Dear Lacey Families,

Happy Fall! 

Autumn is now here in full force with colorful leaves and lots of rain.  What a wonderful turnout with Fall Conferences. It is such a joy for our staff to partner with you in helping students grow.  Your time and communication matter a great deal to our teachers. Thank you for taking the time to meet during conferences!

Beginning November 14^th, we have a change to our arrival procedure. We are transitioning another step out of our “COVID” stage of keeping students separate.  We’ve moved to recess all together, assemblies and now, the beginning of the school day. The timing is good with the weather turning colder, as students will come inside instead of waiting outside.  All students will enter through the main doors.  For students getting breakfast, they will get it just after the main entrance, then go down to a designated area in the hallway to sit until classroom teachers open doors at 8:35 a.m. for students to enter and eat breakfast. Please say goodbye to your child at drop-off or at the main entrance outside.  For the safety of all of our students in the hallways, only adults working or volunteering should be in the hallways before school.  You are still welcome to drop your child off anytime between 8:20 a.m. and 8:35 a.m. We will also have some schedule changes within our school day. The start and end times for the school day remain the same. We will practice our arrival routine with students during the school day the week before it begins, so we’re ready to go on the 14th.

Please continue to ensure your child is attending school each day – we are really picking up in learning now and daily attendance is critical for building key academic skills!  For more information about the importance of attendance, see www.attendanceworks.org.

Finally, it is important to share the work we do each day with Social Emotional Learning.  It is really important to our families, teachers, and community to ensure safety.  This is one of the most important concerns that our families voice in our family survey. We specifically teach anti-bullying lessons and work to build positive interactions with restorative practices with all Lacey students.  We take bullying seriously and work as a community to build positive communication and respect. Here are a couple of posters that demonstrate some of the strategies we use:

How to Calm Down:
1. Stop - use your signal
2. Name your feeling
3. Calm down: breathe, count, use positive  self talk

Problem-Solving Steps
S: Say the problem (without blame)
T: Think of solutions (safe and respectful
E: Explore consequences (what could happen if...)
P: Pick the best solution (make your plan)

Wishing your family a very happy November!

Sincerely,

Lynley Olson
Principal, Lacey Elementary

Hello! My name is Kevin Galbreath, and I am excited about starting my 2nd year as the Assistant Principal at Lacey Elementary School. This is my 19th year in education, and I look forward to this year with as much anticipation as my first. I have previously taught 1st grade and 3rd grade, and have been an Elementary Reading Interventionist both in Washington and Alaska. Prior to working at Lacey, I was the Dean of Students and Athletic Director at a middle school in Lakewood, Washington. I have my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Educational Leadership. I have been married to my wonderful wife for 22 years, and we have an 18-year-old daughter who is a freshman in college and a 15-year-old son who is a sophomore in high school. Our family enjoys traveling, spending time with our extended family, and being rabid Seattle Sounders fans!! I firmly believe that ALL students can succeed, and I am here to help in any way possible. I want every family to know that I am thankful for your feedback and encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. The key to building a great relationship is communication. I look forward to working with all of you this year and many years in the future.

Kevin Galbreath
Assistant Principal, Lacey Elementary