Principal's Message
Dear Lakeside Elementary Families,
I hope that you were able to enjoy the beautiful, summer-like weather that we have experienced this past week. This week marks the final week of Running Club at Lakeside Elementary for this school year. Thank you to Mrs. Bailey for her organization of this program and the many volunteers who came each week to punch cards and encourage students. Running Club is always a wonderful time to celebrate healthy living as a school community. Students are invited to continue running at the LBW race on Monday, May 23 at 4:30 p.m. at the EGR High School track. This is an opportunity for Lakeside Lions to run with Breton Downs Bulldogs and Wealthy Wizards. Best of luck to those who participate!
 
Important Calendar Dates
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May 17: Lakeside Playground Community Forum 6:30-7:30 p.m. in Learning Commons
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May 18: EGR Middle School Fifth Grade Parent Night 6:30 p.m.
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May 23: LBW Race 4:30 p.m. at High School track
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May 26: EGRPS Graduation 7:00 p.m.
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May 27: Fun Day 12:15-3:15 p.m.
As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions to sthelen@egrps.org.
Warm Regards,
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 Playground Replacements & Survey
As proposed in the Parks Improvement Millage approved by voters last November, the City is working with the EGR School District to replace the playground equipment at the three elementary schools. As part of this process, a community input session will be held at each elementary school to gather input from parents, caregivers, and other playground users.
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Lakeside Elementary: Tuesday, May 17, 6:30 pm.
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Wealthy Elementary: Thursday, May 19, 6:30 p.m.
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Breton Elementary: Tuesday, May 24, 6:30 p.m.
Our playground consultant, MCSA Group, is also collecting input via an online survey. If you haven’t received a survey link from your school building yet, please click here to take our survey (please take the survey only once). Further engagement sessions, including an additional survey and three additional community forums, are scheduled for later this summer. Details about these opportunities will be communicated closer to those dates.
Mr. Anthony Morey, Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations, is also available to address specific questions related to these projects. He may be reached by email at amorey@egrps.org or by calling 616-235-3535. We are excited to see these outdoor spaces improved for the benefit of our students and community.
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 M-STEP Assessment Schedule
The M-STEP state assessment for third through fifth grade students begins based on windows of time determined by the state. Our M-STEP testing schedule is linked here. Please try to schedule appointments around these dates and times to prevent your child(ren) from missing class time to complete make-up test sessions.
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 Lakeside PTO
 Fun Day
A greatly anticipated and exciting event for the end of the school year is quickly approaching! FUN DAY will be Friday May 27, 12:15-3:15. (rain date of Tuesday, May 31). The kids will participate in a variety of outdoor field games, inflatable slide, dunk tank, treats and an overall fun time! Please sign up here if you'd like to help out for the event.
ROAR Informational Meetings
Each year the PTO holds their major fundraiser in the fall. It will be September 23, 6-9 at Nyal Deems residence here in East. It’s a night for the community to come together to support Lakeside by raising funds to support programming and teacher mini grants. It’s an event run by the PTO with many parent volunteers. To learn how you can be involved, there will be two informational meetings: Friday, May 20, 2:50 PM and Thursday, May 26, 8:15 AM in the Learning Commons.
 Last Day in the Learning Commons for this Year - May 20!
We'll be finishing up with class visits for the school year on Friday May 20. We use the last two weeks to collect all the books and organize the space for next year. Please make sure your child returns all their books the following week on their usual Learning Commons day. A great big thank you to all the volunteers that brought the library back to life after 18 months of sitting quietly. You made it all possible, hope to see you next year!
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Last week, a Foundation grant brought author Gary Schmidt to the middle school to lead several workshops with students. Schmidt is the author of Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, which was awarded a Newbery Honor and a Printz Honor in 2005 and The Wednesday Wars, which earned a second Newbery Honor in 2008.
“Our goal in bringing best-selling, Newbery Honor author Gary Schmidt to our school was to expose students to someone they can look up to,” says Middle School English Teacher Andrea Adams “Gary Schmidt is a master in his craft, and to see the author of the books they’ve read and loved made this a memorable educational experience for all.
“Also, it just may entice an aspiring writer to chase their dreams.”
To learn more about how grants from the Foundation are funding extraordinary educational experiences for our students, visit egrsf.org.
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 District Device Program
The Engage 1:1 program at grades 6-12 is built around the BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) model but it also offers an option for families to secure a district-provided device. Students who utilize the district-provided device option will be provided with a district-owned device to use during the 2022-2023 school year after completing the necessary application.
Once a student application is approved, students will receive their district-provided device prior to the beginning of the school year. Prior to receiving the device both the student and the parent will be asked to sign an agreement regarding responsibilities and submit a $50 deposit. The district is responsible for the maintenance and repair of the devices throughout the school year.
*Note-You must fill out an application each year. If you plan to roll over your deposit from a previous year, you must fill out the application as well.
Please visit the 2022-2023 Engage District Device Application here.
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 First Lego League (FLL) Sign-Up
2022-2023 School Year
EGRPS is excited to announce the continuation of First Lego League at each of the three elementary buildings during the 2022-2023 school year. This promotional video was shown in classrooms. Sign-up for current EGRPS students in grades K-5 is now open and ends on Friday, June 3 at noon. Please fill out this form to enroll your interested child(ren) on a First Lego League team for the 2022-2023 season. FLL is made possible by parent volunteers who serve as co-coaches. In order to make this school-sponsored, extracurricular offering possible, there must be two co-coaches per team. If you are interested in assisting with FLL, please indicate so on the Google Form. A technical background is not needed and training will be provided in August for all parent coaches.
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 School Supplies for the 2022-2023 School Year
As we start planning for the 2022-23 school year, I want to share information with you regarding school supplies. First, purchasing school supplies is voluntary and not required for your child to attend school. Below is a link to the suggested list of supplies from teachers that students will use throughout the school year. In addition, some of these school supplies may be used as “community” supplies and shared with the entire class and some may be used by just your child. Each grade level uses a combination of community supplies and individual supplies.
If your family wishes to purchase school supplies, listed below are some different purchasing options you might consider. As always, we encourage the East Grand Rapids community to purchase their supplies from local vendors and stores that are homegrown in Michigan.
Here are some options for purchasing school supplies for the 2022-2023 school year:
Thank you for your continued support of both the school district and our local businesses.
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 LBW Race
The annual LBW Race will take place on Monday, May 23, and registration is now open. You will find more information here.
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