without a Spanish-certified teacher, Mr. Cisneros is providing that Spanish instruction this year. He was previously a principal, and decided to return to teaching to work with students. We are so lucky to have him, and to have such a competent and versatile staff!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Wednesday, August 24, 5:30-7:00, Open House and Title 1 mtg Come to the gym and learn about Lew Wallace and our Title 1 program, and then rotate into classrooms to talk to teachers and hear about their curriculum. Thursday, August 25 5:00 PTA meeting in the library. All parents are welcome and encouraged to join us! We need members, helpers, and even have a couple of board positions open! Wednesday, August 31, 12:00-9:00 p.m., Five Star Burger fundraiser night for our Lew Wallace PTA. Mention Lew Wallace or bring the flyer, and we will get a portion of the proceeds! Friday, September 2 9:00 Coffee with the Principal. All parents welcome to stop by for a cup of coffee and a pastry, sit and talk about what’s going on at the school, and get answers to all of your burning questions. Monday, September 5, Labor Day, no school Saturday, September 17, 11:00-12:00, Blue Box Cooking Class. RSVP to the office by Wednesday, September 14. Thursday, September 22, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Sandia Labs Family Science Night. Pizza will be served. October 6-7, Fall break, no school Saturday, October 15, 11:00-12:00, Blue Box Cooking Class Friday, October 28, Fall Festival Open House and Title 1 Annual Meeting: Wednesday, August 24 at 5:30 will be your chance to hear about our wonderful, amazing school, learn more about our Title 1 program, and then visit classrooms to hear from teachers and see what students are doing. I hope to see you all there! Blue Box Cooking Classes: St. Martins Hospitality Center provides us with food bags for families on Fridays. As part of their awesome support, they’re also offering monthly Saturday cooking classes here at school! The next cooking class will be Saturday, September 17 from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in room 101, Ms. Sonya’s room. The whole family is invited! RSVP by Thursday, September 15th to the school office, or to Jamie Clauss at St. Martins: (505)843-9405 ext.221, or [email protected] Parking at School: Parking at our sweet little downtown school is always a challenge. There is a pay lot across the street at 6th and Fruit, and sometimes you can find a space on the curb on 7th Street. Please please please do not park in our cafeteria loading area, or in front of the dumpster. Also, our neighbors to the south on Roma have been complaining that LWES parents are parking in their business lot. Please be mindful of where you park, and help us preserve good relations with our downtown neighbors! Contact Information: Please be sure you always keep your phone numbers current with the office, so we can reach you in case of emergency. Also, if you want to receive this newsletter by email, be sure Rose and Mary have your email address in their computer system. Cafeteria Information: Ms. Gabby is our wonderful new cafeteria manager! She has been doing an amazing job getting breakfasts and lunch to our kids, and keeping us in compliance. She asked me to remind parents that breakfasts, milk, and juice are only for the students, unless parents choose to purchase an adult meal. Please don’t take the milk or juices from the cooler if you didn’t purchase a meal. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:8/19/16

Weekly News 8/12

August 12, 2016

My dear Lew Wallace families,

I couldn’t even sleep Wednesday night, I was so excited to have our school full of your beautiful children, and all the fresh energy and vitality they bring. Our teachers organized like crazy to get classrooms ready, and our amazing custodians worked double time to have the building spit-shined and polished. And then when the kids showed up yesterday morning, it was like life was breathed into our school! We had a fabulous first couple of days.

You will get this Friday newsletter every single Friday. We give paper copies to kids every Friday, plus it is posted to our Lew Wallace Facebook page, to our school web page, and if you put your email on your student’s registration form, you will also get it by email every Friday. (If you didn’t, just let us know your email address, and we’ll happily add it to our system.) Please be sure you check the dates and special events going on each week!

Charles Shuck is a Sergeant First Class in the U.S. Army. A book was written about him and his hero dog, and their service in Iraq. SFC Shuck heard about Lew Wallace, and was so moved by the work of our school, that he sent 300 copies of his book for us to give to every student! It was my pleasure to get to share this Humane Society Hero Dog book with our kids, and send them home for kids to keep.

Our biggest challenge here at this busy downtown school is pick-up time after school. Our pick-up lanes can become quite congested, especially when people are parked illegally during pick-up time. Please do not park and get out of your car if you’re using any of our pick-up lanes. We’ll have duty teachers at all three pickup streets, and they will see your child to your car. Please be patient if you have to wait, or consider driving around and waiting again if your child is not yet out at the curb, so that traffic doesn’t back up behind you. We are meeting with the City of Albuquerque and other partners in the next few weeks to try and make those lanes even safer. Our number one priority is always to keep all of the children safe, and we are grateful for everyone’s help in doing so.

We have the BEST staff ever, and we have added some top-notch people that I’d like to tell you about. Ms. Gabby is our new cafeteria manager. Our new counselor is Ms. Schaller, and she’ll be here Tuesdays and Fridays. We welcome Ms. Woodworth back as our music teacher again this year. Ms. Carrie Perez is our new school nurse. Mr. Cisneros is our new Spanish teacher. Ms. DeLaRosa is our new family liaison. Ms. Johnson is our new 4th grade teacher, and Ms. Thomas is our new 1st grade teacher.

It is going to be another incredible year. The school feels like a happy, positive, lively place, and it is good to see children and adults smiling and enthusiastic. What a lucky principal I am to be able to work at the BEST SCHOOL IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Monday, August 12, Tears & Tea (Kindergarten parents gathering) Saturday, August 20, 11:00-12:00, Blue Box Cooking Class. Contact the office to sign up! Wednesday, August 24, 5:30-7:00, Lew Wallace Open House and Title 1 meeting Wednesday, August 31, 12:00-9:00 p.m., Five Star Burger fundraiser night for our Lew Wallace PTA. Mention Lew Wallace or bring the flyer, and we will get a portion of the proceeds! Monday, September 5, Labor Day, no school Saturday, September 17, 11:00-12:00, Blue Box Cooking Class Thursday, September 22, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Sandia Labs Family Science Night. Pizza will be served. October 6-7, Fall break, no school Saturday, October 15, 11:00-12:00, Blue Box Cooking Class Friday, October 28, Fall Festival Tuesday, November 8, Election Day, no school Friday, November 11, Veteran’s Day, no school Thursday, November 17, 5:30-7:00, New Mexico Culture Family Night November 21-22, Parent Teacher Conferences, no school for students November 23-25, Thanksgiving break Wednesday, December 7, 5:30-7:00, Make ‘n’ Take Family Night December 19 – January 3, Winter break January 4, School resumes Monday, January 16, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, no school Thursday, January 19, 5:30-7:00, Family Math Night Thursday, February 9, 5:30 p.m., 4th/5th grade performs at the National Hispanic Cultural Center for the Festival de Bellas Artes Monday, February 20, Presidents Day, no school Thursday, March 2, 5:30-7:00, Read-Across America Family Literacy Night March 9-10, Parent Teacher Conferences, no school for students Wednesday, March 15, 6:00-7:30 p.m., Sandia Labs Family Math Night March 20-24, Spring Break, no school Friday, April 14, Vernal Holiday, no school Thursday, April 20, Lew Wallace Family Night at Explora Some Friday in May, Family Dance J Thursday, May 25, Last Day of School Open House and Title 1 Annual Meeting: Wednesday, August 24 at 5:30 will be your chance to hear about our wonderful, amazing school, learn more about our Title 1 program, and then visit classrooms to hear from teachers and see what students are doing. I hope to see you all there! Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:8/12/16

2016 - 2017 School Supplies

Kindergarten Supply List 2016-2017 Backpack, labeled with child’s name (no rolling backpacks) 1 pencil box The following items will be shared by the classroom community. You do not need to write student’s name on them. 3 boxes of tissue 1 pack of #2 pencils 20 Elmer’s glue sticks 1 box of 48 Crayola crayons 1 box of thick Crayola washable markers 1 package of pink erasers 3 containers of disinfecting wipes 2 bottles of hand sanitizer 1 package of disposable 8.5 oz drinking cups 1 package of paper plates (not foam) 1 package of plastic spoons 1 package of plastic forks 1 package of napkins 1 box of Ziploc sandwich bags 1 box of Ziploc gallon size bags

1st Grade Supply List 2016-2017 Standard-sized backpack, labeled with child’s name (no rolling backpacks) 1 plastic pencil box 1 zipper pencil pouch with three ring holes The following items will be shared by the classroom community. You do not need to write student’s name on them. 3 boxes of tissue 2 packs of #2 pencils 20 Elmer’s glue sticks 3 boxes of 24 Crayola crayons 1 package of thick Crayola washable markers 2 large pink erasers 3 containers of disinfecting wipes 2 bottles of hand sanitizer 1 package pencil top erasers 1 box of gallon-size Ziploc bags (girls only) 1 box of snack size Ziploc bags (boys only) 1 box quart-size Ziploc bags (girls only) 1 package of paper plates (boys only) 1 roll of paper towels

2nd Grade Supply List 2016-2017 Standard-sized backpack, labeled with child’s name (no rolling backpacks) 1 zipper pencil pouch with three ring holes 1 plastic pencil box The following items will be shared by the classroom community. You do not need to write student’s name on them. 3 boxes of tissue 2 packs of #2 pencils 4 Elmer’s glue sticks 1 box 24 Crayola crayons 1 box markers 3 containers of disinfecting wipes 1 bottle of hand sanitizer 1 pair Fiskar scissors 1 box of sandwich plastic bags (last name A-M) 1 box of quart-sized Ziploc bags (last name N-Z) 1 box Crayola brand colored pencils 1 bottle of liquid hand soap

3rd Grade Supply List 2016-2017 Standard-sized backpack, labeled with child’s name (no rolling backpacks) 1 zipper pencil pouch with three ring holes 1 plastic pencil box The following items will be shared by the classroom community. You do not need to write student’s name on them. 3 boxes of tissue 2 packs of #2 pencils 4 Elmer’s glue stick 1 box 24 Crayola crayons 1 box of markers 2 large pink erasers 2 containers of disinfecting wipes 1 bottle of hand sanitizer 1 pack of pencil tip erasers 1 pair of scissors

4th Grade Supply List 2016-2017 Standard-sized backpack, labeled with child’s name (no rolling backpacks) 1 plastic pencil box 1 pair of ear buds 1 jump drive The following items will be shared by the classroom community. You do not need to write student’s name on them. 3 boxes of tissue 2 packs of #2 pencils 6 Elmer’s glue sticks 1 box 24 Crayola crayons 1 box of markers 2 large pink erasers 2 containers of disinfecting wipes 1 bottle of hand sanitizer 1 package of pencil cap erasers 1 pair of pointed Fiskars scissors 1 box of colored pencils, at least 12 2 hand-held pencil sharpeners with case for shavings 1 clean sock (eraser for white board) 1 ruler with both inches and centimeters

5th Grade Supply List 2016-2017 Standard-sized backpack, labeled with child’s name (no rolling backpacks) 1 medium sized plastic pencil box 1 pair of ear buds The following items will be shared by the classroom community. You do not need to write student’s name on them. 3 boxes of tissue 2 packages of #2 pencils 4 Elmer’s glue sticks 1 box markers and/or colored pencils 2 large pink erasers 2 containers of disinfectant wipes 1 bottle of hand sanitizer 1 pair scissors 1 set of subject dividers with tabs 1 package of blue or black ball point pens 1 ruler with inches and centimeters 1 package of paper towels.

Optional Additional Supplies Needed (bring to the office for donations to special classes like music, P.E., library, gifted, special ed, tech, etc.) You are welcome to purchase any or some or bunches of one thing from this list if you care to donate extras! Kleenex Clorox wipes Hand sanitizer Pencils Colored markers Glue sticks Dry erase markers Pink erasers Post-it notes (various sizes, but especially 3x3) Watercolor paints Sharpie Markers Silver Sharpie Markers Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:7/27/16

2016 - 2017 Registration Begins August 9th at 9am. 2016 - 2017 Registration Begins August 9th at 9am. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:7/21/16

First Day of School is August 11th The first day of the 2016-2017 school year will be August 11th. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:7/21/16

Weekly News 5/6

May 6, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

We’ve had a couple of safety issues I’m hoping you can help me with. The first is about field trips. There are some critical safety issues that cause strife for us. Teachers spend a lot of time counting kids and adults, and making sure that they arrive back at school with the exact number they left with. You can help by making sure that you don’t take your child from a field trip, but wait until after all are safely back at the school before checking them out. If you are accompanying a field trip, please don’t bring other children. As a chaperone, we need 100% of your attention on our students. And most of all, please don’t attend a field trip without being cleared through APS with your background check. When families show up at field trip locations “coincidentally” to accompany their class, and haven’t been cleared to do so, it puts teachers in the compromising position of having to worry about adults (in addition to children), and if something should happen, could impact the teacher’s job. Background checks can be taken care of at www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps. They are good for two years. We don’t have any money left in our school budget to pay for them until next August, but if money is an issue, I would gladly cover the cost, in order to ensure student and teacher safety. Please pass this word on to any other family members that may want to accompany a field trip.

The second safety issue is happening on 6th Street, after the tardy bell rings. We’ve had several occasions of parents stopping or parking in the busy right lane of traffic, and children getting out of cars and running into school. That is incredibly dangerous, since it is a traffic lane, and it would be so easy to get rear-ended while a child is getting out of the car. Please find a place to park (even if it means blocking our tiny little parking lot for a minute) and walk your child around to the front door if they are arriving after 9:00 a.m.

Kindergarten registration is now open! If you have or know of an incoming kindergartener, please encourage them to come in and register. We are not opening any kindergarten transfer spaces until we know how many neighborhood kindergarteners are coming. This year we had 35 neighborhood kindergarteners! Those incoming kindergarteners are also eligible for our summer K3+ program.

We do still have openings in our K3+ summer school program for students entering K-3rd grade next year. Contact the office if you would like your child to participate!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: SUNDAY, May 8, Downtown Neighborhood Association Home Tour at Lew Wallace!!! Thursday, May 12, principals from other schools are coming to visit and see our awesomeness! Thursday, May 12, 5:00 PTA Meeting, Officer elections. Friday, May 13, last day of PARCC testing for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. Monday, May 16, Ms. Talley’s class to Albuquerque Water Treatment Plan Wednesday, May 18, STAR Student Lunches Friday, May 20, 9:45 Kindergarten graduation Friday, May 20, 4th grade field trip to Popejoy Friday, May 20, Family Dance and Summer Literacy Kickoff Event, 5:30-7:30 Monday, May 23, Jiu Jitsu Assemblies Tuesday, May 24, 5th grade fun day Tuesday, May 24, 4th grade field trip to Dions Wednesday, May 25, 5th grade promotion Wednesday, May 25, Last day of school!!! Dismissal at 12:00 p.m. Summer School Wed, June 15, 1st day of K3+ summer school July 4-5, No K3+ summer school (holidays) Thursday, July 21, last day of K3+ summer school 2016-2017 School Year Thursday, August 11, first day of school for 1st-5th grade DNA Home Tour: Lots of Help NEEDED!!!!!!!! We still need lots of parents and students to help be tour guides and helpers in our school during the tour. We’ll show off our beautiful classrooms and grounds, and Ms. Inskeep is preparing an historical display of LWES in the library. We hope to have lots of families help showing off our amazing school! Please be in touch if you can sign up to help at Lew Wallace on Sunday, May 8th, any time from 10:45 to 3:15, showing off our school and greeting visitors. All volunteers who work a whole shift get free access to the rest of the tour. Email [email protected] if you can help, or call the school, or just show up! Volunteering/Background Checks It is required that any person working with children, or accompanying a field trip, or volunteering in the school MUST be background checked by APS. We do this to make sure that our children are absolutely as safe as can possibly be. Please please please do not put your teachers at risk by volunteering without background clearance, or just showing up at the same place as a class’s field trip “coincidentally.” Although it is tempting, it is also a huge liability issue, and puts your teachers in the position of having to worry about adults, in addition to working hard to keep children safe. Field trip chaperones are there to supervise and ensure students’ safety. To get your background clearance, visit: www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:5/6/16

Weekly News 4/29

April 29, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

I am in Texas this week, attending the funeral of my father-in-law. I will be back at school on Monday, and it will be MAY already!!!! Make sure you’re checking the school calendar on the opposite side – there are a lot of exciting activities and events coming up in these last weeks. In particular, we’re going to need lots and lots of help on Mother’s Day with the DNA Home Tour.

Also, please be sure you’ve returned any K3+ Summer School forms/registrations to us in the office. We’re starting to get a waiting list. We don’t want to give away your child’s spot if they’re attending, but we do want to be sure we can include as many kids as possible. Also, if you know of any incoming kindergarteners, please let them know that K3+ registration is open.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio FROM TITLE 1: Title I Parent Advisory Meeting Date: May 3rd, Tuesday. Time: 5:30 to 7:00 pm Location: Montgomery Complex Annex at 3315 Louisiana Blvd NE (between Candelaria and Comanche) Topic: Small group discussion of ways parents can be involved in their student’s education. (Homework in reading and math and assessments) What tools do you need? What are the barriers to working with your students? How can Title I help eliminate those barriers? Discussion of Common Core State Standards for parents Give us your opinions; we want to hear what you have to say. Dinner will be provided and childwatch will be offered. Please RSVP Title I 253-0330 x 67016 or 0 Important Dates: Saturday, April 30, Battle of the Books Monday, May 2, Cafeteria Appreciation Day! Wednesday, May 4, Teacher Appreciation Day! Wednesday, May 4, Ms. Kasprzak’s class to Casa San Ysidro Wednesday, May 4, Mr. DeLaO’s class to Lucky Paws Friday, May 6, 9:00 ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee Friday, May 6, Nurse Appreciation Day! Friday, May 6, 1st grade field trip to the zoo Friday, May 6, Ms. Jennifer’s class to CNM STEM Center Friday ,May 6, YDI field trip SUNDAY, May 8, Downtown Neighborhood Association Home Tour at Lew Wallace!!! Thursday, May 12, 5:00 PTA Meeting (this is a change of date). Officer elections. Monday, May 16, Ms. Talley’s class to Albuquerque Water Treatment Plan Thursday, May 19, STAR Student Lunches Friday, May 20, 9:45 Kindergarten graduation Friday, May 20, 4th grade field trip to Popejoy Friday, May 20, Family Dance and Summer Literacy Kickoff Event, 5:30-7:30 Monday, May 23, Jiu Jitsu Assemblies Tuesday, May 24, 5th grade fun day Wednesday, May 25, 5th grade promotion Wednesday, May 25, Last day of school!!! Summer School Wed, June 15, 1st day of K3+ summer school July 4-5, No K3+ summer school (holidays) Thursday, July 21, last day of K3+ summer school 2016-2017 School Year Thursday, August 11, first day of school for 1st-5th grade DNA Home Tour: Help NEEDED!!! Lew Wallace will be an integral part of this year’s bi-annual DNA Home Tour on May, 8th, Mother’s Day. Not only will we be a featured stop on the tour, but the tour will be staged and started from our playground. We need lots of parents and students to help be tour guides and helpers in our school during the tour. We’ll show off our beautiful classrooms and grounds, and Ms. Inskeep is preparing an historical display of LWES in the library. We hope to have lots of families help showing off our amazing school! Please be in touch if you can sign up to help at Lew Wallace on Sunday, May 8th, any time from 10:00 to 3:30, showing off our school and greeting visitors. PTA News: Many of our awesome PTA families are “graduating” this year, and our PTA needs new board members. Please let us know if you would consider serving our school as a board member so that we can have a strong PTA when school starts in August! Albuquerque Museum: FREE! The Albuquerque Museum is located at 2000 Mountain NW, at the intersection of Mountain Road and 19th Street, directly west of Tiguex Park. General Museum admission is free for the following times: 2:00-5:00 every Saturday 9:00-1:00 every Sunday 9:00-5:00 on the 1st Wednesday of the month 5:00-8:30pm on the 3rd Thurs of the month Free admission applies to general museum admission only. Fees for special exhibits and events still apply on free times. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:4/29/16

Weekly News 4/22

April 22, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

I hope to see you all at school tomorrow, Saturday, April 23rd. We will be cleaning and spiffing up the school for our annual spring cleaning, and also to prepare for over a thousand people coming through the school on Mother’s Day, May 8th, as part of the Downtown Neighborhood Association Bi-annual Historic Home Tour. We need lots of hands helping us with tidy up the grounds, re-paint the playground map, wash windowsills, and make the building shiny clean. We’ll be out there working from 8:30-11:30, and I’ll bring donuts. Join us!

We are gearing up for our summer school K3+ program. Students entering kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade can come for 25 days of summer school for an extra boost of learning that supports their upcoming grade level.

K3+ summer school begins on Wednesday, June 15 and ends on Thursday, July 21, with July 4th and 5th off for the holiday. If you signed your child up at conference time, you will also receive a confirmation/commitment letter today with this newsletter. If you haven’t yet signed up, let us know if you are interested so we can add you to the list. If you did sign up, but now realize that your child will not be participating, please let us know that as well, so we can give that space to another student.

Our PTA needs you!!! Please consider helping out by joining them for end-of-year events, in planning for next year, and serving on the PTA board. You can contact PTA president and all-around-amazing-person Lupe Arencon at school, or by email: [email protected]. They need lots of folks to come for their board elections and next meeting on Thursday, May 12 at 5:00 in room 102.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Saturday, April 23, 8:30-11:30, LWES community clean-up day preparing for the downtown tour. Tuesday, April 26, Master Gardener visit to 2nd gr Wednesday, April 27, Ms. Mary and Ms. Rose Appreciation Day!!! Thursday, April 28, 4th grade to Las Golondrinas Saturday, April 30, Battle of the Books Monday, May 2, Cafeteria Appreciation Day! Wednesday, May 4, Teacher Appreciation Day! Wed, May 4, Ms. Kasprzak’s class to Casa San Ysidro Friday, May 6, 9:00 ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee Friday, May 6, Nurse Appreciation Day! Friday, May 6, 1st grade field trip to the zoo Friday, May 6, Ms. Jennifer’s class field trip to YDI SUNDAY, May 8, Downtown Neighborhood Association Home Tour at Lew Wallace!!! Thursday, May 12, 5:00 PTA Meeting (this is a change of date). Officer elections. Thursday, May 19, STAR Student Lunches Friday, May 20, 9:45 Kindergarten graduation followed by kindergarten potluck Friday, May 20, 4th grade field trip to Popejoy Friday, May 20, Family Dance and Summer Literacy Kickoff Event, 5:30-7:30 Tuesday, May 24, 5th grade fun day Wednesday, May 25, 5th grade promotion Wednesday, May 25, Last day of school!!! Wed, June 15, 1st day of K3+ summer school July 4-5, No K3+ summer school (holidays) Thursday, July 21, last day of K3+ summer school Thursday, August 11, first day of school for 1st-5th grade DNA Home Tour: Help Wanted!!! Lew Wallace will be an integral part of this year’s bi-annual DNA Home Tour on May, 8th, Mother’s Day. Not only will we be a featured stop on the tour, but the tour will be staged and started from our playground. We will do a big Lew Wallace clean-up day tomorrow, Saturday, April 23rd, and get the building and grounds detailed and spit-shined. We also need parents and students to help be tour guides and helpers in our school during the tour. We’ll show off our beautiful classrooms and grounds, and Ms. Inskeep is preparing an historical display of LWES in the library. We hope to have lots of families help showing off our amazing school! Please be in touch if you can sign up to help at Lew Wallace on Sunday, May 8th, any time from 10:00 to 3:30, showing off our school and greeting visitors. PTA News: Many of our awesome PTA families are “graduating” this year, and our PTA needs new board members. Please let us know if you would consider serving our school as a board member so that we can have a strong PTA when school starts in August! Mary & Rose Appreciation: Next Wednesday is Mary & Rose (aka administrative assistant) Appreciation Day. We are all so grateful for the ways they keep the heart of our school pumping, and for their many years of loving and caring for our children! Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:4/22/16

Weekly News 4/15

April 15, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

Happy Tax Day!!! I hope you all got your taxes filed and large refunds are coming in the mail! J

In addition to starting to think about our final weeks of the school year (there are only 5½ left!), we are also gearing up for our summer school K3+ program. Students entering kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade can come for 25 days of summer school for an extra boost of learning that supports their upcoming grade level.

K3+ summer school begins on Wednesday, June 15 and ends on Thursday, July 21, with July 4th and 5th off for the holiday. We have many children already registered (you had the forms at fall and spring parent/teacher conferences), and we’ll be sending you a confirmation note in about a week. In the meantime, if you have not yet registered your child for K3+ summer school, you may get on our waiting list, and we’ll contact you as soon as we have a space available.

K3+ is taught by Lew Wallace teachers, and the days look exactly like regular school days, starting at 8:42 each morning, ending at 3:35 M/T/Th/F, and at 12:30 on Wednesdays. Parks and Rec and RGEC will both be operating before- and after-school programs, as usual, in addition to their all-day programs.

K3+ summer school is a WONDERFUL way to keep your child’s brain engaged, get a jump-start into their next grade level, and have fun while learning. Thank you to all the families that have already signed up, and let us know ASAP if you haven’t signed up but are interested.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: April 18-22, 5th grade health and hygiene unit Monday, April 18, 4th grade field trip to the NHCC Monday, April 18, Kinder field trip to the zoo Wed, April 20, Ms. Ortiz’s class book signing Thursday, April 21, 5:00 PTA Meeting Friday, April 22, Earth Day. Mid-Term Progress Reports come home with students. Friday, April 22, Ms. Talley and Ms. Crystall’s classes on field trip to the ABQ Museum Saturday, April 23, 8:30-11:30, LWES community clean-up day preparing for the downtown tour Wednesday, April 27, Ms. Mary and Ms. Rose Appreciation Day!!! Thursday, April 28, 4th grade to Las Golondrinas Saturday, April 30, Battle of the Books Monday, May 2, Cafeteria Appreciation Day! Wednesday, May 4, Teacher Appreciation Day! Wed, May 4, Ms. Kasprzak’s class to Casa San Ysidro Friday, May 6, 9:00 ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee Friday, May 6, Nurse Appreciation Day! Friday, May 6, 1st grade field trip to the zoo Saturday, May 8, Downtown Neighborhood Association Home Tour at Lew Wallace!!! Thursday, May 19, STAR Student Lunches Thursday, May 19, 5:00 PTA Meeting Friday, May 20, 9:45 Kindergarten graduation followed by kindergarten potluck Friday, May 20, 4th grade field trip to Popejoy Friday, May 20, Family Dance and Summer Literacy Kickoff Event Tuesday, May 24, 5th grade fun day Wednesday, May 25, 5th grade promotion Wednesday, May 25, Last day of school!!! Wed, June 15, 1st day of K3+ summer school July 4-5, No K3+ summer school (holidays) Thursday, July 21, last day of K3+ summer school Thursday, August 11, first day of school for 1st-5th grade DNA Home Tour: Help Wanted!!! Lew Wallace will be an integral part of this year’s bi-annual DNA Home Tour on May, 8th, Mother’s Day. Not only will we be a featured stop on the tour, but the tour will be staged and started from our playground. We will do a big Lew Wallace clean-up day on Saturday, April 23rd, and get the building and grounds detailed and spitshined. We also need parents and students to help be tour guides and helpers in our school during the tour. We’ll show off our beautiful classrooms and grounds, and Ms. Inskeep is preparing an historical display of LWES in the library. We hope to have lots of families help showing off our amazing school! Please be in touch if you can sign up to help at Lew Wallace on Sunday, May 8th, any time from 10:00 to 3:30, showing off our school and greeting visitors. PTA News: Many of our awesome PTA families are “graduating” this year, and our PTA needs new board members. Please let us know if you would consider serving our school as a board member so that we can have a strong PTA when school starts in August! Rio Grande Educational Collaborative: Does your student need homework help? Rio Grande Educational Collaborative is located at Lew Wallace, is licensed through the state, and is currently accepting registrations for its Academic Enrichment Before/After School and Summer Program. Space is limited, so register now. Financial assistance is available through the New Mexico Childcare Subsidy. Contact Ms. Peg Aguilar in the library after school until 6:00 p.m., or Cynthia Jimenez at 8736035 for more information. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:4/15/16

Weekly News 4/8

April 8, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

We have just finished our arduous budget process, but the coming year’s budget contains good news for us! We will be re-instituting our bilingual resource teacher position next year, as well as adding a community liaison position. As well, we were approved for an early allocation for our compliance 1st grade teacher for next year, so we won’t have to create a new class weeks after school starts. We are feeling hopeful and optimistic about our new budget, and are looking forward to some breathing room for staff next year!

Next Tuesday night is one of my favorite nights of the school year – EXPLORA NIGHT!!!!! From 6:30-8:30, Lew Wallace families are invited to come (for free) and spend a couple of hours doing Explora activities, eating pizza (also free), and doing awesome hands-on learning. You can either meet us there, or catch the bus here at Lew Wallace at 6:00 p.m. and be returned to Lew Wallace afterwards. You do need to RSVP on the form that came home earlier this week, or call and let the office know so we can reserve the correct number of spaces at Explora. I hope to see you all there!

As Albuquerque becomes a hub for cinema and TV, we’re seeing more and more filming going on downtown. In fact, a scene for a new television series will be shot in the main hallway of Lew Wallace next Monday! Filming won’t begin until after school, but they will be moving in and setting up during the day. They will take over our tiny parking lot, and some of our Fruit Ave drop-off zone, so be prepared. If you have students in afterschool clubs, please use the stairwells outside that go straight upstairs to pick them up. We’ll have signs or people pointing you in the right direction. They won’t permit us to watch or take pictures, but I’ll keep you posted when the show is being aired (I think it’s a series that will be released next fall).

I hope you all had a wonderful Spring Break, and I’m glad to have all your beautiful children back with us for these last two months of school!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: April 6 – May 13, PARCC testing for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders April 11, 4th gr Hawks Aloft field trips April 12, 5th gr Hawks Aloft field trips Tuesday, April 12, Library Appreciation Day Tuesday, April 12, Picture Day (for reals!) Tuesday, April 12, Explora Night! Thursday, April 14, end of spring mid-term Thursday, April 14, 2nd grade field trip to the Kimo Friday, April 15, STAR Student Lunches Friday, April 15, 2nd grade recycling presentation April 18-22, 5th grade health and hygiene unit Monday, April 18, 4th grade field trip to the NHCC Thursday, April 21, 5:00 PTA Meeting Friday, April 22, Earth Day. Mid-Term Progress Reports come home with students. Friday, April 22, Ms. Talley and Ms. Crystall’s classes on field trip to the ABQ Museum Saturday, April 23, 8:30-11:30, LWES community clean-up day preparing for the downtown tour Wednesday, April 27, Ms. Mary and Ms. Rose Appreciation Day!!! Thursday, April 28, 4th grade to Las Golondrinas Saturday, April 30, Battle of the Books Monday, May 2, Cafeteria Appreciation Day! Wednesday, May 4, Teacher Appreciation Day! Friday, May 6, 9:00 ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee Friday, May 6, Nurse Appreciation Day! Saturday, May 8, Downtown Neighborhood Association Home Tour at Lew Wallace!!! Testing Info: APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website. If you are considering your options for your student’s testing, please try to be in touch with us as soon as possible so we can make arrangements. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. This year’s 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade PARCC assessment has already started. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources Downtown Neighborhood Association Home Tour starring Lew Wallace!!! Lew Wallace will be an integral part of this year’s bi-annual DNA Home Tour on May, 8th, Mother’s Day. Not only will we be a featured stop on the tour, but the tour will be staged and started from our playground. We will do a big Lew Wallace clean-up day on Saturday, April 23rd, and get the building and grounds detailed and spit-shined. We’ll also need parents and students to help be tour guides and helpers in our school during the tour. We’ll show off our beautiful classrooms and grounds, and Ms. Inskeep is preparing an historical display of LWES in the library. We hope to have lots of families help showing off our amazing school! 5th grade Health and Hygiene Unit: It is the time of year when 5th graders are getting ready for their 1-week class learning about developing bodies. If you wish to preview the videos, contact us as school so we can set up a different time for you. Rio Grande Educational Collaborative: Does your student need homework help? Rio Grande Educational Collaborative is located at Lew Wallace, is licensed through the state, and is currently accepting registrations for its Academic Enrichment Before/After School and Summer Program. Space is limited, so register now. Financial assistance is available through the New Mexico Childcare Subsidy. Contact Ms. Peg Aguilar in the library after school until 6:00 p.m., or Cynthia Jimenez at 8736035 for more information. Filming on Campus: A film crew will be here on Monday, April 11 filming for a TV series after school. Don’t freak out when you see all the trucks and chaos moving in! J They will be “redecorating” the hall for their filming, then putting it all back. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:4/8/16

Weekly News 3/11

March 11, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

We are excited to welcome two new staff members to our Lew Wallace family. Ms. Caitie McGuire is a new educational assistant, supporting primary special education. She is a recent graduate from UNM, and will be with us through the end of this school year. Ms. Denise Griego comes to us as our new Instructional Coach, and will be helping lead professional development, supporting teachers and students, and facilitating testing. We are so grateful to have these two awesome additions to our staff, and are celebrating the gifts they bring to our community!!! In other news, our own Ms. Celeste Hernandez took a tumble down some stairs, and broke her arm in several places. She had surgery on it yesterday, and the prognosis is excellent, but she will be out for awhile. We are grateful to have the capable Ms. Pence and Ms. Harrington covering her class while she’s gone, and we look forward to Ms. Hernandez’s return when she’s further along in her healing.

From Mr. DeLaO:

Student Council did a terrific job of sponsoring Lew Wallace's First Annual Readathon. Council members learned lots about organizing and managing such an ambitious project. 696.00 was raised by eager readers. Student Council voted to disperse money evenly between teachers so that they can buy books for their classrooms. These are your top three fundraiser readers! Logan in Ms. Beckie’s class raised $92.00 for books! Desiree in Mr. DeLaO’s class raised $90.00 for books! Rice in Mr. Garcia’s class raised $84.00 for books! Winners received $25 gift cards to Barnes and Noble Booksellers. Thank you all for your enthusiastic support. Next year, Student Council will re-introduce the Readathon and new activities and promotions for Read Across America

I hope to see you all at Literacy Night next Thursday, along with Orbit! I’ll bring pizza and lemonade, and it sounds like our Literacy Team has some awesome activities planned.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Sunday, March 13, Daylight Savings Time begins – set your clocks ahead!!! March 13-18, all grades Spanish testing Monday, March 14, Pi Day Thursday, March 17, St. Patrick’s Day Thursday, March 17, 5:00 PTA Meeting Thursday, March 17, 5:30 Family Literacy Night (with Orbit from the Isotopes!), pizza, and reading activities Friday, March 18, STAR Student Lunches Wednesday, March 23, 5 Star Burger Night – Fundraiser for our PTA Friday, March 25, Vernal Holiday, no school March 28 – April 1, spring break, no school Tuesday, April 5, Ms. Hernandez’s class field trip to Casa San Isidro. Tuesday, April 5, 5th grade parent meeting 4:30-5:30 to review health/hygiene videos April 6 – May 13, PARCC testing for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders Friday, April 8, ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee Chat Friday, April 8, 1:30-3:30, 3rd grade science fair April 11-12, 4th/5th gr Hawks Aloft field trips Tuesday, April 12, Library Appreciation Day Tuesday, April 12, Explora Night!!! Friday, April 15, STAR Student Lunches Friday, April 15, 2nd grade recycling presentation 5th grade Health and Hygiene Unit: It is the time of year when 5th graders are getting ready for their 1-week class learning about developing bodies. Any parents are welcome to preview the videos we use for this class, come learn more about what is covered (and what is not), ask questions, and share ideas for talking to kids. Ms. Lucinda (counselor) and Ms. Rhonda (nurse) will lead a meeting on Tuesday, April 5th, upstairs in the computer lab, from 4:30-5:30. If you cannot make that meeting, but wish to preview the videos, contact us at school so we can set up a different time for you. New Clubs starting! We have two new clubs starting up next week! Native Arts Club will be on Mondays with Mr. DeLaO. Chess club will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays with Mr. Garcia. If your student is interested in participating in either of these clubs, they can get forms and information from those teachers right after school. Literacy Night, Thursday, March 17: Come play “Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader,” meet Orbit, win books, read with a buddy, play games, find out the winners to our Writing Contest, and enjoy pizza and coming together with our LWES community! Grandparents Raising Grandchildren: Program is now underway! Services Provided include: Monthly support groups, referrals to community services, quarterly educational programs. For more information call: Melinda Shultz, GRG Program Manager, 243-2551 ext 108. Save the Date: March 19th Open House with summer activity resources. Testing Info: APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website. If you are considering your options for your student’s testing, please try to be in touch with us as soon as possible so we can make arrangements. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. This year’s 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade PARCC assessment will be in April. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:3/11/16

Weekly News 3/4

March 4, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

Our parent-teacher conferences were really successful, with a 93% attendance rate by parents. We are grateful for every one of you who made time to come chat with your student’s teacher, and hear what your student is rocking at, and hear what they’re struggling with. Hopefully you were able to fill out the Quality of Education Survey. We need one survey completed for each student, so if you have three students here, hopefully you filled out three surveys!

Here are some of the awesome results of last year’s survey… 99% of you said that your students are safe at school. 85% said that you believe our building is in good repair and has sufficient space. 100% said that our school holds high expectations for academic achievement. 98% said that they feel encouraged to participate in their child’s education. 91% said that we offer adequate access to up-todate computer and technologies. 98% said that school staff maintains consistent discipline that is conducive to learning. 100% said that their child’s teacher provides sufficient and appropriate information regarding their child’s academic progress. 100% said that they feel welcome at our school. 99% said that their child receives a well-rounded education. 99% said that our teachers prepare students for the next level of reading & math. 95% said that LWES teachers tie learning to relevant life experiences. 96% said that LWES staff members provide students with support to gain healthy socialemotional skills. And 98% said that we offer engaging evening family events that support learning. 39% said that they believe the amount of testing in which their students participate is not-appropriate. We are celebrating this good feedback from you all, and looking at the areas we can do better. With this old building, we always struggle with temperatures, and keeping things in good repair, and we never have enough space! The testing issue is a big, ongoing one, and I encourage you to visit the APS testing website at http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources for further information, or make an appointment to speak with me if you have questions or concerns.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: March 8-10, 4th gr State SBA Science Testing Wednesday, March 9, 2nd grade Animal Humane visits Wednesday, March 9, 5th grade pre-registration for Washington Middle School March 10-18, all grades Spanish testing Sunday, March 13, Daylight Savings Time begins – set your clocks ahead!!! Monday, March 14, Pi Day Thursday, March 17, St. Patrick’s Day Thursday, March 17, 5:00 PTA Meeting Thursday, March 17, 5:30 Family Literacy Night Friday, March 18, STAR Student Lunches Wednesday, March 23, 5 Star Burger Night – Fundraiser for our PTA Friday, March 25, Vernal Holiday, no school March 28 – April 1, spring break, no school Tuesday, April 5, Ms. Hernandez’s class field trip to Casa San Isidro. April 6 – May 13, PARCC testing for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders Friday, April 8, ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee and Chat April 11-12, 4th/5th gr Hawks Aloft field trips Tuesday, April 12, Library Appreciation Day Tuesday, April 12, Explora Night!!! Friday, April 15, STAR Student Lunches Friday, April 15, 2nd gr recycling presentation Family Promise Partnership: Family Promise is an up to 90 day homeless shelter for families with minor children. Familypromiseabq.org. Their new day center is located at the corner of Edith and Lomas. There are some great opportunities at Family Promise for any homeless or marginally housed families at our school. They are partnering with Play Conservatory to provide after school theater classes. All of these services are free of charge. The services available for parents include life skills classes, parenting classes, WorkKeys assessment, Basic literacy tutoring for adults, resume and job search assistance, and case management. You can let us know in the office if you are interested, or contact Family Promise directly at 268-0331. Volunteering and Chaperoning: In order to be a field trip chaperone, or volunteer in classrooms, everyone must be background checked. I have gotten really good at navigating the website, and am happy to sit with you to get it filled out. I also have money to pay the $12 fee for anyone who needs it. You can apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteerwith-aps. Come visit me in the office if you need help. If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, the office can let you know. Clearance lasts for 2 years. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early! Testing Info: APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website. If you are considering your options for your student’s testing, please try to be in touch with us as soon as possible so we can make arrangements. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. This year’s 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade PARCC assessment will be in April. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:3/4/16

Weekly News 2/12

February 12, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

As I write this newsletter, I am basking in the glow of our 4th and 5th graders’ amazing performance for the Festival de Bellas Artes. They sang two songs that we only started practicing in January, and they sang with all their hearts! Their second number featured all 100 kids waving streamer sticks while singing, and then 250 students joined them onstage for a mass celebration, singing and dancing Waka Waka. It was a moment to be remembered forever. I am so proud of our students!!!

If you are reading this newsletter on Friday, you may still be able to make it to the Middle and High School Festival de Bellas Artes performance. Their concert is at 6:00 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, and these students will knock your socks off with their talent and professionalism. The concert is free (though donations are encouraged), but the value of seeing what can be accomplished in just a few short years is immeasurable. This year, the emcees of the evening concerts are Festival and APS graduates. They were in the Festival de Bellas Artes for 6 years as student participants, and now, as graduates, they are back as hosts and leaders. It makes my heart proud!

I am always looking for ways to bring more music and dance into our school. We weren’t able to find a mariachi teacher for this school year, but I will begin searching anew this summer. Next year will be a music year for us, which is exciting, but I hate that we have to trade it for art. Fine arts are so important for wellrounded children, and I’m grateful for our 4th and 5th graders for letting me play music teacher with them these past weeks!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Friday, February 12, 6:00 Free Festival de Bellas Artes concert of middle- and high-school students at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Monday, February 15-16, Presidents Day and staff development. No school Thursday, February 18, 5:30, Family Math Night Thursday, February 18, 5:00, PTA Mtg Friday, February 19, STAR Student Lunches Thursday & Friday, February 25-26, Parent/Teacher Conferences. No school. February 29-March 2, LWES Dental Clinic Wednesday, March 4, Read Across America Day Friday, March 4, ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee and Chat March 8-10, 4th gr State SBA Science Testing Thursday, March 17, 5:00 PTA Meeting Thursday, March 17, 5:30 Family Literacy Night Friday, March 18, STAR Student Lunches Friday, March 25, Vernal Holiday, no school March 28 – April 1, spring break, no school April 6 – May 13, PARCC testing for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders Friday, April 8, ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee and Chat Tuesday, April 12, Library Appreciation Day Tuesday, April 12, Explora Night!!! Volunteering and Chaperoning: In order to be a field trip chaperone, or volunteer in classrooms, everyone must be background checked. I have gotten really good at navigating the website, and am happy to sit with you to get it filled out. I also have money to pay the $12 fee for anyone who needs it. You can apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteerwith-aps. Come visit me in the office if you need help. If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, the office can let you know. Clearance lasts for 2 years. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early! Testing Info: APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. This year’s 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade PARCC assessment will be in April. ACCESS testing for ESL students will begin on January 25th. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources Art Display at the Main Public Library: Congratulations to these awesome students who have their dragons on display at the Main Public Library. We’re so proud of you. You can find their dragons on the stairwell to the children’s area. From Ms. Talley’s class: Ayana, Amaya, Julia, Zach, Ebony, and Briza From Ms. Ecker’s class: Charles and Isabella C. From Ms. Kasprzak’s class: Isabel T. From Ms. Hernandez’ class: Austin, Ciena, Julisa, and Tazhe. Congratulations and thanks also to their amazing art teacher, Ms. Krichels!

REMINDER: No school next Monday or Tuesday, February 15 and 16. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:2/12/16

Weekly News 2/5

February 5, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

I will be off-campus almost all of next week. I wrote to you about my fabulous Festival de Bellas Artes a couple of weeks ago, but now it’s show-time! We have over 1300 students from 40+ school groups coming to the National Hispanic Cultural Center to participate and perform. Our own Lew Wallace 4th and 5th graders will take the stage all-day next Thursday, participating in music and dance workshops, and performing for other schools in the afternoon. At 5:30 p.m., they will perform in a free public concert, and YOU are invited! My pride in our students is gigantic – they will knock your socks off!!!!

While I’m gone, the school staff will ably keep the school running. We’re in constant contact via text, email, Apple Watch, smoke signals, everything. And we all know that Mary and Rose are the REAL bosses of the school. J If you need me, please send me an email.

We celebrated Ms. Garcia, our school counselor today. We are lucky to have such a caring, wonderful counselor at Lew Wallace. She is only here half-time, but she meets with individual students, works with groups on friendship skills, does anti-bullying curriculum in classrooms, helps with students in crisis, and so much more. We are grateful for all she does!!!!

Our Superbowl lunch was soooo much fun today. Thanks to all of you who came and joined us. Enjoy your weekend, and GO BRONCOS!!!!!!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Thursday, February 11, 4th/5th gr field trip to the Festival de Bellas Artes, National Hispanic Cultural Ctr Thursday, February 11, 5:30 pm, Festival de Bellas Artes free concert starring LWES 4th and 5th grade, at the Nat’l Hispanic Cultural Center Friday, February 12, 6:00 Free concert of middle- and high-school students at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Monday, February 15-16, Presidents Day and staff development, no school Thursday, February 18, 5:30, Family Math Night Thursday, February 18, 5:00, PTA Mtg Friday, February 19, STAR Student Lunches Thursday & Friday, February 25-26, Parent/Teacher Conferences February 29-March 2, LWES Dental Clinic Friday, March 4, ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee and Chat March 8-10, 4th gr State SBA Science Testing Thursday, March 17, 5:00 PTA Meeting Thursday, March 17, 5:30 Family Literacy Night Friday, March 18, STAR Student Lunches Friday, March 25, Vernal Holiday, no school March 28 – April 1, spring break, no school Volunteering and Chaperoning: In order to be a field trip chaperone, or volunteer in classrooms, everyone must be background checked. I have gotten really good at navigating the website, and am happy to sit with you to get it filled out. I also have money to pay the $12 fee for anyone who needs it. You can apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteerwith-aps. Come visit me in the office if you need help. If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, the office can let you know. Clearance lasts for 2 years. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early! Testing Info: APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. This year’s 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade PARCC assessment will be in April. ACCESS testing for ESL students will begin on January 25th. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:2/5/16

Weekly News 1/29

January 29, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

As I write this newsletter, I am super-test-weary. I have completed giving 16 of the 18 required ESL tests, and anticipate being totally done by the time you read this. ACCESS testing is for students who have more than one language spoken in their home. It gives us good information about reading, listening, speaking, and writing skills for those students. The tests aren’t too grueling – each student takes four tests, three of which are on the computer. But having to give those four tests over six grades, with two levels per grade, is a lot of test juggling.

However, our kids were phenomenal. When I had the wrong instruction book, they sat patiently. When the technology went belly up, they entertained themselves and each other with games. When we met unexpected snags, Ms. Elaine, Ms. Laura, and Mr. Mike jumped in and solved all of our problems. Despite being completely toast, I am also feeling so grateful for our staff and students. How lucky we are!

Tuesday was the 100th day of school – already! There is sooooo much to do over the next 80 days, but we are on-track, and moving forward. In two weeks, our 4th and 5th grade students will spend the day at the National Hispanic Cultural Center for the Festival de Bellas Artes, and will end their day as part of a concert at 5:30 p.m. Family Math Night is Thursday, February 18th. Second trimester parent teacher conferences are shortly after that, February 25-26. I hope we’ll see a lot of each other in the coming month!!!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Monday, February 1, 4th grade field trip to Museum of Nuclear Science and History Tuesday, February 2, School Improvement Election Tuesday, February 2, 5th grade field trip to Balloon Museum Friday, February 5, ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee and Chat Thursday, February 11, 4th/5th gr field trip to the Festival de Bellas Artes, Nat’l Hispanic Cultural Ctr Thursday, February 11, 5:30 pm, Festival de Bellas Artes free concert starring LWES 4th and 5th grade, at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Friday, February 12, 6:00 Free concert of middle- and high-school students at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Monday, February 15-16, Presidents Day and staff development, no school Thursday, February 18, 5:30, Family Math Night Thursday, February 18, 5:00, PTA Mtg Friday, February 19, STAR Student Lunches Thursday & Friday, February 25-26, Parent/Teacher Conferences February 29-March 2, LWES Dental Clinic Friday, March 4, ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee and Chat March 8-10, 4th gr State SBA Science Testing Thursday, March 17, 5:00 PTA Meeting Thursday, March 17, 5:30 Family Literacy Night Friday, March 18, STAR Student Lunches Friday, March 25, Vernal Holiday, no school March 28 – April 1, spring break, no school Volunteering and Chaperoning: In order to be a field trip chaperone, or volunteer in classrooms, everyone must be background checked. I have gotten really good at navigating the website, and am happy to sit with you to get it filled out. I also have money to pay the $12 fee for anyone who needs it. You can apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteerwith-aps. Come visit me in the office if you need help. If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, the office can let you know. Clearance lasts for 2 years. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early! Testing Info: APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. This year’s 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade PARCC assessment will be in April. ACCESS testing for ESL students will begin on January 25th. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources Mill Levy and School Bond election: On Feb. 2, 2016, voters will cast ballots in the Albuquerque Public Schools $575 million bond/mil levy election that would provide funding for a wide variety of capital improvement projects including: Renovation and restoration of schools across the district New technology for teaching and learning Improved school safety and security Charter school capital funding Improved student transportation and more. The funding would come in the form of a $375 million mill levy and $200 million in general obligation bonds that will NOT increase taxes! For more information, please visit www.growingmyworld.org Our closest voting location is the Bernalillo County Clerks Annex at 1500 Lomas Blvd NW. Early voting goes through today and tomorrow (Saturday). Regular voting is next Tuesday. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:1/29/16

Weekly News 1/15

January 15, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

I am feeling like a proud mother hen, for sooooo many awesome reasons this week!

Ms. Cheryl, our former kindergarten teacher, finished her principal internship right before winter break, and was planning on coming back to her classroom here to teach kindergarten for the remainder of the year. But because of her amazingness, she was picked up as a new principal to a school right away, and is now busy at Comanche Elementary School, leading their staff to greatness. She was in the news earlier this week, sharing the new building that was just opened at her school. We are all so proud of her!

Tuesday night, our own 5th grade student Zach Sais, was also on the news being awesome. He and his brother John (former LWES student, now in 6th grade), have been bugging the mayor’s office to get Mary Fox park renovated, after it’s been sitting all ripped up behind a gate for awhile. They were able to get the mayor to come down and see the park with them, and get a new contractor hired to continue work on the park. You can find their cool story online at KOB.com (http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S4015481.shtml? cat=500#.VpZscoRDjFI)

Cool things are happening at Lew Wallace!!! Mill Levy and School Bond election: On Feb. 2, 2016, voters will cast ballots in the Albuquerque Public Schools $575 million bond/mil levy election that would provide funding for a wide variety of capital improvement projects including: Renovation and restoration of schools across the district New technology for teaching and learning Improved school safety and security Charter school capital funding Improved student transportation and more. The funding would come in the form of a $375 million mill levy and $200 million in general obligation bonds that will NOT increase taxes! For more information, please visit http://www.growingmyworld.org Our closest voting location is the Bernalillo County Clerks Annex at 1500 Lomas Blvd NW. Early voting has already begun. Albuquerque Boy Choir: The Albuquerque Boy Choir is accepting new members, and encouraging boys who love to sing, ages 6-18 to audition. They sing all over Albuquerque, and do a summer tour in neighboring states. Boys are welcome to attend and check them out. For more information, or to schedule an audition, you can call 369-6006 or email [email protected]. The Boy Choir practices every Tuesday evening at First Presbyterian Church (MLK Blvd. and the I-25 frontage road). The Choristers (ages 6-11) practice 5:30PM - 7:00PM, and Concert Choir (ages 10-16) practices 6:00PM - 7:30PM. Important Dates: Friday, January 15, Mid-Term Progress Reports come home for all students. 2015 PARCC state testing results come home for 4th and 5th grade students. Monday, January 18, MLK day, no school Wednesday, January 20, Sandia Labs Family Math Night, pizza and lemonade provided! Thursday, January 21, 5:00 PTA meeting January 25-29, ACCESS language testing Tuesday, January 26, 2nd grade field trip to balloon museum Friday, January 29, STAR Student Lunches Monday, February 1, 4th grade field trip to Museum of Nuclear Science and History Tuesday, February 2, School Improvement Election Friday, February 5, ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee and Chat Thursday, February 11, 4th/5th gr to Festival de Bellas Artes Thursday, February 11, 5:30 pm, Festival de Bellas Artes concert, 4th and 5th grade, at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Friday, February 12, 6:00 Free Public Concert of middleand high-school students at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Monday, February 15-16, Presidents Day and staff development, no school Thursday, February 18, 5:30, Family Math Night Thursday, February 18, 5:00, PTA Mtg Friday, February 19, STAR Student Lunches Thursday & Friday, February 25-26, Parent/Teacher Conferences February 29-March 2, LWES Dental Clinic PARCC (State Testing) Results from the 2014-2015 School Year: are coming home for 4th and 5th graders in backpacks today. Please be sure to check, and be in touch if you don’t receive them. Volunteering and Chaperoning: In order to be a field trip chaperone, or volunteer in classrooms, everyone must be background checked. I have gotten really good at navigating the website, and am happy to sit with you to get it filled out. I also have money to pay the $12 fee for anyone who needs it. You can apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteerwith-aps. Come visit me in the office if you need help. If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, the office can let you know. Clearance lasts for 2 years. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early! Testing Info: APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. This year’s 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade PARCC assessment will be in April. ACCESS testing for ESL students will begin on January 25th. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources Sandia Labs Family Math Night: Sandia National Laboratories and Lockheed Martin are sponsoring our next academic family engagement night. Wednesday, January 20 from 6:00-7:30 will be Family Math Night, with pizza and lemonade served all night beginning at 5:30. Come bring the whole family and enjoy fun hands-on math games and activities. I hope to see you all there!!! Mid-Term Progress Reports: Hard to believe, but we are halfway through the school year already! The school year is broken up into three equal trimesters, and we are halfway through the second trimester. Mid-Term Progress Reports are NOT report cards, but are just a quick way for teachers to let you know how students are doing mid-way through the trimester. At the end of this trimester, February 25 & 26, teachers will present students’ report cards, and talk to you about progress. If you ever have questions in the meantime, please be in touch with your child’s teacher. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:1/15/16

Weekly News 1/8

January 8, 2016

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

It is hard to believe that we are over half-way through the school year! It was good to see all of our delightful children back in the building on Tuesday, and classes were back at work almost instantly. The weather continues to be iffy – please be sure your students are coming to school with winter coats. If your child needs a coat, let us know and we can match you up with a donation.

