April 22, 2016

Principal’s Message

Dear Friends and Families of Los Ranchos,

Los Ranchos students enjoyed learning from each other on Thursday during our Los Ranchos Celebration of Science and Inventions. The multipurpose room was bustling with students showing off their scientific thinking. I was impressed with all the participants’ exhibits, but what really made an impression on me was the depth of understanding, the enthusiasm of the learning and the questions asked by schoolmates. It was a stimulating and inspiring show. I want to thank all of the students that participated and Mrs. Gomes and Mr. Becker for organizing the event.

As you know our SBAC testing window is coming up in May for our 3rd - 6th grade students. Please double check your child’s testing schedule with his/her teacher if you need to pull your student out for an appointment. While we will make up every  missed test, it is best when students take the test with their classmates. In addition, please make every effort to maintain healthy habits like an early bedtime and a good breakfast during this time. These things make a difference!

Sincerely,

Marlie Schmidt

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Student Safety

Please be extra cautious and careful during pick-up and drop off. We had a fender-bender the other day. Fortunately, no one was hurt. In addition, the road work may cause delays. Plan for this. We have hundreds of students exiting and entering campus at the same time. Many of them are with younger siblings. Phones must be tucked away. You need extra situational awareness at that time. Thank you for your help!

In Case of Emergency

We would like to remind parents that in the event of an actual emergency on campus, one in which we would need students picked up, we will require a Photo ID in order to release your student to an adult.  Only parents and adults designated on your child’s emergency card will be allowed to pick up your child.  

Yearbook Orders

Online ordering has closed. If you would still like to order a yearbook, please bring a check to the office for $13.00.

Upcoming Dates

• SBAC Parent Presentation by Neil Eckardt - Friday, April 28, 8:30am
• Los Ranchos Bike Parade, Friday, April 29th
• Staff Appreciation Week - May 2nd - 6th
• Battle of the Books, Friday, May 13
• Kindergarten Round-Up, May 16-17th
• Band Concert - Parents invited - May 19. 12:50pm-1:20
• Open House, May 26th
• Last Day of School, June 9th
• First day of 2016-2017 School Year, August 22nd

CAASPP Presentation and Parent Coffee

Neil Eckardt will be our guest speaker. He will share valuable information with parents about  the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System, our new state testing. All 3rd - 6th graders will take the test in May. Students continue to take this test in Junior High and High School. All parents are welcome, even if your children are not old enough to  take the tests yet. The coffee and presentation will be in the library at 8:30 a.m.

Bike Parade - WE NEED VOLUNTEERS

This is a fun family event.  If you would like to watch our students ride their bikes, you are more than welcome.  We could also use several parents to help at the ramp areas to help kids get safely around the track. Please email Tiffany Emry at bongogme@gmail.com if you are available to help out.

This year’s Paul Reinhardt Bike Parade is scheduled for April 29, 2016.

Please have students ride or bring their bikes to school for the parade beginning at 8:40am. Kinder/1st graders ride at 8:40am and 2nd / 6th will ride at 9:00am

Reminders:  NO BALLOONS PLEASE

Principal’s Message

Dear Friends and Families of Los Ranchos,

April is turning out to be a month to celebrate and spotlight Science. Out and about around Los Ranchos we have crawfish crawling, seeds sprouting, windmills whirling and much, much more.

All of our students enjoyed a Science Safari in the multipurpose room. This is an all day event where students  enjoyed 12 interactive exhibits. Students had an introduction and lots of time to explore and have hands on learning experiences. We want  our PTA for funding this and the team of parent volunteers that helped run it. A special thanks to Ms. Beaudoin and Mrs. Bruce for making all the arrangements.

I mentioned in the last week’s newsletter that all of our students are participating in STEAM Design Challenge activities. The Design Challenge includes multiple steps:  identify a problem, brainstorm a solution or design,  build the design, test and reflect on your design, and rebuild design.  You can enjoy some of these and more at our Los Ranchos Celebration of Science and Inventions coming up on April 21.   Parents are welcomed to enjoy the Celebration between 1:30pm-2:50pm.

