RHS Spotlight on Learning
Week 1: August 19, 2019
Redwood Heights Back to School Night: Building our Educational Partnership
We are looking forward to seeing you this Thursday, 8/22 @ 6-7:30 pm. Our teachers have been working diligently preparing thorough presentations for the Redwood Heights Back to School Night. There will not be a schoolwide assembly at the beginning of the evening. Instead, you will spend the entire 1.5 hours in the classroom with your child's grade level teacher team learning about what your child will master this year. This will include grade-level standards, special academic projects, assessments and what you can do at home to support your child's academic growth. Please be on time. We don't want you to miss out on any of this valuable information.
It's been a great start to the new school year!
The students have been excited to reunite with friends, start making new ones, and begin to build a relationship with their new teacher.The first several weeks of school are crucial for developing and nurturing a welcoming classroom culture and positive school environment. The teachers are establishing high behavioral expectations. They are setting the students up for success by taking time to build good habits and making sure they know all the classroom and school procedures and protocols.
Below are pictures of anchors charts of classroom expectations and routines:
Meet our new teachers!!!!!
Nicole Sanders, Redwood Heights' 1st Grade Teacher
My name is Nicole Sanders and I am excited to be part of the Redwood Heights 1st grade team! I graduated from South Carolina State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Early Childhood Education. During my time in college I earned my teaching credential while also playing division one softball. I taught kindergarten for the past 3 years at St. John Catholic School in San Lorenzo, made great connections and learned so much. I attended Redwood Heights from K-5th grade and I am thrilled to be back in the learning community that inspired me to become an educator! My goals for the school year are to promote healthy social-emotional development, encourage a growth mindset in my students, and for them to become lifelong learners. I will do my best to make sure all students feel safe and welcome in our learning space.
When I am not teaching, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, and dancing. Please feel free to reach out to me with any concerns and questions. My door is always open and the best way to reach me is via email nicole.sanders@ousd.org.
I hope all of our hopes and dreams come true this year!
LaSaundra Thompson, Redwood Heights 4th Grade Teacher
Hello RHS Families!
My name is Lasaundra Thompson and I am excited to teach 4th grade this year at Redwood Heights! I received my teaching credential through Cal State Teach, Fresno State University and my undergraduate degree from Long Beach State. My teaching experience consists of three years of classroom teaching and one year of reading intervention. Over the years I have developed a strong passion for ensuring all students access to complex, grade-level text. This year I plan to continue this work in addition to developing strong relationships with students and their families.
In my spare time I love to travel, read, and spend time with my family. My favorite region to travel is the Caribbean.
I am very excited to join Redwood Heights and look forward to a great, productive year!
Pablo Estebanez, Redwood Heights P.E. Teacher
Dear Parents,
This letter is to welcome your family to the Physical Education Program @ Redwood Heights School. (RHS)
Physical Education helps teach the students that the physical work will make them feel better, be healthier, take care of their body, increase their self-esteem, and learn to face winning and loosing as a part of life, and many other benefits.
All students will have a 50 min period twice a week with the Physical Education Teacher. Every week these days and times are going to be the same. We ask students to bring “Appropriate footwear” to their Physical Education day. That means any kind of closed shoes, with laces or Velcro straps to keep the shoes tight. The appropriate footwear helps keep all students safe while they participate in the Physical Activity sessions. We also encourage bringing comfortable clothing that day. Keep in mind that we will be playing games, jogging and doing different exercises during each session, and we don’t want the students to be worried about not getting their new outfit dirty or anything that can potentially tamper with their full enjoyment of the activities. ☺
They will also learn by themselves how to:
o Enjoy the physical activity.
o Learn to set and strive for personal, achievable goals.
o Learn to assume leadership. o Learn to cooperate with others.
o Accept responsibility for their own behavior.
o Improve their academic performance.
The correct nutrition of the students is a vital part of the program that we are going to develop. Family collaboration is absolutely necessary since the main objective of the subject is to improve the students’ fitness levels. In Nutrition, the work of the family is more important that ours. Please don’t hesitate and contact me if you have any questions regarding Nutrition or any other matter that you may think I can be helpful with.
Also, please contact me if there is anything that you think I should know regarding the health of your child. It is very important that you let the school know if your child has any medical condition that we should take into consideration to adapt the Physical Education lessons to your child’s needs.
The Physical Education Model Content Standards for California Public Schools, represent the essential skills and knowledge that all students need to maintain a physically active, healthy lifestyle. Education Code section 51210 requires a minimum of minutes of Physical Education for students in Elementary School age.
The way to assess the progress of the students will be by means of different instruments that will include the direct observation, rubrics, the evolution in the different physical tests, etc.
Physical Education in this stage is going to have two very clear and differentiated objectives:
• The main objective is to generate healthful life habits. Students will integrate the physical activity and the sports practice as a structural part of the adult life that they are beginning to conform.
• The second is to increase the physical capabilities of the students so that they live through their own experience which means to increase the quality of life through the exercise. We are going to take advantage of the sessions of physical activity oriented to the improvement of the aerobic capabilities and to the development of the Basic Skills and Specific Abilities.
To be able to achieve those goals, we are going to implement these rules for the students:
1. Try your best.
2. Follow directions.
3. Keep your hands, feet and objects to yourself. (
4. No put downs or calling names.
5. No Have put fun! ☺
All the students will learn, understand and follow the rules and we will strive and make the classroom environment a safe and welcoming ground where all students feel free to develop their own skills without judgment of any kind.
According to the U.S. Surgeon General, regular physical activity is one of the most important things that people can do to maintain and improve their physical health, mental health, and overall well-being. A student who is physically educated is more likely to become a healthy adult who is motivated to remain healthy and physically active throughout his/her life.
Mr. Estebanez, Physical Education Teacher
Principal Bagby's Contact Information
Email: cynthia.bagby@ousd.org
Phone: 510-531-6644