Thank You!
I wanted to thank you for your support in the classroom. With your help, we can have a great learning environment for your child. I wanted to give you a better understanding of our daily schedule and the learning that takes place in this newsletter. If you have any questions, please call me (303) 475-0543, or email me LKelley@aps.k12.co.us any time. The students would like to be acknowledged for getting a “5” in every special since the start of school! (They have earned lots of classroom money for that.) I’d like to thank Mrs. Duran for her work with the Parent Coffees held each month. We also want to acknowledge the Family Literacy parents who are working closely with the classrooms. Finally, I’d like to thank The Aurora Public Schools Education Foundation. Last year, the foundation donated equipment to help our students enjoy learning. Students have had to adjust to speaking into a microphone this year and to listening to themselves and their classmates’ ideas each day! You would not believe just how powerful it is to have a shy child suddenly realize that what they say matters, and that they are just as important as anyone in the room. My job would be very difficult without you!
Reading Logs
Reading logs are kept in your child’s planner. Please sign the daily log only if the child has read. The child is not penalized, or given a fine, for not reading each night. They earn money for doing it. It is simply used as a practice log that I can refer to see if the child’s progress matches the amount of time they read. If a child is reading 4 hours a week and they are not gaining in reading skills, I start a more intense intervention in the classroom.
Auction Items
Our last auction was amazing! Some students had earned more than $300 after they paid their rent! WOW! Those students are showing tremendous responsibility when it comes to completing work, keeping focused, and reading for extra money! We will continue to have school supplies in our auctions each week. It gives the kids some added responsibility and pride in their efforts.
Classroom News
D.A.R.E. is back again this year! Students will be participating in a great program during school hours. Please return the participation letter as soon as you can. We will send that home this week. Please check your child’s planner each night. It is really important that all homework be completed and returned each day. Students are given the responsibility to complete homework each night. If you have not seen your child’s planner in a few days, please look for it and for notes from me. Students are exposed to many classroom demonstrations and immersed in our learning. They should not come home and say, “I don’t understand.” I plan my lessons very carefully and allow for many opportunities for students to ask questions. Students are immersed in grade level expectations in all subjects. While students practice the grade level work, I meet with smaller groups of children to target some skills that your child needs to master to be prepared for 6th grade. Students, who are not doing their work during practice time, are interrupting time that I can spend with each child and give some needed help. Every student in our classroom can be at grade level when they leave this year. It is up to them to make some changes. We just need our students to stay focused, be more independent and put in a little more effort. We can’t just expect to stay at grade level if we don’t practice our skills.
We are still working on our Landforms unit in Science. We will soon be traveling from geometry and multiplication to fractions, decimals and percents. I always send home math games. Please check with your child to see if you can help them by playing a quick 10 minute game at night. I always send home practice work. The students can earn bonus money by completing these activities. I do not sent home extra credit work. I give practice work to all students.
We need your help. Some students have been coming to school before 8:20 a.m. Our staff cannot watch children until that time.
Finally, if you have read this newsletter, please sign your child’s planner with the words, “I have seen the newsletter.” They will earn $10 each time a newsletter is sent home and you sign for it. (Any language is fine.) Please remember to keep the newsletter for your records. It is my expectation that they give you a newsletter each month. Someone will call you if I do not have confirmation that you have seen and read the newsletter.
We will have three interim tests later this week to show the progress that each child is making. I would like to invite all of you to stop by on the 21st or 23rd. I have limited interpreters and time available to me to meet with you all. If your child is below grade level in reading, I have sent home a conference request. See your child’s planner for a note from me if we have a reason to meet. I will also fill out your child’s reading and math information in this newsletter. Otherwise, I will see the rest of you later this year at parent conferences. I have included the fines and bonuses that are used in the classroom. I have also included the jobs and rent amounts. It is important to contact me if you have any questions. Please stop by and register for our classroom website.
Stop by and see some great book reports on-line. Thank you for encouraging your child to try their best and persevere. The three of us make a great team! Happy September! Mrs. Laura Kelley
Classroom Bonuses (earning Money) 100% on a spelling test ($5), 100% on a Math or Reading Test ($20), A signed Reading log for the week ($10), Returned completed homework ($0-50), Being at school on time and prepared to learn each day this week ($5), Earned a PAW ($5), Answered questions and shared ideas during our horseshoe time ($0-20), The class earns all 5’s during specials that week ($10), Showing Jaguar behavior ($0-50)
Classroom Fines (giving Money) Taking a vacation when you should be working ($5), Unkept banking records ($5 - this fine doubles each time), Littering ($2), Dishonesty (75% of your total Money), Disrespectful or rudeness to others ($5-50), Tardy to class ($5 - this fine doubles each time), Unfinished classwork ($3), Unfinished homework ($3), messy desk ($3), unprepared for class ($3), replacement worksheets for “lost work” ($5)
Jobs and salaries Bank President ($25), Banker ($20), Custodian ($15), Classroom Clerk ($10), Attendance Clerk ($10), Police officer (15), Judge ($25), Insurance Sales ($10), Bulletin Board designer ($15), Math and Library stations clerk ($20), Homework collector ($15), Grade recorder ($15).
Rent payments range from $20 to $35 depending on where they have chosen to sit. If they sit closer to the board they pay more in rent. Desks in the middle are the least because you have to walk to get to the drinking fountain, the sharpener, or to look out the windows. Students will be unable to purchase their desks this year, like they were able to in the past. In the past I always had landlords that purchased other properties and had fair control of rent to earn extra money. Unfortunately, that means that students this year will always have rent to pay. I am considering a “good tenant award” to add to the bonus to help reward students who have paid their rent for three months in a row and will meet with the Judge to determine what price would be fair.
Your child’s progress report Name of Student ________________________ Reading Level __________ 5th grade proficiency level is _________
Last math test grade ______________ Please refer to your child’s planner for information on if the child is getting homework turned in.
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