For October we will focus on Tenacity- "Even when things are hard I don't give up. I keep trying even when I want to quit," and Reflection- "I learn from my choices and my experiences. I use rubrics and self-assess my work to get better and make corrections."

We will be focusing on this skill and trail throughout the month. At school this looks like not giving up when there is a difficult assignment, or a problem to work out with another classmate. It also looks like review our work or how we handled a problem and evaluating how well that worked for us (did it help or hurt the situation? did I get what I had hoped for?) and determining if something should be done differently next time.

At home, this can look like finishing a hard project...fall yard clean up is around the corner. :) Perhaps this student is finishing out a sport or committment that they really want to quit because it's hard. Reflecting with your child on their day, what went well, what was hard for them and what they would or could do differently in the future is great family conversation and a great way to stay connected to what your child is doing in school on a day to day basis. Also, ask your kiddo how they think about their thinking. They can likely give you some metacognitive strategies.

Wow! End of first quarter is quickly approaching. Thank you for coming in for some communication and collaboration regarding your child during parent/teacher conferences! We had a great Sept. as we kicked off the beginning of the school year and have started up many of our clubs!

All School Field Trip:

We are going on another free all school field trip! This time we are headed to Pueblo to see the Nutcracker in a Nutshell! We are so excited! Your student should have brought home a note on a green half sheet of paper regarding this field trip on 11/16. Please let us know if you already know that your child will NOT be in school that day (by Oct. 10), as we need to give a head count. This performance is not open to public and seating is limited, so we are unable to take any parents with us.

Next Generation Facilities Plan- Bond (4A) Opportunity:

Superintendent Hartman attended the September PTO meeting to share information regarding 4A- the proposed bond that will address needs at CCHS, CES, McKinley and Lincoln. He will be back at CES on OCTOBER 26 at 6:00 for a tour of the school as well as to share the information for anyone else who is interested in learning more. This is open to the public. There is information on display boards as you walk into our building as well as on the district website.

https://www.canoncityschools.org/bond-question

Choice Theory Tidbit:

A misnomer of Choice Theory is often that kids get to pick and choose what they want. Choice theory isn't about doing what you want and it certainly isn't about being free from the consequences of those choices. For example, homework- students can be given the choice- do you want to do your homework before or after dinner? Would you like to do your homework at the kitchen table or coffee table? The question isn't whether or not you want to do your homework. However, in real life, I find that students (and my children) often try to interject a secret option #3, like- I don't want to do my homework at all. Let's face it, we can't actually make them think, figure out a math problem and write it down. We can alter our structured choices to be, you can do math now, or you can do math later, but there is no technology, playing with toys, etc. until your math is completed, whether that is today or tomorrow.

Depth and Complexity:

We are thinking! For this month, you can help us focus on Language of the Discipline.

Language of the Discipline strengthens students domain specific vocabulary- Let's think and talk like a mathematician, historian, etc. You can support this by using the language or your discipline in your home, but also by asking them- what is the language of the discipline? Your children have strong vocabularies- make them use it and show you! At school, we use this thinking tool to assist students in also understanding the structure and use of language through effective speaking and listening as well.

Important dates: (note: the Fridays that we are in session are FULL days)

10/6- Full Day Friday

10/12- MUSEUM NIGHT 6:00

10/13- No School

10/19- PTO 6:00

10/20- Full Day Friday

10/26-Bond 4A information/building tour 6:00

10/26-Advisory Council meeting 6:30

10/31- Character Day!

11/16- All School Field Trip