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Dear Lakewood families,

There is so much to celebrate across our campus as learning, leadership, and community continue to grow. On Monday, we had the joy of celebrating our Second Nine Weeks Super Stallions during a special ceremony honoring students who demonstrated the characteristics of Habits 3 and 4, Put First Things First and Think Win Win. A heartfelt thank you to our counselors and our counselor parent volunteer committee for the care, time, and dedication they pour into creating meaningful programming that uplifts and celebrates our students.

Our students are also enjoying exciting learning experiences beyond the classroom. Fifth grade students participated in a JL Long Arts presentation and will tour JL Long next Thursday, giving them a glimpse into the next chapter of their academic journey. Fourth grade students are heading to Austin on Friday for their annual field trip, an experience filled with learning, exploration, and lasting memories.

Behind the scenes, our staff continues to grow and collaborate. A team of teachers, administrators, and support staff will be visiting Bush Elementary to observe their Leader in Me programming and gather inspiration as we continue strengthening our leadership work at Lakewood. At the same time, our campus team is beginning the thoughtful class placement process for next school year. Families will see a note below and link to the parent input form. While we value family insight, we are not able to take specific placement requests.

Student safety remains a top priority. Our staff recently reviewed beginning of year safety procedures, and we are proud to share that our campus passed our state safety audit with no findings. We are also making a small adjustment to our early dismissal procedures to further support safety and accountability. With a high volume of daily early dismissals, our front office team will be escorting younger learners in grades K through 2 and implementing a checkout process for students in grades 3 through 5. We appreciate your patience and continued partnership as we care for our students each day.

Thank you for your ongoing support and involvement. We are grateful to learn, lead, and grow together as a school community.

Stallion Strong,

Principal Thompson

- GOOD TO KNOW -

eNews is packed full of so much important information that you may have to click "view entire message" found by scrolling to the bottom in order to see everything. While you are scrolling, don't miss the FOL, Feeder Pattern and Specials Showcase sections, too!

Family Input Form for the '26-'27 School Year Class Assignments

As we begin the process of looking ahead to creating well balanced classes for the 2026-2027 school year, we would like to streamline input provided by families through this form.

Please know that we are not able to take specific teacher requests, nor student friend requests.

As we work through this process, we keep our Lakewood Vision at the forefront: We are a community of leaders, valued individuals and problem solvers, who advocate for all. Note this will be viewed and analyzed by the current Lakewood Staff. We ask that you refrain from any disparaging comments and remain focused on your student's needs.
Our team is looking for input on students’ needs regarding structure, social emotional support, and other factors that may contribute to their success.
This form will close at noon on Friday, February 6, 2026.
As a reminder the process of placing students in their new homeroom classes is very important to us, and we take a holistic approach. Please note that we do not honor specific teacher requests.

Once class placements are released prior to Meet the Teacher in August, please address any concerns following these steps:

First, reach out directly to the teacher with any concerns or needs regarding your child's experiences. At Lakewood we value feedback, and the opportunity to collaborate together and improve for your child’s success.
If after reaching out to the teacher you still have concerns, please contact their respective administrator.

NEW YEAR, NEW DIGS!

Save the Date! We’re excited to announce the date of Lakewood Elementary's biggest fundraiser of the year -- HOUSE PARTY -- on Saturday, April 18, 2026!

Venue reveal is coming soon! Hint hint, it’s a local stomping ground where everybody knows your name. You WON’T want to miss this one! Book your sitters now!

If you are interested in being a sponsor, please reach out to melissacrosby12@gmail.com or youngblood_ag@yahoo.com for more info. Available sponsorships range from $500-$4000.

A special thanks to our Presenting Sponsor, Skylar Champion Real Estate Group!

Let’s Party!

Your 2026 House Party Committee

Please join us in congratulating our very own Principal Thompson on this very well deserved award from the '24-'25 school year.

Read more about DISD's Principal Appreciation Programs here.

**Friendly Reminder**

Please remember that Vanderbilt is ONE WAY. You can't turn onto Vanderbilt from Oakhurst. You can only turn onto Vanderbilt if you are exiting the red lane. Our circulation map is below to refresh your memory as we start 2026!

Special note about dress for the 3rd grade performance: all students should dress like kids from the 80s - t-shirts and jeans, bright colors, neon, big bangs! Rock and roll flair is encouraged! Any students playing the characters Billy and Chuck (the mechanics) can wear overalls/coveralls.

Lakewood Elementary has been selected to participate in a Dallas ISD pilot initiative that provides students with additional, curriculum-aligned field experiences. As part of this opportunity, 1st, 2nd, 4th, and 5th grade students will participate in district-supported field trips designed to extend learning beyond the classroom. These experiences are aligned to grade-level TEKS and reinforce instruction in science, technology, environmental education, and the arts through hands-on, real-world learning. More information, including trip details and permission slips, will be shared by grade-level teachers.

