Robert Frost ES
2024-2025 Newsletter No. 4
From the Principal's Desk
Dear Families,
Happy New Year, and welcome back to school! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season filled with joy and relaxation. As we kick off the second half of the school year, we are excited to continue our journey of academic growth and achievement. Our focus in the coming months will be on deepening our students' skills in reading, writing, and math problem solving. These foundational areas are critical for our students' success, and we are committed to providing them with the tools and support they need to thrive.
Deepening Reading, Writing, and Math Problem Solving
In literacy, we will be challenging students to engage with more complex texts, build their vocabulary, and strengthen their comprehension skills. Writing instruction will continue to emphasize clear and effective communication, with a focus on grammar, structure, and creativity. In math, we are diving deeper into problem-solving strategies, helping students approach mathematical concepts with confidence and perseverance.
Our teachers are working hard to provide differentiated instruction to meet the needs of every student. We encourage you to support your child’s learning at home by engaging with them about their schoolwork, asking them to explain what they’ve learned, and reading together regularly.
Math Family Night – January 23rd
We are also excited to invite families to our Math Family Night on Thursday, January 23, 2025, from 5:00 PM to 6:30 PM. This event will give you the opportunity to learn strategies and tools to support your child's math understanding at home. Our teachers will share practical tips and resources to help students strengthen their math problem-solving skills in a fun and engaging way. We encourage you to bring your child and participate in this informative evening.
Winter Reminders
As we move into the colder months, please remind your child to dress warmly for school. Layers are a great option, as classrooms and hallways can vary in temperature. Be sure your child has a warm jacket, hat, and gloves, especially on those chilly mornings.
Stay Connected
We value your partnership in your child’s education and want to ensure that we are all staying connected. Please make sure that you are signed up for PGCPS Alerts to receive important updates from the school district. Additionally, if you haven’t already, please sign up for ClassDojo to stay in communication with your child’s teacher about classroom activities, assignments, and upcoming events.
Thank you for your continued support. We are looking forward to a successful and productive second half of the school year. Let’s work together to make 2025 a year of growth, learning, and achievement for all of our students.
Warm regards,
Dr. Tracie Connelly
Principal
PEA: Ms. Ledesma
Happy New Year Robert Frost´s Family.
I hope you will have a peaceful Christmas/ Holiday with your family.
We would like to say THANK YOU to all the families for your support during all the events that we had sponsored so far. It was so nice seeing the students enjoying themselves.
Please keep supporting our events in the following months. Remember that we are partners in your child's education.
Any suggestions please email me at sofia.ledesma@pgcps.org or send a dojo message!
Professional School Counselor: Kodi Ross
In the month of December, we did our classroom lessons focusing on the "Protect Yourself" rules and all 6 grades learned a lot about what to do in unsafe or uncomfortable situations.
In January we will be learning about growth mindsets and how to keep working and trying diligently at things even when they seem difficult.
We also had a fun PBIS event where qualifying students got to make a "Snowman" arts and crafts project. We will have another great event in January and I hope all of our students will be behaving and participating in their classes to earn Dojo Points so that they can attend.
Please continue to prioritize attendance - your student has to be in school each day to learn the material in order to succeed in their classes. It is also important to send notes when your student is absent due to illness so that their absences are coded as Excused/Lawful.
Kodi Ross - Professional School Counselor
Ms. Gordon's Reading/Testing Corner
Hello Fabulous Frost Families!
We had a wonderful celebration this month!
Our students who completed 25 units in Lexia or 10 lessons in i-Ready celebrated their success with a variety of board games in the cafeteria. We played Uno, Jenga, put together puzzles, showed off our Hula Hoop skills and so on. Students took turns and played games with students from other grades and classes–developing those social skills! A fun time was had by all. Watch for our December/January celebration information coming soon.
January will bring testing for our students. We will take i-Ready (K-5), ACCESS (ML students), Benchmark 2 (K-5), and DIBELS (K-3) so that teachers can see how our students are progressing. This helps us with planning our instruction. None of these tests are included on report cards although they are important! We will notify you as each test is given. Thank you for continuing to support your children with a good night’s sleep and coming to school on time. Remind your child to take their time and do their best.
Thank you for all you do! Have an enjoyable Winter Break!
Happy Reading!
Ms. Gordon
Reading Specialist
Library Media Specialist: Ms. Banks
The Scholastic Book Fair was a great success!
Thanks to all of the Robert Frost Staff and Community for supporting the Book Fair.
In January 2025, students will learn the purpose of text features found in informational text.
Students will also be introduced to learning about money and currency.
Kindergarten: Ms. Rowe & Ms. Stancil
We will add numbers up to 10.
In reading, we are continuing to learn heart words. We will cover units 12, 13, and 14 in January. You can refer to the words from the list in these units.
Also, we will be reading some simple words and texts using the sounds we have learned to sound out words.
1st Grade Team: Ms. Jones & Ms. James
Happy New Year! 1
1st Grade is so excited to be ringing in the New Year!
We are finishing our math unit on subtraction and are looking forward to learning about time and measurement. Now would be a great time to introduce your child to clocks. Show your child an analog clock and have them show you the 12 and the 6 on the clock. We will learn more about time to the hour and half hour as we learn all about time.
