Lincoln Crossing Colt Connection
April 26, 2020
Mrs. Hladun's Tidings
We are six full weeks into school closure/shelter in place. We hope you are doing well. If you are not, please just let us know. We have several resources we can offer - related to technology, food, mental health, and more - but we have to know where the need is! You can reach out to Mrs. Hladun anytime via email (jhladun@wpusd.org or via phone at 702 324 6884). It's okay to not be okay, and we are here to help without judgement.
MATERIALS PICK UP THIS FRIDAY:
This Friday, 5/1, we are doing our third materials pick up day. Your teacher will let you know if you need to pick up materials for your child:- 9am-11am : Last Names A-F
- 11am-1pm: Last Names G-O
- 1pm-3pm: Last Names P-Z
- 3pm-6pm: Open Pick Up (any last name)
*you can pick up for your own children, friends & neighbors!
We will do one last whole school pick up after Memorial Day for desk/cubby/art/etc and to collect back any novels, books, etc... the date is TBA. Some teachers may push out additional materials from the office - just stay tuned!
LIBRARY BOOKS:
Your teacher will also let you know if your child has any library books checked out. You can bring library books to the office any day - there will be a box by the door that we'll check daily. You can also bring them on 5/1 when you pick up materials.
DAILY QUARANTINE QUESTIONS:
This image (below) really resonated with me. I talk to a lot of staff and parents and how to know what is too much, not enough, or good enough. My husband and I also struggle with this for ourselves, our work and our children. So, may this provide you with some perspective and peace. It comes from the UC Berkeley Greater Good Science Center...there are tons of amazing resources on their site (https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/). Take care.
iReady Usage
iReady (although not perfect) is a tool that our team really uses to understand what kids know and need support or enrichment in. It is available to EVERY student in K-5.
iReady is well aligned to the Language Arts and Math standards. The best part about iReady is that it is leveled to your child's abilities, so it continues to push and challenge them, but it is designed to be done independently. iReady covers content from grades K-8, so students can work at their just right level, whether that is to catch up or to work on advanced concepts.
In addition, many teachers are assigning specific lessons in iReady that complement the work they are doing online. We are really trying to harness this tool to help students stay on target so that the fall is a little less brutal for everyone.
The goal is for every child to be on iReady Math and iReady Reading for 30 minutes each week. Depending on your child's level, that may cover 6 mini lessons or one longer lesson. You can check in with your teacher on what kind of time/content goal is most appropriate for your student.
This week, we had just over 58% of our students working in iReady math and reading for any number of minutes this week. Of those 380 students, about 250 were on iReady math and reading for the recommended 30+ minutes. Bravo to them! Many kids really enjoy the math learning games, too...those don't count as minutes, but they are a really fun way to encourage real world application of math skills.
If you are having any trouble getting into iReady, please let your teacher know so we can help! In my house, I totally bribe my kid to do iReady minutes...we use the math iReady learning games, ice cream and extra screen time as motivators.
The best part (for parents) is that iReady should be done INDEPENDENTLY - so have your kids jump on when you are making dinner or in the shower or just need some quiet time. If they are struggling with their lesson, the program will give them extra scaffolding, and after a few tries, it will stop offering the lesson and notify the teacher that your students needs more support...and that's where small group online meetings come in!
I imagine that iReady will be an important marker for us when we return to school - it's one way we can really see what kids tried to do and how they struggled or got it.
Anything you can do to encourage 30 minutes of iReady Math and iReady Reading each week is much appreciated. As an FYI - iReady will be available to all students through late July, so you can use it even once school is out to keep students engaged in learning!
Virtual Talent Show
LCES has a long and strong tradition of visual and performing arts opportunities for our students! One favorite Colt Traditions is our annual Talent Show! This year, given our unexpected school closures, Mrs. Adams is taking the show to the internet and is planning a Virtual Talent Show in late May!
Mon., April 27: Acts announced by email
Mon., May 11: Final Acts and MC roles must be recorded on FlipGrid (details will be sent to participants on/after 4/27)
Thurs., May 21, 6 pm: All school Talent Show Watch Party at 6 PM via YouTube
Resources
Food Distribution
LCES FAQs (* = updated on 4/26)
When can we pick up additional school engagement materials?
We will have a distribution of materials from the MPR on Friday, 5/1. Last names A-F: 9-11am; last names G-O (11am-1pm); last names P-Z (1-3 pm), open pick up (3-6 pm). Your teacher will be in touch with you to let you know if you need to pick up any materials. We’ll do another distribution after Memorial Day - date TBD!
Can I turn in the work my child has completed?
We are not collecting back work materials that we sent home. Your teacher may reach out to you in order to get pictures of materials and is likely engaging with your child in a digital format. Check in with your teacher if you need/want feedback on your child’s progress. We will collect back library books and 5th gr. math books, and we'll take back novels, but we aren't worried about if we get them all back.
