Carter Lake Families,
Social-Emotional Learning is a crucial component of the educational journey, and Carter Lake is dedicated to ensuring students are given daily opportunities to learn and grow in this area.
We are very excited to continue our work with Inner Explorer, a daily mindfulness program that Carter Lake launched in January 2024 as part of a district pilot. All K-5 classrooms begin each school day with a video designed to alleviate stress and anxiety and help get students ready to learn.
This daily routine provides a peaceful way for both staff and students to take care of themselves through belly breathing, “the Shark Fin,” awareness of body and movement, and more.
We also continue to use SecondStep, the district’s SEL curriculum, which teaches skills for growth mindset and goal-setting; empathy and kindness; problem-solving; and emotional management. The lessons empower students to make connections between the content and their experiences and emotions.
Additionally, classes regularly gather for class circles, where students converse and share, and restorative circles, for conflict resolution and relationship building. We are learning more about each other every day!
These techniques help us feel comfortable and settled at school, and we love hearing that students are utilizing and sharing them at home!
As always, we appreciate your support.
Marianne Rupprecht, Principal
Attendance Handbook important details:
- Tardy bell is at 8:10am. Students should arrive between 7:55 and no later than 8:10am. This is breakfast time and school begins at 8:10am. Our top goal this year is to reduce the number of students arriving after the tardy bell at 8:10am. Students arriving more than 30 minutes late will constitute a half-day absence.
- Please write a note to the teacher for end-of-day changes or call the office early in the day. Dismissal is at 2:40pm and is a busy time for teachers and students. If you have an appointment or need to pick up students early, please stop in the office prior to 2:20pm, otherwise wait for students outside as classes are busy getting ready for dismissal. If a student is picked up prior to 30 minutes early, this also constitutes a half-day absence.
- Plan vacation around summer, winter and spring break
- Planned absence form – If you have an emergency or plan for your student to be absent, we have a process for this. Our office and counselor can help you complete a planned absence form.
- Tardy, excused/unexcused conferences and attendance contracts – We are required to hold a conference with families that meet the criteria outlined by district policy at 5 excused absences within a month and 3 unexcused within a month. We will also hold a conference after 5 tardy days.