“Buzz”-worthy Moments: ENERGY!! This week, we are comparing sources of energy, both renewable and fossil fuels. With a partner, they are choosing two sources to compare and then inserting their opinions as to the better source (Persuasive Essay). OF COURSE, it was suggested to dig a little deeper and actually do science projects that will represent the energy sources! Stay tuned…this may become a reality next week!!

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

4/14 Show-n-Tell and 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: Choose your PERSPECTIVE

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! to “Choose your PERSPECTIVE! You get to decide your opinion and attitude!

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 5 of  Unit 5 with the Essential Question: What are different kinds of energy?  Ask your student and then ask if that type of energy is renewable or is a fossil fuel!!

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 Persuasive Essay: Which source of energy is better?

Spelling:  Open Syllable Words (pi/lot, si/lent)

Grammar Focus:

Possessive Pronouns

Reflexive Pronouns

Pronoun-Verb Contractions (it’s, you’re, I’m)

Continuing:

Pronoun/Present Tense Verb agreement

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 12: Understand Fractions as Numbers (we talk about sharing food!)

We are speeding through this topic but will revisit the concepts throughout the next month! 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: Invisible Forces: How could you win a tug-of-war against a bunch of adults?

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,

Hello! I hope you had a restful long Easter weekend! Thank you so much to everyone who donated towards APEX fun run! The students had SO much fun with the APEX team and the fun run! I will keep you updated with the final amount raised as it comes in!

As a reminder, we roll into state testing this next week with makeups this week and next. I have included our schedule in this email. Please make sure your student is well rested the night before and have had a big breakfast. Our testers have until 330 each day to finish and we will be communicating with you if your student is still testing at 3:00 when driveline starts. The students have been so wonderful with trying their hardest so thank you for the extra grace time to allow your student to finish.

– Mrs. Sarah Laramie

Month at a Glance 

• Recker Elementary Music Concert 4/19
• Montessori Gala- 4/22
• Half Day of School- 4/26

Important Announcements

Transportation This Week

There will be no sports transportation this week.

Tutoring Update

Thank you to those families who took advantage our pandemic recovery tutoring program over the past two school years. Effective at the end of the week, as a result of low-attendance at tutoring and the state testing season being upon us, upon returning from Easter Break we will discontinue the program. As always, students are still free to talk with their teachers if they are needing additional help and assistance in individual classes.

Spring Concerts

Wednesday April 19^th  

Lower Grades Concert (Kinder, 1st and 2nd Grade): 5:00pm-5:30pm (4:30pm Call Time)

Montessori Concert (Kinder – 6th Grade): 6:00pm-6:30pm (5:30pm Call Time)

Upper Grades Concert (3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th Grade): 7:00pm-7:30pm (6:30pm Call Time)

Concert Attire: Black bottoms (skirt, pants, etc..), white top, solid green accent (hair accessories, neck tie, vest, etc…)

CPR Class

San Tan Charter School is pleased to be able to work with Cross Lifeline Emergency Training to extend certification classes to our community. Classes will be a combination of virtual and on-campus training. Your class invitation will provide details as to the virtual learning which needs to be completed prior to attending the on-campus training.

SATURDAY, April 15TH, 2023 – ONE SESSION AVAILABLE- RECKER CAMPUS LIBRARY

10:00 AM- 12:00 PM Session – 10 Spots Available

CPR, FIRST AID, & BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS CLASS – $25

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

 

 

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

 

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