DIBELS testing is also around the corner. Students should be able to name the letters of the alphabet and tell the sounds they make. They should be able to “finger stretch” words and be able to use this strategy to read real and nonsense words.
In science, students will investigate how sounds are made by animals and objects, and how students hear sounds.
In social studies we will continue learning about our nation’s past as we learn about how things have changed over time.
1st grade is looking forward to a promising 2025!
2nd Grade: Ms. Toms & Mr. Berry
Happy Holidays, wishing everyone a peaceful and restful break.
In Math, we are finishing unit 2.4 on Measuring Time and after the break we will be starting on Unit 2.5 which is Subtracting within 100.
In reading we are finishing the story: The Great Fuzz Frenzy.
We encourage students to do at least 20 minutes of Lexia and Dreambox in order to keep minds engaged during the break.
A little after we return from our Winter Break, we will be doing MOY testing for I- Ready and Dibels.
Again , Happy Holidays, Happy New Year to each and everyone of you!
3rd Grade RELA & Social Studies: Ms. Jackson
Reading
- Text Structure
- Content Area Words
- Point of View
Writing
- Opinion & Compare and Contrast Essay
At Home Practice:
- Read for at least 20-30 minutes a night.
- If students bring home a computer, they need to be on Lexia for 20 minutes
Reminders:
- Please check folders daily for homework assignments.
Upcoming Events:
- December 20th Half Day!
- iReady Window: January 8th-January 30th
- DIBELS Testing: January 13th-February 7th
- Benchmark #2: January 21st-February 7th
Third Grade Math, Science, & Health:
Ms. Richards
Dear Families,
I hope this message finds you well!
I want to say a big thank you to my wonderful parents for your donations and support for our class winter celebration.
We will begin diving into the world of multiplication and division. These are important skills.
I encourage you to help your child practice at home.
Simple games and flashcards can make studying fun!
Happy Holidays!
Ms. Richards
5th Grade RELA & Social Studies: Dr. Harvin
Reading is relaxing.
Happy Holidays and Happy New Year!
Reading for pleasure can be relaxing. Therefore, while students are enjoying their winter break, they should still try to read for at least 20 minutes a day during most days of their break.
However, students will not be required to complete any reading logs during winter break.
Students can read a book of their choice.
We are excited for what the New Year will bring.
In February, the Grade 5 classes will take an overnight field trip to Camp Schmidt where students will learn and build their collaboration and teamwork skills, outdoor skills, environmental awareness, and physical activity.
We hope to plan at least two other field trips for the students before the end of the school year!
Dr. Harvin
5th Grade Math & Science: Ms. Brady
What's Happening in 5th Grade Math & Health?
Math:
We are beginning Unit 5.4 Multiplying and Dividing Decimals by Whole Numbers.
Please continue encouraging your child to practice their multiplication facts daily.
Health: Students are learning about Emotions and Feelings and how to self-regulate.
Have a Wonderful Holiday and Happy New Year!
SEAD: Ms. Watts
Welcome back!
Our team hopes that all students and their families will enjoy a relaxing winter break!
The students will complete the I-Ready Math Winter Assessment after winter break.
All students will continue weekly counseling and each class will begin a weekly group session using the social-emotional platform, ReThinkED.
ELD (English Language Development) Team
Ms. Scarato, Ms. Constantino, Mr. Levine
Dear Parents,
A huge thank you goes out to all the families that came out for Winter Family ELD Night!
It was a success due to everyone who showed up.
Kindergarten-1st grade Families: Please be sure to have your child use the Joy School English program for about 10-15 minutes daily over the winter break.
Feel free to contact Ms. Scarato via email or ClassDojo if you need any help.
Sincerely,
RFES ELD Teachers
Special Education: Ms. McCollum
For the month of January, students will continue to learn how to sing and be introduced into harmonies.
We will begin preparations for the spring concert which will include and feature the kindergarten students.
Mr. Porter also has a performance at Blues Alley in Georgetown on January 15th, this would be a great opportunity to see and meet Mr.Porter.
Physical Education: Ms. Fortunato
during this Holiday Season!
School-Based Clinician: Tanya Anderson, LCSW-C
Welcome to Mrs. Anderson's Mental Health and Wellness Corner!
Each month I will focus on a different Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
topic and provide useful strategies that can be used at home or in the classroom. Here you can also find the latest mental health resources, wellness tips, and a positive space to learn more about maintaining healthy mental health!
As the year draws to a close, it's a perfect time to reflect on our well-being and set intentions for the season ahead. December can bring joy and connection, but it also can bring stress and challenges. This month's "Mental Health & Wellness Corner" focuses on coping with grief during the Holiday Season.
If you feel your child may need additional support with grief, please don't hesitate to contact me.
Click on the link to enter :
Mental Health and Wellness Corner
Mental Health Services Referral Link
Tanya Anderson, LCSW-C
School-Based Mental Health Clinician
Upcoming Events & Important Dates
January 2025-February 2025
1/01/25: Schools Closed: New Year's Day
1/02-1/03: Schools Closed: Winter Break
1/06/25: Schools Reopen
1/08-2/18: ACCESS for ELs
1/20/25: Schools Closed MLK Holiday
1/23/25: Math Family Night
1/24/25: End of Second Quarter
1/27/25: 3-Hour Early Dismissal (Grading & Reporting Day for Teachers)
