Ridgeway RAP December 6, 2024

December

• Tuesday, December 10 - Picture Retakes
• Friday, December 13 - Unit C Planetarium Field Trip
• Friday, December 20 - Winter Parties
• December 23 - January 3 - No School Winter Break

January

• Friday, January 3 - No School - Teacher Work Day
• Monday, January 6 - School Resumes
• Thursday, January 9 - PTSA Meeting 6:30 PM
• Friday, January 10 - Munch-n-Read, Unit A families welcome, 1:50 - 2:20
• Monday, January 20 - No School, MLK Jr. Day
• Thursday, January 23 - Talent Show 5:30 - 7:00 PM

Tuesday/Thursday Morning (7:10-7:35 AM)

Running Club - Tuesday, December 10 and Thursday, December 12

Afternoon Clubs

Monday, December 9 - Math Club

Tuesday, December 10 - No Clubs

Wednesday, December 11 - Photography and Yearbook Club

Thursday, December 12 - No Clubs

Friday, December 13 - No Clubs

If you're satisfied with your child's picture, no further action is required.

If you purchased and were unhappy with your Picture Package, please send your Picture Package to school with your student on Retake Day. Your Retake Picture Package will be produced and shipped to the school four weeks after Retake Day.

Students who were absent for Picture Day should come to school prepared to have their picture taken. If you have not preordered, please use the Retake Order Code 86884HF to place your order at https://inter-state.com/Order. To see your Order History, check your Inter-State Account.

Find answers to Retake Day questions here.

***Please note, if your child is photographed on the original and Retake Picture Days, the Retake picture will replace the original picture in certain products, like the yearbook.

The Columbia Public Schools Foundation is a wonderful organization that supports our teachers and students here in CPS. This year they started a new funding opportunity called the “Students First Grant”. School administrators could apply for up to $6,000 for a project that would impact the whole building/all students. We submitted a grant proposal to purchase Lego Spike Kits and Apple Pencils. The Foundation visited Ridgeway this week to surprise us with a BIG check to fund this project! We are so excited for the additional STEM opportunities students will have through Lego Spike Kits and the MANY cool tools, projects and strategies that can be completed and enhanced using Apple pencils.

There have been some questions and concerns regarding indoor recess at the start of this week and I wanted to clarify our procedures. We did not have indoor recess simply due to snow, because students don’t have snow gear, or due to temperature. We were not able to go outside due to the amount of ice on the blacktop and metal playground equipment. Keep in mind that this year we don’t have the ability to put kids in the field or on plastic play structures like we typically do. Our space is limited to a blacktop and metal climber/equipment, so when things are covered in snow and ice, it is unsafe for 80 children to play in that confined space.

When we hold indoor recess, the amount of time students actually have to complete activities is limited. By the time we line kids up, transition them upstairs to their classrooms, get everyone settled, review directions/expectations and get materials out, we don’t have an extended period of time. While playing board games, doing crafts, etc. are fun things for students to do, it is not always feasible during indoor lunch recess, depending on lots of variables. Most classrooms offer choices of different activities students can participate in, many non technology related. If your child is reporting they get “iPad free time”, it is likely that the “free time” was them getting to choose from a list of educational apps we utilize at school. If you ever have questions or concerns about what your child is utilizing an iPad for (or any other topic), please reach out to your child’s teacher. That is always the best place to start when questions or concerns arise.

Looking ahead to future snow and ice… I would love to have volunteers to clear the playground the next time it snows, which several parents/families have already offered to do. We truly have the best parent community!

Thank you for your continued support. Have a fantastic weekend!

Athletic Wear 12/9

RWE Spirit Day 12/12

Festive Sweaters 12/13

Festive Socks 12/16

Holiday Sweater 12/17

Red and Green 12/18

Hat 12/19

PJ Day 12/20

**Reading:** We have started our unit on holidays around the world, and we are having a great time learning about our family traditions. Next week, we will explore Christmas in Germany, the Netherlands, and Italy, followed by a study of Hanukkah, Diwali, and Kwanzaa.

**Writing:** We have been busy working on informational writing to create travel brochures that showcase all the different places we are studying.

**Fundations (Mincke/Triplett):** We are beginning our work on the formation of uppercase letters. We will also focus on CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words and medial vowels.

**Phonics (Blades/Horn):** We continue our work with blends, adding "th," "sh," and "nk" at the end of words. Our new high-frequency words include: was, then, there, could, these, were, and are.

**Math (Mincke/Triplett):** We wrapped up Unit 3, which focused on 2D shapes, number concepts, and graphing. We are excited to move on to Unit 4, where we will concentrate more on addition and subtraction concepts.

**Math (Blades/Horn):** We worked on data, measurement, and adding/subtracting to 100 with accuracy.

• Please double check with your student if they need pencils. Lots of students are running out!
• If you are interested in volunteering for our winter parties please click this link to sign up. https://forms.gle/dDkM6RRYWHxBJgeLA
• All unit b math students are learning about measurement! Both imperial and metric. Third grade students will learn how to measure to the nearest quarter inch. Second graders will learn how to measure to the nearest whole inch or centimeter.

• Winter party supply sign up:

  • https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040D4BABAF2CA5FE3-53776333-unit

In social studies, we have been learning about the road to the Revolutionary War. In this unit, we are discussing topics such as the French and Indian War, the Boston Tea Party, taxes, importing and exporting, and the phrase "No taxation without representation.

Unit C Winter Party Sign Up https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA4AB2EA02-53795470-unit

https://forms.gle/PD42LFrPDrhrqBny9

Volunteer to wrap gifts for RWE Staff the week of Dec 16-19 (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0C4BA4AB2EA02-53633100-ridgeway)