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Mrs. Smith's Weekly Newsletter - January 12, 2026 by Monica Smith | This newsletter was created with Smore, an online tool for creating beautiful newsletters for educators, businesses and more

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We will visit Brookdale Admiral Heights, an assisted living residence just down the street, each month to connect with residents through conversation and shared activities. Sign-up to chaperone!

June 8th @ 1:15–2:15 PM

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Mrs. Smith’s Classroom Volunteer Sign Up

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Mrs. Smith’s Classroom Volunteer Sign Up

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Lafayette is committed to educating and nurturing all students so they may grow toward responsible, global citizenship.

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mbsmith1@seattleschools.org

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Attendance : lafayette.attendance@seattleschools.org

206-252-9502

Main Office / Kathy Johnson:

kajohnson@seattleschools.org

206-252-9500

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LafayettePTA.com: Empowering education at Lafayette Elementary School in Seattle, WA. Discover events, programs, and resources for students and parents. Join our PTA community today!

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Events - Lafayette Elementary School PTA

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Explore the exciting events at Lafayette Elementary School in Seattle, WA! Stay informed about upcoming activities, workshops, and gatherings that foster a thriving educational community. Join us for enriching experiences and memorable moments.

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Calendar - Lafayette Elementary School PTA

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Givebacks helps you engage your supporters, raise money online with less work, and harness innovation to build up your entire community through GIvebacks. See why over 12,000 organizations and over 2.4 million people use Givebacks to thrive.

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Join Mrs. Smith’s 25-26 Class on Homeroom

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This is a shared group on Homeroom called Mrs. Smith’s 25-26 Class.

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Shop our class page: https://orders.scholastic.com/YNLYD

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Your book order earns FREE Books for your class. Plus you pick a FREE Book with a $25 order!

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December Lafayette Leopard Look Out

Message from the Principal

Happy New Year Lafayette Community,

I hope that you all had a chance to spend lots of time with your children over break. I had the opportunity to see my four grandchildren and WOW it was busy. We have lots happening at Lafayette so check out the PTA Newsletter. Thanks for all that joined us for the community sing-along, it was lots of fun and is always a great way to kick-off our break.

I had the opportunity to reflect on this year over the break, and we have come a long way since the pandemic. Mostly I want to recognize the student growth and successes since the pandemic. I am always pleasantly surprised by the quality of student work at Lafayette, their willingness to work with partners and their classes, and their inquisitive conversations that they have. They are truly a joy to work with.

This month we will be celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr. with an assembly and Black Lives Matter with many classrooms doing projects. Please feel free to connect with your child's teacher if you would like to contribute. We really appreciate it!

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at 206-252-9505 or cpchaput@seattleschools.org.

Sincerely,

Cindy Chaput, Principal

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Message from the Assistant Principal

Welcome Back!  😊

As we move into the New Year (2023), I wanted to reflect on the great things that our Lafayette community has accomplished (these are some highlights- if I listed all the great things that I have seen this school year, the list would be pages long):

Building relationships in new ways together as a Lafayette community

Navigating and adapting to changes with flexibility and understanding

Learning and growing as a community of learners

Inspiring each other and working together to make a difference

I look forward to the amazing successes and progress that will continue to advance our collaboration together, while magnifying our strengths as a community here at Lafayette.

I would love to hear from you and how we can continue to build meaningful connections in 2023!

Smiles and I look forward to our new adventures together in the New Year 😊

In partnership and gratitude,

Casie Dimsey
Assistant Principal
504 Coordinator
cjdimsey@seattleschools.org

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Music Update from Mr. Payne

Hello Lafayette community!

In music, we have been working on a variety of musical ideas, rhythmic and melodic practice, and instrument playing. Recently, we have been traveling the world to different countries to learn about the culture and the music from the area. We have had a great time learning about the different styles of music and variety of new instruments. Stepping into the month of January, we are transitioning into a new area of music. We are learning and discussing musical terms that affect the speed of a piece of music, building on our rhythmic and melodic practices with new symbols, while diving into the messages and ideas by Martin Luther King Jr. and how we can connect his ideas to music.

If you have any questions, please email me at sapayne@seattleschools.org

Thank you for all your help and support!

Samuel Payne
He/him/his
K-5 Music Specialist
Monday-Friday: Book an appointment

Dear Lafayette Families,

Happy 2023! While I write this, it is still 2022 and I'm thinking about all the fun projects we have in store when we come back from winter break. I am so proud of my youngest students for all that they have learned in Visual Arts. The still life drawings of all my students, are so much fun to look at as I see new skills learned at each level. When we get back to school, students will continue to build skills and will take in some new experiences. I will be rolling out clay projects for the rest of the year. My goal is to have all students have one finished clay project glazed and fired by June. I also plan on creating more Abstract art with students, and diving a little more into the elements of art.

Best,

Mrs. Bajaj

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Counselor's Corner

Welcome Back and Happy New Year Lafayette Families! I hope that you had a wonderful winter break and are ready to jump back into learning!
During the month of December, Lafayette had its 4th annual school-wide Kindness Challenge. I really enjoyed (once again) talking to the students about how kindness spreads...and spreads...and spreads. The Life Vest Inside - Kindness Boomerang - "One Day"
Life Vest Inside Kindness Boomerang is a great video that illustrates this idea! All students that turn in a calendar by Friday, January 6th will receive a small price.

