350 S. 118^th Avenue                                                              

Avondale, AZ 85323

School Ph. #: 623.478.5900

Attendance Line #: 623.478.5901

Fax #: 623.478-5920           

                                                                                                                                                       May 2012

The year is coming to an end. We have shared a great year together. Thank you to our fabulous Collier staff and hardworking PTA. Thank you Collier community for a great year!!! I want everyone to have a safe and restful summer break. Look forward to seeing everyone in the 2012-2013 school -year.

Check out the free Summer Reading Program at our local Avondale Public Library- just behind City Hall on Avondale Blvd. Children can get help with their book selections, and it’s free & easy to get a card. (That’s something librarians love to help with!) There are prizes to win, and our scholars will be ready to start 6^th grade in August. The local library is open from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Mondays- Thursday. On Fridays and Saturdays, it is open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Call (623) 333-2602 for additional information. 

Upcoming Events

5-2       Staff Appreciation Day

5-2       K-1 Music concert 5pm

5-3       Collier Science Fair 5pm

5-7       Art Show City of Avondale 5pm

5-8       Governing Board Mtg 6pm

5-10     Band and Choir Concert 6pm

5-16     LES District Music Festival La Joya 6pm

5-21     8^th Grade Learning Boards Celebration 5:30pm

5-23     8^th Grade Promotion 8:30am

“Bullying is NOT a normal part of growing up”

The kindergartners have learned a lot this year.  They are just about ready for 1^st grade.  They have been working hard on addition and subtraction.  They have also been working on writing about information that they have researched.  Thank you for sharing your children with us! Keep them reading all summer!

The first graders enjoyed an exciting and educational day at the Phoenix Zoo.  Each student chose an animal and completed a paragraph with facts they learned.   The first week in May will begin the end of the year assessments. It's important that the students are present and on time every day. The focus in reading will be on reading comprehension and fluency.  We're continuing to focus on various math strategies. We want to thank each parent for your great support and cooperation this year. 

Stanford 10 testing is behind us, and we continue to push hard to grow in our reading speed, comprehension, and writing skills.  We are concentrating on reading and writing expository text, which is providing all kinds of fascinating discussion and learning opportunities.  We are reading and writing about animals, places around the world, and fascinating people who have influenced our culture.  Coming up are more important assessments – our final writing sample and our final DIBELS test.  Please encourage your child to read aloud every day and tell you all the main idea and as many details that they can remember. 

Parents please continue to encourage your child to read at least 30 minutes for homework, and don’t forget to sign your child’s agenda every night. In our language arts block, the students have been focusing on learning the meaning of compound words, describing characters, sequencing events, and identifying the speaker.  In math, the students have been reviewing addition and subtraction, making estimations, and demonstrating the concept of multiplication using multiple models.

Thank you to all the parents that encouraged your child to do their personal best on the AIMS test. We worked so hard all year and we are sure that hard work paid off. For the rest of the year, we will be refining the more difficult skills taught and begin some fifth grade skills. Please continue to monitor your child’s homework in math, spelling, and reading, these significantly affect grades. Readers for Life and spelling contracts are due every Friday. During the summer, don’t let your child’s skills disappear, keep them reading and practicing basic math skills such as: multiplication facts ( also 2 digit by 2 and 3 digit numbers), long division, and story problems. Some helpful websites are: worksheets.com, beaconlearningcenter.com/weblessons, dadsworksheets.com, and math-drills.com. Thank you for all your support as we finish out the year on a strong note.

Our students have been doing their best & doing what’s expected. We are so proud of their efforts to maximize their progress! AIMS testing is over, but active learning continues at Collier until the last day of school. In fact, learning should continue throughout the summer. How?

Please check your child’s Readers for Life logs daily. Have them read aloud to you or a sibling. That’s great practice for increasing Oral Reading Fluency (ORF), and your child will benefit greatly from reading aloud on a daily basis. 

Language Arts- In Language Arts, students will be reviewing standards taught in 1st quarter, be asked to describe the plot and its components (e.g., main events, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution). They will also focus on describing the motivations of major and minor characters and analyzing the influence of setting (e.g., time of day or year, historical period, place, situation) on the problem and resolution.

Math- In math we are going to be working on various group/independent projects based off all the objectives we learned throughout math this year.

Science- In Science, we are completing Science Fair Projects for the upcoming Science Fair on May 3, 2012 and then we will focus on Mass, Density and Volume.

Social Studies- In Social Studies we are working on a research paper and presentation.  This will be done both at home and in class.  Please assist them in staying on track with all the due dates so they can be successful.  The public library is a useful source to get resources for their research.

Language Arts- In Language Arts students will finish up the year by reading the novel The Outsiders. We will review reading strategies and skills each day in preparation for 8th grade.

Math- In Math, 7th graders will be preparing to take their summative assessment for 7th grade and gearing up for 8th grade math. They will continue to have homework four days a week.

