Riojas Elementary School
March 27, 2020
School Rules: Be Safe. Be Responsible. Be Respectful.
From the Principal
RES Families,
Our teachers are working hard to create lessons and activities to support our students' at home learning. They will be contacting you today to share how learning opportunities will start next Monday. Your classroom teacher will be your first contact for any instructional support or questions. They are available following the protected time mentioned in Dr. Killan's email: Monday-Thursday 9-12. We will be scheduling campus planning meetings for the afternoons and on Fridays. Please be patient. The staff will respond as quickly as possible but they are figuring out how to work in this new environment, too. They may not be able to reply immediately even during that window.
Smile and Say Cheese!
New information shows that we will be closed through the "shelter in place" orders, April 13, so let's have some PFUN while we are at home! Next week will be a Virtual Spirit Week. We know EVERY day is a Great Day to Be a Patriot, but let's show everyone we really mean it! Join in using the schedule attached and post your pictures all over your social media and share, share, share! I will post on our RES Facebook page each morning so you can comment there with your pictures, too. #greatdaytobeapatriot
I have had a few families respond to our request: I hope you will share your ideas and fun stories with me and our RES community by using the link below: RES Community Stories.
7 Habits of Happy Kids
I have also included some information in our news about the 7 Habits of Happy Kids. This is a student version of the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey. These days at home can be a great opportunity for some real life lessons. I know when my own kids start arguing I can remind them to come up with a “Win-Win” and it will help maintain my sanity for just a bit longer. Teaching them “First Things First” can really help support a schedule you have created for this stay at home time. The Leader in Me schools has created a website with tons of great options. I hope you will try the book or the online resources over the next few weeks.
Make Sure You Are Getting Our Emails
We have many email addresses and families that are on this email list, however, if you hear that someone is not receiving my emails or district emails, please send their email address and name to me at Christi.Siegel@pfisd.net. Spread the word by forwarding: the more informed we are, the better.
Please stay safe and healthy. Take care of each other, follow the CDC guidelines and wash your hands! www.pfisd.net/coronavirus will be the best place to check updates on PfISD decisions, and an FAQ page is in the works.
I hope to see you at school sometime soon,
Christi
From Our Counselor - Mrs. Patterson
Hi Patriot family!
I hope you are all enjoying your time being at home! I miss you all but it's best for everyone right now to be in your homes. Parents, please feel free to email me with any questions/concerns/anything :) I am here for our families and will do the best I can to support your children during this time of uncharted waters. Please remember - I am here if you need me!
-Mrs. Patterson
RES Community Stories & Ideas
The kids are enjoying “camping” in the game room.
From the Boxley Family - PreK - Mrs. Carr
Mrs. Carr & Riojas E.S. have done such a phenomenal job instilling in the students, “Be safe, Be responsible, Be respectful” that we can use that exact same verbiage at home and it works like a charm! Riojas family you are all AMAZING!!!
If you would like to submit your story, please click here!
RES Art, Music & PE Learning Opportunities by Grade Level
Food Service
PfISD has also implemented a plan to distribute lunches to all children starting Monday, March 23 at ten campus locations across the District.
Grab-and-go meals will be available for curbside pickup from 8-9 a.m. for breakfast and 11 a.m.-1 p.m. for lunch.
Locations
Pflugerville High School
Dessau Middle School
Kelly Lane Middle School
Park Crest Middle School
Westview Middle School
Copperfield Elementary
Northwest Elementary
Pflugerville Elementary
Wieland Elementary
Windermere Elementary.
This program serves students 18 and younger regardless of Pflugerville ISD residency or enrollment. Families can pick up meals curbside in the carpool lanes at the campuses listed. Students must be present in order to receive meals. Parents may pick up breakfast and lunch at the same time. For those who do not drive and need to walk to pick up the meal, you will be allowed to walk and pick them up to go. Access to enter the buildings will not be available.
PreK and Kinder Registration Postponed
STAAR Tests Canceled
STAAR tests are canceled. That may be a relief and a disappointment all in the same breath. Our staff and students have been working hard all year to be prepared to show our strengths on that end of year assessment. Now we will be supporting the continued learning for our students in a very different way. Please continue to communicate with us so we can meet you and your family’s needs.
Scroll to the bottom of this message for CANCELED events.
RES Community Stories and Ideas
One of the critical factors to ensuring the success of our students and families at this time will be continuing our sense of family and community. In an effort to share our stories and our fun, or even our frustrations, I have created a google form. Please submit your stories of how you are spending your time, your funny anecdotes of things like “You’ll never believe what my kids said!” or “You’ll never believe what I learned when I was home schooling my child!” and any other great ideas you have. You can ask that your story be anonymous or include your family’s name, but I will put them together to include in my newsletters over the next few weeks.
7 Habits of Happy Kids
https://www.leaderinme.org/family-resources/
The link below is to the amazon page with ordering information for the kid friendly book 7 Habits of Happy Kids by Sean Covey. I'm sure you can purchase this book from many other vendors as well.
Copy of Dr. Killian's Email 3/25/2020
Dear PfISD Pfamily,
It has been amazing to watch the response by you, your children, and our families to this new, temporary way of having school. Our social media has been flooded with images of our teachers, students, and staff pulling together to celebrate their school communities, even from home. Many campuses have been doing spirit weeks from home, teachers have held honk parades through neighborhoods and our food service workers have been handing out over 1,000 meals every day. Although it is a stressful time for everyone, it is always great to see the way our community pulls together during times of adversity.