Sincerely,

Marlie Schmidt

Fourth graders designing and building windmills.

Kindergarteners designing and building earthquake strong structures.

“We created a skewer so that the tape doesn’t fall off the roof during the earthquake. Tape is our strongest material.”  by Kelton

“We are adding extra steadiness so that it won’t use sticky tape.  Then we are adding a disco ball.”  by McKinley

“We are adding sides to our building to make sure it is extra strong.”  by Henry

Upcoming Dates

• Science and Invention Celebration -Thursday, April 21st
• SBAC Parent Presentation by Neil Eckardt - Friday, April 28, 8:30am
• Los Ranchos Bike Parade, Friday, April 29th
• Battle of the Books, Friday, May 13
• Kindergarten Round-Up, May 16-17th
• Band Concert - Parents invited - May 19. 12:50pm-1:20
• Last Day of School, June 9th
• First day of 2016-2017 School Year, August 22nd

CAASPP Presentation and Parent Coffee

Neil Eckardt will be our guest speaker. He will share valuable information with parents about the the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System, our new state testing. All 3rd - 6th graders will take the test in May. Students continue to take this test in Junior High and High School. All parents are welcomed,  even if your children are not old enough to  take the tests yet. The coffee and presentation will be in the library at 8:30 a.m.

Bike Parade

This year’s Paul Reinhardt Bike Parade is scheduled for April 29, 2016.

Please have students ride or bring their bikes to school for the parade beginning at 8:40am. Kinder/1st graders ride at 8:40am and 2nd / 6th will ride at 9:00am

Reminders:  NO BALLOONS PLEASE

Celebration of Science and Inventions

Thursday, April 21st. (We ask that no latex balloons be part of  the projects). Students need to bring their project to the Multipurpose room before school on the 21st. Parents can come view the projects from 1:30-2:50. We hope you can come to celebrate science with us!

Newsletter

Principal’s Message

Dear Friends and Families of Los Ranchos,

I hope you had a wonderful spring break. Students returned super energized. It is hard to believe we only have nine weeks left of the 2015 - 2016 school year. It is especially difficult to imagine because we have so many upcoming events.

The Los Ranchos Celebration of Science and Inventions is coming up on April 21. All students are invited to participate. You can find  guidelines posted on our Los Ranchos Website under Announcements (see Celebration of Science and Inventions). Parents are welcomed to enjoy the Celebration between 1:30pm-2:50pm on the 21st.

We are anticipating a Science Celebration bursting with projects this year.  Over the next couple of weeks all of Los Ranchos students will be involved in STEAM lessons. A few classes will research, design and build an earthquake safe structure, some will  focus in bridge building, others will design a windmill. Some of these projects will be on display on April 21.  In addition, students who have been enjoying the Tinker Room, will be displaying two of their creations.  I want to thank Erin Linvall for her leadership and commitment to the Tinker Room. It has provided new opportunities for innovation for our students.

Speaking of Science, many of our fourth, fifth and sixth graders have enjoyed some additional time digging into different scientific topics with the Cal Poly Science Club. Activities have included investigations into chemistry and tectonic plates. They have observed chemical reactions in lava lamps and created  structures to withstand an earthquake. This next week they will examine the cell structures of different fruits. I want to thank these Cal Poly students for sharing their time, passion and expertise with our students.

Before I sign off, I want to make sure you know about a Parent Coffee I am hosting on Thursday, April 28th.  Neil Eckardt will be our guest speaker. He will share valuable information with parents about the the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System. All 3rd - 6th graders will take the CAASPP in May. Students continue to take this test in Junior High and High School. All parents are welcomed,  even if your children are not old enough to  take the tests yet. The coffee and presentation will be in the library at 8:30 a.m. I hope you can join us.

