March 15, 2010
Hi! It feels funny to have our schedule back after two weeks of CSAP testing! We had a CSAP party last Friday where students watched the teachers competed in a trivia game. We also wanted to remind you all that this Friday is the end of 3rd quarter and we will be having a Parent/Teacher conference next week. We will be sending out more information on this later on this week.
Highlights of the week:
Reading: Students will be starting reading a new book.
Writing: One group will be working on vocabulary strategies and continue working on their paragraphs.
Math: Orange group started a new unit: measurement and will be discussing time this week. Blue will be wrapping up the division unit this week. Green group is working on the division unit.
Social Studies: Students began a new unit on Colorado History.
Science: 3rd/4th grade students began a new unit on electricity and magnet. They are discussing and discovering what does magnet attracts to or repels from. 5th grade began a new unit too. They are discussing about 3 types of matters: Solid, Liquid and Gas.
Enjoy your week!
Amy Novotny & Stephanie Carson
March 1, 2010
Happy March! We had a kick off party for our CSAP students today! We will be busy with CSAP testing for two weeks so your child will NOT be bringing any homework assignments. Please be sure your child has a good night of sleep and a hearty breakfast!
Let’s have a wonderful March!
Amy Novotny & Stephanie Carson
February 22, 2010
Hello! I hope you enjoyed all the snow we have been getting! Of course, nothing like what the east coast got in the last few weeks! 
This week we are preparing and practicing for our CSAP test that will be happening for the next two weeks starting next week. We are busy reviewing the materials the students have learned this year. Please read carefully on our CSAP schedule below so you can help your child prepare for their big test day at home.
Week of March 1st-5th:
Monday: 5th Grade Science
Tuesday: 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Writing and 5th Grade Science
Wednesday: 3rd, 4th, and 5th Grade Writing
Thursday: 4th and 5th Grade Reading and 5th Grade Science
Friday: 4th and 5th Grade Reading
We will post the schedule for CSAP for the week of March 8th-12th next week.
Many thanks!
Stephanie, Amy, and Craig
February 16, 2010
Welcome back! We hope you and your family had a great four day weekend! The students arrived to school this morning with many news to share and were excited to see their friends. This week will be a busy week for the third graders as they will be taking CSAP on Wednesday and Thursday. If you have a child who is in third grade, please help them to have a good start in the mornings by having a healthy breakfast and encouraging them to do well on the test. The whole school cheered for the third graders this morning during assembly and wishing them good luck on the test. The fourth to eighth graders will be taking CSAP in early March.
Many thanks to the families who attended the Family Literacy Night, as Winter Olympics being our theme of the night. The event was a huge success! We kicked off the event by having opening ceremony, four educational and fun centers the families can participate in and gave away few door prizes and medals. The book fair was also open where families can purchase books and other items at the book fair. Again, many thanks for your ongoing support to RMDS! Enjoy the pictures below!
Highlights of the Week:
Literacy: We are working on context clues strategy. Two groups will be wrapping up their guided reading book this week and will begin new book next week.
Science: 4th Grade: We are learning about the four famous inventors: Ben Franklin, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell and the 4th inventor is the student’s choice on who they wanted to do research on. 5th Grade: We are prepping, practicing, getting ready for our 5th grade science CSAP. The students are reviewing the vocabulary, materials, science concepts they have learned this year.
Social Studies: This week is Texas Week! They will learn about Alamo, the government system in Austin and its borders. One group created a cave out of paper bag as they learned about the caves in New Mexico last week.
Math:
Sincerely,
Amy, Stephanie and Craig
Pictures from Family Literacy Night: Winter Olympics
Russia Team: Yessenia and Claude
Germany Team: Andrew and Aidan
Timmy at the Ski Jumping Center
Aidan and his Dad at the bobsled center!
February 9, 2010
Hi! We will have Literacy Night on Wednesday night at 6:00 p.m. This year’s theme is Winter Olympics. We will have FUN olympics activities for the family to participate in! Door prizes will be awarded so please come! At the same time, book fair will be open during Literacy Night for your family to take a look at or purchasing something from the book fair.
Our students are looking forward to celebrate Valentine’s Day! We will have a early valentine party in class this coming Thursday due to the holiday being on a Sunday. List of our students’ names are being sent home with Monday folders. Please have your child create a bag or box for valentine cards. You can decorate it any way you want it.
We would like to remind you that we will not have school on this Friday, February 12 and Monday, February 15th.
Highlights of the week:
Reading: One group is working on using context clues to help them figure out the meaning of vocabulary during their guiding reading time. One group will be wrapping up inferencing skills and will begin context clues next week.
Writing: One group is finalizing the descripitve pargraph and will begin a new paragraph writing: Persuasive. One group will be working on writing biography on one of Olympic Athlete. We are working on action verbs, in the past tense.
Math: Orange group is working on multiplying and dividing fractions. Blue group is working on multiplying with multi-digits. Green group is almost done with the multiplication unit: focusing on multiplication table.
Social Studies: This week is New Mexico week! The students are learning about the state of New Mexico and the famous caves in New Mexico.
Science: 3rd and 4th grade students are working on a powerpoint project on Inventors. 5th grade students are done with the Force and Motion Unit and will have CSAP practice this week.
Happy VALENTINE!
