Rolling Hills Express
Rolling Hills Engineering Academy Newsletter January 2020
Happy New Year!
Team Excellence,
In about three months our campus will begin to showcase student learning, growth and attendance via the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness, or STAAR. Regardless of our personal opinions of high-stakes tests, this is a tool that our team of students, staff and parents are measured by. As you know, RHE received a "B" rating, with 4 of 6 distinctions for the 2018-2019 school year.
With 2020 Vision, We are aiming for an A! How do we move from a B to an A? Our students must grow academically and demonstrate mastery. Additionally we must have at least a 96% attendance rate. Our year to date attendance average is 95.69%. Team, we must not only meet, but exceed our goal!
We will work together to move this campus to the next level! Staff is reviewing benchmark data from December and making necessary adjustments. With this new semester, will you resolve to bring your child to school each day, especially on Mondays and Fridays? Will you resolve to allow your child to complete the full day of school? Will you resolve to enforce 20 minutes of nightly reading outside of school?
As you and your family continue to set goals and resolutions, make plans to attend our Super Goal Kickoff Night on Thursday, January 30. In addition to dinner and giveaways, every parent has the opportunity to work with staff on strategies for academics as well as social emotional learning. The focus will be PreK-2nd spring learning and STAAR testing for 3rd-5th.
Together we will!
Principal Cherish Pipkins
"Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way."
#RHExcellence
#TeamExcellence
What did Student Attendance look like in December?
Why Does Daily Reading Really Matter?
Making Learning Relevant At Home
Once the gift wrap and boxes were cleared away, my daughters were tasked with writing thank you cards. This simple, yet sometimes forgotten gesture, required them to brainstorm, draft and edit messages. They were forced to consider spelling and punctuation.
Relatives provided my two oldest with gift cards to their favorite stores. After explaining that I would not pitch in "extra," they quickly utilized their math skills of estimation, addition and subtraction to ensure they had enough to cover their purchases.
With family stopping in to visit, we had to double, even triple, some of our favorite recipes. Thus, fractions had to be multiplied.
These types of daily activities are necessary to connect classroom to real world. RHExcellence is what we do!
Mark Your Calendars!
Winter Blanket Drive January 7-30, 2020
Report Cards go Home January 10, 2020
Tutoring (by invitation) and Clubs resume Week of January 13, 2020
90th Day of School January 17, 2020
MLK Holiday January 20, 2020
LISD STEM Expo at Lancaster High School January 25, 2020
RHE Super Goal Kick Off January 30, 2020
Reports Cards go Home Friday!
MLK Holiday- Monday, January 20, 2020 - No School
Pick up your NEW RHE Dismissal Tag
Standard Dress Code Resumes
Mondays: Uniform tops and uniform bottoms
Tuesdays: Uniform tops and uniform bottoms
Wednesdays: College shirts with uniform bottoms
Thursdays: Uniform tops and uniform bottoms
Fridays: Jeans allowed, only if wearing an RHE/LISD spirit shirt. Students are not to wear jeans with a regular uniform shirt.
Welcome to Team Excellence
Help us embrace Ms. Ikeji, serving as an Inclusion Aide.
Both ladies have several years of meaningful experience to help support the academic goals of students in their care.
5th Grade Math
Highlights from December: RHExcellence is what we do!
A Fun, Frosty Holiday Program
Book Fair was Big Business
Big Kahuna Party-Bus Limo Ride and Pizza Party
All Pro Dads with a STEM Challenge
Holiday on The Hills Dance hosted by PTA
RHE families and staff participate in LISD STEM Expo
Instructional Excellence All Day Every Day
Spelling Bee
Clubs & Performances
Mr. Taylor coaches for upcoming Black History Bowl
Robotics Club
Mr. Fanner with LISD Honor Chorus Members
RHE Decked the Halls
PTA provides a beautiful breakfast for staff
Spirit of Excellence is on Display- I AM RHE Excellence
Become an RHE Volunteer for 2019-2020. Click on the volunteer graphic below. We need You!
Fact Fluency Never Goes Out of Style!
RHE students have an opportunity to work with an exciting new math product. ExploreLearning Reflex is an online, game-based program that helps students build fast and effortless recall of math facts.
Research has shown that quick recall of math facts is critical for future success in mathematics. More advanced mathematical processes often require students to know a lot of math facts. So, it’s important to master these basic facts before tackling more challenging problems.
Students have been using Reflex in class several days a week for about 10-15 minutes at a time, and they are making steady progress towards fluency. Since Reflex is online, students are able to continue using it at home.
Your child can access Reflex from home with these simple instructions:
1. Using an Internet connected computer or tablet, type in this web address: http://www.reflexmath.com
2. Select login from the upper right corner
3. Enter the teacher’s username
4. Select the name of the appropriate class
5. Choose your child’s name from the list of students
6. Enter your child’s password and select the login button
Reflex is structured to provide a short daily assessment of student progress, then coaching on new facts, and finally fact practice in the games. There are seven games that students can choose from, and they can play as many as they want each day.
Because Reflex includes fun games, a student’s brother or sister might want to give it a try. It is important that other children not use this account. Reflex continually monitors student progress and adapts to each student’s individual needs. Because of this adaptivity, having multiple children use the same account will have a negative impact on your child’s progress. You can sign up for a free 30-day trial at http://www.reflexmath.com for up to 5 other children to try Reflex.
If you have any questions about Reflex, you may contact ExploreLearning directly, via email at support@explorelearning.com or by phone at 866-882-4141(press option 4 for Support).
Thank you for your support of this project,
Click below to view the 2019-2020 LISD Calendar
Important Information
· Safety is our top priority. Be sure you have your photo id, anytime you visit campus. You will be required to check-in at the office and receive a visitor’s pass.
· The front foyer is the designated goodbye station each morning. To ensure student safety, only RHE staff and students will walk the halls during morning intake. Friendly staff members are stationed to greet and escort children to class.
· A dismissal card is mandatory to pick up your child. If you forget your card, please check in at the office, with your photo id.
ATTENDANCE/TARDY
· Classes begin at 8:00 a.m. and end at 3:30 p.m. We understand there are times when children miss school. If your child will be absent, please contact Registrar Ms. L. Smith at 972-218-1528. To maintain an orderly dismissal process, please note that children will not be checked out early after 3 p.m.
PARENT OBSERVATIONS
· We encourage partnerships with parents. Please come by to visit your child’s classroom to witness excellence in action. Parent observations are to last a maximum of 30 minutes. Parents will not interact with teachers or students during the observation time. Be sure to schedule a parent-teacher conference when you need to speak with the teacher.
BIRTHDAYS
· We will recognize students on their birthdays. You are welcome to bring packaged birthday treats for your child and all of their classmates. Birthday treats will be distributed at the end of day. Please contact your teacher to inform them about birthday visits.
DRESS CODE
· PK-5th students wear red, white, or blue collared shirts, tucked into khaki, black or navy bottoms. We will reinforce and remind students of the district dress code. As you prepare for cooler weather, note that appropriate sweaters, sweatshirts, or sweater vests worn inside the building are red, white, blue, or campus/LISD affiliated. Jackets, windbreakers, and coats are to be removed inside the building.
COMMUNICATION
o Grade level information will come home on a weekly or monthly basis, based on the team. Be sure to sign up for your teacher’s Class Dojo or Remind to conveniently receive messages about class.
o RHE Campus newsletter will be shared at the beginning of each month.
Rolling Hills Engineering Academy
Website: http://rhe.lancasterisd.org/
Location: 450 Rolling Hills Place, Lancaster, TX, USA
Phone: 972-218-1525
Twitter: @RHELancaster