LMEC Parent and Student Handbook

Update on School Safety

We recognize in light of the events last week in Uvalde, Texas how deeply unsettling it is for parents to question the safety of their children when they are out of sight. We want to assure you the LMEC Leadership Team will continue to make the safety of students and staff our number one priority. We also want to provide some additional information on ways we are currently working to ensure campus safety. Mr. Sergio, our site BSS, will check all exterior gates to ensure they are locked at 8:35 AM each morning. This includes the gates by the cafeteria loading and unloading zone as well as the gates by the custodial storage area. Ms. Tatiana Osorio, our Site Operations Specialist, and our two Associate Principals, Ms. Hodge and Mr. Navarro, have worked in collaboration with district staff as well as school police to develop a robust Safety Plan. Many of our families have not been on campus due to COVID restrictions and may not know that we have a closed circuit camera system in operation throughout the campus allowing us to view all points of access and entrances to the campus.

We are also in the process of hiring a full-time campus security and when the high school portion of the campus opens in August, a school resource officer will be assigned to the LMEC campus full-time.

Finally, we are asking for your support in keeping our students, staff, and community safe by keeping an eye out for signs of suspicious activity. While we continue to build strong partnerships with local, state, and federal enforcement, District Attorney, mental health and Psychological Emergency Response Teams, behavioral threat assessment professionals and educators, we recognize it truly takes a village to keep schools safe.

Below is a summarized list for families and students on how to recognize troubling signs that should be reported to school and law enforcement authorities well before it becomes too late. These behaviors are seen as themes that warrant both reporting and appropriate interventions if identified.

1. Inappropriate interest in weapons, killing and genocide

2. Perceived grievances against others

3. Perceived victim of bullying

4. Social isolation

5. Interest in hate speech, groups and ideology

6. Mental health challenges

7. Suicidal risk

8. Declining academic performance

9. Recent changes in attitude, appearance and hygiene

10. Access to weapons. The vast majority of students who committed attacks on schools gained access to their weapons in the home. Safe responsible weapons storage is not only responsible, but also State law.

We have asked our leadership, our staff, and our partners to be ever vigilant for anything that could impact our student's safety; and we ask you to do the same. Join us in our efforts to prevent school violence on any of our campuses by being attentive to the above and reporting through proper channels. We ask you to report these to the school administrator or school police; Please contact 911 or local police dispatch if you suspect something that needs immediate attention.

Again, thank you for your ongoing support and collaboration to have a strong focus on keeping our students and staff safe as we close the 2021-22 school year and enjoy all the end of the year activities we have planned in June.

CAASPP Make-Up Testing Continues This Week

Middle school students completed required state-testing in English and Math the Week of May 9th. Last week adn this week we continue make-up testing for anyone who was absent on that day or who needed additional time to complete the tests. Students have not done testing like this in two years and state-wide testing can be extremely stressful for students. That is why we told our middle school students to try their best on the tests but this year was really about getting back in the "swing" of state-wide testing - that it was like exercising and muscle and you had to get used to doing it again. This year's data will serve as baseline data only.

8th Grade Promotion Ceremony Details

Our ceremony will be on the LMEC campus on Tuesday, June 14th from 9:00 - 11:00 AM on the middle school athletic fields located on 28th Street. In order to honor our Montessori roots and based on the overwhelming positive feedback received regarding last year's walk through ceremony LMEC's 8th grade promotion will once again be a walk through ceremony. Students will walk through 5 stations with the family members they bring with them. You will be walking on an uneven grass surface so please wear appropriate shoes. Chairs will be set up for family members that may not be able to walk on the uneven surface so they can watch their student walk through the promotion stations.

In order to avoid long lines and congestion the walk through ceremony will have staggered start times based on student's last names:

• 9:00 -9:40 AM: Last Names A-F

• 9:40-10:20 AM: Last Names G-L

• 10:20-11:00 AM: Last Names M-Z

Criteria to Participate in 8th Grade Promotion and End of the Year Activities

Any child in danger of not meeting the criteria to participate in promotion and the end of the year activities has already had their family contacted by our youth advocacy team and many were provided individual learning contracts that if met, will allow them to participate in the promotion ceremony. Below is the criteria to participate.

• No F’s in scholarship on the Semester 2 final report card

• No U’s in citizenship on the Semester 2 final report card

• No more than 10 tardies or student has attended Saturday Academies or tutorials to clear tardies

OR

• Student meets Individual Learning Contract Requirements determined by the student’s support team and signed off by Principal or Vice Principal

If you have any questions about whether or not your child is on track to participate in the promotion ceremony and end of the year activities please contact their youth advocate/counselor.

Free Dress Fridays

Effective immediately middle school students (grades 6-8) are no longer required to wear uniforms on Friday. We are implementing a "free dress" Friday policy. Students must continue to follow all district dress code guidelines (please review our student handbook for details around dress code).

LMEC Campus Tours

Do you have friends and family in the community that are interested in attending LMEC but would like more information about the campus? LMEC is now open every Wednesday at 4:00 PM for campus tours. To schedule a tour please email Ms. Connie Gonzalez at cgonzalez2@sandi.net.

Also here is the presentation we have been sharing with student and families at our feeder schools: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Ywa9KnD9qYNhwkQLCaQvbJ8E483wK4You0WpqcbNM3I/edit?usp=sharing

LMEC in the News

Be sure to check out recent news stories about LMEC

• SD Union-Tribune / SD Union-Tribune espanol

• KUSI News

• 10News

Reporting Absences

We wanted to make sure families are aware of how to report non-COVID related student absences. The easiest way to report an absence is to email our attendance clerk, Ms. Margarita Lopez at mlopez@sandi.net. You may also call the school at 619-344-6500 and press 3 to leave a message for Ms. Lopez. Once the absence has been reported no further action is needed on your part. Within 24 hours, when you check PowerSchool, you should see the attendance code has been changed from an A to an E which indicates the absence has been reported and excused. We also strongly recommend either you or your student reach out to the teachers to find out about any missed work. Email is normally the fastest way to communicate with teachers.

Students Speaking Out

Students Speaking Out is a program of San Diego County Crime Stoppers a community-based nonprofit organization (501c3). Students Speaking Out was inspired by the Campus Crime Stoppers program which has helped to solve hundreds crimes on local school campuses. The mission of Students Speaking Out is to empower young people to use their voices to make schools and communities safer. CLICK HERE for more information about Students Speak Out.

CLICK HERE to anonymously report an issue on campus or in the community.

Calling Our Main Office Line (619) 344-6500

Based on feedback from families, we are changing our automated message. Starting Monday you will hear a new automated message when you call the LMEC main office line. Please listen to the whole message as our recording has recently changed. Please press 1 for the message in Spanish. Please leave us a voice message and we will return your call within 24 hours.

For general questions when calling the site please press 0 when listening to the automated message.

If you are picking up a student for an appointment, especially during lunchtime, please call the office an hour before to make sure your student is ready. You can also send a note with your student the morning of so they know to expect you.

Save the Date

• April 22: P4 Grading Window ends

• May 9-13: School-wide Testings: CAASPP

• June 14th: 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony

Stay Connected with LMEC

LMEC communicates with families in a variety of ways.

• Visit our school website: https://lmec.sandiegounified.org/

• Join our LMEC ClassDojo: https://www.classdojo.com/invite/?s=4eece53ff64aa62934ed2100

• Follow us on Instagram & Facebook: lmecsandiego

• Follow us on Twitter @LMECSD

• Not receiving weekly phone calls and emails from the school? Contact the main office at 619-344-6500 or visit the PowerSchool Parent Portal and make sure your contact information is up-to-date