Amy Novotny & Stephanie Carson
February 2, 2010
Dear Parents,
Happy February! We have been getting unbelievably warm weather lately. This week is a quiet week with not a lot of events going on. Next week, Wednesday February 10th is Literacy Night, the theme will be Winter Olympics. Book fair will be up and running all week, please do make plans to come. The third graders will be taking CSAP on February 17th and 18th. Please help your child to be prepared for the test.
Highlights of the week:
Literacy: One group will be working on cause and effect during guided reading time. One group will be wrapping up their autobiography this week. One group will be working on using context clues during their guided reading time. In the writing class, they will be working on descriptive paragraph.
Social Studies: It’s Arizona week! The students will be learning about Phoenix, Grand Canyon and Hoover Dam. It would be great if you could share your experiences if you have went to Arizona in the past.
Math: Orange group is working on multiplying fractions. Blue group will be working on multiplication patterns. Green group will be workin on their multiplication unit focusing on multiplying 7, 8, 9, 10.
Science: 3/4th graders are wrapping up the unit properties of powders. They will have a quiz this week. 5th graders are discussing different types of forces and gravity.
Have a great week! Enjoy the beautiful weather!
Sincerely,
Stephanie Carson and Amy Novotny
January 25, 2010
Dear Parents,
Last Friday we had honor roll assembly for 2nd quarter honors. We are proud of our students’ acheivements in 2nd quarter! We are looking forward for another great quarter! We are already more than halfway through the school year. We are busy prepping our students for the statewide test, CSAP. The third graders will be taking them in February. The fourth and fifth graders will be taking them in March. It would be great if you could discuss with your child on how important the test is and for them to do their best.
Highlights of the Week:
Reading: One group is working on the difference between a fact and opinion. Another group is working on inferencing skills.
Writing: One group will complete their 1st draft of their autobiography. Another group just completed a pargraph about having a butler. They will be working on descriptive paragraph next.
Math: Orange group continues to work on the fraction unit this week. Blue group is working on multiply 4 digits with 1 digit. Green group will be learning about square numbers. All groups will be having quiz this coming Friday.
Social Studies: We read aloud “The Log Cabin Quilt” to understand what it was like to live in log cabin in the 1800s and 1900s. The students will be learning farming in modern times this week. We will be wrapping up the farming unit this week.
Science: 3rd/4th is wrapping up the powders and properties unit this week. 5th grade will be discussing gravity this week.
Enjoy the pictures of the honor roll assembly!
Sincerely,
Amy, Stephanie and Craig
January 19, 2010
Hi! We hope you all had a wonderful long weekend. It is always fun to see our students coming to school filled with news to share. There will be a honor roll assembly this coming Friday. Also, Report cards will be sent out end of this week, please do contact us if you do have any questions.
Highlights of this week:
Reading: Students are working in their new books with focus on inferencing skills.
Writing: A group is working on creating an autobiography. Another group continues to work on creating a excellent topic sentence.
Math: Orange group is working on adding and subtracting mixed number with unlike denominators. Blue group is working on multiplying number with 2 digits. Green group is working on multiplication unit: focusing on multiplying zeros and one.
Social Studies: We will be learning about farming in the Midwest in 1900s. We will be learning about what farming tools they used and how the family survived on the farm.
Science: 3rd and 4th grade continue to work on the mystery project. It is a messy but FUN project where each student gets opportunity to figure out the mystery powders. 5th grade started a new unit on Force and Motion this week.
Let’s have a wonderful week!
Amy Novotny & Stephanie Carson
January 12, 2010
Dear Parents,
Happy New Year! I hope you and your family had a great winter break! The students seemed to enjoy their break and are ready to learn again. We have few new things that are happening in our classroom this semester. We will have spoken english faciliator that will be working with some students twice a week. We have a new student teacher, Craig Stalker, from University of Northern Colorado that will be working in our classroom for the next eight weeks. Craig has written you a letter to tell you a little about himself so you know who will be working with your child.
Dear Parents,
I wanted to introduce myself to you. My name is Craig Stalker. I am deaf and I am currently doing my student teaching in your child’s classroom. I wanted to tell you about my background. I am currently a Deaf Education major in the University of Northern Colorado’s Graduate School program. My hope is to become a successful Deaf Education teacher. I am excited to learn how to teach the highest quality education to the deaf students from Stephanie and Amy’s classroom. My favorite activities are snowboarding, hiking, camping and continuing my learning. I hope to meet you in person one day. And am here if you have any questions at all.
Thank you for this amazing opportunity to work with your children.
Sincerely,
Craig Stalker
Please do feel free to contact Craig anytime if you have any questions or concerns regarding on your child’s academic.
This Friday is the last day of 2nd quarter! Please be sure to check www.mygradebook.com to ensure your child is caught up in all assignments in order to improve his/her grade. We will have end of the quarter and homework party for those students who have completed all assignments in 2nd quarter.
Highlights of the Week:
Literacy: We are learning about identifying the difference between fact and opinion. All the reading groups have started their new guided reading book.
Writing: One group will be working on topic sentence. One group will be working on their autobiography.
Social Studies: We are learning about farming in the midwest in 1800s.
Math: Orange group is working on adding fraction with unlike denominators. Blue group is working on multiplication with 2 digits and green group is starting the multiplication unit!
Science: 3/4th graders are doing different experiments with chemials to see reaction out of the powders. 5th grade is wrapping up their human body unit with a test tomorrow!
Have a great week! Enjoy the beautiful weather!
Sincerely,
Stephanie Carson & Amy Novotny
- celebrating 2010!
