Ladd Acres Astros #8
EMPOWER! Every student ... Every day!
Marvelous March at Ladd Acres
Spring is in the air and our Astros are blooming with knowledge and new skills. The hustle and bustle of this time of year often brings about excitement and hope. Our staff is ready to take on the months ahead as we empower every student...every day.
I want to take the time to thank all families that participated in the Mid Year survey. The results were read and shared with our leadership team. Together, we are working to make changes daily so that our community feels connected, safe and proud of Ladd Acres.
Looking forward to a marvelous month of learning.
With warm regards,
Francesca Sinapi
Principal, Ladd Acres Elementary
DREAM big... REACH for the stars...TOGETHER we ACHIEVE success!
March Dates to Remember
1 Kindergarten registration opens
2 Read Across America
Spirit Day – Dress like your favorite book character
Assembly – Theme: Respectful
Family Friday
6 Ladd Acres Fundraiser at Panda Express, 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., take in flyer
9 Registration for spring after-school activities going home
10 Oregon Battle of the Books at Century for 6th grade
15 PTA Meeting, 2:15 p.m.
16 Registration due for spring after-school activities (Late registration will be put on a waiting list)
17 Oregon Battle of the Books at Witch Hazel for 3rd - 5th graders
19 Last day of winter after-school activities
22 Hearing screening
26-30 No School – Spring Break
April
9 Spring session of after-school activities begins
PBIS Trait: Respectful
Wear College & Career gear every Wednesday!
Wear ASTRO gear every Friday!
SAFETY IS A PRIORITY
Maintaining a safe school environment is a priority of the Hillsboro School District. Many factors are critical to securing the safety and well-being of students during school hours and at school-sponsored activities. District staff collaborate with community partners to review and enhance district practices - and to provide training to staff and students in routine safety measures as well as emergency preparedness.
Our goal is to create a culture of care and respect. Our families are our best resource in letting us know when there is a potential safety issue. In HSD, we use the state of Oregon's Safe Oregon tip line. You can access this by clicking on this link https://www.hsd.k12.or.us/Page/4507. Please visit our HSD Safety webpage at https://www.hsd.k12.or.us/Page/137 for further information. Or at the Keeping Kids Safe https://www.hsd.k12.or.us/Page/5471
State Testing
ELPA 21 Testing for our English Language Learners
ELPA 21 is a test for students learning English as a second language. It measures a student’s progress in reading, writing, listening, and speaking English. It is important for students to do their best on these tests because we gather important information on what areas students are strongest in and areas still in need of development. Our students are working so hard! We had a delay with the snow, but still hope to finish up testing the week of March 5th. Make sure your student gets plenty of sleep and a good breakfast every morning.
State Testing Starts in March
State testing is upon us. Fifth graders will start OAKS Science in March. The science test is only for 5th graders. SBAC (State Testing) in English Language Arts and Math for grades third - sixth will start in April after the break.
Please make sure your student is here at school after having a good night's sleep and a healthy breakfast. For practice tests please refer to
https://login11.cloud1.tds.airast.org/student/V245/Pages/LoginShell.aspx?c=Oregon_PT .
It's never too early to begin practicing. :)
Preparing Your Student
Updates on the HSD Bond - What's happening at Ladd this summer?
Please know that updates to our school will also be posted on the main page of our school website for quick reference.
Chromebooks and Charging Carts
These arrived in our building on Feb. 16th.
Safety: Fencing Around our School
Scheduled start date: June 21, 2018
Parking Lot/Bus and Pick-up/Drop-off Area
Scheduled start date: June 19, 2018
Counselors Corner - A Message from Ms. Harding
Soon, we will begin the Personal Safety Unit of the School Counseling guidance curriculum mandated by Erin's Law. Some of the many important topics covered in this unit include personal safety, the skills to say no to inappropriate/unwanted touch and recognizing when and how to tell a trusted adult. In 2015, Oregon became the 24th state to adopt Erin’s Law, which requires schools to teach, “students in grades preK-12th grade, age-appropriate techniques to recognize child sexual abuse and tell a trusted adult.”
Hillsboro School District uses the Second Step Child Protection Unit curriculum to teach the Personal Safety lessons . To learn more about the Second Step curriculum, visit secondstep.org and log in with the activation key, CPU1 FAMI LYG1. Please note that the material will be presented in a sensitive and age-appropriate manner. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Kinder Registration for Incoming Students
Kindergarten registration begins March 1st. Students that are 5 years old on or before September 1, 2018 are eligible. Please contact the office at 503-844-1300 for more information. We are excited for the registration of the class of 2031 on your journey at Ladd.
