Dear Los Ranchos Friends and Families,

2015 is wrapping up quickly. It has been a busy fall at Los Ranchos. We have added some new opportunities for Los Ranchos students and for Los Ranchos parent volunteers. We hope you will consider joining us.

As you know we had  record-breaking success at our Walk-a-thon thanks to your donations and a team of incredibly dedicated parents. This year’s Walk-a-thon took on a family-friendly, team-building community event. It was a great day.

The Game Room is a lively place for first through 6th graders during lunch. Students have a great time. Kristin Escale and Tiffany Emry make sure this is open every Tuesday and Friday. It is a nice change of pace from the regular playground options. Your participation could make it possible to include more students. Please let us know if you have time to volunteer at recess time and to help build up the game room.

A new and very popular activity is the Tinker Room. This is now offered on Wednesdays for 4th - 6th graders. Erin Lindvall has taken the lead on this. The Tinker Room is in much demand. We could add a day for 2nd and 3rd graders and include more students with more parent volunteers. We are looking for a few parents who enjoy the process of discovery through construction, deconstruction and reconstruction!

 

We are lucky to have so many dedicated parents intimately involved in our amazing PTA, our school functions, in our classrooms, and during lunch time activities.  Your involvement makes our school community strong in countless ways. Please do not hesitate to call the office to learn more about ways to get involved.

I wish a happy, restful and memorable winter break to you and your family.

Sincerely,

Marlie Schmidt

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PTA News

Dear Los Ranchos Families:

I'm very sorry to announce that this year's variety show will be cancelled. We did not get the response that we needed to be able to put together another successful show. We're hoping that next year, some volunteers will come forward, so we can continue on this fun tradition. Please let me know if you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Jen Ross 

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Dates to Remember:

Winter Break: December 21, 2015 - January 1, 2016. Students return January 4, 2016

January 5th - 8th - 6th Grade Outdoor School

January 14th - 80's Dress up Day

January 15th - No School For Students - Staff Development Day

January 18th - No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Dear Families and Friends of Los Ranchos,

You may have heard from your student(s) that the 2015 Walk-A-Thon results are in and that they are amazing!! At the beginning of October our students were given a fundraising target of $52,000.  $52,000 was achieved in 2013 but came down to $46,000 in 2014 - we knew it was a big target, but we also knew that it could be done.  

We are pleased to share that, not only did this community rise to the challenge of meeting that target, you blew it out of the water by raising an astounding $62,000!!!  And it doesn't stop there. . . . . we are fortunate to have two "corporate" sponsorships this year - MindBody and Greengate Ranch & Vineyards.  Together these two businesses contributed $6,500, bringing the total amount raised to $68,500.  Simply amazing!  We feel honored to be part of such a generous and committed community that will rise to the challenge and stretch itself, financially, to support the education of it's children.  Well done!  

Together, the Los Ranchos PTA (Parents, Teachers and Administrators) will discuss and decide on how to best utilize the funds raised that go beyond the funding of the many wonderful programs the PTA funds year after year.

Finally, none of this would have happened without the army of amazing volunteer parents that this school is so fortunate to have.  It would be quite lengthy for us to specifically thank everyone who took part in making this year's event such a big success . . . but we would like to take a minute and highlight a few.  First and foremost, we'd like to thank the 2014-2015 PTA Executive Board. They had a vision to create a more community focused Walk-a-thon where students and families could all participate together in the event.  Thank you Laurie DeSchryver, Stacey White, Joanna Whitcher and Karna Stitt for making this happen - the day was fantastic! Thank you Erika Schuetze and your team of amazing parents for leading the charge on sponsorships and student pledge tracking. The results speak for themselves!!   And, Heidi Gill, once again for organizing the many amazing volunteers that come out to help on the day of the event.  It takes a village and this community is one amazing village!!!    

We wish you and your families a very restful and memorable Thanksgiving holiday.

Sincerely,

Marlie Schmidt and Jen Ross

Dear Families and Friends of Los Ranchos,

We are looking forward to Parent Conferences next week. It is a great time to sit with your child's teacher and celebrate the progress and successes of your student. It is also a great time to learn about ways to support next trimester's goals.

Another thing to think about next week is planning more time for picking up. All of our students will be released at 1:00 p.m., except TK. TK pick-up will still be at 12:20 p.m. Our kinder students will be part of the pick-up crowd. Please be on the look out. Plan for extra time and be prepared for additional delays.

