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Hayes Elementary recently launched a new house system, similar to the concept in Harry Potter, to help the school nurture and build a better sense of community and belonging among each other and to build on the culture of school pride, empathy and inclusion. Hayes is the District’s second school to use the house system, developed at Ron Clark Academy. Roosevelt Elementary launched their house program in 2020.
Hayes held a raucous initial house sorting assembly on Sept. 11 & 12 where each student learned which house they would belong to. The houses are comprised of all grade levels. Staff are assigned houses as well. At the start of each school year, new students will find out their house at the sorting assembly. The houses meet regularly throughout the school year to collaborate on activities and check in on each other.
Friendly competition is a big part of the house concept as the houses compete for points that can be used to buy prizes in the school’s PBIS store. At the end of the year, a house champion is declared. Teachers can award points for kindness, academics,
service, character, school spirit and just generally going above and beyond.
This first year of houses at Hayes will focus a lot on students learning the history behind their house names, including the country from which the name is derived, and brainstorming ideas for projects throughout the year that will continue to grow the sense of community at the school. One activity that is definitely in Hayes’ sight is a joint event with the Roosevelt community.
The Lakewood City Schools and the Lakewood Rangers Education Foundation (LREF) have been awarded a $30,000 grant from Howmet Aerospace Foundation that will be dedicated to purchasing 3D printers for our seven elementary STEM classrooms. This is the fourth Howmet grant LREF has received to benefit Lakewood students.
The printers are needed for the District’s "Enhancing STEM Education through 3D Printing in Elementary Schools" project where teachers will be integrating 3D printing technology into the STEM curriculum at all seven elementary schools. Beginning in January 2025, the project will leverage 3D printing to enhance student engagement, foster creativity and develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Each building will receive two printers.
“ Once again this year, we are humbled and appreciative of the continuing support of STEM education for students in the Lakewood Schools. Our partnership with the Howmet Foundation continues to be an outstanding resource for high level STEM education for Lakewood students.” said LREF Executive Director Terri Richards.
Howmet Aerospace Foundation invests in STEM and technical education as part of its efforts to educate and inspire tomorrow's scientists, engineers and technical experts. The Howmet Foundation is the independently endowed charitable arm of Howmet Aerospace.
Cox Communications has awarded the District a $10,000 grant from its Tech Boost program! STEM teacher Jackie Gallick applied for the grant on behalf of the four-member STEM team. The grant money will be used to buy LEGO STEAM Park Education kits for all kindergarten classes. These kits lay the foundation for technological skills, introduce fundamental concepts of mechanical engineering, and explore the world of simple machines. Thank you to our STEM team for your innovative ways of keeping our students engaged in creative and fun critical thinking!
Congratulations to fourth grader Owen Ross on winning the Lakewood Chamber of Commerce's annual "Why I Love Lakewood" contest! Owen's essay was chosen from more than 150 entries. Owen earned the right to join Santa to flip the switch on the city holiday lights at Light Up Lakewood Dec. 2. He will also read his essay at the event. You can read Owen's winning essay by clicking on "Read More".
Why I Love Lakewood
By: Owen Ross
I love Lakewood for many reasons. Some of those reasons are all the events, the awesome pizza shops and the beautiful parks. Everywhere I go in Lakewood everyone is so nice, it is a community of kindness. I love living here and I feel it is the best city ever.
The first reason I love Lakewood is all the events during the year. Some of my favorites are the Lakewood Arts Festival, Lakewood Summer Meltdown and Light Up Lakewood. Lakewood Arts Festival is fun for me because my mom sells her art there and I like going to see her and all the other beautiful artwork for sale by so many talented people. Lakewood Summer Meltdown is fun because there are sprinklers to play in and lots of good music. I like seeing all my friends there and sometimes I even meet new friends. Finally, I love Light Up Lakewood because there is a parade, beautiful lights, and I get to see fireworks.
The second reason I love Lakewood is all the restaurants, especially the pizza places. I love eating all kinds of pizza and Lakewood has some of the best pizza places in Cleveland, like Angelo’s, Harlow’s, Booms, and Tomari’s. Those are some of my favorites and I love going to them with my family. Everyone that works there is always so nice and the pizza is always delicious. When I grow up I want to open a pizza shop in Lakewood.
Next, I love Lakewood for the parks. Lakewood has so many parks for playing and hiking. I love going down sit on the solstice steps to look at the lake and walking down the path to see the Cleveland skyline. I spend a lot of time in the summer at the Lakewood pool with my friends, the new water slides are my favorite. There are also so many different playgrounds in the parks that I can go to a different one every day of the week. How cool is that?!
Finally I love Lakewood for all the kind and helpful people. Everyone you meet in shops, in your neighborhood or even walking down the street is always so friendly and I love how diverse our city is. The people make Lakewood so special and that is a big reason I love Lakewood.
In conclusion, Lakewood is the best city full of awesome events, great pizza shops, great parks and, of course, great people. I love it here in Lakewood and I hope to live here for a long time.
August 2023
Dear Hayes Families,
Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! We are excited to start back and see all of our new and returning students. We are dedicated to providing a safe, inclusive, and engaging learning environment where every child thrives academically, socially, and emotionally. We want to instill a sense of belonging, pride, and growth in every student. We believe that a strong partnership and collaboration with families is essential to this process. Thank you for entrusting us with the opportunity to educate your child. Together, we will make this school year a memorable one!
