December 22, 2011 Volume 2, Issue 5

Ponderosa News
Ponderosa Elementary School of Global Learning
Go Global: Care Create Communicate Innovate

Special Dates of Interest:

SAC th Mon., Jan 9 PTA th Tues., Jan 10 NO SCHOOL th Mon., Jan 16 Math & Literacy Night th Tues., Jan 17 Spelling Bee th Wed., Jan 18 Open House th Thurs., Jan 26 Kinder Registration Wed., Feb 8th

Ponderosa Ponderings
I'm always amazed at how quickly the school year flies by! School started a short five months ago and here we are at the end of December about to embark upon a new year. As I reflect upon the school year so far, we've spent a great deal of time focused on student learning through teacher instruction and through experience that make learning relevant and purposeful. Teachers have been focused not only on student achievement, but collaborating with the Ross Institute to further develop our global focus of Ponderosa Elementary School. Our work with the Ross Institute has excited us about the possibilities for our students. We're looking forward to providing our students with rich learning opportunities that includes experiences that prepare our students for the 21st century and the necessary predispositions to be successful in a global society. In addition, our students have been regaled with stories from the charming author, Justin Matott, about his childhood and his experiences going to elementary school. A very talented harpist, Dr. Ruiz, shared with our students his love of music and other cultures through a combination of song and stories. The Ponderosa ParentTeacher Association (PTA) is a strong supporter of our efforts here at PES. Again, I'd like to thank them for providing the financial support with bringing Dr. Ruiz to Ponderosa as well as supporting our work with the Ross Institute. The Ponderosa School Accountability Committee (SAC) has been working diligently at many things. The newest project that the SAC has taken on is to develop a volunteer program to support the teacher and staff. It has been an exciting year so far I am looking forward to the next half of the

Individual Highlights:
Calendar Surv. 2 Kinder Reg. Open Enroll Conferences SAC / PTA Attendance 2 2 2 2 2

school year. When we return, we'll hit the ground running! It will be the start of our winter benchmarking period where we'll assess what our students have learned and tailor our instruction to meet the needs of our students. The PTA and SAC will meet on January 9th and 10th where we'll continue our work together and on January 17th, Ponderosa will once again host the author, Justin Matott, and afterwards participate on Ponderosa's Math and Literacy Night. The staff at Ponderosa Elementary School would like to wish each and every one of you a relaxing and peaceful break! School will resume on Monday, January 9th, 2012. Be safe, be well, and enjoy this time with your friends and family. Well see you in 2012! Respectfully Yours, Lamb Caro

Winter Program 2 Safety Report Cards Testing 3 3 3

TCAP Schedule.3 Math/Literacy Wellness School Hours Contact Info Jan. Calendar 4 5 6 7 8

Save the Date

Join us for Literacy and Math Night featuring a presentation by author Justin Matott, followed by hands-on literacy and math stations on Tuesday, January 17th, from 68:00 p.m.

Ponderosa News

Page 2 of 9

Calendar Survey
The calendar committee is seeking your input for the 2012-2013 school calendar. The committee has developed five calendars, each with its own unique features. Three calendars (A, C, and E) follow the traditional school year while two calendars (B and D) are designed to provide options to the traditional school calendar. Please review each calendar and identify the features that are important to you in a school calendar. The Calendar Committee will use this information to design its final recommendation to the Board of Education. The web address for the calendars and survey is: http://www.thompson.k12.co.us/Bulletin_board/calendarChoice.html

Kindergarten Registration
Kindergarten Registration for the 2012-2013 school year will be held on Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Please bring your childs birth certificate, immunization record, and proof of residence.

Open Enrollment / School of Choice

The Open Enrollment window for elementary students opens on January 5th and closes on February 25th. If you have any questions, please contact the PES office at 679-9500.

Conference Dates
Its not too early to mark your calendars for the upcoming conferences. Conference will be held during the week of February 13th, 2012. Your childs teacher will be communicating with you in mid/late January to set up a time to meet with you.

School Accountability Meeting (SAC). There will be a SAC meeting on Monday, January 9th, at 5:30 p.m. PTA Meeting. A PTA meeting will be held on Tuesday, January 10th, at 6:30 p.m. in Ponderosas library. We hope to see you there!