During the month of January, we will be learning about Growth Mindset. Growth Mindset is the belief that:

You can learn and get better at things.

Mistakes are okay and are part of the learning process.

It's important to keep trying and not give up.

Having a Growth Mindset is an important skill for ALL of us to practice. Many of us can get stuck in a fixed mindset, which is the belief that your intelligence and/or talent is set - you can either do it or you can't - you are either good at it or you are not. Some of us also must really work on having positive self-talk, as opposed to negative self-talk. I encourage all of you right now to grab a sticky note and write yourself an encouraging note and put it somewhere in your house you will see it often; just see if it makes a difference! In my kids' bathroom, I have a framed message that reads, "Always remember, you belong here, you matter, you are enough, you are loved, you can do anything, you are respected, you are valued, I believe in you."

If you have any questions, or if I can support your child or family in any way, please reach out! My email address is kmhart@seattleschools.org. I am trying out a new schedule! I am at Lafayette on Mondays, Tuesdays, and half-days on Wednesdays.

Warmly,

Kenna Hart, School Counselor

School Nurse

Greetings Lafayette families!

As always, we appreciate all that you do to keep our community in good health. It is an honor and a joy to work with the students, families, and staff at Lafayette. Many wishes for a fun, healthy, safe January.

Recently, there have been many RSV and flu cases in Seattle Public Schools. We might also see more COVID cases and or hospitalizations this winter as people gather indoors and new COVID variants spread. These diseases can make young children, older adults, and other vulnerable people very sick, and overload hospitals and clinics. For information on symptoms of RSV, what can be done to protect yourself and others, and vaccines, you can go to this blog post from King County Public Health.

I have had a few questions from parents recently about medication at school. We require a completed medication authorization form to administer medications, including over the counter medication. Cough drops often contain medication and they are a choking hazard so please do not send these to school. Details about medications at school can be found on the Seattle Public Schools website. Let me know if your student needs medication at school. I am happy to help 😊.

Take good care everyone!

Julie Masonsmith, RN, BSN, School Nurse at Lafayette

Schedule: Tuesdays, Fridays, and every other Wednesday

Email: jmmasonsmith@seattleschools.org

Library News

Global Reading Challenge is a reading program for 4th and 5th graders and began on November 1st when the new titles were announced by the Seattle Public Library. The library has a GRC cart of books available for participants to check out as needed.
Visit the Seattle Public Library to learn more about the Global Reading Challenge
Students are asked to read at least 2 of the 8 books to join a team, and prepare for the Quiz Bowl on Friday, February 10th from 8:15-9:15 in the cafeteria. The Team with the most points will advance to the District Semi-Finals against other Teams from 10:00-Noon on Friday, March 17th.

The K-2nd graders are participating in the Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award (WCCPBA) by listening to a variety of books and voting for their favorite. Using these books students will explore and learn about a variety of topics and genres. View a video presenting this year's WCCPBA nominees.

Ms. Nakagawa

Librarian

Important Dates

Wednesday, February 1st-Wednesday, March 1st, Grades 3-5 Bicycle Unit P.E.

Tuesday, February 7th - 3rd Grade to MOHAI

Friday, February 10th - GRC Quiz Bowl 8 a.m. - Spirit Day "Hat Day"

Tuesday, February 14th - Valentine's Day

Thursday, February 16th - Math Night 6:30pm

February 20th-24th - Mid-Winter Break - No School

Sunday, March 12th - Daylight Saving Time Begins

Wednesday, March 15th - 5th Grade Field Trip to The Washington State Capital

Friday, March 17th - Quiz Bowl at The Central Library - St. Patrick's Day

Monday, March 20th - First Day of Spring

Wednesday, March 22nd - Ramadan, Begins at Sunset

Saturday, March 25th - School Choice Deadline

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Lafayette Leopard Look Out - Lafayette Elementary School

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Happy New Year Lafayette Community, I hope that you all had a chance to spend lots of time with your children over break. I had the opportunity to see my four grandchildren and WOW it was busy. We have lots happening at Lafayette so check out the PTA Newsletter.

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Every week in class, we will have a VIP (Very Important Person). See attachment for schedule and examples. On their VIP week:

Monday - bring a VIP Poster/PowerPoint. It should have pictures and information about their family, friends, and favorite things. It’s a creative piece, so have fun with it and think outside of the box!

Wednesday - bring a Show and Tell item to share with the class - this could be related to their culture, family, values, interests, or anything that helps us learn more about them.

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PLEASE READ THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS (“Ts&Cs”) CAREFULLY. BY ACCESSING THE MEALVIEWER WEBSITE OR MOBILE APPLICATION, AND ANY FEATURES THEREOF (“THE SERVICES”), YOU UNCONDITIONALLY CONSENT AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS BELOW, INCLUDING AGREEING TO ARBITRATE ANY DISPUTES AND WAIVE CLASS ACTION CLAIMS. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS BELOW, DO NOT ACCESS THE SERVICES.

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Pay for school meals and fees securely online! With MySchoolBucks, parents can also view cafeteria purchases, access meal balances, register for activities, purchase event tickets, browse school items, and more.

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Volunteer opportunities include:

Classroom Helper/Party attendee

Field Trip Chaperone

Playground Helper

Lunchroom Helper

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Mrs. Smith’s Classroom Volunteer Sign Up

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Mrs. Smith’s Classroom Volunteer Sign Up