Amazing New Building Renovations at Lakeside

We have exciting news for parents and students: our school is going through some impressive changes this summer. We are making up-to-date additions that will not only improve our students’ educational experience, but also offer more room and resources for our wonderful teachers.

Over Summer Break, Avoid Summer Slide

Ever heard of the summer slide? It’s not a rollercoaster – though it does often include a sudden drop! The summer slide refers to the two months out of the classroom that cause kids to lose some of the reading and math skills they worked all year to learn. When they return to school, they must re-learn those skills before they can begin to take on more.

La Paloma Academy is Offering Free Summer School

Our teacher-recommended, Title I program is the excellent way to keep students’ learning skills fine-tuned and primed for next school year. Specialized ELA, math, reading and writing classes are being offered June 1-25, Mondays to Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

Keeping Up the Pace All the Way to Summer

During the last month of our school year, we know we are up against warmer weather and the sweet smell of approaching vacation. That means we not only need to work harder to keep our academic expectations high but also creatively plan for how we are going to keep students engaged and attentive in school.

The Smart Choice in Summer Fun

Summer is almost here, and right about now parents are starting to wonder about the best way to keep kids active, entertained, and productive while school’s out. La Paloma Academy Summer Camp will once again offer an 8-week program to keep kids in grades K through 8 learning and having fun.

Teacher Appreciation Week

The first full week in May is nationally designated as Teacher Appreciation Week. Of course, we think the wonderful teachers who do so much for our students should be acknowledged every week! Even so, May 4-8 is a great time to show your child’s teacher how much you appreciate what they do every day.

What Parents Need to Know About this Year’s Standardized Testing

Late in 2014, the Arizona State Board of Education adopted Arizona’s Measurement of Educational Readiness to Inform Teaching (AzMERIT) as the new statewide standardized testing. The new exam system will be given to 3rd grade through high school students in April and will replace the AIMS test in reading, writing and math.

We wanted to answer some questions that have come up so everyone is aware and on the same page as we adapt to this important change in education.

Make the Most of Drive Time

If you are one of our many families who drive to and from school every day, you have the gift of undivided time with your children—time that is all yours, without other distractions! Make the most of it by using it for positive communication or fun activities. Here are some tips for having a fun and productive morning and afternoon drive time.

Practicing Patience as a Virtue

Everyone has to wait. Whether it’s waiting in line at the grocery store, waiting on the sidelines at a sibling’s soccer game, waiting in the lobby for dance or karate class, or waiting to be picked up by the bus or carpool for school, life just has a lot of waiting.

This teaches all of us that patience is a skill that inevitably has to be learned. It can be one of the hardest skills to learn, but it is truly one of life’s lessons that cannot be avoided. Most of us are taught that patience is a virtue, but most of us are never taught why.