SAC / PTA

Attendance and Tardiness

A big part of your childs success is being at school and on time. We do our best to work with students when sick or other circumstances warrant being absent; however, the best instruction your student will receive is where he/she is in the classroom. We encourage you to make sure that your child arrives on time because this allows your child to make the transition from a non-instructional focus to a learning mode. Students learn the value of punctuality as well as setting the tone for success for the day.

In education it isnt how much you have committed to memory or even how much you know. Its being able to differentiate between what you do know and what you dont. Its knowing where to go to find out what you need to know and its knowing how to use the information you get ~ William Feather

Winter to see many of you of at Ponderosas Winter Music Program held on Program It was terrific
Wednesday, December 7th, 2011 at Thompson Valley High School. Once again, the students put on a wonderful show with the guidance and expertise of Mrs. Susan Harding and Debbie Hiatt, Ponderosas music teachers. Thank you also to the staff for their support during the rehearsals and the program. Were looking forward to next years show!

Page 3 of 9

Ponderosa News

Safety Reminder
The drop off lane at the front of the school is for drop off only. If you need to exit your vehicle to take your child in, please use the parking lot to park your vehicle. This is intended for the safety of your child as well as maintaining an efficient traffic flow to Ponderosa. Parents are encouraged to use the right lane for drop off and the left lane to exit. In addition, students are not to be on school grounds until 8:23 (breakfast kiddos accepted at 8:15 a.m.).

Information Card Updates

It is important that the information cards for your child be kept up-to-date in case of events such as an early release due to snow. This will allow us to have the appropriate information to contact you in the event that it becomes necessary to do so. Feel free to come in to the school office at any time and update your childs information card. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Report cards will be going home on Friday, January 13th. Please take this opportunity to celebrate the areas your child did well in, and what are areas of focus for the rest of the year. With conferences coming up, you have an opportunity to dialogue with teachers about your childs academic and social celebrations and concerns.

Report Card and End of Second Quarter / First Semester

Reading Grade

February 29

th

March 1
th

st

March 8
th

th

3rd

Writing Math Reading/Writing Math Reading/Writing Math

March 14 through March 15 March 21 through March 22

th st

nd

Grade

March 13 through March 20 March 21 through March 23

th st

th

4th

rd

Grade

5th

March 13 through March 20 March 16 through March 20

th

th

th

Ponderosa News Testing

Science March 21 through March 23
st rd

Page 4 of 9

We will begin our Colorado Basic Literacy Act (CBLA) testing shortly after we return from Winter Break. We will assess student utilizing assessments that provide information about their level in literacy and math. This helps us in determining student growth as well as providing us with data to improve our instruction.

CSAP / TCAP Window

The Colorado Assessment Program (CSAP) is now the Transitional Colorado Assessment Program (TCAP). The dates for the assessments are listed below:

Page 5 of 9
Open House

Ponderosa News

January 17, 2012 6-8 pm TCIRA

(Thompson Council for International Reading Association)

will be hosting author

Justin Matott
(open to the public)

here at Ponderosa
Following the authors presentation Ponderosa will be conducting our First Annual Hands On Literacy and Math Night!

Thurs. Jan 26th

SAVE THE DATE! January 17, 2012

6:00 - 8:00 pm

Ponderosa News

Page 6 of 9

The Parent Network Northern Colorado School Wellness Roundtable Creating a Healthy School Environment
Would you like to learn ways to increase healthy food options during the school day? Do you want to see more opportunities for physical activity at school? Are you interested in seeing what other Northern Colorado schools and parents are doing to improve student health?

You are not alone!

Join us for an evening of sharing school wellness successes and challenges!
Wednesday, January 25th 2012 5:00-5:30 Dinner and Registration ~5:30-7:30 Roundtable Event Windsor Recreation Center located at 250 11th Street in Windsor Childcare will be provided for ages 5-12 (limited childcare slots-register early!)

Please register by January 20th at www.ActionforHealthyKids.org/Colorado

Questions? Contact Jessica Hinterberg at 495-7523 or by email at jrh10@pvhs.org

Page 7 of 9 Daily Lunch Schedule

RECESS
11:25-11:45- K 11:30-11:50-1st 11:50-12:10-2nd 12:00-12:20-3rd 12:25-12:45-4th 12:30-12:50-5th

Ponderosa News

TRANSITION

LUNCHROOM
11:50-12:10 11:55-12:15 12:15-12:35 12:25-12:45 12:50-1:10 12:55-1:15

Parents are always welcome to come and have lunch. If you plan on having lunch here, please contact the cafeteria at 679-9508 or the office at 679-9500 to let us know that you are coming so we have enough food made for you too!