In APS, any time a student wants to attend a school outside of their neighborhood boundary area, they have to apply for a transfer. If you have a younger sibling who will be coming to Lew Wallace, or if you are a 5th grade parent who wants their child considered for a middle school outside of their boundary, or if you want to apply for another elementary school, you will want to apply for that transfer right away. The first priority window is open now, and closes on January 31st. For more information about transfers, or to apply online, go to: http://www.aps.edu/schools/transfers. Or, to ask questions or apply in-person, you can visit the Student Service Center at APS City Center, 6400 Uptown Blvd NE.

5th grade parents who are interested in discussing middle school options, and getting more information before requesting a transfer, are invited to an informal conversation at Lew Wallace next Thursday, January 14th, at 5:30 p.m. We’ll share our collective knowledge, ask questions, and discuss options.

Happy New Year to you all, and welcome back!!! Albuquerque Boy Choir: The Albuquerque Boy Choir is accepting new members, and encouraging boys who love to sing, ages 6-18 to audition. They sing all over Albuquerque, and do a summer tour in neighboring states. Boys are welcome to attend and check them out. For more information, or to schedule an audition, you can call 369-6006 or email [email protected]. The Boy Choir practices every Tuesday evening at First Presbyterian Church (MLK Blvd. and the I-25 frontage road). The Choristers (ages 6-11) practice 5:30PM - 7:00PM, and Concert Choir (ages 10-16) practices 6:00PM - 7:30PM. Mill Levy and School Bond election On Feb. 2, 2016, voters will cast ballots in the Albuquerque Public Schools $575 million bond/mil levy election that would provide funding for a wide variety of capital improvement projects including: Renovation and restoration of schools across the district New technology for teaching and learning Improved school safety and security Charter school capital funding Improved student transportation and more. The funding would come in the form of a $375 million mill levy and $200 million in general obligation bonds that will NOT increase taxes! For more information, please visit http://www.growingmyworld.org Our closest voting location is the Bernalillo County Clerks Annex at 1500 Lomas Blvd NW. Early voting begins on January 13th. Important Dates: Sunday, January 10, 1:00-4:00 Zumba-thon!!! In the gym Wednesday, January 13, Assemblies with Dr. Duda, scientist Thursday, January 14, 5th grade MS transition meeting, 5:30 Friday, January 15, Mid-Term Progress Reports and PARCC state testing results come home Monday, January 18, MLK day, no school Wednesday, January 20, Sandia Labs Family Math Night Thursday, January 21, 5:00 PTA meeting January 25-29, ACCESS language testing Friday, January 29, STAR Student Lunches Thursday, February 2, School Improvement Election Friday, February 5, ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee and Chat Thursday, February 11, 4th/5th gr to Festival de Bellas Artes Thursday, February 11, 5:30 pm, Festival de Bellas Artes concert, 4th and 5th grade, at the National Hispanic Cultural Center Monday, February 15-16, Presidents Day and staff development, no school Thursday, February 18, 5:30, Family Math Night Thursday, February 18, 5:00, PTA Mtg Friday, February 19, STAR Student Lunches Testing Info APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. The PARCC assessment will be in April. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources 5th Grade Transition Meeting 5th grade parents are invited for an informal conversation about middle schools and transitions on Thursday, January 14 at 5:30 in the library. These days, families have choices about where to go for 6th grade. We will come together to talk about what we know, what we’ve heard, share information, and ask questions of each other. I’ll have pizza and lemonade. Kids are not part of our meeting, but they are welcome to come hang out with us, and I’ll have a teen helper to supervise the kids. Volunteering and Chaperoning In order to be a field trip chaperone, or volunteer in classrooms, everyone must be background checked. I have gotten really good at navigating the website, and am happy to sit with you to get it filled out. I also have money to pay the $12 fee for anyone who needs it. You can apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteerwith-aps. Come visit me in the office if you need help. If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, the office can let you know. Clearance lasts for 2 years. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early! Zumba-Thin! Come to school on Sunday, January 10th for a 2hour Zumba-thon in the Lew Wallace gym. We will dance, shake, boogie, and sweat to raise money for programs at school. The cost is $10 per person, and all proceeds go towards LWES kids. Children are welcome to join along in the dancing with an accompanying adult. It’s going to be a heap of fun! Everyone is invited!! Two full hours of Zumba, led by awesome instructors who are volunteering their time for the school! There is no childcare, but kids are welcome to Zumba with you! Sandia Labs Family Math Night: Sandia National Laboratories and Lockheed Martin are sponsoring our next academic family engagement night. Wednesday, January 20 from 6:00-7:30 will be Family Math Night, with pizza and lemonade served all night beginning at 5:30. Come bring the whole family and enjoy fun hands-on math games and activities. I hope to see you all there!!! Mid-Term Progress Reports and PARCC (State Testing) Results from the 2014-2015 School Year will be coming home in backpacks next Friday. Please be sure to check, and be in touch if you don’t receive them. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:1/8/16

Weekly News 12/18 Important Dates: December 21 through January 4, Winter Break (No school) Tuesday, January 5, Students return to school Wednesday, January 6, STAR Student Lunch Friday, January 8, ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee and Chat Sunday, January 10, 1:00-3:00 Zumba-thon!!! In the gym Wednesday, January 13, Assemblies with Dr. Duda, scientist Thursday, January 14, 5th grade MS transition meeting, 5:30 Monday, January 18, MLK day, no school Wednesday, January 20, Family Math Night Thursday, January 21, 5:00 PTA meeting Friday, January 29, STAR Student Lunches Friday, February 5, ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee and Chat Thursday, February 11, 4th/5th gr to Festival de Bellas Artes Thursday, February 11, 5:30 pm, Festival de Bellas Artes concert Monday, February 15-16, Presidents Day and staff development, no school Thursday, February 18, 5:30, Family Math Night Thursday, February 18, 5:00, PTA Mtg Friday, February 19, STAR Student Lunches Volunteering and Chaperoning: In order to be a field trip chaperone, or volunteer in classrooms, everyone must be background checked. I have gotten really good at navigating the website, and am happy to sit with you to get it filled out. I also have money to pay the $12 fee for anyone who needs it. You can apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteerwith-aps. Come visit me in the office if you need help. If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, the office can let you know. Clearance lasts for 2 years. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early! Testing Info: APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources Zumba-Thon! Come to school on Sunday, January 10th for a 2hour Zumba-thon in the Lew Wallace gym. We will dance, shake, boogie, and sweat to raise money for programs at school. The cost is $10 per person, and all proceeds go towards LWES kids. Children are welcome to join along in the dancing with an accompanying adult. It’s going to be a heap of fun! Everyone is invited!! Two full hours of Zumba, led by awesome instructors who are volunteering their time for the school! There is no childcare, but kids are welcome to Zumba with you! Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:12/18/15

Weekly News 12/11

December 11, 2015

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

We have had an incredibly eventful and fun week here at Lew Wallace!!!! Let me work backwards through all the goodness…

Tomorrow is our first annual Lew Wallace PTA Craft Fair, and we are so excited to have local artists, vendors, and even staff members sharing their wares with us. We are hoping to have gazillions of shoppers – come, and bring all your family and neighbors!

Yesterday, our very own Ms. Sonya was in the White House, standing with President Obama while he signed the new education reauthorization, called the Every Student Succeeds Act. She flew to Washington DC on Wednesday night, spent the morning with the president, representatives, and other high-level politicians, returned to Albuquerque Thursday night, and is back in kindergarten being amazing this morning. We are so proud of her, and so proud to have Lew Wallace represented in the White House! You can watch the video here… http://www.c-span.org/video/?4018641/president-obama-education-bill-signing-ceremony

Wednesday night was our Posole Dinner, Holiday Make ‘n’ Take, and Book Fair, and it was an enormous success. We had a happy school full of families making crafts, shopping for books, enjoying dinner together, and even singing winter songs together around the piano. It was so good to be all-together again, celebrating our awesome community. Thank you for coming back time and time again – you are what makes Lew Wallace so special!!!!!

And now we head into our last week of school for 2015. Hang on to your hats! Thank you for being on this amazing journey with us.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio, principal Important Dates: Saturday, December 12, LWES PTA Craft Fair, 10:00-4:00 Wednesday, December 16, 9:30, 3rd/4th/5th grade spelling bee in the school library Wednesday, December 16, 1:00 School and front office closed for staff retreat Thursday, December 17, 5:00 p.m. PTA meeting Friday, December 18, STAR Student Lunches December 21 through January 4, Winter Break (No school) Tuesday, January 5, Students return to school Friday, January 8, ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee and Chat Sunday, January 10, 1:00-3:00 Zumba-thon!!! In the gym Wednesday, January 13, Assemblies with Dr. Duda, scientist Thursday, January 14, 5th grade MS transition meeting, 5:30 Monday, January 18, MLK day, no school Wednesday, January 20, Family Math Night Friday, January 22, STAR Student Lunches Friday, February 5, ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee and Chat Testing Info: APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources Zumba-Thon! Come to school on Sunday, January 10th for a 2hour Zumba-thon in the Lew Wallace gym. We will dance, shake, boogie, and sweat to raise money for programs at school. The cost is $10 per person, and all proceeds go towards LWES kids. Children are welcome to join along in the dancing with an accompanying adult. It’s going to be a heap of fun! Everyone is invited!! Two full hours of Zumba, led by awesome instructors who are volunteering their time for the school! There is no childcare, but kids are welcome to Zumba with you! Volunteering and Chaperoning: In order to be a field trip chaperone, or volunteer in classrooms, everyone must be background checked. I have gotten really good at navigating the website, and am happy to sit with you to get it filled out. I also have money to pay the $12 fee for anyone who needs it. You can apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteerwith-aps. Come visit me in the office if you need help. If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, the office can let you know. Clearance lasts for 2 years. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early! Holiday Adopt-a-Family: The Rivera family and the Chavez family have a beautiful tradition of adopting some families each holiday season. This year, if they can enlist enough help, they would like to adopt even more! They are asking if any other families want to join in so that they can spread the love further. If so, they are looking for donations of household items: soap, shampoo, toothpaste, kitchen stuff, dishsoap, towels, washcloth, detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets, toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand soap, wipes, body wash, poufs, etc. Let us know in the office if you’re interested in participating, and we’ll put you in touch with the other families. LWES PTA Craft Fair: Tomorrow, Saturday, December 12th is our first annual Craft Fair. Tell your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors! We are hoping to have tons of people here doing their Christmas shopping, supporting local artisans, and helping make this a successful, annual event. We have nearly 30 vendors here with hand-made crafts, art, wares, and even a food truck for lunch purchases to help sustain you for your shopping frenzy! Come support the school, the PTA, and local artists and vendors. Several classrooms and staff members will also be participating! Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:12/11/15

Weekly News 12/4

December 4, 2015

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

I know I have addressed this topic recently, but I feel compelled to bring it up again, in light of the recent and numerous incidents of violence in our country, and in the world. Ironically, just before we began hearing the tragic news out of San Bernardino on Wednesday, we were doing a practice lock-down drill at school with students. I struggle with these drills. I would do absolutely anything and everything to keep our children protected. Your babies are my babies, and if lockdown drills can keep us even the slightest bit safer, we will do them. At the same time, it feels so wrong that we have to practice for the unthinkable, and that our children are growing up in a time when lock-down drills are as normal and necessary as fire drills and spelling bees. And I struggle between wanting students to take it all Very Seriously so that we can keep them as safe as possible, and not wanting them to lay awake at night worrying, or come to school feeling afraid. School should be the place where ALL children feel safe, ALL of the time.

And so we practice hiding and staying very quiet. When a lockdown drill is called, teachers calmly lock their exterior classroom doors, and children know where in the classroom to gather. Our teachers are brilliant at keeping it from getting too scary, reminding children to stay absolutely still and silent, while winking and flashing smiles of encouragement. If a real lockdown were ever to happen, we would immediately secure classrooms and the exterior doors of the school. Teachers always stay with their classes, and all other staff have assigned roles for securing doors, and checking bathrooms, stairwells, and hallways. When we had our drill on Wednesday, we had the entire school secured in mere seconds, and you would not have known that we had a single child in the building. It was a disturbingly perfect lockdown drill.

So I write this newsletter with a heavy heart, but also a determined one. We will continue to practice all safety procedures and drills at school. We will continue to teach children to think critically, and be good citizens, and solve problems in non-violent ways. We will continue to care for your children as if they were our own, so they always know that school is a safe place. We will keep driving you crazy with our background checks, and locked gates, and check-out procedures. And I hope that you know and trust that we do it all out of a profound sense of responsibility and love for your precious and beautiful children.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio, principal Important Dates: December 7-10, Book Fair! December 7, Zumba class for Ms. Jennifer’s students Wednesday, December 9, BioPark visit with Santa Wednesday, December 9, 5:30-7:00 p.m. Book Fair, Posole Dinner, and Make ‘n’ Take Thursday, December 10, 3rd gr field trip to the NHCC Thursday, December 10, 4th gr Rio Grande guest speaker Friday, December 11, 4th gr Rio Grande field trip Saturday, December 12, PTA Craft Fair, 10:00-4:00 Wednesday, December 16, 3rd/4th/5th grade spelling bee Wednesday, December 16, 1:00 Office closed for staff retreat Thursday, December 17, 5:00 p.m. PTA meeting Friday, December 18, STAR Student Lunches December 21 through January 4, Winter Break (No school) Tuesday, January 5, Students return to school Friday, January 8, ª2ª Parent/Principal Coffee and Chat Wednesday, January 13, Assemblies with Dr. Duda, scientist Thursday, January 14, 5th grade MS transition meeting, 5:30 Monday, January 18, MLK day, no school Wednesday, January 20, Family Math Night Book Fair, Posole Dinner, and Make ‘n’ Take: Join us on Wednesday for our fabulous December family engagement event. The library will be buzzing with the awesome book fair, and you can finish (or start!) all your holiday shopping. Our PTA will host an awesome posole dinner for $3.00 per meal. We will have numerous free activities and stations for creating crafts, ornaments, and decorations. We’ll have a caroling sing-along around the piano. Most importantly, we’ll have time to connect, enjoy each others’ company, and celebrate the season. We still need volunteers to help run station, so be in touch! Testing Info: APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources Volunteering and Chaperoning: In order to be a field trip chaperone, or volunteer in classrooms, everyone must be background checked. I have gotten really good at navigating the website, and am happy to sit with you to get it filled out. I also have money to pay the $12 fee for anyone who needs it. You can apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteerwith-aps. Come visit me in the office if you need help. If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, the office can let you know. Clearance lasts for 2 years. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early! Holiday Adopt-a-Family: The Rivera family and the Chavez family have a beautiful tradition of adopting some families each holiday season. This year, if they can enlist enough help, they would like to adopt even more! They are asking if any other families want to join in so that they can spread the love further. If so, they are looking for donations of household items: soap, shampoo, toothpaste, kitchen stuff, dishsoap, towels, washcloth, detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets, toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand soap, wipes, body wash, poufs, etc. Let us know in the office if you’re interested in participating, and we’ll put you in touch with the other families. LWES PTA Craft Fair Lew Wallace PTA Holiday Craft Fair, Saturday, December 12th! Tell your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors! We are hoping to have tons of people here doing their Christmas shopping, supporting local artisans, and helping make this a successful, annual event. Holiday Fair booth – Still accepting applications for booths for crafters and sellers. $30 to rent a space. Bring a table and display to sell your crafts, art, holiday items, any non-food. Small business welcome. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:12/4/15

Weekly News 11/20

November 20, 2015

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

This is a busy time at school as teachers and staff are getting ready for conferences. We are excited to share your children’s progress and tell you about the wonderful things they’re doing, as well as share any worries or concerns.

One of the things that tends to come up in conferences is “the other kid.” I have kept the following blog article in my in-box for a long time, and it makes me cry every time I read it. One of my own kids was “that kid” at one time, and I know how hard it can be. I know it’s long, but I hope you find it insightful.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio, principal Teacher to parents: About THAT kid (the one who hits, disrupts and influences YOUR kid) By Valerie Strauss November 14, 2014 Dear Parent: I know. You’re worried. Every day, your child comes home with a story about THAT kid. The one who is always hitting, shoving, pinching, scratching, maybe even biting other children. The one who always has to hold my hand in the hallway. The one who has a special spot at the carpet, and sometimes sits on a chair rather than the floor. The one who had to leave the block center because blocks are not for throwing. The one who climbed over the playground fence right exactly as I was telling her to stop. The one who poured his neighbor’s milk onto the floor in a fit of anger. On purpose. While I was watching. And then, when I asked him to clean it up, emptied the ENTIRE paper towel dispenser. On purpose. While I was watching. The one who dropped the REAL ACTUAL F-word in gym class. You’re worried that THAT child is detracting from your child’s learning experience. You’re worried that he takes up too much of my time and energy, and that your child won’t get his fair share. You’re worried that she is really going to hurt someone some day. You’re worried that “someone” might be your child. You’re worried that your child is going to start using aggression to get what she wants. You’re worried your child is going to fall behind academically because I might not notice that he is struggling to hold a pencil. I know. Your child, this year, in this classroom, at this age, is not THAT child. Your child is not perfect, but she generally follows rules. He is able to share toys peaceably. She does not throw furniture. He raises his hand to speak. She works when it is time to work, and plays when it is time to play. He can be trusted to go straight to the bathroom and straight back again with no shenanigans. She thinks that the S-word is “stupid” and the C-word is “crap.” I know. I know, and I am worried, too. You see, I worry all the time. About ALL of them. I worry about your child’s pencil grip, and another child’s letter sounds, and that little tiny one’s shyness, and that other one’s chronically empty lunchbox. I worry that Gavin’s coat is not warm enough, and that Talitha’s dad yells at her for printing the letter B backwards. Most of my car rides and showers are consumed with the worrying. But I know, you want to talk about THAT child. Because Talitha’s backward B’s are not going to give your child a black eye. I want to talk about THAT child, too, but there are so many things I can’t tell you. I can’t tell you that she was adopted from an orphanage at 18 months. I can’t tell you that he is on an elimination diet for possible food allergies, and that he is therefore hungry ALL. THE. TIME. I can’t tell you that her parents are in the middle of a horrendous divorce, and she has been staying with her grandma. I can’t tell you that I’m starting to worry that grandma drinks… I can’t tell you that his asthma medication makes him agitated. I can’t tell you that her mom is a single parent, and so she (the child) is at school from the moment before-care opens, until the moment after-care closes, and then the drive between home and school takes 40 minutes, and so she (the child) is getting less sleep than most adults. I can’ tell you that he has been a witness to domestic violence. That’s okay, you say. You understand I can’t share personal or family information. You just want to know what I am DOING about That Child’s behaviour. I would love to tell you. But I can’t. I can’t tell you that she receives speech-language services, that an assessment showed a severe language delay, and that the therapist feels the aggression is linked to frustration about being unable to communicate. I can’t tell you that I meet with his parents EVERY week, and that both of them usually cry at those meetings. I can’t tell you that the child and I have a secret hand signal to tell me when she needs to sit by herself for a while. I can’t tell you that he spends rest time curled in my lap because “it makes me feel better to hear your heart, Teacher.” I can’t tell you that I have been meticulously tracking her aggressive incidents for 3 months, and that she has dropped from 5 incidents a day, to 5 incidents a week. I can’t tell you that the school secretary has agreed that I can send him to the office to “help” when I can tell he needs a change of scenery. I can’t tell you that I have stood up in a staff meeting and, with tears in my eyes, BEGGED my colleagues to keep an extra close eye on her, to be kind to her even when they are frustrated that she just punched someone AGAIN, and this time, RIGHT IN FRONT OF A TEACHER. The thing is, there are SO MANY THINGS I can’t tell you about That Child. I can’t even tell you the good stuff. I can’t tell you that his classroom job is to water the plants, and that he cried with heartbreak when one of the plants died over winter break. I can’t tell you that she kisses her baby sister goodbye every morning, and whispers “You are my sunshine” before mom pushes the stroller away. I can’t tell you that he knows more about thunderstorms than most meteorologists. I can’t tell you that she often asks to help sharpen the pencils during playtime. I can’t tell you that she strokes her best friend’s hair at rest time. I can’t tell you that when a classmate is crying, he rushes over with his favorite stuffy from the story corner. The thing is, dear parent, that I can only talk to you about YOUR child. So, what I can tell you is this: If ever, at any point, YOUR child, or any of your children, becomes THAT child… I will not share your personal family business with other parents in the classroom. I will communicate with you frequently, clearly, and kindly. I will make sure there are tissues nearby at all our meetings, and if you let me, I will hold your hand when you cry. I will advocate for your child and family to receive the highest quality of specialist services, and I will cooperate with those professionals to the fullest possible extent. I will make sure your child gets extra love and affection when she needs it most. I will be a voice for your child in our school community. I will, no matter what happens, continue to look for, and to find, the good, amazing, special, and wonderful things about your child. I will remind him and YOU of those good amazing special wonderful things, over and over again. And when another parent comes to me, with concerns about YOUR child… I will tell them all of this, all over again. With so much love, Teacher Amy Murray is the director of early childhood education at the Calgary French & International School in Canada. This post appeared on her blog, Miss Night’s Marbles. Important Dates: November 23-24, Parent-Teacher Conferences (No school for students) November 25-27, Thanksgiving Break (No school) Tuesday, December 1, 3rd grade field trip to the Nutcracker Wednesday, December 2, small group field trip to the Nutcracker on the Rocks Wednesday, December 2, Lockdown drill Friday, December 4, ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee Friday, December 4, 2nd/3rd grade field trip for Farolitos play December 7-10, Book Fair! Wednesday, December 9, BioPark visit with Santa Wednesday, December 9, 5:30-7:00 p.m. Winter Family Event, Book Fair, and Make ‘n’ Take Friday, December 11, 4th gr Rio Grande field trip Saturday, December 12, LWES PTA Craft Fair, 10:004:00 Wednesday, December 16, 3rd/4th/5th grade spelling bee Thursday, December 17, 5:00 p.m. PTA meeting Friday, December 18, STAR Student Lunches December 21 through January 4, Winter Break (No school) Tuesday, January 5, Students return to school Testing Info: APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website, including opt-out forms, frequently asked questions, and information about the various assessments that students take throughout the year. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources Parent/Teacher Conference Information: There is no school for kids at all next week. Monday and Tuesday, teachers will be conducting conferences. You received a form with a suggested time. If you don’t have a scheduled conference time, please call the office and we will help get you plugged in. Parent/Teacher conference is a time to see your child’s standards-based report card, hear from the teacher, ask questions, and get information about school and class. We will also have some paperwork for you: The Title 1 compact, a parent survey, and information about summer school. (I know… already??!?!) Volunteering and Chaperoning: Many of you have been surprised to hear that you have to have background clearance in order to be a chaperone on a school field trip. So I decided to write it in a fancy font to draw everyone’s attention to it. J In order to be in classrooms during the school day, or work with children, or accompany a class on a field trip, every volunteer must be background checked. Apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps. If you need any help navigating the site, come visit me in the office and I’ll help you get through. I have money to pay for these if you need support. If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, the office can let you know. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early! Holiday Adopt-a-Family: The Rivera family and the Chavez family have a beautiful tradition of adopting some families each holiday season. This year, if they can enlist enough help, they would like to adopt even more! They are asking if any other families want to join in so that they can spread the love further. If so, they are looking for donations of household items: soap, shampoo, toothpaste, kitchen stuff, dishsoap, towels, washcloth, detergent, fabric softener, dryer sheets, toilet paper, paper towels, cleaning supplies, toothbrushes, toothpaste, hand soap, wipes, body wash, poufs, etc. Let us know in the office if you’re interested in participating, and we’ll put you in touch with the other families. News from our PTA: Lew Wallace PTA Holiday Craft Fair, Saturday, December 12th – Save the date! And tell your family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors! We are hoping to have tons of people here doing their Christmas shopping, supporting local artisans, and helping make this a successful, annual event. Holiday Fair booth – Still accepting applications for booths for crafters and sellers. $30 to rent a space. Bring a table and display to sell your crafts, art, holiday items, any non-food. Small business welcome. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:11/20/15

Weekly News 11/13

November 6, 2015

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

Yesterday’s Thanksgiving Lunch with families was magical! What a beautiful thing, to look out and see so many families able to join us for this special gathering of our Lew Wallace family. We had about 250 family members, in addition to our students and staff. It made my heart so happy!!! I want to especially thank our hardworking cafeteria crew. Mr. Mike, Ms. Palma, and Ms. Antonia put lots of love into the lunches they prepare for us every day, but they went over-the-top with wonderfulness yesterday!

Parent/Teacher conferences are coming up in just over a week. You will find that form in your child’s backpack today. Please indicate the times you are available to attend and return it to class on Monday, or as soon as you can. Teachers will begin scheduling conferences on a first come/first served basis, so the earlier you can return the sheet, the more likely you are to get your first or second choice. Conferences are your chance to talk with your child’s teacher about their progress, ask questions, and get feedback about areas to focus on. Older students often have presentations of their own to show their parents what they’ve been working on.

Our school spelling bee is coming up on December 16th. Any 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade students who want to participate may pick up a grade-level spelling list from Mr. DeLaO. They can study those words in preparation for their grade-level spelling bee.

Lastly, I hope to see you all on Thursday at our New Mexico Culture Night! Our Social Studies team has lots of fun and goodness planned, as our community celebrates the things that make New Mexico unique. As always, we’ll have dinner for you. These Family Engagement nights are a wonderful way to connect with other Lew Wallace families, learn and participate in fun activities, and bond with your kids. I love every minute that you all are on our campus!!! New Mexico Culture Night is this coming Thursday, from 5:30-7:00, and we’ll have lots of pizza, lemonade, and biscochitos for you!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Monday, November 16, K/1/2 teachers at all-day professional development Tuesday, November 17, 3/4/5 teachers at all-day professional development Wednesday, Nov 18, Gifted Ed classes, Day of Distinction Thursday, November 19, 5th Grade Sandia Mountain Field Trip Thursday, November 19, 5:30-7:00 New Mexico Culture Family Night (w/ pizza!) Thursday, November 19, 5:00 PTA meeting Friday, November 20, Star Student Lunches November 23-24, Parent-Teacher Conferences (No school for students) November 25-27, Thanksgiving Break (No school) Wednesday, December 2, Lockdown drill Friday, December 4, ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee December 7-10, Book Fair! Tuesday, December 8, 2nd, 3rd, 4th gr visit from Hawks Aloft Wednesday, December 9, BioPark visit with Santa Wednesday, December 9, 5:30-7:00 p.m. Winter Family Event Friday, December 11, 4th grade RIO Field Trip Saturday, December 12, LWES PTA Holiday Craft Fair Wednesday, December 16, 3rd/4th/5th grade spelling bee Thursday, December 17, 5:00 p.m. PTA meeting Friday, December 18, STAR Student Lunches Testing Info: APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website, including opt-out forms, frequently asked questions, and information about the various assessments that students take throughout the year. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources Volunteering and Chaperoning: Many of you have been surprised to hear that you have to have background clearance in order to be a chaperone on a school field trip. So I decided to write it in a fancy font to draw everyone’s attention to it. J In order to be in classrooms during the school day, or work with children, or accompany a class on a field trip, every volunteer must be background checked. Apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps. If you need any help navigating the site, come visit me in the office and I’ll help you get through. I have money to pay for these if you need support. If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, the office can let you know. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early! Being Good Neighbors: We have had complaints from our neighbors that our parents have been blocking their parking lots and driveways during pick-up and drop-off times. Please be mindful of our neighbors, and for student safety, ONLY pick up on the school side of the street. 3rd/4th/5th Grade Spelling Bee: We have been sharing information for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders during announcement time about our upcoming school Spelling Bee on December 16th. If your child is interested in participating, please remind them to get a grade-level spelling list from Mr. DeLaO so they can practice those words! News from our PTA Holiday Fair booth – Save the date! Looking for crafters and buyers. $30 to rent a space. Bring a table and display to sell your crafts, art, holiday items, any non-food. Small business welcome. We thank these generous donors for supporting our Fall Festival: $500 from Doug Peterson ($250 for fall festival and $250 for holiday funds craft & book fair events); $50 from Terri Lenton; $100 from the Caruso Family, $25 from Al and Patsy Armijo; $25 from James and Virginia Chaves; $20 for fall festival decorations from Grandpa Freddie Rivera; Water, popcorn bags & oil from Fred Rivera with First Choice Equity Builders; $250 from Douglas Investments; Goodie bags with candy from the Golden Corral; Discounted pizzas with a savings of $350 from Dion's Pizza; 10 pounds of pickles from Firestone Subs; 2 cases of salad mix totaling about $50 from Shamrock Foods; 10 cases bottled water totaling ~$30 from Albertsons on Coors and Montano; 100 Coupons for a free gold fish ~ $25 from Clark's Pet Emporium; and a generous donation from IAFF Local 244 - Albuquerque Area Firefighters Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:11/13/15

Weekly News 11/6

November 6, 2015

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

We started this week still glowing from the fun of Fall Festival. Sadly, I got the crud, and ended up spending Fall Festival sick on my couch, reveling in the fun pictures people were texting me and posting to Facebook. I was so sad to miss the festivities! The week turned somber on Tuesday, when we flew the flags at half-mast, and listened to the sirens as Officer Daniel Webster’s processional came through downtown. Several classes and staff members walked the two blocks to hear Officer Webster’s final dispatch call, see the flag displayed by the fire trucks, and witness the miles-long motorcade processional of police and rescue personnel. We shared a school-wide moment of silence to honor Office Webster, and to think of all the “helpers” who keep us safe.

We ended the week with all of our bilingual teachers attending a 2-day conference called La Cosecha, where schools from all over the state come together to talk about bilingual education. Ms. Sonya was one of the featured speakers, and she made us all proud. It was a little hectic back at school with so many substitute teachers in the building, but our kids were wonderful!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio

Fall Festival Gratitude from our PTA:

We are so fortunate to have such a supportive community at LWES. Last week the PTA and teachers held another successful Fall Festival and this wouldn't have been possible if not for the generous donations made by the following people/businesses:

$500 from Doug Peterson ($250 for fall festival and $250 for holiday funds craft & book fair events); $50 from Terri Lenton; $100 from the Caruso Family, $25 from Al and Patsy Armijo; $25 from James and Virginia Chaves; $20 for fall festival decorations from Grandpa Freddie Rivera; Water, popcorn bags & oil from Fred Rivera with First Choice Equity Builders; $250 from Douglas Investments; Goodie bags with candy from the Golden Corral; Discounted pizzas with a savings of $350 from Dion's Pizza; 10 pounds of pickles from Firestone Subs; 2 cases of salad mix totaling about $50 from Shamrock Foods; 10 cases bottled water totaling ~$30 from Albertsons on Coors and Montano; 100 Coupons for a free gold fish ~ $25 from Clark's Pet Emporium; and a generous donation from IAFF Local 244 - Albuquerque Area Firefighters.

Thank you to all of our community supporters. We couldn’t do it without you!!!!! Important Dates: Monday, November 9, End of first trimester Wednesday, November 11, Veteran’s Day, No School Thursday, November 12, Thanksgiving Family Luncheon Friday, November 13, Picture retake day Wednesday, Nov 18, Gifted Ed classes, Day of Distinction Thursday, November 19, 5th Grade Sandia Mountain Field Trip Thursday, November 19, New Mexico Culture Family Night Thursday, November 19, 5:00 PTA meeting Friday, November 20, Star Student Lunches November 23-24, Parent-Teacher Conferences (No school for students) November 25-27, Thanksgiving Break (No school) Friday, December 4, ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee December 7-10, Book Fair! Wednesday, December 9, BioPark visit with Santa Wednesday, December 9, 5:30-7:00 p.m. Winter Family Event Friday, December 11, 4th grade RIO Field Trip Saturday, December 12, LWES PTA Holiday Craft Fair Wednesday, December 16, 3rd/4th/5th grade spelling bee Thursday, December 17, 5:00 p.m. PTA meeting Friday, December 18, STAR Student Lunches Testing Info: APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website, including opt-out forms, frequently asked questions, and information about the various assessments that students take throughout the year. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources

Volunteering and Chaperoning: Many of you have been surprised to hear that you have to have background clearance in order to be a chaperone on a school field trip. So I decided to write it in a fancy font this week to draw everyone’s attention to it. J In order to be in classrooms during the school day, or work with children, or accompany a class on a field trip, every volunteer must be background checked. Apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps. If you need any help navigating the site, come visit me in the office and I’ll help you get through. I have money to pay for these if you need support. If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, the office can let you know. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early! Being Good Neighbors: We have had complaints from our neighbors that our parents have been blocking their parking lots and driveways during pick-up and drop-off times. Please be mindful of our neighbors, and for student safety, ONLY pick up on the school side of the street. News from our PTA Our awesome Lew Wallace PTA Healthy Food Tasting Event (in September) is featured on the state PTA website! You can see us at http://www.newmexicopta.org/great-ideas-bank/ (The password is “everychild”). Student Art Fundraiser: You should have received an order form late last week that allowed you to place an order for some items that would feature your student's artwork! We are really thrilled with how the artwork turned out this year (Thank you, Art Teacher Jessica Krichels!) and we hope you are too! If you have another piece or artwork you would like to have submitted, please contact our PTA treasurer Lissa Knudsen ([email protected]) about getting the new piece shipped in to be scanned. This is a fundraiser for the PTA and all items purchased by 11/6 will be delivered a few weeks before we break for the winter holiday. These make excellent gifts and are a great way to cherish your student's original work! Holiday Fair booth – Save the date! Looking for crafters and buyers. $30 to rent a space. Bring a table and display to sell your crafts, art, holiday items, any non-food. Small business welcome. And for the second year in a row, our PTA staffed a booth during the trick-or-treating extravaganza on Forrester and 8th Streets. LWES Halloween Hot Chocolate was made possible by LWES parent Erin West (who donated her driveway), LWES parent and teacher Amy Taylor (who donated hot chocolate and staffed the table), and LWES community member and supporter Adrienne Raniszewski (who donated her coffee urn)! We made more than $150 and got to connect with a number of LWES families and students! Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:11/6/15

Weekly News 10/30 Important Dates: Friday, October 30, Fall Festival!!!! Wednesday, Nov 4, Dining for Dollars 5 Star Burger Fundraiser Friday, November 6, ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee Friday, November 6, 2nd grade field trip to the Kimo Monday, November 9, end of first trimester Wednesday, November 11, Veteran’s Day, No School Thursday, November 12, Thanksgiving Family Luncheon Friday, November 13, Picture retake day Wednesday, Nov 18, Gifted Ed classes, Day of Distinction Thursday, November 19, 5th Grade Sandia Mountain Field Trip Thursday, November 19, New Mexico Culture Family Night Thursday, November 19, 5:00 PTA meeting Friday, November 20, Star Student Lunches November 23-24, Parent-Teacher Conferences November 25-27, Thanksgiving Break Information about Bullying: Last week I wrote to you about what we do to prevent bullying here at school. A bullying incident always involves an imbalance of power between the aggressor and target; Bullying involves multiple incidences; The aggressor and the target have drastically different reactions to the incident; And the target feels powerless to self-advocate. We have been reciting this pledge every morning during announcements: “I promise to stop bullying at Lew Wallace. I will not bully others. I will not leave anyone out. I will help others being bullies. If I cannot stop a bully, I will tell an adult. I care, I can help, I can make a change! I will stand up for what is right. The end of bullying will begin with me!” Donations Needed: Here are some items that teachers are looking for… let us know if you want to donate, and we’ll hook you up with the right teacher! 18 empty 2-liter bottles with caps 10 new combs (very inexpensive kind) 40 pieces of cloth covered stem wire, white, 18 gauge. 4 12V Alkaline Dry Cell Batteries (cheap on Amazon) Four 4M Kidz Labs Magnet Science Kits Thank you for all the donations of stuff we’ve received so far!!!!! Being Good Neighbors: We have had many complaints from our businesses neighbors that our parents have been blocking their parking lots and driveways during pick-up and drop-off times. PLEASE be mindful of our neighbors when you pick-up. Volunteering and Chaperoning: In order to be in classrooms during the school day, or work with children, or accompany a class on a field trip, every adult volunteer must be background checked. Apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps. If you need any help navigating the site, come visit me in the office and I’ll help you get through. I have money to pay for these if you need support. If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, the office can let you know. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early! Apple Crunch: On Wednesday, we celebrated Apple Crunch Day. Along with students and adults all over the nation, we crunched on locally-grown apples and celebrated eating healthy foods. We are encouraging students to eat the delicious fruits and vegetables that come on their lunch trays, and explore foods that they may not have tasted before. You can find more information about Apple Crunch Day at http://www.foodday.org/food_day_apple_crunch. We will have some of the apples at tonight’s Fall Festival! PTA News Holiday Fair booth – Save the date! Looking for crafters and buyers. $25 to rent a space if you register before Nov 1, $30 after. Bring a table and display to sell your crafts, art, holiday items, any non-food. Small business welcome. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:10/30/15

DELICIOUS 5 Star Burgers Come support our school's delicious fundraising efforts! Our PTA has collaborated with 5 Star Burger's downtown location (on Central) to host our newest fundraiser. They will give our school 10% of the sales when you mention Lew Wallace & show the flyer attached. Go enjoy some delicious burgers & support our PTA at the same time! What could be better?!? Attachments: 5 Star burgers.pdf

Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Published:10/30/15 Audience: Celeste Hernandez, Homepage, Activities, Counseling, Library, Nursing, Our School, Parents, School Meals, Staff Directory, Tips, Tips and Homepage

Weekly News 10/23

October 23, 2015

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

We are rocking and rolling down here at the school. Mr. Garcia, our new kindergarten teacher, has transformed his room into an early-childhood space, and is doing amazing things with his little kindergarten class. Mrs. Taylor, our new 2nd grade teacher, has gotten settled into her new room, and is going gangbusters with her class. Our PTA members have been down here at the school almost every day decorating and getting ready for next week’s fall festival. Today is our October STAR Student luncheon, and we will honor 15 extra-special kids who have gone above and beyond in making Lew Wallace a great place. Every day, I look forward to coming to work with such a great community!

Speaking of Fall Festival – it’s in one week!!! Fall Festival is one of our biggest events each year. We will have games and booths and food and fun all over the school. Students and families are welcome to wear costumes, but please remember that there are never to be any weapons (real or pretend), or extreme gore. Fall Festival is a fun, family-friendly event, and we’ll have kids of all ages here. We will need donations of candy for the booths, so please consider sending in a bag or two. We will also have a fun pumpkin contest, so bring your family’s carved jack-o-lanterns, and then be sure to collect them at the end of the night.

We are enjoying this cool weather, and the leaves, and even the rain. Fall is definitely upon us, and I’m looking forward to seeing you all at next Friday’s Fall Festival!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Friday, October 23, Star Student Lunch Monday, October 26, Mr. Chavez’s class to the planetarium Tuesday, October 27, Flu Mist Clinic for students Wednesday, October 28, Apple Crunch Day & Assemblies Thursday, October 29, 4th grade field trip to the Kimo Theater Friday, October 30, Fall Festival!!!! Box tops due Wednesday, Nov 4, Dining for Dollars 5 Star Burger Fundraiser Friday, November 6, ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee Monday, November 9, end of first trimester Wednesday, November 11, Veteran’s Day, No School Thursday, November 12, Thanksgiving Family Luncheon Friday, November 13, Picture retake day Wednesday, Nov 18, Gifted Ed classes, Day of Distinction Thursday, November 19, 5th Grade Sandia Mountain Field Trip Thursday, November 19, New Mexico Culture Family Night Thursday, November 19, 5:00 PTA meeting Friday, November 20, Star Student Lunches November 23-24, Parent-Teacher Conferences November 25-27, Thanksgiving Break Information about Bullying: Last week I wrote to you about what we do to prevent bullying here at school. A bullying incident always involves an imbalance of power between the aggressor and target; Bullying involves multiple incidences; The aggressor and the target have drastically different reactions to the incident; And the target feels powerless to self-advocate. We have been reciting this pledge every morning during announcements: “I promise to stop bullying at Lew Wallace. I will not bully others. I will not leave anyone out. I will help others being bullies. If I cannot stop a bully, I will tell an adult. I care, I can help, I can make a change! I will stand up for what is right. The end of bullying will begin with me!” Donations Needed: Here are some items that teachers are looking for… let us know if you want to donate, and we’ll hook you up with the right teacher! 18 empty 2-liter bottles with caps 10 new combs (very inexpensive kind) 40 pieces of cloth covered stem wire, white, 18 gauge. 4 12V Alkaline Dry Cell Batteries (cheap on Amazon) Four 4M Kidz Labs Magnet Science Kits Thank you for all the donations of stuff we’ve received so far!!!!! Being Good Neighbors: We have had many complaints from our businesses neighbors that our parents have been blocking their parking lots and driveways during pick-up and drop-off times. PLEASE be mindful of our neighbors when you pick-up. Volunteering and Chaperoning: In order to be in classrooms during the school day, or work with children, or accompany a class on a field trip, every adult volunteer must be background checked. Apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps. If you need any help navigating the site, come visit me in the office and I’ll help you get through. I have money to pay for these if you need support. If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, the office can let you know. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early! Testing Info: APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website, including opt-out forms, frequently asked questions, and information about the various assessments that students take throughout the year. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources PTA News: Holiday Fair booth – Save the date! Looking for crafters and buyers. $25 to rent a space if you register before Nov 1, $30 after. Bring a table and display to sell your crafts, art, holiday items, any non-food. Small business welcome. This first round of box tops are due Oct 30. The class with the most box tops will win a surprise! Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:10/23/15

Weekly News 10/16

October 16, 2015

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

October is Bullying Prevention Month!

In our prior year’s Family Engagement Survey, there were two questions asked about our school climate as experienced by students. Under physical safety 90% of you reported that your students feel safe (they don’t feel they will be hurt by other students), 7% feel somewhat safe, and 3% feel unsafe. Under emotional safety, 87% of you reported that your students feel safe (they don’t feel verbally threatened), 9% feel somewhat safe, and 4% feel unsafe.

While there are real celebrations in such high numbers of families reporting that their kids feel safe (we are waaaaay higher than most schools), there is also much work still to be done. My expectation is that NO child on my campus would ever feel threatened, physically or emotionally, by other students, or adults, or anything!

This is APS’s definition of bullying, in part: ” Bullying is a way of using power aggressively in which a person is subjected to intentional, unwanted and unprovoked hurtful verbal and/or physical actions. Bullying results in the victim feeling oppressed, fearful, distressed, injured or uncomfortable. The aggression is repeated on more than one occasion and can include: physical, verbal, emotional, racial, sexual, written, electronic, damage to property, social exclusion and intimidation.”

Our wonderful counselor, Lucinda Garcia, is on-campus with us two days per week, and she works very hard to be attentive to kids’ needs while she is here, listening for unreported issues, finding out what kids are feeling, and giving them skills and strategies for managing conflict. Our after-school Buddy-Club began a “Stop Bullying” campaign this week. Each morning we start the day with a line from our “Stop Bullying Pledge,” and talk about what it means to be a helper. If your children are ever feeling threatened, or unsafe, or worried, they can request time with Ms. Garcia, or they can come to the office and talk to me, Ms. Rose, or Ms. Mary. If you are ever hearing things at home that we may not know about, please give us a heads-up so we can intervene before the problem escalates. All of the staff at Lew Wallace are deeply committed to students feeling safe and loved while they are here at school.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected] Our Daily Morning Announcement: “I promise to stop bullying at Lew Wallace. I will not bully others. I will not leave anyone out. I will help others being bullies. If I cannot stop a bully, I will tell an adult. I care, I can help, I can make a change! I will stand up for what is right. The end of bullying will begin with me!

Important Dates: Saturday, October 17, Daughters of the American Revolution meeting in the library Wednesday and Thursday, October 21-22, CNN here, doing a story on Ms. Sonya in Kindergarten! Friday, October 23, Star Student Lunch Tuesday, October 27, Flu Mist Clinic for students Friday, October 30, Fall Festival Wednesday, Nov 4, Dining for Dollars 5 Star Burger Fundraiser Friday, November 6, ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee Monday, November 9, end of first trimester Wednesday, November 11, Veteran’s Day, No School Thursday, November 12, Thanksgiving Family Luncheon Friday, November 13, Picture retake day Wednesday, Nov 18, Gifted Ed classes, Day of the Notables Thursday, November 19, 5th Grade Sandia Mountain Field Trip Thursday, November 19, Social Studies/Science Family Night Thursday, November 19, 5:00 PTA meeting Friday, November 20, Star Student Lunch November 23-24, Parent-Teacher Conferences November 25-27, Thanksgiving Break

Testing Info APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website, including opt-out forms, frequently asked questions, and information about the various assessments that students take throughout the year. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources

Donations Needed Here are some items that teachers are looking for… let us know if you want to donate, and we’ll hook you up with the right teacher! Old, unwanted cd/dvd discs (for an art project – scratched is fine) 18 empty 2-liter bottles with caps 10 new combs (very inexpensive kind) 40 pieces of cloth covered stem wire, white, 18 gauge. 4 12V Alkaline Dry Cell Batteries (cheap on Amazon) Four 4M Kidz Labs Magnet Science Kits Thank you for all the donations of stuff we’ve received so far!!!!!

Volunteering and Chaperoning In order to be in classrooms during the school day, or work with children, or accompany a class on a field trip, every adult volunteer must be background checked. Apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps. If you need any help navigating the site, come visit me in the office and I’ll help you get through. I have money to pay for these if you need support. If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, the office can let you know. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early!

PTA News Holiday Fair booth – Save the date! Looking for crafters and buyers. $25 to rent a space if you register before Nov 1, $30 after. Bring a table and display to sell your crafts, art, holiday items, any non-food. Small business welcome. This round of box tops are due Oct 30 In an effort to support lifelong healthy eating choices, Lew Wallace Elementary School hosted our very first Healthy Food Tasting a couple of weeks ago. The event was a HUGE success with more than 260 students and families in attendance. The kids had the opportunity to taste local, in-season tomatoes, they helped to make massaged kale salad, and they put their energy to work riding a blender bike to create healthy green (sorrel) smoothies! The PTA worked closely with a number of generous community partners to make this event a reality including but not limited to Red Tractor Farm, Sol Harvest Farm, Agricultura, NM Farmers' Markets, Bernalillo County Cooperative Extension including Master Gardeners and 4H, Food Corps, NM Farm-toSchool, and APS Student Wellness. The WIC association and iCAN SNAP were also there with swag and tons of great information. Two local restaurants donated coupons (Olo Yogurt and Souper Salad) and a number of our parents rolled up their sleeves and volunteered their time. Finally, this event could not have happened without the tireless support of Mike (our cafeteria manager) and Mary (our make everything happen angel). The LWES PTA is committed to encouraging our students to eat fresh, local fruits and vegetables, and to regularly engage in an active lifestyle. If you would like to help with other healthy habit activities in the future, please contact the PTA Board Member, Lissa at [email protected].

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:10/16/15

Weekly News 10/2

October 2, 2015

My Dearest Lew Wallace Families,

I don’t know if my tender heart can stand to hear one more story about an act of violence in a school, whether elementary, middle, high, or college. If you missed the news, there was a shooting in my home state of Oregon, at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg. I weep from the deepest parts of my soul when I allow myself to let that kind of awful news in. I hold my own children tighter at home, I walk the halls of our school holding every one of your children tightly in my heart, and I grieve for the victims of senseless violence. It is absolutely unfathomable.

Here at school, we love your children as our own. We take our responsibility to safeguard and care for them very, very seriously. Every teacher in our school calls their students “my kids,” and they mean it literally. There is absolutely nothing any of us wouldn’t do to keep these precious children safe from harm. Our children are cared for and protected by every person in our school community.

We continue to be vigilant, we have dutifully practiced our drills, and because of our small size, we are fortunate enough to know almost all of the faces of our Lew Wallace families. We now have locked gates surrounding the playground, and eyes on the front door of the school. Next week will practice our first evacuation drill. We have wonderful parents who help us keep an eye out during drop-off and pick-up times, and during the school day. We have systems upon systems in place for every kind of emergency. But most importantly, we are a community of incredibly devoted, caring people who take good care of each other.

I know that sometimes our layers of rules and regulations seem burdensome… background checks, locked gates, procedures for checking kids out of class, pick-up and drop-off systems, having to walk clear around the school to reach the front door, field trip restrictions, etc. Please know that every single one of those systems are put into place because we will do everything possible to keep all of our kids safe. And thank you for bearing with us and trusting us, even when it is inconvenient to do so.

Hug your kids a little tighter tonight, and know that we are doing the same at school. We love every beautiful one of them, to the ends of the earth and back.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Friday, October 2, Mid-term progress reports come home Wednesday, October 7, Fire Safety Assemblies October 8-9, Fall Break – No school Wednesday, October 14, Fire/Evacuation Drill Thursday, October 15, PTA Mtg, 5:00, Room 104 (Art Room) Saturday, October 17, Daughters of the American Revolution meeting in the library Friday, October 23, Star Student Lunch October 30, Fall Festival Wednesday, Nov 4, Dining for Dollars 5 Star Burger Fundraiser Friday, November 6, ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee Monday, November 9, end of first trimester Wednesday, November 11, Veteran’s Day, No School Thursday, November 12, Thanksgiving Family Luncheon Friday, November 13, Picture retake day Thursday, November 19, 5th Grade Sandia Mountain Field Trip Thursday, November 19, Social Studies/Science Family Night Thursday, November 19, 5:00 PTA meeting Friday, November 20, Star Student Lunch November 23-24, Parent-Teacher Conferences November 25-27, Thanksgiving Break Testing Info: APS has posted information about required testing and assessments on their website, including opt-out forms, frequently asked questions, and information about the various assessments that students take throughout the year. If you have any questions, or want more information about any of these tests, feel free to be in touch any time. http://www.aps.edu/assessment/parent-resources Donations Needed: Here are some items that teachers are looking for… let us know if you want to donate, and we’ll hook you up with the right teacher! Old, unwanted cd/dvd discs (for an art project – scratched is fine) 18 empty 2-liter bottles with caps 10 new combs (very inexpensive kind) 40 pieces of cloth covered stem wire, white, 18 gauge. 4 12V Alkaline Dry Cell Batteries (cheap on Amazon) Four 4M Kidz Labs Magnet Science Kits Thank you for all the donations of stuff we’ve received so far!!!!! Volunteering and Chaperoning: In order to be in classrooms during the school day, or work with children, or accompany a class on a field trip, every adult volunteer must be background checked. Apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps. If you need any help navigating the site, come visit me in the office and I’ll help you get through. I have money to pay for these if you need support. If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, the office can let you know. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early! PTA News: Fall Festival is coming up in just four weeks, and our PTA needs lots of parent volunteers. Their next meeting is October 15th, or you can be in touch with PTA president Lupe Arencon at school or at [email protected]. Our PTA is collecting Box Tops, so please send those in. The class with the most Box Tops turned in wins a special prize! PTA Fundraiser: Shoparoo This year we are excited to be partnering with a fun, free, and truly easy fundraiser called Shoparoo. It is school fundraising made easy: the free app turns pictures of your everyday shopping receipts into cash donations and sweepstakes entries for our school. All you have to do is shop as you normally do, snap pictures of your receipts with the app, and voila Just shop, snap, earn! Download the free Shoparoo app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Select our school from the list and start taking pictures of your receipts - shop anywhere, buy anything! There’s no limit to how much money we can raise with Shoparoo - the more supporters, the more we will raise for our school. Schools with just 40 supporters are earning an average of $1,000 every year. That’s free, easy money that we could be fundraising too. Check out shoparoo.com to learn more about this awesome app! Thank you for your support! Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:10/2/15

Weekly News 9/25 September 25, 2015

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

I am still basking in the glow of our amazing family night at school yesterday. Our PTA did a tremendous job on the Healthy Foods Tasting side of the room, with local growers, lots of yummy vegetables and fruits to taste, and even a bike blender for peddaling our way to smoothies! On the Sandia Science Labs side of the room, we had things blowing up, and we were assembling, building, and experimenting. We had twice the turnout we expected, and Ms. Mary made a wild trip to Little Caesars to double up on pizzas. Being alltogether again reminded me of what makes this community so special, and how awesome this little school is.

