Rocket Report
October 24, 2019
UPCOMING EVENTS
October 25th Duty Free Lunch
October 30th Make up pictures
October 31st Special Snack Day (Healthy)
November 4th - 8th Book Fair
November 8th Veterans Day Program 1:15pm
November 11th NO SCHOOL
November 13th - 15th Fifth Grade to Space Camp
November 14th Progress Reports go home
November 19th Friends and Family Lunch K - 2nd
November 21st Friends and Family Lunch 3rd - 5th
November 25th - 29th NO SCHOOL - THANKSGIVING BREAK
ADMINISTRATOR'S CORNER
Parents and Guardians,
It gives me great pleasure to announce that once again we grew by 3% on our state report card and earned a final grade of 92%- YES, AN A!!!!! Some notable statistics:
-Achievement score (points for % of students on grade level or above) increased from 77.05 to 82.45.
-Growth score (points for % of students who made 1 or more years of growth) increased from 97.97 to 100%!!!!!
-We are one of the few Hoover Schools that has seen such steady growth over the past three years!
Congratulations, Rocky Ridge!
We are also very excited to have out Veteran's Day Program again on November the 8th at 1:15 pm. We hope many of you can join us for this special program. To prepare for this event, we need to use all the lunchroom tables and convert them to seating. As a result, we will be having sack lunches that day. If you child needs a sack lunch, please email your child's teacher by tomorrow.
Dilhani J. Uswatte, Ed.D
Principal
CLASSROOM CLIPS
Pre-Kindergarten
What a great week we have had in Pre-K! This week we investigated Fall! We did several outside explorations. We learned all about the letter "F". In math we made and learned how to use beaded number lines. In Science we did a STEAM challenge by building structures with toothpicks and marshmallows. (extension from our Open House activity) It's always a fun day in Pre-K! As always parents, thank you for all you do!
Kindergarten
This week in Kindergarten, we worked on our informative writing and continued to build sentences. In reading, we identified and studied the letters R and F. In science, we cracked open our AMSTI kits to investigate living and non living things. In math, we practiced forward counting and comparing different objects. Please be sure to check and return your child's folder each day!
1st Grade
A BIG thank you to all the chaperones who came on the zoo field trip. It was so much fun! We are learning all about nonfiction. This will be our focus for the next several weeks. This week, we are learning about nonfiction text features and how they are different from fiction. We are also starting our informational writing unit; it pairs nicely with our reading unit. In math, we are counting a lot! We are counting on, skip counting, counting and making groups of 10, and counting and comparing. In science, we continue to investigate sound.
2nd Grade
This week we met with our house groups. We shared with each other what is unique about each of us. We are enjoying our study of non-fiction. We are learning about some of the different features you see in a non-fiction book. We are focusing on non-fiction writing also. Head to the library with your child and let him or her pick out some non-fiction books to read and write about. We are continuing to talk about place value in math. Please continue to practice math facts at home.
3rd Grade
Third grade is digging deep into nonfiction texts in both our reading and writing times. In math, we are continuing to learn about multiplication and explore division. Please have your child multiplication facts at home! Also please help your student practice counting money- especially coins! Thank you for your support at home!
4th Grade
In reading, we are reviewing text structures and main idea. We are also introducing prefixes and relative pronouns. In math, we are learning equivalent fractions. Lastly, in social studies we are learning about explorers in Alabama.
5th Grade
Fifth graders are learning about nonfiction texts! Students enjoyed a book tasting and got to sample different nonfiction books while eating goldfish and brownies in our classroom Cafe. We will continue learning how to navigate nonfiction and use text features to help our comprehension.
Don’t forget...payments for Space Camp were due this past Monday. Get those in ASAP.
Dear Parents,
RRES would like to present a slideshow of Veterans that are dear to us at our Veterans Day program on Friday, November 8th. If you have a picture of your family member(s) or special loved one(s) that served our country, please share those photos by sending them digitally to Ellen Marsh through her email address emarsh@hoover.k12.al.us prior to Friday, November 1st. Please be sure to include the student’s name, Veteran’s name, branch he/she served in, the years he/she served, and any other important information you would like to share. If you had a slide in the presentation last year, please email Ms. Marsh to remind her to include it again. Please note that the Veteran does not need to attend the program in order to have his/her picture in our slideshow, but we would definitely welcome him/her. Above is an example of a slide that we shared in the past. We look forward to sharing this special time with you!
Rocky Ridge Elementary would like to invite you to our Veterans Day Program on Friday, November 8th. Through songs, poems, speeches, and Veteran recognition, we hope to honor our Veterans and educate our children. The program will start at 1:00pm and last about an hour. We are asking our guests to arrive at 12:40. In addition to inviting our parents, we would also love for your child to invite a family member that served in the military to join us!
