“Buzz”-worthy Moments: TOP CLASS IN THE SCHOOL!!!

Our Busy Bees did it again! On Wednesday, after the first APEX Challenge, we earned the TOP CLASS in the school for pledges! Each pledge (x) # of laps run = DONATION

APEX RUN will be Thursday, 4/6 @ 8:45 am

Reminder: All money raised will go toward field trips next year, meaning the plan is that the cost to you will be less!!

Way to “BEE”, Busy Bees!!

 

Our April Schedule:

Lunch with 3rd Grade (Mondays) Sign Up:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4dafae2ca3f9c70-lunch

Guided Reading Groups: Our last month of Reading Groups and available dates are sporadic.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DAFAE2CA3F9C70-guided

3/31 Wear your Busy Bee Tees Today!

4/3 Monday: AASA (State Testing) Writing

4/6 11:00 Dismissal & APEX Run (Donations are per lap, up to 36 laps)

4/7-10 No School (Easter Weekend)

4/11 (Tuesday) Come back to school!!

4/13 Zoo Field Trip Sign-Ups and Payment Due

4/14 Wear your Busy Bee Tees Today!

4/19 (Wednesday) AASA State Testing Math/Reading (Part 1)

4/20 (Thursday) AASA State Testing Math/Reading (Part 2)

4/21 Wear your Busy Bee Tees Today!

4/26 11:00 Dismissal

4/27 Zoo Twilight Experience (Wear your Busy Bee Tees!)

In other NEWS…

Busy Bee Tees: Wear them on FRIDAYS!!!

The company that made our Busy Bee Tees for us was started by a few STCS High School Students and a dad. Feel free to browse their STCS Spirit Gear! I truly appreciate how they took care of us and our Busy Bee Tees! https://sstshirt.com/

A Glimpse into our Class

Daily Schedule

This is subject to change, of course!

daily-schedule-22-23

Homework

I am encouraging the kids to work on the homework emailed at the beginning of each week.

Any time they spend reading, writing, doing math, and practicing skills will encourage academic success!!

Reminder: I check homework for EFFORT, not COMPLETION. You decide how much gets done at home!

BENEFITS of Homework:

• Extra practice for students who may need it
• Communication with parents about what we are doing in class
• Creates good study habits
• Gives students the opportunity to ‘accomplished’ when they are finished and/or they understand
• Creates opportunities for parents and/or older siblings to spend time with their 3rd grader

***Homework is NOT meant to be a frustration!

My purpose with homework is for the kids to get the practice they need so they understand the concepts AND to show you what they know! If the math packet is easy for them, for example, there is no need for them to complete it at home, although they probably will have finished it at school! THE POINT: I know you are all busy! I am typically flexible with due dates so if you have sports or ??? one night, feel free to wait until the next night to do it.  When they return the homework to me, I acknowledge the time and effort they put into it. If this inspires your child to get the practice at home, wonderful! If not, no added stress!!

Social-Emotional Learning: “Bee” Optimistic

Our goals have gone from FAIL! to FINDING SOLUTIONS!! to FINISH!!! to Do My BEST!! to “Bee” an example!! to “Bee” Optimistic…LOOK FOR THE GOOD!!

Read Aloud:  Flora & Ulysses By Kate DiCamillo

The kids INSISTED that we read this book by the same author as Because of Winn Dixie because they loved it so much!! Again, we will be working on comprehension, vocabulary, word structure, and so much more!!

Language Arts

We are in week 3 of  Unit 5 with the Essential Question: How do you get what you need?  The FUN in this week: Writing a Business Plan!! They all want their business to be successful, so they needed to be organized and communicate the plan!

Reading:

We enjoy our Guided Reading Groups each week. THANK YOU to our parents who led the groups Tue/Wed/Thu 11:40-12:15. We LOVE having you in class!! If you would like to join us, here is the link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DAFAE2CA3F9C70-guided

Writing: A Business Plan!

Spelling:  Closed Syllable Words (bas/ket, rab/bit)

Grammar Focus:

Pronoun/Present Tense Verb agreement

Continuing:

Pronouns: Singular/Plural/Personal

Pronoun  Agreement

Irregular Verbs, including Have/Do

Correct Verb Forms

Complex Sentences

Dependent and Independent Clauses (New Concept…A bit confusing!)

Using Subordinating Conjunctions (New Concept…A LOT Confusing!)

Greek and Latin Roots: TOTALLY FUN for some!!

Main Verb/Helping Verb

Commas and Quotations Marks in Dialogue

Contractions with not

Using Apostrophes

Linking Verbs

Using Commas

Content Words

Context Clues

Sequencing Events

Past/Present/Future Tense Verbs

Capitalizing Book Titles

Figurative Language: Idioms, Similes, personification, metaphors, hyperboles

Synonyms

Abbreviations

Name Titles

Verb Tenses and Subject/Verb Agreement

Adding -y to change the meaning: rock to rocky

Quotation Marks

Colons in the time

Verbs

Homographs.

Open Syllables

Possessive Nouns

Closed Syllables

Collective Nouns: class, team, family

Irregular Plural Nouns: tooth/teeth, mouse/mice, deer, moose, woman/women, life/lives

Homophones

Prefixes un/re/dis

Plural Nouns, adding -s or -es AND changing the y to i

Common Nouns/Proper Nouns

Concrete Nouns/Abstract Nouns

Word Meanings, including multiple meanings

Math Topic 11: Use Operations with Whole Numbers to Solve Problems

The focus is on 2-STEP WORD PROBLEMS. This is tricky, but the kids are getting it! Test is on Friday.