Please read on for important “start of year” information. Most school updates will be sent via email. If you are not receiving district and school emails, update and submit your information by updating information in the Registration Gateway. This can be accessed through the Lakewood City Schools website. If you need assistance, please contact our office.
Important Dates:
- August 18: Class lists available in Clever at 4:00 pm
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August 24: PTA Popsicle Night (playground)
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August 24: Material drop off 5:00pm-6:00pm - enter through Lakewood Hts. doors
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Class lists will be posted at this time as well outside of the entrance (Grades 1-5)
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August 25: First Day of School for Grades 1-5
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August 25, 26, 27: Kindergarten Screening Appointments
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August 29th: Kindergarten Curriculum Night 6:00-7:00 pm
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August 30: First Day of School for Kindergarten Students
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August 31: Curriculum Night 6:00-7:00 pm (Grades 1-5)
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September 12: First PTA Meeting 6:30 pm
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September 28: Picture Day
Staff Update:
Please join me in welcoming the following new and returning staff members, as well as staff members with new roles at Hayes Elementary!
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Lauren Katona -1st Grade Teacher
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Greg Ealy - Intervention Specialist
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Beth Saylor - Paraprofessional
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Kayleigh Sykora - Media Specialist
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Brad Karabaic - PE Teacher
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Stephanie Grant - Band
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Pattie Mullinax - Orchestra
School Bell Schedule:
Children that walk to school must enter and exit the school building through the Delaware Avenue doors. During morning arrival time students are expected to line up on their designated sidewalk lane which is clearly marked by grade level. Upon dismissal time students are expected to use their designated sidewalk lane to access the front Delaware Avenue sidewalk. Children should stay off the grass and out of the existing flower beds and plantings.
When it is raining the children may seek shelter underneath the covered entrance areas. This does not abdicate the need for children to arrive as close to the 8:45 a.m. bell as possible.
Children that get a ride to school may enter and exit the school building through the main entrance doors off the parking lot or the Delaware Avenue doors. For further clarification on this process, please see the section entitled, Traffic Directives: Morning Drop-Off & Afternoon Pick-Up.
Children that arrive at school after 9:00 a.m. must enter the building through the main entrance doors facing the parking lot and report to the school office. They will be given a tardy slip and sent to class.
Children are expected to leave school property upon dismissal and go directly home unless they are involved in a school-sponsored activity/club.Students may not enter the playground area without an adult until 4:00 pm.
Traffic Directives: Morning Drop-off and Afternoon Pick-up
Every adult is expected to follow the Hayes School drop-off and pick up plan.
The success of these plans depends on you. We understand that at times, especially in bad weather, you may have to wait, but your patience and cooperation are important for the safety of the children.
1. All children must exit and enter their cars on the curb-side...no exceptions. SAFETY FIRST! The safety of your child is paramount.
2. Enter at the east end of the parking lot. Drive west on the N. Marginal to Olive Ave., turn right onto Olive Ave. and then turn left into the parking lot. Please note that when school is in session, Olive Ave off Delaware Ave is a Do Not Enter from 8:00am.–4:00 pm.
3. Remain in your car and form a single-file line, curb side closest to the building. You need to display your child’s name in the front passenger window (provided by Hayes). As vehicles execute a successful drop-off/pick up, pull ahead to the Main Entrance. Remain in your car. (Your child will be escorted to you). NO PARKING!
4. Exit at the west end of the parking lot. Exit south and turn right only (One Way) onto the N. Marginal and proceed to the traffic light at the intersection of the N. Marginal and Woodward Avenue.
5. Drivers must not drop-off and/or pick-up students on the north side of Delaware Avenue or the N. Marginal. We ask for your cooperation as children crossing traffic creates an unsafe situation and is an accident waiting to happen.
6. The parking lot side of the building will be for people remaining in line in their vehicle. No Parking and no waiting outside the door for your child.
Specials Rotation: Elementary students will have five specials this year, one on each day of the week. They are: Information and Digital Literacy, Physical Education, Music, Art, and STEM. Fifth graders who elect to play an instrument will have two days of Band or Orchestra, Physical Education, Art, and STEM. Your child’s classroom teacher will share the class schedule with you at the start of the year.
Absence Line: Please call 216-529-4304 to report absences. This will help to keep our office line open for other needs. You can call this number and leave a message 24/7.
School Safety Tip Line: The Safer Ohio School Tip Line is a free safety resource available to all Ohio schools. The tip line is an anonymous reporting system that accepts both calls and texts 24 hours a day. Calls or texts to 844-SaferOH (844-723-3764) are answered by analysts within Ohio Homeland Security. We encourage everyone in our community to use this tip line if they hear or see something suspicious or unusual. #SpeakUpSaveLives
Medications: If your child needs medication administered during the school day, a parent should plan to bring in the medication and a completed authorization form to Back to School Night or on the first day of school. The form can be found on the Lakewood City Schools website. Click on “Forms” and select the appropriate form (for prescribed medication, EpiPen, and/or inhaler). For further information, please visit the district website, Click on “Departments” and select “Health Services” or contact our school health center.
I am looking forward to a wonderful 2023-2024 school year! Should you have any questions or need anything, please feel free to contact me by phone at 216-529-4228 or by email at eric.fortuna@lakewoodcityschools.org. For more information, please view our family handbook on the school website.
Sincerely,
Eric Fortuna, Principal
Hayes Elementary School
Lakewood City Schools