We appreciate the team spirit that our parents embrace. We know that linking arms with you will help ensure the academic, social and emotional success of every student. Our partnership is critical.

We look forward to seeing you next week.
Sincerely,
Marlie Schmidt

Dear Families and Friends of Los Ranchos,

The Los Ranchos Walk-a-thon this year was a new twist on an old tradition. As you know, the whole school walked, ran, and skipped our way around a quarter mile course for a whole hour. Then, we celebrated our achievement with a family picnic rocking to the music of DJ Wetzel. What a fun-filled day! 

I want to thank the Walk-a-Thon leaders who worked tirelessly to re-organize this event. Their work paid off. All 484 students, teachers, and many parents joined in the challenge. It was quite an accomplishment. The focus was on "Team Los Ranchos" and we felt like a team. Students raced each other, encouraged, cheered and nudged each other. We could not have done it without you, our army of volunteer parents, grandparents and friends. You checked every lap, poured gallons of water, and provided encouragement at every turn.  Your support motivated and inspired us.

We are now in the last stretch of the Walk-a-Thon. We need one last push from everyone to make this as financially successful as it was fun-filled.  As you know this is our only fundraising event of the year. The money we raise funds enriching and educational experiences for all 484 students all year long.  

We thank you in advance for your generous support and contributions.

Sincerely,

Marlie Schmidt

Student Holidays

Friday, November 6th is a teacher workday - NO STUDENTS Wednesday, November 11th - Veteran's Day Holiday - NO SCHOOL
November 23rd-27th - Thanksgiving Break - NO SCHOOL
Minimum Days
Monday - Friday - November 16-20th - Minimum Days. 
K-6th grades dismissed at 1pm
TK dismissed at 12:20pm

Noon Supervisors

We need your help. We are looking for some new noon supervisors. We  need you, whether you can commit to one, two, three, four or five days a week. It is not great money, and the hours are difficult (12:00 - 1:00). But, it is a great opportunity to get to know your child’s school community in a new and more meaningful way. You will also be playing a critical role in the safety and well being of our students.  Please let Cherie Bruce know if you are interested,
596-4075.

Tinker Room

Our students will have another new opportunity for a lunch time activity. Starting this week, thanks to the ingenuity and creativity of a Los Ranchos parent, Erin Lindvall will be leading a Tinker Room on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Intermediate grades will attend on Wednesdays, and 2nd & 3rd graders will attend on Thursdays. Erin has some great ideas to grow this program. She is looking for a few more parents/volunteers to join in the fun. Please contact Cherie Bruce if you are interested in participating.

Holiday Parties - safety

We have a student who has a life-threatening allergy to LATEX. This means that should this student touch products/toys with latex in them, or if someone plays with latex toys and touches the student, he/she could go into anaphylactic shock. This is a severe allergic reaction involving the respiratory tract and or several bodily systems at the same time, potentially leading to death.


Balloons, erasers, rubber bands, Band-Aids, gloves, rubber balls, Kush balls are just some examples of the many types of items that could cause this life-threatening reaction.

How you can help... Many classrooms will begin planning holiday parties on campus and in classrooms. Right now the most pressing concern is balloons. If you are sending balloons to campus or using them for school events, please make sure they are MYLAR not latex. This will help insure student safety.

The key characteristics of latex are that it may have an odor, it is stretchy and soft. When in doubt, please call the school and we will help determine if something is safe to bring to school.

Thank you for your help and cooperation in keeping school safe and fun for everyone.

October 16, 2015
Dear Friends and Families of Los Ranchos,

Los Ranchos Elementary is a great place to learn and grow for many, many reasons. One of the main reasons is the unwavering support that we get from our PTA.  Thanks to your financial support of the PTA’s fundraising, our students  have access to engaging events, memorable field trips and enriching activities. Here are just a few of the ongoing events and programs our PTA supports, thanks to your generous donations:

• Field trips
• STEAM opportunities (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
• 15 weeks of visual art lessons for every student
• Assemblies
• Chalk Festival
• Fall Family Dinner
• Game room
• Scholastic Book Fair
• Classroom Periodicals
• Used Book Sale
• Classroom supplies
• Staff Appreciation
• Student Rewards

Last spring, I appealed  to our PTA  to purchase one to one devices for our upper grade students. Our PTA dug deep into savings to meet the need and purchased Chromebooks for 106 students. They recognized that  one to one devices provide access to 21st century learning.  As you know, the challenge is that  21st century learning is forever changing.

