Newsletter, March 31, 2017

Principal’s Message

Dear Friends and Families of Los Ranchos,

It was great to have so many families join us for Family Math Night! Students got to show off their best thinking by creating geometric models, showing off computational wizardry and flexing their problem solving muscles. I want to thank all the families and teachers who participated in the fun.  A special thanks goes to Lauren Grossi for organizing the event.  

We hope to see many of you at our next Parent Coffee. Mary Kay Stratton will share some of the strategies she teaches students on recognizing and refusing bullying behaviors. This will be in the library from 8:30 - 9:15 a.m. on Friday, April 7.

Have a lovely weekend.

Sincerely,

Marlie Schmidt  

Help Still Needed

• We are excited to have Tim Choal as our afternoon Crossing Guard. We appreciate his support! We are still looking for someone to greet our students and keep them safe in the morning at the crosswalk. In addition, we are looking for a parent, or community member, who would like to join our Noon Supervisor Team at lunch and /or morning crossing guard. The morning crossing position is 30-40 minutes before school and the yard duty position is one hour a day, from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. We are looking for  five days a week, but we welcome anyone who is interested in 2 to 5 days a week.   It is a great way to become involved in our school community and support a happy and positive lunch/recess time.

Upcoming Dates

• PTA Meeting, Tuesday, April 4th at 12:15 p.m.
• Parent coffee with Mrs. Stratton, School Counselor, Friday, April 7th at 8:30 a.m., Los Ranchos Library
• Spring Break - April 17th - 21st, Students return Monday, April 24th
• Celebration of Science and Innovation, April 27th
• Variety Show - Friday, April 28th

Donations

Since the weather is warming up, we have kids who need water bottles when they overheat. If any parents are able to donate some bottled water for the office to distribute it would be very appreciated.

Health Room

We are lucky to have nurses in our health room two times a week. The remainder of the week, the office staff takes care of basic first aid needs. Some days we have a large number of students come to the office for ice for very minor bumps and bruises.  We would appreciate if parents could take a moment to talk to their kids about the difference between an injury that needs medical care and an injury that they can take care of by taking a few minutes to sit down and rest before they go to an adult to determine if they need medical treatment in the office.  Of course, if they are bleeding or have a possible serious injury, they should go to an adult immediately.  Our goal is to keep our students healthy and in class so they can continue learning in their classroom environment.  Thank you for for helping educate your student on how to better take care of themselves.

Newsletter, March 24, 2017

Principal’s Message

Dear Friends and Families of Los Ranchos,

As many of you know, California has been making changes in our accountability system. In the past we use ‘API’, which was a number that ranked schools with a very narrow focus.  Our state leaders in education have been working to reform this system to include more indicators  including Language Arts, Math, English Language Learners, school climate and more. Please check out the Data Dashboard on this California website  for more information. You may also enjoy the Video explanation.  The Data Dashboard website was launched this month. We will keep you posted as it develops and changes.

We are having our last  Parent Coffee on April 7 in the library from 8:30 - 9:15. Our school counselor, Mary Kay Stratton, will be sharing strategies for students to recognize and refuse bullying behaviors. In addition, she will help parents understand the difference between bullying and conflicts or impulsive "mean" reactions.  We hope you can join us.

Have a lovely weekend.

Sincerely,

Marlie Schmidt  

Help Still Needed

• We are excited to have Tim Choal as our afternoon Crossing Guard. We appreciate his support! We are still looking for someone to greet our students and keep them safe in the morning at the crosswalk. In addition, we are looking for a parent, or community member, who would like to join our Noon Supervisor Team at lunch. This position is one hour a day, from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. We are looking for  five days a week, but we welcome anyone who is interested in 2 to 5 days a week.   It is a great way to become involved in our school community and support a happy and positive lunch/recess time.

Upcoming Dates

• PTA Meeting, Tuesday, April 4h at 12:15 p.m.
• Parent coffee with Mrs. Stratton, School Counselor, Friday, April 7th at 8:30 a.m., Los Ranchos Library
• Spring Break - April 17th - 21st, Students return Monday, April 24th
• Celebration of Science and Innovation, April 27th
• Variety Show - Friday, April 28th

Thank you SLO Provisions

We'd like to thank SLO Provisions for their generosity! Thanks to all the families who went yesterday, they're donating $500 to Los Ranchos! Please try to visit them as the food was delicious and the service was even better!

California Dashboard

March 2017

Dear Parent/Guardian:

California is field testing a new website designed to help communities across the state access important information about K–12 districts and schools. Called the California School Dashboard (http://www.caschooldashboard.org/), the site features easy-to-read reports on multiple measures of school success, including test scores, graduation rates, English learner progress and suspension rates. The Dashboard is part of California's new school accountability system based on 2013's Local Control Funding Formula. It is the next step in a series of major shifts in public education that have raised the bar for student learning, transformed testing and placed the focus on equity for all students.