Thanks and we look forward to seeing you on November 8th!
Veterans Day Program
Friday, Nov 8, 2019, 01:00 PM
Rocky Ridge Elementary School, Old Rocky Ridge Road, Birmingham, AL, USA
FROM THE PTO
Long Sleeve T-shirts are on sale now on MySchoolFees.com! Last day to order online is Oct 27th at $22/each. Once they arrive the shirts will be $25/each. These shirts are a soft blend and super comfortable! Youth and Adult sizes available!
Dear Parents,
Friends and Family Day is just around the corner! As you know, this is an opportunity for family members to come and eat lunch with their children. Grandparents, aunts, uncles, parents and friends are all invited. We hope you all can join your child on this special day. All the lunchroom tables are full of children and their families. The children will enjoy showing off their school and the friends they have made here.
Friends and Family days are held on two days: Tuesday, Nov.19th for PreK-2nd grades, and Thursday, Nov.21st for 3-5th grades. When you arrive on your scheduled day, purchase your meal ($4.50 for adults and $3.30 for visiting children) at the lunchroom register, along with your student’s lunch. You can purchase your lunch by cash,check, or through the student’s account. NO CARDS are accepted. Please make checks payable to Rocky Ridge Elementary.
Thank you to those who have volunteered to help on this special day. There are several volunteer spots that we need to fill. Please contact Candice McKelvey at candice0803@bellsouth.net. These times range from 30 minutes to 1 ½ hours and can be worked in at the beginning or end of your scheduled lunch time with your child. Thank you in advance for helping us on this special day. You are greatly appreciated.
Candice McKelvey
Chair, PTO Friends and Family Day
MORNING AND AFTERNOON CARPOOL
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Safety is our number one priority at Rocky Ridge and we NEED YOUR HELP IN THE MORNING. If you drop off your child in the morning, please do not pass cars on the left hand side to prevent anyone from getting hit. Furthermore, as you go around the corner, there are sometimes parents who are unloading kids in the overflow parking spot. Please go VERY slowly around this curb and as far away from the parked cars. Thank you for your assistance!
Dr.Uswatte
Morning Carpool
Please remember that your child must be in their classroom by the 7:45 am tardy bell. If not, you will need to sign them in at the office.
Afternoon Carpool
You must have a Rocky Ridge Elementary issued carpool tag to pick up your child. If you do not have a tag, you will be asked to pull over and go into the office to get one. (Remember to take your ID) Thank you for hanging your tag up so it is visible and leaving it up until your child has been picked up. This makes carpool run much more smoothly.
CAFETERIA
Hoover City Schools Foundation Now Accepting Applications for Board of Directors and Newly-Formed ‘Friends of the Foundation’
Hoover, Ala. -- September 30, 2019 -- The Hoover City Schools Foundation Board of Directors has announced plans to add to its current board of directors and plans for a new group, “Friends of the Foundation.”
“The Foundation is expanding and we are currently accepting applications for new members who are passionate about giving back to our children through our schools so that students in Hoover City Schools can reach their full potential,” said Steve McClinton, President of the Hoover City Schools Foundation Board. “I encourage anyone interested to apply.”
A full list of expectations, responsibilities and monthly time demands for board members are included on the HooverCSF website at www.hoovercsf.org/board.
The site also outlines details about the new group, “Friends of the Foundation,” which will be a group of dedicated volunteers that will work closely with the Board of Directors on committees and programming. This group will meet three to four times per year to assist board members achieve the mission of the Foundation through fundraising efforts and programming.
“The Friends of the Foundation group is a great way to get involved without overcommitting,” said McClinton. “Since it is a brand new group, it will evolve through the efforts of its members. I want to encourage those interested to join us and chart a new course!”
Those interested in serving with the Hoover City Schools Foundation as board members or as a part of the new ‘Friends of the Foundation’ committee are encouraged to visit www.hoovercsf.org/board to apply. Applications will be accepted through October 31.
Anyone with questions regarding the application process is encouraged to reach out to Steve McClinton personally at steve.mcclinton@gmail.com.
About The Hoover City Schools Foundation
The Hoover City Schools Foundation was established in 1992 to bridge the gap between increasingly limited public school funding and the growing needs of the city’s students and teachers. The Hoover City Schools Foundation is a charitable, non-profit organization created to support Hoover City Schools by funding enhanced academics through grants, scholarships and innovative programs.