XtraMath.com

This is great math fact fluency practice at home! Let me know if your child earns a certificate!!

Khan Academy

Feel free to do this at home! Here is the link for the ELA practice:

https://www.khanacademy.org/ela

Science: Animals through Time: How long can people (and animals) survive in space?

Social Studies: Arizona’s Early People

 

Other San Tan News…

Yearbooks for Sale!

https://store.shopyearbook.com/santan-yb

From our Family Engagement Committee (FEC)

Please join our school’s Family Engagement Committee’s (FEC) Facebook page. Here you will find school wide events that are coming up and ways to volunteer at school.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/620590539585576

Thank you again,

Jenn Jacobs and Heather Warren

From the Principal (Emailed Tuesday)

Dear San Tan Families,

Today was a very exciting day as we kicked off our Apex Leadership Co. program with a Pep Rally! Students learned that over the next two weeks they will get the chance to help our school (and our classroom) by earning pledges. And the best part is Apex introduced their new leadership theme: APEX X-FACTOR!  The X-FACTOR is a combination of different skills that unlock the secret to making our world a better place for everyone! We are about to go on a mission together, a mission to discover the X-FACTOR!

The Apex team will be on campus for the next 2 weeks teaching us about these awesome leadership habits and being a part of our school!

Today, your child will be coming home with a VIP badge. The back of this VIP badge has all the information to get you started.  On the front you’ll find a QR code to scan so you can login to your student’s page. One of my favorite parts about Apex is that every student is included in the program, regardless of financial participation! Each day every student will receive a habit wristband that represents that day’s leadership lesson. I encourage you to ask your child about each wristband at home to continue conversation about the leadership habit of the day.

We are fundraising to offset the costs of field trips next year.

– Mrs. Sarah Laramie

Month at a Glance 

• 5^th Grade AZSCIENCE Testing- 3/31
• Kinder/Pre-K Graduation Pictures- 4/5
• Half Day of School- 4/6
• San Tan Charter School’s Birthday- 4/6
• School Closed 4/7- 4/10
• Recker Elementary Music Concert 4/19
• Montessori Gala- 4/22
• Half Day of School- 4/26

Important Announcements

 

Montessori Gala

 

Looking for a fun night out? Consider the Montessori Fundraiser!! This Night at the Derby has student run Dinner, Music Performances, Art Auction, and More!!

https://yqysjrrxph.formstack.com/forms/derby_gala

 

Tax Credit 

This year’s tax credit giving goal is $100,000.00.

Your gift — large or small — will make a difference.

The form link is now open at:

https://yqysjrrxph.formstack.com/forms/?1627645-EuNcDzZTd2

With your support, we can continue to provide the programs outlined below;

• Junior High and High School Culinary Arts: Restaurant quality cutlery, pots/pans, additional shelving, and supplies for the classroom
• Full-Day Kindergarten Scholarship
• Funding for the Library/Media Space
• Health Care Supplies
• Playground Equipment

Reenrollment is LIVE

This year, we have gone to completely ONLINE registration!  No more paper packets!!  While the phone app is convenient for most things – we recommend using a computer to complete re-enrollment.  We highly recommend getting your application finished as soon as possible as we prioritize current families and we already have a substantial pool of new students wanting to enroll.

Please Log into your Parent Portal. Go to “More” and then “Online Registration.”

1. Confirm existing students’ information
2. Add any new siblings

If you are adding a sibling this year you will want to have some documents ready as you will be required to upload them before you are able to move forward in the application.

·     Birth Certificate

·     Proof of Residency

·     Immunization Records (exemption form available in application)

·     IEP/504/Gifted Score Documents (if applicable)

If you have questions or need assistance with re-enrollment and/or the parent portal please feel free to reach out to Christine Gray, cgray@santancs.com, or Sydney Burdeno at sburdeno@santancs.com. 

Reading Initiative

I am so excited to tell you of an initiative that I am starting that will continue throughout the rest of this year. Dedicated small group reading is proven to not only increase reading scores but also increase student’s love of reading. I am really passionate about students gaining a love of reading so we have created a new initiative.

We would love to invite parent volunteers daily between 8:30-9:30, in half an hour segments, to read to small groups of students in the library. I have attached the sign up. In the sign up, you will see classrooms with teacher’s names in it so that you know which classes you are volunteering for.

Grandparents are also welcome if they are interested! I am really excited about this initiative and want to thank you all for your consideration.

Thank you for your time and your devotion to our community,

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090c4baaa922aafd0-reading6#/

Spring Field Trips Links

 

Please sign your student up as soon as possible for our fieldtrips coming up

 

Phoenix Children’s Museum (Kinderversity)

Zoo Twilight Camp (3rd Grade Mainstream and Gifted)

Medieval Times (6th Grade Mainstream, Gifted AND Montessori)

Kartchner Caverns State Park (6th Grade Mainstream, Gifted AND Montessori)

Helpful Links 

Order Lunch 

Arizona Tax Credit Form 

Social Media Links  

Facebook- San Tan Charter School Family Connection 

Facebook-PreK-6 Recker Campus 

Facebook-7-12 Power Campus 

Facebook- Mrs. Laramie Principal Recker Campus 

Instagram- Mrs. Laramie Principal Recker Campus 

Instagram-STCS Recker Campus