Sincerely,

Marlie Schmidt

Remember to vist our website for up to date information at http://lr.slcusd.org/

Upcoming Dates

• Science and Invention Celebration -Thursday, April 21st
• SBAC Parent Presentation by Neil Eckardt - Friday, April 28, 8:30am
• Los Ranchos Bike Parade, Friday, April 29th
• Battle of the Books, Friday, May 13
• Kindergarten Round-Up, May 16-17th
• Last Day of School, June 9th
• First day of 2016-2017 School Year, August 22nd

Book Recommendation

Book recommendations from friends are always my favorite books. We would like to recommend Mindset, The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck. Carol Dweck explores the importance of nurturing perseverance and resilience in our children. Most of the teachers and staff at Los Ranchos will be reading and discussing this book through the end of the year.  We think you may enjoy it too!

Bike Parade

This year’s Paul Reinhardt Bike Parade is scheduled for April 29, 2016.

Please have students ride or bring their bikes to school for the parade which begins at 8:40am. Kinder/1st graders ride at 8:40am and 2nd - 6th will ride at 9:00am

Reminders:

• All riders must wear helmets
• Bikes only- no scooters, tricycles, etc.
• Training wheels are fine
• Decorate your bike to add to the fun
• Wear a bike jersey or create your own biking outfit
• Decorate your helmet
• Create a theme and do a coordinated look for your bike, helmet and outfit
• Bikes may be parked in the quad in front of your classroom
• Make arrangements to have your bike picked up at the end of the day
• Non-riders will be spectators
• Scott Smith of Art’s Cyclery will be set up at 8:15am in the quad are to assist children with minor mechanical issues

Battle of the Books

What is the Battle?

The Battle is a full-day tournament on Friday, May 13, 2016, in which student teams earn points by answering questions about the books and the authors on the book list. Students meet in the multi-purpose room where they are randomly assigned a team and a mascot. The teams play several rounds against different teams. At the end of the morning, points are tallied, and the two teams with the most points compete in a Grand Battle after lunch. All other teams join in the  audience where parents are encouraged to join in the fun.

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Newsletter 3/21/2016

Principal’s Message

Dear Friends and Families of Los Ranchos,

The Los Ranchos Variety Show, Talent’s in Bloom, was a big success. We had 38 different acts;  dancing, singing, leaping, twirling, flipping and drumming to an enthusiastic crowd of friends and families. Sixth graders did a great job of keeping the show moving with introductions and entertaining quips. We were worried that the Los Ranchos Variety Show would not go on this year. I want to thank Matt Walker and his team of parent volunteers. The show went on thanks to their time, energy and commitment.

Included in this newsletter is important information about the California assessments that all third  - sixth grades take in the spring. Last year was the first time that we took these tests. We will be taking them this year in May.  These new assessments generate new questions for parents.  I will host a Parent Coffee on Friday, April 28 at 8:30 a.m. to share information about  the assessments and the results that follow. Our guest speaker will be Neil Eckardt. Mr. Eckardt is very knowledgeable about the assessments under CAASPP System. I hope you will be able to join the discussion.

We wish you a relaxing and memorable spring break.

Sincerely,

Marlie Schmidt

Upcoming Dates

• Social Media Presentation for Parents - Tuesday, March 22nd at 6:00pm
• Staff Appreciation Meeting in the Music Rm, Wednesday, March 23rd at 6:00pm
• Spring Break - Friday, March 25-April 1st
• (Students return April 4th)
• Science and Invention Celebration -Thursday, April 21st
• Los Ranchos Bike Parade, Friday, April 29th
• Kindergarten Round-Up, May 16-17th
• Last Day of School, June 9th
• First day of 2016-2017 School Year, August 22nd

Open Enrollment

If you are interested in applying for a school outside your assigned home school, Open Enrollment Forms are available until March 24th. Please stop by your home school for the packet and information.