SPELLING BEE
Rocky Ridge 2019-2020
Our annual school-wide Spelling Bee for fourth and fifth grade students will be held on Friday, December 13, 2019, at 1:00 pm. in the Rocky Ridge cafeteria. You may find valuable information on the Scripps Howard Spelling Bee website: www.spelllingbee.com. There you will find information on the Bee, Great Words, Great Works - a booklist of 18 resources containing words for the 2020 Bee, a Word Club App that is coming soon, and more! For those who would like to get a head start on studying, the following are helpful links to information and spelling lists, as you prepare for the bee:
How to Study for a Spelling Bee
Lists for Classroom Bee:
List for School Bee:
FROM THE NURSE
5th Space Camp Overnight Field Trip Medication Procedures
Medication can be brought to Nurse Gardner Monday through Friday 7:30-2:30 If this is a problem, please let me know. Make sure you have followed the school policy and procedures for medications at school. Please fill out the medication authorization form for each individual medication. See the link below.
Medication Information from the Alabama Department of Education
All medications (unless you are chaperoning) must be turned in by noon on Tuesday, November 12, 2019. Please send the exact number of doses your child will receive while away from home. This is especially important for prescription medications.
Parents must bring in the medication. Students are not allowed to carry in medication. You must sign in the medication and present the completed and signed medication authorization to the school nurse.
All Over-the Counter medications must be in their ORIGINAL unopened container. Please put the medication container(s) in a zip lock bag labeled with the child’s name and their homeroom teacher.
Please check the expiration date on all medications you are sending on the field trip. School nurses are not allowed to dispense expired medications.
Make sure the medication is age appropriate. If it says the medication is for a person 12 years and older and your child is not 12, the nurse cannot administer the medication without a doctor’s signature on the medication authorization form.
All prescribed medications must have a signed medication authorization form from YOU AND THE DOCTOR. Click on this link for a medication authorization form.
Each medication (OTC and Prescription) requires its own individual authorization form. Two medications cannot be listed on the same form. Please make sure the form is accurate and complete. Bottles and forms MUST match.
Remember, we cannot give any medication without you bringing the form and the medication to the school nurse.
Chaperones may give medication to their child only. No medication forms are required in that situation. Chaperones may not give any medication to a student that is not their child, even with parental permission.
Do NOT SEND medication in your child’s luggage!
If your child currently has medication in the health room, that medication and the authorization form will be sent on the field trip with the nurse. No further action is required on your part. The exception being, your child takes multiple doses of the same medication taken at school. In that case, you will need to provide a medication authorization listing the time of the additional doses needed. The form must be signed by the physician and the parent. School nurses function directly by written physician orders.
No medications will be received on Wednesday morning, November 13th. All medications must be turned in by noon on Tuesday, November 12th.
Please don’t forget to pick up medication after the trip. After 10 days, it will be destroyed.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at rgardner@hoover.k12.al.us or 439-2930.
COUNSELOR NEWS
Hello Rocky Ridge family! I am in the process of putting together a Counseling and Guidance Advisory Council and I could use your help. I need two parent volunteers to serve. Since I am new to the school I would like to get some input on what you, as parents, see as needs in our school community that can be addressed through the guidance program. I am here to serve and want to be sure that I am meeting the needs of all our stakeholders.
We will have two meetings this school year. The first is scheduled for November 1st and the second will be on March 6th. Both will be held from 7:15-7:45 AM at the school. If you are interested, please email me at czeiss@hoover.k12.al.us. Thank you!
The Kindergarten and First grade students have been hard at work creating fearsome, terrifying, adorable monsters. Look at the amazing work these little artists have created! They were in charge of cutting the pieces for their monsters and the design. These little monsters are all from their imaginations. The artist Greg Mike was the inspiration for this assignment.
Next week we will look at the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th work with colorful mixed-media watercolor pieces.
Remember, make good art!
Mr. Vann
What’s happening in Mr. Schaeffel’s STEAM Lab?
In Mr. Schaeffel’s STEAM Lab, students will work together to explore the realms of science, technology, engineering, art, and math!
2nd Grade - 5th Grade are learning about bridges and building bridges out of a single piece of copy paper. The goal is for each bridge to hold as many pennies as possible. (above)
Local STEAM-related events & contests (I encourage you to sign your child up for these!)
----Kids Code Sunday- this is a free event for students 8 and up! Just register your child. The next event is Kids Code Sunday at McWane. Check out their calendar to register. These events are free but students must be registered for the event! There is one every month.
How you can help our STEAM Lab:
I am always on the lookout for guest speakers to come share with our students. If you or someone you know works in any science, technology, engineering, art or math fields and they would be up for sharing with students, please let me know. Feel free to share my email address with them: dschaeffel@hoover.k12.al.us
School Digital Citizenship
Rocky Ridge Elementary School
Location: 2876 Old Rocky Ridge Road, Hoover, AL, USA
Phone: (205) 439-2900