On the flip side, we are really struggling with our drop-off and pickups at the curb. We have had several “near misses” with kids having to dart between cars, and almost getting hit. I have some parent volunteers that have been working hard to keep people from parking in the drop-off zones in the morning, and keep traffic flowing. And in the afternoons, I have staff out there trying to keep children safe, and move quickly so we don’t get too bottlenecked. Sadly, both volunteers and staff report that some parents yell and curse at them in front of children, and that they openly refuse to follow recommendations, even going so far as to run over our cones. Please remember that our ONLY objective out there is to keep all of our children safe, every single day. We have 300 children on one small city block, and it requires every single one of us working together to ensure their safety. If you are willing to volunteer even one morning per week, we would love love love to have more parents helping us out at the curb, crossing children across the street, and keeping traffic flowing.

Our new kindergarten class has been created, and all families have been contacted that are moving to the new room. The new class will have only about 12 students, and that will bring our other kindergarten classes down to 17, which puts us back in compliance. Changing classes is always hard on students, families, and on teachers. We had lots of tears in the kindergarten staff, but ultimately it will be so much better for everyone to have these smaller classes.

Fall is upon us, and the mornings are delightful and crisp. We have had a large donation of jackets – if your child needs a jacket, be in touch, and we’ll match them up. So many generous donors and friends have been good to us!!!

All of our staff members are partaking in a training next Wednesday, September 30th, and I am looking for parent volunteers to help with lunch duties, classroom support, and dismissal help that day, from about 11:00 to 1:00. If you can spare a couple of hours that day, let me know.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio

Important Dates: Sunday, September 27. Look outside for the Total Lunar Eclipse! Maximum eclipse is around 8:45 p.m. Wednesday, September 30, 4th/5th grade Jiu Jitsu assembly. Wednesday, September 30, all staff in training. We need parent volunteers to help cover duties from 11:00-1:00. Friday, October 2, School picture day Friday, October 2, Mid-term progress reports come home Friday, October 2, ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee Friday, October 2, Custodian Appreciation Day! Wednesday, October 7, Fire Safety Assemblies October 8-9, Fall Break – No school Wednesday, October 14, Fire/Evacuation Drill Thursday, October 15, PTA Mtg, 5:00, Room 104 (Art Room) Saturday, October 17, Daughters of the American Revolution meeting in the library Friday, October 23, Star Student Lunch October 30, Fall Festival Wednesday, Nov 4, Dining for Dollars 5 Star Burger Fundraiser Friday, November 6, ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee Monday, November 9, end of first trimester Wednesday, November 11, Veteran’s Day, No School Thursday, November 12, Thanksgiving Family Luncheon Friday, November 13, Picture retake day Thursday, November 19, 5th Grade Sandia Mountain Field Trip Thursday, November 19, Social Studies/Science Family Night Thursday, November 18, 5:00 PTA meeting Friday, November 20, Star Student Lunch November 23-24, Parent-Teacher Conferences November 25-27, Thanksgiving Break

PTA News: The PTA thanks all their AMAZING volunteers and community partners for pulling off such a FABULOUS Healthy Food Tasting Event last night. They are always looking for members and helpers to organize events and sales, and support all of our classes. They also need parents to help with the Fall Festival.

Donations Needed: Here are some items that teachers are looking

for… let us know if you want to donate, and we’ll hook you up with the right teacher! Old, unwanted cd/dvd discs (for an art project – scratched is fine) 2-liter bottles with caps 2 gallons of vinegar 4 regular containers of salt 10 new cheap combs Containers: smaller, solid containers that can help hold smaller supplies Electronic items to disassemble (nonworking cell phones, computers, hard drives, small appliances, small electric tools, medical instruments, etc. Only stuff that would be safe to take apart)

40 pieces of cloth covered stem wire, white, 18 gauge. 4 12V Alkaline Dry Cell Batteries Four 4M Kidz Labs Magnet Science Kits

Volunteering and Chaperoning: In order to be in classrooms during the school day, or work with children, or accompany a class on a field trip, every adult volunteer must be background checked.

Apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps. If you need any help navigating the site, come visit me in the office and I’ll help you get through. I have money to pay for these if you need support. We love having our parents working with us here at school! If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, we can let you know if you call the office. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early!

PTA Fundraiser: Shoparoo: This year we are excited to be partnering with a fun, free, and truly easy fundraiser called Shoparoo. It is school fundraising made easy: the free app turns pictures of your everyday shopping receipts into cash donations and sweepstakes entries for our school. All you have to do is shop as you normally do, snap pictures of your receipts with the app, and voila Just shop, snap, earn! Download the free Shoparoo app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Select our school from the list and start taking pictures of your receipts - shop anywhere, buy anything! There’s no limit to how much money we can raise with Shoparoo - the more supporters, the more we will raise for our school. Schools with just 40 supporters are earning an average of $1,000 every year. That’s free, easy money that we could be fundraising too. Check out shoparoo.com to learn more about this awesome app! Thank you for your support!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:9/25/15

Weekly News 9/11 September 11, 2015 Dear Lew Wallace Families, We started today with a moment of silence commemorating today’s date and remembering the nearly 3000 lives lost in 2001. None of our Lew Wallace children were even born yet, but it is powerful for all of us to mark the date, honor those who died and those who responded, and remember that love is always WAY BIGGER than hate. I received some really wonderful news this week! Every spring, I send home a family engagement survey asking you for feedback about ways you feel welcomed and connected with our school. The results are in, and you were overwhelmingly positive with your responses. 98.7% of our families reported that they school is very welcoming to families. 97% of you say that your students feel safe at school. I’m glad to see that high number, but I’m also committed to continuing to work on identifying the other 3% of students who need more support, and getting them what they need to feel safe. Lew Wallace is the most caring and supportive school I’ve ever worked in, and there is no reason for any child should have to feel scared. If there are ever issues that I’m not aware of, I hope you will bring them to my attention right away! 99% of parents report feeling respected by the school as valuable partners in their children’s education. 97% of you say that you receive regular communication from our school. I’m guessing that those of you who read this weekly newsletter are among the 64% who say they receive a LOT of communication. J 45% of you report that you have volunteered at the school, and 55% have not, and most parents checked that the biggest barrier to volunteering is their own work schedules. The second reason was a need for childcare – our PTA is working on that for parents who are interested in being more involved! I was delighted to read our survey results, and so honored to be part of a school where our parent community is so involved and supportive. It makes a HUGE difference in our students’ and our school’s success. As always, be in touch if there’s anything you want to talk about this week. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Monday, September 14, Bike Rodeo for 4th grade Tuesday, September 15, Climbing Wall for 5th grade Thursday, September 17, Constitution Day Thursday, September 17, PTA Mtg, 5:00, Room 104 (Art Room) Friday, September 18, Papa John’s Pizza Night (fundraiser) Friday, September 18, 3rd grade field trip to the State Fair Thursday, September 24, 6:00 p.m., Sandia Labs Science Night and Healthy Food Tasting Event (dinner served!) Friday, September 25, Star Student Lunch Friday, September 25, 2nd grade field trip to the planetarium Friday, September 25, Globalquerque field trip for some classes. Friday, October 2, School picture day Friday, October 2, ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee Friday, October 2, Custodian Appreciation Day! October 8-9, Fall Break – No school Wednesday, October 14, Fire/Evacuation Drill Thursday, October 15, PTA Mtg, 5:00, Room 104 (Art Room) Friday, October 23, Star Student Lunch October 30, Fall Festival Friday, November 6, ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee

PTA News: Don’t forget to join PTA! Our membership drive ends September 17th, and we need parents to join. The class with the greatest membership will earn a celebration. You can get forms in the office, or contact Dominica at [email protected]. Our PTA Fundraising Committee is looking for help! They help organize events and sales, and support all of our classes. They also need parents to help with the Fall Festival. On September 24th, along with our Sandia Labs Science Night, our PTA is hosting a Healthy Food Tasting Event. Attached you can find a volunteer request form. They’d love to have you help staff a booth for 30 minutes or longer. Our next PTA meeting will be next Thursday, September 17th at 5:00. You can contact Lupe Arencon, our PTA president, at [email protected]

Donations Needed: Teachers are needing the following items. Please be in touch with us in the office if you have any of these things to share: 1000 cotton balls 600 coffee stir sticks Empty 2-liter bottles with caps 20 paper lunch sacks 2 gallons of vinegar 5 boxes baking soda Food coloring 5 regular containers of salt 2 aluminum pie pans 20 new combs (very inexpensive kind) Smaller, solid containers that can help hold smaller supplies Electronic items to disassemble (nonworking cell phones, computers, hard drives, small appliances, small electric tools, medical instruments, etc.--only stuff that would be safe to take apart) Large yogurt or cottage cheese (or whatever) plastic containers for water for painting.

K3+ Families, Please Help! If your child participated in our K3+ summer school program, please consider taking this Launch to Learn survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L2LFamily.This is an important part of the program evaluation. You can complete the survey on your computers, iPads or smart phones, or come in to do it at the school. Thank you!

Volunteering and Chaperoning: In order to be in classrooms during the school day, or work with children, or accompany a class on a field trip, every adult volunteer must be background checked. You may apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps. If you need any help navigating the site, come visit me in the office and I’ll help you get through. If money is keeping you from being able to do it, please be in touch. We love having our parents working with us here at school! If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, we can let you know if you call the office. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:9/11/15

Weekly News 9/4

September 4, 2015

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

It’s September! It’s hard to believe that we are already in our second month of school. Enjoy your first school holiday on Monday, and we’ll be delighted to be back on Tuesday.

Our sweet little school was re-opened in 1992 largely as a magnet school. Families chose to bring their children here from all over Albuquerque because they worked downtown, or they were looking for a small school community. But things are changing! In my time here, we’ve had to completely close transfers at 1st through 5th grade, and we only opened transfers for 7 kindergarteners. Even with that, we had far more kindergarteners register than expected, and our kindergarten classes are larger than we would like. We’ve also had a lot of new 4th graders register from the neighborhood, and those classes are also larger than ideal. Because we’re over our capacity in both Kindergarten and 4th grade, we will be looking at creative ways to provide more adult support for those students and teachers. In the meantime, classes are humming along, and staff members have been incredible about stepping up and carrying the extra load. I am grateful to work with such good people.

In previous years, we’ve had one 45-minute daily class of Spanish content at each grade level, and parents had to enroll their students. We’ve always had long waiting lists, and families who desperately wanted their children to participate. Because of this, our fabulous staff redesigned our bilingual program in a way that allows us to teach Spanish to the entire school. We are the only school downtown that doesn’t have a dual-language program, but we are super proud to have bilingually certified teachers at every grade level. Spanish classes will be starting up in the next week or two, and no signups are necessary since Spanish instruction will happen during our regular day.

As always, be in touch if there’s anything you want to talk about this week.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected] Important Dates: Monday, September 7, Labor Day – No school Wednesday, September 9, Jiu Jitsu Assembly, 1st, 2nd, 3rd gr Thursday, September 10, PTA Fundraising Meeting, Room 104 Monday, September 14, Bike Rodeo for 4th grade Tuesday, September 15, Climbing Wall for 5th grade Thursday, September 17, Constitution Day Thursday, September 17, PTA Mtg, 5:00, Room 104 (Art Room) Friday, September 18, Papa John’s Pizza Night (fundraiser) Thursday, September 24, 6:00 p.m., Sandia Labs Science Night and Healthy Food Tasting Event (dinner served!) Friday, September 25, Star Student Lunch Friday, September 25, 2nd grade field trip to the planetarium Friday, September 25, Globalquerque field trip for some classes. Friday, October 2, School picture day Friday, October 2, ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee Friday, October 2, Custodian Appreciation Day! October 8-9, Fall Break – No school Thursday, October 15, PTA Mtg, 5:00, Room 104 (Art Room) Friday, October 23, Star Student Lunch October 30, Fall Festival Rainbow-Vicious: True or false: Eating fruits and vegetables of different colors will help give my child the nutrients he needs to stay healthy. Answer: True! The bright colors not only make fruits and vegetables fun to eat - each color actually indicates a different vitamin or mineral. Try these suggestions to encourage your youngster to "eat a rainbow." Roy G. Biv: Combine a nutrition lesson with a science one. Have your child learn the order of the colors in a rainbow (or the visible light spectrum) by "getting to know" Roy G. Biv: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. He could draw an outline of "Roy" and color it in with each fruit and vegetable he eats. Example: Color Roy's head red for strawberries, his neck orange for cantaloupe, and his feet violet for eggplant. Eat what you wear: Challenge your youngster to eat colors matching his clothes. Say he's dressed in blue jeans and a white T-shirt with a green and orange design. He might have blueberries for a snack, cauliflower and a green salad at dinner, and an orange before bed. Ask him how many other matching fruits or vegetables he could name. Tip: Join your child, and point out produce that matches your clothes, too. Shop for a rainbow: At the grocery store, let your youngster put a "rainbow" into a child's shopping cart or a separate basket. He might pick one or two fruits and vegetables for each color. When you get home, he could arrange them into a rainbow and take a photo of his creation - before it's all eaten! PTA Updates: There will be a healthy food tasting planning meeting on Wed Sept 9 at 1:45pm. All who are interested and available are encouraged to attend. You are invited to our PTA Fundraising Committee meeting on Thurs Sept 10 at 5:00pm, room 104 - contact Diana Chaves for more information [email protected]. Donations Needed: Teachers are needing the following items. Please be in touch with us in the office if you have any of these things to share: 1000 cotton balls 600 coffee stir sticks Empty 2-liter bottles with caps 20 paper lunch sacks 2 gallons of vinegar 5 boxes baking soda Food coloring 5 regular containers of salt 2 aluminum pie pans 20 new combs (very inexpensive kind) Smaller, solid containers that can help hold smaller supplies Electronic items to disassemble (nonworking cell phones, computers, hard drives, small appliances, small electric tools, medical instruments, etc.--only stuff that would be safe to take apart) Large yogurt or cottage cheese (or whatever) plastic containers for water for painting. Volunteering and Chaperoning: In order to be in classrooms during the school day, or work with children, or accompany a class on a field trip, every adult volunteer must be background checked. You may apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps. If you need any help navigating the site, come visit me in the office and I’ll help you get through. If money is keeping you from being able to do it, please be in touch. We love having our parents working with us here at school! If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, we can let you know if you call the office. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early! Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:9/4/15

Weekly News 8/28

August 28, 2015

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

My heart is so full and happy tonight after spending time with so many of you at our Open House. We had a gym full of families for our welcome and Title 1 presentation. Our children led us in the Pledge of Allegiance in English, Spanish, and Navajo. Families visited classrooms, the library, the gym, and the new art room, and we had a wonderful time visiting and celebrating our awesome community. I am so grateful to all of you who came. And for those of you who missed it, please feel free to come in and see what our kids are doing, any time.

Next Friday, September 4th, I’ll have my first ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee Hour starting around 9:00, right after The Pledge of Allegiance and announcements. I’d love to have a chance to hear more of your experiences here, and answer any questions. This is a fun, informal time to connect and learn more about each others’ dreams for our school.

Our pick-up time was slightly less terrifying this week, but there are still a lot of cars parking alongside the school during that time. When that happens, kids end up running between cars to get to their parents, and that is an unsafe situation for everybody. Parking is just a complete nightmare downtown, and many of our downtown neighbors complain about families parking in their lots. And, sadly, I don’t have any good answers. But keeping your children safe is the absolute most important thing we do at school, and we take that responsibility very, very seriously. So please know that our school staff is working really hard to ensure the safest possible environment for your kids.

And speaking of safety…. Our first duty personnel are on the playground beginning at 8:30 a.m. There is no supervision on the playground or in the main building for children before that time. Students may be dropped off for breakfast beginning at 8:25, or they can be in Parks & Rec or RGEC. So please do not leave your kids on the playground until 8:30.

We still have more food bags to give away on Fridays. If your family could use an extra bag of food for the weekend, let us know in the office and we can get you on the list. We have plenty!

As always, be in touch if there’s anything you want to talk about this week. Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected] Important Dates: Friday, September 4, ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee Monday, September 7, Labor Day – No school Monday, September 14, Bike Rodeo for 4th grade Tuesday, September 15, Climbing Wall for 5th grade Thursday, September 17, PTA Mtg, 5:00, Room 104 (Art Room) Thursday, September 24, 6:00 p.m., Sandia Labs Science Night (and pizza!) Friday, September 25, Star Student Lunch Friday, September 25, 2nd grade field trip to the planetarium Friday, September 25, Globalquerque field trip to the NHCC for some upper grade classes. Friday, October 2, School picture day Friday, October 2, ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee Friday, October 2, Custodian Appreciation Day! October 8-9, Fall Break – No school Thursday, October 15, PTA Mtg, 5:00, Room 104 (Art Room) Friday, October 23, Star Student Lunch October 30, Fall Festival

Why join the PTA? Our PTA is growing, and they have heaps of exciting events planned for our school this year. They encourage all parents to become members, even if you aren’t able to attend all the meetings or participate in all the events. Here are some great reasons to join:

You can get Connected. It’s a great way to know what’s happening in your school. Discover Great Resources. The PTA offers a variety of programs designed for parents as well as students. Tap into a Network. PTA functions are opportunities to meet other parents and teachers, building rapport and discussing issues that are on your mind. You can share ideas, concerns, and experiences. Watch Yourself Grow. By volunteering with your PTA, you put your skills and hobbies to use for a noble cause—your child and all children in the community. Speak Up. PTA can be a way for you to more effectively suggest change at your child’s school. Witness Improvement. By getting involved you’ll be part of the solution, helping make positive changes. Our PTA plays an important role by supporting building improvements through advocacy, and play an important role in fundraising for curriculum based programs and social events. Be a Role Model. By becoming a PTA member, you model to your child the importance you place on education.

If you have questions about our PTA, or would like to join, you can contact our PTA president, Lupe Arencon, at [email protected], or you can call her at the school.

ª 2ª Parent/Principal Chats: On the first Friday of each moth, I host a Parent/Principal chat, and we drink coffee and eat pastries and share what’s on our hearts. This is a great time to ask questions, or give feedback, or learn more about the inner workings of the school. There isn’t any agenda, just space and time for conversation. If there are just a few of us, we meet in my office. If there are more, we move up to the larger staff lounge, upstairs by the library. Drop in any time you can!

Do We Have Your Email Address??? Every Friday your child comes home with a school newsletter. If you have your email address in our system (on the registration card), you will automatically receive the newsletter by email each Friday. This is especially useful when there are two households, or if your child has a black hole in their backpack. Be sure we have updated email addresses so you are always in-theloop.

Have you Liked us on Facebook??? Not only will you find this amazing weekly newsletter there, but you’ll get up-to-the-minute information, see fun pictures, and always have the latest scoop!

Volunteering and Chaperoning In order to be in classrooms during the school day, or work with children, or accompany a class on a field trip, every adult volunteer must be background checked. You may apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps. If you need any help navigating the site, come visit me in the office and I’ll help you get through. If money is keeping you from being able to do it, please be in touch. We love having our parents working with us here at school! If you’re not sure when your current clearance expires, we can let you know if you call the office. It usually takes a week or two to receive clearance, so start early!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:8/28/15

Weekly News 8/21

August 21, 2015

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

Our first full-week of school was marvelous! We are so happy to have our new kindergarteners in the building, and we had a smooth start. You probably already know that we have rock-star teachers here. We have the most devoted and dedicated teachers and staff I’ve ever worked with. Not only do we have highly qualified teachers in every classroom, but we also have the most helpful office staff, the amazing-est educational assistants, and top-notch support staff making everything run smoothly day-in and day-out. I am so grateful to work with these people!

We continue to have pick-up challenges in the afternoon. Let me remind you about some super important things about morning drop-off, and parking – this is our biggest challenge at our downtown school. All of the playground gates are open until just after the bell rings. But if you arrive late (after 9:00) with your child, the gates will be locked, and you will need to walk around to the front entrance on 6th St. Please do not let your child walk alone on 6th St., and please please please don’t drop your child off on 6th St. There is no curb lane, and no stopping on 6th, and we had some scary near-misses this summer with parents letting kids off there.

We do not have a parent parking lot, and there is no parking on the school side of the street during dropoff/pick-up times. If your child is being picked up, pull into the curb lane, stay in your car, and wait for your child to be escorted to the car by a duty teacher. If you need to jump out to secure your child into a car seat or booster, of course you may do so. Please don’t ever drop-off or pick-up from the center of the road, or try to pick up from the opposite side of the street. We never want children dodging between cars to get to you. If you need to go around the block once or twice, that is much safer than risking the safety of a child.

I hope to see you all next week at our Lew Wallace Open House! We’ll begin at 5:30 in the gym with introductions, school information, and a Title 1 presentation, then you’ll have time to visit classrooms and teachers. The following week, on Friday, September 4th, I’ll have my first ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee Hour starting around 9:00, right after The Pledge of Allegiance and announcements. I’d love to have a chance to hear more of your experiences here, and answer any questions.

As always, be in touch if there’s anything you need!

Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Thursday, August 27, 5:30 p.m., Open House Friday, August 28, Star Student Lunch Friday, September 4, ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee Monday, September 7, Labor Day – No school Monday, September 14, Bike Rodeo for 4th grade Tuesday, September 15, Climbing Wall for 5th grade Thursday, September 17, PTA Mtg, 5:00, Room 104 (Art Room) Thursday, September 24, 6:00 p.m., Sandia Labs Science Night Friday, September 25, Star Student Lunch Friday, October 2, School picture day Friday, October 2, ª2ª Parent/Principal Chat & Coffee Friday, October 2, Custodian Appreciation Day! October 8-9, Fall Break – No school Thursday, October 15, PTA Mtg, 5:00, Room 104 (Art Room) Friday, October 23, Star Student Lunch October 30, Fall Festival PTA News: Yesterday was our first PTA meeting, and there was lots of great energy and discussion in the room as our PTA set their budget for the year, and planned some amazing activities and ways to support teachers and classrooms. See the attached handout for more info! Have you Liked us on Facebook??? Not only will you find this amazing weekly newsletter there, but you’ll get up-to-theminute information, see fun pictures, and always have the latest scoop! ADA Access: We installed the locking security gates around the playground last year, and it has greatly improved our sense of safety here on campus. However, since the only entrance into the school during the day is on 6th St, and is up several stairs, it is not accessible for people in wheelchairs or with significant mobility issues. Last week we had a doorbell and camera installed on the back gate near the small parking lot (on 7th St.). If someone needs access, they press the doorbell, and it opens a video link to the office. When we see that it’s someone with business here at the school, one of us can run out and open the gate, and give that person access. Please do not use the doorbell unless you have ADA accessibility needs. Our signage for this new system should be arriving soon! As well, for anybody who needs the elevator, check to see if there is a key already in the elevator call button. If not, you may come borrow one from the office any time. The elevator is only secured to keep children from being in there when they shouldn’t be, but may be used by any one at any time. Be in touch if you have accessibility issues that we can help with! ª 2ª Parent/Principal Chats: On the first Friday of each moth, I host a Parent/Principal chat, and we drink coffee and eat pastries and share what’s on our hearts. This is a great time to ask questions, or give feedback, or learn more about the inner workings of the school. There isn’t any agenda, just space and time for conversation. If there are just a few of us, we meet in my office. If there are more, we move up to the larger staff lounge, upstairs by the library. Drop in any time you can! Star Student Lunch: When students are “caught” being awesome at school, they may receive a green ticket. Once a month, we choose a green ticket recipient from each classroom, and those students join the principal for lunch, and enjoy a special dessert. Do We Have Your Email Address??? Every Friday your child comes home with a school newsletter. If you have your email address in our system (on the registration card), you will automatically receive the newsletter by email each Friday. This is especially useful when there are two households, or if your child has a black hole in their backpack. Be sure we have updated email addresses so you are always in-the-loop. More Staff Changes for 2015-2016: Welcome to Coach Buck, our new PE teacher! She will be here teaching PE on Thursdays and Fridays. She replaces Coach Konash, who retired this summer, and is greatly missed. Clarification about Pick-Up Procedures: If your student uses a car seat, booster, or special harness, you absolutely can secure them into that while picking them up. We will help students into the car, but you have the expertise about how to do so securely! Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:8/21/15

Weekly News 8/14

Welcome Back, 2015

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

I’m so excited to be starting school with your amazing children! We’ve been hustling and bustling to have things prepared, and we are ready to start the new school year off with a bang.

One exciting thing that is happening is that we have been making some wonderful community partnerships in our work to be leaders in addressing child hunger downtown. We have been the recipient of many, many bags of food that are being delivered to the school each Friday, so if your family can use a weekly bag of food, please be in touch.

Let me remind you about some super important things about morning drop-off, and parking – this is our biggest challenge at our downtown school. All of the playground gates are open until just after the bell rings. But if you arrive late (after 9:00) with your child, the gates will be locked, and you will need to walk around to the front entrance on 6th St. Please do not let your child walk alone on 6th St., and please please please don’t drop your child off on 6th St. There is no curb lane, and no stopping on 6th, and we had some scary near-misses this summer with parents letting kids off there.

Parking is crazy down here. We do not have a parent parking lot, and there is no parking on the school side of the street during drop-off/pick-up times. If your child is being picked up, pull into the curb lane, stay in your car, and wait for your child to be escorted to the car by a duty teacher. Please don’t ever drop-off or pick-up from the center of the road. We never want children dodging between cars out to the street. If you need to go around the block once or twice, that is much safer than risking the safety of a child.

It’s going to be a GREAT year! We have such a phenomenal staff, and we’re excited to welcome some new folks to our ranks this year. We’re also delighted to have so many new neighborhood kids joining us at all grade levels, and all of our new kindergarteners. I have a good feeling about this school year. J

Be in touch any time. Mary and Rose in the office are the two most warm, knowledgeable, and helpful secretaries in the world, and they can assist you with just about anything. You can reach me by phone, in person, or by email. My contact information is on the other side of this newsletter. I’m always happy to chat!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected] Important Dates: Tuesday, August 11, registration for school, Parks & Rec, RGEC, and PTA Thursday, August 13, First day of school for 1st-5th grades Monday, August 17, First day of school for kindergarten Thursday, August 20, 5:00 p.m., PTA meeting – all are invited! Thursday, August 27, 5:30 p.m., Open House Monday, September 7, Labor Day – No school Thursday, September 24, 6:00 p.m., Sandia Labs Science Night October 2, School picture day October 8-9, Fall Break – No school October 30, Fall Festival November 11, Veteran’s Day – No school November 23-24, Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences – No school November 25-27, Thanksgiving break – No school December 10, Book Fair and Literacy Make ‘n’ Take December 21 – January 4, Winter break – No school January 5 – Students return January 18, MLK Day – No school January 20, Sandia Labs Family Math Night February 11, Festival de Bellas Artes (4th/5th grade) February 18, Family Math Night February 25-26, Parent/Teacher/Student Conferences – No school March 17, Family Literacy Night March 25 – April 1, Spring break – No school April 14, Family Night at Explora May 20, Family Dance and Summer Literacy Kick-Off May 25, Last day of school Have you Liked us on Facebook??? Not only will you find this amazing weekly newsletter there, but you’ll get up-to-the-minute information, see fun pictures, and always have the latest scoop! Staff Changes for 2015-2016 Ms. Cheryl (K) will be gone until January, while doing her Principal Internship at another school. Ms. Beckie will be teaching her class in the meantime, along with Ms. Stephanie. Our new first grade teacher will be Ms. Dannie Montoya. Ms. Christina (who was our Instructional Coach) will be teaching 2nd grade this year, as well as Ms. Ortiz (who used to teach 3rd grade). Mr. DeLaO is moving to 3rd grade, to join Mr. Chavez. We send heaps of love and good wishes to Ms. Konash, who decided to retire this summer. Our new PE teacher is Mrs. Buck. We welcome Ms. Krichels as our art teacher. Ms. Bayley is our new gifted teacher. Our new day custodian is Mr. Julian Moya. Mr. Ben is now working the afternoon shift, and Mr. Marciano will continue with us part-time here, and part-time at Coronado ES. Our new community therapist, joining us from Open Skies is JoLynn Sanchez Our new Speech & Language Pathologist is Manuela Moya. Whole Foods Donation We were one of the recipients of the Whole Foods Bag Credit for spring and summer, and we received over $1,400!!! Thank you to Ms. Melanie Lewis for arranging and organizing this fund-raiser! This money will be put to use towards health and wellness activities at Lew Wallace. Food Donations Due to our recent fame, we are having many bags of food donated to Lew Wallace each Friday (more on back about this). If you could use a bag of groceries each Friday to help support your family, let us know. There is plenty! PTA News Our PTA is rockin’ & rollin’, and doing amazing things for Lew Wallace, but we need your help! We will need parents to be board members and members at large. Please be in touch if you are interested. Do We Have Your Email Address On-File??? Every Friday your child comes home with a school newsletter. If you have your email address in our system (on the registration card), you will automatically receive the newsletter by email each Friday. This is especially useful when there are two households, or if your child has a black hole in their backpack. Be sure we have updated email addresses so you are always in-the-loop. After-School Pick-Up Information For Cars: (3:35 M/T/ThF, 12:30 on Wed) This does not pertain to students in Parks & Rec, Wells Park, or RGEC after-school programs, or if they walk. Our absolute number one priority is always always always keeping kids safe. Parking and pick-up is our biggest challenge at Lew Wallace, since we have no parent parking lot. Sometimes it is frustrating, and tempers flare when it gets bottlenecked. Always know that duty teachers are focused solely on children’s safety, so please don’t challenge them or yell at them when they insist on following the safety rules below. Pick-up time is the most stressful time of the day for us, and your help following these rules will create a safer, less chaotic pick-up time. Kindergarten: Pull up in front of the bus, and the kindergarten duty teachers will put your child in your car. 1st/2nd grades: Pull up on the school side of the street only, and a duty teacher will put your child in your car. 3rd/4th/5th grades: Pull up on the school side of the street only, and a duty teacher will supervise your child getting in your car. If you have children in multiple grades, they may be picked up at the appropriate location for the oldest child. Rules for pick-up: 1. Do not park or get out of your car during pick-up times. When cars are parked, there aren’t enough spaces for pick-ups, and then children start darting between cars, which is extremely dangerous. 2. Never encourage your child to run between cars to get to you in the middle of the street, nor to cross the street to get to you. Duty teachers will only excuse children to cars on the school-side of the street. 3. Only drive clockwise around the school for pick-up. 4. Never use 6th Street for pick-up or drop-off. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:8/14/15

School Supplies Our 2015-2016 School Supply lists are now posted here. Attachments: School Supplies Info

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:7/15/15

REGISTRATION DATE Registration for all students will be held on Tuesday, August 11th from 9am - 12pm. If you need before & after school options, there will be City of Abq Parks & Rec, RGEC & Wells Park here to register your child. If your family is new to Lew Wallace, you will need to bring proof of residency. If your child is an incoming kindergartener, you will need a birth certificate and shot records as well. Please keep checking this website for school supply lists coming soon. Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:7/7/15

Weekly News 5/15 May 15, 2015 Dear Lew Wallace Families, This is it! The last newsletter for the 2014-2015 school year. And what a great year it’s been!!! I want to tell you a little bit about the class placement process for the next school year. Each teacher fills out a lengthy form on all of their students. The information on it includes assessment scores, observations, notes about strengths and areas of need, learning styles, language information, etc. We’ve spent a week amassing data, looking at each student, and analyzing next steps for them as they move to the next grade. Over the next weeks, their current teachers and our placement team will spend hours dividing students, matching their needs with programs, and working hard to ensure that classes are balanced, and that students’ needs are addressed with a plan so we can hit the ground running for the coming school year. We will continue fine-tuning class lists throughout the summer, and will have another meeting with the placement teams when teachers return in August. Class lists will be posted on August 11th, registration day, and will reflect a great deal of thought, heart, and caring for each student. I hope that you’ll trust us to make the absolute best decisions we can for your child in terms of placement, and I want you to know that we take this process really seriously, and that we are very intentional about how classes are created. We have only two classes at each grade level, but in every case we have two excellent, qualified teachers that are ready to help your child shine. If there are things that you think that the placement teams needs to know about your child that we may not be aware of, please let me know. We do not take parent requests for specific teachers, but if there’s information that you want us to have, we welcome that. We will have some staffing changes next year – Ms. Aguilar and Ms. Marrs are both sadly moving to other schools and we will miss them terribly! Ms. Orozco is returning to the classroom, and several teachers will be changing grades. Ms. Mona will be staying with us as our gifted teacher, and may also be at another school part-time. Ms. Cheryl will be a principal intern at another school in the fall, and Ms. Dannie will assume her class while she’s gone. I will be taking the summer off, but I am looking forward to returning for another super school year with your beautiful children. What a great, amazing, crazy, wonderful year it’s been. I am grateful for every single day with these fabulous kids, and their awesome families. Thank you for being part of our Lew Wallace community. Be safe, and have a tremendous summer!!!!!! Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Congratulations to our 5th graders on transitioning to Middle School! We are so proud!!!! Important Dates: Monday, May 18, Ms. Ortiz’s class field trip to Mary Fox Park Thursday, May 21, 5th grade end-of-year fun day field trip to Isleta Fun Connection Thursday, May 21, 4th grade field trip to Dion’s Pizza Friday, May 22, 5th grade promotion, 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 22, Last day of school! 1:00 dismissal for all students.

But wait… there’s more! Wednesday, June 17th, first day of K-3+ summer school for incoming kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students July 3rd and 6th, no school for K-3+ students Thursday, July 23rd, last day of K-3+ summer school.

And if you’re really planning ahead… Tuesday, August 11, registration for school, Parks & Rec, RGEC, and PTA Thursday, August 13, first day of school for 1st-5th grades Monday, August 17, first day of school for kindergarten

Whole Foods Bag Credit: Lew Wallace will be one of the lucky recipients of the Whole Foods bag credit, now through mid-June. When the cashier asks if you want to donate your bag credit, tell them YES, for Lew Wallace, and we will receive the money! This is for the Whole Foods at Indian School Plaza, at the corner of Carlisle and Indian School (across from K-Mart).

Have you Liked us on Facebook??? Not only will you find this amazing weekly newsletter there, but you’ll get up-to-the-minute information, see fun pictures, and always have the latest scoop!

PTA News: Our PTA has been rockin’ and rollin’ this year, and they have done amazing things for Lew Wallace, but they need your help! We will need parents to fill the roles of treasurer, vice president, and fund-raising chair, plus members at large. Please be in touch if you are interested.

End of the year Music Letters: on Ms. Woodworth’s website! *Go to the Lew Wallace website *Click on “our school” *Click on “Music” *Click the link

K-3+ (Summer School): As this school year winds down, we are busy, busy, busy preparing for our awesome K-3+ summer school program. Any student going into kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, or 3rd grade is eligible. This is a free program, and it will look just like regular school days. We follow the regular-year bell schedule, starting at 8:42 each morning, and dismissing at 3:35 each afternoon (12:30 on Wednesdays). Breakfast and lunch are served, and are free for all students. Days will mirror regular school days, with all subjects covered, plus field trips, interactive projects, and enrichment. It isn’t too late to enroll if you haven’t already signed your student up. Contact us in the office right away if you are planning on joining us! Mrs. Paloma Aranda will be the summer school principal, and most of the teachers will be familiar Lew Wallace faces!

Other Summer Programs at Lew Wallace We will have a full house on-campus all summer! In addition to K-3+, RGEC will be continuing their before- and after-school program in the library. Parks & Rec will be running summer camp in the cafeteria, and will also do before- and after-school care for K-3+ students

Mrs. Konash’s Korner: This was the last week of PE class before school is out. All classes played games with four activities to choose from. Keep moving and have a great summer vacation!!!!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:5/15/15

Weekly New 5/8 May 8, 2015 Dear Lew Wallace Families, It is hard to believe, but there will only be one more newsletter this school year. There are only 10 days left of school. I can’t quite get my head around the fact that we are almost finished with another school year! As we wind down this school year, we bid a sad farewell to two of our beloved staff members: Ms. Aregmi Aguilar and Ms. Christie Marrs, both first grade teachers. They have been amazing gifts to our students, and to our community, and we wish them the absolute best as they move to other schools in APS. We are also delighted to have Ms. Christina Orozco moving back into the classroom. We are going to have a wonderful summer here at Lew Wallace. Many of our regular teachers are staying on to teach K-3+, and other teachers you may recognize from K-3+ last summer. It’s shaping up to be a really wonderful experience, and with Parks & Rec AND RGEC here all summer, we will be a full-service operation for kindergarten through 3rd grade incoming students. I will not be the summer school principal, but LWES will be in great hands with Ms. Paloma Aranda. Ms. Aranda was briefly our bilingual resource teacher last year, and has been a long-time Instructional Coach at Longfellow Elementary School. If you have not yet let us know that your child is participating in K-3+ this summer, please let us know for sure this upcoming week. I have one favor to ask of you in these last couple of weeks… we are having more field trips and special events than usual, and with parents coming and going, our gates have been left open several times. As well, parents have been yelling through the gates, asking students to come and open the gates for them. We don’t want students to be opening the gates for adults, especially adults they don’t necessarily know, so please please please walk around to 6th Street when the gates are closed, and don’t ask students to let you in. I am working with students on learning to say “no,” but our sweet, compliant kids are really conflicted and torn when parents ask them to do something they’re not supposed to do. Thanks heaps for helping us keep our kids safe! As always, be in touch if you have questions or want to chat about anything. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Friday, May 8, 5:00 Summer Literacy Kick-Off and Family Dance!!! Thursday, May 14, 4th grade field trip to Popejoy for a New Mexico Philharmonic Concert Thursday, May 14, field trip to Isotopes (1st grade, 3rd grade, and DeLaO) Friday, May 15, Kindergarten Graduation, 9:45 a.m. Friday, May 15, YDI Mentor picnic (for students with YDI mentors) Monday, May 18, Ms. Ortiz’s class field trip to Mary Fox Park Thursday, May 21, 5th grade end-of-year fun day field trip to Isleta Fun Connection (This is a correction from the previous newsletter) Thursday, May 21, 4th grade field trip to Dion’s Pizza Friday, May 22, 5th grade graduation, 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 22, Last day of school! 1:00 dismissal for all students.

But wait… there’s more! Wednesday, June 17th, first day of K-3+ summer school for incoming kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students July 3rd and 6th, no school for K-3+ students Thursday, July 23rd, last day of K-3+ summer school.

And if you’re really planning ahead… Tuesday, August 11, registration for school, Parks & Rec, RGEC, and PTA Thursday, August 13, first day of school for 1st-5th grades Monday, August 17, first day of school for kindergarten

Volunteer Clearance: Remember that ALL parents and family members need to be cleared as volunteers before accompanying students on field trips, or being in classrooms. Please don’t put teachers in an awkward position by “coincidentally” being at the same location as a field trip. We do absolutely everything we can to keep your children safe, and we need your help in doing so by following APS policy. Volunteer clearance is good for two years, and you can apply at: http://www.aps.edu/community/volunteer-with-aps

Whole Foods Bag Credit: Lew Wallace will be one of the lucky recipients of the Whole Foods bag credit, now through mid-June. When the cashier asks if you want to donate your bag credit, tell them YES, for Lew Wallace, and we will receive the money! This is for the Whole Foods at Indian School Plaza, at the corner of Carlisle and Indian School (across from K-Mart).

Have you Liked us on Facebook??? Not only will you find this amazing weekly newsletter there, but you’ll get up-to-the-minute information, see fun pictures, and always have the latest scoop!

Summer Programming at Lew Wallace: We will have a full house oncampus all summer! If you haven’t already registered for K-3+, that deadline is almost here. Be sure to sign-up your incoming K, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students. We’ll also have RGEC and Parks & Rec oncampus all summer!

Parking: We are really struggling with parking issues. In particular, parents are parking in the bus loading zone on Roma, and then the bus has to drop kids off in the street, which is super unsafe. PLEASE do not park in the bus zone, even just for a quick drop-off or pick-up. The First Fruit Ave Spanish Baptist Church has also asked me to remind parents that church parking is for staff with permits only.

PTA News: Our PTA has been rockin’ and rollin’ this year, and they have done amazing things for Lew Wallace. Sadly, we are saying goodbye to Treasurer Sylvia Escarga, who has been a devoted PTA member for several years. We’re so grateful for all your dedication, Sylvia!!! We will need parents to fill the roles of treasurer, vice president, and fund-raising chair, plus members at large. Please be in touch if you are interested.

End of the year Music Letters : on Ms. Woodworth’s website! *Go to the Lew Wallace website *Click on “our school” *Click on “Music” *Click the link

Mrs. Konash’s Korner: All classes will continue with fun activities that were started last week. Keep moving..... and stay cool!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:5/8/15

Weekly News 5/1 May 1, 2015 Dear Lew Wallace Families, What a beautiful, wonderful, crazy week it was here at school!!! The Ellen Degeneres Show sent a crew here on Tuesday for a super-secret surprise. We told Ms. Sonya that she was getting a little APS award, and over 200 people packed the gym. Our kids were amazing as we waited and waited and waited (and waited!) for the “go” from the film crew hiding in the parking lot. Finally, Ellen Degeneres herself called Sonya on the phone, and told her that she had a surprise. Ms. Sonya ran outside to see a brand new Ford Edge waiting for her, a gift from Ellen and Ford. Then they presented us with another check for $10,000, this time from Shutterfly! The plan at that point was to race everyone back into the gym for one more filming of kids and community, but Puff Daddy/P.Diddy/Sean Combs interrupted those plans by announcing on the show that he wanted to buy 2-years of gas for Ms. Sonya, and there was so much excitement that the film crew never even made it back into the gym. However, Ellen Degeneres had also bought us onehundred pizzas, so we chowed down and enjoyed each others’ company. J It was fun to be part of something so special, and our students survived 45-minutes of Ms. Sonya and I telling bad jokes and doing bad magic tricks. There are several links to clips to the show, and I have posted the actual broadcast, though it’s not high quality. I’ve listed below where you can find them. Because the Ellen money was given to us in response to Ms. Sonya’s devotion to responding to issues related to child hunger and poverty, we have begun putting together a taskforce to help leverage our funds, and try to address food insecurity for kids. On May 28th, we’ll be hosting a Lew Wallace Downtown Community Food Summit, and we’ll talk about ways we might be able to team up with existing groups, and support hungry children. It’s exciting to have the resources to really be able to make a difference! As always, be in touch if you have questions or want to chat about anything. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio The original clip (from the first Ellen show): http://ellentube.com/videos/0-ux3r2qq8/ Clip from this week’s visit: http://ellentube.com/videos/0y92onpbt/ Bonus clip of Ms. Sonya’s reaction: http://ellentube.com/videos/0-dn47hctx/ YouTube video of the actual broadcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xpdWKhv6c-E YouTube video of P.Diddy’s gas donation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlyyFxsHik0 Important Dates: Monday, May 4, Master Gardener visit to 3rd grade Tuesday, May 5, 8:00 a.m., PTA planning meeting for Family Dance, room 212 Tuesday, May 5, Kindergarten field trip to Gravity Park Tuesday, May 5, Ms. Beckie’s class field trip to Fire Station #1 Wednesday, May 6, TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY!!! Wednesday, May 6, 7:00 p.m., Lew Wallace Mariachi playing at the Downtown Neighborhood Association Meeting! Thursday, May 7, 5:00 PTA meeting Friday, May 8, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, May 8, K/1st Rainforest animal presentation Friday, May 8, 5:30 Summer Literacy Kick-Off and Family Dance!!! ê Thursday, May 14, 4th grade field trip to Popejoy for a New Mexico Philharmonic Concert ê Friday, May 15, Kindergarten Graduation, 9:45 a.m. Friday, May 15, YDI Mentor picnic (for students with YDI mentors) Monday, May 18, Ms. Ortiz’s class field trip to Mary Fox Park Tuesday, May 19, 5th grade end-of-year fun day field trip to Isleta Fun Connection Thursday, May 21, 4th grade field trip to Dion’s Pizza Friday, May 22, 5th grade graduation, 9:30 a.m. Friday, May 22, Last day of school! 1:00 dismissal for all students.

But wait… there’s more! Wednesday, June 17th, first day of K-3+ summer school for incoming kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students July 3rd and 6th, no school for K-3+ students Thursday, July 23rd, last day of K-3+ summer school.

We need help with the Family Dance! Please be in touch if you can volunteer for a 30 minute shift, supervising jumpers, serving food, cutting food, serving drinks, or setting up and cleaning up.

Whole Foods Bag Credit: Lew Wallace will be one of the lucky recipients of the Whole Foods bag credit, now through mid-June. When the cashier asks if you want to donate your bag credit, tell them YES, for Lew Wallace, and we will receive the money! This is for the Whole Foods at Indian School Plaza, at the corner of Carlisle and Indian School (across from K-Mart).

Garage Sale Thanks! So many people helped make our LWES garage sale a rousing success. They raised over $600 for the school! Thank you to the entire Ristaino family, and especially to Mary. Thanks also to Harold Pacheco, Vangie Luker, Chris Appleton, Laura Reu, Alex Dye, Sylvia Escarsega, Crystall Herrera, and all the parents and family members who helped with setting-up, helping out, and cleaning up.

Parking: We are really struggling with parking issues. In particular this week, parents are parking in the bus loading zone on Roma, and the bus is having to drop kids off in the street, which is super unsafe. PLEASE do not park in the bus zone, even just for a quick drop-off or pick-up. The First Fruit Ave Spanish Baptist Church has also asked me to remind parents that church parking is for staff with parking permits only.

Summer Programming at Lew Wallace: We will have a full house oncampus all summer! If you haven’t already registered for K-3+, that deadline is almost here. Be sure to sign-up your incoming K, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students. We’ll also have RGEC and Parks & Rec oncampus all summer!

TEACHER and NURSE APPRECIATION: Next week we celebrate teachers and nurses at school! Wednesday, May 6th is both Teacher Appreciation and School Nurse Appreciation day. Join me in thanking our amazing staff for all that they do for our kids.

Mrs. Konash’s Korner: 1-Minute Games

3rd, 4th, and 5th grades will participate in 1-minute games. For example, tossing a noodle into a box, using a straw to move a feather off the table, and much more. Kinder will have a fun time outside experimenting with blowing bubbles. 1st and 2nd will have sack races.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:5/1/15

Family Dance & Summer Literacy Kickoff Mark your calendars! It's happening Friday, May 8th from 5-7pm. We still need volunteers to help. If you can help, please e mail Lupe at [email protected] We can't wait to see you there! Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Published:4/30/15 Audience: Celeste Hernandez, Homepage, Activities, Counseling, Library, Nursing, Our School, Parents, School Meals, Staff Directory, Tips and Tips

RUMMAGE SALE! Are you looking to get rid of some of your extra treasures? Bring them to our LWES rummage sale & we will gladly sell them for you! Drop items off anytime Friday after 11am. You can bring them to the gym. All money raised will benefit our school. If you're looking to buy some treasures that might be currently living at someone else's home, but really belongs at yours... join us! you might find exactly what you're looking for! The LWES rummage sale starts at 7:30 on Saturday morning! See you there! Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Published:4/20/15 Audience: Celeste Hernandez, Homepage, Activities, Counseling, Library, Nursing, Our School, Parents, School Meals, Staff Directory, Tips and Tips

Weekly News 4/17 April 17, 2015 Dear Lew Wallace Families, This was a hard week here at school for our staff. We received our 2015-2016 budget, and it wasn’t pretty. We are taking two significant cuts – a first cut in our bilingual funding, and a second, larger cut in our Title 1 funding. We have an enrichment/heritage bilingual program. This means that we offer a 1-hour Spanish block at each grade level, designed for students for whom Spanish is a heritage or family language, but open to other students as enrichment. Ms. Mona facilitated this program, but with the cuts to funding, her halftime bilingual resource position will be eliminated. We don’t yet know exactly what this will mean for Ms. Mona, who is also our awesome gifted education teacher, but we will keep you posted. In Title One funding, we took a significant hit because our Free/Reduced Lunch numbers dropped below the 75% mark (we are about 73% currently). Title One funding for schools below 75% is half of what we had been receiving, so we are seeing a drastic reduction in those dollars. Ms. Christina has been paid largely out of our Title One funds, and oversaw our reading resource/intervention program. Since that part of her job will be eliminated, Ms. Christina will plan to return to the classroom for the next school year. We are taking other, smaller cuts here and there, but it is really in our staff funding that we are feeling it most deeply. Hold us in good thoughts as we work to navigate this difficult time. We are such a tight-knit community, and we will hang tight to each other while we live into possibilities for the coming school year. As always, be in touch if you have questions or want to chat about the budget, or anything else. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Saturday, April 18, Battle of the Books, at Edward Gonzales Elementary School Monday, April 20, PARCC testing begins again for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders Monday, April 20, 4th grade field trip to the NHCC Wednesday, April 22, Earth Day Family Science Night WITH PIZZA!!! Friday, April 24, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, April 24-29, Lew Wallace Dental Clinic Friday April 24, set-up for the Lew Wallace Garage Sale – deliver your donated treasures any time after 11:00 a.m. Saturday, April 25, Lew Wallace Community Garage Sale Thursday, April 30, 8:00 am, PTA planning mtg for Summer Literacy Kick-Off and Family Dance Friday, May 1, 1:00-6:00, Mr. DeLaO’s National Park Exhibition Wednesday, May 6, 7:00 p.m., Lew Wallace Mariachi playing at the Downtown Neighborhood Association Meeting! Thursday, May 7, 5:00 PTA meeting Friday, May 8, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, May 8, Summer Literacy Kick-Off and Family Dance Thursday, May 14, 4th grade field trip to Popejoy for a New Mexico Philharmonic Concert Friday, May 15, Kindergarten Graduation! Tuesday, May 19, 5th grade end-of-year fun day! Friday, May 22, 5th grade graduation! Friday, May 22, Last day of school!

But wait… there’s more! Wednesday, June 17th, first day of K-3+ summer school for incoming kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students July 3rd and 6th, no school for K-3+ students Thursday, July 23rd, last day of K-3+ summer school.

Dude! That Was In Tents!!! Come see a fun, informative research exhibition on our National Parks, Friday, May 1st after school. 2nd graders welcome you to see their work and have a s’more and trail mix while you imagine your next trip to one of our National Parks. This research project was made possible through a grant awarded by the APS Foundation.

Footnote! Now that the weather is getting warmer we are seeing many new great looking sandals and flip flops. The Health Office is seeing many more injuries to our students precious little toes. The health office staff is highly recommending wearing tennis/athletic shoes to school. If sandals must be worn, we recommend bringing an extra pair of shoes and socks to wear during PE and recess. The students can feel free to leave them in their backpack and use them as needed. Thank you for helping us keep your students safe and healthy.

Whole Foods Bag Credit: Lew Wallace will be one of the lucky recipients of the Whole Foods bag credit, now through mid-June. When the cashier asks if you want to donate your bag credit, tell them YES, for Lew Wallace, and we will receive the money!

Dental Clinic: Dental services at Lew Wallace ES Friday, April 24 Wednesday, April 29, 2015. Free comprehensive exams, digital xrays and toothbrushes are available to all students who return a "yes" permission form. Cleanings, fluoride treatments and dental sealants will also be provided. Medicaid and most dental insurance plans will pay for these procedures. Payment plans are also available.

Lew Wallace Garage Sale: Saturday, April 25th. Start saving things that you can donate for our fundraiser garage sale! We will start setting-up and getting things ready on the Friday beforehand, and could use lots and lots of help. Bring your treasures to the gym any time after 11:30 on Friday, April 24th.

Summer Programming at Lew Wallace: We will have a full house on-campus all summer! K-3+ summer school for incoming kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students will run June 17-July 23rd. Both RGEC and Parks & Rec will be available for before-and after-school care.