Lost and Found

Please stop by Lost and Found before Spring Break. We have quite a collection of jackets, sweatshirts and misc. items. We will be taking the remaining items to Good Will if they are not picked up by Thursday, March 24th. Thank you for your help

Social Media Presentation - Tuesday

Tuesday, March 22, 6:00-7:00pm

followed by a 30-minute Q&A session

Los Ranchos Elementary School

Your 5th and 6th graders will attend an assembly with Eileen on March 23

Talking with your kids about social media use and how to be good digital citizens is a crucial part of parenting.

Learn about digital footprints on social media and how online behavior can affect kid’s futures. Discover how to set boundaries, and begin to create a family plan and/or contract for your kids on social media.  Gain exposure to social media platforms and ways to talk to your kids about expectations for social media use.

Staff Appreciation Committee Meeting

Staff appreciation week is right around the corner. We have having a meeting Wednesday night (March 23rd) at 6pm in the music room. Everyone is welcome! If you can't make it to the meeting, but would still like to help, email Tiffany Emry at bongogme@gmail.com or Amy Garrett at agarrettpt@yahoo.com.
Thank you, Your Hospitality Chairs

Los Ranchos Newsletter

Principal’s Message

Dear Friends and Families of Los Ranchos Elementary,

We are wrapping up Parent Conferences this week. Conferences are a powerful time to learn about the curriculum of the last trimester, the focus for the next trimester and the goals for your child. It is an opportunity to celebrate progress and successes and to brainstorm strategies that will maximize growth for the last trimester. Your partnership makes all the difference.

Sometimes it can be tricky to know how to best partner with your child’s teacher. There is one thing that every parent can do. It is not easy, but it will have a powerful impact.  Make sure that reading time is sacred every day in your home. Abundant, daily reading is the number one key to academic success.  It is harder to do than it sounds. There are many other distractions  for students these days.  Parents have to be strong and determined to create time and space for reading. But, nurturing a reading habit will have huge benefits for your child.

We had a lovely day of celebrating reading last week.  Read Across America Day is the day we celebrate Dr. Seuss and the rich literature he authored. I want to thank Mrs. Greer and Mrs. Ortiz for organizing a community reading celebration.

Thanks to the generous contributions of our PTA, our students have daily access to technology.  As educators, we are constantly searching for ways to use technology in more meaningful ways. Next week Mrs. Gomes, Mr. Kersten and Miss Grossi will be heading to the National CUE Conference  to learn more about effective ways to integrate and innovate. I want to thank the teachers for taking time to attend the conference. This professional opportunity would not be possible without the generous funding of our Los Ranchos PTA and your donations. Thank you!  

Thank you,

Marlie Schmidt

Favorite quotes from Read Across America Day:

“I liked that we got to bring books from home and wear crazy clothes and read outside with the whole school. And, Miss Grossi got to read too!”

Maggie, 2nd grade

“We got to read a lot and I love reading!”

Corrina, 2nd grade

“It was one of my favorite days. I got to read Fox in Socks outside!”

Ryan, Kindergarten

Upcoming Dates:

• Variety Show - Friday, March 18th at 6:30pm
• Social Media Presentation for Parents - Tuesday, March 22nd at 6:00pm
• Spring Break - Friday, March 25-April 1st
• (Students return April 4th)
• Science and Invention Celebration -Thursday, April 21st
• Los Ranchos Bike Parade, Friday, April 29th

Variety Show

Bring your family to  Los Ranchos’ 2016 Variety Show on March 18th at 6:oopm.  Come see a variety of acts presented by our very own talented students!

Introduction to

Parenting Kids on Social Media

Talking with your kids about social media use and how to be good digital citizens is a crucial part of parenting. Learn about digital footprints on social media and how online behavior can affect kid’s futures. Discover how to set boundaries, and begin to create a family plan and/or contract for your kids on social media.  Gain exposure to social media platforms and ways to talk to your kids about expectations for social media use. Tuesday, March 22, 6:00-7:00pm followed by a 30-minute Q&A session Los Ranchos Elementary School Your 5th and 6th graders will attend an assembly with Eileen on March 23 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.  Please let Cherie Bruce know if you are interested, 596-4095.