To learn more about California's accountability and continuous improvement efforts, visit the CDE Dashboard Web page (http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/cm/).

Why a new system and new tool?

The Dashboard is a key part of California's commitment to transparency and continuous improvement. California's future success depends on tapping into the potential of all students, so they graduate ready for college, careers and life. For schools to reach this goal, teachers, parents and the community need clear and useful measures of progress. As an accountability tool, the Dashboard will help the state identify schools (including charter schools) and districts needing targeted assistance.

What’s different?

In the past, accountability systems for districts and schools relied solely on test scores. But one test taken on one particular day doesn't provide a complete picture of all the ways schools are helping students succeed.

Think of it this way: You can’t drive a car by only watching the speedometer. You also keep your eye on the road, check the mirrors, monitor the gas tank and pay attention if the engine light comes on. Similarly, the Dashboard provides information on different aspects of student performance, which will give a more complete picture of a school’s progress. The Dashboard also reports on growth to show a school’s trajectory over time.

What’s next?

The Dashboard is deliberately designed to be a work in progress: Metrics and reports will be added over time. During the field testing phase, the state will be gathering feedback to make additional modifications.

The exciting changes taking place in education will take time to fully implement. While schools are making progress in many key areas there is always more work to do. The Dashboard is part of an ongoing conversation with our community on both how we're doing and how we can do better. Meeting goals will take a united effort, and I look forward to working with our families to ensure success for every student.

Sincerely,

Amy Shields

Director, Elementary Learning and Achievement

Newsletter, March 17, 2017

Principal’s Message

Dear Friends and Families of Los Ranchos,

We have had some amazing after school learning opportunities over the last few weeks. I want to thank our local Amazon office for providing a Coding Club to our second and third graders  and now our 4th - 6th graders!  

Science Club has also been a huge success. Science Club has been organized and presented by some dedicated and talented young scientists from Cal Poly. We deeply appreciate their time, energy and enthusiasm! The Science Club for 4th - 6th graders is wrapping up today.

Chess is now available on Mondays at lunch thanks to first grade parent Ruslan Arbit.  First through sixth graders are invited to play chess in the multipurpose room with their school mates. There was great interest and enthusiasm on our first day. It is great to see students teaching students. It would be great to have more parents get involved.  Come join us if you can.

State testing is coming for our 3rd - 6th graders. We will begin the testing after spring break. Your child’s teacher will be sharing more details as we get closer. Please take a minute to learn more with the information below.

Have a lovely weekend.

Sincerely,

Marlie Schmidt  

CAASPP System Assessments 2016–17:  Grades 3 - 8

Dear Parent/Guardian:

California’s academic standards—the things we want students to know and be able to do—are designed so students graduate ready for college and a career. One way we measure their progress is through the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) assessments. Students across California in grades 3–8 and high school take these assessments each spring. These tests were created specifically to gauge each student’s performance in English language arts/literacy (ELA), mathematics, and science.  These tests measure the skills called for by the academic standards, including the ability to write clearly, think critically, and solve problems. Students with the most significant cognitive disabilities, as designated in their individualized education program (IEP), are eligible to take alternate assessments (CAA).

Because CAASPP tests are given statewide, they provide an opportunity to measure the skills of all students against the same academic standards. Given online, the tests are computer-adaptive, allowing more precise measurement of individual skills.

This year, your child will take the following tests:

·         Smarter Balanced Summative Assessments for ELA and mathematics OR

·         CAA for ELA and mathematics

Students in Grades 5 and 8 will also take the following pilot assessment for Science:

·         The California Science Test (CAST) OR

·         CAA for Science

Smarter Balanced Assessments

The Smarter Balanced ELA and mathematics tests reflect California’s rigorous academic standards and allow students to demonstrate analytical writing and critical thinking skills as well as their knowledge of facts. In 2017, parents will be able to compare results across three years (2014–15, 2015–16, and 2016–17) to determine their child’s progress in meeting the standards. (Exceptions: Only two years of data will be reported for students in grade 4, and only one year of data will be reported for students in grade three.)

To learn more about these tests, please visit CDE’s Test Score Guide Web site at http://www.testscoreguide.org/ca, which provides informative guides and test score descriptions as well as sample test items at different levels of difficulty.

Another great resource are the Practice and Training Tests, which can be found on the CDE’s Smarter Balanced Practice and Training Tests Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sa/practicetest.asp. Here, parents can experience the kinds of questions that students will encounter on the tests.