What's a Super Star Student of the Week?
Spring Break
Upcoming School-Wide Events
March PTA Meeting - 3/15 @ 2:15 pm
Spring After School Club Registration is Open 3/9-3/16
Panda Express on 3/6 from 3:00-8:00 pm
Our Wellness Center - Notes from Mrs. Ranger
The Wellness Center at Ladd Acres (The Astro Academy) is part of our whole school behavior management system focused on trauma informed care. Our Wellness Center goal is to provide a high interest classroom where kids come to practice regulation and calming strategies so that, once back in class, they are able to engage in academics and have more successful peer interactions.
Here is a typical fifteen minute visit to the Astro Academy:
We start with a movement activity. Moving our bodies helps us to breathe deeply and get some energy out. This directly triggers the emotional control and memory center in our brains.
Step two, is learning how to transition from a high energy activity, such as our movement break or recess, back into the quiet calm, academic center of the classroom. In the wellness room, stations are set up for kids to experiment with different tools designed to calm our bodies and brains.
Last, the wellness instructor and student work collaboratively to identify triggers, such as feeling left out or sitting still for extended periods of time. They evaluate what tools help them the most. They practice using the tools in the Wellness Center, as well as in various other school locations, so that the student can identify when they need a calming strategy and what to do.
Students can “graduate” from the Wellness Center. This happens in a gradual process and incorporates mentoring younger students, minimizing the number of days per week attending, partnering with other staff members on recognizing and rewarding peers and supporting others who may need help. This process helps to boost their self- confidence, self-efficacy, and connectedness, as well as solidifying what they learned in the Astro Academy training.
Updates about our Garden
I would like to add signs (wooden?) on the garden fence/gate that says welcome in all 19 languages spoken at our school. I would love parent volunteers to help with that. We need donations of wood, outdoor paint, vinyl lettering, and sealant as well as parents to make the signs. Students can't make them because of the materials we need to use to make it last.
Given the work that is being done on campus this summer, we will not have a summer garden like we did last year. We are adapting our lessons and are hoping, with a little community help, to not only have a bountiful spring harvest but the foundation for a stronger ecosystem going forward. If we are able to get enough support from the community, we are hoping to have each grade level play an important role.
Upcoming Lessons
Students in Kindergarten through second grade are learning about beneficial animals in the garden. We would like them to use this information to help improve the habitat for these animals.- Kindergarten would build Bug Hotels.
- First grade would create DIY bird feeders.
- Second grade would maintain a red worm bin in their pod. (Their teachers generously agreed to help them.)
- Each grade level has been assigned 5 different vegetables to research.
- Teachers divided their class into teams of 2 or 3, resulting in each vegetable being assigned to 4-6 groups across the grade.
- These groups will research their assigned vegetable, determine the variety they think will be perfect for our garden, and provide 3 arguments to convince us to choose their variety.
- We will then choose at least 2 varieties to be planted. Student groups with the best defending statements for their choice will have the best chance to get their variety chosen.
Donations
To help us achieve our goal we will be looking for donations. Our exact needs are still being determined, but if you are able to donate any of the following, please let Mrs. Davidson know.- Wooden crates, pallets, bricks, wood, or other materials to create the structure of the bug hotel
- Sticks
- Paper straws
- Pine Cones
- Suet, coconut oil, or shortening
- Toilet Paper and Paper Towel Tubes (just the tubes, not the paper)
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL
Ladd Acres Website
Our first line of communication is through our website. You can access information by clicking on https://www.hsd.k12.or.us/laddacres
By clicking follow, you will receive notifications on your own feed.
https://www.facebook.com/Ladd-Acres-Elementary-School-275637752638012/Our twitter account is linked to our Facebook page so you can access the photos on that page or you can use your personal Twitter account by following us @LaddAcres
https://twitter.com/LaddAcresLadd Acres Elementary
Email: sinapif@hsd.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.hsd.k12.or.us/laddacres
Location: 2425 Southwest Cornelius Pass Road, Hillsboro, OR, United States
Phone: (503) 844-1300
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ladd-Acres-Elementary-School-275637752638012/?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: @LaddAcres