We need your help to meet this challenge. Our PTA sponsors one fundraiser, the Walk-a-thon. The money that is raised on October 30 will fund the enriching events  that occur daily, weekly, and annually at Los Ranchos. But we also need your help to support the constantly changing challenges of  21st century learning. The fundraising we do now will help us to be prepared in a proactive and timely manner. Your contribution has a direct and positive impact on the learning of 484 students today and prepares us for tomorrow. Thank you for your generous support.

We hope you can join us on October 30th. It is going to be a great day.

Sincerely,

Marlie Schmidt

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Vision Screening - October 20th 
Transitional Kinder, Kindergarten, Second Grade, Fifth Grade and Special Education Students
will have their vision checked by local volunteer optometrists. This valuable program is sponsored by the local Lion's Club and is a screening only. Those students who wear glasses and are seen yearly by their family optometrist, will not be screened. If you do not wish for your child to participate, please send a note addressed to the school nurse the day of the screening. Parents will receive notification of results only if a potention vision problem has been detected.
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Walk-A-Thon OCTOBER 30th

It's time to FUNDRAISE!!!  The 2015 Walk-A-Thon is fast approaching and we are hoping to make this a banner year for Los Ranchos!  Your student(s) may have come home last week with all kinds of fun Walk-A-Thon knowledge from the school assembly, such as . . . 

1. The event is coming up on Friday, October 30th!
2. All students are walking together from 11am to noon on an expanded track (1/4 mile) around the field and black top area.  Family is welcome to walk as well!
3. A bring your own picnic lunch and raffle (with fun prizes!) will take place on the grass from noon to 1pm, immediately following the Walk-A-Thon.  We hope mom, dad, grandma, grandpa and . . anyone else that might be available . . . will join!!
4. Pledge envelopes went home on Monday October 12th - we hope you got them!!
5. Amazing awards will be given - including Extra Recess and an Ice Cream Sundae party on Friday November 13th for all those students who raise $250 or more!  WE KNOW YOUR STUDENTS CAN DO IT!!! 
6. And, perhaps MOST IMPORTANTLY, a new website has been developed to assist students with their fundraising efforts!!
1. Parents and students can create their own Personal Fundraising Page (PFP) and invite friends and family to donate by credit card or check to their personal fundraising efforts.  Once you are on the Los Ranchos website, simply click on the green Participate button, complete the PFP form, then share the page with your friends and family via email, Facebook or Twitter.  It's that easy!  
1. Click on one of the below links or paste the following url into your browser:  https://www.scholasticchallenge.com/events/3DSjsP@21 

scholasticchallenge Event

Dear Friends and Families of Los Ranchos,

Our curriculum and instruction are both complex and comprehensive.  Our reading program involves many components including, but not limited to: independent reading, guided reading, shared reading, interactive reading, literature clubs, and, of course, explicit instruction.  

We begin the year by focusing on independent reading. Independent reading is critical for academic achievement. It is also critical because this is how children develop a reading identity and a passion for books. Independent reading is an area where you as a parent can make a significant difference. There are a few guidelines you want to be mindful of when nurturing your child's reading life.

• First, choice matters. Children want to choose their own books. This is true for you as an adult too. Children will read faster, longer and happier if they are choosing their own titles. Helping your child find the right title, topic, author or series can be tricky, but don’t give up. Once your child gets hooked he/she will be unstoppable. Our teachers and librarian can help. Our city librarians are also a rich resource. 
• Second, accuracy and comprehension matters. As adults we read books with 99.5% accuracy. If we have to struggle with one or two words we put the book down. The same is true for children. It is not uncommon for kids to read with a fairly high level of accuracy, but they do not understand what is going on. The challenge comes when your child wants to read a Harry Potter-like book when he/she is not ready. No problem. Make that book a read aloud. Sharing a good book together is a great idea no matter how old your child is. 
• Third, time matters. Reading is like anything else. The more you do it, the better you get. The better you get, the more you enjoy it. The independent reading that is assigned for homework is a minimum. If you want to see amazing progress set 45 minutes to an hour a night for reading.
• Fourth, your commitment to reading matters. You are your child’s most influential teacher. If you make reading a positive and pleasurable experience, your child will follow your lead.  