Mrs. Konash’s Korner: 50 Yard Dash Students will have the experience of running as fast as they can. Each student will have an opportunity to run against someone who has the same ability as they do in the skill of running fast. Kinders, 1st, and 2nd graders will run bases. The older students will have the opportunity to kick a ball and run to the bases. This is a new experience for most of our students. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:4/17/15

Weekly News 4/10 April 10, 2015 Dear Lew Wallace Families, On the Friday before Spring Break, I didn’t send home a school newsletter! I don’t know how many of your have watched the old, classic Saturday Night Live sketches, but in the words of Steve Martin, when explaining why he never paid taxes, “I forgot.” After having sent a newsletter every single Friday since arriving at Lew Wallace, it just plumb slipped my mind on March 27th. Perhaps I’ve been a wee bit distracted by the media and publicity and wonderful donations and accolades that have been pouring into our beautiful little school. Right before spring break, Mayor Berry stopped by, along with some other APS dignitaries, to tell us how proud he is of the amazing work our educators are doing to provide for and support students. He announced a city-wide proclamation that March 27th shall henceforth be known as Ms. Sonya and All Awesome Educators Day in Albuquerque. They mayor said, “We are here today to celebrate the contributions of all these teachers who embody the best in our profession. As a result of those contributions, Lew Wallace is a great school boasting a happy, loving, effective learning community that helps build a bright future for generations to come.” On Wednesday of this week, Congresswoman Michelle LujanGrisham also came to Lew Wallace to talk to us about our commitment to teaching and serving students with integrity, and putting their needs ahead of anything else. She is entering a Congressional Record that will be part of history forever in the Library of Congress. It reads, in part, “The tightknit Downtown community is also home to everyday heroes who will do anything for students, colleagues, and neighbors, including rallying around families in need… Teachers are not just providing instruction, but are deeply committed to the overall well-being and success of their students. They overcome challenges, and create a secure and trusting environment for our children.” It has been good for us to be part of this growing conversation on teaching, students, learning, compassion, and love. And it is an honor that we are being held as role models for the nation on what a good school truly looks like – beyond state test scores, demographics, data, or location. My heart is full and proud for every member of our community; from teachers, to students, to families. Thank you. As always, be in touch if you have questions or want to chat. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Tuesday, April 14, end of 3rd mid-term… look for mid-term progress reports to come home about a week later. Thursday, April 16, 5:00 p.m., PTA meeting Saturday, April 18, Battle of the Books, at Edward Gonzales Elementary School Monday, April 20, PARCC testing begins again for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders Wednesday, April 22, Earth Day Family Science Night Friday, April 24, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, April 24-29, Lew Wallace Dental Clinic Friday April 24, afternoon and evening set-up for the Lew Wallace Garage Sale Saturday, April 25, Lew Wallace Community Garage Sale Thursday, April 30, 8:00 am, PTA planning mtg for Summer Literacy Kick-Off and Family Dance Wednesday, May 6, 7:00 p.m., Lew Wallace Mariachi playing at the Downtown Neighborhood Association Meeting! Thursday, May 7, 5:00 PTA meeting Friday, May 8, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, May 8, Summer Literacy Kick-Off and Family Dance Thursday, May 14, 4th grade field trip to Popejoy for a New Mexico Philharmonic Concert Friday, May 15, Kindergarten Graduation! Tuesday, May 19, 5th grade end-of-year fun day! Friday, May 22, 5th grade graduation! Friday, May 22, Last day of school!

But wait… there’s more! Wednesday, June 17th, first day of K-3+ summer school for incoming kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students July 3rd and 6th, no school for K-3+ students Thursday, July 23rd, last day of K-3+ summer school.

Dental Clinic: Dental services at Lew Wallace ES Friday, April 24 Wednesday, April 29, 2015. Free comprehensive exams, digital xrays and toothbrushes are available to all students who return a "yes" permission form. Cleanings, fluoride treatments and dental sealants will also be provided. Medicaid and most dental insurance plans will pay for these procedures. Payment plans are also available. Be sure to return your permission forms immediately! All students need to return a permission form with either a "yes" or a "no".

Lew Wallace Garage Sale: Saturday, April 25th. Start saving things that you can donate for our fundraiser garage sale! We will start setting-up and getting things ready on the Friday night beforehand, and could use lots and lots of help.

Summer Programming at Lew Wallace: We will have a full house oncampus all summer! RGEC will be setting up summer programming for the first time this summer, and we are excited to have them continuing their awesome works year-long. Parks & Rec will be running their summer camps with both Lew Wallace and other students. K-3+ summer school for incoming kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students will run June 17-July 23rd. Both RGEC and Parks & Rec will be available for before-and after-school care, as well as independently as summer camps.

Mrs. Konash’s Korner: TRACK 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade are starting a unit on Track. The unit will start with relay races. 3rd grade will be learning a new skill; the technique of passing the baton. For 4th and 5th grade, baton passing will be a review. The relay races take place on the small track around our playground. Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades will be using scooters in the gym. Students will learn to use the muscles in their legs to move the scooter forward and hand muscles while lying on their stomachs and moving on the scooter. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:4/10/15

Weekly News 3/20 March 20, 2015 Dear Lew Wallace Families, I can’t even tell you what a fun and CRAZY week it’s been here! Last week, we made our super-secret surprise video for Ms. Sonya. Somehow, hundreds of children and parents and staff managed to successfully keep this a secret from Ms. Sonya! On Tuesday, Ms. Sonya headed back to the Ellen Degeneres Show to film what she thought was an internet clip, and then see the show. Those tricky Ellen folks put her in the audience, and then surprised her by pulling her up on stage. They showed her our amazing video, she cried, and Ellen questioned her about our school. And then… Ellen presented Ms. Sonya with a check for $10,000! And THEN… Ellen told Ms. Sonya that she didn’t want her to spend it on school stuff, so she gave Lew Wallace Elementary School a second check for $10,000!!! We have always known that we are a special little school in a special little community with remarkable teachers. But it’s pretty sweet to get this kind of national recognition. At the same time, we know our school grade will most-likely drop by one grade to an F next year because of the number of families who opted their students out of the PARCC state test. We will remind ourselves that our school grade does not define us, and that it is only one measurement based on one criteria – state test scores. What we KNOW about ourselves is that this school gets an A+ on care for students, quality of teaching, support by community (and now the world!), opportunities for learning, and dedication by all. We will live proudly in that tension between compliance with state expectations and grading, and knowing that we all arrive and leave here every day with our integrity intact, and our hearts full of pride for what we are accomplishing. We will never put data, testing, or bureaucracy before children. My heart is swelling with pride this week, for Ms. Sonya, and for all our awesome staff, and for our school community. Thank you for sharing this journey with us! As always, be in touch if you have questions or want to chat. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio To see a short clip of Ms. Sonya’s amazing moment of fame on the Ellen Degeneres Show, go to: http://www.ellentv.com/videos/0ux3r2qq8/ or follow the link from our school website at lewwallace.aps.edu.

Ellen has been encouraging people to give to Lew Wallace, so we have set up a donation link on our school website at lewwallace.aps.edu. Feel free to share that link with anyone interested in contributing. As of Friday morning, we had an additional $2,600!

Important Dates: All next week is Spirit week! Monday - crazy hair day, Tuesday sports jersey day, Wednesday - mis-match day, Thursday - hat day, Friday - school colors or t-shirt day. March 23-27, 5th grade health and hygiene unit March 24-25, 4th grade science SBA state testing Tuesday, March 24, 3rd/4th Field Trip, Opera Southwest, La Boheme, National Hispanic Cultural Center Wednesday, March 25, 5:30 p.m. Literacy Slam Family Night and Title 1 School Family Engagement Policy and Compact Revision for 2015-2016 Thursday, March 26, 2nd grade field trip to the CEC Planetarium Thursday, March 26, 2:45, 2nd/3rd grade Music Performance!!! Friday, March 27, 2:45 K/1st grade Music Performance!!! March 30 - April 3 Spring Break – No school. Monday, April 6, School resumes. Thursday, April 9, 4th grade field trip to the Albuquerque Museum Saturday, April 18, Battle of the Books, Edward Gonzales Elementary School Wednesday, April 22, Earth Day Family Science Night Friday, April 24, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, April 24-29, Lew Wallace Dental Clinic Friday April 24, afternoon and evening set-up for the Lew Wallace Garage Sale Saturday, April 25, Lew Wallace Community Garage Sale Friday, May 8, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, May 8, Summer Literacy Kick-Off and Family Dance Thursday, May 14, 4th grade field trip to Popejoy for a New Mexico Philharmonic Concert Friday, May 15, Kindergarten Graduation! Tuesday, May 19, 5th grade end-of-year fun day! Friday, May 22, 5th grade graduation! Friday, May 22, Last day of school!

Lew Wallace Garage Sale: Saturday, April 25th. Start saving things that you can donate for our fundraiser garage sale! We will start setting-up and getting things ready on the Friday night beforehand, and could use lots and lots of help.

Music Performances: The 2nd and 3rd Grade Music Performance is Thursday, March 26th at 2:45 in the Lew Wallace Gym The Kindergarten and 1st Grade Music Performance is Friday, March 27th at 2:45 in the Lew Wallace Gym We hope to see families there!

Spirit Week! Next week will be Spirit Week at school as we celebrate the near-end of testing, and get ready for spring break. Monday: crazy hair day Tuesday: sports/jersey day Wednesday: mis-match day Thursday: hat day Friday: school colors or school shirt day (blue and silver)

Dental Clinic: Dental services at Lew Wallace ES Friday, April 24 Wednesday, April 29, 2015. Free comprehensive exams, digital xrays and toothbrushes are available to all students who return a "yes" permission form. Cleanings, fluoride treatments and dental sealants will also be provided. Medicaid and most dental insurance plans will pay for these procedures. Payment plans are also available. Be sure to return your permission forms immediately! All students need to return a permission form with either a "yes" or a "no".

Mrs. Konash’s Korner: VOLLEYBALL for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades MOTOR SKILLS for kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades

Motor skills for primary grades includes throwing and catching a variety of balls and other soft objects (ie, stuffed socks, puff balls, small stuffed animals, etc.)

In volleyball, 3rd graders will get an introduction to the game. 4th graders will practice the basic skills. 5th graders will play volleyball games using standard rules. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:3/20/15

THANK YOU!!! Thank you so much for visiting our school webpage!!!! We have been overwhelmed with goodness and kindness from all over the country, and are so grateful to the Ellen Show, and to the many people who were moved by Ms. Sonya's story and want to lend a hand. We have been inordinately gifted by Ellen and by Target, and encourage you to share with your own local schools. Our situation is not a unique one; Teachers all over the country spend countless dollars of their own on their students, children arrive at school without supplies or having been adequately fed, and school clothing banks struggle to meet demand. In Albuquerque, a wonderful resource for sharing clothing or other donations is our APS Clothing Bank (http://www.aps.edu/community/clothing-bank). The APS Education Foundation supports children, teachers, and schools with arts education, science/technology/math (STEM) projects, scholarships, and support (http://www.aps.edu/education-foundation). To donate money for Lew Wallace Elementary, you can find our "donate" link on our main page. Thank you for caring about kids, teachers, and education! Anne Marie Strangio , Principal Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:3/19/15

FREE events at the NHCC Food, music, fun. Doing new things might be a fun family outing! NHCC site Attachments: Salud y Sabor 2015.pdf

Posted by: Mike Suarez Published:3/18/15 Audience: Homepage, Activities, Counseling, Library, Nursing, Our School, Parents, School Meals, Staff Directory, Tips and Tips

PTA Meeting Join us for a PTA meeting tomorrow from 5pm - 6:30pm in room 212. We will be voting on a ratification of this year's budget & discussing some more fundraising opportunities. Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Published:3/18/15 Audience: Celeste Hernandez, Homepage, Activities, Counseling, Library, Nursing, Our School, Parents, School Meals, Staff Directory, Tips and Tips

Weekly News 3/13 March 13, 2015 Dear Lew Wallace Families, You may have heard about some of the crazy fun going on. In January, our very own Ms. Sonya Romero-Smith, kindergarten teacher, was given the KOB Pay It 4Ward award for her work as a foster mom. Ms. Sonya also gave an interview to national media soon thereafter about the effects of poverty on children and learning, and a piece of that story about how she nurtures her own students went viral on social media. This week, we were contacted by the Ellen Degeneres show, and they were interested in having Ms. Sonya fly to Los Angeles for an interview with Ellen for possible inclusion on EllenTube, or maybe on her show. Ms. Sonya made the trek to California, only to find out when she got there that the Obamas were in town, and Michelle Obama would be interviewing with Ellen Degeneres. So, Ms. Sonya’s interview got bumped to next week, and we are in an exciting holding pattern waiting to see how this might all play out. She was back in school today, and will fly back to California on Tuesday for her interview. We had a fun week with local media stopping by, and we will keep you posted when we know more about if and when things will be broadcasted. We have two – TWO! – new staff members joining us this week. Mr. Marciano is our new evening custodian, and he will be getting our classrooms and halls shiny and beautiful. Joining him in the evenings will be Ms. Jacqueline, who will be halftime custodian at Coronado ES, and halftime with us here at Lew Wallace. We are beside ourselves with happiness to have both Marciano and Jacqueline joining us! Give them a warm welcome if you see them after-school. As always, be in touch if you have questions or want to chat! Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Dental services will be offered at Lew Wallace ES Friday, April 24 Wednesday, April 29, 2015. Free comprehensive exams, digital x-rays and toothbrushes are available to all students who return a "yes" permission form. Cleanings, fluoride treatments and dental sealants will also be provided. Medicaid and most dental insurance plans will pay for these procedures. Payment plans are also available. Dental permission forms will be distributed next week, and will need to be returned to the school by Friday, March 20th. We ask that all students complete a permission form with either a "yes" or a "no".

Important Dates: Tuesday, March 17, 4:00, 5th grade parent meeting and materials preview for the health and hygiene unit Thursday, March 19, PTA meeting March 23-27, 5th grade health and hygiene unit March 24-25, 4th grade science SBA state testing Tuesday, March 24, 3rd/4th Field Trip, Opera Southwest, La Boheme, National Hispanic Cultural Center Wednesday, March 25, 5:30 p.m. Literacy Slam Family Night and Title 1 School Family Engagement Policy and Compact Revision for 2015-2016 Thursday, March 26, 2nd grade field trip to the CEC Planetarium Thursday, March 26, 2:45, 2nd/3rd grade Music Performance!!! Friday, March 27, 2:45 K/1st grade Music Performance!!! March 30 - April 3 Spring Break – No school. Monday, April 6, School resumes. Thursday, April 9, 4th grade field trip to the Albuquerque Museum Saturday, April 19, Battle of the Books, Edward Gonzales Elementary School Wednesday, April 22, Earth Day Family Science Night Friday, April 24, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, April 24-29, Lew Wallace Dental Clinic Friday April 24, afternoon and evening set-up for the Lew Wallace Garage Sale Saturday, April 25, Lew Wallace Community Garage Sale Friday, May 8, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, May 8, Summer Literacy Kick-Off and Family Dance Thursday, May 14, 4th grade field trip to Popejoy for a New Mexico Philharmonic Concert Friday, May 15, Kindergarten Graduation! Tuesday, May 19, 5th grade end-of-year fun day! Friday, May 22, 5th grade graduation!

Lew Wallace Garage Sale: Saturday, April 25th. Start saving things that you can donate for our fundraiser garage sale!

Music Performances: SAVE THE DATE! The 2nd and 3rd Grade Music Performance will be Thursday, March 26th at 2:45 in the Lew Wallace Gym The Kindergarten and 1st Grade Music Performance will be Friday, March 27th at 2:45 in the Lew Wallace Gym We hope to see families there!

PTA Meeting: Our PTA will be meeting next Thursday, March 19th after school to plan end-of-year events, including the all-school garage sale fundraiser, and the Summer Literacy Kick- Off/Family Dance. Our PTA needs YOUR help to support our kids and programs!

K-3+ Summer School: K-3+ is for incoming Kindergarten/1st/2nd/3rd grade students! We will have K3+ here at Lew Wallace again this summer. This is an extension of the regular school year, and school days will look just like regular-year school days. Parks & Rec will also be here all summer for before- and after-school care. K3+ Summer School begins on June 17th, and the last day is July 23rd, with July 3rd and 6th off for the holiday. You can register at your student’s Parent/Teacher Conference, or with your child’s teacher, or in the office. If you know any incoming kindergarteners, let them know!

Mrs. Konash’s Korner: VOLLEYBALL for 3rd, 4th, and 5th grades MOTOR SKILLS for kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades Motor skills for primary grades includes throwing and catching a variety of balls and other soft objects (ie, stuffed socks, puff balls, small stuffed animals, etc.) In volleyball, 3rd graders will get an introduction to the game. 4th graders will practice the basic skills. 5th graders will play volleyball games using standard rules. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:3/13/15

Weekly News 3/6 March 6, 2015 Dear Lew Wallace Families, What craziness – having a snow day on a Parent/Teacher Conference Day!!! Thank you to all of you who have graciously rescheduled your conferences and come at funky times, and thank you to the teachers who have been squeezing make-up conferences in wherever they can. If you haven’t yet had your parent conference, please be in touch with your child’s teacher right away to get that scheduled. We have several important forms to get to you and from you, and teachers are anxious to brag about your awesome kids. Remember to sign up for our free K-3+ summer school program. This is a jump-start program for current kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students, and INCOMING kindergarteners. It runs the exact same schedule as school days during the school year, and students will have PE, art, tech, and library classes. Both breakfast and lunch are free for all participating students. Parks & Rec and RGEC will be offering before- and after-school programs. One of the important criteria of participating in the K3+ program is consistent attendance. This is not an enrichment program, but is actually full-on academic curriculum that requires daily participation. If this sounds like a good match for you family and for your child, please be sure to sign up at your child’s conference. Our new security gates are done, and the transition has been smooth. We have had no complaints, even though it requires a longer walk around, and everyone seems happy with the benefits of increased security over the minor inconvenience. We are locking them at 9:00 every morning, and we leave them locked until just before the end of the school day. Please be sure you walk your child in to the office if they arrive after 9:00 a.m. so they aren’t walking alone on 6th St. Our next steps are to have ramps installed at the front of the school so we are compliant with ADA accessibility, and so that strollers and carts can enter more easily. As always, be in touch if you have questions or want to chat! Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Saturday, March 7, Honor Choir performances - Congratulations to our honored singing 4th graders (Christopher Pilgrim, Isabella Chavez, Thanh Reu, and Dominic Garcia) and 5th graders (Ernesto Prieto, Loliana Arencon, John Sais, and Trinity Qualls)! March 9-11, finishing up 4th/5th grade PARCC state testing March 9-13, 3rd grade PARCC state testing Friday, March 13, ª2ª Principal Chat. This is an informal time to bring your questions, concerns, and hear what’s new at Lew Wallace. Come for a cup of coffee and good conversation. Tuesday, March 17, 4:00, 5th grade parent meeting and materials preview for the health and hygiene unit March 23-27, 5th grade health and hygiene unit March 24-25, 4th grade science SBA state testing Tuesday, March 24, 3rd/4th Field Trip, Opera Southwest, La Boheme, National Hispanic Cultural Center Wednesday, March 25, 5:30 p.m. Literacy Slam Family Night and Title 1 School Family Engagement Policy and Compact Revision for 2015-2016 Thursday, March 26, 2nd grade field trip to the CEC Planetarium Thursday, March 26, 2:45, 2nd/3rd grade Music Performance!!! Friday, March 27, 2:45 K/1st grade Music Performance!!! March 30 - April 3 Spring Break – No school. Monday, April 6, School resumes. Thursday, April 9, 4th grade field trip to the Albuquerque Museum Saturday, April 19, Battle of the Books, Edward Gonzales Elementary School The remaining ª2ª Principal Chats will be April 24 at 9:00 a.m., and May 8 at 9:00 a.m

Thank you parents!!! Sylvia Escarsega has been our PTA Treasurer for the past 3 years, and she has been amazing! Thank you Sylvia for all your hard work! Sylvia will be “graduating” from Lew Wallace this year, and Lissa Knudsen will be taking over. We are grateful for all her good years of service. Thank you to Ms. Lupe Arencón, our PTA president, for running a successful candle fundraiser. Thank you heaps to Aram Krikorian who has proctored for the PARCC exam every single day since we started, and to our intrepid and faithful community volunteer, Susan Courtwright. We couldn’t do it without all your help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Music Performances: SAVE THE DATE! The 2nd and 3rd Grade Music Performance will be Thursday, March 26th at 2:45 in the Lew Wallace Gym The Kindergarten and 1st Grade Music Performance will be Friday, March 27th at 2:45 in the Lew Wallace Gym We hope to see families there!

K-3+ Summer School: K-3+ is for incoming Kindergarten/1st/2nd/3rd grade students! We will have K3+ here at Lew Wallace again this summer. This is an extension of the regular school year, and school days will look just like regular-year school days. RGEC and Parks & Rec will also be here all summer for before- and after-school care. K3+ Summer School begins on June 17th, and the last day is July 23rd, with July 3rd and 6th off for the holiday. You can register at your student’s Parent/Teacher Conference, or with your child’s teacher, or in the office. If you know any incoming kindergarteners, let them know!

Mrs. Konash’s Korner: Top Ten Reason Why Kids Think PE Class is Important 10. Learn how to stay in shape. 9. Learn skills to be better at sports. 8. Learn activities that help you feel strong. 7. Learn teamwork and how to help others. 6. Learn exercises to make our hearts healthy. 5. Learn new activities that are fun to do. 4. Learn that practice plus effort equals success. 3. Learn how the body works. 2. Learn skills to enjoy physical activity forever. 1. LEARN: If you don’t take care of your body, where will you live?

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:3/6/15

UPDATE: APS Network Issues Resolved Posted by: Aaron Jaramillo, District Admin, Albuquerque Public Schools Audience: Homepage

Published:2/25/15

Weekly News 2/20 February 20, 2015 Dear Lew Wallace Families, Next week students will have Thursday and Friday, February 26th and 27th off while teachers are conducting parent/teacher conferences. If you haven’t yet signed up for a conference with your students’ teachers, please be in touch with them or the office right away. We are looking for 100% participation for conferences! We began the third and final trimester of school yesterday… time is whizzing by! At parent/teacher conferences, you’ll have a chance to sign your child up for our free K-3+ summer school program. This is a jump-start program for current kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade students, and INCOMING kindergarteners. It runs the exact same schedule as school days during the school year, and students will have PE, music, tech, and library classes. Both breakfast and lunch are free for all participating students. Parks & Rec and RGEC will be offering before- and after-school programs. One of the important criteria of participating in the K3+ program is consistent attendance. This is not an enrichment program, but is actually full-on academic curriculum that requires daily participation. If this sounds like a good match for you family and for your child, please be sure to sign up at your child’s conference. Our new security gates are almost done! The welders were putting the exit bars and the locks on the gates today, and they should be fully operational when we return to school next week. For the first week, we’ll leave them open, and talk to parents and kids as they enter to remind them of the new procedures. The following week, we plan on locking them around 9:00 every morning, and leave them locked until just before the end of the school day. Between those times, all parents and visitors will have to walk around the school and enter through the front door on 6th Street to get into the school. It will be especially important that you walk your child in to the office if they arrive after 9:00 a.m. so they aren’t walking alone on 6th St. I’m feeling a bit stressed about that part of our gates, so you can help us keep kids safe, and alleviate my heart palpitations by making sure that you accompany your child all the way to the office if they arrive after 9:00 a.m. Our plan will evolve as we live through our new gates, but I’m feeling much, much better about our ability to keep our campus secure and safe for our kids. We’ll keep you posted! 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders are entering into the first PARCC state testing window in just over a week. Many of you have expressed concern and worry about the amount of time devoted to testing, the stress of the test, and larger questions around the purpose for and use of testing data. I am super happy to talk to you about that further, in person, by phone, or by email, or you can talk to your child’s teacher at conference time. Know that our absolute number one greatest priority is the well-being of every child. As always, be in touch if you have questions or want to chat! Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Check out Ms. Woodworth’s new MUSIC WEB SITE! *Go to lewwallace.aps.edu *Click on “our school” *Click on “Music” *Follow the link!

Important Dates: Monday, February 23, K, 1st, and 2nd grade teachers at curriculum retreat Tuesday, February 24, Mr. DeLaO, Ms. Beckie, and Mr. Chavez’s class field trip to the Kimo for Beauty and the Beast Thursday and Friday, February 26 and 27, Parent/Teacher Conferences – No school for students Saturday, February 28, Honor Choir performances - Congratulations to our honored singing 4th graders (Christopher Pilgrim, Isabella Chavez, Thanh Reu, and Dominic Garcia) and 5th graders (Ernesto Prieto, Loliana Arencon, John Sais, and Trinity Qualls)! March 2-9, 4th/5th grade PARCC state testing Wednesday, March 4, Read Across America March 9-13, 3rd grade PARCC state testing Friday, March 13, ª2ª Principal Chat. This is an informal time to bring your questions, concerns, and hear what’s new at Lew Wallace. Come for a cup of coffee and good conversation. March 23-27, 5th grade health and hygiene unit March 24-25, 4th grade SBA state testing Tuesday, March 24, 3rd/4th Field Trip, Opera Southwest, La Boheme, National Hispanic Cultural Center Wednesday, March 25, 5:30 p.m. Poetry Slam Thursday, March 26, Incoming Kindergarten Open House and Information Night Thursday, March 25, 2:45, 2nd/3rd grade Music Performance!!! Friday, March 26, 2:45 K/1st grade Music Performance!!! March 30 - April 3 Spring Break – No school. Monday, April 6, School resumes. The remaining ª2ª Principal Chats will be April 24 at 9:00 a.m., and May 8 at 9:00 a.m.

APS Testing and Opt-Out Information: PARCC Online Testing for 4th and 5th graders will begin on Monday, March 2nd, and run for 6 school days, finishing on March 9th. PARCC paper and pencil testing for 3rd graders will begin on Monday, March 9th, and will run for 5 school days, ending on Friday the 13th. 4th graders will take the 3-day SBA science test March 24-26. The second round of PARCC testing begins on April 13th, and runs for about two weeks. If you have questions about New Mexico State Testing (this year’s test is called the PARCC), or other state or district assessments, or if you are interested in knowing more about your opt-out options, you can find a link on our Lew Wallace homepage (lewwallace.aps.edu) or go directly to the APS student testing information page at http://www.aps.edu/schools/testing.

Music Performances: SAVE THE DATE! The 2nd and 3rd Grade Music Performance will be Thursday, March 26th at 2:45 in the Lew Wallace Gym The Kindergarten and 1st Grade Music Performance will be Friday, March 27th at 2:45 in the Lew Wallace Gym We hope to see families there!

K-3+ Summer School: K-3+ is for incoming Kindergarten/1st/2nd/3rd grade students! We will have K3+ here at Lew Wallace again this summer. This is an extension of the regular school year, and school days will look just like regular-year school days. RGEC and Parks & Rec will also be here all summer for before- and after-school care. K3+ Summer School begins on June 17th, and the last day is July 23rd, with July 3rd and 6th off for the holiday. You can register at your student’s Parent/Teacher Conference.

Mrs. Konash’s Korner: Jump Rope & Hoops for Heart 88 wonderful students participated, and they raised $1,625 for the American Heart Association!!!!!!!! What an amazing gift for our community. Thank you students for your participation, and thank you families for your support! Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:2/20/15

Weekly News 2/13 February 13, 2015 Dear Lew Wallace Families, We have two short weeks of school coming up. Next week, there is no school on Monday and Tuesday, February 16th and 17th. The following week, students will have Thursday and Friday, February 26th and 27th off while teachers are conducting parent/teacher conferences. If you haven’t yet signed up for a conference with your students’ teachers, please be in touch with them in the next week. We are looking for 100% participation for conferences! Our 2nd trimester is ending next Wednesday, which means we are 2/3 of the way through the school year! At parent/teacher conferences, you’ll also have a chance to sign your child up for our free K-3+ summer school program. This is a jump-start program for INCOMING kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students. It runs the exact same schedule as school days during the school year, and students will have PE, music, tech, and library classes. Both breakfast and lunch are free for all participating students. Parks & Rec and RGEC will be offering before- and after-school programs. One of the important criteria of participating in the K-3+ program is consistent attendance. This is not an enrichment program, but is actually full-on academic curriculum that requires daily participation. If this sounds like a good match for you family and for your child, please be sure to sign up at your child’s conference. Our new security gates are shaping up nicely, and we expect that they will completed sometime in the next week or so. It will allow us to have greater security at our sweet little urban school. This will mean some inconvenience for parents arriving during the school day, but will mean we have much better control and knowledge over who enters and exits our school. Our current plan is to lock those gates around 9:00 every morning, and leave them locked until just before the end of the school day. Between those times, all parents and visitors will have to walk around the school and enter through the front door on 6th Street to get into the school. It will be especially important that you walk your child in to the office if they arrive after 9:00 a.m. so they aren’t walking alone on 6th St. Our plan will evolve as we live through our new gates, but I’m feeling much, much better about our ability to keep our campus secure and safe for our kids. We’ll keep you posted! As always, be in touch if you have questions or want to chat! Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates:

Monday and Tuesday, February 16 and 17, NO SCHOOL – President’s Day and Teacher Professional Development Day. The school office will be closed both days. Wednesday, February 18, End of 2nd trimester Thursday, February 19, 4th grade field trip to the Maxwell Museum Friday, February 20, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers at curriculum retreat Monday, February 23, K, 1st, and 2nd grade teachers at curriculum retreat Tuesday, February 24, 1st and 2nd grade and Mr. Chavez’s class field trip to the Kimo for Beauty and the Beast Tuesday, February 24, the BioVan is coming to visit from the Albuquerque Zoo! Thursday and Friday, February 26 and 27, Parent/Teacher Conferences – No school for students Saturday, February 28, Honor Choir performances - Congratulations to our honored singing 4th graders (Christopher Pilgrim, Isabella Chavez, Thanh Reu, and Dominic Garcia) and 5th graders (Ernesto Prieto, Loliana Arencon, John Sais, and Trinity Qualls)! March 2-9, 4th/5th grade PARCC state testing Wednesday, March 4, Read Across America March 9-13, 3rd grade PARCC state testing Friday, March 13, ª2ª Principal Chat. This is an informal time to bring your questions, concerns, and hear what’s new at Lew Wallace. Come for a cup of coffee and good conversation. March 23-27, 5th grade health and growth unit March 24-25, 4th grade SBA state testing March 24, 3rd/4th Field Trip, Opera Southwest, La Boheme, National Hispanic Cultural Center March 25, 5:30 p.m. Poetry Slam The remaining ª2ª Principal Chats will be April 24 at 9:00 a.m., and May 8 at 9:00 a.m.

Snakes in the BioVan: We are super excited to have the BioVan coming to Lew Wallace from the Albuquerque Zoo on February 24th. They’ll be bringing lots of cool animals for students to interact with, including snakes. Please let us know in advance if that will pose a problem for your child.

K-3+ Summer School: Start thinking about summer school for your incoming Kindergarten/1st/2nd/3rd grade students! We will have K3+ here at Lew Wallace again this summer. This is an extension of the regular school year, and school days will look just like regular-year school days. RGEC and Parks & Rec will also be here all summer for before- and after-school care. K3+ Summer School begins on June 17th, and the last day is July 23rd, with July 3rd and 6th off for the holiday. You can register at your student’s Parent/Teacher Conference in a couple of weeks. If you know of incoming kindergarteners, help spread the word!

Interested in Subbing?We have a shortage of short-term substitute teachers in APS, and we are looking for people who might be interested in getting a sub license. If this sounds like fun to you, be in touch with us, and we’ll get you connected!

RGEC (Rio Grande Educational Collaborative): RGEC, one of our wonderful afterschool programs, will be adding a dinner program! They currently have snack in place, but will be contracting with Swan Foods to add a balanced and nutritious dinner for kids before they head home. If you are interested in RGEC, contact them at rgec.org, or call us in the office. Scholarships are available for families demonstrating need!

Mrs. Konash’s Korner… Words of the Week Jumping Rope All grades will be introduced to jumping rope, and will practice their jump rope skills. Grades 1-5 will be jumping single, group, and doubledutch too! Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:2/13/15

Weekly News 2/6 February 6, 2015 Dear Lew Wallace Families, I am exhausted, but oh so happy! This week was the Festival de Bellas Artes. I worked with well over one thousand kids, from 20something schools, in over 30 performances!!! On Tuesday, our Lew Wallace mariachi students performed, along with mariachi students from Reginald Chavez and East San Jose Elementary schools. On Thursday, our entire 4th and 5th grades performed with our awesome music teacher, Ms. Woodworth. They sang their hearts out, and made me cry. After a full day of sharing and workshops, they presented at a sold-out evening concert, and brought the house down. My heart is full of pride for these beautiful young people! Tonight, Friday, February 6th, at 6:00 p.m. is the middle and high school concert of the Festival de Bellas Artes. It is a free performance at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, and is entertaining for all ages. These young performers will knock your socks off! We are getting new security gates here at Lew Wallace. I have been concerned about our gates since I arrived here. We have been unable to secure our gates during the school day because they locked with a padlock, and it would be unsafe to have them locked in case we ever needed to evacuate. This week the welders arrived, and they are building our gates this week, and will start installing them next week. This will mean some inconvenience for parents arriving during the school day, but will mean we have much better control and knowledge over who enters and exits our school. Our current plan is to lock those gates around 9:00 every morning, and leave them locked until just before the end of the school day. Between those times, all parents and visitors will have to walk around the school and enter through the front door on 6th Street to get into the school. It will be especially important that you walk your child in to the office if they arrive after 9:00 a.m. so they aren’t walking alone on 6th St. Our plan will evolve as we live through our new gates, but I’m feeling much, much better about our ability to keep our campus secure and safe for our kids. We’ll keep you posted! As always, be in touch if you have questions or want to chat, or join me at next Friday’s ª2ª Principal Chat at 9:00 a.m. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates:

TONIGHT, Friday, February 6, 6:00 p.m. All are invited to the National Hispanic Cultural Center for the Middle & High School performances of the Festival de Bellas Artes. Tickets are free, donations are accepted. This is a really amazing concert, and you will be floored by the talent of the APS students! Appropriate for all ages. Tuesday, February 10, 2nd grade Chinese New Year field trip Tuesday, February 10, Ms. Talley’s class field trip to Alamo Farm Open Space Wednesday, February 11, Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart, 2nd-5th grades. Thursday, February 12, Ms. Talley, Ms. Hernandez, and Ms. Kasprzak’s classes on field trip to the Kimo Theater Friday, February 13, ª2ª Principal Chat. This is an informal time to bring your questions, concerns, and hear what’s new at Lew Wallace. Come for a cup of coffee and good conversation. Friday, February 13, 1st grade Chinese New Year field trip Monday and Tuesday, February 16 and 17, President’s Day and Teacher Professional Development Day – No school Thursday, February 19, 4th grade field trip to the Maxwell Museum Tuesday, February 24, 1st and 2nd grade and Mr. Chavez’s class field trip to the Kimo for Beauty and the Beast Tuesday, February 24, the BioVan is coming to visit from the Albuquerque Zoo! Thursday and Friday, February 26 and 27, Parent/Teacher Conferences – No school for students Saturday, February 28, Honor Choir performances - Congratulations to our honored singing 4th graders (Christopher Pilgrim, Isabella Chavez, Thanh Reu, and Dominic Garcia) and 5th graders (Ernesto Prieto, Loliana Arencon, John Sais, and Trinity Qualls)! March 2-9, 4th/5th grade PARCC state testing Wednesday, March 4, Read Across America March 9-13, 3rd grade PARCC state testing Friday, March 13, ª2ª Principal Chat. This is an informal time to bring your questions, concerns, and hear what’s new at Lew Wallace. Come for a cup of coffee and good conversation. March 24-25, 4th grade SBA state testing Please note that the remaining ª2ª Principal Chats will be March 13 at 9:00 a.m., April 24 at 9:00 a.m., and May 8 at 9:00 a.m. This is a change in schedule.

Interested in Subbing? We have a shortage of short-term substitute teachers in APS, and we are looking for people who might be interested in getting a sub license. If this sounds like fun to you, be in touch with us, and we’ll get you connected!

K-3+ Summer School: Start thinking about summer school for your incoming Kindergarten/1st/2nd/3rd grade students! We will have K3+ here at Lew Wallace again this summer. This is an extension of the regular school year, and school days will look just like regular-year school days. RGEC and Parks & Rec will also be here all summer for before- and after-school care. K3+ Summer School begins on June 17th, and the last day is July 23rd, with July 3rd and 6th off for the holiday. You can register at your student’s Parent/Teacher Conference in a couple of weeks. If you know of incoming kindergarteners, help spread the word!

RGEC (Rio Grande Educational Collaborative): RGEC, one of our wonderful afterschool programs, will be adding a dinner program! They currently have snack in place, but will be contracting with Swan Foods to add a balanced and nutritious dinner for kids before they head home. If you are interested in RGEC, contact them at rgec.org, or call us in the office. Scholarships are available for families demonstrating need!

Mrs. Konash’s Korner… Words of the Week: Cup Stacking: Relay Races and One-On-One Team Competition During PE class, students will have relay races that require running, stopping, and doing a specific cup stack formation. Each class will also see a short video and get ready for the Jump Rope and Hoops for Heart events coming up on February 11th! Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:2/6/15

Weekly News 1/30

January 30, 2015

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

You may have heard last Friday about our exciting news. Our very own Ms. Sonya Romero-Smith in kindergarten received a KOB Pay-It-Forward Award! She was nominated by a case-worker at CYFD for her work as a foster mom. A KOB camera crew and Tom Joles came to the school last Friday. They hid upstairs at the top of the main stairway. We snuck all the Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students up stairs, and they sat in the hall (4th/5th graders were at lunch). All 200+ of us got very, very quiet, and then I brought Ms. Sonya upstairs, and we hooted and hollered and yelled congratulations while the news crew filmed Ms. Sonya’s shock. It was a lot of fun, and we were pretty delighted with ourselves for pulling off such a great surprise. We’ve heard that the story is supposed to air during the KOB news time on Superbowl Sunday. You will also probably be able to see it at kob.com if you miss it on TV. Congratulations to Ms. Sonya!!!

Ms. Cheryl Wheeler, our other kindergarten teacher, is embarking on an exciting new adventure! She is pursuing her administrative license in UNM’s Educational Leadership program. She is still teaching in her classroom while also doing her first principal internship at Lew Wallace. You may see her in the office a bit more this semester. In the fall, she will leave us to go to another school to do a full-time internship until December. We are so proud of her, and are excited to see where this new path takes her next year!

Ms. Ali Nava, a beloved long-time 1st grade teacher, has been on maternity leave with her sweet baby this year. She had planned to return in March, but has decided to extend her leave for now. We are thrilled for her that she will get more baby-time, but we miss her heaps. Lucky for us, the wonderful Ms. Aregmi Aguilar is delighted to get to finish out the school year with her dear class, and we are beyond happy to have her.

I will be off-campus most of next week running the Festival de Bellas Artes at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. I encourage you all to come to the middle- and high-school performance next Friday (2/6) at 6:00 p.m. Tickets are free, and these young performers will knock your socks off. You will be amazed with the talent of our older APS students! You’ll enjoy watching La Bruja danced by folklorico dancers, you’ll enjoy belly dancing, rondallo guitar, and ensemble pieces, you’ll hear La Negra performed by mariachis, and have a wonderful cultural experience. I hope to see you there!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio

Late breaking update… We did have a faulty fire alarm go off at the school around 7:50 this morning. Parks & Rec and RGEC quickly evacuated, and the fire department and APS police came to inspect the school before we let kids back in. Kids were outside in the cold for many minutes, but they huddled with their adults, and everyone stayed safe. I was so proud of everybody! We started breakfast a little late, but did not mark anyone tardy today. Important Dates:

Tuesday, February 3, Mariachi Students to the Festival de Bellas Artes at the National Hispanic Cultural Center during the school day. Thursday, February 5, 4th and 5th graders to the Festival de Bellas Artes at the NHCC. Evening performance at 5:00 p.m., and students are picked up from the NHCC by parents after the concert. Friday, February 6, 4th grade field trip to the National Museum Of Nuclear Science & History Friday, February 6, 3rd grade field trip to the Albuquerque Museum Friday, February 6, 6:00 p.m. All are invited to the National Hispanic Cultural Center for the Middle & High School performances of the Festival de Bellas Artes. Tickets are free, donations are accepted. This is a really amazing concert, and you will be floored by the talent of the APS students! Appropriate for all ages. Tuesday, February 10, 2nd grade Chinese New Year field trip Tuesday, February 10, Ms. Talley’s class field trip to Alamo Farm Open Space Wednesday, February 11, Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart, 2nd-5th grades. Friday, February 13, ª2ª Principal Chat. This is an informal time to bring your questions, concerns, and hear what’s new at Lew Wallace. Come for a cup of coffee and good conversation. Friday, February 13, 1st grade Chinese New Year field trip Monday and Tuesday, February 16 and 17, President’s Day and Teacher Professional Development Day – No School Thursday, February 19, 4th grade field trip to the Maxwell Museum Tuesday, February 24, 1st and 2nd grade and Mr. Chavez’s class field trip to the Kimo for Beauty and the Beast Tuesday, February 24, the BioVan is coming to visit from the Albuquerque Zoo! Thursday and Friday, February 26 and 27, Parent/Teacher Conferences – No school for students. Wednesday, March 4, Read Across America Please note that the remaining ª2ª Principal Chats will be March 13 at 9:00 a.m., April 24 at 9:00 a.m., and May 8 at 9:00 a.m. This is a change in schedule.

Thank you to Plants of the Southwest!: Plants of the Southwest donated supplies to our Lew Wallace 4-H Club. They donated seeds for our container gardening project in the spring and have been really supportive of our students’ work in 4-H. We are grateful!

K-3+ Summer School: Start thinking about summer school for your incoming Kindergarten/1st/2nd/3rd grade students! We will have K3+ here at Lew Wallace again this summer. This is an extension of the regular school year, and school days will look just like regular-year school days. RGEC and Parks & Rec will also be here all summer for before- and after-school care. K3+ Summer School begins on June 17th, and the last day is July 23rd, with July 3rd and 6th off for the holiday. You can register at your student’s Parent/Teacher Conference in a couple of weeks. If you know of incoming kindergarteners, help spread the word!

APS Testing and Opt-Out Information: If you have questions about New Mexico State Testing (this year’s test is called the PARCC), or other state or district assessments, or if you are interested in knowing more about your opt-out options, you can find a link on our Lew Wallace homepage (lewwallace.aps.edu) or go directly to the APS student testing information page at http://www.aps.edu/schools/testing.

Mrs. Konash’s Korner… Words of the Week: Cup Stacking: Cycle The cycle is the top performance of all the learned sequences in cup stacking. The sequence starts with a 3-6-3 cup arrangement, then moves to a 6-6, and next moves to a 1-10-1, and comes back around to a 3-6-3. (Ask your students what this means!) This movement of the cups is called the cycle. The top time to complete this cycle in competitive competition is 7.9 seconds. In a Lew Wallace PE class, it’s probably more around 10 seconds. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:1/30/15

Weekly News 1/23

January 23, 2015

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

You’ve probably heard lots about all the new testing this year in schools. I thought I’d use this week’s newsletter to give you the scoop.

APS, through the New Mexico Public Education Department, moved to a primary reading assessment this year called DIBELS, for kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade. You’ve probably talked to your child’s teacher at conference time about the results. The DIBELS assessment is given to all primary children three times a year, and measures progress on specific reading skills. If students score below proficient, they receive extra instructional support and are re-assessed every 2- to 4weeks. The assessment is quick, and is given to students one at a time on the teacher’s iPad.

Our new math curriculum, Stepping Stones, also has assessments written in, including quick checks to see how students are progressing, with re-teaching opportunities, and larger performance tasks that look at student’s overall understanding, given a couple times per year.

The big buzz this year is the PARCC test, for all 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. This is the new state test (replacing the SBA), and has two windows for testing: Performance Based Assessments beginning March 2nd, and End of Year Assessments beginning April 13th.

4th and 5th graders will test entirely by computer beginning the week of March 2nd, and will take about a week and a half to get through all tests for all classes. There are three language arts sections and two math sections to the test. 3rd graders will take their tests the old-fashioned way, with paper and pencil, and they will begin March 9th, and test for a week. 4th graders will also take a paper and pencil science test comprised of three sections, beginning March 24th.

The second round of PARCC testing begins April 13th, and the schedule will look similar to the March testing.

The results of this test make up 90% of our overall school grade, as set by the New Mexico Public Education Department.

Our teachers are giving students practice opportunities that they need to get ready for this test, but are far more focused on continuing with strong teaching and learning. Despite the high-stakes of the test results, we believe that our moral imperative is to educating children more than testing them, so we will stay the course on filling our days with rich learning, growing strong brains, and developing well-rounded students.

Be in touch if you have further questions about testing, or our school grade, or opting-out.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Saturday, January 24, APS district-wide spelling bee. Good luck Lucia and Alena!!! Tuesday, January 27, STAR Student Lunch Friday, January 30, SuperBowl Luncheon – wear your favorite jersey to school! Parents invited to join us – K/1st at 11:30, 2nd/3rd at 12:00, and 4th/5th at 12:30. Tuesday, February 3, Mariachi Students to the Festival de Bellas Artes at the National Hispanic Cultural Center during the school day. Thursday, February 5, 4th and 5th graders to the Festival de Bellas Artes at the NHCC. Evening performance at 5:00 p.m., and students are picked up from the NHCC by parents after the concert. Friday, February 6, 4th grade field trip to the National Museum Of Nuclear Science & History Friday, February 6, 3rd grade field trip to the Albuquerque Museum Friday, February 6, 6:00 p.m. All are invited to the National Hispanic Cultural Center for the Middle & High School performances of the Festival de Bellas Artes. Tickets are free, donations are accepted. This is a really amazing concert, and you will be floored by the talent of the APS students! Appropriate for all ages. Tuesday, February 10, 2nd grade Chinese New Year field trip Wednesday, February 11, Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart, 2nd-5th grades. Friday, February 13, ª2ª Principal Chat. This is an informal time to bring your questions, concerns, and hear what’s new at Lew Wallace. Come for a cup of coffee and good conversation. Friday, February 13, 1st grade Chinese New Year field trip Monday and Tuesday, February 16 and 17, President’s Day and Teacher Professional Development Day – No School Thursday, February 19, 4th grade field trip to the Maxwell Museum Tuesday, February 24, 1st and 2nd grade and Mr. Chavez’s class field trip to the Kimo for Beauty and the Beast Thursday and Friday, February 26 and 27, Parent/Teacher Conferences – No school for students. Please note that the remaining ª2ª Principal Chats will be March 13 at 9:00 a.m., April 24 at 9:00 a.m., and May 8 at 9:00 a.m. This is a change in schedule. Classroom Volunteers and Field Trip Chaperones: Please remember that anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for any field trip must be cleared with a background check through APS. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge. If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know, and we can help you. K3+ : Start thinking about summer school for your incoming Kindergarten/1st/2nd/3rd grade students! We will have K3+ here at Lew Wallace again this summer. This is an extension of the regular school year, and school days will look just like regular-year school days. Parks and Rec will also be here all summer for before- and after-school care. K3+ Summer School begins on June 17th, and the last day is July 23rd, with July 3rd and 6th off for the Independence Day holiday. APS Testing and Opt-Out Information: If you have questions about New Mexico State Testing (this year’s test is called the PARCC), or other state or district assessments, or if you are interested in knowing more about your opt-out options, you can find a link on our Lew Wallace homepage (lewwallace.aps.edu) or go directly to the APS student testing information page at http://www.aps.edu/schools/testing. Mrs. Konash’s Korner… Words of the Week: Cup Stacking Cup stacking will be introduced to all grades. Each grade level is at a specific step in the cup cycle sequence. Cup stacking is a fun sport where the students stack and unstack 12 specially designed plastic cups in a set sequence. Cup stacking exercises your brain, and also develops hand-eye coordination, quickness, and concentration. Keep moving! Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:1/23/15

Weekly News 1/16

January 16, 2015

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

Our PTA needs your support! This group of amazing parents has their fingers in so many facets of life here at Lew Wallace. They spend a crazy amount of time raising money, and that money pays for the buses and expenses for many of our field trips. They help teachers pay for supplies that are out of the “norm,” and cover some of our special projects. They host our Fall Festival, our Winter Make ‘n’ Take, and the Family Literacy event right at the end of school. They support our graduations, they bring food, they decorate like mad, they support our teachers with goodies and love and appreciation, and they help us with keeping kids safe during drop-off and pick-up times. Our community is so much stronger because of their support of all our kids.

They are having a membership drive beginning Tuesday, January 20th, and they need more parents to join the PTA. Membership does not require you to attend every meeting, or be involved in every event, but rather means that you are willing to support them in some way in supporting our kids. Please consider reading the attached flyer and joining our Lew Wallace PTA!

Friday, January 30th, Mr. Mike in the cafeteria will host his annual SuperBowl luncheon. You are welcome to come and join your child for a delicious lunch of sloppy joes. We will wear our team jerseys, and root for our team. K/1st grade students eat at 11:30, 2nd/3rd grade students eat at 12:00, and 4th/5th grade students eat at 12:30. The cost is $3.25 for adults, and $3.00 for siblings to eat.

Enjoy your 3-day-weekend, and we’ll see your kids back here on Tuesday!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected] Important Dates: Monday, January 19, Martin Luther King day – No school Tuesday, January 20, 5:15 p.m., PTA Meeting (see more on back) Wednesday, January 21, 5:30 p.m. Family Math Night Saturday, January 24, APS district-wide spelling bee. We are sending two amazing students, Lucia and Alena!!! Tuesday, January 27, STAR Student Lunch Friday, January 30, SuperBowl Luncheon – wear your favorite jersey to school! (see more on back) Thursday, February 5, 4th and 5th graders perform at the National Hispanic Cultural Center for the Festival de Bellas Artes. Performance time to be announceed Friday, February 6, 4th grade field trip to the National Museum Of Nuclear Science & History Friday, February 6, 3rd grade field trip to the Albuquerque Museum Tuesday, February 10, 2nd grade Chinese New Year field trip Friday, February 13, ª2ª Principal Chat. This is an informal time to bring your questions, concerns, and hear what’s new at Lew Wallace. Come for a cup of coffee and good conversation. Friday, February 13, 1st grade Chinese New Year field trip Monday and Tuesday, February 16 and 17, President’s Day and Teacher Professional Development Day – No School Thursday, February 19, 4th grade field trip to the Maxwell Museum Tuesday, February 24, 1st and 2nd grade and Mr. Chavez’s class field trip to the Kimo for Beauty and the Beast Wednesday, February 25 Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart Thursday and Friday, February 26 and 27, Parent/Teacher Conferences – No school for students. Please note that the remaining ª2ª Principal Chats will be February 13 at 9:00 a.m., March 13 at 9:00 a.m., April 24 at 9:00 a.m., and May 8 at 9:00 a.m. This is a change in schedule.

Donations Needed: Our nurse’s office needs new or gently-used sweat bottoms at all small sizes, especially 6, 8, and 10. Please send any donations to the office. Thank you!

Classroom Volunteers and Field Trip Chaperones: Please remember that anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips must be cleared with a background check through APS. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge. If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know, and we can help you.

APS Testing and Opt-Out Information: If you have questions about New Mexico State Testing (this year’s test is called the PARCC), or other state or district assessments, or if you are interested in knowing more about your opt-out options, you can find a link on our Lew Wallace homepage (lewwallace.aps.edu) or go directly to the APS student testing information page at http://www.aps.edu/schools/testing.

RGEC: The Rio Grande Educational Collaborative provides a structured environment, along with fun activities. Financial assistance is available. Hours are 6:45-8:45 a.m., 3:30-6:00 p.m., and 12:30-6:00 on Wednesdays. And as always, RGEC provides homework help! They are located in the library. Contact Debbie at 459-2394.