Science- In Science, 7th graders will be starting their unit on environmental problems and solutions. They will also be wrapping up the year by completing their science fair projects that are due on May 1st.  On May 3^rd, the students’ projects will be in the science fair.  Join us to see your students’ projects and participate in the many fun science activities.  Hope to see you there. 

Social Studies- In social studies we are almost finished with the school year and it has been a pleasure to teach your student. We will be finishing up the year be learning about the Roaring 20’s and the Great Depression.

Language Arts - For the final four weeks of school the 8th grade in Language Arts will be constructing each person’s own idea of a perfect society. This project will reiterate the topics we discussed in class and will be the student’s final demonstration of all that they’ve accomplished.   

Math- In all math blocks we are covering various topics in Algebra to get students ready for high school math.

Science- Science students are completing their Science Projects and getting ready for the Science Fair on the evening of May 3rd. We will also be researching and reporting on famous and influential scientists in class.

Social Studies - We will be focusing on domestic and foreign policies of recent presidents. Then, we will transition to basic economics to supplement and create their own Society project that will touch the skills and knowledge that has been taught throughout the school year.

Get your kids reading this summer! One very important thing you can do with your child this summer no matter what age, grade, or academic ability, is to READ to them and have them READ to you! PBS has a wonderful website for parents and Kids! You can find lots of Tips on helping your child with reading. There are recommended books, online games, and articles on many different topics. A summer routine that includes daily time with a book will benefit your child as they return in August. Here is the website to get you started:

http://www.pbs.org/parents/readinglanguage/

 Our Collier Essentials for the month are:

Collier Students:

• Are always quiet and respectful in a Public library
• Always follow the expected dress code
• Live so that they will not have regrets, knowing mistakes are opportunities to learn
• Make safe choices around water

Drink more fluids, low in sugar, regardless of your activity level. Don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink. Also, avoid very cold drinks, because they can cause stomach cramps. Stay indoors and if possible, in an air-conditioned place. If your home does not have air conditioning, go to the shopping mall or public library–even a few hours spent in air conditioning can help your body stay cooler when you go back into the heat. Wear lightweight, light-colored, loose-fitting clothing. NEVER leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle.

If you must be out in the heat:

Protect yourself from the sun by wearing a wide-brimmed hat (also keeps you cooler), sunglasses, and by putting on sunscreen of SPF 15 or higher (the most effective products say “broad spectrum” or “UVA/UVB protection” on their labels)

~ Nurse Lee

Art - Please come and join Littleton School District art students for the Sixth Annual Art Show held at the Avondale Civic Center Library.  The show begins on May 2^nd and continues through May 9^th during regular library hours.  A reception for art students showing work will be held on May 7^th, 5-7 PM.  I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe summer and we will see everyone next year!

Band - The intermediate and concert bands will combine for our final concert on, May 10, 2012. Concert dress for students’ will be black and white. The concert will start at 6:00 PM. Also, several members of the band are working on the Littleton Honor Band concert music. That concert will be on Wednesday, May 16, 2012, and it will be held at La Joya High School. Watch for information from your child about this concert.

Computer - In May, third to eighth grade students will work on PowerPoint and Publisher projects.  First and second grade students will continue to read and do math problems on interactive educational web sites.  Eighth grade students will work on their ECAP (Education and Career Action Plan).  Students will create their own folders in the website to reflect their career aspirations. 

E.P. - As the year comes to a close, 7th and 8th graders are busy working on an invention of their own to share with the class. Third and fourth graders are busy designing their own scientific investigation.

Music - There is a lot going on in the Collier Music Department!  Check out these important dates:  May 2nd-Kindergarten and First Grade Spring Concert.  May 10th-Combined MS Band and Choir Concert. May 17th-Band and Choir End of Year Performance at Castles and Coasters.  Hope to see you at some of these events!

P.E.- Harmon/Teer- As the school year comes to an end and the temperature rises the Physical Education Department wants to remind all students to drink plenty of water to stay hydrated. 

Resource- Collier Elementary resource students in grades three through six will be participating in the Quentin Exceptional Olympics Annual Track and Field Meet. The meet will be held on Friday, May 4th, 2012 from 9:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at Quentin Elementary School. The address for Quentin Elementary School is: 11050 W. Whyman Avenue, Avondale, AZ 85323. Thank you to Tamra Fisher, Brittany Van Natter, Roxanne Zamora, and Antoinette Murillo for planning and preparing for this first time event! The students and teachers are thrilled to be first time participants in this district event! If parents and/or students have questions about the event contact: Tamra Fisher, 623-478-5931 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Parents, friends, and family please come join us in cheering on your student! You will want to bring a lawn chair or blanket to the event as there are no bleachers theirt. Students also need to have their medical forms and permission slips turned into their resource teacher by Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012. Students should be dressed in shorts and able to run comfortably in tennis shoes with socks. There will be a hot dog/hamburger lunch provided for all of the students that attend. We look forward to seeing you all there!

With the summer sun fast approaching, please make sure to apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going outside, and use sunscreen even on cloudy days. The SPF should be at least 15 and protect against UVA and UVB rays.