Thursday, November 8, 2018

FOCUSING ON LITERACY
Teachers in grades K-5 are implementing a new reading resources from Lucy Calkins.  Our new Reading Units of Study provides each grade level with additional strategy lessons that promote comprehension in different genres.  In the primary grades, these new lessons teach students multiple ways to attack unfamiliar words and determine deeper meaning, such as the author's message.  Students in the intermediate grades are analyzing text and writing more about what they are reading.  Students are being asked to use evidence from the text to infer themes and complex character traits.

On Tuesday we were fortunate to have a trainer share additional strategies for implementing this new resources.  Teachers in all grade levels learned instructional tips and tools to push students' thinking in both whole group instruction and one on one conferences.  We all left our training energized!  We are excited to continue to try these new lessons and grow our already strong practice.

Here are a few research-based practices that serve as the foundation of this resource.


Here are a few research-based practices that serve as the foundation of this resources.

10 Things That Matter When Teaching Reading 
* Provide a Balanced Approach to Reading  
* Read Aloud Daily
* Provide Children with Feedback 
* Have Children Read Fiction & Non Fiction
* Have Children Talk About What They Read
* Provide Explicit Instruction
* Expose Children to More Difficult Books 
* Give Students Choice within "Just Right Books"
* Give Students Long Stretches of Time to Read
* Ensure that Students Have Good Teachers 


THANKSGIVING FEAST & CELEBRATIONS OF LEARNING
Please join us for our Annual Thanksgiving Family Feast and Celebration of Learning on Wednesday, November 14th.  Enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with your child and view his/her great work in the classroom during Celebrations of Learning. 

We still need many volunteers to make this a success.  Our flexible volunteer schedule allows you to enjoy lunch with your child and still help out.  View your child's schedule below and click here to volunteer.  Parents and siblings can pre-order tickets at MySchoolBucks.com.  Students will use their lunch accounts to order that day.  We hope you are able to join us!



GRE FORMS FIRST ELEMENTARY INTERACT CLUB
Gold Rush is proud to pilot the first elementary Interact club!  Interact is a service learning club affiliated with Rotary International.  While Interact clubs tend to form at the High School level, Gold Rush students were certain they too could make a difference.  Charged with completing one local and one international service project this year, students jumped in.  The focus of their local project is to spread our No Waste Food Initiative to Cimarron Middle School.  As you recall, Gold Rush students have been donating food that would have otherwise gone in the trash after lunch periods to the Parker Task Force.  Last year we packed 198 backpacks with food for local families.  We are excited to help the Middle School re-purpose their waste.  Students are currently working on their presentation and they look forward to traveling to Cimarron in January to help them launch this project!


You can also make a difference in our community!  We are continuing to host a food drive for the Task Force until November 16.  We hope that each family will bring one item with them to our Celebrations or Learning and Thanksgiving Feast Day next Wednesday.  See pictures of our current contributions and needed items below.










2019-2020 KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION & OPEN ENROLLMENT PROCESS
It's hard to believe, but we will are already starting to plan for next school year.  In order to assist us, please complete the enrollment confirmation survey for your child(ren) by Friday, November 16th.  Please click here for the survey.  This will help ensure your child's classroom placement for next year.


First Round Open Enrollment will open on November 1st.  Click here to apply for open enrollment.  Schools will extend offers based on available space by December 7th.  Parents can see offers in the EngagED Parent Portal after December 10th and they have until December 17th at 4:00 PM to log back in and accept.  In the event you did not receive an offer during First Round, you will remain on a wait list for Second Round of Open Enrollment, which opens on January 22nd at 8:00 AM.  Tours and Presentation will be offered on November 13th at 9:00 AM, November 29th at 9:00 AM & 5:30 PM, and December 14th at 9:00 AM.

In addition, we will host a Kindergarten Registration open house on Wednesday, December 12, from 5:00-7:00 PM.  This is an opportunity for the parents of incoming kindergartners to complete registration paperwork, learn more about our programming and tour the school.  This event is for parents only.  We look forward to welcoming students in the spring with their own special evening.  

ELECTRONIC THURSDAY FOLDER

UPCOMING EVENTS
* November 12 - 16 Fall Book fair
* November 13 - Open Enrollment Presentation
* November 14 - Thanksgiving Feast & Celebrations of Learning
* November 15 - SAC Meeting @ 4:30-5:30 PM - Agenda
* November 19-23 - Fall Break