Mrs. Konash’s Korner… Words of the Week Jump Rope for Heart and Hoops for Heart These fun and healthy events will be on Wednesday, February 11th. Ms. Konash will have information in the upcoming days. Jump Rope for Heart is for students in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade. Hoops for Heart is for 4th and 5th grade students. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:1/16/15

Update: 2-Hour Delay for All APS Schools, School Closed for East Mountain Schools and To'hajiilee Students - Wed., Jan. 14, 2015 2-Hour delay for ALL APS schools on Wednesday, January 14. Classes canceled for East Mountain Schools and To'hajiilee students. This cancellation includes: A. Montoya Elementary School San Antonito Elementary School Roosevelt Middle School Manzano High School students who live in the East Mountains To'hajiilee students Note: Because Manzano High School serves students who live in the East Mountains and students that live in Albuquerque, an "East Mountain Schools" cancellation may not affect all Manzano High School students. Find out more about School Delays and Cancellations >> Posted by: Aaron Jaramillo, District Admin, Albuquerque Public Schools Audience: Homepage

Published:1/14/15

All School Phones Experiencing Intermittent Service APS IT is working on the problem. Posted by: Aaron Jaramillo, District Admin, Published:1/13/15 Albuquerque Public Schools Audience: Acoma Emergency News, Adobe Acres Emergency News, Alameda Emergency News, Alamosa Emergency News, Albuquerque High Emergency News, Alvarado Emergency News, Apache Emergency News, Armijo Emergency News, Arroyo Del Oso Emergency News, Artrisco Heritage Emergency News, Atrisco Emergency News, Bandelier Emergency News, Barcelona Emergency News, Bel-Air Emergency News, Bellehaven Emergency News, Carlos Rey Emergency News, CEC & ECA Emergency News, Chamiza Emergency News, Chaparral Emergency News, Chelwood Emergency News, Cibola Emergency News, Cleveland Emergency News, Cochiti Emergency News, College & Career High Emergency News, Collet Park Emergency News, Comanche Emergency News, Coronado Emergency News, Corrales Emergency News, Del Norte Emergency News, Dennis Chavez Emergency News, Desert Ridge Emergency News, Desert Willow Emergency News, Dolores Gonzales Emergency News, Double Eagle Emergency News, Duranes Emergency News, East San Jose Emergency News, eCADEMY Emergency News, Edmund G. Ross Emergency News, Edward Gonzales Emergency News, Eisenhower Emergency News, Eldorado Emergency News, Emerson Emergency News, Ernie Pyle Emergency News, Eubank Emergency News, Eugene Field Emergency News, Freedom Emergency News, Garfield Emergency News, Georgia O'Keeffe Emergency News, Governor Bent Emergency News, Grant Emergency News, Griegos Emergency News, Harrison Emergency News, Hawthorne Emergency News, Hayes Emergency News, Helen Cordero Emergency Group, Highland Emergency News, Hodgin Emergency News, Hoover Emergency News, Hubert Humphrey Emergency News, Inez Elementary Emergency News, Jackson Emergency News, James Monroe Emergency News, Jefferson Emergency News, Jimmy Carter Emergency Group, John Adams Emergency News, John Baker Emergency News, Juvenile Detention Center Emergency News, Kennedy Emergency News, Kirtland Emergency News, Kit Carson Emergency News, La Cueva Emergency News, La Luz Emergency News, La Mesa Emergency News, Lavaland Emergency News, Lew Wallace Emergency News, Longfellow Emergency News, Los Padillas Emergency News, Los Ranchos Emergency News, Lowell Emergency News, Lyndon B. Johnson Middle School Emergency News, M.A. Binford Emergency Group, MacArthur Emergency News, Madison Emergency News, Manzano Mesa Emergency News, Marie Hughes Emergency News, Mark Twain Emergency News, Matheson Park Emergency News, McCollum Emergency News, McKinley Emergency News, Mission Avenue Emergency News, Mitchell Emergency News, Monte Vista Emergency News, Montezuma Emergency News, Mountain View Emergency News, Navajo Emergency News, New Futures Emergency News, nex-Gen Emergency News, North Star Emergency News, Onate Emergency News, Osuna Emergency News, Painted Sky Emergency News, Pajarito Emergency News, Petroglyph Emergency Group, Polk Emergency News, Reginald Chavez Emergency News, Rio Grande Emergency News, Rudolfo Anaya Emergency News, S. Y. Jackson Emergency News, S.R. Marmon Emergency News, Sandia Base Emergency News, Sandia Emergency News, School on Wheels Emergency News, Sierra Vista Emergency News, Sombra Del Monte Emergency News, Sunset View Emergency News, Taft Emergency News, Taylor Emergency Group, TESTING Emergency News, Tierra Antigua Emergency News, Tomasita Emergency News, Tony Hillerman Emergency News, Transition Services Emergency News, Truman Emergency News, Valle Vista Emergency News, Valley Emergency News, Van Buren Emergency News, Ventana Ranch Emergency News, Volcano Vista Emergency News, Washington Emergency News, West Mesa Emergency News, Wherry Emergency News, Whittier Emergency News, Wilson Emergency News, Zia Emergency News, Zuni Emergency News and Homepage

Weekly News 1/9 January 9, 2015 Dear Lew Wallace Families, As you may know, the APS Board of Education has started its search process for a new superintendent. One of the most critical steps in the process is input from staff, families, and community members. APS has scheduled several community meetings to provide you specific opportunities to join a discussion about the most important qualities the APS Board of Education should consider when hiring a new superintendent. Those meetings are: Monday, Jan. 12, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. in the performing arts center at Highland High, 4700 Coal Ave SE Tuesday, Jan. 13, from 11:30 a.m. –12:30 p.m. at the Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, 6400 Uptown Blvd NE Tuesday Jan. 1, from 6:00 – 7:30 p.m. in the performing arts center at West Mesa High, 6701 Fortuna Road NW Further, they are looking for families to take a short survey that is located on the APS website at www.aps.edu, at the Superintendent Search link. If you don’t have computer access at home, please feel free to come by the school any time and we’ll get you set up. In news closer to home, our own Ms. Evette Barreras, 2nd grade teacher, has opted to spend the remainder of the school year staying home with her sweet, new baby. We will miss her immensely, but we’re happy that she is able to take this time. The utterly fabulous Ms. Beckie will continue teaching her class for the remainder of the school year, and we are thrilled for that. We send Ms. B lots of love, and look forward to having her return in the next school year. Happy New Year to you all! Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio [email protected] Important Dates: Monday, January 12, ACCESS testing begins. This is a short, small group pull-out assessment for children who speak more than one language, or whose families speak more than one language. Tuesday, January 13, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers out for professional development Thursday, January 15, kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade teachers out for professional development Friday, January 16, Mid-term progress reports come home Monday, January 19, Martin Luther King day – No school Wednesday, January 21, 5:30 p.m. Family Math Night Saturday, January 24, APS district-wide spelling bee. We are sending two amazing students! Thursday, February 5, 4th and 5th graders perform at the National Hispanic Cultural Center for the Festival de Bellas Artes. Time TBA, but the public performance is usually around 5:00. Friday, February 6, 4th grade field trip to the National Museum Of Nuclear Science & History Friday, February 6, 3rd grade field trip to the Albuquerque Museum Please note that our February and March ª2ª Principal Chats will be rescheduled to the second Fridays of those months. February 13 at 9:00 a.m. and March 13 at 9:00 a.m.

Donations Needed: Our nurse’s office needs new or gently-used sweat bottoms at all small sizes, especially 6, 8, and 10. Please send any donations to the office. Thank you!

Classroom Volunteers and Field Trip Chaperones: Please remember that anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips must be cleared with a background check through APS. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge. If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know, and we can help you.

RGEC: The Rio Grande Educational Collaborative provides a structured environment, along with fun activities. Financial assistance is available. Hours are 6:45-8:45 a.m., 3:30-6:00 p.m., and 12:30-6:00 on Wednesdays. And as always, RGEC provides homework help! They are located in the library. Contact Debbie at 459-2394.

APS Testing and Opt-Out Information: If you have questions about New Mexico State Testing (this year’s test is called the PARCC), or other state or district assessments, or if you are interested in knowing more about your opt-out options, you can find a link on our Lew Wallace homepage (lewwallace.aps.edu) or go directly to the APS student testing information page at http://www.aps.edu/schools/testing.

APS Transfers: Some students come to Lew Wallace through a process called Transfer. This means that Lew Wallace is not their neighborhood school, but they have applied to attend here. If you have or know of an incoming kindergartener for the 2015-2016 school year, you need to know that the transfer window is opening a full month earlier than usual – on January 1st, 2015. Those who apply between January 1st and January 31st will be included in the first random drawing for schools. This transfer process also impacts middle school transfers. This drawing will be before the end of the school year. You can find forms and more information at http://www.aps.edu/schools/transfers

Mrs. Konash’s Korner… Words of the Week

PE BENEFITS

Higher grades. Being active at school may tie to better grades and better results on standardized tests. Physical activity may help concentration and behavior and improve academic achievement. Better sleep. Getting enough sleep is really important for kids, And being more active during the day is a great way to help kids sleep better at night. Lifelong fitness habits. PE helps kids experience the joys of being active. If we can expose kids to different activities when they're young, it's more likely they'll stay physically active as adults. Better self-esteem. Being involved in physical activity makes kids feel good and can help improve their confidence and self-esteem. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:1/9/15

Weekly News 12/19 Dear Lew Wallace Families, What a beautiful week it’s been at school. Kids have been buzzing with excitement, and a little tiny bit of snowfall was the icing on the cake. One of the amazing projects kids have been doing is writing cards to soldiers stationed overseas who aren’t with their families for the holidays. I even saw one class making snowflakes to send along with their cards. We’ve teamed up with the Blue Star Mothers, who will be paying to ship our cards. Thank you to Mrs. Hernandez for organizing this project! Ms. Cheryl Inskeep, our long-time librarian, asked me to thank our LWES community for an amazing book fair. We raised lots of money for our library, and Ms. Inskeep pronounced it the most successful book fair in years. Thank you for doing so much of your shopping at school! And I want to thank our awesome PTA and staff for such a great Family Make ‘n’ Take event at school last week. Many parents reported to me that it was their favorite gathering ever. A LOT of hard work went into that event, and I’m so grateful for our tireless PTA volunteers. And lastly, let me thank our intrepid judges for their work at our Spelling Bee this week. Shane Youtz (LWES dad), Alice Maechtlen (retired APS administrator), and Catherine Archuleta (an APS diagnostician) were great judges, and ran a clean, professional spelling bee. The Spelling Bee was like an epic novel… full of drama, tension, stress, and a glorious ending. Our kids can SPELL! Congratulations to Lucia Youtz (1st place) and Aleena Martinez (2nd place). These fabulous spellers will be going on to the district Spelling Bee on January 24th. Angeles Miranda took 3rd place, and will be the alternate for the district Spelling Bee. I’m so proud of all three of these girls, and ALL the brave kids who participated. It’s hard enough to spell right, but way harder when everyone’s staring at you and holding their breath. Bravo brave spellers! Enjoy these weeks off with your families and friends, and come back to us safely on January 5th. Sending you all lots of principal-y love! Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio [email protected] Important Dates: December 22 through January 4, Winter Break – No School!!! Monday, January 5, First day back at school Thurday, January 8, 5th grade parent meeting about Middle School Transition Thursday, January 9th, trimester mid-term Friday, January 9, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Tuesday, January 13, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers out for professional development Thursday, January 15, kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade teachers out for professional development Friday, January 16, Mid-term progress reports come home Monday, January 19, Martin Luther King day – No school Wednesday, January 21, 5:30 p.m. Family Math Night

Donations Needed: Our nurse’s office needs new or gently-used sweat bottoms at all small sizes, especially 6, 8, and 10. Please send any donations to the office. Thank you!

Classroom Volunteers and Field Trip Chaperones: Please remember that anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips must be cleared with a background check through APS. We cannot allow anybody without this clearance to accompany field trips or volunteer in classrooms. The clearance is good for two years. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge. It can take about a week for your clearance to come through, so don’t wait until the last minute before a field trip! If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know, and we can help you.

RGEC: The Rio Grande Educational Collaborative provides a structured environment, along with fun activities. Financial assistance is available. Hours are 6:45-8:45 a.m., 3:30-6:00 p.m., and 12:30-6:00 on Wednesdays. And as always, RGEC provides homework help! They are located in the library. Contact Debbie at 459-2394.

APS Testing and Opt-Out Information: If you have questions about New Mexico State Testing (this year’s test is called the PARCC), or other state or district assessments, or if you are interested in knowing more about your opt-out options, you can find a link on our Lew Wallace homepage (lewwallace.aps.edu) or go directly to the APS student testing information page at http://www.aps.edu/schools/testing.

APS Transfers: Some students come to Lew Wallace through a process called Transfer. This means that Lew Wallace is not their neighborhood school, but they have applied to attend here. If you have or know of an incoming kindergartener for the 2015-2016 school year, you need to know that the transfer window is opening a full month earlier than usual – on January 1st, 2015. Those who apply between January 1st and January 31st will be included in the first random drawing for schools. This transfer process also impacts you if you are applying for a transfer to a middle school other than your neighborhood school, or any other APS elementary school. This drawing will be before the end of the school year. You can find forms and more information at http://www.aps.edu/schools/transfers

UNM Continuing Education Youth Programs: Spring Program Registration opened on December 1st. Register by calling 505-2770077 or online at ce.unm.edu/youth. These are awesome programs for kids that include classes in arts, science, math, fitness, Legos, puppetry, and all kinds of cool stuff!

Mrs. Konash’s Korner… Words of the Week WINTER BREAK ACTIVITIES Each break students have PE homework. During the up coming winter break, students are encouraged to do physical activity for 20 minutes a day during their time away from school. Example of fun activities are walking with parents or pet, playing at the park, and riding a bike or skateboard, any type of physical activity! Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:12/19/14

Weekly News 12/12 December 12, 2014 Dear Lew Wallace Families, Today was an awesome day! The Albuquerque Bio Park, along with Ms. Ula have adopted Lew Wallace for SEVENTEEN years!!! They come every year, a whole massive group of elves, Santa and Mrs. Claus, and presents for every child in the school. They also bring jackets for students who don’t have them, and they donated tables for our school. Ms. Ula is 85-years-old, and says this is one of the best things she does – she looks forward to coming and treating our school every year. We are lucky for our amazing community partnerships, and grateful for the Bio Park and Ms. Ula. As we start planning and looking forward to the new year, our staff is reflecting on the results of our PED Instructional Audit. Our focus is on data-driven and differentiated instruction. The term data-driven instruction refers to a teacher’s use of the results from various student assessments to plan instruction. In our case, it means looking at DIBELS results (K-3rd grade reading assessment), running records (for reading comprehension and reading fluency), and Stepping Stones math assessments. After analyzing the results, and finding out what students still struggle with, teachers can create groups, and customtailor what students still need to work on, and how they can do that in various ways. This is called differentiated instruction. The basic idea is that the lesson objectives remain the same for every student, but teachers may use different instructional methods to help students meet those expectations. Differentiation is very time-consuming for teachers to plan, but yields strong results for students. Fortunately, we have rock-star teachers that devote many hours to planning above-andbeyond the curriculum and standards for our students already, and they are seeing great results for kids from their concentrated efforts this year. Give your child’s teacher an extra high-5, or be sure and thank them when you notice all the extra time and effort they put in for our kids. We are lucky to have so many dedicated professionals who give so much. As always, if you ever have questions, or are interested in getting involved with volunteering at school, please be in touch any time. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio [email protected] Important Dates: Tuesday, December 16, Upper grade Spelling Bee Thursday December 18, 1st gr, 2nd gr, and Mr. Chavez’ class to the Nutcracker Friday, December 19, Mr. DeLaO’s Reading Fair Friday, December 19, RGEC after-school program winter presentation, 6:00 p.m. Friday, December 19, Last day of school for 2014 December 22 through January 4, Winter Break – No School!!! Monday, January 5, First day back at school Thurday, January 8, 5th grade parent meeting about Middle School Transition Thursday, January 9th, trimester mid-term Friday, January 9, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Tuesday, January 13, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers out for professional development Thursday, January 15, kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade teachers out for professional development Friday, January 16, Mid-term progress reports come home Monday, January 19, Martin Luther King day – No school Wednesday, January 21, 5:30 p.m. Family Math Night

Classroom Volunteers and Field Trip Chaperones: Please remember that anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips must be cleared with a background check through APS. We cannot allow anybody without this clearance to accompany field trips or volunteer in classrooms. The clearance is good for two years. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge. It can take about a week for your clearance to come through, so don’t wait until the last minute before a field trip! If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know, and we can help you.

Donations Needed: Our nurse’s office needs new or gently-used sweat bottoms at all small sizes, especially 6, 8, and 10. Please send any donations to the office. Thank you!

UNM Continuing Education Youth Programs: Spring Program Registration opened on December 1st. Register by calling 505-2770077 or online at ce.unm.edu/youth. These are awesome programs for kids that include classes in arts, science, math, fitness, Legos, puppetry, and all kinds of cool stuff!

RGEC: RGEC (Rio Grande Educational Collaborative) is one of our before- and after-school programs. It includes arts & crafts, nutrition, drama and literacy, science, and student-led community meetings. They also offer homework help! It is lots of fun fun fun, and is located in the library. For more information, contact the LWES RGEC leader, Debbie, at 459-2394.

APS Testing and Opt-Out Information: If you have questions about New Mexico State Testing (this year’s test is called the PARCC), or other state or district assessments, or if you are interested in knowing more about your opt-out options, you can find a link on our Lew Wallace homepage (lewwallace.aps.edu) or go directly to the APS student testing information page at http://www.aps.edu/schools/testing.

APS Transfers: Some students come to Lew Wallace through a process called Transfer. This means that Lew Wallace is not their neighborhood school, but they have applied to attend here because we’re so awesome. For the current school year, we were only able to open a few transfer spots in kindergarten, and none at any other grade level. We anticipate the same for next year. If you have or know of an incoming kindergartener for the 2015-2016 school year, you need to know that the transfer window is opening a full month earlier than usual – on January 1st, 2015. Those who apply between January 1st and January 31st will be included in the first random drawing for schools. This transfer process also impacts you if you are applying for a transfer to a middle school other than your neighborhood school, or any other APS elementary school. This drawing will be before the end of the school year. You can find forms and more information at http://www.aps.edu/schools/transfers

Mrs. Konash’s Korner… Words of the Week JOGGING IN PLACE Jogging in place has been the exercise of the month. The students must jog, or march in place while waiting their turn during any activity. The student jogging or march in place helps with conditioning their leg muscles and is activating while waiting in line. This exercise helps students to be more active for a longer period of time. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:12/12/14

Weekly News 12/5 December 5, 2014 Dear Lew Wallace Families, Our newsletter is so full this week that it spilled over onto my family letter page! This is a great sign of our vibrant school community. There are so many wonderful things going on! The Make ‘n’ Take Family Literacy Night is always a terrific time for families, and I’m looking forward to it. I have been assigned to lead festive sing-along-songs from the piano, so be sure to come lend your voices and your cheery spirits. Singing in-tune is not required. J In the last newsletter, I shared with you the results of our parent engagement survey. One of the questions was about barriers for parents who aren’t able to volunteer. Nearly 80% said that their work schedule makes it too hard. I get that. Even though my life is education, and I am immersed in school, I confess to being a terrible volunteer at my own children’s schools because of my work schedule. However, if you want to volunteer in a less demanding way, we can help you! There are lots of projects that can be sent home for the weekend (like cutting or stapling), or phone calls that can be made in the evenings, or even occasionally offering to staff a booth or activity on a Family Engagement night at school. (Did I mention that we still need volunteers for the Make ‘n’ Take on Wednesday night?!?) 10% of parents who returned the survey said that they had never volunteered because they had never been asked. Oh my goodness! Okay – here I go – this is your official invitation – Would you please volunteer at our school??? Our parent volunteers make SUCH a huge difference! We always need help with concrete things such as cutting, stapling, copying, and facilities things like raking leaves, spiffing up the campus, fixing small boo-boos, and reading with kids and chaperoning on field trips, and helping with family events, and sharing your talents, and helping with the book fair, and playground supervision, and before/after-school pick-up duties, and on and on and on. If you have a desire to volunteer, we have a place for you! As a result of our PED Instructional Audit, our school decided to focus on data-driven and differentiated instruction. I’ll tell you more about what that means and what it looks like in next week’s newsletter. As always, if you ever have questions, or are interested in getting involved, please be in touch any time. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio [email protected] Important Dates: Week of December 8-12, Book Fair!!! Wednesday, December 10, 5:30 Family Night at school, Book Fair, Literacy Make ‘n’ Take!!! Friday, December 12, Bio Park visit with Santa Claus (Please let us know if you would prefer your child not participate in a visit with Santa, or receive a gift from Santa.) Tuesday, December 16, Upper grade Spelling Bee Thursday December 18, 1st gr, 2nd gr, and Mr. Chavez’ class to the Nutcracker Friday, December 19, RGEC after-school program winter presentation, 6:00 p.m. Friday, December 19, Last day of school for 2014 December 22 through January 4, Winter Break – No School Monday, January 5, First day back at school Thurday, January 8, 5th grade parent meeting about Middle School Transition Thursday, January 9th, trimester mid-term Friday, January 9, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Tuesday, January 13, 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade teachers out for professional development Thursday, January 15, kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grade teachers out for professional development Friday, January 16, Mid-term progress reports come home Monday, January 19, Martin Luther King day – No school Wednesday, January 21, 5:30 p.m. Family Math Night

Make ‘n’ Take Family Night!!!!!!! 5:30-7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, December 10th. Join us at school to make fun family winter crafts, shop at the book fair, enjoy time with our school community, sing songs with Mrs. Strangio, put together luminarias, and share a piping hot cup of hot chocolate. Hope to see everybody there!

Classroom Volunteers and Field Trip Chaperones: Please remember that anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips must be cleared with a background check through APS. We cannot allow anybody without this clearance to accompany field trips or volunteer in classrooms. The clearance is good for two years. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-withaps. There is a $12 charge. It can take about 1-2 weeks for your clearance to come through, so don’t wait until the last minute before a field trip! If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know, and we can help you.

RGEC: RGEC (Rio Grande Educational Collaborative) is one of our beforeand after-school programs. It features academic enrichment and fun activities. Financial assistance is available. Students can receive homework help (!!!) and have lots of fun while learning. They have space available now. In December, they are learning about wintertime activities from Greenland, Iceland, Germany, Canada, and Mexico. RGEC is housed in the library. For more information, contact the LWES RGEC leader, Debbie, at 459-2394.

APS Testing and Opt-Out Information: If you have questions about New Mexico State Testing (this year’s test is called the PARCC), or other state or district assessments, or if you are interested in knowing more about your optout options, you can find a link on our Lew Wallace homepage (lewwallace.aps.edu) or go directly to the APS student testing information page at http://www.aps.edu/schools/testing.

Lew Wallace Book Fair: The Book Fair is here!!! Our library staff and supporters are busily setting up the book fair in the library, and it will be open all next week. This is a great fundraiser for Lew Wallace, and it’s an awesome shopping opportunity for gift-giving. The book fair will be open on Wednesday night for our awesome Make ‘n’ Take Family Night from 5:307:30. I hope to see you all there!!! Book Fair Hours: Monday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Wednesday 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. PLUS 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Friday 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

PTA Update and Parent Needs: Our PTA is planning our December 10th Make ‘n’ Take Family Night, and they still need lots of help. If you are able to man a booth, lead an activity, prep materials, or lend a hand, let us know! The next planning meeting is Monday, December 8th at 3:45 in room 102, and all are welcome. The more PTA members we have, the more they are able to support our students!

APS Transfers: Some students come to Lew Wallace through a process called Transfer. This means that Lew Wallace is not their neighborhood school, but they have applied to attend here because we’re so awesome. For the current school year, we were only able to open a few transfer spots in kindergarten, and none at any other grade level. We anticipate the same for next year. If you have or know of an incoming kindergartener for the 2015-2016 school year, you need to know that the transfer window is opening a full month earlier than usual – on January 1st, 2015. Those who apply between January 1st and January 31st will be included in the first random drawing for schools. This transfer process also impacts you if you are applying for a transfer to a middle school other than your neighborhood school, or any other APS elementary school. This drawing will be before the end of the school year. You can find forms and more information at http://www.aps.edu/schools/transfers

Mrs. Konash’s Korner… Words of the Week SPACE AND BODY AWARENESS Obstacle course was the unit for November, and was the perfect example for the use of “body and space awareness.” All grade levels worked on body and space awareness concepts. Example: How will my body fit under an obstacle? How much space do I need in order to run past another student on the track? This concept is very difficult for some students because it is so abstract, but we had lots of great practice in November. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:12/5/14

Weekly News 11/21 November 21, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

We survived our Instructional Audit with the New Mexico Public Education Department, and as expected, our teachers, staff, students, and parents were awesome. Our auditors were warm and engaging, and were very complimentary of our school. They gave us great feedback and we will be meeting to discuss how to best respond in the coming weeks. We also received some fabulous feedback from the Title I Family Engagement Survey results. Last spring, we sent home copies of the Family Engagement Survey, and nearly 200 families responded and returned the survey (which is most of our school)! Here’s the data:

The school/parent compact has been useful in letting me know about our shared responsibility for my student’s education. (This a form you will look at during your child’s conference. 92.4% agree 3.5% disagree 4% don’t know

My student’s teacher regularly informs me about my student’s academic progress. 94.9% agree 4% disagree 1% don’t know

The school staff consider my opinion when it comes to decisions concerning my student’s academics and behavior. 95.4% agree 2% disagree 2.6% don’t know

I am given opportunities to volunteer at my student’s school. 95.0% agree 3% disagree 2% don’t know

My student’s teacher regularly gives me information that helps me assist in my student’s learning at home. 93.4% agree 6.1% disagree 0.5% don’t know

I feel valued by this school as an important participant in my student’s education. 95.9% agree 4.1% disagree 0.0% don’t know

I am satisfied with the communication from my student’s school. 94.4% agree 5% disagree 0.5% don’t know

The school provides support to volunteers. 85.7% agree 2% disagree 12.2% don’t know

Which of the following are barriers to your participation in family activities at the school? Childcare 9.9% Transportation 9.2% No information 5.7% Work schedule 79.4% Language barrier 0% Have never been asked 10.6% Not comfortable at school 2.1% Information came too late 6.4%

Next week I’ll offer some opinions about this data, what we’ll be focusing on to grow parent engagement, and how you can help! I’ll also fill you in on the results from our Instructional Audit. As always, if you have questions, or are interested in getting involved, please be in touch any time.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates: Monday and Tuesday, November 24 and 25, Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences – No School Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, November 26-28, Thanksgiving Break – No School Thursday, December 4, Ms. Ortiz’s class to the NHCC for an art workshop Thursday, December 4, Ms. Mona’s field trip to Valle de Oro Friday, December 5, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, December 5, 4th/5th grade field trip to Nutcracker on the Rocks Week of December 8-12, Book Fair Wednesday, December 10, Family Night at school, Book Fair, Literacy Make ‘n’ Take Friday, December 12, Bio Park visit with Santa Claus (This is a change in date) Tuesday, December 16, Upper grade Spelling Bee Thursday December 18, 1st gr, 2nd gr, and Mr. Chavez’ class to the Nutcracker Friday, December 19, Last day of school for 2014 December 22 through January 4, Winter Break – No School Monday, January 5, First day back at school Thurday, January 8, 5th grade parent meeting about Middle School Transition Friday, January 9, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, January 16, Mid-term progress reports come home Monday, January 19, Martin Luther King day – No school Wednesday, January 21, 5:30 p.m. Family Math Night

Explora Memberships: Our Explora Memberships are here! Every Lew Wallace family will receive a free 1-year family membership to Explora. We are so excited!!! You may pick up your membership card from your child’s teacher at their parent/teacher conference. If you already had your conference and didn’t get your card, let your child’s teacher know so they can get it to you.

Thank you!!! Thank you to these moms and dads of Lew Wallace students that came and spoke to the New Mexico Public Education Department during our Instructional Audit this week: Vangie Luker, Alexandra Dye, Melanie Lewis, Fernando Valles, Aram Krikorian, and Chris Appleton. The PED was here to interview staff, students, and parents to help identify any potential areas of improvement, and to find out what’s going well at Lew Wallace. We are grateful for these parents, and for their constant championing of our awesome school!

Parent Needs: Our PTA is planning our December parent night, and they need lots of help prepping things over the Thanksgiving break. If you have time at home to prep, cut, or assemble papers, please let us know!

Mrs. Konash’s Korner… Words of the Week BALANCE Students will be balancing on various items while going through the obstacle course. There are two balance beams, domes (hard plastic dome looking objects), and small and large blocks of wood. Students also practice balancing while standing in specific squares in the gym. Some classes will have a fun game of “Balance Relay.” This is a relay race using several P.E. items to balance while being in a relay race for their team. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:11/21/14

Weekly News 11/14 November 14, 2014 Dear Lew Wallace Families, Data. That’s the word of the week around here as we look at, analyze, and reflect on school-wide data in preparation for our PED Instructional Audit next week. Teachers are taking a close look at their classroom data as they prepare student’s report cards and get ready for conferences. Students are looking at their individual data and celebrating how far they’ve come since the start of school. Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students began a new assessment this year called “DIBELS.” This assessment is designed as a quick look at specific reading and pre-reading skills. Your teacher will be able to share with you specific information about your child’s progress, and any concerns about their early scores. Since this is a new assessment to us and to your child, we use this data as good information to add to what we already have, but it is not the whole picture of your child’s reading abilities. Teachers in all grades will share with you how your child is progressing towards meeting the Common Core grade-level standards in language arts and math, and state standards in humanities and science, as well as sharing important information about responsibility, citizenship, and effort. Lastly, I want to share our new school mission statement with you. This statement was developed by our Instructional Council, which is the internal school improvement governing group of the school. The Instructional Council is made up mostly of teachers, plus one parent and myself. They wanted to capture the unique, small-school, caring environment that we have here, and talk about how it matters and makes a difference in students’ academic growth. Lew Wallace staff, students, and families work together to create a positive environment of caring and appreciation that is responsive to individuals’ needs. In this nurturing school community, students are supported to become independent life-long learners and challenged with high expectations. Teachers and staff differentiate instruction to meet students’ needs and help them achieve grade-level standards in all areas. As always, if you have questions, please be in touch any time. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio [email protected] Important Dates: Week of November 17-21, Ms. Hernandez’ class reading the APS lunch menu on KOB news every morning at about 5:50 a.m. November 18-19, Lew Wallace Instructional Audit by the Public Education Department Thursday, November 20, 4th grade field trip to the CEC Planetarium Friday, November 21, Mr. DeLaO’s class’s Thanksgiving presentation Monday and Tuesday, November 24 and 25, Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences – No School Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, November 26-28, Thanksgiving Break – No School Thursday, December 4, Ms. Ortiz’s class to the NHCC for an art workshop Thursday, December 4, Ms. Mona’s field trip to Valle de Oro Friday, December 5, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, December 5, 4th/5th grade field trip to Nutcracker on the Rocks Week of December 8-12, Book Fair Tuesday, December 9, Bio Park visit with Santa Claus Wednesday, December 10, Family Night at school, Book Fair Tuesday, December 16, Upper grade Spelling Bee Thursday December 18, 1st gr, 2nd gr, and Mr. Chavez’ class to the Nutcracker Friday, December 19, Last day of school for 2014 December 22 through January 4, Winter Break – No School Monday, January 5, First day back at school



Mariachi Club: Mariachi club started on Monday, and there’s still room for additional students if they want to sign up. Ms. Carolina Gonzales, music teacher at Washington Middle School, is here every Monday for Mariachi. She is also thinking about maybe coming twice a week! I’ll keep you posted. We have a couple of instruments left, or students may bring instruments from home, or rent them

Email Communication: This newsletter and other information are sent home on paper, posted to the website, and also delivered by email each Friday. If you are not receiving this newsletter via email and you would like to, please contact Mary or Rose in the front office to give them your email address and get on our list.

Thank you!!! Huge thank you to Ernie Martinez, Vangie Luker, Joe Chavez, and Lupe Arencon for all their tireless work on our amazing Thanksgiving dinner! We are so grateful for the ways you support LWES families

Mrs. Konash’s Korner… Words of the Week

OBSTACLE COURSE During this short month, our unit is “Obstacle Course.” All grades will have obstacle courses set up in the gym for their specific ability. Each grade level will be using space and body awareness to be successful at completing the obstacles in the course. Some examples of the obstacles are going under or over an object, stepping on objects in a specific order, and using motor skills. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:11/14/14

Weekly News 11/7 November 7, 2014 Dear Lew Wallace Families, We are finally getting to start up again with our mariachi club!!! Ms. Carolina Gonzales, the band and orchestra teacher from Washington Middle School, will be coming Mondays after school to run our mariachi club. Any interested 3rd , 4th , or 5th grade students can just show up on Monday after school to get the permission slip, sign up, and choose an instrument. We have some guitars, violins, and one trumpet to lend out, but if you have an instrument at home your child can use, that would be helpful. Representatives from the New Mexico PED and APS Administration will be at Lew Wallace on November 18th and 19th to conduct an audit of instructional practices as required by the new state Accountability System. As part of this audit, the auditors may be talking to your student directly to get their impression of the quality of instruction at your school. This audit is required because our school was assigned a ‘D’ under the state’s new school grading system. They will try to keep classroom and instruction disruption to a minimum. However, some teachers and students may be pulled from classrooms as the auditors conduct interviews as part of the audit. In our own look at school data and reflection on our school grade, we found groups of students that need a bit of additional support in order to increase their performance on the state test. For example, some of our students for whom English is a second language struggle with high-level math academic vocabulary. That will be one of the areas we will concentrate on this year. We did not find any areas that were particularly lower than others, so we will continue to beef up all of our reading and math instruction, and focus on technology skills since this year’s test is completely online. With a new state test coming this year (the PARCC exam), kids are already starting on practice problems and learning how to navigate the computer responses. There is always a tension between not wanting to take away from instructional time for test prep, but also the very real consequences of being labeled a ‘D’ school because of our students’ test scores. Remember that our school grade is almost entirely based on the performance of our 3rd , 4th , and 5th grade students on this test. This year’s test will take place in March, then again in April. We want to set our students up for the best shot at success, while not compromising even a minute of the high-quality classroom instruction they receive every day. If you have questions, please be in touch with me any time. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio [email protected] Important Dates: Monday, November 10, 6:00 Ms. Mona’s Classes: Night of the Notables presentations Monday, November 10, 3:45 Mariachi Club starts Tuesday, November 11, Veteran’s Day… No school Thursday, November 13, Thanksgiving Lunch with families in the cafeteria Thursday, November 13, 3:45 PTA Meeting in Room 102 Week of November 17-21, Ms. Hernandez’ class reading the APS lunch menu on KOB news every morning at about 5:50 a.m. November 18-19, Lew Wallace Instructional Audit by the Public Education Department Monday and Tuesday, November 24 and 25, Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences – No School Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, November 26-28, Thanksgiving Break – No School Thursday, December 4, Ms. Ortiz’s class to the NHCC for an art workshop Friday, December 5, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, December 5, 4th/5th field trip to Nutcracker on the Rocks Week of December 8-12, Book Fair Wednesday, December 10, Family Night at school, Book Fair, Literacy Make ‘n’ Take Tuesday, December 16, Upper grade Spelling Bee Friday, December 19, Last day of school for 2014 December 22 through January 4, Winter Break – No School Monday, January 5, First day back at school

Remember to keep saving and sending in those Box Tops. The class with the most box tops each month wins a pizza party!

Thanksgiving Lunch: On Thursday, November 13th, you are invited to join us in the cafeteria for our Family Thanksgiving Lunch. Flyers went out earlier this week. Lunch for adults is $5 – cash only. (Lunches for additional children are $3.) Exact change is appreciated. K/1 lunch is 11:00-11:45, 2nd/3rd lunch is 11:45-12:30, and 4th/5th is 12:30-1:15. Please be sure to sign in when you arrive. If your child is still in class, you can sign in in the office and we will retrieve your student. Or if you are here for one of your children’s lunches and want to pull another of your children out to eat all-together, just come to the office and we’ll get them for you.

Thank you and CONGRATULATIONS!!! Thank you to Mrs. Susan Coutrtright, an awesome community volunteer who is in her second year of helping Lew Wallace kids get better in reading. Mrs. Courtright got married last week, and we are all so happy for her, as well as very grateful. Best wishes to Mrs. Courtright and her new husband!

Email Communication: This newsletter and other information are sent home on paper, posted to the website, and also delivered by email each Friday. If you are not receiving this newsletter via email and you would like to, please contact Mary or Rose in the front office to give them your email address and get on our list.

PTA Meeting: Please join our PTA for a general meeting on Thursday, November 13 at 3:45.

Mrs. Konash’s Korner… Words of the Week

TARGETS (throwing an object at or into an object) Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades will learn the correct way to throw an object (bean bag) at or into an object. Students will practice the skill and get positive feedback that encourages them to throw and be successful at hitting a target. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:11/7/14

Weekly News 10/31 October 31, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

What a wild and wonderful day it was today. Energy was high, and kids were happy and excited from the minute they got here. I had a lovely meeting with some parents this morning at our ª2ª Principal Chat.

On November 18 th and 19 th, Lew Wallace will be getting an Instructional Audit by the Public Education Department for New Mexico. This audit is a part of New Mexico’s A-F School Grading Accountability System of school and district support. Its purpose is to improve instruction at the classroom level through examining systems that both support and monitor teachers and other instructional personnel. It is a requirement for New Mexico schools with D letter grades. The audit is designed to serve as a mechanism for examining the systems in place and supports by the school leadership that increase teacher effectiveness and enhance student learning through professional dialogue. It provides a means, by which, the audit team compiles data for feedback to the school about the instructional practices that are observed during the school visit.

We are ready for our audit, and we are super proud of the work we’re doing here at Lew Wallace. We’re looking forward to hearing from the audit team all the things we’re doing well, and getting feedback about things they think we could be doing differently. While they’re here, the audit team will observe classes, interview teachers and leadership, interview parents, and interview some 5 th grade students. It’s always stressful to have outsiders come in and look at things under a microscope, but it’s also a good opportunity for us to reflect on our practice and decide where we want to focus our energies for this year.

Next week I’ll share with you some of our findings from our own look at school data and reflection on our school grade.

I hope everyone has safe and fun weekend!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Remember to keep saving and sending in those Box Tops. The class with the most box tops each month wins a pizza party!

Important Dates: Sunday, November 2, Daylight Savings Time ends. Enjoy your extra hour of sleep! Monday, November 3, Picture Re-takes Tuesday, November 4, Election Day, Willy Wonka field trip for four classes, Wimpy Kid field trip for 4th gr. Friday, November 7, End of first trimester Monday, November 10, Gifted Class Night of the Notables presentations Tuesday, November 11, Veteran’s Day… No school Thursday, November 13, Thanksgiving Lunch with families in the cafeteria November 18-19, Lew Wallace Instructional Audit by the Public Education Department Monday and Tuesday, November 24 and 25, Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences – No School Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, November 26-28, Thanksgiving Break – No School Thursday, December 4, Ms. Ortiz’s class to the NHCC for an art workshop Friday, December 5, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, December 5, 4th/5th field trip to Nutcracker on the Rocks Week of December 8-12, Book Fair! Wednesday, December 10, Family Night at school, Literacy Make ‘n’ Take, Book Fair Friday, December 19, Last day of school for 2014 December 22 through January 4, Winter Break – No School Monday, January 5, First day back at school Thanksgiving Lunch: On Thursday, November 13th, you will be invited to join us in the cafeteria for our Family Thanksgiving Lunch. Mr. Mike will be sending out flyers next week with information about cost and times, but you’ll want to put the date on your calendar!

Thank you!!! Thank you to Ms. Vangie Luker (Ethan and Cody’s mom), who made a gazillion gorgeous cakes for the cakewalk at the Fall Festival. They were completely amazing!!! We are so grateful for all the ways Ms. Vangie supports our school and our kids, and always puts in a little extra love. ª

Drop-off and Pick-up Times: Please do not drop children off on the school playground before 8:30 a.m. We do not have anyone on duty until that time. Breakfast service begins in the cafeteria at 8:25 a.m. After-school duties are until 3:45.

Community Sponsors for Fall Festival: We are so grateful for our awesome community sponsors who helped us pull off such a great Fall Festival. Thank you to Help Bail Bonds for the $100 donation, Cheryl McLean Law Offices for the $20 donation, Troy Prichard Attorney & Counselor at Law for a $40 donation, First Financial Credit Union for a $100 donation and 1000 goodiebags, and the Main Library for pencils and wrist bands. These sponsors are wonderful Lew Wallace partners, and we are thankful for their support. Check back in this box again next week to read about more of our fabulous community supporters!

Volunteers/Chaperones for Field Trip: Anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips must be cleared with a background check through APS. The clearance is good for two years. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge. It can take about 1-2 weeks for your clearance to come through. If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know, and we can help you!

Mrs. Konash’s Korner: Words of the Week

FUN GAMES Grades 3,4,and 5 will be learning how to play Bocce ball and a few fun games during the month. Straddle ball, four-square with balloons and paddles, and relays using throwing skills. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:10/31/14

Weekly News 10/24 Dear Lew Wallace Families,

I am sorry to be missing you at tonight’s wonderful Fall Festival. My beloved grandmother died earlier this week in California, and her funeral is today. I am grateful to have time with my extended family, but I am sad to miss this epic celebration at school. I know it will be a wonderful, wonderful event, though. Parents and staff have been planning and plotting and decorating like crazy. What a gift to have such a strong community to pull off this event! Thank you to everyone who helped get it all put together.

One of our Albuquerque Fire Inspectors came this week to lead our annual fire safety assembly. He reminded students that they should be practicing fire safety at home, and suggested that they use our school fire drills to remind them every month. Ask your child what they learned during the assembly, and how to be sure that your family is as safe as can be when it comes to fire prevention. At school, we do monthly fire drills, plus one earthquake drill, and two lockdown/shelter-in-place drills per year.

One of our neighbor schools, the Albuqueruqe Sign Language Academy, is considering offering a sign-language class for interested families and staff after-school at Lew Wallace. If you and your child would be interested in participating, drop me a note or an email. We haven’t set dates yet, but are measuring interest in getting something like this going.

Halloween is next Friday. While we acknowledge the excitement and high-energy of the day, we do not celebrate holidays at school. Some primary classes are doing Storybook Day, where students are invited to dress as their favorite storybook character, and they have reading and writing activities tied to the project. Please do not allow your child to wear their Halloween costume to school that day. Many classrooms are having activities in the afternoon as students’ attention and focus begins to wane in anticipation of evening fun at home.

Be safe and have an utterly fabulous time at the Fall Festival!!!!!!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates:

Tonight, 5:30, Fall Festival!!! Monday, October 27, Spelling Bee meeting for all 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders interested in participating in our school-wide spelling bee during afternoon recess Friday, October 31, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, October 31, 4th gr/gifted classes field trip to La Llorona @ the Kimo Sunday, November 2, Daylight Savings Time ends Tuesday, November 4, Election Day, Willy Wonka field trip for four classes, Wimpy Kid field trip for 4th gr. Friday, November 7, End of first trimester Monday, November 10, Gifted Class Night of the Notables Tuesday, November 11, Veteran’s Day… No school Thursday, November 13, Thanksgiving Lunch with families in the cafeteria November 18-19, Lew Wallace Instructional Audit by the Public Education Department Monday and Tuesday, November 24 and 25, Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, November 26-28, Thanksgiving Break Friday, December 5, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, December 5, 4th/5th field trip to Nutracker on the Rocks

Thanksgiving Lunch: On Thursday, November 13th, you will be invited to join us in the cafeteria for our Family Thanksgiving Lunch. Mr. Mike will be sending out flyers next week with information about cost and times, but you’ll want to put the date on your calendar!

Thank you!!! Thank you to all the parents and volunteers who worked like crazy to get the Fall Festival put together, and who decorated the school for our celebration. We are grateful for all the ways you support our school and our kids!

ª 2ª Principal Chats: On the first Friday of each month at 9:00 a.m., parents join me for coffee and conversation. The chat is informal, and is a chance for you to ask questions, share stories, raise concerns, and find out more about what’s going on in your school. Feel free to drop in and join me any time! Please note that the November chat is actually on October 31st. It’s a fun, high-energy day in an elementary school.

Volunteers/Chaperones for Field Trip: Anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips must be cleared with a background check through APS. The clearance is good for two years. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge. It can take about 1-2 weeks for your clearance to come through. If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know, and we can help you!

Drop-off and Pick-up Times: Please do not drop children off on the school playground before 8:30 a.m. We do not have anyone on duty until that time. Breakfast service begins in the cafeteria at 8:25 a.m. After-school duties are until 3:45.

Mrs. Konash’s Korner: Words of the Week

LEVELS AND PATHWAYS

Levels are used in Physical Education lessons. Low, medium, and high are the three levels that help students understand space and body awareness. Examples: low like an ant, medium like a dog, and high like a giraffe. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:10/24/14

Weekly News 10/17 October 17, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

It’s been a week of fame here at Lew Wallace! On Tuesday, Asia Gutierrez (5 th gr) was in the newspaper as the APS Student of the week. Asia represented Lew Wallace beautifully, and we are so proud of her and her accomplishments. On Wednesday we saw a very brave Gabriella Fahrenhorst (K) on the front page, taking her flu shot like a champ, with other brave kinders receiving their flu mist. What great kids we have!

I have just completed our school Site Safety Plan. This is a large document that details how we keep everyone safe at Lew Wallace, what we do in an emergency, and how we support students, families, and staff following a crisis. You should know that extensive thought and care has gone into every detail of keeping everyone safe, and it is our absolute highest priority. There is always more work to be done, and we continue to work towards greater security. There are a couple of things we need your support with:

Our pick-up area is always terribly congested. Please never, never allow you children to dart out between cars to get to you. We’ve had two near misses with parked cars backing out, pulling forward, and parents beckoning to their children from the middle of the road. Be sure to sign your children out if you are taking them before the bell rings, even if it’s just a few minutes early. We always need to know when they are under your wing, and gone from our nest.

One more reminder – when you call in your child’s absence, please remember to leave a reason so we can notate it in our computer. It also helps us track when there are nasty germs running through the school.

Lew Wallace’s 4-H Club in responding to the needs of our local homeless people by donating non-perishable food, clothing, hygiene items, household goods, and blankets. Contributions will be collected in Ms. Mona’s room 208 and donated to our local shelters and food pantries. Please consider sending items to support our less-fortunate neighbors.

I can’t wait to see you all at the Fall Festival next Friday! It’s going to be a GREAT time.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates: Monday, October 20, 3rd gr field trip to the Planetarium October 21, Kindergarten field trip to McCall’s pumpkin patch Wednesday, October 22, Fire Safety Assemblies with the Fire Marshall Wednesday, October 22, Albuquerque Recycling presentation for 4th grade Thursday, October 23, 5th gr field trip to Popejoy Friday, October 24, Fall Festival Friday, October 31, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, October 31, 4th gr/gifted classes field trip to La Llorona @ the Kimo Sunday, November 2, Daylight Savings Time ends Tuesday, November 4, Election Day, Willy Wonka field trip for four classes. Friday, November 7, End of first trimester Monday, November 10, Gifted Class Night of the Notables Tuesday, November 11, Veteran’s Day… No school November 18-19, Lew Wallace Instructional Audit by the Public Education Department Monday and Tuesday, November 24 and 25, Parent/Student/Teacher Conferences Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, November 26-28, Thanksgiving Break

Fall Festival!!!! Fall Festival ticket sales start Monday morning before school by the elevator, and after school in the cafeteria. Monday through Thursday, 6 tickets will be $1. 00. On October 24th, the price goes up to 4 tickets for $1. 00. Most activity booths will be 1-3 tickets, treats are anywhere from 4 to 15 tickets. We need lots of candy donations in advance. You can bring or send those to the office (and we promise not to eat them in advance!). We will also need sweet-treat (cakes, cupcakes, baked goods, etc.) donated for our cake walk on the day of the event. Everyone is welcome to wear a costume to the Fall Festival, but no gore, no fake weapons, and nothing that will scare the littlest kids. Kids should not wear their costumes during the school day.

Thank you!!! Thank you Dominica Rivera (Bella’s mom). She brought clothes for kids to keep in the nurse’s office. We’re so grateful for the extra supplies!

Volunteers/Chaperones for Field Trip: Anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips must be cleared with a background check through APS. The clearance is good for two years. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge. It can take about 1-2 weeks for your clearance to come through. If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know, and we can help you!

Drop-off and Pick-up Times: Please do not drop children off on the school playground before 8:30 a.m. We do not have anyone on duty until that time. Breakfast service begins in the cafeteria at 8:25 a.m. After-school duties are until 3:45.

Mrs. Konash’s Korner: Words of the Week

JUMP ROPE EXERCISE

Grades 3, 4, and 5 will be using jump ropes for their exercise-of-the-month for October. Each student will have a jump rope and will be exercising for 5 minutes. This type of warm –up exercise is important to prepare the muscles, ligaments and joints and the heart circulatory system for additional activity. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:10/17/14

Weekly News 10/3 October 3, 2014 Dear Lew Wallace Families, What a fabulous time we had at Explora last night! We had well over 200 children and families attend from Lew Wallace, and kids and parents and teachers were engaged in learning and talking and having a wonderful time. I especially want to thank all the Lew Wallace staff members who came early for professional development, and then stayed to help: Ms. Mona (and her husband), Ms. Talley, Ms. Debbie, Ms. Hernandez, Ms. Torres, Ms. Crystall, and Ms Konash (and her daughter). Explora will be sending us family membership cards in the next few weeks for every family in our school. What an amazing gift! World Homeless Day is October 11th . Ms. Mona and her 4-H Club are responding to the needs of our local homeless people by donating nonperishable food, clothing, hygiene items, household goods, and blankets. Contributions will be collected in Ms. Mona’s room (208) and donated to our local shelters and food pantries. Please consider supporting our 4-H Club by sending any of these items to school for donation! Our new 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Christie Marrs, hit the ground running this week. She took over the class without even a hiccup, and things are sailing along beautifully. Ms. B is still waiting for her baby to arrive, but she is officially off while she takes care of herself in these last days of pregnancy. I’ll keep you posted as soon as we have a baby! Ms. Beckie moved right into her 2nd grade class and things are humming along. I am proud to announce that Asia Gutierrez is the next APS Student-ofthe-Week, co-sponsored by the Albuquerque Journal and the NM Educator’s Federal Credit Union. Look for the celebration of Asia in the newspaper and on the APS website! Enjoy the balloons and this beautiful weather. There will be no Friday newsletter next week since we’re off on Thursday and Friday – enjoy that time with your family! Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio [email protected] Important Dates: Friday, October 3, Mid-Term Progress Reports come home Wednesday, October 8, 4th grade Animal Humane visit Thursday & Friday, October 9-10, Fall Break…. No school Tuesday, October 14, Flu Mist vaccinations Wednesday, October 15, Science Assemblies with Dr. Duda from Sandia Labs Thursday, October 16, Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drill Monday, October 20, 3rd gr field trip to the Planetarium Wednesday, October 22, Fire Safety Assemblies with the Fire Marshall Wednesday, October 22, Albuquerque Recycling presentation for 4th grade Friday, October 24, Fall Festival Friday, October 31, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Friday, October 31, 4th gr/gifted classes field trip to La Llorona @ the Kimo Sunday, November 2, Daylight Savings Time ends Tuesday, November 4, Election Day, Willy Wonka field trip for four classes. Friday, November 7, End of first trimester Monday, November 10, Gifted Class Night of the Notables Tuesday, November 11, Veteran’s Day… No school

Flu Mist Vaccinations: Please see the forms coming home today about the Flu Mist Vaccinations. We need permission slips back at school by Wednesday next week, so please return it right away. Help us keep all of our kids healthy and free from the flu! Remember that the Flu Mist is a nasal spray and does not involve needles.

Thank you!! Thank you to the wonderful Ms. Susan Cartwright. Ms. Cartwright is a community volunteer who comes to Lew Wallace every week to work with kids in a variety of ways. She is a supremely caring person, and she jumps in whenever she sees a need. She will also be helping us at the Fall Festival. We are grateful for Ms. Cartwright and her big heart!

Volunteers/Chaperones for Field Trip: Anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips must be cleared with a background check through APS. The clearance is good for two years. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge. If you get cleared now, you will be good-to-go for the next two school years. It can take about 12 weeks for your clearance to come through. If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know, and we can help you!

Drop-off and Pick-up Times: Please do not drop children off on the school playground before 8:30 a.m. We do not have anyone on duty until that time. Breakfast service begins in the cafeteria at 8:25 a.m. After-school duties are until 3:45 p.m.

Mrs. Konash’s Korner: Words of the Week

BEAN BAG

Beanbag activities are used to develop physical skills including fine/gross motor, hand/eye coordination, foot/eye coordination, and general coordination, balance, and object manipulation. Kinder, 1st, and 2nd grades will have fun and develop all of the above skills in beanbag games.

Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:10/3/14

Weekly News 9/26 September 26, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

So much good news around our school! Our new 1st grade teacher is Mrs. Christie Marrs, and she will be here starting next Tuesday, September 30th!!! We are incredibly grateful for the amazing Ms. Beckie holding down the fort until we could get the perfect person in here. Mrs. Marrs has been an APS first grade teacher for 18 years, and comes highly recommended. She knocked our socks off in her interview, and we are so excited to have her.

We will still be keeping Ms. Beckie around, as she will help with all the transitions in first grade, and prepare to take over Ms. Evette Barreras’ classroom for a few weeks when the new baby comes! Ms. B has barely slowed down, even at 8+ months pregnant, but when that baby makes his appearance, Ms. Beckie will be ready to keep that class humming until Ms. B returns. Another welcome to Ms. Madeleine Wilson LMSW, from Open Skies Healthcare. She will be our new community therapist, replacing the wonderful Miss Jessica Villanueva, who has taken another job. Ms. Madeleine came this week to get to know the school and the kids, and will be hitting the ground running next week.

And lastly, Lew Wallace is the home school of next week’s APS Student-of-the-Week, cosponsored by the Albuquerque Journal and the NM Educator’s Federal Credit Union. Watch for that information in the paper and on the website! I’ll include that student’s profile in next week’s newsletter! We are steeped in good fortune, and full of amazing people. Every day at this school is a genuine blessing. Thank you for being a part of it!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected] Important Dates: • Thursday, October 2, 6:30-8:00 p.m. – Explora Night! • Friday, October 3, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat • Mid-Term Progress Reports come home • Wednesday, October 8, 4th grade Animal Humane visit • Thursday & Friday, October 9-10, Fall Break…. No school • Tuesday, October 14, Flu Mist vaccinations • Wednesday, October 15, Science Assemblies with Dr. Duda from Sandia Labs • Wednesday, October 22, Fire Safety Assemblies with the Fire Marshall • Wednesday, October 22, Albuquerque Recycling presentation for 4th grade • Friday, October 24, Fall Festival • Friday, October 31, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat • 4th gr/gifted classes field trip to La Llorona @ the Kimo Theater • Sunday, November 2, Daylight Savings Time ends • Tuesday, November 4, Election Day, Willy Wonka field trip for four classes. • Tuesday, November 11, Veteran’s Day… No school

Thank you!! Thank you to Ms. Maria Kelly, Marilyn’s grandma. Maria comes every Wednesday to volunteer at Lew Wallace. She helps teachers and students, and is always a joy around campus. We are grateful for her bright, shiny energy and all her help around the school! Volunteers/Chaperones for Field Trips: Anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips must be cleared with a background check through APS. The clearance is good for two years. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteerwithaps. There is a $12 charge. If you get cleared now, you will be good-to-go for the next two school years. It can take about 1-2 weeks for your clearance to come through. If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know, and we can help you! You do NOT need volunteer clearance to participate in Explora night or any other family engagement night at school.

Dropoff and Pick-up Times: Please do not drop children off on the school playground before 8:30 a.m. We do not have anyone on duty until that time. Breakfast service begins in the cafeteria at 8:25 a.m. After-°©school duties are until about 3:45 p.m.

