Friday, May 27, 2016

Newsletter May 27, 2016

Principal’s Message

Dear Friends and Families of Los Ranchos,

It was great to see so many families for Open House! The excitement was palpable. Students were eager to share and parents were an enthusiastic audience. As educators, we deeply appreciate the support and participation in your children’s education. Together, we make a great team.

We have some exciting changes for next year. As many of you know, Miss Finn will be moving on to teaching in Thailand. We will miss her. She has been a dedicated teacher at Los Ranchos Elementary. We look forward to hearing about her new adventures.  As a result, we will have a 5th grade opening. I am happy to announce that Mr. Becker has agreed to take his enthusiasm for learning and teaching to 5th grade. Mr. Becker spent many years in 5th and 6th grade. He is looking forward to returning to 5th grade students and 5th grade curriculum. Ms. Johnson and Mr. Becker are going to make a great 5th grade team.

This leaves an opening in 4th grade. We are fortunate to welcome Ms. Wagner to this position. Ms. Wagner is a loved and talented teacher from another elementary school in the district.  She will be partnering with Mrs. McMillen and Mrs. Phelan. 4th graders are going to have a fun and engaging year with this 4th grade team.  

And last but not least, there is one more change. Next year we will have two classes in kindergarten and three classes in 1st grade. We are very fortunate to have Ms. Baele move up into 1st grade. She is a talented and experienced teacher with many years as a 1st grade reading specialist. During those years she worked closely with Mrs. Harper and Mrs. Aguilar.  The three of them will make a wonderful team.  

We are fortunate to have a staff of talented and dedicated teachers. Teachers will be making classlists soon for next year. Please read the information below to learn more about the complex process we use to create class lists. We strive to maximize the learning experience and environment for each student. We appreciate your confidence in the process and in our teachers who know their students academically, socially and emotionally.

Have a wonderful three day weekend!
Sincerely,
Marlie Schmidt

Upcoming Dates
  • Memorial Day Holiday - Monday, May 30- No School
  • End of the Year Assembly - Wednesday, June 8th - 9:00 a.m.- 11:00am
  • Last Day of School, June 9th. This is a Full Day
  • First day of 2016-2017 School Year, August 22nd

End of the Year Assembly:
Our last assembly of the year is Wednesday, June 8th at 9am. We will be honoring our 6th Graders at this assembly as well as congratulating Mrs.Watson on her retirement at the end of this school year. Parents are welcome to attend the assembly.

Class lists for 2016-2017

The teachers at Los Ranchos place children in classrooms according to the best interest of all students, both individually and collectively. We pay careful attention to creating balanced classes by considering the following factors:
  • student’s academic ability
  • student’s behaviors
  • student/student compatability
  • gender balance
  • individual student needs
This is a complex process. Our goal is to create classroom communities where the combination of students help to  build positive and productive learning environments. Our teachers know our students well. We appreciate your trust in this process.
We understand, however,  that there are circumstances known to parents/guardians that would be helpful for school staff when making placements. If you want to share this information with us, we will happily take it into consideration. Please complete this form or pick it up in the office. The form should be turned into the Los Ranchos office by Tuesday, May 31.  

Classroom Placement

YMCA
As of June 1st, 2016, the Los Ranchos Before School  YMCA Program will operate on Mondays only. Before school care will no longer be offered Tuesdays-Fridays.  Additionally, the  after school program for Transitional Kindergarten Students will no longer be offered for next year’s students.

If you need to contact the Y with questions or concerns you may call them at (805) 543-8235.


Library Reminder:
If your student still has books  missing at the end of this week, outstanding loss and/or damage notices will be mailed home by Friday, June 3rd..  As stated in the Annual Parent Notice, “Library book processing standards prohibit the school district from accepting donated copies of a library book that has been lost or damaged in lieu of payment.”  Please be aware that if there are any missing books that have not been paid for,  your student will not receive their report card at the end of the year.  Thanks for helping us get all of our books back!


Medication Reminder
DISPOSAL OF MEDICATION: On the last day of school, the office will be cleaning out the student medication drawer.  If your child has medication at school, please come by to pick it up. Due to safety regulations, we are unable to send medication home with a student. All medication remaining at the school site after the last day of school in June will be disposed of according to safety regulations.
Medications at school next year: A new Medication Consent Form will need to be completed and signed by your health care provider each new school year. Forms are available from the school secretary.

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