LMS News

• Principal's ROAR - Eric Sakshaug

• WIDA Testing Window

• LMS Yearbook

  • LMS 2024/25 Yearbook Presale

  • LMS 2023/24 Surplus Yearbook Sale

• Counselors' Corner

  • Free Dental Health Day Flyer

• Zero Referral Winner

• Art Corner

  • Artist of the Week

• 2024/2025 Middle School Sports

  • Registration Information

District News

• Get the facts about the Feb. 11 replacement levy

• Snow routes and winter weather guide

• Join the instructional materials committee!

• Attend CASEE Science Night on Thursday, Jan. 16

• Dual credit information night is Thursday, Jan. 23

• School menus

• AI in the classroom

• Report, don’t repost

• Safety protocols

• Care Solace: Your link to mental health support

• Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish translation and interpretation services

• Employee Recognition Award

• Looking for something to do?

  
  

LMS Key Dates

Hello Laurin Community,

I am wishing everyone a Happy New Year as we wrap up the first semester at LMS and head into the second. The last day of the first semester is Jan 24th:)

Many students are looking forward to some changes next semester. Things like new elective classes, after school clubs and activities and much more. Although we are in the thick of winter, some may even be looking forward to springtime!

Our school has a lot to celebrate right now. Here are some of the great stats I am honored to share:

• Student tardies are way down

• Overall referrals are down

• Physical altercations are down

• Campus litter is down

• Student learning data is up across the school

The work our teachers are doing in their Professional Learning Communities (PLC's) is what's making the difference in terms of students' academic growth. I am very proud of them. Our students are making the difference on campus when it comes to making positive choices and giving effort toward following school wide expectations. 

Ultimately, none of this can happen without you and your support. Thank you to all of our families for your partnership and patience as we work together to help our young people grow into amazing humans.

Have a great 3 day weekend!

Mr. Saks

Our annual WIDA ACCESS and Alternate ACCESS testing window opens on January 27th and will conclude on March 21st.

Parent Notification Letter:

English

Spanish

Russian

Come one! Come all! Now is the time for the Zero to One Referral Winner - the moment you've been waiting for! Today we have two winners of our weekly drawing:

8th Grader:    Araya Cortney AND

7th Grader: Kylie Smith

Congratulations to both Araya & Kylie! Swing by the front office now to claim your prize!

Congratulations to 5th Grader: Avian Leonard...

 Laurin’s Artist of the Week!

If you would like to be Laurin’s “Artist of the Week” and have your artwork on display in the plexi-glass case on the west end of the playground… fill out a slip with your first and last name, grade level, and Room number at breakfast or lunch in the cafeteria.  (… or See Miss Bachman in Room #14) You do not have to be in Art Class to enter, or to win!

Here are season and registration dates for 2024/2025 Middle School Sports that is open to 6th through 8th grade students. Now is the time to get schedule your sports physical if your student plans on participating. Sports physicals are good for 2 years.

Visit the district’s middle school sports webpage to learn more.

CLICK HERE REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS

Season 3

Boys Basketball

• Season January 27, 2025 through March 12, 2025

• Registration January 6, 2025 through January 31, 2025

Season 4

Coed Track

• Season April 9, 2025 - May 21, 2025

• Registration Wednesday, March 12, 2025 through on Tuesday, April 22, 2025

*Registration opens 3 weeks prior to the start of the season, registration closes 2 weeks after the 1st practice.

Here are ten quick facts about Proposition 8, the replacement educational programs and operations levy on the Feb. 11 ballot:

1. If approved by voters, the proposed levy would replace the expiring education and operations levy, which ends in December 2025. 

2. The replacement education and operations levy would begin January 2026 and continue through December 2029. 

3. The levy would provide funding for programs and services that affect students in every BGPS school.

4. The levy would pay for things that the state doesn’t fully fund. These include student safety, busing, special education, curriculum, mental health support, nursing/health services, sports, the arts and more.

5. The costs of supporting students and operating schools are increasing. 

6. This levy is separate and different from the capital levy approved in February 2024. The capital levy will cover building repairs; technology updates; and spaces for construction trades, culinary, and health sciences classes.

7. The levy provides 13% of the district’s total budget. Without levy funding, the district would need to make cuts to programs and services. For example, class sizes could increase, bus routes could be consolidated and middle school sports would likely be eliminated.

8. The levy would collect $166.28 million over four years. By law, the district can’t collect more than the amount that voters approve, even if property values increase. 

9. The estimated rate is $1.95 per $1,000 of assessed property value. For the owner of a $621,000 property, the proposed levy would cost an estimated $101 per month in the first year.

10. The levy will appear on the ballot on Feb. 11, 2025. Remember to vote! Every registered voter who lives within the district is eligible.

More information about the replacement levy is available on the district website.

Snow routes for the 2024-25 school year are available on the district website. Please also take a moment to ensure your contact information is up to date through Skyward (Family Access). On weather-impacted days, the district will begin communicating with families as early as 5:30 a.m. Download our handy weather guide for more information and a list of which schools are in the north and south parts of the district.