5 Minute Transition

A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. ~ Sir Francis Bacon

Ponderosa School Hours If you need to drop your child

off prior to 8:23 a.m., BASE Camp (Before and After School Enrichment) opens at 6:30 a.m., and is also available after school until 6:00 p.m.

Full Day Kindergarten through 5 Grade Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri Wed (early release) A.M. Kindergarten Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri Wed (early release) P.M. Kindergarten Mon, Tue, Thur, Fri Wed (early release) 12:38 p.m. 3:40 p.m. 11:58 a.m. 2:10 p.m. 8:38 a.m. 11:40 a.m. 8:38 a.m. 10:50 a.m. 8.38 a.m. 3:40 p.m. 8:38 a.m. 2:10 p.m.

th

Please contact BASE Camp at 226-1734 or go online to www.mybasecampkids.org for additional information.

SAC Meeting Schedule

Mon. Jan. 30 , 2012 Mon, Feb. 6 , 2012 Mon. Mar 5 , 2012 Mon. Apr 9 , 2012 Mon. May 7 , 2012
th th th th th

PTA Meeting Schedule

Tues. Jan. 10 , 2012 Tues, Feb. 7 , 2012 Tues. Mar 13 , 2012 Tues. Apr 10 , 2012 Tues. May 1 , 2012
st th th th th

5:30 6:30 p.m. 5:30 6:30 p.m. 5:30 6:30 p.m. 5:30 6:30 p.m. 5:30 6:30 p.m.

6:30 7:30 p.m. 6:30 7:30 p.m. 6:30 7:30 p.m. 6:30 7:30 p.m. 6:30 7:30 p.m.

He who never made a mistake, never made a discovery. ~ Samuel Smiles

Ponderosa Elementary School of Global Learning

4550 Florence Drive Loveland, CO 80538 ATTENDANCE LINE: (970) 679-9590 PHONE: (970) 679-9500 FAX: (970) 679-9520 TWEETS: twitter@PESNews

Newsletter Available Electronically

In an effort to save on printing expenses and paper, Ponderosa Elementary is posting our Newsletters on the Ponderosa website at http://ponderosaelementary.wordpress.com.

Ponderosa Panda Way ~

Be Respectful Be Responsible Be Fair-Minded

Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other.

Were on the Web!

See us at: http://ponderosaelementary. wordpress.com

~ John F. Kennedy

IMPORTANT REMINDER TO MAKE NOTE OF ~

NO SCHOOL
Friday, December 23rd through Friday, January 6th

RETURN ON Monday, January 9th

Page 9 of 9

Ponderosa News

Sunday 1

Monday
2 NO SCHOOL
WINTER HOLIDAY

Tuesday
3 NO SCHOOL
WINTER HOLIDAY

Wednesday
4 NO SCHOOL
WINTER HOLIDAY

Thursday
5 NO SCHOOL
WINTER HOLIDAY

Friday
6 NO SCHOOL
TEACHER WORK DAY

Saturday 7

8
3:45-4:30 Spelling Bee Practice

10 EARLY RELEASE

11

12
3:45-4:30 Spelling Bee Practice

13

14

5:30 pm SAC Meeting

7:50 am 4th/5th Grade Choir 2:15-3:00 pm Kids Yoga 4-6:00 pm Girl Scouts 6-8:00 pm Cub Scouts

6:30 pm PTA Meeting

15
NO SCHOOL

16

17
6-8:00 pm Literacy & Math Night

18 EARLY RELEASE
7:50 am 4th/5th Grade Choir 10:00 Spelling Bee

19

20

21

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR DAY

22

23

24 EARLY RELEASE
11:00 am G/T Brown Bag Lunch
6-8:00 pm

25
5:30-7:00 Open House

26

27

28

Cub Scouts

29

30
5:30 pm SAC Meeting

31

SCHOOL HOURS (full day K 5th) Mon, Tues, Thur, Fri Wednesday 8:38 a.m. 3:40 p.m. 8:38 a.m. 2:10 p.m.

ATTENDANCE LINE: (970) 679-9590