November Newsletter
Note from the Principal,
Thank you for all your support to start the school year. Students have been doing a fantastic job in and out of the classroom this past month. Parent-Teacher conferences went very well and it was great seeing the Book Fair back in the building that week. Last week was a busy week, we had the Halloween Parade and Parties. Although we were sad that we had to move the Halloween parade inside the students still had a blast showing off their costumes to their classmates. The Panther Pumpkins was a hit! We had 53 pumpkins turned in!
The school year keeps moving along before you know it, it will be Holiday Break. As always, please keep in contact with teachers if you have any questions, and please reach out to me if you have any questions as well.
Regards,
Mr. Troast
October Paw Award Winners
Each month we recognize students for being positive towards each other and staff. Students are nominated for a variety of reasons, but each one represents one of our core values at Cottonwood. For the month of October, we had over 40 students nominated by staff at Cottonwood. Awesome job, Panthers!
Kindergarten- Monroe Hasselquist and Snyder Kurtz
1st- Ellie Mueller and Finn Poetter
2nd- Jed Kramer and Issac Hamm
Reading Corner with Mr. Troast: What is MTSS?
What is MTSS? MTSS stands for Multi-Tier Systems of Support. The ultimate goal is to ensure that every student at Cottonwood is receiving instruction at their level. Throughout the school year, students may need additional support in Reading and Math. The support might come in the form of whole-class instruction, small group instruction, or 1 on 1 instruction. These are the three Tiers of MTSS.
This year, Cottonwood has built-in a 30-minute block of MTSS time for each grade. During this block, teachers utilize the time to work on the specific needs of students in their classrooms. This could look like small group instruction. During small groups, students who struggle with similar skills work to improve upon those skills. It might also take the shape of 1 on 1 instructional time with the teacher to work on specific skills. Another MTSS activity can be utilizing our new iReady Diagnostic where students can work their "Path". This is where students work on mini-lessons based on their Diagnostic assessments. These assessments are taken during the Fall, Winter, and Spring and are also utilized to gauge growth.
One of the most important components of MTSS is that it needs to be data-driven. Diagnostic information from our iReady assessments is used to determine the skills each student needs to work on. Additionally, our teachers monitor the progress students are making as well as students' self-guided online lessons to determine skills needing additional work.
We are excited that we have this dedicated time built into our schedule. It's another way we are designing instruction to meet the individual needs of our students. Prior to conferences, students finished a 4-week block focused on Math. From now until Thanksgiving Break, students are focused on Reading skills.
If you have any questions regarding MTSS or want to know more, please reach out to your child's classroom teacher or reach out to Mr. Troast.
What is the MTSS Pyramid?
Acts of Kindness Week- Canned Food Drive
Classrooms were competing against each other to see which class could donate the most items. The following classes from each grade were able to raise the most:
Kindergarten- Mrs. Olson's class with 438- (Almost 1/3 of our total number!!!!)
1st Grade- Mrs. Hoskins' class with 176
2nd Grade- Miss. Kuharich's class with 244 points.
2nd Grade Parents- Save the Date- Dec 1st
We are excited to bring back our music programs for the 21-22 school year. Our first music program belongs to our 2nd graders it will be on December 1st at 7 pm. To accommodate and provide more spacing, we will be having our music programs in the High School Gym. Kindergarten and 1st grade will also be having their music programs at the high school later on in the year.
Veterans Day Celebration: Nov 11th.
Just a few of our Panther Pumpkins!
November Calendar:
- November 3rd- Election Day
- November 7th- Daylight Savings Ends- Don't forget to set those clocks!
- November 8th- School Board Meeting 6 pm
- November 11th- Veterans Day
- November 24th- 26th - Thanksgiving Break
- Dec 1st- 2nd Grade Music Program
Breakfast
Arrival and Dimissal
Masks
We need you: Are you interested in being a substitue?
- Do you want a job where you can pick and choose your own schedule?
- Do you want a job that follows the same schedule as your child's?
- Do you have a passion for working with students and kids?
Being a Substitute Teacher may be for you! Paola School District is looking for qualified substitutes. To learn more about how to get a substitute license you can call our district office or visit KSDE for licensure requirements.
Cottonwood Elementary
Email: corey_troast@usd368.org
Website: https://www.usd368.org/vnews/display.v/SEC/Cottonwood%20Elementary
Location: 709 Hedge Ln, Paola, KS 66071, USA
Phone: 913-294-8050