University Elementary School
May Newsletter
Principal's Message
As we begin our final month of school for the 2017-2018 school year, I cannot help but notice all the exciting field trips and events planned. This will be one busy month! Our third, fourth, and fifth grade students are completing their state testing. All classes are busy working on their projects. An Exhibition Evening/Open House is planned for Tuesday, May 15th from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. We will conclude the year with final trimester assessments, a race car challenge, field day, art day, and our first fifth grade promotion! PTA will also be bringing us Jonathan London, the author of the Froggy books, for an author assembly. Please read through to important dates and mark your calendars. You will not want to miss a thing.
Thank you for your support this year! We have had a very successful year and it is due in part to the commitment and support of our wonderful families. I hope that your summer months are filled with summer fun. The staff and I look forward to another great year of learning during the 2018-2019 school year. School starts August 14th.
Best regards,
Charlotte Straub
Transition to Multi-age Classrooms
Thank you to the teachers and parents that have joined me in conversation on the topic of multi-age classrooms. These configurations support project based learning, positive social emotional development, and differentiated instruction that is student centered. Research supports that the social emotional benefits are greater in a multi-age environment. Research also demonstrates that the multi-age classroom model is no better or worse than a traditional classroom.
We are very excited to announce that we will be moving forward with multi-age classroom configurations for the 2018-2019 school year and beyond. Students will be grouped as K/1, 2/3, and 4/5. We will have three K/1 classes, three 2/3 classrooms, and two 4/5 classrooms. This decision has been made in the best interest of our students. The model was explored, due to our being a small school with many combination classes. Students will have the same teacher for two years, allowing for deeper relationships with their teacher. These deeper relationships build confidence and trust; allowing students to take greater risks and be more responsible for their learning. These configurations will also allow for teacher teams; teams of teachers teaching the same grades. Our teachers will not have to work in isolation but, rather in collaboration, just as we ask our children to do when engaged in project based learning.
I realize that many of you had the experience of a single grade classroom and that change can feel uncomfortable. If you have not been able to join in any of the conversations, please call, email, or come see me with your questions and concerns. I sincerely believe that everyone will quickly recognize the benefits of this model for students, parents, and teachers in our University Elementary School community; once you have the experience under your belt.
Parking Lot
Thank you for driving carefully through the parking lot during drop-off and pick-up times. We still have quite a few students coming to school as the last bell rings. Leaving five minutes earlier can ensure that your student is not tardy. If you want to miss the traffic, come ten minutes earlier. We have adults monitoring the morning walk beginning at 8:10 am.
Please remember to exercise patience when picking-up on Tuesdays. The parking lot can get very congested. Make sure to give yourself plenty of time. When pulling in, along the curb, please make sure that you stop close to the curb so, that you are not blocking traffic that is trying to get through on the left. It is important to keep cars moving around the parking lot. Please do not create your own parking spots, this blocks traffic and causes unnecessary frustrations for many. If you do not see cones along the yellow bus curb, you may drop-off and pick-up there. Parents of 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders can plan on picking-up as late at 12:10 to avoid the rush. We will keep your student/s safe until you can get in. A smooth and safe drop-off and pick-up is our goal.
PTA Meeting
Garden News
The students have been planting away and the garden looks beautiful. Thank you to the many families that signed up to help out during our Earth Day Celebration. We will need support with watering during the summer months. For those families who would like to help keep our garden thriving through the summer, please follow the link below to sign up.
Learning about the six parts of a plant.
Investigating the red worms that were introduced into our garden
Learning about the worm compost bin.
Multi-cultural Sharing
Sachiko Knappman has been sharing her Japanese culture with some of our classes. We have begun a conversation around how we can support families to come and share elements of their culture of origin. Our school vision includes student appreciation and respect for diversity in our community. Sachiko has created a process for sharing, that has been successful here at University Elementary. She would like to invite interested family members to come learn more about this process so, that they too can share interesting aspects of their culture with our students. If you are interested, please call, email, or just drop in to see me. We are interested in developing a program for multi-cultural sharing.
Under Construction
Last but not least, the remodel of our new office space and construction of our new multi-use room is slated to begin in August 2018-2019. It will be a very exciting year of beautification for our school!
School Happenings
Follow the link below to our monthly calendar filled with the special events you won’t want to miss:
University Elementary
Email: charlotte_straub@crpusd.org
Website: www.crpusd.org/uelf
Location: 8511 Liman Way, Rohnert Park, CA, USA
Phone: 707-792-4840
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/University-Elementary-School-at-La-Fiesta-1628724350766801/
Twitter: @UELFSEAWOLVES