Explora Night SignUps! Last week, the Explora flyer with signup sheet came home with the newsletter. Explora reservations tend to fill up quickly, so return that form as soon as you can. We’ll start a waiting list after the first 350 people sign up. You may either ride the school bus, or meet us there. We’ll have free memberships for all families in a few weeks!

After-School Clubs: Club signups are in fullswing! If your child wants to sign up for a club, they need to get forms from the teacher running the club, get them signed by you, and return them as quickly as possible to that teacher. Mrs. Konash’s Korner… Words of the Week:

BOCCE BALL This is a game that was played and organized in France and Italy in the late 1900s. To play Bocce ball, two teams are needed, a specific Bocce court, colored balls, and a small white ball call a pallino (jack). The object of the game is to roll your ball closer to the white ball without hitting it. This game will be taught to grades 3-45 during the month of October. This is another lifetime game. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:9/26/14

Weekly News 9/19 September 19, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

What a WONDERFUL time we had at Science Night last night. I hope you were able to join us for cool science experiments and community time together. And this morning we put the entire school on buses and went to the opening concert for Globalquerque! We saw amazing performances by Lo’Jo from France, and Rocky Dawuni from Ghana. One of our elementary social studies benchmarks (III-B) is to “Identify and describe symbols, icons, songs, traditions, and leaders…. that exemplify ideals and provide continuity and a sense of community across time.” We are so lucky to have an opportunity to be able to participate in real life cultural events that support our standards!

Many of you have expressed frustration with the volunteer procedures for getting cleared in order to be able to chaperone or participate in field trips. I’ve been putting it in my newsletters for weeks because I know that it can be a slow and cumbersome process. None of it is run through our school, and so we have no control of the speed of those background checks, but in my experience it takes 1-2 weeks to get notification of clearance. Be sure to check your spam folder in your email if you haven’t heard back.

Those background checks are implemented so that we can take every precaution necessary to keep all of our children safe. That is our number one priority! When parents are circumventing the system, or meeting classes at the field trip destination without being cleared, it puts us all at risk. As a parent, I want full assurance that the people who have access to my children during school are safe, and have been vetted as thoroughly as possible. I know you want the same for your children. Please help us ensure that teachers aren’t put at risk for having uncleared adults, that we are in full compliance with APS regulations and the law, and that ALL of our children are safe all of the time.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio

[email protected] 1 st grade update: We have hired a new first grade teacher! We had a wonderful interview with this teacher, and we received confirmation this week that HR is going to allow her to transfer to Lew Wallace. As soon as everyone at her current school knows she’s leaving, and as soon as we know her arrival date here, I’ll let you know. Yay!!!

Important Dates: Monday, September 22, 4 th grade RIO field trip; and 5 th grade climbing wall at school Wednesday, September 24, 1 st midterm ends Thursday, October 2, 6:30-8:00 p.m. – Explora Night! Friday, October 3, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Mid-Term Progress Reports come home Wednesday, October 8, 4 th grade Animal Humane visit Thursday & Friday, October 9-10, Fall Break…. No school Wednesday, October 15, Science Assemblies with Dr. Duda from Sandia Labs Wednesday, October 22, Fire Safety Assemblies with the Fire Marshall Friday, October 24, Fall Festival Friday, October 31, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Sunday, November 2, Daylight Savings Time ends Tuesday, November 4, Election Day, Willy Wonka field trip for four classes. Tuesday, November 11, Veteran’s Day… No school

Thank you!!! Thank you to our own Ms. Christina Orozco – she used her connections to get us two free buses so that we could go to our amazing Globalquerque field trip. We had SO much fun!!! We are grateful for Ms. Christina making it possible for the entire school to attend.

Volunteers/Chaperones for Field Trip: Anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips must be cleared with a background check through APS. The clearance is good for two years. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge. If you get cleared now, you will be good-to-go for the next two school years. It can take about 1-2 weeks for your clearance to come through. If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know, and we can help you!

Needed: We are looking for a couple of boom boxes that can play CDs. We are still “old school” in many ways! J

Drop-off and Pick-up Times : Please do not drop children off on the school playground before 8:30 a.m. We do not have anyone on duty until that time. Breakfast service begins in the cafeteria at 8:25 a.m. After-school duties are until about 3:45 p.m.

Explora Night Sign-Ups! Along with this newsletter, you will find the Explora flyer with sign-up sheet coming home today. Explora reservations tend to fill up quickly, so return this form as soon as you can. We’ll start a waiting list after the first 350 people sign up. You may either ride the school bus, or meet us there.

After-School Clubs Club sign-ups are in full-swing! If your child wants to sign up for a club, they need to get forms from the teacher running the club, get them signed by you, and return them as quickly as possible to that teacher.

Mrs. Konash’s Korner Words of the Week: RUNNING THE TRACK All grades K-5 run the track each time the students come to P.E. Each month the number of laps is increased by 1 more lap. The goal for K/1/2 students is to run 3 laps by May 2015. The goal for grades 3/4/5 is to run 6 laps by May 2015. It takes 11 laps around our small track to equal 1 mile. Happy running. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:9/19/14

Weekly News 9/12 September 12, 2014 Dear Lew Wallace Families, We have SOOOO many exciting evening family engagement events this year, and I am super excited! Next week, on Thursday, September 18th, at 6:00 p.m., Sandia National Labs is coming to Lew Wallace to host a community science night. Family Science Night provides an evening of hands-on science activities. Students and parents work together to conduct simple inquiry-based science activities. Scientists from Sandia Labs will lead investigations and experiments right in our cafeteria and gym. Then – just two weeks after that! – on Thursday, October 2nd, at 6:30 p.m., we’ll continue our science studies with our family night at Explora! You can either meet us there, or catch a school bus at 6:00 at Lew Wallace that will take you right over there. Our Explora nights are always a big hit with families. The sign-up form will come home next Friday (9/19), and we can take the first 350 people who register. THEN – Just a couple of weeks later -- Dr. Duda from Sandia Labs will return to Lew Wallace to do awesome science presentations for our whole school in two assemblies! We’re going to be science brainiacs!!! I hope to see you at both events. Explora will also be providing year-long family memberships for all of our families! I’ll keep you posted when those cards arrive. Scientifically yours, Anne Marie Strangio [email protected] Don’t forget to sign the attached permission slip for our school-wide field trip to the National Hispanic Cultural Center for Globalquerque next week! If you want to chaperone, contact your child’s teacher, and be sure you’ve already gotten cleared to be a volunteer. Just bring us a copy of your APS volunteer clearance email so we can put you on our list. Important Dates: Monday, September 15, 5 th gr field trip to Sandia Mountains Tuesday, September 16, four-class field trip to the state fair Wednesday, September 17, Constitution Day Thursday, September 18, 5:30 p.m. Science Night with Sandia Labs! Friday, September 19, 9:00 field trip to the National Hispanic Cultural Center for Globalquerque Monday, September 22, 4 th grade RIO field trip; and 5 th grade climbing wall at school Wednesday, September 24, 1 st midterm ends Thursday, October 2, 6:30-8:00 p.m. – Explora Night! Friday, October 3, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Mid-Term Progress Reports come home Wednesday, October 8, 4 th grade Animal Humane visit Thursday & Friday, October 9-10, Fall Break…. No school Wednesday, October 22, Assembly with the Fire Marshall Friday, October 24, Fall Festival Friday, October 31, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat

Volunteers/Chaperones for Field Trip: Anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips must be cleared with a background check through APS. The clearance is good for two years. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge. If you get cleared now, you will be good-to-go for the next two school years. It can take about 1-2 weeks for your clearance to come through. If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know, and we can help you!

Drop-off and Pick-up Times: Please do not drop children off on the school playground before 8:30 a.m. We do not have anyone on duty until that time. Breakfast service begins in the cafeteria at 8:25 a.m. After-school duties are until about 3:45 p.m.

Thank you!!! Thank you to Kathryn Garza Marilyn’s mom, for coming and doing a financial literacy presentation along with a coworker, for Mr. DeLaO’s class. We’re grateful for your support!

1 st Grade Update: We are continuing interviews this coming Monday!

Needed: We are looking for a couple of boom boxes that can play CDs. I know these are “old school” now, but we still have a lot of CDs that need playing! J

Hand-washing: We’re still working on knocking out the germs. We continue to talk about washing hands, not touching faces, and not sharing food.

Mrs. Konash’s Korne Word of the Week:

HORSESHOES Grades 3-4-5 are learning the game of horseshoes this month. The students will learn how to score points, exercise safety while throwing horseshoes, and just have fun with this lifetime activity.

Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:9/12/14

Weekly News 9/5 September 5, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

What a joy it was to see so many of you at our Open House. One of the many awesome things about our school community is the amazing family participation and engagement. Over 300 of you attended! Thank you for bearing with me and with the heat in the gym as we went over our Title 1 presentation. Drop me an email if you would like an electronic copy of that presentation.

Normally we don’t see our first wave of shared germiness until October or so. This year it started up right away in August. We have had cold viruses, strep throat, and a nasty stomach bug come through the school. District office has been sending us additional custodial help all week to super deep-clean and disinfect the school. Students all attended a handwashing assembly on Tuesday where scientists showed them the germs on their hands before and after hand-washing by using a special light. We’ve been practicing 20-second hand-washing, and working on coughing and sneezing into the crook of the arm, and talking about how to minimize sharing germs. These are all germs that normally work their way through schools a couple times a year… we just got an early start this year.

The germs have struck the teachers as well as the students, so we’ve had a higher number of subs in the building than usual. In addition, because of our new standards and new curricula, teachers are required to attend district trainings over the next several weeks. We try to spread them out as much as possible so that we don’t have too many teachers out of the building at any one time, but it does mean that they will be out of their classrooms while they are at their professional development sessions. However, they will come back to school with lots of new ideas, new methods, and ready to roll out our new programs!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio

Important Dates: Tuesday, September 9, 4 th grade Bike Rodeo during school Friday, September 12, Picture Day Friday, September 12, Popcorn and Pickle Day Monday, September 15, 5 th gr field trip to Sandia Mountains Wednesday, September 17, Constitution Day Thursday, September 18, 5:30 p.m. Science Night with Sandia Labs! Friday, September 19, 9:00 field trip to the National Hispanic Cultural Center for Globalquerque Monday, September 22, 4 th grade RIO field trip; and 5 th grade climbing wall at school Wednesday, September 24, 1 st midterm ends Thursday, October 2, 6:30-8:00 p.m. – Explora Night! Friday, October 3, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Wednesday, October 8, 4 th grade Animal Humane visit Thursday & Friday, October 9-10, Fall Break…. No school Friday, October 24, Fall Festival Friday, October 31, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Wednesday, November 19, 5:30 p.m. Tech Night Friday, December 5, 9:00 ª2ª Principal Chat Wednesday, December 10, 5:30 p.m. Literacy Make ‘n’ Take Night/Book Fair Thursday, January 8, 5:30 Middle school transition information/sharing for parents Wednesday, January 21, 5:30, Family math night Thursday, February 5, Festival de Bellas Artes at the NHCC (upper grades) Friday, February 13, 5:30 Sock Hop Wednesday, March 25, 5:30 Poetry slam Thursday, March 26, 5:30 Kindergarten open house and information night Wednesday, April 22, 5:30 Earth Day/Science Event Tuesday, May 5, 5:30 Cinco de Mayo Celebration Friday, May 8, 5:30 Summer Literacy Kick-Off Event

1 st grade update: Our 1 st grade teacher position was posted this week, and the

1 st grade team and I will begin interviewing next week! I’ll keep you posted as soon as we find the perfect teacher. Once we request a teacher, it can still take a week or more for APS to finish the hiring paperwork and have the teacher cleared and ready to begin. But we’re getting closer! In the meantime, we have the wonderful Ms. Beckie keeping things moving along beautifully with our awesome 1 st grade team.

From the National Hispanic Cultural Center: Join us this Saturday (tomorrow!) for some hands-on art -¡Vamos al Museo! Paper Arts with Catalina Salinas Saturday, September 6, 2014, 10:30 am - 12 pm, NHCC Art Museum and Pete V. Domenici Education Building Free!!! You can register, or just show up! To register leave a message for Elsa Menéndez: (505) 246-2261 ext. 189 or [email protected]. This is a fun and engaging docent and artist-led family program. Families (limited to 25 participants) get a short museum tour focused on an art form, source inspiration, artist or type of material. Following the tour, the whole family can create their own artwork in the Pete V. Domenici Education Building Messy Classroom. This Saturday participants will be working with artist Catalina Salinas to use scrap and recycled papers to make flowers, cards, and decorations. Join us to make some art that you can take home with you!

Thank you!!! Thank you to Ms. Vangie and Mr. Aram and their wonderful kids for helping put the cafeteria back together after our Open House. We are grateful for your extra help!

ª 2ª Principal Chat: Today was our first ª2ª Principal Chat. We shared a wonderful intimate conversation, coffee, and muffins. Topics ranged from our school grade, to staffing, to sharing information about the story in the newspaper about copy allocations. Our October Chat is Friday, October 3 rd, but our November Chat will depart from our regular 1 st Friday (I have a principal meeting that day) and will be the previous Friday instead…. Halloween! Come be part of the excited energy, and enjoy spooktacular treats.

Drop-off and Pick-up Times : Please do not drop children off on the school playground before 8:30 a.m. We do not have anyone on duty until that time. Breakfast service begins in the cafeteria at 8:25 a.m. After-school duties are until about 3:45 p.m.

Volunteers/Chaperones for Field Trip: Anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips must be cleared with a background check through APS. The clearance is good for two years. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge. If you get cleared now, you will be good-to-go for the next two school years. It can take about 1-2 weeks for your clearance to come through. If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know, and we can help you!

Mrs. Konash’s Korner Word of the Week: Rolling (Motor Skills)

K, 1 st, and 2 nd grade will be learning how to roll all sizes of balls. Each class will then be introduced to different rolling lead-up games (i.e., bowling).

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:9/5/14

Weekly News 8/29 August 29, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

Things are hopping here at school! All of our students have now gotten a chance to rotate through all four of their “specials” classes. On Mondays and Tuesdays, all students receive 45 minutes of instruction in PE from Ms. Konash, and library from Ms. Inskeep and Ms. Hunter. On Thursdays and Fridays, all students receive 45 minutes of instruction in technology from Ms. Elaine and Ms. Laura, and music from Ms. Hunter. Our specials teachers may all be only part-time on our campus, but they are all critical for our full-time education of wellrounded children. We are truly lucky to have so many caring adults adding to our students’ lives.

We are also extra-lucky here at Lew Wallace to have a bilingual certified teacher at every grade-level. Notes about our bilingual classes came home earlier this week, and we will begin putting our Spanish classes together right away.

School grades were released earlier this summer. The New Mexico Public Education Department assigns grades to every school in the state. Lew Wallace received a D grade for the third year in a row. We’ll talk more about this and what it means for our school community at our Open House/Title 1 Annual Meeting next Wednesday. The school letter grade is 90% based upon the state test scores of our previous year’s 3 rd, 4 th, and 5 th graders, and 10% based on a student-survey called Opportunity to Learn. This previous year, New Mexico curriculum was all centered on the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS); however, the state test was the SBA, which actually measured progress on the old New Mexico State Standards, despite not using them in our classrooms. This coming year, New Mexico will roll out the PARCC assessment, which will measure the standards that we are teaching. We’ll try to help make some sense of all of this next week, and I’ll continue to be available to answer questions both at the ª 2ª Principal Chat on September 5 th at 9:00 a.m., and whenever else you want to talk.

What I do know is that I have seen tremendous teaching and learning and growing going on here at Lew Wallace over the past 13 months, and I can say without reservation that our school grade does not adequately reflect the awesomeness that happens here every single day. I am deeply proud to be here at this school with this amazing community. Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

1 st grade update: APS is still moving teachers between schools as some are facing declining enrollment, while others are growing. Here at Lew Wallace, we are at capacity, so we won’t be growing any more, but we are still waiting to find out our long-term 1 st grade teacher placement. In the meantime, our 1 st grade teacher team is remarkable. Ms. Torres, Ms. Aguilar, and Ms. Beckie are planning together, keeping all three classes well-paced and humming along. I am so grateful for them! 1 st grade students did a special project today with Ms. Mona, Ms. Margarita, and myself while their teachers collaborated on curriculum and learning goals for the next weeks.

Important Dates: The first few newsletters will list all of our evening events so you can get them on your family calendar. Normally you will just see all the events coming up for the next few weeks. Monday, Sept 1 – Labor Day, no school Wednesday, Sept 3, 5:30 p.m. – Lew Wallace Open House and Title 1 Annual Mtg Friday, Sept 5 9:00 a.m. – ª2ª principal chat Monday, Sept 15 – 5 th gr field trip to Sandia Mountains Thursday, Sept 18, 5:30 p.m. – Science Night with Sandia Labs! Thursday, October 2, 6:30-8:00 p.m. – Explora Night! Friday, October 24, Fall Festival Wednesday, November 19, 5:30 p.m. Tech Night Wednesday, December 10, 5:30 p.m. Literacy Make ‘n’ Take Night/Book Fair Thursday, January 8, 5:30 Middle school transition information/sharing for parents Wednesday, January 21, 5:30, Family math night Thursday, February 5, Festival de Bellas Artes at the NHCC (upper grades) Friday, February 13, 5:30 Sock Hop Wednesday, March 25, 5:30 Poetry slam Thursday, March 26, 5:30 Kindergarten open house and information night Wednesday, April 22, 5:30 Earth Day/Science Event Tuesday, May 5, 5:30 Cinco de Maya Celebration Friday, May 8, 5:30 Summer Literacy Kick-Off Event

ª 2ª Principal Chat: The first Friday of every month at 9:00 a.m. is a monthly informal meeting with the principal and other parents to talk about what’s going on at the school. This is a chance to ask questions, connect with other parents, and discuss educational issues. Come enjoy a cup of coffee, good company, and lively conversation.

Drop-off and Pick-up Times: Please do not drop children off on the school playground before 8:30 a.m. We do not have anyone on duty until that time. We do have Parks & Rec and RGEC on-campus for child care if you need earlier coverage. Breakfast service begins in the cafeteria at 8:25 a.m. After-school duties are until about 3:45 p.m. If you arrive later than that, your children will be waiting safely in the office

Volunteers/Chaperones for Field Trip: Anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips must be cleared with a background check through APS. The clearance is good for two years. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge. If you get cleared now, you will be good-to-go for the next two school years. It can take about 1-2 weeks for your clearance to come through. If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know, and we can help you!

Mrs. Konash’s Korner

3 rules of Physical Education at Lew Wallace..... BE ACTIVE, SAFETY, RESPECT In all things we do in P.E.

Active: "Move to learn and learn to move", Safety: Yourself, others, and the environment. Respect: Yourself, school equipment, and staff and students. Keep moving!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:8/29/14

Weekly News 8/22 August 22, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

Welcome to our new kindergarten families, and to all our new Lew Wallace parents! Kindergarten started on Monday, and it has been wonderful to have all our little people in the building, working and happy. Despite being such a small school, we also have about ten new families joining us from the neighborhood this year. We are delighted to have all of you with us.

I am deeply committed to communication, and I will send this newsletter home every single Friday, no matter what. As a mom myself, I struggle to feel connected with my own kids’ educations when I don’t know when important information is coming home, or I don’t get school dates on my calendar until too late. I will send this information home to you each Friday on paper in your child’s backpack, and it is also published to our school website and school Facebook page, as well as emailed to those of you who have shared your email address with us. I find that email is particularly helpful for two-household families. If you would like to add your email to our list, let us know in the office.

I am usually going a kajillion miles an hour at school, but I am always happy to stop and sit down and chat for a few minutes, or answer your calls. The easiest method to catch me directly is via email – I’m pretty good about checking and responding quickly.

This is YOUR school, and we want to work in partnership with you to make it an awesome experience for your kids, both with high academic achievement, and also with strong emotional and social skills. Please be in touch any time!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio

1 st grade update: Our 1 st grade class started on Tuesday with the fabulous Ms.

Beckie. Ms. Beckie taught 1 st grade last year for Ms. Nava’s class when Ms. Nava had her baby, and she began this school year teaching alongside Ms. Torres and Ms. Aguilar. Things are moving beautifully in her new class, and all students were hard back-at-work within minutes. APS is still placing teachers, so we don’t yet know who will be the long-term teacher for that class. We have an abundance of students here at Lew Wallace, but some schools have shrinking populations, so teachers may need to be moved between schools. Once the district-wide shifts are handled, we will find out if we are having a teacher assigned to us, or if we will be hiring for that position. In the meantime, we are feeling incredibly blessed to have our own in-house expert to keep our new 1 st grade class humming!

Important Dates: The first few newsletters will list all of our evening events so you can get them on your family calendar. Normally you will just see all the events coming up for the next few weeks. Monday, Sept 1 – Labor Day, no school Wednesday, Sept 3, 5:30 p.m. – Lew Wallace Open House and Title 1 Annual Mtg Friday, Sept 5 9:00 a.m. – ª2ª principal chat Monday, Sept 15 – 5 th gr field trip to Sandia Mountains Thursday, Sept 18, 5:30 p.m. – Science Night with Sandia Labs! Thursday, October 2, 6:30-8:00 p.m. – Explora Night! Friday, October 24, Fall Festival Wednesday, November 19, 5:30 p.m. Tech Night Wednesday, December 10, 5:30 p.m. Literacy Make ‘n’ Take Night/Book Fair Thursday, January 8, 5:30 Middle school transition information/sharing for parents Wednesday, January 21, 5:30, Family math night Thursday, February 5, Festival de Bellas Artes at the NHCC (upper grades) Friday, February 13, 5:30 Sock Hop Wednesday, March 25, 5:30 Poetry slam Thursday, March 26, 5:30 Kindergarten open house and information night Wednesday, April 22, 5:30 Earth Day/Science Event Friday, May 8, 5:30 Summer Literacy Kick-Off Event

ª 2ª Principal Chat: The first Friday of every month at 9:00 a.m. is a monthly informal meeting with the principal and other parents to talk about what’s going on at the school. This is a chance to ask questions, connect with other parents, and discuss educational issues. Come enjoy a cup of coffee, good company, and lively conversation.

School Supplies Give-Away: APS will be handing out school supplies to students in need tomorrow, Saturday, August 23, starting at 8:00 a.m at Milne Stadium. These supplies tend to go very, very quickly, so if you decide to participate, get there early! Milne Stadium is east of I-25, just south of Coal, at the corner of Hazeldine and Oak. The bags will include crayons, glue, paper, spiral notebooks, etc.

Volunteers/Chaperones for Field Trip: Anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips must be cleared with a background check through APS. The clearance is good for two years. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge. If you get cleared now, you will be good-to-go for the next two school years. It can take about 1-2 weeks for your clearance to come through. If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know, and we can help you!

P.E. word for week 2, from Mrs. Konash: SCHEDULE Each student will have Physical Education(P.E.) one 45 minutes class a week. Monday or Tuesday are the two days of the week that I teach P.E. Your student should have received a packet from me on Wednesday. In the P.E. packet you will find information about the P.E. program at Lew Wallace. Please read the information and post the day reminder somewhere in your home. Read and sign the information page at the bottom and send it with your student to bring to P.E.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:8/23/14

Weekly News 8/15 August 15, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

It’s hard to believe that summer is officially over! We had an awesome session of K3+ summer school here, and it was nice to have the building full of students. Everybody came back ready to work and dig in with students. I am feeling really good about this school year! We have three fabulous new staff members. Ms. Aregmi Aguilar is teaching 1 st grade while Ms. Nava is out on maternity leave until March. I met Ms. Aguilar when we were both at Washington Middle School several years ago. She worked with the Enlace program, and was a passionate advocate for kids preparing for college. Ms. Heather Hunter is our new job-share librarian (along with Mrs. Inskeep). She is also the librarian at Osuna Elementary School. We are excited to have both of these awesome teachers joining us! And Ms. Woodworth will be our music teacher for the WHOLE year! She and APS Fine Arts graciously agreed for her to be here for two days per week all year long rather than coming only second semester, and we are completely thrilled!

When you came for registration, you may have noticed signs all over the school stating “Per APS policy, class lists are not final until the 20 th day.” Since we are such a small school, we don’t have much wiggle room when we have more or fewer students than we expected. Because we are also such an awesome school, everybody wants to come here! While this is a great problem, we did have to close our transfers at 1 st through 5 th grade, and we only kept students who already attended Lew Wallace, and added students in the neighborhood.

Our numbers are so high in 1 st grade that we are creating a third 1 st grade class. It is always a difficult thing to get started in one classroom and have to move to another, but we will be rewarded with small classes where students can get much better attention from their teachers. We chose students via lottery in a way that keeps all three classes wellbalanced (boys/girls, academic levels, language needs, behavioral needs, etc.).

I’m excited to get to work with you, and with your students, and with this phenomenal staff. We are indeed a lucky community! Be in touch any time if you have questions.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates: The first few newsletters will list all of our evening events so you can get them on your family calendar. Normally you will just see all the events coming up for the next few weeks.

Monday, Aug 18 – 1st day of kindergarten Monday, Sept 1 – Labor Day, no school Wednesday, Sept 3, 5:30 p.m. – Lew Wallace Open House and Title 1 Annual Mtg Friday, Sept 5 9:00 a.m. – ª2ª principal chat Monday, Sept 15 – 5th gr field trip to Sandia Mountains Thursday, Sept 18, 5:30 p.m. – Science Night with Sandia Labs! Thursday, October 2, 6:00-7:30 p.m. – Explora Night! Friday, October 24, Fall Festival Wednesday, November 19, 5:30 p.m. Tech Night Wednesday, December 10, 5:30 p.m. Literacy Make ‘n’ Take Night/Book Fair Thursday, January 8, 5:30 Middle school transition information/sharing for parents Wednesday, January 21, 5:30, Family math night Thursday, February 5, Festival de Bellas Artes at the NHCC (upper grades) Friday, February 13, 5:30 Sock Hop Wednesday, March 25, 5:30 Poetry slam Thursday, March 26, 5:30 Kindergarten open house and information night Wednesday, April 22, 5:30 Earth Day/Science Event Friday, May 8, 5:30 Summer Literacy Kick-Off Event

Principal Chat: The first Friday of every month at 9:00 a.m. is a monthly informal meeting with the principal and other parents to talk about what’s going on at the school. This is a chance to ask questions, connect with other parents, and discuss educational issues. Come enjoy a cup of coffee, good company, and lively conversation.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION WORD OF THE WEEK: TENNIS SHOES: Tennis shoes, athletics shoes and sneakers are the only correct and safe shoes to wear to P.E. A student must have the correct shoes on in order to participate in P.E. All tennis shoes, athletics shoes and sneakers must be tied or have Velcro fasteners to hold the foot in the shoe. The shoe must cover the entire foot for SAFETY reasons.

Volunteers/Chaperones for Field Trip: Anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips must be cleared with a background check through APS. The clearance is good for two years. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge. If you get cleared now, you will be good-to-go for the next two school years. It can take about 1-2 weeks for your clearance to come through. If you need help getting through the website, or if you are having any challenges, please let us know in the office, and we can help you!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:8/15/14

School Supply Lists Attachments: School Supply Lists

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:7/16/14

REGISTRATION Registration for the upcoming school year will be held on Thursday August 7th from 9am - 12pm. Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:7/15/14

PTA needs your help! Are you available to help PTA with your amazing skills? We are looking for people who would like to volunteer to be on the board as well as other positions that don't require as much time. Please stop by the office to let us know or e mail Miss Hernandez at [email protected] if you're interested. Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:7/14/14

Weekly News 5/9 May 5, 2014 Lew Wallace Elementary School, I have thoroughly enjoyed my stay at your school teaching art to your children through the district’s Fine Arts program. During the time I have been here, the children have learned about basic art principles such as line, form, shape and color. It has been a wonderful experience. I hope that your child has shared with you some of the things we have talked about in art as well as their great projects. We made some fantastic drawings, pastels and sculptures, just to name a few. There are many things you can do to help your child maintain his or her interest in art. They include encouraging your child to paint or draw to express their feelings, working with them to create visually interesting school projects and exposing them to your own rich cultural art traditions. It truly helps them to express themselves and to open their minds. If you feel that the art experience your child has had through the Fine Arts program has been beneficial for your student, you could share that with your Board of Education member. Please thank him for supporting the arts in our schools and encourage him to continue that support. Board members are always gratified to know that their actions made a positive difference. The Board member for Lew Wallace is Lorenzo Garcia. You can reach him in any of the following ways: US Mail: Lorenzo Garcia APS Board of Education Office PO Box 25704 Albuquerque, NM 87125 E-mail: [email protected] Thank you for supporting the arts in your homes, with your children and in our community. Your support does make a difference. Sincerely, Matthew Gates Art Teacher, APS Fine Arts Department [email protected] Important Dates: Tonight, 5/9 – Family Dance/Summer Literacy Kick-Off & BBQ!!!!!!! 5/12 – National Book Week, thank a librarian 5/12 – Ms. Rita’s field trip to the Planetarium 5/12 – 5:30 Jungle Rock, a musical comedy performed by the Lew Wallace Drama Club 5/13 – STAR Student Lunch 5/14 – 2:00 Meeting about after-school clubs for next year. 5/15 – 5th Grade Field Trip!!! 3rd and 4th graders also have field trips. 5/16 – Kindergarten Graduation!!! 5/20 – 5:30 p.m. Native American Student Recognition at the Zoo 5/20 – K/1st/2nd Talent Show 2:00 5/21 – 3rd/4th/5th Talent Show 9:30 5/22 – 9:30 5th Grade Promotion & Awards 5/22 – LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! Dismissal at 1:00 p.m. 6/18 – First day of K-3+ at Lew Wallace, and first day of 4th/5th/6th APS Summer Schools at various other sites. 7/24 – Last day of K-3+ 8/13 – First day of school for 2014-2015!

Volunteers/Chaperones for Field Trips: Remember – Anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips MUST be cleared with a background check through APS. The clearance is good for two years, so if you haven’t already gotten cleared, consider doing so now so you’ll be good to go for the next school year. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge. Thank you!!!: Thank you thank you thank you to Ernie Martinez, Julian Mares, Harold Pacheco, and Don Wheeler. These wonderful gentleman have been working their tails off getting our campus beautiful in time for our Family Summer Literacy Kick-Off Celebration tonight. They have been pulling weeds that are taller than kids, sweeping, raking, power-washing, beautifying, fixing, and making things wonderful around here. We are grateful from the bottoms of our hearts for their many, many days of work and dedication to our school. Please give these men a round of applause and a great big thanks if you see them. K-3+ Summer School: All incoming kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students who applied for our K-3+ p program are automatically enrolled in it. About 90% of our students signed up, so we will have two 1st grade, two 2nd grade, and two 3rd grade classes, as well as one kindergarten class. If you did not sign up, but would like to have your child included, let us know in the office and we’ll get you the forms. Yearbooks: Yearbooks are $15 in the office. There are only about 20 yearbooks left, so get yours soon!

Summer Programs at Lew Wallace Parks & Rec – whole days and after-K-3+: June 2nd through July 31st. Registration in late May. More information to come! K3+ Summer School: Regular school days for incoming K/1st/2nd/3rd grade students, 6/18-7/24.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage Weekly News 5/2 May 2, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

Published:5/9/14

What a wonderful Family Science Night we had last night. The kids’ science projects were wonderful and gross and so rich. The cafeteria was filled with snakes and lizards and parrots, and even a monitor lizard on a leash! La Montanita Co-Op supplied snacks, and we had science experiments for kids and families. Thank you to all who participated, and to our fabulous Science Team for hosting. If you filled out a form for K-3+, your child is automatically enrolled. Forms will come home next week. We are planning and staffing like crazy! In addition to regular classes, we’ll have PE, Art (with Mr. Gates), Technology (with Ms. Elaine and Ms. Laura), and Library! The school days will look exactly like regular-year school days: 8:37-3:35, and early-release at 12:30 on Wednesdays. Breakfast will be served at about 8:15 each day for students who eat breakfast at school. I’ll be here as the principal, Ms. Christina will be here as our Instructional Coach, and Ms. Rose will be the summer secretary. We’re sad and excited to be saying goodbye to our 5 th graders as they get ready to transition to middle school. Their end-of-the-year celebration will be at Isleta Fun Center on Friday, May 15 th . We are still short on funds for this trip, so we are asking for $10 donations from anyone who wants to support our fabulous 5 th graders. Their promotion ceremony will be at 9:30 a.m. on the last day of school. We will also celebrate our kindergarteners graduating on Friday, May 16 th . So much fun! There are only 13½ school days left. Hang on to your hats!!!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates: 5/5 – Cafeteria Workers’ Day 5/6 – National Teachers’ Day 5/7 – School Nurses’ Day 5/8 – 8:00 a.m. Planning meeting for the Family Dance/Summer Literacy kick-off & BBQ in Ms. Hernandez’ room. 5/9 – Family Dance/Summer Literacy Kick-Off & BBQ!!!!!!! 5/12 – National Book Week, thank a librarian 5/12 – 5:30 Jungle Rock, a musical comedy performed by the Lew Wallace Drama Club Please note this is a date change from 5/5. 5/13 – STAR Student Lunch 5/15 – 5th Grade Field Trip!!! 5/16 – Kindergarten Graduation 5/20 – 5:30 p.m. Native American Student Recognition at the Zoo 5/20 – K/1st/2nd Talent Show 2:00 5/21 – 3rd/4th/5th Talent Show 9:30 5/22 – 9:30 5th Grade Promotion & Awards 5/22 – LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! 6/18 – First day of K-3+ at Lew Wallace, and first day of 4th/5th/6th APS Summer Schools at various other sites. 7/24 – Last day of K-3+ 8/13 – First day of school for 2014-2015!

Volunteers/Chaperones for Field Trips Remember – Anybody who works with students or accompanies a class for field trips MUST be cleared with a background check through APS. The clearance is good for two years, so if you haven’t already gotten cleared, consider doing so now so you’ll be good to go for the next school year. The website is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. There is a $12 charge.

Thank you!!! Thank you to David and Jennifer Payne, Calvin’s parents, for bringing and distributing the wonderful healthy snacks at Science Night! David works for La Montanita Co-Op, who supplied the yummy treats. We are grateful for the support of La Montanita, and the time and dedication of David and Jennifer at Science Night!

K-3+ Summer School All incoming kindergarten, 1st, 2nd , and 3rd grade students who applied for our K-3+ program are automatically enrolled in it. About 90% of our students signed up, so we will have two 1st grade, two 2nd grade, and two 3rd grade classes, as well as one kindergarten class. If you did not sign up, but would like to have your child included, let us know in the office and we’ll get you the forms. Classes will be taught by our very own Lew Wallace teachers and teachers from other schools, for regularly scheduled school days, June 18 through July 24. Here’s a link to more information about K-3+: http://www.aps.edu/news/k3-summer-program-keeps-our-youngest-kidslearning

Incoming Kindergarteners If you have any 5 year olds, or know of any neighborhood incoming kindergarteners, please have them get in touch with the office for kindergarten pre-registration and information about summer Kindergarten

Summer Programs at Lew Wallace Parks & Rec – whole days and after-K-3+: June 2nd through July 31st. Registration in late May. More information to come! K3+ Summer School: Regular school days for incoming K/1st/2nd/3rd grade students, 6/18-7/24.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:5/2/14

Weekly News 4/25 April 25, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

I hope you all had a wonderful and restful spring break. I survived my sinus surgery, and am itching to return to school with your wonderful children on Monday. I was able to pop in for just a few minutes on Wednesday this week to say thank you to our wonderful office staff, Ms. Rose and Ms. Mary, as we honored them with a luncheon for Administrative Professionals Day. Ms. Mary actually missed the gathering because she was in Denver meeting her brand new grandchild, Lorenzo Antonio, who was born on Tuesday morning. So huge thanks to both Rose and Mary for all they do to make Lew Wallace a safe, inviting, and well-run school, and congratulations to Mary and family for the new grandson! There are only 18½ school days left! Our challenge is to keep students from getting in vacation mode before it’s time. We have so many field trips, and special events, and fun experiences coming up, as well as a myriad of assessments, tests, projects, and presentations. Please help us keep students in “school-mode” by continuing to monitor that they aren’t bringing toys or knick-knacks to school, that the dress-code is being adhered to, and that students are on-time to school every day. I hope to see you all at school next Thursday, May 1 st at 5:30 p.m. in the gym for our awesome Family Science Night! We’ll have experiments, displays, demonstrations, hands-on activities, and yummy healthy foods for you to try. Bring your whole family, and come be like Einstein!!! Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates: 4/26 – 8:00-12:00, Battle of the Books at Edward Gonzales ES 4/29 – STAR student lunch 5/1 – 8:00 a.m. Planning meeting for the Family Dance/Summer Literacy kick-off & BBQ in Ms. Hernandez’ room. 5/1 – 5:30 Family Science Night 5/5 – Cafeteria Workers’ Day 5/6 – National Teachers’ Day 5/7 – School Nurses’ Day 5/8 – 8:00 a.m. Planning meeting for the Family Dance/Summer Literacy kick-off & BBQ in Ms. Hernandez’ room. 5/9 – Family Dance/Summer Literacy Kick-Off & BBQ!!!!!!! 5/12 – National Book Week, thank a librarian 5/12 – 5:30 Jungle Rock, a musical comedy performed by the Lew Wallace Drama Club Please note this is a date change from 5/5. 5/13 – STAR Student Lunch 5/16 – Kindergarten Graduation 5/20 – 5:30 p.m. Native American Student Recognition at the Zoo 5/22 – LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! 6/18 – First day of K-3+ at Lew Wallace, and first day of 4th/5th/6th APS Summer Schools at various other sites. 7/24 – Last day of K-3+ 8/13 – First day of school for 2014-2015!

End-of-Course Exams for 4th/5th grade: 4th graders will take a PE end-ofcourse exam over two PE classes April 28 through May 9th . LWES students have been exempted from taking the Art end-of-course exams since we only received a half-year of art instruction. Thank you!!! Thank you to Phillip Reu for sharing his amazing science talents with several of our classrooms. Mr. Reu is the dad of Zhong, Ming, and Thanh. He came in and helped students calculate the speed of light using a slow motion camera. Students got to pop a water balloon and watch a ballistic from a Nerf gun in slo-mo. We’re grateful for you Mr. Reu!!! K-3+ Summer School: All incoming kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade students who applied for our K-3+ program are automatically enrolled in it. About 90% of our students signed up, so we will have two 1st grade, two 2nd grade, and two 3rd grade classes, as well as one kindergarten class. If you did not sign up, but would like to have your child included, let us know in the office and we’ll get you the forms. Classes will be taught by our very own Lew Wallace teachers, for regularly scheduled school days, June 18 through July 24. Incoming Kindergarteners: If you have any 5 year olds, or know of any neighborhood incoming kindergarteners, please have them get in touch with the office for kindergarten pre-registration and information about summer Kindergarten Yearbooks: We still have a few more yearbooks available for order. They are $15, and you can purchase them in the office.

Summer Programs at Lew Wallace: Parks & Rec – whole days and after-K-3+: June 2nd through July 31st. Registration in late May. More information to come! K3+ Summer School: Regular school days for incoming K/1st/2nd/3rd grade students, 6/18-7/24.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:4/25/14

Weekly News 4/11 April 11, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

We did it! We made it to Spring Break!!! A reminder that I will be having sinus surgery over Spring Break, and will be out of school the first week after school is back in session. My plan is to return on April 28 th once the bandages come off. We will have an on-call administrator keeping an eye on things. Sharon Olguin works at APS City Center and leads the Alliance for Learning and Leadership program. I will still be checking my email constantly, so you can always reach me that way. I have no doubt that our capable staff will keep things running smoothly in my absence. If you are looking for something to keep your kids busy over Spring Break, consider putting them to work on a project for our Family Science Night. Our Science team has put together a fun, interactive night with Exotics of the Rainforest (coming with the animals), La Montanita Co-Op (brining healthy foods), the BioPark Bio Van and Zoo To You, and APS high-school students sharing interactive handson science projects. In addition, students are invited to bring and display either a science project display, a piece of recycled art, or an invention. Check out their flyer coming home today, and have fun being scientists over the break! I need to remind you that parents, family members, or ANYONE going on a field trip needs to be cleared in advance with an APS background check. It takes 1-2 weeks to get that clearance back, so you need to think ahead if you want to participate in any field trips. Our number one priority is always to keep kids safe, so everyone must be cleared by APS. To get on our list of approved chaperones, bring your clearance email or letter to the office and let Ms. Mary or Ms. Rose make a copy of it. If you do chaperone on a field trip, remember that you should not bring other children who are not in the class or other un-cleared guests. The website for that is www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps, and the cost is $13. Your clearance will be good for two years. If you need help navigating the system, I am happy to walk you through it when I am back at school. Enjoy every sweet minute of Spring Break, and I look forward to last 4½ weeks of school together when we return!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates: 4/11 – Mid-term Progress Reports home 4/11 – Kona Ice Truck here after school! 4/14-4/18 Spring Break. No School. 4/21 – Ortiz, Chavez, Hernandez, Kasprzak field trip to the NHCC for opera 4/22 – 5th gr field trip to Sandia Mtns 4/23 – Administrative Professionals Day Send a little extra love to Ms. Rose and Ms. Mary in the office!. 4/24 – 8:00 a.m. Planning meeting for the end-of-year Family Dance/Summer Literacy kick-off & BBQ in Ms. Hernandez’ room. 4/24 – Kindergarten field trip to the zoo 4/25 – Ms. Sonya’s class field trip 4/26 – 8:00-12:00, Battle of the Books at Edward Gonzales ES 4/29 – STAR student lunch 5/1 – 8:00 a.m. Planning meeting for the Family Dance/Summer Literacy kick-off & BBQ in Ms. Hernandez’ room. 5/1 – 5:30 Family Science Night Please note the date change from 4/24 5/5 – Cafeteria Workers’ Day 5/6 – National Teachers’ Day 5/7 – School Nurses’ Day 5/8 – 8:00 a.m. Planning meeting for the Family Dance/Summer Literacy kick-off & BBQ in Ms. Hernandez’ room. 5/9 – Family Dance/Summer Literacy Kick-Off & BBQ!!!!!!! 5/12 – National Book Week, thank a librarian 5/13 – STAR Student Lunch 5/16 – Kindergarten Graduation 5/20 – 5:30 p.m. Native American Student Recognition at the Zoo 5/22 – LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! 6/18 – First day of K-3+ at Lew Wallace, and first day of 4th/5th/6th APS Summer Schools at various other sites. 7/24 – Last day of K-3+

Thank you!!! Thank you to Vangie Luker for our phenomenal Navajo Taco dinner fundraiser last night! Vangie grew up on the Navajo Reservation. Thank you also to Ernie Martinez, our awesome PTA President and Lew Wallace dad for all his work in the kitchen and for organizing this fundraiser. We made over $500 to support students and classrooms. We are incredibly grateful for these dedicated parents and their mad cooking skills! Incoming Kindergarteners If you have any 5 year olds, or know of any neighborhood incoming kindergarteners, please have them get in touch with the office for kindergarten pre-registration and information about summer Kindergarten Yearbooks We still have a few more yearbooks available for order. They are $15, and you can purchase them in the office. End-of-Course Exams for 4th/5th grade 4th graders will take a PE end-of-course exam over two PE classes April 28 through May 9th. 5th graders will take an art end-of-course exam over two Art classes in May.

Summer Programs at Lew Wallace Parks & Rec – whole days and after-K-3+: June 2nd through July 31st. Registration in late May. More information to come! K3+ Summer School: Regular school days for incoming K/1st/2nd/3rd grade students, 6/18-7/24.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:4/11/14

Weekly News 4/4 April 4, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

Last week, I was so full of spring fever that I wrote that we only had one more week of school before Spring Break. Well, I have to say it again, because we still have one more week of school before Spring Break. J But, after next week, it’s Spring Break for REALS! No school from April 14 th to April 18 th. School resumes on April 21 st, followed by 4½ weeks of busybusybusy learning before summer. I will be having sinus surgery over Spring Break, and will continue to be out of school the first week after school is back in session. My plan is to return on April 28 th once the bandages come off. We will have an on-call administrator keeping an eye on things. Sharon Olguin works at APS City Center and leads the Alliance for Learning and Leadership program. She was also my mentor when I did my administrative licensure, and is an all-around awesome person. I will still be checking my email constantly, so you can always reach me that way. I have no doubt that our capable staff will have things running smoothly, and Ms. Mary and Ms. Rose will keep the school humming. I am writing this newsletter to you on Thursday night, shortly after I used the School Messenger system to send you all the robocall about the protest downtown tomorrow. I am feeling very confident that we have strong systems in place, staff who are incredibly devoted to children’s safety, and a larger community (including APS Police) that will rally to surround us with care. Know also, that we all respect your need, as parents and grandparents and family members, to do whatever you have to do to feel safe and secure with your kids. Any students out today, or who leave early today, will have it counted as an excused absence, and will be able to make-up any work they miss. After last weekend’s protest, we are all feeling a little bit more wary. Take care of each other this weekend, and be safe. Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates: 4/4 – 4:00-7:00 APS “Art is Elementary” Opening Reception at Expo New Mexico 4/7-4/11 – 5th Grade Health and Human Development unit 4/10 – 8:00 a.m., Planning meeting for the end-of-year Family Dance/Summer Literacy Kick-Off & BBQ in Ms. Hernandez’ room 4/10 – 5:00 Navajo Taco dinner fundraiser at Lew Wallace 4/11 – Mid-term Progress Reports home 4/11 – Kona Ice Truck here after school! 4/14-4/18 Spring Break. No School. 4/23 – Administrative Professionals Day Send a little extra love to Ms. Rose and Ms. Mary in the office!. 4/24 – 8:00 a.m. Planning meeting for the end-of-year Family Dance/Summer Literacy kick-off & BBQ in Ms. Hernandez’ room. 4/25 – STAR student lunch 4/26 – 8:00-12:00, Battle of the Books at Edward Gonzales ES 5/1 – 8:00 a.m. Planning meeting for the Family Dance/Summer Literacy kick-off & BBQ in Ms. Hernandez’ room. 5/1 – 5:30 Family Science Night Please note the date change from 4/24 5/5 – Cafeteria Workers’ Day 5/6 – National Teachers’ Day 5/7 – School Nurses’ Day 5/8 – 8:00 a.m. Planning meeting for the Family Dance/Summer Literacy kick-off & BBQ in Ms. Hernandez’ room. 5/9 – Family Dance/Summer Literacy Kick-Off & BBQ!!!!!!! 5/12 – National Book Week, thank a librarian 5/16 – Kindergarten Graduation 5/16 – STAR Student Lunch 5/20 – 5:30 p.m. Native American Student Recognition at the Zoo 5/22 – LAST DAY OF SCHOOL! 6/18 – First day of K-3+ at Lew Wallace, and first day of 4th/5th/6th APS Summer Schools at various other sites. 7/24 – Last day of K-3+

Thank you!!! Thank you to Kynneth Wilson, Tazhe and Marquel’s dad. He volunteers in Ms. Henson’s class, and has even been a chaperone for other classes when they didn’t have enough parents. We are grateful! Yearbooks: We still have a few more yearbooks available for order. They are $15, and you can purchase them in the office. Incoming Kindergarteners: If you have any 5 year olds, or know of any neighborhood incoming kindergarteners, please have them get in touch with the office for kindergarten pre-registration and information about summer Kindergarten Phones and School Messenger: When you receive a call from the school, please check your voice mail before calling us back. Often it is a robocall with an important message, but our phones get jammed with parents calling us to find out. Also, some of our extensions changed. Be sure you listen to the outgoing message before you punch in any extensions. However, -0- will still get you to the front desk.

Summer Programs at Lew Wallace Parks & Rec – whole days and after-K-3+: June 2nd through July 31st. Registration in late May. More information to come! K3+ Summer School: Regular school days for incoming K/1st/2nd/3rd grade students, 6/18-7/24.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:4/4/14

Weekly News 3/28 March 28, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

5 th Grade Parents: We are getting ready for our spring 5 th grade Health and Human Development Unit. This is a time we talk to kids about puberty, development, and hygiene. The materials we use come from Discovery Education, which is APS’s science resource for curriculum. We will have a preview and Q&A opportunity for parents next Tuesday, April 1 st, at 4:00 p.m. If you cannot attend at that time, but have questions, or would like to preview the videos we’ll be using, be in touch, and we’ll be happy to arrange a time for you. All Families: It is budget time in APS, and here at Lew Wallace we have been busy setting our budget for the 2014-2015 school year. This is done with input from staff, our instructional council, and families. I will have our draft budget available for parents to review on Tuesday, April 1 st at 4:00 p.m. (in conjunction with our 5 th grade parent meeting), on Thursday, April 3 rd at 8:00 a.m. (in conjunction with our Family Dance planning meeting), and on Wednesday, April 2 nd at 12:45 at our staff meeting. If you would like to see our plan, review our draft budget, or if you have input, please plan on dropping in at any of those times, or be in touch with me to arrange for another time. Spring Break is around the corner, and we are all ready for it! This is the first year that APS is doing it in April so as to avoid conflicts with testing, but it will continue to be in April for the foreseeable future. We have one more week of school, which includes several field trips and presentations. And then we will have no school from April 14 th to April 18 th . School resumes on April 21 st, followed by 4½ weeks of busybusybusy learning before summer. Hold on to your hats… it’ll be a wild ride!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates: 4/1 – 4:00 Optional meeting for 5th grade parents about the upcoming 5th grade Health and Human Development unit 4/3 – 8:00 a.m., Planning meeting for the end-of-year Family Dance/Summer Literacy Kick-Off & BBQ in Ms. Hernandez’ room 4/4 – 4:00-7:00 APS “Art is Elementary” Opening Reception at Expo New Mexico 4/7-4/11 – 5th Grade Health and Human Development unit 4/10 – 8:00 a.m., Planning meeting for the end-of-year Family Dance/Summer Literacy Kick-Off & BBQ in Ms. Hernandez’ room 4/10 – Navajo Taco dinner fundraiser at Lew Wallace 4/11 – Mid-term Progress Reports home 4/11 – Kona Ice Truck here after school! 4/14-4/18 Spring Break. No School. 4/23 – Administrative Professionals Day - Send a little extra love to Ms. Rose and Ms. Mary in the office! 4/24 – Science and Culture Fair, Family Night - Please note that these used to be two separate events that have been combined into one. 4/26 – 8:00-12:00, Battle of the Books at Edward Gonzales ES 5/5 – Cafeteria Workers’ Day 5/6 – National Teachers’ Day 5/7 – School Nurses’ Day 5/9 – Family Dance/Summer Literacy Kick-Off & BBQ!!!!!!! 5/12 – National Book Week, thank a librarian 5/16 – Kindergarten Graduation 5/20 – 5:30 p.m. Native American Student Recognition at the Zoo 5/22 – Last day of school!!! 6/18 – First day of K-3+ at Lew Wallace, and first day of 4th/5th/6th APS Summer Schools at various other sites.\

Incoming Kindergarteners: If you have any 5 year olds, or know of any neighborhood incoming kindergarteners, please have them get in touch with the office for kindergarten pre-registration and information about summer Kindergarten Thank you!!! Thank you to Rita Herrington, Brenda’s mom and Nickolas’ grandma. She went around our entire campus and picked up all the itty bitty little pieces of trash that littered our neighborhood. She gathered cigarette butts, papers, gum, glass, and other unsightly items. We are grateful for your support with keeping our block clean, and for keeping kids safe by picking up dangerous hazards! Thank you to SBA Proctors! Thank you again to Melanie Lewis, Alexandra Dye, Susan Courtright, Aram Krikorian, Dominica Rivera, and Mary Lou Maestas for supporting teachers and students during 3rd , 4th , and 5th grade SBA testing. We couldn’t have done it without you! Yearbooks: Yearbooks can still be ordered in the office for $15. Be sure to get your order in soon! Phones and School Messenger: When you receive a call from the school, please check your voice mail before calling us back. Much of the time it is a robocall with an important message, but our phones get jammed with parents calling us to find out. Also, some of our extensions changed. Be sure you listen to the outgoing message before you punch in any extensions. However, -0- will still get you to the front desk.