California Science Test—Pilot Test (Grades 5 & 8 Only)

California’s new state standards for science call for students to think and work like scientists and engineers—asking questions and learning through hands-on investigation and discovery. Working with science teachers, California is developing a new assessment that emphasizes scientific thinking and reasoning. This year your child will participate in the tryout of test items for this future assessment. While this tryout will not provide scores for your child, it is an important first step in developing an assessment that will fairly and accurately measure how students are achieving on the new science standards. For additional information about the new science tests and sample questions, please visit the CDE’s CAASPP Science Assessment Web page at http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/ca/caasppscience.asp.

If you have any questions regarding your child’s participation in statewide assessments, please contact Cherie Bruce at (805) 596-4075 or email at cbruce@slcusd.org.

 Marlie Schmidt

Principal

Upcoming Dates

• Look Alike Day, Friday, March 24th - Grab a group of friends, and dress alike!  Wear regular clothing-- this is not a costume day, rather, a "wear the same outfit" day.
• Family Math Night, Thursday, March 30th at 5:30 p.m.
• Spring Break, Monday - Friday, April 17th - April 21ST

Family Math Night
Thursday, March 30, 2017 we will have Math Games and Activities from 5:30-6:30 p.m. The whole family is involved to engage in fun math games and activities. Parents must attend with their kids.

Open Enrollment

Now through the end of March is enrollment for TK and Kindergarten students. You can also apply for Open Enrollment during this time (which includes requests to go to Teach Elementary for 4th, 5th and 6th Grade students). Please stop by the office if you need the forms for this process.

Variety Show

Our Variety Show date is April 28th. It is for students 2nd-6th Grade. Please stop by the office for an application. We will notify you when we have our first practice.

Newsletter, March 10, 2017

Dear Friends and Families of Los Ranchos,

We had a small but enthusiastic group of parents enjoy the Parents’ Coffee in February.  Parents had the opportunity to  learn about the Next Generation Science Standards and experience the hands on nature of exploration and inquiry.  Our next Parents’ Coffee will have Mrs. Stratton, our school counselor, share some tips on supporting your child’s social and emotional growth. Stay tuned for the date and time.

The person greeting students in the morning and sending them off in the afternoon is a super important person in a school community. At our school, that person is the Crossing Guard.  We are looking for a person to fill that role as our Crossing Guard for the rest of the year. The Crossing Guard’s job is from 8:00 - 8:35 and 2:45 - 3:10. It does not need to be the same person for both times of the day. It is a paid position. Please contact the office (805-596-4075) if you are interested, or if you know someone in our neighborhood who would be interested. We want to keep our students safe and welcome them everyday with a smile.

School safety is our number one concern. Every month we have drills with our students to prepare them in the event of an emergency. These drills include fire, earthquake and  shelter in place drills. We work in close collaboration with our local emergency service providers on most of these drills. Next week we will be have a shelter in place drill. The Sheriff and Fire Departments will be on campus for the drill. Please do not be alarmed if you see them.  We are mindful of minimizing any stress for students, while providing opportunities to practice  behaviors for an emergency.
Have a lovely weekend.

Sincerely,

Marlie Schmidt  

Upcoming Dates

• Daylight Savings Time - Spring Forward, Sunday, March 12th
• Campus Lock Down Drill, Wednesday, March 15th 2:00 p.m.
• Family Math Night, Thursday, March 30th at 5:30 p.m.
• Spring Break, Monday - Friday, April 17th - April 21st

Crossing Guard Duty

We are looking for a parent, grandparent, or community member to help us out with crossing guard duty before and after school. It is a paid position. If you have any interest, please contact Cherie in the office.

Open Enrollment

Now through the end of March is enrollment for TK and Kindergarten students. You can also apply for Open Enrollment during this time (which includes requests to go to Teach Elementary for 4th, 5th and 6th Grade students). Please stop by the office if you need the forms for this process.

Variety Show

Our Variety Show date is April 28th. It is for students 2nd-6th Grade. Please stop by the office for an application. We will notify you when we have our first practice.

Daylight Savings

Remember to "Spring Forward" this weekend

Help Keep our Parking Lot Safe

Our pick up and drop off areas can get very busy, especially before and after

school. If you are picking up or dropping off students, please keep traffic moving so we can avoid traffic backing up in our parking lots.

Thank you parents!!

Thank you for all the generous donations of tissues and unscented wipes. We have happy noses and clean hands because of you! We could also use bottled water for students, especially with Spring and Summer weather approaching it's nice to have water on hand for kids. Thanks again, for your continued generosity.

Get Educated Today

Get educated about Marijuana Today. The Monday Club, SLO will be holding a presentation and discussion about Effects of Marijuana on our youth on Tuesday, April 4th from 5:45p.m to 8:00p.m.. This is appropriate for preteens through adults and is a free event. For more information go to www.posafy.org

Lost and Found

Kids and parents looked for lost items in our lost and found during conference week. At the end of school on Monday, we will be packing the remaining items to donate for a project for good.