2026 Bond Update

DISD's work toward a ballot initiative for the 2026 Bond continues! The Board of Trustees met for a Board Workshop in December (materials:Bond 2026 Planning_December Board Workshop; recording: Watch video of the Board Workshop) and will receive further briefing and presentations in January. D Magazine also highlighted some of the outcomes of Bond 2020 and previewed potential Bond 2026 initiatives in this recent article.

SBDM continues to monitor Bond 2026 progress and will provide updates through eNews. Please contact sbdm@lakewoodelementary.net if you have questions.

STAAR Stand-Alone Field Test – February 3

Lakewood Elementary has been selected to participate in a STAAR stand-alone field test on Tuesday, February 3. This field test allows students to try out new reading assessment items that will help TEA develop future STAAR assessments, including extended constructed-response questions.

Who will participate?

All 4th and 5th grade students (Reading)
3rd grade students who will take STAAR Reading in Spanish

Please note that no scores will be reported for this assessment. The field test is for data and development purposes only and will not impact student grades or accountability ratings.

We appreciate your support as our students help shape future state assessments!

Click Here to Donate!

LUNCH BUNCH VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!

We would love to have 1 additional volunteer join us for the 1st Lunch Bunch shift each day to help keep the cafeteria clean and get the classes in and out within their allotted time period. Unfortunately, Voly does not allow us to make changes to our existing signup. Please click below to access the NEW VOLY SIGNUP for this 1 additional volunteer. The original Voly Lunch Bunch Sign Up is still active! Thank you in advance for signing up AND for your patience with Voly.

Send your student to Campus Beautification on January 19 @ 4:00 PM. Just a reminder, this is Martin Luther King Jr. Day so it could be a great opportunity to get out of the house!

Students earn a FREE DRESS PASS to be used on any Monday of their choice. Hope to see you there!

Registration for the 21-DAY SNACKING CHALLENGE OPENS on 1/20!

“21-Day Snacking Challenge” is an innovative, three-week nutrition education initiative backed by participating school districts, educators and parents. During the challenge, elementary school students are invited to change their current after-school snacking habits by consuming more fruits and vegetables. Using the recipe books and our Healthy Snack Finder as a foundation, kids are empowered to create fun, healthy snacks on their own or with minimal supervision.

Data collected at the end of each challenge shows that kids are changing their eating habits, trying new fruits and vegetables, and introducing the program to their extended families.

Registration: 1/20-1/27

Program dates: 1/27-2/16

Final Assessment period: 3/2-3/9

Click here to register!

Attention KINDERGARTEN Parents

Calling all 1st GRADE PARENTS!!

1st Grade Lunch Buddies starts when we return from break. Sign up now!

As the days are getting cooler, please take a moment to refresh yourself on our dress code. Sweatpants/joggers are not permitted and leggings are allowed only when worn under a skirt/dress.

TC Classroom - Functional Play Fridays

The TC Classroom is kicking off Functional Play Fridays—a fun new way for students to build imagination, social skills, and creativity through themed play like cooking, music, shopping, and dress-up!

We’re collecting gently used or new pretend play items to make these Fridays extra special. Donations can be dropped off at Lakewood or emailed about at Britjohnson1@dallasisd.org.

Check out our composting updates here!

With Moonshot, we are steering food away from the trash and back into the earth!

Upcoming Events

FOL is busy planning several fun Spring events for both parents and students! Sign up links will be shared in the coming weeks!

Early February: Member Happy Hour at Hillside Tavern

March: Softball Season begins (Date TBD)

March: Poker Tournament (Date TBD)

March: Monday night Top Golf League begins

March 25: Skeet Shoot

April: Cornhole Tournament (Date TBD)

April 10: Father Daughter Dance

Kickstart your Wednesdays with our before-school Math Maniacs Program, where dads and kids team up to tackle numbers, share donuts, and spark a love of learning. Volunteer to make a difference—help teach math, create memories, and strengthen the heart of our school community! Dates are listed above.

If interested in getting involved, please reach out to: Chris Wyatt: christopherwyatt@me.com or sign up by clicking the link below!

MATH MANIACS VOLUNTEERS

Check out what your Stallions are up to in the Land of Specials! This website will be updated by our fabulous team of Specials Teachers as the school year goes on.

In partnership with the White Rock YMCA, join us for an exciting community gathering this Friday, January 16th as the Woodrow Wildcats take on the Seagoville Dragons at Woodrow Wilson High School. We love the Y! For so many players, the YMCA is where basketball dreams began: the first team, the first jersey, the first time learning to pass, shoot, hustle and believe.

So, please come cheer on your Woodrow Wildcats, presented in partnership with the YMCA, where countless Wildcats – past, present and future – first fell in love with the game.

Fans are encouraged to wear YMCA jerseys/t-shirts or Woodrow spirit wear!

Save the Date!

Friday, 1/29: Woodrow Men's Basketball Feeder Night!