Summer Programs at Lew Wallace: Parks & Rec – whole days: June 2nd through July 31st. Registration in late May. More information to come! Rio Grande Educational Collaborative (RGEC): Whole days, and beforeand after-school care for our K3+ attendees. K3+ Summer School: Regular school days for incoming K/1st/2nd/3rd grade students, 6/18-7/24.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:3/28/14

Weekly News 3/21 March 21, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

So much is going on at school! Spring is here, and students are working and blooming like crazy. SBA testing is, for the most part, finished. We have make-ups to complete, but at least our schedules can go back to normal, and we are all breathing a huge sigh of relief. We are very, very proud of our 3 rd , 4 th , and 5 th grade students for staying focused and doing their best. Many of you have inquired about Ms. Nava – she had a beautiful baby girl named Effie, and both mama and baby are thriving. We have pictures in the office and in her classroom if you want to see this gorgeous little girl. Ms. Nava is off for the duration of the school year, and will be enjoying full-time motherhood through the summer. We are all so happy for them! At yesterday’s PTA meeting, we said thank you to Denine MorelosVaughn for being our past-president and for years of dedication and support. We also welcomed Ernie Martinez as our new PTA president, and are excited to have him at the helm. There are so many opportunities to serve through the PTA – be in touch if you can get involved. They will especially need volunteers to help plan our end-ofyear Family Celebration on May 9 th . The response with K3+ registrations has been extremely positive, and I received confirmation that every incoming kindergarten, 1 st, 2 nd , and 3 rd grade student who wants to attend will have a spot. As summer draws nearer, I will keep you posted!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates: 3/28 – STAR Student Lunch 4/1 – 4:00 Optional meeting for 5th grade parents about the 5th grade Health and Human Development unit 4/4 – 4:00-7:00 APS “Art is Elementary” Opening Reception at Expo New Mexico 4/11 – Mid-term Progress Reports home 4/14-4/18 Spring Break. No School. 4/23 – Administrative Professionals Day - Send a little extra love to Ms. Rose and Ms. Mary in the office! 4/24 – Science and Culture Fair, Family Night - Please note that these used to be two separate events that have been combined into one. 4/26 – 8:00-12:00, Battle of the Books at Edward Gonzales ES 5/5 – Cafeteria Workers’ Day 5/6 – National Teachers’ Day 5/7 – School Nurses’ Day 5/9 – Family Engagement Celebration of Learning & BBQ!!!! 5/12 – National Book Week, thank a librarian 5/16 – Kindergarten Graduation 5/20 – 5:30 p.m. Native American Student Recognition at the Zoo 5/22 – Last day of school!!! 6/18 – First day of K-3+ at Lew Wallace, and first day of 4th/5th/6th APS Summer Schools at various other sites.

Incoming Kindergarteners: If you have any 5 year olds, or know of any neighborhood incoming kindergarteners, please have them get in touch with the office for kindergarten pre-registration and information about summer Kindergarten

Thank you!!! We are so grateful for long-time Lew Wallace mom, Denine Morelos-Vaughn. She has been our PTA president this year, and a super-active PTA member for many years. As her daughter is getting ready to go on to middle school, she is handing over her PTA duties. She organized staff appreciations and monthly teacher breakfasts, raised money for kids, planned family events, the family dance, open house, PTA organization and recruitment, and so many other good things for our Lew Wallace community. Thank you thank you thank you for all your support and love Denine!!!!!!

Explora Memberships: We still have Explora Memberships to give away! If your family would make good use of a free year-long membership to Explora, please let us know in the office. And thank you to Explora for partnering with us!!!

Summer Programs at Lew Wallace: Parks & Rec – whole days: June 2nd through July 31st. Registration in late May. More information to come! Rio Grande Educational Collaborative (RGEC): Whole days, and beforeand after-school care for our K3+ attendees. K3+ Summer School: Regular school days for incoming K/1st/2nd/3rd grade students, 6/18-7/24.

Yearbooks: Yearbooks can still be ordered in the office for $15. Be sure to get your order in soon!

Phones and School Messenger: When you receive a call from the school, please check your voice mail before calling us back. Much of the time it is a robocall with an important message, but our phones get jammed with parents calling us to find out. Also, some of our extensions changed. Be sure you listen to the outgoing message before you punch in any extensions. However, -0- will still get you to the front desk.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:3/21/14

Navajo Taco Dinner Join us for a DELICIOUS Navajo taco fundraiser! We are having homemade Navajo tacos made in our cafeteria & we will be selling them for $4. You will get a taco & a bottle of water. Save the date: Thursday, April 10th at 5pm in the cafeteria Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:3/21/14

Family Dance - planning meeting The date for the Family Dance has been set - May 9th! Join us for the planning of it. We have a standing meeting time 8am on Thursday mornings in Miss Hernandez' class (room 212). Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:3/21/14

Weekly News 3/14 March 14, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

Parent/Teacher conferences were wonderful, and several teachers are reporting back that they had 100% attendance for their conferences. Congratulations to you, families, for being so dedicated and devoted! Hopefully you all were given the information to consider for our summer school K3+ program. I am super looking forward to getting to work with our K3+ kids all summer, and these kids will have a 5-week jump start on the school year when everyone else returns in August. If you didn’t get on the K3+ list, but would like to, or have questions, please be in touch. I just heard from Parks & Rec that they will also be running an all-day summer program from June 2 nd to July 31 st. They will hold registration in late May, and will send information home as it gets closer to the end of the year. Parks and Rec is also available for before- and after-school care for those students participating in K3+. Our 3 rd /4 th /5 th grade students have done a bang-up job on SBA testing so far, and I have been really, really proud of them. They are taking it seriously, doing their best, and staying focused. Our primary students have been cheering them on, being extra quiet in the halls, and sending them good vibes all day long. We have amazing parents and volunteers here that are helping to proctor – making sure classes have what they need, escorting students to the bathroom, keeping the building quiet and secure. A gazillion thank yous to Melanie Lewis, Alexandra Dye, Susan Courtright, Aram Krikorian, and Dominica Rivera. Our PTA is gearing up for some fun end-of-the-year activities, and really needs some new participants to join in, and even consider being on the board. With several of our officers moving on with graduating 5 th graders, it’s time to replenish those positions. Please consider attending the PTA meeting next Thursday, March 20 th at 5:00 in the library.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates: SBA State Testing continues (3rd/4th/5th gr) through 3/14 3/14 – Poetry Slam/Family Literacy Night 3/17 – 5:45 Dad’s Meeting in the Library 3/20 – 5:00, PTA meeting in the Library 3/28 – STAR Student Lunch 4/1 – 4:00 Optional meeting for 5th grade parents about the 5th grade Health and Human Development unit 4/11 – Mid-term Progress Reports home 4/14-4/18 Spring Break. No School. 4/24 – Science and Culture Fair, Family Night (Please note that these used to be two separate events that have been combined into one.)

PTA Updates: Our next PTA meeting will be next Thursday, March 20th , at 5:00 p.m. in the library. We have several officer positions that need to be filled, and some end-of-the-year events to be planned. Please join us, learn about how you can continue to support Lew Wallace kids, and consider serving on the PTA board. Mr. Ernie is back with us after his illness, and we are excited to have his renewed energy and enthusiasm to help guide us forward.

Incoming Kindergarteners: If you have any 5 year olds, or know of any neighborhood incoming kindergarteners, please have them get in touch with the office for kindergarten pre-registration and information about summer Kindergarten

Thank you!!! So grateful for Lew Wallace mom, Yvonne Baldonado, and the good people she works with at Probation and Parole. They provided us with jackets and supplies for kids who need them. Thank you for supporting our kids, and for partnering with your school!!!

DADS Group Meeting: Our Dad’s Group is full of awesome energy for greater dad involvement, sharing ideas for the school, connecting with other dads, and recruiting for a Dads’ Support/Patrol Group. Their next meeting will be Monday, March 17th at 5:45 p.m. Come and meet other dads, eat pizza, and get more information on the Dads’ Group for the school. Contact Ernie Martinez 730-9245, or Mr. DeLaO, [email protected] or 848-9409.

Explora Memberships: We still have Explora Memberships to give away! If your family would make good use of a free year-long membership to Explora, please let us know in the office. And thank you to Explora for partnering with us!!!

Summer Parks & Rec – whole days: June 2nd through July 31st. Registration in late May. More information to come!

Yearbooks: Yearbooks can still be ordered in the office for $15. Be sure to get your order in soon!

Phones and School Messenger: When you receive a call from the school, please check your voice mail before calling us back. Much of the time it is a robocall with an important message, but our phones get jammed with parents calling us to find out. Also, received new phones last week, and some of our extensions changed. Be sure you listen to the outgoing message before you punch in any extensions. However, -0- will still get you to the front desk.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:3/14/14

SBA Tips Dear Parents and Guardians, We will begin taking the Standards Based Assessment starting on Tuesday 3/10 – 3/21, in 3rd , 4th and 5th grades. It is extremely important that all children are present during this time. This assessment will provide us with important information, which will identify your child’s academic strengths and instructional needs. The results are used to determine our school grade by the Public Education Department. Here are some ways that you can help your child do their best. BE ON TIME! Don’t let your student be late! If they are late they will not be able to begin the test until the afternoon. REST! Your child needs to be well rested and alert to do well. Get them to bed on time or early, if possible, so that they are well rested. EAT WELL! Students need healthy food for energy. Thinking burns a lot of energy. A well-fed child will have the energy to go the distance on these tests. DRESS COMFORTABLY! A student with their favorite clothes on will feel their best and because they feel good, they will do well. TALK ABOUT THE TEST! Remind your children how important the tests are and encourage your child to do the best that they can. REDUCE STRESS! Students cannot concentrate if they are worried about other things. Try to reduce the amount of stress in their lives during this time. If something comes up, resolve the issue quickly so that your child does not worry about it during the day. Snack Schedule - Please plan on 28 servings We are asking that parents volunteer to send healthy snacks for students to enjoy during testing. Snacks can include: crackers, pretzels, popcorn, cheese, or cleaned and portioned fruit, or veggies. If your child’s last name begins with: A – E send snacks both Mondays during testing. F – J send snacks both Tuesdays during testing. K – O send snacks both Wednesdays during testing. P – T send snacks both Thursdays during testing. U – Z send snacks on Friday 3/14/14 during testing. Typically, we won’t test in the afternoon unless we are making up tests for students who are tardy or absent.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:3/7/14

Weekly News 2/28 February 28, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

We are super lucky to be getting a K3+ program this summer here at Lew Wallace! K3+ is a “jump start” program for incoming kindergarteners, 1 st graders, 2 nd graders, and 3 rd graders. Our own Lew Wallace teachers will teach those classes, and it will be just like a regular school time – the bell schedule is the same (with early-release Wednesdays still), students will have library, computers, art, and PE, and we’ll have a nurse, principal, secretary, instructional coach, etc. We are really excited for the opportunity, and hopeful that we’ll have lots of kids participating. Teachers will have the K3+ forms for every parent to sign at conferences, and on that form you will indicate if you would like your student to participate. The program runs from June 18 th to July 24 th , with July 3 rd and 4 th off for the holiday. Talk to your child’s teacher about it while you’re at conferences, and be in touch with me if you have further questions. On another note, our Explora night was such a smashing success that Explora has offered our school 30 memberships to give away. Their criteria for getting one of those memberships is this: 1. You commit to using the membership and attending frequently; and 2. You would not otherwise be in a position to purchase a membership. If this describes you, let us know! First priority goes to families who attended the Explora night with our school, and then we can draw from other families on the list. Call the school office or email me to get on that list. Looking forward to seeing you all at Parent/Teacher Conferences next week!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates: “Choose to Move” 6-week fitness program continues. Keep logging those minutes of exercise! Return the completed forms on Mondays for the next week’s form. 3/1 – APS Title 1 Family Conference, 9:00-2:30 Educational Assistant Appreciation Day! 3/10 – SBA State Testing begins (3rd/4th/5th gr) 3/5 – Downtown Neighborhood Assoc Mtg 3/6-3/7 – Parent/Teacher Conferences. NO CLASSES FOR STUDENTS. 3/10 5:00 p.m. – Dad’s Meeting 3/14 – Poetry Slam/Family Literacy Night 4/24 – Science Fair/Family Science Night 5/15 – Culture Fair/Family Soc. Studies Night

Parent/Teacher Conferences: Conferences are Thursday and Friday, March 6th and 7th . Remember that there is no school those days. Contact the office if you need a conference time. 6-week Fitness Challenge: “Choose to Move” is a 6-week fitness challenge for our Lew Wallace Community. Is your family (or you, or your student) doing 30-minutes of exercise 5-days per week? Or 150 minutes of exercise spread out over a week? Keep sending those forms back to let us know you’re participating and to be in the running for weekly prizes. Congrats to the Pilgrim Family for being our weekly winners and getting fit!!! Incoming Kindergarteners: If you have any 5 year olds, or know of any neighborhood incoming kindergarteners, please have them get in touch with the office for kindergarten pre-registration and information about K3+. Thank you!!! So grateful for Cathy Wylie. She has been coming on Wednesdays to help us with after-school parent pick-up duty. Thank you, Cathy, for the ways you help keep Lew Wallace kids safe!!! Yearbooks: Yearbooks can be ordered in the office for $15. Be sure to get your order in soon! Read Across America: Monday is Read Across America day. Students are encouraged to wear t-shirts that promote reading, or that have positive text on them. They can participate in the Favorite Book Cover Contest by making a poster of their favorite book and submitting it to Mr. DeLaO on Monday. The Kindness Club will judge all entries, and will have cake and books to give away. DADS Group Meeting: Our first Dad’s Group meeting contained ideas for greater dad involvement, sharing ideas for the school, connecting with other dads, and recruiting for a Dads’ Support/Patrol Group. Their second meeting will be Monday, March 10th at 5:00 p.m. Come and meet other dads, eat pizza, and get more information on the Dads’ Group for the school. Contact Ernie Martinez 730-9245, or Mr. DeLaO, [email protected] or 848-9409. No Toys at School: We are having problems with students bringing toys and doodads to school. They are distracting, and then there is always lots of unnecessary drama when they get taken, broken, or lost. Please help us by checking that your student leaves their treasures home. Phones and School Messenger: When you receive a call from the school, please check your voice mail before calling us back. Much of the time it is a robocall with an important message, but our phones get jammed with parents calling us to find out. Also, we’re going to be getting new phones next week, and some of our extensions may be changing. Be sure you listen to the outgoing message before you punch in any extensions. However, -0- will still get you to the front desk.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:2/28/14

Weekly News 2/21 February 21, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

Parent/Teacher Conferences are coming, State Testing is coming, students are busy preparing for class assessments and performance assessments, and everyone is working hard. This is a long, focused time of noses to the grindstone (peppered with some fun in-between) since Spring Break isn’t until April this year. Teachers are in the middle of their third evaluation cycle. You’ve probably heard lots in the news about the new teacher evaluation system. It has been challenging with so much to learn and master, but our teachers are absolutely top-of-the-line. They took it on, decided not only to make the best of it, but to use it to better their teaching and students’ learning. I have been so enormously proud of our teachers, of all their own time they had to devote, of the ways they committed themselves to making this new system work for us and our students, and for their 150% of dedication to the Lew Wallace Community. They have made Lew Wallace an amazing school that we can all take great pride in. I have been in classrooms each day observing teachers teaching and students engaging, and I say without reservation that our teachers are second-to-none. I am seeing supremely high-quality pedagogy, welldesigned and taught lessons, and powerful learning interactions between students and teachers. As we move into testing and preparing for conferences, please know how hard your students’ teachers are working, and how dedicated they are to your kids. I’ve never seen such big hearts in a school community. It makes me very proud and honored to be here.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates: “Choose to Move” 6-week fitness program continues. Keep logging those minutes of exercise! Return the completed forms on Mondays for the next week’s form. 2/27 – PTA Meeting 2/28 – STAR Student Lunch 3/1 – APS Title 1 Family Conference, 9:00-2:30 3/3 – SBA State Testing begins (3rd/4th/5th gr) 3/5 – Downtown Neighborhood Assoc Mtg 3/6-3/7 – Parent/Teacher Conferences. NO CLASSES FOR STUDENTS. 3/10 5:00 p.m. – Dad’s Meeting 3/14 – Poetry Slam/Family Literacy Night 4/24 – Science Fair/Family Science Night 5/15 – Culture Fair/Family Soc. Studies Night

Parent/Teacher Conferences: Conference sign-ups will be coming home in the next couple of weeks for conferences on Thursday and Friday, March 6th and 7th . Reminder that there is no school those days.

6-week Fitness Challenge: “Choose to Move” is a 6-week fitness challenge for our Lew Wallace Community. Is your family (or you, or your student) doing 30-minutes of exercise 5-days per week? Or 150 minutes of exercise spread out over a week? Keep sending those forms back to let us know you’re participating and to be in the running for weekly prizes. Congratulations to Tyler Sanchez and Mom, Vanessa, for being our fitness winners this week!

Before- and After-School Duties: If you can help out even one day per week for about 15 minutes, we would greatly appreciate it!

Thank you!!!: Karen Yates, an Albuquerque community member, donated six awesome brand new pairs of shoes to Lew Wallace students. She was honoring the memory of a woman who loved shoes when she was alive. The kids were overjoyed to receive their new treasures. What a beautiful way to commemorate a beautiful life, and pay it forward for students.

Title 1 Family Conference: Saturday, March 1st, 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. This free APS conference will feature information on Title 1, presentations about family engagement, Parent University, Community Mapping, and School Family Centers, conversations with community partners (Explora, Dept of Health, MADD, Parents Reaching Out, etc.), and ideas from the Emerging Minority Leadership Conference. Lunch and childcare provided. Let us know if you want to participate!

DADS Group Meeting: Our first Dad’s Group meeting contained ideas for greater dad involvement, sharing ideas for the school, connecting with other dads, and recruiting for a Dads’ Support/Patrol Group. Their second meeting will be Monday, March 5th at 5:00 p.m. Come and meet other dads, eat pizza, and get more information on the Dads’ Group for the school. Contact Ernie Martinez 730-9245, or Mr. DeLaO, [email protected] or 848-9409.

No Toys at School: We have been having heaps of problems with students bringing toys and doo dads to school. They are distracting for kids, and then there is always lots of unnecessary drama when they get take, broken, or lost. Please help us by checking that your student

Volunteers: All parents who accompany a class on a field trip or help out in a class must have APS volunteer clearance. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, come in to the office and we’ll help you get set up. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. If the $12 is a hardship, we can help.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:2/21/14

Weekly News 2/14 Important Dates: “Choose to Move” 6-week fitness program continues. Keep logging those minutes of exercise! Return the completed forms on Mondays for the next week’s form. 2/17-2/18 – Presidents Day/Staff Professional Development, No school 2/18, 5:00 p.m. Lew Wallace Dads mtg – all dads are invited!!! 2/20 – Family Science Night at Explora 2/27 – PTA Mtg 3/1 – APS Title 1 Family Conference, 9:00-2:30 3/6-3/7 – Parent/Teacher Conferences 3/14 – Poetry Slam/Family Literacy Night 4/24 – Science Fair/Family Science Night 5/15 – Culture Fair/Family Soc. Studies Night REMINDER: NO SCHOOL: No school on Monday or Tuesday, February 17th and 18th . February 17th is President’s Day, and February 18th is a professional development day for teachers. That day, teachers will be the students, learning more about science, technology, and math! We’ll see you back at school on Monday, February 19th . Parent/Teacher Conferences: Conference sign-ups will be coming home in the next couple of weeks for conferences on Thursday and Friday, March 6th and 7th . Reminder that there is no school those days. 6-week Fitness Challenge: “Choose to Move” is a 6-week fitness challenge for our Lew Wallace Community. Is your family (or you, or your student) doing 30-minutes of exercise 5-days per week? Or 150 minutes of exercise spread out over a week? Keep sending those forms back to let us know you’re participating and to be in the running for weekly prizes. Thank you!!! Two wonderful anonymous donors made a very generous financial donation to Lew Wallace to support students on behalf of First Choice Equity Builders. We are so grateful for the love and support from our families and community partners! DADS Group Meeting: On Tuesday evening, February 18th , we’ll have our first meeting of dads in room 112. This meeting will be to come up with ideas for greater dad involvement, to share ideas for the school, to connect with other dads, and to recruit for a Dads’ Support/Patrol Group. If you have 1 hour or more to spare to volunteer at the school and become a member of a Dads’ Group at Lew Wallace, come to this meeting please. We need dads to patrol, help in classrooms, share a special skill or talent with students. Come and meet other dads, eat pizza, and get more information on the Dads’ Group for the school. Contact Ernie Martinez 730-9245, or Mr. DeLaO, [email protected] or 848-9409. Note: this is not a school day for kids, but the dads will still be meeting at 5:00 p.m. No Toys at School: We have been having heaps of problems with students bringing toys and doo dads to school. They are distracting for kids, and then there is always lots of unnecessary drama when they get take, broken, or lost. Before- and After-School Duties: If you can help out even one day per week for about 15 minutes, we would greatly appreciate it! Volunteers: All parents who accompany a class on a field trip or help out in a class must have APS volunteer clearance. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, come in to the office and we’ll help you get set up. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. If the $12 is a hardship, we can help. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:2/14/14

Weekly News 1/31 January 31, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

Are you moving and grooving?!?!? Lew Wallace staff have been logging in their exercise minutes! We are sore and tired, but feeling mighty. I am so excited to see how many fitness logs come back to school by students on Monday!!! The APS Fitness Challenge, called Choose to Move! is to exercise at least 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week, for 150 minutes per week total. Choose to Move started last Monday, January 27 th , and runs for 6 weeks, ending March 9 th . Any kind of deliberate exercise counts – walking, running, bicycling, elliptical, swimming, Zumba, trampoline jumping (the exercise classes at Cool Springz are a blast!) – find something that works for you and your family. If your family logged exercise for this last week, send in your log on Monday to be entered into a raffle for fun prizes. If you haven’t started yet, it’s not too late! Have your student pick up a log in the office, or just write on a piece of paper, and turn it in the following Monday. Each week we’ll have a drawing with the forms that are turned in. You might win a family trampoline party, or some exercise equipment, or a pizza dinner (for a splurge after a hard workout!). Join the Lew Wallace staff in taking care of our bodies as well as our brains. We are looking forward to getting strong and mighty along with you!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates: “Choose to Move” 6-week fitness program continues. Keep logging those minutes of exercise! Return the completed forms on Mondays for the next week’s form. 2/6 – Festival de Bellas Artes (4th/5th graders performing at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Public performance at 5:00 p.m.) 2/12 – JumpRope/Hoops for Heart 2/17-2/18 – Presidents Day/Staff Professional Development, No school 2/18, 5:00 p.m. Lew Wallace Dads mtg – all dads are invited!!! 2/20 – Family Science Night at Explora 3/1 – APS Title 1 Family Conference, 9:00-2:30 3/6-3/7 – Parent/Teacher Conferences 3/14 – Poetry Slam/Family Literacy Night 4/24 – Science Fair/Family Science Night 5/15 – Culture Fair/Family Soc. Studies Night

Before- and After-School Duties: We are struggling to get our duties covered with such a small staff. If you can help out even one morning or afternoon per week for about 15 minutes, we would greatly appreciate it! Festival de Bellas Artes: Two free performance opportunities for your family next week at the National Hispanic Cultural Center: Thursday, February 6th at 5:00 p.m. – Elementary students from around Albuquerque performing, including our own amazing Lew Wallace 4th and 5th graders! Friday, February 7th at 6:00 p.m. – Middle and High School students performing folklorico, mariachi, guitar, Middle Eastern dancing, Thank you!!!: Thank you to Ron Sanchez, a former Lew Wallace parent and community volunteer. He comes to school every week and reads with students in Ms. Mona’s class. What a gift for our school and students! We’re grateful for relationships that last longer than a student’s elementary career! DADS Group Meeting: On Tuesday evening, February 18th , we’ll have our first meeting of dads. This meeting will be to come up with ideas for greater dad involvement, to share ideas for the school, and to connect with other dads. Note: this is not a school day for kids, but the dads will still be meeting in the library at 5:00 p.m. 6-week Fitness Challenge: “Choose to Move” is a 6-week fitness challenge for our Lew Wallace Community. Can your family (or you, or your student) pledge to do 30-minutes of exercise 5-days per week? Or 150 minutes of exercise spread out over a week? Get moving and get in shape with the Lew Wallace staff! This week’s fitness log is coming home today. Send it back to let us know you’re participating and to be in the running for weekly prizes. JumpRope/Hoops for Heart: February 12th . Look for more info coming home from coach! Volunteers: All parents who accompany a class on a field trip must have APS volunteer clearance. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, come in to the office and we’ll help you get set up. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. If the $12 is a hardship, we can help.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:1/31/14

Weekly News 1/24 January 24, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families,

We are lacing up our sneakers, dusting off our bicycles, stretching our muscles, and we are READY for the 2014 APS Fitness Challenge, called Choose to Move! The pledge is to exercise at least 30 minutes per day, 5 days per week, for 150 minutes per week total. Choose to Move starts on Monday, January 27 th , and runs for 6 weeks, ending March 9 th . Any kind of deliberate exercise counts – walking, running, bicycling, elliptical, swimming, Zumba, trampoline jumping (the exercise classes at Cool Springz are a blast!) – find something that works for you and your family. All you have to do to participate is start logging your exercise on the form coming home today. List everyone in your family who is participating, and then keep track of what you do and how many minutes you do it. You’ll get a new form every Monday when your student brings me the previous form. Each week we’ll have a drawing with the forms that are turned in. You might win a family trampoline party, or some exercise equipment, or a pizza dinner (for a splurge after a hard workout!). Join the Lew Wallace staff in taking care of our bodies as well as our brains. We are looking forward to getting strong and mighty along with you!

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates: 1/27 – “Choose to Move” 6-week fitness program begins. 1/30 – STAR Student Luncheon 1/31 – Superbowl Lunch with families in the cafeteria 2/6 – Festival de Bellas Artes (4th/5th graders performing at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Public performance at 5:00 p.m.) 2/12 – JumpRope/Hoops for Heart 2/17-2/18 – Presidents Day/Staff Professional Development, No school 2/20 – Family Science Night at Explora 3/6-3/7 – Parent/Teacher Conferences 3/14 – Poetry Slam/Family Literacy Night 4/24 – Science Fair/Family Science Night 5/15 – Culture Fair/Family Soc. Studies Night

Teacher Professional Development You may notice that our teachers will be out for two days over the next couple of weeks. They will be at professional development around the Common Core State Standards, and will be designing and building challenging units and projects for our students. Our teachers are dedicated life-long learners devoted to continually evolving their craft! Before- and After-School Duties: We are struggling to get our duties covered with such a small staff. If you can help out even one morning or afternoon per week for about 15 minutes, we would greatly appreciate it! Festival de Bellas Artes: Our fabulous 4th and 5th graders will be participating in this year’s Festival de Bellas Artes, at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, on Feb 6th . They will perform, watch other schools perform, and participate in workshops. A free public performance will begin at 5:00 p.m. 4th /5th graders are bringing more information and permission slips home today. Thank you!!! We are so grateful for our math goal team who hosted a FABULOUS Math Night on Wednesday! 172 people enjoyed pizza, played math games, participated in a raffle to win board games, and enjoyed our vibrant community of children, families, and staff. Congratulations to Ms. Hernandez, Ms. Orozco, Ms. Mary Lou, Ms. Talley, Ms. Wheeler, Ms. Debbie, and Ms. Henson for a super successful event, and thank you for all your hard work! Boxtops for Education: The class with the most boxtops turned in each month will win a special surprise treat! Tanya is 20! Happy birthday to our favorite literary spider!!! 6-week Fitness Challenge: “Choose to Move” is a 6-week fitness challenge for our Lew Wallace Community. Can your family (or you, or your student) pledge to do 30-minutes of exercise 5-days per week? Or 150 minutes of exercise spread out over a week? Get ready to move and get in shape starting January 27th ! The fitness log is coming home today. Send it back to let us know you’re participating and to be in the running for weekly prizes. JumpRope/Hoops for Heart : February 12th . Look for more info coming home from coach next week. Volunteers All parents who accompany a class on a field trip must have APS volunteer clearance. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, come in to the office and we’ll help you get set up. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. If the $12 is a hardship, we can help.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:1/24/14

Weekly News 1/17 January 17, 2014

My Dearest Lew Wallace Families,

There are days when I don’t know if my tender heart can stand to hear one more story about an act of violence in a school. I weep from the deepest parts of my soul when I allow myself to let the awful news in. I hold my own children tighter at home, I walk the halls of our school holding every one of your children tightly in my heart, and I grieve for both the victims of senseless violence, and for a perpetrator who is also a child, and who somehow slipped through the cracks. It is absolutely unfathomable. And yet, in the midst of despair and heartbreak, here’s what I know to be absolute truth: Here at school, we love your children as our own. We take our responsibility to safeguard and care for them very, very seriously. Every teacher in our school calls their students “my kids,” and they mean it literally. There is absolutely nothing any of us wouldn’t do to keep these precious children safe from harm. As I walked the halls today, I saw everyday heroes in the resolute faces of our staff members, and I saw beloved and cherished children who are cared for and protected by every person in our school community. We continue to be vigilant, we have dutifully practiced our lock-down, shelter-in-place, and evacuation drills, and because of our small size, we are fortunate enough to know almost all of the faces of our Lew Wallace families. We have wonderful parents who help us keep an eye out during drop-off and pick-up times, and during the school day. We have systems upon systems in place for every kind of emergency. But most importantly, we are a community of incredibly devoted, caring people who take good care of each other. The Lew Wallace staff members continue to hold the Berrendo Middle School community in our thoughts and prayers. Know how closely we are all holding your children, every day, as well.

Very truly,

Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates:

1/20 – MLK Day, no school 1/22 – 5:30 Family Math Night at Lew Wallace 1/27 – “Choose to Move” 6-week fitness program begins 1/30 – STAR Student Luncheon 1/31 – Superbowl Lunch with families in the cafeteria 2/6 – Festival de Bellas Artes (4th /5th graders performing at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Public performance at 5:00 p.m.) 2/17-2/18 – Presidents Day/Staff Professional Development, No school 2/20 – Family Science Night at Explora 3/6-3/7 – Parent/Teacher Conferences 3/14 – Poetry Slam/Family Literacy Night 4/24 – Science Fair/Family Science Night 5/15 – Culture Fair/Family Soc. Studies Night Boxtops for Education: We are still collecting Boxtops. The class with

the most boxtops turned in each month will win a special surprise treat – maybe cupcakes, a pizza party, ice cream. They have to win to find out! Volunteers: All parents who accompany a class on a field trip must

have APS volunteer clearance. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, come in to the office and we’ll help you get set up. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. If the $12 is a hardship, we can help. Thank you!!!: We are so grateful for another awesome parent, Maria

Acosta for coordinating the box tops initiative. So far, she has sorted over 2000 box tops, which involves cutting up the tops, and separating and bagging in groups of 50. She has also provided and donated the pizza parties to the winning classrooms! Family Math Night: Come learn and play math games, enjoy pizza, and

challenge your brains with us on Wednesday night at 5:30. More details on the Family Math Night Flyer! Happy Birthday Tanya! Tanya the Tarantula is turning 20 years old.

She has been a library pet for all of those years. Just think of how many books she’s gotten to sink her fangs into! We will be celebrating Tanya’s birthday during library time at the end of January. Festival de Bellas Artes: Our fabulous 4th and 5th graders will

be participating in this year’s Festival de Bellas Artes, a multi-cultural music festival at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, on February 6th . They will be there all day, performing, watching other schools perform, and participating in workshops. A free public performance will begin at 5:00 p.m. 6-week Fitness Challenge: “Choose to Move” is a 6-week fitness

challenge for our Lew Wallace Community. Can your family (or you, or your student) pledge to do 30-minutes of exercise 5-days per week? Or 150 minutes of exercise spread out over a week? Get ready to move and get in shape starting January 27th ! The sign-up sheet is also coming home today. Send it back to let us know you’re participating and to be in the running for weekly prizes. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:1/17/14

Weekly News 1/10 January 10, 2014

Dear Lew Wallace Families, Happy New Year, and welcome to 2014! I have three exciting upcoming events to tell you about: First, on Wednesday, January 22 nd, at 5:30 p.m., we will be having a Family Math Night. This is the first of five awesome family engagement academic nights that Lew Wallace teachers are putting together. Not only will families get to come and play math games together, but they will also get to take games home with them to help support student learning. Please join us at this fun and engaging event, and see “Important Dates” on the other side of this letter to get the others on your calendar. Second, some Lew Wallace staff members will be participating in a 6week jump-start fitness tracking program called “Choose to Move,” beginning January 27 th. This challenge is a way to dust off our sneakers and get more active! We are hoping that students and families will join us in getting moving. During the challenge, we will track the number of minutes of physical activity each day, each with a goal of achieving 150 minutes each week. All students, family members, and staff that meet the weekly exercise goal (based on average minutes of exercise) will be entered into a raffle for fun prizes. During this challenge, most types of intentional rigorous physical activity can be counted and recorded toward your goal of 150 minutes each week. Look for forms to come home in the next weeks, but start warming up! Third, the Festival de Bellas Artes is a multi-cultural music and dance festival that I put together 5 years ago. This year, 1000+ students will participate over two days, performing for each other, taking workshops, and putting on a gala evening performance for the public. February 6 th is elementary day, and the free public concert begins at 5:00 p.m. February 7 th features middle- and high-school performers, and they will knock your socks off. That performance begins at 6:00 p.m., and is a great night of amazing free entertainment for the whole family. I encourage you all to attend one or both nights! Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio [email protected]

Important Dates:

1/17 – Mid-term Progress Reports 1/20 – MLK Day, no school 1/22 – Family Math Night at Lew Wallace 1/27 – “Choose to Move” 6-week fitness program begins 1/30 – STAR Student Luncheon 1/31 – Superbowl Lunch with families in the cafeteria 2/6 – Festival de Bellas Artes (4th /5th graders performing at the National Hispanic Cultural Center. Public performance at 5:00 p.m.) 2/17-2/18 – Presidents Day/Staff Professional Development, No school 2/20 – Family Science Night at Explora 3/6-3/7 – Parent/Teacher Conferences 3/14 – Poetry Slam/Family Literacy Night 4/24 – Science Fair/Family Science Night 5/15 – Culture Fair/Family Soc. Studies Night Boxtops for Education: We are still collecting Boxtops. The class with

the most boxtops turned in each month will win a special surprise treat – maybe cupcakes, a pizza party, ice cream. They have to win to find out! Volunteers: All parents who accompany a class on a field trip must

have APS volunteer clearance. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, come in to the office and we’ll help you get set up. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. If the $12 is a hardship, we can help. Bravo!!! HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to Ms. Nava and Mr.

DeLaO! They both spent two years working hard for National Board Certification and recently got word that they achieved. National Board Certification is an advanced teaching credential. As part of this process, teachers have to analyze their teaching context and students’ needs, submit videos of their teaching, and provide student work samples that demonstrate growth and achievement. It is a rigorous and expensive process, and achieving means that these teachers have exceptional skills to advance student achievement. We are so proud of them both!!! Festival de Bellas Artes: Our fabulous 4th and 5th graders will

be participating in this year’s Festival de Bellas Artes, a multi-cultural music festival at the National Hispanic Cultural Center, on February 6th . They will be there all day, performing, watching other schools perform, and participating in workshops. A free public performance will begin at 5:00 p.m. Come be amazed by our awesome performers! Farewell Ms. Aranda: Ms. Aranda, was our half-time Bilingual

Resource Teacher in the fall. Her other half-time was spent at Longfellow ES. She has moved to be full-time at Longfellow for the remainder of the year. She was a real gift to us while she was here, and we wish her the best in her new endeavors and into the future! 6-week Fitness Challenge: “Choose to Move” is a 6-week fitness

challenge for our Lew Wallace Community. Can your family (or you, or your student) pledge to do 30-minutes of exercise 5-days per week? Or 150 minutes of exercise spread out over a week? Get ready to move and get in shape starting January 27th ! Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:1/10/14

Weekly News 12/13 December 13, 2013 Dear Lew Wallace Families, With winter upon us, and winter break just around the corner, I know it’s hard to think forward to summer. However, Lew Wallace has a wonderful opportunity to be able to possibly have a summer school program funded here at school. The program is called K-3 Plus, and it starts a couple of weeks after the regular school year ends, and ends a couple of weeks before the next school year begins. K-3 Plus is a jump start program for students entering Kindergarten, 1st , 2nd , or 3rd grade, and is designed to give them extra weeks of academic instruction and enrichment to help them prepare for the next level. The days generally look just like regular school days, with school hours exactly the same, p.e., recess, and library time. Breakfast and lunch is served for free for every student. In order to measure whether we have enough students to qualify for this program, we need every Kindergarten, 1st , and 2nd grade family to complete and return the form to school indicating whether or not they might participate. As well, if you know of any families of potential incoming Kindergarteners, please pass on this information, or encourage them to be in touch with us in the office. Back to the subject of winter again, please remember to send your child to school in a warm jacket and closed-toed shoes. Our kids get super antsy when they are cooped up inside all day, but they need to be dressed warmly to be able to go outside and get fresh air. Sweatshirt hoodies are generally not enough to protect kids from the elements on these cold days. If your child does not have a winter coat, and you need assistance, please let us know so that we can help get one for them. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates:

12/20 – Winter music performances 12/20 – STAR Student Luncheon 12/21-1/5 Winter Break Monday, 1/6/14 – Students return to school 1/6 – Art classes begin! 1/20 – MLK Day, no school 1/22 – Family Math Night @ school 1/31 – STAR Student Luncheon Winter Music Programs: On Friday, December 20th , many classes will be presenting in small winter musical performances during the day. Look for more information to come home from teachers! Winter Health Tips: We have been reminding kids to wash their hands frequently, cover coughs, wear winter clothes, and get plenty of sleep. We've had lots and lots of kids out with upper-respiratory viruses and tummy bugs the last few weeks. Here are some recommendations from APS: “If your child becomes ill and doesn’t feel well enough to take part in school, as parents or guardians, you should keep your child home until the symptoms improve. This also can help to prevent the spread of the illness to others at school. These are some of the examples of when your child should be kept home: Active vomiting Active diarrhea – three or more times in six hours The beginning of an airway infection (cold/cough/runny nose) Extreme tiredness and/or lack of appetite Fever with headache, body aches, earache, sore throat Undiagnosed or unknown rash (a rash that has not been seen or treated by a health care provider) Any of the above symptoms with fever or chills If antibiotic treatment is needed, your child should remain home for the first full 24 hours of medication (e.g., if your child has three doses per day ordered, then three doses must be given before the child returns to school). Your child can return to school when he or she is well enough to take part in school and has had no fever for 24 hours without medication (acetaminophen, Tylenol®, etc.).”

Thanks! Thank you to the Albuquerque BioPark “elves,” who brought Santa and Mrs. Claus to Lew Wallace, along with 300 gifts for our students! What an absolutely wonderful tradition. We were floored by the amount of work, heart, and soul that was put into this event by BioPark employees and volunteers. And parting gratitude to super-dad Eric Osborne, who has been a fulltime volunteer at Lew Wallace, and leaves a positive lasting mark on all of us. Traveling mercies to Eric and Haleigh as they move out of state. After-School Mariachi Club: On Mondays from 4:00-5:00, we have a wonderful Mariachi Club. We will be opening a few more spaces in this club beginning in January, and we have violins and guitars for participating students to borrow. If you have a student who would like to join, let us know in the office or drop me an email. Volunteers: All parents who accompany a class on a field trip must have APS volunteer clearance. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you dont have computer access or a PayPal account, come in to the office and we'll help you get set up. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. If the $12 is a hardship, we can help. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:12/16/13

Weekly News 12/6 December 5, 2013 Dear Lew Wallace Families, I have three bits of news for you about staff issues. First, Mr. Chavez (3rd grade), will be out until after the holidays while he tends to his dreadfully broken leg. He will still be in a cast when he returns in January, but hopefully he will be further along with healing. We have hired a wonderful new gifted teacher! Mrs. Rita Moya will be starting with us as soon as all her paperwork is processed through APS – hopefully before winter break, but in January for sure. She will be a wonderful asset to the Lew Wallace community, and we are excited for her arrival. Mr. Matthew Gates, our new art teacher, will also be arriving in January, and is excited to spend the rest of the year working with our students. He spent the first semester teaching at Los Padillas in the South Valley, and is already collaborating with the Downtown Neighborhood Association on a large project. The holidays can be a tricky time for students at school. While we don’t celebrate or advance any religious holidays or beliefs, some tend to be more pervasive and visible in our media and larger community. I want to be respectful and fully inclusive of all of our families, and I ask that you help keep us accountable by sharing if you have concerns or want us to know how your family celebrates or doesn’t celebrate during this season. In that vein, many organizations volunteer to support students and the school during the holidays. For example, Santa and Mrs. Claus are coming from the Bio Park to bring goodies to kids. We are having a rocking good time here with sharing concepts of joy, giving, camaraderie, understanding, and sharing, and we want students to be able to be participate in school with full integrity, in ways that honor their families. I look forward to hearing from you. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates:

TONIGHT: Polar Express Movie Night and Book Fair!!! The Book Fair continues until next Wednesday in the morning. 12/12 – Santa and Mrs. Claus visit Lew Wallace from the ABQ Bio Park. 12/13 – ABQ Sign Language Academy winter program in the evening @ Lew Wallace. 12/20 – Winter music performances 12/20 – STAR Student Luncheon 12/21-1/5 Winter Break. Students return to school on Monday, January 6th . A Note from Mr. Chavez (3rd grade): Poor Mr. Chavez (3rd grade) is

still recovering from an awful leg break. He will be out until January. He will hold parent/teacher conferences in early January. Dear Parents, Due to my injury, I will be taking a leave of absence through the holiday break to allow my body to heal. I came back this week to check on the students and with the intention of returning to work. However, it seems my body is just not ready. I have left lesson plans for Ms. Elaine, Ms. Laura, and our substitute teacher, and I know I have left students in capable hands. Conferences will be rescheduled when we return from break in January. Again, I cannot stress to you how grateful I am for your support and patience during this time. Thank you and enjoy your holidays! With gratitude, Sam Chavez



Thanks! Amazing dad, Ernie Martinez, has spent most of this week

cleaning out our basement! A school basement can be a very scary place, but thanks to Ernie, ours is on its way to being a more inviting and usable space for storage. He could use a hand with moving some heavier equipment next week, so let us know if spending time in the basement sounds like fun! Winter Music Programs: On Friday, December 20th , all classes will be

presenting in small winter musical performances during the day. Look for more information to come home next week! After-School Mariachi Club: On Mondays from 4:00-5:00, we have a

wonderful Mariachi Club. We will be opening a few more spaces in this club beginning in January, and we have violins and guitars for participating students to borrow. If you have a student who would like to join, let us know in the office, or drop me an email. Volunteers: All parents who accompany a class on a field trip must have APS volunteer clearance. All volunteers must apply online at:

www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, come in to the office and we’ll help you get set up. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. If the $12 is a hardship, we can help. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:12/6/13

Weekly News 11/22 November 22, 2013 Dear Lew Wallace Families, The weather is beginning to turn from autumn to winter, and we’re even hearing that snow may be in our forecast this weekend! In the event of a school cancellation or delay due to the weather, you can check the APS website (www.aps.edu), any of the local new stations (either on-air or online), and I will also send out a SchoolMessenger call/email beginning at 6:30 a.m. If your phone number and email are current in the office, you should be receiving occasional calls and/or emails from me through the SchoolMessenger system. If you aren’t getting them, drop us a line to make sure we have the correct information. A quick reminder related to safety, and that is the APS policy of requiring all volunteers and field trip chaperones to be background checked before accompanying children or helping in the classroom. This is one way we can be assured that we have done everything in our power to keep kids safe. The background checks are good for two years, so please, please, please get that taken care of if you want to go along on field trips. If you need help, come see me and I’ll get you through the system. Next week there are no classes for the entire week. The school will be open on Monday and Tuesday for parent/teacher conferences, and closed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday for Thanksgiving Break. Enjoy the time off with your family. I will be giving thanks for getting to be a part of the wonderful Lew Wallace community, and for all of your delightful children! Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates:

11/25-26 – NO SCHOOL: Parent/Teacher Conferences. Please be in touch with your child’s teacher if you haven’t yet signed up for a conference. 11/27-29 – NO SCHOOL: Thanksgiving break Friday, 12/6 Polar Express Movie Night and Book Fair!!! Friday, 12/6 – 4th graders attend Nutcracker on the Rocks at the Nat’l Hispanic Cultural Ctr. 12/12 – Santa and Mrs. Claus visit Lew Wallace from the ABQ Bio Park. 12/13 – ABQ Sign Language Academy winter program in the evening @ Lew Wallace. 12/20 – STAR Student Luncheon 12/21-1/5 Winter Break. Students return to school on Monday, January 6th . Staff News: Poor Mr. Chavez (3rd grade) is recovering from an awful

leg break. He will be out until after Thanksgiving, and will be back, hobbling among us when we all return to school December 2nd . He will hold parent/teacher conferences in early December and will be in touch with his families to schedule. Congratulations to Ms. Mona (5th grade) who won a Horizon Grant for her class and others to create scaled models of the Olympic venues. The title of her grant proposal was “Citius! Altius! Fortius!” Congratulations and Thanks! Kudos to dad and parent-volunteer Eric

Osborne. Eric delivered a rousing speech at a Title 1 Family Engagement gathering on our behalf. He spoke on the topic of male involvement at schools, and is working to put together a Watch D.O.G.S group (Dads Of Great Students). Eric would love to have dads join him in keeping the school safe, working with kids, and supporting teachers. If you are interested in joining Eric, even if occasionally, contact us in the office. If you can spare 20 minutes before- or after-school, we would love to have your help keeping kids safe as they transition to and from school in our busy little neighborhood. School Needs: We don’t have on-site recycling here at school. We need

some families willing to haul off their class’s recycling on a regular basis. You could add it to your recycling bin at home! We would love to have a few more parents join our PTA School of Excellence team. Volunteers: All parents who accompany a class on a field trip must

have APS volunteer clearance. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, come in to the office and we’ll help you get set up. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. If the $12 is a hardship, we can help. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:11/22/13

PTA meeting There will be a PTA meeting on Thursday, 11/21 at 5:15pm in the library. There will be a revised budget proposed, the election of a new board member & discussing the next school evening event. Please come make your voice heard. Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:11/19/13

popcorn & pickles Popcorn & pickles will be sold this Friday (11/22). Bring your money if you want to buy some. Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:11/19/13

Weekly News 11/15 November 15, 2013 Dear Lew Wallace Families, Thanksgiving Dinner was completely amazing yesterday! Thank you so much for coming, for supporting your student and our school, and for gathering with us to give thanks for this amazing community. I want to apologize for my late-night SchoolMessenger call last night. I had to leave campus for a meeting in the afternoon, and I wasn’t able to access the SchoolMessenger system until I got home at 7:30. In case you missed it, here was the message: “Good evening parents. I'm sorry for the late hour of this call. I wanted to let you know of an incident that occurred today at school. During our primary afternoon recess, a strange woman was walking on the sidewalk outside of the school fence. She was clearly impaired in some way, and was yelling at kids through the gate. To keep kids safe and out of an abundance of caution, we went ahead and rang the bell to end recess early, and brought all the kids back into classrooms. The woman wandered off, and didn't come near the school again. We stepped-up security, and will continue to be extra vigilant in the next days. But I wanted to assure you that she was never on campus, she had no physical contact with any student, and that our children were awesome at following directions and getting off the playground immediately. There are challenges along with the great parts of being in a downtown urban school, but our kids did great today. Be assured that there was no danger to students, kids were safe, and all was well at Lew Wallace. Please be in touch if you have further questions or concerns.” I also want to assure you that in the event of any real danger or crisis, we would be in touch with you right away. The whole thing lasted only a minute or two, and the woman was no more of a threat than any of the other numerous eccentric downtown characters. She was yelling “shut up,” at the kids out on recess, and pointing her fingers at them. But she clearly activated fears in some of our students’ imaginations, and by the end of the day the rumor mill was churning with embellished stories. Safety is of paramount importance to me, and to our school staff, and we will continue to do all in our power to keep Lew Wallace a safe and secure place for children. As always, please be in touch if you have questions, concerns, or ideas for us. A quick reminder related to safety, and that is the APS policy of requiring all volunteers and field trip chaperones to be background checked before accompanying children or helping in the classroom. This is one way we can be assured that we have done everything in our power to keep kids safe. The background checks are good for two years, so please, please, please get that taken care of if you want to go along on field trips. If you need help, come see me and I’ll get you through the system. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio

Important Dates: 11/22 – STAR Student Lunch 11/25-26 – NO SCHOOL: Parent/Teacher Conferences. Please be in touch with your child’s teacher if you haven’t yet signed up for a conference. 11/27-29 – No school: Thanksgiving break Friday, 12/6 Polar Express Movie Night and Book Fair!!! Friday, 12/6 – 4th graders attend Nutcracker on the Rocks at the Nat’l Hispanic Cultural Ctr. 12/12 – Santa and Mrs. Claus visit Lew Wallace from the ABQ Bio Park. 12/21-1/5 Winter Break. Students return to school on Monday, January 6th . Staff News: Welcome to Mrs. Megan Foresi, a new half-time EA at Lew Wallace ES. Mrs. Foresi will be working with us Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Welcome also to Mrs. Lupe Arencon, Lew Wallace mom and PTA board member who will be subbing full-time for Mrs. Jennifer Zamora while she is out on maternity leave. Both Mrs. Foresi & Mrs. Arencon will be working with our Special Education department. And congratulations to Mrs. Zamora and her healthy baby girl, Natalia. Both mom and baby are doing great! Thank you! Thank you to mom and parent-volunteer, Vanessa

Sanchez. Vanessa has been helping us with parent pick-up and dropoff duties, and has been an extra set of eyes and ears out on the sidewalks, helping keep kids safe. We are grateful for her! If you can spare 20 minutes before- or after-school, we would love to have your help in keeping kids safe as they transition to and from school in our busy little neighborhood. Albuquerque “The City” Coupon Books: We still have a lots of coupon books left for fundraising for our multi-cultural music and arts clubs. All unsold books and monies need to be returned to the school next week. You can help us raise money for this exciting new venture by selling or purchasing these fabulous coupon books. We keep half of the money for each coupon book you sell! The books are $20, and you can purchase them in the office, or contact us if you are willing to help sell them. The first page of the coupon book is a coupon for a free pizza at Papa Murphy’s!!! Volunteers : Remember – any parent who accompanies a class on a field trip needs to have APS volunteer clearance. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, come in to the office and we’ll help you get set up. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. If the $12 is a hardship, we can help. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:11/15/13

Parent/Teacher Conferences Parent/Teacher conferences are happening Monday 11/25 & Tuesday 11/26. Please return the notes your child's teacher has sent home to confirm your conference time. We're excited to meet with you! Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:11/12/13

Weekly News 11/8 November 8, 2013 Dear Lew Wallace Families, Our Thanksgiving Dinner for families will be next Thursday, November 14 th . This is another wonderful opportunity to come in and enjoy time with your student and school community. If you haven’t already done so, please fill-in and return the yellow RSVP form so we can adequately prepare. Sent home are the results of the first 10 questions of our PTA School of Excellence Survey. Nearly 200 surveys were returned, which means that we have great data to work with on improving our school and family engagement. Overwhelmingly, you have expressed your satisfaction with the quality of our school and our teachers. We need to work on having things translated into Spanish, and connecting families with volunteer opportunities. We have so many ways that we can plug parents in! If you have even just one hour per week, we would love to have you work with kids, help with duties, or support teachers. The new APS volunteer site is a bit cumbersome, so if you have any trouble navigating it, please come in to the office and we will get you through it. Remember that this newsletter comes home every single Friday, and it is also posted on our website. As part of our PTA School of Excellence process, we are forming a School of Excellence committee that will address the survey responses, help create a plan for Lew Wallace, and work on school goals. If you are interested in being part of this committee, please be in touch with me. I am so grateful to be part of this wonderful community that works together to create a deep and meaningful educational experience for all our students. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio

Important Dates 11/11 – NO SCHOOL, Veteran’s Day 11/14 – Thanksgiving Dinner at School with families. 11/14 – Ms. Mona/Torres field trip to Popejoy 11/22 – STAR Student Lunch 11/25-26 – NO SCHOOL: Parent/Teacher Conferences 11/27-29 – No school: Thanksgiving break Friday, 12/6 Polar Express Movie Night and Book Fair!!! 12/21-1/5 Winter Break. Students return to school on Monday, January 6th . Family Thanksgiving Meal: Our Family Thanksgiving Meal is Thursday, November 14th . We will start serving at 10:30 a.m. and will continue until everyone has been served. Our cafeteria manager, Michael Sena, will be selling tickets that morning. Small bills or exact change is appreciated. Adults are $4.25 and siblings are $2.75. The times may vary depending on the lines. We ask for your patience. Families with one student may all eat together. Stop by the office and we will call your students out of class. Please send the RSVP form back to school as soon as you can so we prepare enough food! Lunch times are approximately: 10:30-11:15 Kindergarten and 1st grade 11:15-12:00 2nd and 3rd grade 12:00-12:45 4th and 5th grade

Thank you! A THOUSAND THANK YOUS to the Downtown Neighborhood Association!!!!!! They are donating $1,000 for our emerging multi-cultural music and fine arts classes. It is awesome to be so supported by our local neighborhood association! Thank you also to Melanie Lewis, Downtown Neighborhood Association member and Lew Wallace parent, for connecting us with this amazing neighborhood group. For more information on the DNA and their many good works, visit their website at http://abqdna.com Albuquerque “The City” Coupon Books: We still have a lots of coupon books left for fundraising for our multi-cultural music and arts clubs. All unsold books and monies need to be returned to the school next week. You can help us raise money for this exciting new venture by selling or purchasing these fabulous coupon books. We keep half of the money for each coupon book you sell! The books are $20, and you can purchase them in the office, or contact us if you are willing to help sell them. The first page of the coupon book is a coupon for a free pizza at Papa Murphy’s!!! Volunteers: Remember – any parent who accompanies a class on a field trip needs to have APS volunteer clearance. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, come in to the office and we’ll help you get set up. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. If the $12 is a hardship, we can help. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:11/8/13

Weekly News 11/1 November 1, 2013 Dear Lew Wallace Families, What an amazing Fall Festival we had!!! Over 850 people signed-in, and it was a real testament to the strong spirit of this community that so many students and families and even former students attended. There are so many people to thank for all their incredible hard work, but especially, Lupe, Denine, Ernie, Melia, Maria, Fidel, Adam, Eric, Mike, Ariel, Sylvia, Vangie, Paul, Susan, Chris, Melanie, Molly, Erica, Leon, Dontae, Lissa, Aram, Kathleen, Lew Wallace Staff, Del Taco, RGEC, and tons of additional folks who helped with booths, set-up, and cleanup. Thank you to all of our helpers. You are appreciated!!! All of the money raised at Fall Festival goes directly to supporting your students for field trips, activities, and helping classrooms with supplies. Thanks for the candy donations and small prizes that we used when students came to activity booths. We are grateful for your generosity in supporting all of our kids! Students benefitted both by having a wonderful evening in a safe environment, but will also continue to benefit all year long from your purchases of tickets and food. Our Thanksgiving Dinner for families will be on Thursday, November 14 th . This is another wonderful opportunity to come in and enjoy time with your student and school community. If you haven’t already done so, please fill-in and return the yellow RSVP form so we can adequately prepare. The requirements for being a chaperone on a school field trip are the same as being a volunteer. In order to bring an additional measure of safety to schools, all field trip chaperones need to be cleared as volunteers through APS. We are happy to help you navigate the online system – pop in at the office if you need assistance! Our lockdown this week was great. Students responded quickly and safely, teachers were matter-of-fact and kept their students calm and alert, and the school was secured very, very quickly. I was proud of our school community! Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio

Important Dates: 11/4 – 1st/2nd grade field trip to the train, and Ms. Beckie/Ms. Ortiz’ classes to Civic Plaza. 11/8 – Kindergarten field trip to Kimo Theater. 11/11 – NO SCHOOL, Veteran’s Day 11/14 – Thanksgiving Dinner at School with families. 11/14 – Ms. Mona/Torres field trip to Popejoy 11/22 – STAR Student Lunch 11/25-26 – No school: Parent/Teacher Conferences 11/27-29 – No school: Thanksgiving break Friday, 12/6 Polar Express Movie Night and Book Fair!!! Family Thanksgiving Meal: Our Family Thanksgiving Meal is Thursday, November 14th . We will start serving at 10:30 a.m. and will continue until everyone has been served. Our cafeteria manager, Michael Sena, will be selling tickets that morning. Small bills or exact change is appreciated. Adults are $4.25 and siblings are $2.75. The times may vary depending on the lines. We ask for your patience. Families with one student may all eat together. Stop by the office and we will call your students out of class. Please send the RSVP form back to school as soon as you can so we prepare enough food! Lunch times are approximately: 10:30-11:15 Kindergarten and 1st grade 11:15-12:00 2nd and 3rd grade 12:00-12:45 4th and 5th grade Thank you! Thank you to David Payne, Calvin’s dad, for the awesome donation of a trumpet for our Mariachi Club! It is our first owned trumpet, and we are excited to get it fixed up and used by a mariachi student. Thank you also to Hans Leeman, owner of The A Store in Nob Hill. Mr. Leeman donated a digital piano to our school! Our students will grow musically with these wonderful gifts. Albuquerque “The City” Coupon Books We still have a long way to go in funding our current Mariachi program, and we’re hoping to add other multi-cultural music and arts clubs. You can help us raise money for this exciting new venture by selling or purchasing these fabulous coupon books. We keep half of the money for each coupon book you sell! The books are $20, and you can purchase them in the office, or contact us if you are willing to help sell them. The first page of the coupon book is a coupon for a free pizza at Papa Murphy’s!!! Volunteers Remember – any parent who accompanies a class on a field trip needs to have APS volunteer clearance. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, come in to the office and we’ll help you get set up. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. If the $12 is a hardship, we can help. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:11/1/13

Weekly News 10/25 October 25, 2013 Dear Lew Wallace Families, Fall Festival is TODAY!!! I hope to see you all there (in costume!) at 5:30. Please double check that your students leave any pretend weapons at home, even if it’s part of their costume. We’ll have caramel apples for sale ($3 cash only), boxed dinners from Del Taco ($2 cash only), cotton candy, and sugar everywhere. Tickets will be sold 4/$1 at the Fall Festival tonight. Fall Festival is your child’s only chance to wear their costume at school. Halloween Day is still an instructional day at school, and students will not be wearing costumes. Some teachers may choose to use the last hour of the day for various sorts of celebrations. If Halloween is tricky for your family, or there are things you want us to be aware of please be in touch. It’s important for us to honor all the beautiful variety of ways people do and do not celebrate and acknowledge different holidays. Our Thanksgiving Dinner for families will be on Thursday, November 14th . We will send home the reservation forms next week. This is a wonderful time to come in and enjoy a turkey dinner with your student and school community. The requirements for being a chaperone on a school field trip are the same as being a volunteer. In order to bring an additional measure of safety to schools, all field trip chaperones need to be cleared as volunteers through APS. We are happy to help you navigate the online system – pop in at the office if you need assistance! We will have a fire drill and lockdown drill with students next week. Teachers have explained to students what to do in various emergencies, and our focus is on response, not imagining all the various scary scenarios that might require a response. In some children, the drill might raise some anxiety. We will keep our eyes and ears open and sooth any nervousness we see, but you may also want to listen for any heightened anxiety. Please be in touch if you have concerns. So looking forward to seeing you tonight at Fall Festival!!!, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: 10/24-10/29 – Dental Services 10/25 FALL FESTIVAL!!! 5:30 p.m. 10/28 – STAR Student Luncheon 10/30 – 1st/2nd grade field trip to the train 10/31 – Ms. Mona’s class field trip to Popejoy 11/1 – Field trip to Coronado (Ms. Mona/Ms. Talley) 11/11 – No school: Veteran’s Day 11/14 – Thanksgiving Dinner at School with families. Info coming home soon! 11/25-26 – Parent/Teacher Conferences 11/27-29 – No school: Thanksgiving break Save the Date! Friday, 12/6 Polar Express Movie Night and Book Fair!!! Fall Festival!!! Fall Festival is the big news around here. Join us TONIGHT at 5:30 for fun, games, candy, and a good time with our community. 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. Bring candy donations or sweets for the cupcake/cake walk! Volunteer to help run booths for ½ hour shifts. Tickets for booths are 4/$1 at the Fall Festival. Our Community Partner, Del Taco, will be selling dinner for $2, cash only. Wear costumes that are fun, creepy, or weird. Please, no pretend weapons or extreme gore. $3 Caramel apples & cotton candy. We’ll also be selling the Albuquerque Coupon Books to support our Mariachi program. Bring your whole family and come have a great, fun, safe time with kids! Volunteer Corner: Thank you for our community partnership with the Mauger Bed and Breakfast! They are going to host some of our meetings and help support our school! At the corner of Roma and 7th , 242-8755. Please note – any parent who accompanies a class on a field trip needs to have APS volunteer clearance. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, come in to the office and we’ll help you get set up. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. If the $12 is a hardship, we can help.