When you support your child’s reading life, you are supporting their academic success and nurturing a healthy habit for life.

Happy Reading!

Marlie Schmidt

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 PTA Facebook Page -- PTA is making a HUGE effort to communicate events and happenings at Los Ranchos.  One of the best ways to stay in contact is to "Like" our facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/LosRachosPTA.


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Box Tops-- This year we are collecting Box Tops in each classroom as a class competition.  The first competition ends October 25th.  Turn in Box Tops in brown folders or in containers located in each classroom.  The wining class will enjoy an ice cream bar party!  Look for more Box Top tips on our facebook page.

The chalk festival is this Friday, September 25th.   Please  send your student(s) with hats and sunscreen. We could also use more "ez up"  tent loans.  Volunteers are also needed. If you would like to help please contact Kasey Rosecrans at 704-3983 or kaseysews@earthlink.net.

Los Ranchos Annual Fall Family DinnerOur annual Fall Family dinner is on Friday, September 25th from 5:30-7:30pm. The buffet dinner is by the Chef at Avila Valley Barn. Come by the office to pick up your order form and purchase tickets ($10 per person). We will also have baked goodies which support the 6th grade outdoor school so be ready to buy some yummy treats!

Dear Los Ranchos Friends and Families,

We are off to a great year. It was wonderful to see so many of you at Back to School Night. I ran into a parent the next morning while walking my dog. When asked about Back to School Night she exclaimed, "It made me want to be in school again." That is great to hear. Your children are fortunate  to be part of all the recent changes in education. The changes are grounded in years of research on how children learn best and what they need to know, or  what they need to be able to do, to be successful in college and/or a career. It is a good time to be working and learning at Los Ranchos Elementary.

Energy remains high on the playground. The new structure continues to provide opportunities for everyone to stretch and strengthen. We have some other opportunities for students during lunch recess. Our librarian, Mrs. Sabo, has the library open on Mondays and Thursdays. And, the music room is converted into a lively game room on Tuesdays and Wednesdays thanks to our PTA volunteers Kristin Escalle and Tiffany Emry. This is a very popular place. Kristin and Tiffany are always looking for other parents to enjoy the energy. 

Students are enjoying options during lunch recess. I am looking for a couple of parent volunteers who are interested in starting a Tinker Room. Tinkering is the simple act of messing around with parts to see what you can build.  Please call or email me if you, or someone you know is interested in getting this started. Parent and neighborhood volunteers strengthen our community of learners in countless ways. 

Sincerely,

Marlie Schmidt

The chalk festival is scheduled for September 25th.   Please remember to send your student(s) with hats and sunscreen. We are also looking for "ez up"  tent loans.  Volunteers are also needed. If you would like to help please contact Kasey Rosecrans at 704-3983 or kaseysews@earthlink.net.
The fall family dinner will also be on the evening of September 25th. 

Counselor’s Corner

Greetings!  My name is Mary Kay Stratton and it is a pleasure to be here at Los Ranchos School for another year.  Here’s a little bit of information about me.  I have worked in the SLCUSD for the past 22 years at Bishop’s Peak/Teach and Pacheco Elementary Schools.  Prior to that, I spent 7 years at Fesler Jr. High School in Santa Maria.  I am at Los Ranchos on Thursdays and Fridays from 8:00 – 3:30 and my office/playroom is Room 35.  I hope to become acquainted with your child through classroom lessons on “Steps to Respect”, lunchtime fun, or counseling support.  My office, Rm. 35 ,is open to students during lunchtime as an alternative space to the playground.  I have a variety of games, toys, Legos, and drawing materials.  Your child might be recommended for emotional/social support which I provide through small social skills groups or individual counseling sessions. During a counseling session, your child will receive training and support with emotional/social management skills through breathing and focusing exercises, role playing, and games that promote empathic, rational and consequential thinking. Like the counselors before me, I hope that my office is thought of as a fun, safe, and helpful place to be.  I am here to assist and support you and your children.  Feel free to call (596-4075 X 2290) or stop by Room 35.  