This committee ensures that new teaching and learning materials were selected following the proper process and evaluates library books that are being reconsidered. The deadline to apply is January 26, 2025. Apply now.

What, exactly, is CASEE? Come learn about the district’s half-day science-based program for high school students. The Center for Agriculture, Science and Environmental Education is holding their annual Science Night open house on Thursday, Jan. 16, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Visit with teachers and current students, view ongoing experiments and tour the 80-acre outdoor learning campus in Brush Prairie (11104 NE 149th St). Students in grades 8-11, along with their parents/guardians, are welcome to attend. Please RSVP in advance. We hope to see you there!

Battle Ground Public School is hosting a virtual presentation via Google Meet to provide information about dual credit for all students and families, eighth through 11th grades, on Thursday, Jan. 23, from 4-5 p.m. Dual credit provides students with the potential to earn high school and college credit at the same time. Information will include Running Start at Clark College, Cascadia Tech Academy (Skills Center), career and technical education dual credit, work-based learning,  College in the High School and Advanced Placement classes. If you have any questions, contact Work-Based Learning Coordinator Kris Neal via email at neal.kris@battlegroundps.org.

Battle Ground Public Schools is partnering with Chartwells to provide breakfast and lunch at school. Menus are still available via Nutrislice and meal expenses can still be paid through InTouch Receipting, just like last year. Printable menus are also available on the district and school websites.

Artificial intelligence is a growing part of our everyday lives and there are a lot of questions about its use in classrooms. Battle Ground Public Schools uses MagicSchool for teachers and MagicStudent on the student side. MagicStudent does not collect student data and includes important safeguards to provide a safe environment to build AI literacy skills and accessibility tools to develop independence and improve learning. Visit the district website for more resources about going online safely.

If you see or hear of a possible threat, please report it to law enforcement directly and/or to school staff. This is the best and most helpful action because it begins an investigation and helps to limit the potential for misinformation to spread.

Reposting or sharing a threat on social media in an attempt to warn others spreads the threat farther from its original source and may cause unnecessary alarm and fear.

You can report bullying, intimidation, harassment, threats and safety concerns using our anonymous reporting system. Emergencies should always be reported to 911.

Battle Ground Public Schools has joined other Southwest Washington schools and districts in using the Standard Response Protocol for emergencies. Depending on the situation, a school will be placed in a hold, secure, lockdown, evacuation or shelter. See what these terms mean. This common language helps schools, first responders and the community communicate clearly and effectively to reduce misunderstandings in emergency situations. 

Battle Ground Public Schools has partnered with Care Solace to support the well-being of students and their immediate family members. Care Solace is a complimentary and confidential care coordination service that can help any student and/or their immediate family members quickly find mental health or substance use treatment options matched to their needs, regardless of insurance or circumstance. If you would like to use Care Solace to help you find a provider:

• Call 888-515-0595 (available 24/7/365 in any language).

• Visit www.caresolace.com/battlegroundps and either search on your own or select “Book appointment” for assistance by video chat, email or phone.

Услуги по устному и письменному переводу на русский и украинский языки 360-885-5433

Servicios de Traducción e Interpretación en Español 360-885-5431

Do you know an amazing staff member? The new Employee Recognition Awards will highlight staff members who reflect the district’s strategic plan goals. Three nominees will be selected each month and recognized at a board meeting. Everyone is welcome to submit a nomination.

Be sure to check out our Community Events page for fun ideas of things to do throughout the local community. Nonprofit organizations looking to share their own upcoming events are welcome to submit a flyer to be included. Flyers are posted on the community events webpage and printed at relevant schools on their community bulletin boards. The BGPS community flyer checklist provides information about what is required for flyer submission.

1/20 Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School

1/23 and 1/24 Early Release Day - School day ends 11:40 am

1/24 Last Day of 1st Semester

1/27 - 3/21 WIDA Testing Window

1/29 District InService Day - No school

Middle School Sports

• 1/6/2025 - 1/31/25 Boys Basketball Registration Window open

• 1/13/2024 to 2/6/2025 Girls Soccer Season

• 1/27/2024 to 3/12/2024 Boys Basketball Season

The Battle Ground Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. Information about the district’s nondiscrimination and sex-based discrimination policies and grievance procedures are located on the district’s website at https://www.battlegroundps.org/notice-of-nondiscrimination/. The following employees have been designated to receive and respond to questions and complaints of alleged discrimination:

Title IX Coordinator: Tom Adams, Director of Student Services, Battle Ground Public Schools, PO Box 200, Battle Ground, WA 98604, adams.tom@battlegroundps.org, 360.885.5415

and/or U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR).   Title IX inquiries may also be referred to the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights (OCR) https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html 

Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator/Section 504/ADA Coordinator: Michelle Reinhardt, Executive Director of Human Resources, Battle Ground Public Schools, PO Box 200, Battle Ground, WA 98604, reinhardt.michelle@battlegroundps.org. 360.885.5481