Albuquerque “The City” Coupon Books: We still have a long way to go in funding our current Mariachi program, and we’re hoping to add other multi-cultural music and arts clubs. You can help us raise money for this exciting new venture by selling these fabulous coupon books. We keep half of the money for each coupon book you sell! If we sell as many coupon books as we have students at Lew Wallace, we can earn $3000 for instruments, materials, costumes, supplies, and master teachers for our new offerings! Let us know if you need another order sheet or additional information. Sneaker Library: We still need more shoes for our Sneaker Library. Students whoforget to wear their sneakers for P.E. will be able to checkout a clean pair of socks and a pair of shoes so that they can participate. Please send old but usable sneakers to the office. We need both boys’ and girls’ shoes, in all sizes, particularly sizes for the older kids. Gifted Update: Ms. Becky is continuing with our fabulous gifted classes for the next weeks. We are continuing to look for the perfect, highly-qualified teacher to take over, but so far we haven’t found them. In the meantime, Ms. Becky is dedicated to meeting their hours each week with enrichment projects. Thank you Ms. Becky!

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:10/25/13

Weekly News 10/18 October 25, 2013 Dear Lew Wallace Families, The school is a-buzz with excitement about Fall Festival next week! The halls are being decorated, teachers are creating their activities, the PTA is busily planning and preparing… we can’t wait!!! I hope to see you all there (in costume!) at 5:30 next Friday. Please double check that your students leave any pretend weapons at home, even if it’s part of their costume. This will be our first time just to let loose and have fun being a community together. We’ll have caramel apples for sale, boxed dinners from Del Taco ($2, cash only), cotton candy, and sugar everywhere. There are several ways you can volunteer to assist us, as listed on the back of this letter. The more help, the better! Fall Festival is your child’s chance to wear their costume at school. Halloween Day is still an instructional day at school, and students will not be wearing costumes. Some teachers may choose to use the last hour of the day for various sorts of celebrations. If Halloween is tricky for your family, or there are things you want us to be aware of please be in touch. It’s important for us to honor all the beautiful variety of ways people do and do not celebrate and acknowledge different holidays. Congratulations to Ms. Henson, Mr. DeLaO, Ms. Torres, and Ms. Hernandez’ classes for returning over 75% of their class’ PTA surveys and earning an extra recess this week! So looking forward to seeing you at Fall Festival!!!, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: 10/22 – 3rd grade field trip to the Fairgrounds 10/22-11/6 – 4th /5th grade testing 10/24-10/29 – Dental Services 10/25 FALL FESTIVAL!!! 5:30 p.m. 10/28 – STAR Student Luncheon 10/30 – 1st/2nd grade field trip to the train 10/31 – Ms. Mona’s class field trip to Popejoy 11/1 – Field trip to Coronado (Ms. Mona/Ms. Talley) 11/11 – No school: Veteran’s Day 11/14 – Thanksgiving Dinner at School 11/25-26 – Parent/Teacher Conferences 11/27-29 – No school: Thanksgiving break Save the Date! Friday, 12/6 Polar Express Movie Night and Book Fair!!! Fall Festival!!! Fall Festival is the big news around here. Join us next Friday at 5:30 for fun, games, candy, and a good time with our community. See the flyers for more info, but here are some key points: 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. We still need lots of candy donations We also need parent volunteers to help run booths for ½ hour shifts. Tickets are 6/$1 next week, but go up to 25¢ each at the Fall Festival. Our Community Partner, Del Taco, will be selling dinner for $2, cash only. Wear costumes that are fun, creepy, or weird. Please, no pretend weapons or extreme gore. We’ll be selling caramel apples & cotton candy. We’ll also be selling the Albuquerque Coupon Books to support our Mariachi program. Bring your carved pumpkins Friday morning to include in the Jack-OLantern Jamboree. Bring your whole family and come have a great, fun, safe time with kids! Volunteer Corner: Thank you for the amazing donations for our Mariachi club! Community partner Metro Court Judge Linda Rodgers donated a ¾sized guitar, and Melanie and Thomas Lewis donated $100 to help purchase instruments!!! Please note – any parent who accompanies a class on a field trip needs to have APS volunteer clearance. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, come in to the office and we’ll help you get set up. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. If the $12 is a hardship, we can help.

Albuquerque “The City” Coupon Books We still have a long way to go in funding our current Mariachi program, and we’re hoping to add other multi-cultural music and arts clubs. You can help us raise money for this exciting new venture by selling these fabulous coupon books. We keep half of the money for each coupon book you sell! If we sell as many coupon books as we have students at Lew Wallace, we can earn $3000 for instruments, materials, costumes, supplies, and master teachers for our new offerings! Let us know if you need another order sheet or additional information. Sneaker Library: We still need more shoes for our Sneaker Library. Students who forget to wear their sneakers for P.E. will be able to check-out a clean pair of socks and a pair of shoes so that they can participate. Please send old but usable sneakers to the office. We need both boys’ and girls’ shoes, in all sizes, particularly sizes for the older kids.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:10/18/13

FALL FESTIVAL It's only a week away!! Are you ready?!? We are almost there, but we need your help! Here's a list of the ways that you can help: 1. Send in bags of candy to the office. 2. Ask your child's teacher if they need help running their booth, many of them do. 3. Help sell tickets before or after school next week. 4. Help sell tickets the night of the event. We will be having tons of fun next Friday, October 25th. Don't forget that to be part of the JackOLantern Jamboree you have to bring your pumpkin in that morning & pick it up that evening, or else it will be going in the trash so we don't get any creatures making it a feast over the weekend. Del Taco will be serving up tacos for dinner at $2 a plate CASH ONLY. They are not going to be accepting the tickets. We will also be selling carmel apples, delicious ones, I might add, for $3 each. They will also be CASH ONLY. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU HAVE CASH FOR THESE 2 FOOD BOOTHS You will be able to buy tickets for 6/$1 starting Monday afternoon through Friday morning. These tickets can be used for playing any of the games in any of the classrooms or booths. You can also use these to buy popcorn & cotton candy. Everyone is welcome. Don't forget to dress up, but please leave those weapons that might be part of your costume at home. We hope to se you all here that evening ready to have some fun! Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:10/18/13

We're on KOB! Tune in this week to watch our students say the news every morning this week on KOB in the morning! Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:10/14/13

Fall Festival We are having another planning meeting on Tuesday, October 15th at 8am in room 212. Please join us & help us with this amazingly fun event! Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:10/9/13

Weekly News 10/4 October 4, 2013 Dear Lew Wallace Families, We had such an awesome group of people here last Saturday helping out with our campus clean-up!!! We raked, swept, trimmed trees, yanked weeds, and filled the dumpster to its brim. Our beautiful grounds were practically sparkling by the time we finished. Thank you to Lew Wallace families, including Eric and Haileigh Osborne, Melanie Lewis, Tyler and Vanessa Sanchez, Aram Krikorian, Sibylle and Chris Pilgrim, and Adan, Alicia, and Fernando Valles. And thank you also to Lew Wallace staff members Michael Sena (our fab cafeteria guy), Cheryl Inskeep (awesome librarian), Mona Grigsby-Suarez (5th grade teacher and gardener extraordinaire), and Christina Orozco (fearless leader of instruction). In two hours, they transformed our grounds! We will have another campus clean-up event in the spring. Our P.E. teacher, Mrs. Konash, is still struggling with students who forget to wear sneakers on their P.E. day. Because she is committed to their physical education, if they do not have appropriate shoes on P.E. day, she will have them do a modified upper body workout and participate with the class where they can. We are also starting a “shoe library” of old but usable shoes that can be borrowed during P.E. by students who forget. Ms. Konash will keep a bag of clean socks for students to borrow with their shoes, and she will spray shoes after each use to keep them as germ-free as possible. That said, if you have shoes that no longer fit your student, but are still in good shape, please consider donating them to us for our shoe library. You can send them with your student to me in the office. I’ll update you next week in my letter to let you know if we still need more, or if we’re being buried under a mountain of old shoes. Any shoes that we don’t need, I will donate to the Barrett House. Enjoy these beautiful fall days! Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: 10/9 – Deadline for PTA Survey 10/10 & 10/11 No school: Fall break 10/14-24 Short-cycle testing for 4th /5th grade 10/15 – Kindergarten field trip to McCalls Pumpkin Patch 10/22 – 3rd Grade field trip to the Fairgrounds 10/25 Fall Festival!!! (Sponsored by our PTA) 10/25 – STAR Student Luncheon 11/11 – No school: Veteran’s Day 11/25-26 – Parent/Teacher Conferences 11/27-29 – No school: Thanksgiving break Save the Date! Friday, 12/6 Polar Express Movie Night and Book Fair!!! PTA School of Excellence Survey: Thank you to those of you who have filled-out and returned the National PTA School of Excellence surveys. Every class that brings back at least 75% of their surveys earns an extra recess! Please, please, please complete and return the survey. This gives our school valuable information about what we’re doing well, and what we need to work on. Your feedback is really important to us! Another copy is coming home today. Rio Grande Educational Collaborative: Spaces open!!! Before and after school program! The Rio Grande Educational Collaborative (RGEC) provides Academic Enrichment before and after school programs to provide a safe and structured enrichment to children. Here at Lew Wallace Elementary, RGEC is held in the library. Before school from 6:45-bell and after school from 3:30-6:00 p.m. Wednesdays from 12:30-6:00p.m. RGEC takes students from low income families at a reduced rate! Please feel free to stop by and ask questions or call RGEC Lew Wallace Site Supervisor, Ariel Langford @ 505-249-1570 or log on to rgec.org. Volunteer Corner: Thank you to our awesome volunteers who came for our Campus Clean-Up last Saturday!!!!! APS has a new volunteer procedure. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteerwith-aps. This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, be in touch with the APS Student, Family, and Community Support Volunteer Program at 885-5267. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year.

School volunteer needs: Mariachi Instruments: Our mariachi club is in full swing, but we have more students than instruments. If you have a guitar (especially ¾ or ½ size, nylon strings), violin, or trumpet you can donate or lend, we could really use it! We can also accept monetary donations if you can support our instrument purchases. Information and requests from your PTA: The box-top class-of-the month was Mr. Chavez’ class. They turned in over 300 box tops, and earned the September pizza party! Keep bringing those box-tops in. Pickle/Popcorn/Capri Sun sales have started on Fridays! 50 cents for each. Volunteers needed to help with Pickle/Popcorn/ Capri Sun sales on Fridays. Volunteers needed to help with the Fall Festival on 10/25. Candy donations needed for the Fall Festival booth prizes. Please be in touch with Denine Morelos, PTA president ([email protected], 459-1680), or let us know in the office how you can help.e Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:10/4/13

Fall Festival PTA needs your help. Please join us in a meeting on Wednesday at 5:15 in the cafeteria to plan Fall Festival. We need you to make it a success! Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:9/30/13

Weekly News 9/27 September 27, 2013 Dear Families, The Lew Wallace PTA knows that a strong partnership among our families, school leaders, and community at-large is important for the success of our students and school. That's why we are participating in the National PTA School of Excellence program, which celebrates partnerships between PTA and schools to enrich the educational experience and overall well-being for all students. At a National PTA School of Excellence, families feel welcomed and empowered to support student success, and PTA is a key partner for continuous school improvement. We feel Lew Wallace Elementary and Lew Wallace PTA can achieve that together - and the result will be national, state and community-wide visibility for the positive impact we are making together at Lew Wallace Elementary. We need your help! As part of the process, National PTA requests feedback from families at two points in the school year - the beginning and end. Your feedback in the beginning of the program will help to generate a customized Roadmap to Excellence, which will provide specific recommendations for improving our family-school partnership and achieving excellence. Please take 5-10 minutes to reflect on your experience at this school and complete the attached survey. Mark an "X" in the box that most accurately expresses how you feel about your experience. This survey is completely anonymous. Please return this survey to your child's teacher by October 9, 2013. Does this sound like a PTA program you'd really like to help with? Join us! Contact Denine Morelos-Vaughn at 459-1680 to learn more! Sincerely, Denine Morelos-Vaughn - Lew Wallace PTA President Anne Marie Strangio - Lew Wallace Elementary Principal Important Dates: 9/28 – Campus clean-up 8:00-10:00 a.m. More info in the “Volunteer Needs” section. 9/30-10/4 Lew Wallace students will be reading the lunch menus for KOB Channel 4. 10/9 – Deadline for PTA Survey 10/10 & 10/11 No school: Fall break 10/15 – Kindergarten field trip to McCalls Pumpkin Patch 10/22 – 3rd Grade field trip to the Fairgrounds Save the Date! Friday, 10/25 Fall Festival!!! (Sponsored by our PTA) 11/11 – No school: Veteran’s Day 11/25-26 – Parent/Teacher Conferences 11/27-29 – No school: Thanksgiving break Save the Date! Friday, 12/6 Polar Express Movie Night and Book Fair!!! After School Clubs: After School Clubs are in full swing! Here’s what we have: Successmaker (academic skills), Mondays 3:45-4:45 Art, Tuesdays 3:45-4:45 Computers, Thursdays 3:45-4:45 Gardening, Thursdays 3:45-4:45 Chess, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 3:45 Mariachi, Mondays 4:00-5:00 p.m. Drama, Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:45-4:45

Teachers have been passing out information and permission slips. Be in touch with us in the office if your child is interested and hasn’t brought home a form yet. Volunteer Corner: Thank you to Denine Morelos-Vaughn, our PTA president! She has been working like crazy to get our School of Excellence program started, and the surveys out to families. We are so grateful for her support and leadership. Campus clean-up: Join us at Lew Wallace tomorrow morning, September 28th, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 to beautify our campus!

Bring work gloves, brooms, rakes, or trash bags, and help us clear the campus of trash, pull weeds, knock down spider webs, and generally spiff up the place. Be in touch if you know you’re coming, or just show up! You can RSVP to the office, or at http://mygreenapple.org/dayofservice. Type in our zip code (87102), then sign up for the Lew Wallace Campus Clean Up. Donuts and juice provided.

Attachments: PTA Survey

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:9/27/13

Weekly News 9/20 September 20, 2013 Dear Lew Wallace Families, I have been immersed in the new Teacher Evaluation system put into place this year by the Public Education Department, and I have been thrilled with what I’m seeing in our classrooms. Students are deeply engaged, content is challenging, and the school is buzzing with happy learning. Our teachers are knocking my socks off every day! The fabulous Ms. Becky is still substituting in our gifted class, and we are blessed to have her. We did interview some excellent candidates this week, and I will update you when we know more about when our new teacher will arrive. My own children and I will be here with a handful of other families to beautify and clean up our campus on Saturday the 28th . We’d love to have you join us if you haven’t already RSVP’ed. Enjoy the return of the sun and these beautiful early-fall days! Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: 9/23 – Midterm (1st 6 weeks are done!). Look for Midterm progress reports to come home. 9/27 – The Kona Ice Truck is coming to sell sno-cones at Lew Wallace! They’ll start selling at 3:00. Kids who ride the bus and want to purchase may do so at 3:10. This is a fundraiser for our PTA. 9/27 – STAR Student Lunch. One student from each class will be called to have dessert with the Principal. Students are chosen from those who have received “green tickets” for being a Student Taking Additional Responsibility. 9/28 – Campus clean-up 8:00-10:00 a.m. More info in the “Volunteer Needs” section and on the other side. 9/30-10/4 Lew Wallace students will be reading the lunch menus for KOB Channel 4. 10/10 & 10/11 No school: Fall break Save the Date! Friday, 10/25 Fall Festival!!! (Sponsored by our PTA) Save the Date! Friday, 12/6 Polar Express Movie Night and Book Fair!!! Mid-Term Progress Reports: It’s hard to believe, but we are already

6 weeks into the school year! Teachers will be completing Mid-Term Progress Reports to send home next week. This is how we let you know how your student is doing halfway into the trimester. You will receive their trimester report card at Parent/Teacher Conferences in November. If you have questions about the mid-term progress report, be in touch with your child’s teacher.

Boxtops Contest: The class with the most boxtops will win a pizza party! Send those boxtops in with your students to their classroom.

After School Clubs: After School Clubs will be in full swing this coming week! Here’s what we have: Successmaker (academic skills), Mondays 3:45-4:45 Art, Tuesdays 3:45-4:45 Computers, Thursdays 3:45-4:45 Gardening, Thursdays 3:45-4:45 Chess, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 3:45 Mariachi, Mondays 4:00-5:00 p.m. Drama, Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:45-4:45

Teachers have been passing out information and permission slips. Be in touch with us in the office if your child is interested and hasn’t brought home a form yet. Volunteer Corner: Thank you to Michelle Cortez for leading a Constitution Assembly for 5th graders on Constitution Day!!! She provided a pocket constitution for every 5th grader. Michelle is a lawyer and a Lew Wallace mom, and we are grateful for her expertise! APS has a new volunteer procedure. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps. This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, be in touch with the APS Student, Family, and Community Support Volunteer Program at 885-5267. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year.

School volunteer needs: (All volunteers must first be cleared through APS)

Before- and after-school duties: We need volunteers to help supervise students along with a staff member. Morning duties are 8:27-8:47, and after-school duties are 3:35-3:47. Duties include helping in the cafeteria, parent pick-up, and monitoring the playground. If you have even one afternoon a week to help out, we’d love to have you!

Campus clean-up: Join us at Lew Wallace on Saturday morning, September 28th , from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 to beautify our campus! Bring work gloves, brooms, rakes, or trash bags, and help us clear the campus of trash, pull weeds, knock down spider webs, and generally spiff up the place. Be in touch if you know you’re coming, or just show up! You can RSVP to the office, or at http://mygreenapple.org/dayofservice. Type in our zip code (87102), then sign up for the Lew Wallace Campus Clean Up. Donuts and juice provided.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:9/20/13

Weekly News 9/13 September 13, 2013 Dear Lew Wallace Families, Thank you so much for being here for our Title 1 Annual Meeting and Open House. We had over 600 people attend! Your support for your children, for our school, and for our community is tremendous, and I am so grateful to be a part of it. There were many opportunities to sign up for things, and it’s not too late! Consider joining the PTA, volunteering for an after-school or before-school pick-up/drop-off duty, or come for our campus clean-up on Saturday, September 28th . You have probably read about the new Teacher Evaluation system put into place this year by the Public Education Department. Our amazing teachers have jumped in feet first, and are deeply steeped in continuing to improve their already-awesome teaching practices. I will be immersed in these evaluations for the next couple of weeks, so if you need to chat, please leave me a bit more turn-around time to respond. I will be in my favorite place – classrooms! – almost all day every day until the first evaluation cycle is complete. The fabulous Ms. Becky is substituting in our gifted class until we hire a permanent teacher. She has been delightedly preparing lessons this week, and will start working with students on Monday. We are so lucky to have her! The rain has not dampened our spirits here! We have had a few soggy recesses as students have been a bit stir crazy staying inside. They have done a super job of keeping out of the puddles, and not getting totally muddy. I am proud of their choices, and it has allowed them to continue to go outside, even when it’s a bit wet. One last request… we have had some parents taking their students early from the playground, and it creates a significant amount of stress for us in the office if we don’t know where a student is. PLEASE ALWAYS check your student out in the office, even if you are only taking them a couple of minutes early. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates Tues, 9/17 Constitution Day – special lessons in classrooms about the U.S. Constitution Wed, 9/18 at 9:00 a.m. in the cafeteria, the director of the Menaul Day School will have an informational meeting for interested 4th and 5th grade parents. 9/23 – Midterm (1st 6 weeks are done!). Look for Midterm progress reports to come home. New! 9/23 – Family Engagement Walkthrough (see below) 9/28 – Campus clean-up 8:00-10:00 a.m. More info in the “Volunteer Needs” section. 9/30-10/4 Lew Wallace students will be reading the lunch menus for KOB Channel 4. 10/10 & 10/11 No school: Fall break Save the Date! Friday, 10/25 Fall Festival!!! (Sponsored by our PTA) Save the Date! Friday, 12/6 Polar Express Movie Night and Book Fair!!! Boxtops Contest The class with the most boxtops will win a pizza party! Send those boxtops in with your students to their classroom.

Family Engagement Walkthrough Monday, September 23, in the morning We have an audit team visiting the school to help us find out where we are doing great, and where we need to beef up our accessibility for families. We need a few parents willing to share their experiences at Lew Wallace for an hour in the morning. We should have at least one “old-timer” parent who’s been around awhile, and one who is fairly new to our school in order to have varied perspectives. Let me know if you are interested in participating!

After School Clubs: After School Clubs will start soon! Here’s what we have: Successmaker (academic skills), Mondays 3:45-4:45 Art, Tuesdays 3:45-4:45 Computers, Thursdays 3:45-4:45 Gardening, Thursdays 3:45-4:45 Chess, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays at 3:45 Mariachi, Mondays 4:00-5:00 p.m. (starts 9/16) Drama, Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:45-4:45

Look for forms to come home, or be in touch with the office or Mr. DeLaO: [email protected]. If you are interested in Mariachi, just have your student show up on Monday to learn more. Volunteer Corner: Thank you to our wonderful PTA leaders who raised money for our school, and helped pull off a wonderful Open House this week!!! APS has a new volunteer procedure. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, be in touch with the APS Student, Family, and Community Support Volunteer Program at 885-5267. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year.

School volunteer needs: (All volunteers must first be cleared through APS)

Before- and after-school duties: We need volunteers to help supervise students along with a staff member. Morning duties are 8:27-8:47, and afternoon duties are 3:35-3:47. Duties include helping in the cafeteria, parent pick-up, and monitoring the playground. If you have even just one afternoon a week you can help out, we’d love to have you!

Campus clean-up: Join us at Lew Wallace on Saturday morning, September 28th , from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 to beautify our campus! Bring work gloves, brooms, rakes, or trash bags, and help us clear the campus of trash, pull weeds, knock down spider webs, and generally spiff up the place. Be in touch if you know you’re coming, or just show up! You can RSVP to the office, or at http://mygreenapple.org/dayofservice. Type in our zip code (87102), then sign up for the Lew Wallace Campus Clean Up. Donuts and juice provided

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:9/16/13

Weekly News 9/6 September 6, 2013 Dear Lew Wallace Families, Next week, Wednesday, September 11th at 5:30 p.m. is our Title 1 Annual Meeting and Open House. As a school that receives Title 1 funding, we are required to share with you our Title 1 budget, answer questions, and explain our program. As well, I will talk a little about our school grade, our Educational Plan for Student Success (EPSS), and our goals for the coming year. Ms. Mona and Ms. Talley's classes will be singing and signing in both English and Spanish – you won’t want to miss their terrific performance! Our PTA will have a table set-up with information and forms for joining, volunteer opportunities, t-shirts for sale, and news about our year-long engagement with the National PTA Schools of Excellence program. We had wonderful attendance at last week’s PTA meeting, and began planning for exciting family events this semester. The Rio Grande Educational Collaborative will also be here with an informational booth about their before- and after-school program, and they will be selling cotton candy to benefit our PTA! Our new Bilingual Resource Teacher, Paloma Arranda, will be joining us beginning Monday. She will be half-time here, and half-time at Longfellow Elementary School down the street. We are excited to have her joining our staff, and bringing her expertise with dual-language. We are still waiting for a teacher for our Gifted Program. I am hoping to interview for that position next week. The paperwork has been submitted for our new 2nd grade teacher, and she should be arriving here in a week or so! In the meantime, Ms. Becky is doing a wonderful job with our 2nd grade class, and they are rockin’ and rollin’ along. Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Wed, 9/11 Open House and Title 1 Annual Meeting, 5:30, Gym Fri, 9/13 Picture Day Tues, 9/17 Constitution Day – special lessons in classrooms about the U.S. Constitution Wed, 9/18 at 9:00 a.m. in the cafeteria, the director of the Menaul Day School will have an informational meeting for interested 4th and 5th grade parents. 9/23 – Midterm (1st 6 weeks are done!). Look for Midterm progress reports to come home. New! 9/28 – Campus clean-up 8:00-10:00 a.m. More info in the “Volunteer Needs” section. 9/30-10/4 Lew Wallace students will be reading the lunch menus for KOB Channel 4. 10/10 & 10/11 No school: Fall break Save the Date! Friday, 10/25 Fall Festival!!! (Sponsored by our PTA) Open House/ Title 1 Parent Meeting: Wednesday, September 11, 5:30 p.m. Because our school receives federal funding for Title 1, we are required to share with you how that money is being spent on your student’s behalf. Come hear about Title 1, our school grade, and our work on school improvement, then meet the teachers and see what students are doing in their classrooms. The meeting portion will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the gym, followed by visits to your children’s classrooms. Enjoy a special presentation from Ms. Mona and Ms. Talley’s classes! Volunteer Corner: Thank you to Ernie Martinez and Chris Appleton! These wonderful PTA parents donated the funds to be able to purchase an annual food permit from the City of Albuquerque so that we can sell popcorn and pickles to raise money. We are grateful for your support! APS has a new volunteer procedure. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, be in touch with the APS Student, Family, and Community Support Volunteer Program at 885-5267. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. School volunteer needs: (All volunteers must first be cleared through APS)

Before- and after-school duties: We need volunteers to help supervise students along with a staff member. Morning duties are 8:27-8:47, and afternoon duties are 3:35-3:47. Duties include helping in the cafeteria, parent pick-up, and monitoring the playground. If you have even just one afternoon a week you can help out, we’d love to have you! Talk to Mary or Rose in the office if you are interested. Campus clean-up: Join us at Lew Wallace on Saturday morning, September 28th , from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 to beautify our campus! Bring work gloves, brooms, rakes, or trash bags, and help us clear the campus of trash, pull weeds, knock down spider webs, and generally spiff up the place. Be in touch if you know you’re coming, or just show up! Donuts and juice provided. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:9/6/13

Open House Open House is Wednesday, September 11th from 5:30 - 7. Come visit your child's teacher & classroom. Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:9/5/13

Box Tops Please help us collect BoxTops for our school! See the attached flyer for more information. Attachments: LEW WALLACE BOXTOPS FLYER.pdf

Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:9/5/13

Weekly News 8/30 August 30, 2013 Dear Lew Wallace Families, We finished moving, and now we are moving forward! What a gift it was to receive allocations for two additional teachers. It created some stress around building those new classes and moving students, but it was awesome to see those new, smaller classes get right to work and start bonding. I truly believe that our students will be able to achieve even higher with more 1-on-1 teacher assistance, and smaller groups. Mr. DeLaO is happily teaching the 1st/2nd grade combo class. Ms. Barreras has officially been hired for her 2nd grade classroom, and we are thrilled to have her. We have interviewed for the new 2nd grade classroom, currently being taught by the fabulous Ms. Becky, and our candidates were very strong. Hopefully we will have the permanent teacher in there by the end of next week! Ms. Grigsby-Suarez has settled her 5th graders into their new space, and they are busy at work. Ms. Ecker is building great curriculum for her 4th /5th grade class. We have a great bilingual resource teacher joining us in a couple of weeks. The gifted teacher position is being posted online, and we’ll be able to hire a teacher very soon. I am amazed and delighted at students’ and teachers’ resilience, tenacity, and flexibility. Everyone is back on track, hard at work, learning and growing. What a fantastic school community we have here! I am always open to talk. My email is [email protected], my door is open, and you can call any time. Please feel free to stop by and say hi, or come to me with any concerns or celebrations. Thank you for sharing your students with me! Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Mon, 9/2 No School: Labor Day Wed, 9/11 Open House and Title 1 Annual Meeting, 5:30, Gym Fri, 9/13 Picture Day Tues, 9/17 Constitution Day – special lessons in classrooms about the U.S. Constitution Wed, 9/18 at 9:00 a.m. in the cafeteria, the director of the Menaul Day School will have an informational meeting for interested 4th and 5th grade parents. 9/23 – Midterm (1st 6 weeks are done!). Look for Midterm progress reports to come home. 9/30-10/4 Lew Wallace students will be reading the lunch menus for KOB Channel 4. 10/10 & 10/11 No school: Fall break School Bells: Remember; school bells are slightly different this year. School starts when the bell rings at 8:42. Students need to line up outside and wait for their teacher at that time. The tardy bell rings at 8:47, and any student arriving late needs to check-in at the office for a tardy pass. The dismissal bell rings at 3:35 on M/T/Th/F, and at 12:30 on Wednesdays. Open House/Title 1 Parent Meeting: Wednesday, September 11, 5:30 p.m. Because our school receives federal funding for Title 1, we are required to share with you how that money is being spent on your student’s behalf. Come hear about Title 1, our school grade, and our work on school improvement, then meet the teachers and see what students are doing in their classrooms. The meeting portion will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the gym, followed by visits to your children’s classrooms. Volunteer Corner: Thank you to Eric Osborne, Haileigh’s dad! When we had to move students from class to class, he carried desks, chairs, backpacks, and students’ treasures to their new classrooms. We are all grateful for his help in moving furniture so that students could start in their new classes with as little disruption as possible. APS has a new volunteer procedure. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, be in touch with the APS Student, Family, and Community Support Volunteer Program at 885-5267. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. School volunteer needs: (All volunteers must first be cleared through APS)

Before- and after-school duties: We need volunteers to help supervise students along with a staff member. Morning duties are 8:27-8:47, and afternoon duties are 3:35-3:47. Duties include helping in the cafeteria, parent pick-up, and monitoring the playground. If you have even just one afternoon a week you can help out, we’d love to have you! Talk to Mary or Rose in the office if you are interested. Campus clean-up: If you are interested in helping us clear the campus from trash, pulling weeds, or assisting with general upkeep, please let us know. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:9/3/13

Weekly News 8/23 August 23, 2013 Dear Lew Wallace Families, What an absolute delight to be amongst you, meeting your amazing students! These first days of school have been full of meeting new friends, reconnecting with old friends, and settling into our new classroom routines. Teachers and staff have been buzzing with excitement for their awesome classes and are already hard at work with the new Common Core State Standards. My time here at Lew Wallace has been full and busy. I am grateful to have such incredible teachers and staff. I have met so many warm and welcoming parents and students. You already know what a special community we have here, and I am feeling lucky to be a part of it. Our numbers are high, and we continue to have students on our waiting list. It is a testament to the high-quality education and great teaching going on here that so many people want to come! We are adding two teachers to get class sizes down, and there will be tears as students shift from class to class, but ultimately it will be a great thing for kids as class sizes become more manageable and students have easier access to their teachers and more elbow room in their classrooms. It will be a difficult transition at first, but once students are in their new rooms and connect with new friends, all will be well, and students will thrive. I am always open to talk. My email is [email protected], my door is open, and you can call any time. Please feel free to stop by and say hi, or come to me with any concerns or celebrations. I am absolutely thrilled to be here with you, and honored to get to be part of this wonderful school. Thank you for sharing your students with me! Very truly, Anne Marie Strangio Important Dates: Thurs, 8/29 PTA Meeting, 5:30, Library Mon, 9/2 No School: Labor Day Wed, 9/11 Open House and Title 1 Parent Meeting, 5:30, Gym Tues, 9/17 Constitution Day – special lessons in classrooms about the U.S. Constitution 10/10 & 10/11 No school: Fall break School Bells: Remember; school bells are slightly different this year. School starts when the bell rings at 8:42. Students need to line up outside and wait for their teacher at that time. The tardy bell rings at 8:47, and any student arriving late needs to check-in at the office for a tardy pass. The dismissal bell rings at 3:35 on M/T/Th/F, and at 12:30 on Wednesdays. PTA Meeting: Everyone is invited to our next PTA meeting. Learn how to be more involved in our school and connect with other parents. The meeting will be Thursday, August 29th at 5:30 p.m. in the school library. Open House / Title 1 Parent Meeting: Wednesday, September 11, 5:30 p.m. Because our school receives federal funding for Title 1, we are required to share with you how that money is being spent on your student’s behalf. Come hear about Title 1, our school grade, and our work on school improvement, then meet the teachers and see what students are doing in their classrooms. The meeting portion will begin at 5:30 p.m. in the gym, followed by visits to your children’s classrooms. Information for volunteers: APS has a new volunteer procedure. All volunteers must apply online at: www.aps.edu/volunteer-with-aps This is the only method to apply to volunteer at any APS school. A $12 payment is required through PayPal. If you don’t have computer access or a PayPal account, be in touch with the APS Student, Family, and Community Support Volunteer Program at 885-5267. If you were cleared as a volunteer last year, you are still covered for this year. School volunteer needs: (All volunteers must first be cleared through APS) Before- and after-school duties: We need volunteers to help supervise students along with a staff member. Morning duties are 8:27-8:47, and afternoon duties are 3:35-3:47. Duties include helping in the cafeteria, parent pick-up, and monitoring the playground. Talk to Mary or Rose in the office if you are interested. Campus clean-up: If you are interested in helping us clear the campus from trash, pulling weeds, or assisting with general upkeep, please let us know. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:8/25/13

PTA Meeting Please join us for the first PTA meeting of the school year on Thursday August 29th at 5:30pm in the Library. Come be a part of our school community. This is your chance to make your voice heard. Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:8/9/13

REGISTRATION INFO Registration will take place Wednesday August 7th, 2013 from 9:0012:00 PM Parks and Recreation registration will be on Wednesday August 7th, 2013 from 9:00 -12:00 PM. (However, please be aware the line forms early and there are limited spaces available.) New to Lew Wallace please provide: proof of residence (PNM bill. or lease agreement) birth certificate (Kinder must be 5 by September 1st) shot record Posted by: Mike Suarez Published:7/23/13 Audience: Homepage and Homepage SCHOOL SUPPLY LISTS Have you been wondering about school supply lists for the upcoming school year? Well, wonder no more. Those sale flyers are coming out and I have your link here so that you can take advantage of those great back to school sales! Click on the link below & look for your child's new grade level. Attachments: supply lists

Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:7/9/13

WELCOME OUR NEW PRINCIPAL!! Welcome to the Lew Wallace Community, Ms. Strangio! We are looking forward to working with you this coming school year. Parents, students & LWES community be sure to stop by the office when school is back in session to give Ms. Strangio a warm Lew Wallace welcome. The first day of school is August 13th!! Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:7/9/13

FAMILY DANCE ~ SUMMER LITERACY KICKOFF DID YOU KNOW that the Family Dance is this Friday, May 10th? It is from 5:30 - 7:30. We are asking families to donate drinks. We need sodas & water for that night. Please send these donations ASAP.

Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:5/7/13

CONGRATULATIONS MS NAVA!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO MS. NAVA!!! She is the APS/Pepsi teacher of the month for April!!! The Lew Wallace family loves and appreciates you, Ali. You truly deserve this honor.

Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:4/24/13

PTA Officers for the 2013 - 2014 School Year Congratulations to our new PTA Executive Board Members for the 2013-2014 school year! President - Denine Morelos-Vaughn Vice President - Lupe Arencón Treasurer - Sylvia Escarsega Secretary - Chris Appleton

We'd like to thank our current PTA Board for their service & dedication this school year. We look forward to working with all our families next year! Consider joining the PTA and volunteering your time to help us run a great organization.

Posted by: Celeste Hernandez Audience: Homepage

Published:4/12/13

Lew Wallace Battle of the Books Team Our Lew Wallace Battle of the Books team has been selected! They are getting ready for the April 13th competition. Congratulations to all the great 4th and 5th grade readers who partcipated throughout the year!

Posted by: Cathy Verhines Audience: Library and Homepage

Published:3/28/13

March Newsletter Spring Break will be the week of Monday March 11th - Friday March 15th. Students come back to school on Monday March 18th. S.B.A. Testing will be Tuesday March 19th until Thursday March 29th. Please make sure your child is on time, gets plenty of rest and eats breakfast. Your support is greatly appreciated. Yearbook Pre-Sales in the office. The price is $13.00. Prices will go up to $14.00 after March 28th. Order yours before they sell out! Spring Pictures are coming up on Thursday April 4th. Get ready to smile! Before and After-School academic enrichment program is in the Lew Wallace library. For more information go to www.rgec.org or call 505-873-6035. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage

Published:3/8/13

APS Meals Meet Tough New Standards You have probably noticed some changes in your students lunches this school year. Starting in July of 2012 school nutrition programs were required to meet tougher federal nutrition standards to ensure that meals are healthy, well-balanced and provide students all the nutrition they need to succeed at school. School meals offer students milk, fruits and vegetables, proteins and grains, and they must meet strict limits for saturated fat and portion size. As of July 2012 school lunches must meet additional standards requiring: · Age-appropriate calorie limits · Larger servings of vegetables and fruits (students must take at least one serving of produce) · A wider variety of vegetables, including dark green and red/orange vegetables and legumes · Fat-free or 1% milk (flavored milk must be fat-free) · More whole grains · And less sodium School meals are a great value and a huge convenience for busy families. Breakfast price is $1.15 across all grade levels. Lunch at elementary schools is $1.95 and $2.20 at secondary schools. During the 12-13 school year students who qualify for reduced meals receive their meals at no cost to the student’s family. If you need additional information please do not hesitate to call the Food and Nutrition Department at 345-5661. Posted by: Mike Suarez Audience: Homepage and Homepage

Published:2/26/13

Lew Wallace welcomes Ms Venesee Mildren, Principal Ms Mildren comes to us from A. Montoya Elementary School.

Look for more information about her to be posted soon. Posted by: Sammie Hutchison Audience: Homepage

Published:7/31/12

2012-13 School Supply Lists Click here to view the list: Student Supplies Click here to download the file: 2012-13 Supply Lists Posted by: Sammie Hutchison Audience: Homepage

Published:7/31/12

Before & After School Child Care Registration 2012-13 Registration for Wells Park and Park & Rec will be done on Wed., 8/8/12. Lines form early as there are limited spaces available and are on a 1st come/1st serve basis. Click on the CONTINUE button as TIMES/LOCATIONS ARE DIFFERENT. Parks & Rec registration will be in the Lew Wallace gym from 9-12 on Wednesday (please DISREGARD the city flyer which stated it would be Thursday the 9th). Their before/after school activities are done here at Lew Wallace. Well Park registration will be at the Wells Park Community Center (5th & Mountain) from 8 AM - 3 PM. Their before/after school activities are done at the Community Center and students are bussed to/from Lew Wallace. Posted by: Sammie Hutchison Audience: Homepage

Published:7/31/12

Registration is on Wed., 8/8/12 from 9-12 Registration for Kindergarten and new students will be in the cafeteria. Registration for returning students will be in your new classroom. Class lists will be posted throughout the school. Posted by: Sammie Hutchison Audience: Homepage

Published:7/31/12

2012-13 Start Time Will Remain The Same As This Year

Proposed Early Start Time Survey Results April 16, 2012 Staff = 72% Yes / 28% No --- Parents = 68% No / 32% Yes Breakdown of voting is shown below.

The start time for 2012-2013 will remain the same As many of you know, Lew Wallace was approved to pursue an early start time for the 2012-2013 school year. Two meetings were held on April 10, 2012 to inform parents of this proposed change. Information was also posted on the school website, in the school newsletter and flyers were sent home. Surveys were sent home to parents on Wednesday, April 10th with a deadline for returning them on Friday, April 13th. Listed below are the results of the survey.

Parent Surveys · Total Number of Parent Surveys sent out = 252 · Total Number of Parent Surveys returned = 148 · Total Number of YES votes = 48 · Total Number of NO votes = 100 · Total Percentage of YES votes = 32% · Total Percentage of NO votes = 68%

Staff Surveys · Total Number of Staff Surveys sent out = 33 · Total Number of Staff Surveys Returned = 33 · Total Number of YES votes = 24 · Total Number of NO votes = 9 · Total Percentage of YES votes = 72% · Total Percentage of NO votes = 28%



Home of the Bear Cubs Posted by: Sammie Hutchison Audience: Homepage

Published:4/18/12

April Newsletter is available Click on the link in the Newsletter section (just under this section) to read the newsletter. Posted by: Sammie Hutchison Audience: Homepage

Published:4/11/12

4/24 Science Fair to be held in the Cafeteria

Students will display their Projects in the Cafeteria where Community Volunteers will judge them based on the rubric recently sent home. The Community is invited to view the projects fro 5:30-6:30. (If your child need a presentation board, check with the office as there may still be some available.) Posted by: Sammie Hutchison Audience: Homepage

Published:4/9/12

4/10 Parent Mtg.8 AM or 5 PM -- Proposed Schedule Change

PARENT MEETING

Lew Wallace Elementary School has received permission to pursue a more consistent daily schedule for 2012-2013 school year. Proposed start time will be 7:45 am with a dismissal time of 1:55 pm (M-F).

With this schedule there will be NO EARLY Wednesday dismissal.

Information meetings are scheduled for Tuesday, April th 10 at 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. in the GYM. Ballots will be sent home on Wednesday to families with students in grades K-4. Posted by: Sammie Hutchison Audience: Homepage

Published:3/29/12

Title 1 Annual Parent Involvement Policy Meeting Calling All Parents You Are Invited to Attend the Title 1 Annual Parent Involvement Policy Meeting April 4, 2012 at 8:00 am and 5:00 pm. We will: Discuss/Revise the current policy Develop a new Parent Compact Share Ways of help your child with his/her science fair project Refreshments will be served Entertainment will be provided by the Lew Wallace Drama Club under the Direction of Mr. Neil Elliot All Parents Attending will Receive a FREE Science Fair Project Board Posted by: Sammie Hutchison Audience: Homepage

Published:3/28/12

Welcome to our NEW Website

I invite you to browse through our new website. We are VERY excited to have this additional method of sharing information with you about our school. The website will continue to evolve as staff begins to add pages related to their classrooms (teachers) or specific programs (support staff). Let us know if you have questions, comments or suggestions about our site. Posted by: Sammie Hutchison Audience: Homepage

Published:2/1/12

Principal's News Welcome to the New Year! This next trimester will be a busy one. School Grades were released last week and a letter was sent home to parents informing them of the letter grade that was assigned to Lew Wallace. Lew Wallace was assigned a “B” grade, based on the last three years of SBA testing results. Staff members are determined to maintain or exceed the current assigned grade. All APS schools will receive another grade after the spring SBA scores. Parents are our partners in the important job of educating the children of this community. I firmly believe that “all children can,” and by working together to provide the best education possible, “all children will!” Gloria Brooks, Principal Posted by: Sammie Hutchison Audience: Homepage

Published:1/21/12

Welcome to our new website! Parents, teachers, and staff from across the district met with the APS Web Team to provide feedback about what the school websites should offer their communities. This new site delivers features that will help parents, students, and the community find important information about our school and the district. Here are some of the features we'd like you to know about: Search the Site You can easily search for anything on this site by using the Search box at the top of every page. District News and Events Recent news and events from the district are featured on our school homepage, so that parents and employees don't have to go to www.aps.edu to find out what's happening across the district. Teacher Sites Our teachers all have pages within our new site so they can easily post news and information for parents and students. Weather Delays We'll now be able to post weather delays and cancellations here on the Lew Wallace homepage. Consistency in Design This new site is part of a larger project to migrate all the school sites into the same website tool, making browsing across school sites easy and consistent. Take a look around our new site, and let us know what you think. Posted by: kalisha weidemann Published:12/16/11 Audience: Homepage and Homepage Welcome Back! Dear Lew Wallace Students, Families, Staff and Community, Welcome to the 2011-2012 School Year! I hope each of you have had an enjoyable, restful and adventurous summer break with your children, families, and friends. As new principal, I am thrilled to take the reigns from Jo Peters who did such a great job during her tenure here. As I have been settling in during the summer, I have had plenty of time to meet people in small settings, and I have really loved getting a glimpse of what the Lew Wallace Community is all about. First of all, Lew Wallace Elementary School is truly a special place (but you already know that!). People care about people here. When people discover that I am the principal of Lew Wallace, they tell me what a wonderful place it is to be. I feel very fortunate to have been selected to serve as the principal. Before moving to Albuquerque, I have been a special education teacher, an elementary school principal, and a project administrator with the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada. Just recently, I was assigned as the assistant principal at La Mesa Elementary School. I firmly believe that we must help our students to achieve their potential in both academics and citizenship. I have high expectations for staff, students, parents and myself. We work as a team to help each student achieve his/her potential. During my first few weeks here, I will be visible. I will listen and observe and meet with students, parents, and staff to identify what works well and what areas could really be improved upon, so that we can build upon the success that is so obvious at Lew Wallace Elementary School. I am looking forward to working with each of you individually and collaboratively to meet the goal of educating our children. My contact information is 505.848.9409 or [email protected]. Respectfully, Gloria Brooks Principal Posted by: kalisha weidemann Audience: Staff Directory and Homepage

Published:12/8/11

Welcome Back! Dear Lew Wallace Students, Families, Staff and Community, Welcome to the 2011-2012 School Year! I hope each of you have had an enjoyable, restful and adventurous summer break with your children, families, and friends. As new principal, I am thrilled to take the reigns from Jo Peters who did such a great job during her tenure here. As I have been settling in during the summer, I have had plenty of time to meet people in small settings, and I have really loved getting a glimpse of what the Lew Wallace Community is all about. First of all, Lew Wallace Elementary School is truly a special place (but you already know that!). People care about people here. When people discover that I am the principal of Lew Wallace, they tell me what a wonderful place it is to be. I feel very fortunate to have been selected to serve as the principal. Before moving to Albuquerque, I have been a special education teacher, an elementary school principal, and a project administrator with the Clark County School District in Las Vegas, Nevada. Just recently, I was assigned as the assistant principal at La Mesa Elementary School. I firmly believe that we must help our students to achieve their potential in both academics and citizenship. I have high expectations for staff, students, parents and myself. We work as a team to help each student achieve his/her potential. During my first few weeks here, I will be visible. I will listen and observe and meet with students, parents, and staff to identify what works well and what areas could really be improved upon, so that we can build upon the success that is so obvious at Lew Wallace Elementary School. I am looking forward to working with each of you individually and collaboratively to meet the goal of educating our children. My contact information is 505.848.9409 or [email protected]. Respectfully, Gloria Brooks Principal Posted by: kalisha weidemann Audience: Administration and Homepage

Published:11/28/11

Visitors at Lew Wallace Visitors are always welcome and volunteers are encouraged! It is best practice to consult with your child’s teacher beforehand concerning the best times to visit the classroom or to volunteer. As a safety precaution, all visitors must sign in at the office each time you are at our school! Posted by: kalisha weidemann Audience: Administration and Homepage

Published:11/28/11

School Registration School registration will be held on Thursday, August 11, 2011, from 9:00-12:00. Posted by: kalisha weidemann Audience: Homepage

Published:10/21/11

Registration Will Be Thursday, August 11 Registration will be Thursday, August 11, 2011 from 9:00 a.m. until 12:00 noon. Posted by: kalisha weidemann Audience: Homepage

Published:10/21/11