Calling the office:

Please call the office by 10 a.m. if there are changes to after school plans. This will help us to minimize disrupting classroom instruction. We understand that this is not always possible. We appreciate your help.  If you are calling in an absence, you may call it into 596-4079. All other calls 596-4075.

Donations:  The sniffles are starting early this year.  We are in need of tissues for classrooms.  If you are able to donate tissues, please drop them off at the office.  Thank you!


Sheltering Kits

·        In order to be prepared if there is an emergency that requires sheltering, each child needs a “Sheltering Kit”.  The kit contains a snack and a picture of the child’s family to provide comfort.  Please send ONE sealed snack (granola bar, peanuts, cheese & crackers) and a picture of your family to school for each child.  Unused items will be returned at the end of the year.  The picture can be photocopied, scanned or an original.

·        Donations of a case of bottled water (500 ml) are also being accepted.  Each classroom needs a case of water to have on hand if there is an emergency.

Dear Los Ranchos Families and Friends,

Thank you for a great first week. Students stepped right into the new school year without missing a beat. Students were highly engaged within minutes of starting the day. Your support makes all the difference. Students arrived rested and ready to go. Thank you!

Your students may have come home talking about our amazing new playground. Students are having a blast! I hope you can join us for our official Ribbon Cutting Ceremony on Friday, August 28 at 8:25 a.m. We hope you can join us.

We are looking forward to Back to School Night on Wednesday, September 2. Please mark your calendars. Teachers will be sharing important details about your child’s school year and it is a lovely time to gather as a community of parents. We have changed the schedule in order to make it an earlier evening for parents. If you are a parent of a TK - third grader you will start the evening in your child’s classroom. All parents will meet in the multi-purpose room from 6:20 - 7:00 p.m. Parents of fourth - sixth graders will attend presentations from 7:10- 7:50 p.m. We look forward to seeing you.

Back to School Night schedule at a glance:

• TK - 3rd grade Presentations in classrooms: 5:30 - 6:10 p.m.
• Whole School Welcome in the Multi-purpose Room:  6:20 - 7:00 p.m.
• 4th - 6th grade Presentations in classrooms: 7:10 - 7:50 p.m.

**YMCA will be providing Child Care..Please note that this is the evening’s schedule it is incorrect on the YMCA  Permission slips.

Thanks again for a great first week.

Sincerely,

Marlie Schmidt

Dear Los Ranchos Families,

We hope you are squeezing in a few more lazy days of summer, or maybe one last family adventure. Summertime is an important time to relax and re-energize. 

We are looking forward to the start of the 2015-16 school year. Our custodial staff has been working tirelessly to get your school student-ready. Teachers have already been meeting and planning, and our new playground equipment has arrived in the nick of time. Last spring our students all participated in designing the ultimate playground. The playground builders will be working around the clock to install every track slide, swing bar, sky wheel and climbing wall. Los Ranchos students made great choices. It is going to be an amazing playground. 

The playground is not the only big change. We are excited to announce that our 4th - 6th grade students will each have a chromebook this school year thanks to the generous support of our PTA and some individual donations by Los Ranchos families. This is an exciting development. We deeply appreciate the financial support of our parent community and PTA's commitment to our students. Access to technology shifts the level of student engagement in countless ways. Your support continues to be a cornerstone of our success.

There are a few other significant changes.  Starting in kindergarten, we have two new teachers: Summer Reeves and Alexandra Baele. Sylvia Gomes will be a new member of our third grade team. Brooke McMillen and Colby Phelan will be sharing a contract in fourth grade. Kelly Yungman has accepted an exciting new position in our San Luis Obispo County office of Education. We are lucky to have these talented and dedicated teachers join our Los Ranchos community.

I am including a number of important dates. Please mark them on your calendars. I know schedules fill up quickly at this time of year. 

• Wednesday, August 18 -  Class assignments will be emailed to families. 
• Friday, August 21 - We will be hosting our Welcome Back gathering from 2 - 3:00 p.m. All transitional kindergartners,  kindergartners, first graders and any new 2nd - 6th grade students are invited. It is a nice opportunity to meet your teachers, fellow classmates, and see your classrooms. 
• Monday, August 24 - First Day of School! Remember the first day of school is a late-start-Monday and we get out at 2:50 p.m. 
• Wednesday, September 2 - Back to School Night!

Enjoy the last couple of weeks of summer! 

Sincerely,
Marlie Schmidt