Is it important that my child participate in the activities my teacher is providing?
Although your child’s work will not be graded, many teachers have found creative ways to give them feedback on their work. Participating in the activities/work that your teacher has prepared will help him/her to stay engaged and on track for next school year. We think it’s really important that your child is engaging in the school activities we have prepared, otherwise we wouldn’t send it home! Our #1 goal is to minimize busy work and to maximize productive time!
I’m worried about security on Zoom.
The district hears you and we are moving from using Zoom to using Google Meet for digital class meetings. We are all learning together, so please stay tuned and be patient!
What if I/my child just can’t do the activities...it’s all just too much!
We hear you! Everyone is in a different spot right now. Just let your teacher know if what you are getting is more than you can manage. It doesn’t matter why, but let us work together with you to find out how to make things work!
Why does my teacher keep trying to get in touch with me/my student?
If your child didn’t come to school for a week, we’d be really worried! That’s our job and our nature! To that end, we are really trying to connect with each child each week. Please help us do that! If you are having an issue that’s preventing your child from participating, just let us know so we can find a way to make it work for you!
*When can I get the materials from my child’s desk/cubby and his/her yearbook?
We plan to have those materials available for pick up after Memorial Day. This is also when we are likely to collect back ukes (4th grade), library books, 5th gr. math books, etc… We are figuring out how to do that safely. We will not be tracking the collection of class sets of novels (thanks to our PTC!). Yearbooks won't be printed until mid-June, so we'll distribute those over the summer (stay tuned).
We will start to collect back library books starting on Monday. There will be a crate outside of the office that you can drop books into. Mrs. Hladun will empty the crate daily and get the books to Mrs. B.
*The technology that we have at home isn’t enough.
I believe the district is done with all the chromebook distribution...however if you need a chromebook, there are options. Just email Mrs. Hladun (jhladun@wpusd.org). The district is working on hot spot access. Please see Mr. Leaman's daily family emails for details on how to get one.
What about Fort Bragg?
Please see the email that the 5th grade teachers sent out on Friday, 4/3. We are currently working on getting the deposit money back from PEEC and then we will begin to process refunds to families.
What about other field trips?
All field trips will be cancelled for this school year. Some refunds were refunding on 4/15; other refunds will begin being process in May from our District Office - stay tuned.
What about Sweetheart Luau Dance ticket funds?
Our PTC has all the funds that were collected and will be distributing refunds. All reimbursements were distributed on Wed., 4/15 or were mailed home.
I have more unanswered questions!
Contact your teacher with any classroom related questions. Contact Mrs. Hladun anytime with any school or ‘big picture’ questions. I’ll be checking email every day (jhladun@wpusd.org) and I’m always available on my cell phone (702 324 6884 - text is always best!).Virtual Spirit Days
Past virtual spirit day boards:
- art - week of 4/14-17: https://padlet.com/jhladun1/art
- books! - week of 3/30-4/3: https://padlet.com/jhladun1/books
- superhero - week of 3/30-4/3: https://padlet.com/jhladun1/superheros
- learning at home - week of 3/23-27: https://padlet.com/jhladun1/distance_learning_spirit_day
- colt pride day on 3/20: https://padlet.com/jhladun1/coltpride_mar20
Being In Touch - weekdays from Mr. Leaman
Being in Touch - big info from Mrs. Hladun as needed
- on our website front page (lces.wpusd.org)
- via a notification to check for communication via Facebook
- via a notification to check for communication via Instagram
- via a notification to check for communication via Twitter
- via a notification to check for communication via our school app.
Being in Touch - daily on Social Media
- readings - a story for primary learners, and a chapter(s) from The Secret Garden and The Lightening Thief - found on YouTube - search for Jennifer Hladun/look for the LCES logo; all of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is also on YouTube
- a fun thing to check out
Please also stay in touch with your teachers - they are trying all kinds of new platforms to connect with your child! Learn with us!
The LCES Office - this week
Mrs. Soha (our amazing secretary) is at work on Thursdays, too. The office is closed while she is here, but if you have a question for her, she is taking phone calls on Thursdays from 10am-4pm.
Stay in Touch!
- Check our our website and our community calendar of activities and fliers; access PeachJar (our flier hub) directly here!
- Download our free app and get notifications on your phone
- Facebook: WPUSD - Lincoln Crossing Elementary
- Follow us on Instagram and Twitter: @lcescolts
Email: lces@wpusd.org
Website: http://lces.wpusd.org
Location: 635 Groveland Lane, Lincoln, CA, United States
Phone: 916 434 5292
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LincolnCrossingElementary/
Twitter: @lcescolts