Principal's Message
Dear Lakeside Elementary Families,
Welcome to the 2022-2023 school year! The Lakeside staff and I were excited to welcome students back into the building today for a great year. I hope that you and your family enjoyed a wonderful summer full of time to recharge and make lasting memories with loved ones. My husband, Corey, along with our three kids; Kara (6), Grady (3), and Myles (turns 1 this week!), and I enjoyed time up north playing on the beaches of Lake Michigan and also camping with family and friends. It was a beautiful summer!
It was wonderful to see many families at our New Family Welcome and Meet and Greet events last week. We are grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow together again this year. We are excited to have many new and returning families in our Lakeside community and look forward to building relationships with you as we experience the fun that the beginning of the school year brings!
Throughout the first week of school and continually throughout the year classroom teachers will review our updated school procedures and expectations with students. These procedures include routines for recess and lunch. As always, I begin the year by working with our teachers to conduct tours of the playground. This is an opportunity for us to remind one another about the importance of our school motto, “Kindness Counts!”
General Safety Reminders
During the first couple of weeks and throughout the semester, teachers will work with students reviewing classroom procedures and reminding them of safety guidelines. Below are some additional safety reminders to review with your child(ren):
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Discuss an after-school plan with your child(ren).
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Use crosswalks to cross streets when walking to and from school. Students are asked to utilize locations with crossing guards and safeties whenever possible.
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Please click the following links to view videos made with the City of East Grand Rapids to educate on walking safety and biking safety. Teachers will also view these videos with students in the first weeks of school. These videos may also be found on our website.
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Wear helmets when riding bikes or scooters to school. These must be walked once on school property.
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To ensure the safety of everyone, pets are not allowed on school property.
As a reminder to parents, our first bell rings at 8:15 a.m. and our doors will open for student entry only. Please enter through the door noted for your child(ren)’s teacher marked on this map. Any student who arrives after 8:20 a.m. should enter the building through Door #1 by the Main Office. For safety and security, all parents must enter the building through Door #1. Please do not knock on doors to ask our students to open them. They are instructed not to open locked doors for anyone.
Additional Information
Please note that this Friday, August 26 there is no school for students in kindergarten through grade 12. All EGRPS staff have a Professional Development Day and we will be learning together.
As we embark on the 2022-2023 school year I look forward to your continued partnership. Please visit and follow the Lakeside Elementary and PTO Facebook page, as well as the Lakeside Elementary website, which will be updated often with important information and photos. Welcome to the new year and I hope you enjoy the extended weekend with your family!
Warm Regards,
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 Lakeside Staff Spotlight
 Christina Cramer, Lakeside Resource Room:
Hi my name is Christina Cramer and I am so happy to be at Lakeside. I graduated from EGR in 2009 and Hope College in 2013. In elementary school, I went to Breton Downs. I love traveling and would never turn down a free trip to Paris :) In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family and reading a good book. I also love to cook, but equally love going out.. although that is not as much fun anymore with a toddler (Raegan, age 2-1/2). Whenever we can, my family and I go to my dad's house in Naples, Florida.
My husband, Maitlan, is also an EGR alum, although we didn't know each other well back in high school. He is a Lakeside Lion! Every Sunday, during the fall we watch the lions games as a family with my dad. I stayed home with my daughter these past two years and am looking forward to getting back into the classroom.
 Chad Jackson, Lakeside Social Worker:
My name is Chad Jackson and I am the School Social Worker (SSW) at Lakeside Elementary. I joined the East community last year in November. I live in the Kentwood/Grand Rapids area with my fiance and our cat named Mack. This is my third year as a SSW. My hobbies include being outdoors, volleyball, pickleball, shooting pool, playing cards (especially euchre), and board games.
This summer brought travels out west. Two places my fiance and I visited this summer were Yellowstone and Grand Tetons National Park.
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 Lakeside Social Work Corner
Social-Emotional Behavioral:
Welcome back to Lakeside! To support all students with social-emotional and behavioral skills, I will be helping with the implementation of our district-wide Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculums here at Lakeside Elementary (i.e., Second Step and Trails). SEL is an integral part of education and human development. I am excited to help lead this initiative. I am also available when additional support is needed at school as well (i.e., self-regulation, relationship building, etc.). I am looking forward to the 2022-2023 school year!
Chad Jackson, School Social Worker
Lakeside Elementary
616.235.7553 ext 4139
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 Lakeside PTO
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Redefining excellence. That's what these teachers are doing every day.
The Foundation is proud to honor this year’s recipients of our “teacher of the year” awards. This year's recipient of the James and Georgia Nicholas Endowed Award for Math, Science and Technology is high school math teacher Elisha Murphy. The secondary and elementary level recipients of our Excellence in Teaching Awards are high school social studies teacher Tad VandenBrink, Breton Downs third grade teacher Jenny Bergstrom, and Breton Downs kindergarten and former special education teacher Nicole Vanderplow. Congratulations to all! It’s an amazing achievement to be singled out among such an incredible group of teachers.
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Additional Items
 The Lakeside Cub Scout Pack welcomes any students and parents interested in scouting as we “launch” our recruitment night on Tuesday, August 30th from 6:30 to 7:30 PM on the Breton Downs playground. The event is open to any returning scouts and any 1st through 5th grade students willing to try new things and do their best. We will be joining forces with the Breton Downs Scouts to ensure that we have enough scouts and leadership for all ages and have an exciting year planned with a variety of activities including campouts, Pinewood Derby, developing outdoor skills, STEM skills, problem-solving, entrepreneurial skills, involvement in service projects and community events, and many other things. Tuesday’s “launch” will include information for parents and an activity for the kids. For more information, please email Jason Glerum at lakesidepack3300@gmail.com
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Welcome!
ROAR! - The Event