In accordance with the Shelter in Place orders issued by local entities, PfISD campuses and facilities will remains closed through April 13. We will await guidance from state and local officials to determine when schools will reopen.
We want to take a second and apologize to staff. In this rapidly-changing situation we have been communicating as quickly and often as possible with both staff and parents. In our haste to provide information as soon possible, there have been instances where we have not provided information to staff prior to providing it to our parents and community. We will do our best in the future to provide information to our staff members ahead of time, whenever possible.
Our District staff have been working the past two weeks to design instructional guidance for our teachers as we begin support at home. They have compiled a document for all staff to reference for curriculum, virtual classrooms and much more. Please visit the link below to view the full information: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zCbti2s2F1Qf4r9lzjgwuvRY6THcf8IZXXCN7qX8XPQ/edit?usp=sharing
Please remember this plan is a work in progress and we are committed to making improvements as we work through it. In the next few weeks, we'll find our groove with remote learning. It's okay if it takes you a while to feel like you've got this remote learning thing figured out. You're not alone. We'll get there together. It will be messy at first. Maybe for a while. Just remember to give grace and time to your co-workers, students and parents. Thank you.
In the best interest of students,
Doug
Dr. Douglas Killian
Superintendent
Reflex Math Practice at Home
At Riojas, students use a variety of tools and resources to practice and retain their addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. When students are fluent in their facts, they are able to gain confidence in their problem-solving abilities and free up mental resources needed for learning.
Here are a few ways you can help at home:
- Games – Games provide real, relevant, connected, and fun ways to use math facts repeatedly
- War: This game is played with a deck of cards (minus the face cards). Each person turns one card over, and the first person to announce the sum takes both cards.
- Go Fish with Facts: Instead of looking for the same number as in the original “Go Fish” card game, players try to pair cards with equal sums.
- Domino Top It: Have players place dominoes face-down between them. Each player turns over a domino and calls out the sum of the dots on the two halves.
- Traditional/Triangle (Fact Family) Flash Card
- Students 1st - 5th Grades can log on to http://reflexmath.com using their teacher provided login and password.
ABC Mouse
View the attached PDF file for more information.
Boosterthon Support for RES
Hey Riojas Team!
I hope that you are doing well and spending some quality time with your family. Please stay safe and healthy!
After schools started closing around the nation, we decided to open up our Character Video Library to all of our partners. You may have gotten an email about that on Friday from our founder and CEO, Chris Carneal. If you didn’t get the email or haven’t been able to register yet, here is the information:
- www.BoosterthonCharacter.com Click on Register. (Access Code: home)
- There’s no cost to register
- 75 + streaming videos with character topics and fitness exercises (PBIS, SEL, STEAM, etc.)
We hope this resource serves not only as a helpful diversion while the kids are home, but also as an opportunity for families to engage in character-building conversations while also staying active at home. Please feel free to share this resource with your school community, family, and friends!
Stay healthy and safe!
Walker Burns
Program Director
(817) 269-9042
ChooseBooster.com
Support Your Child's Social and Emotional Awareness
FaceTime with Friends
The Mindful Jar
This activity can teach children how strong emotions can take hold, and how to find peace when these strong emotions feel overwhelming.
- First, get a clear jar (like a Mason jar) and fill it almost all the way with water. Next, add a big spoonful of glitter glue or glue and dry glitter to the jar. Put the lid back on the jar and shake it to make the glitter swirl.
- Finally, use the following script or take inspiration from it to form your own mini-lesson.
“Imagine that the glitter is like your thoughts when you’re stressed, mad or upset. See how they whirl around and make it really hard to see clearly? That’s why it’s so easy to make silly decisions when you’re upset – because you’re not thinking clearly. Don’t worry this is normal and it happens in all of us (yep, grownups too)."
[Now put the jar down in front of them.]
"Now watch what happens when you’re still for a couple of moments. Keep watching. See how the glitter starts to settle and the water clears? Your mind works the same way. When you’re calm for a little while, your thoughts start to settle and you start to see things much clearer. Deep breaths during this calming process can help us settle when we feel a lot of emotions.”
This exercise not only helps children learn about how their emotions can cloud their thoughts, but it also facilitates the practice of mindfulness while focusing on the swirling glitter in the jar.
Try having the kids focus on one emotion at a time, such as anger, and discuss how the shaken verse settling glitter is like that emotion.
RES CANCELED Events
Mar 23 - Kinder Field Trip
Mar 26 - Parent Night with Patterson
Mar 27 - Kinder Rodeo
Mar 30 - RES Peace Path (Now in our Virtual Spirit Week)
Apr 1 - Mystery Reader Day
Apr 2 - Dual Language Spanish Immersion Incoming Kinder Parent Meeting
Apr 3 - Nine Weeks Awards Assemblies
Apr 7 & 8 - STAAR Testing Grades 4 and 5
Riojas Elementary School
Counselor: Lori.Patterson@pfisd.net
Assistant Principal: Carrie.Quinney@pfisd.net
Principal: Christi.Siegel@pfisd.net
Email: christi.siegel@pfisd.net
Website: http://www.pfisd.net/riojases
Location: 3400 Crispin Hall Lane, Pflugerville, TX, United States
Phone: 512.594.4100
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Riojas-Elementary-School-903788353020395/