Mission Statement
Collier Elementary is a community of learners where every child is entitled to a safe, nurturing and motivating environment focused on core academics and where every teacher is dedicated to developing each student’s potential.
Driven by the “Guiding Principles” of LESD #65, every teacher, student, administrator and parent will work together to create well-rounded learners through emphasis on academics, creative arts, athletics, and life skills.
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350 S. 118th Avenue
Avondale, AZ 85323
School Ph. #: 623.478.5900
Attendance Line #: 623.478.5901
Fax #: 623.478-5920
February 2012
Administrative Team
Ms. Pitts, Principal*** Mrs. Donna Malone, Asst. Principal***Ms. Eastep, Dean of Students
In the month of February, we as a leadership team would like to focus on parents and guardians as partners. Decades of research shows the positive effect of parents and guardians being involved in their child’s life and education. According to the National PTA, when parents are involved, students have higher achievement, better attendance, and higher rates of graduation and post-secondary enrollment; more motivation and better self-esteem; and fewer disciplinary problems. These positive benefits hold true for all ages and grade levels.
We would like to begin a committee to provide parents and guardians a voice regarding Make Your Day. If interested, please contact the front office.
Upcoming Events
2/2 TITLE I Parent meeting Collier 5:30pm
2/9 Special Area Night 5pm-7pm
2/10 Dance 6th, 7th, 8th Grade 5pm-7pm
2/14 Board Meeting ULC 6pm
2/20 NO SCHOOL (PRESIDENTS DAY)
2/23 Social Studies Night 5pm-7pm
2/28 Special Board Meeting 6pm
3/1-8 Book Fair Collier Library
3/7-9 Parent Teacher Conferences
“Telling an Adult about BULLYING is not TATTLING”
In kindergarten, we are working hard on learning how to blend sounds into words as well as reading high frequency words. The kindergartners should be able to read 100 high frequency words by the end of the school year. We are also learning different strategies to help us figure out words in stories that we may not know. In math, we are learning about place value and how to count tens and ones.
First graders are developing their reading and writing skills. This quarter the focus is on the correct usage of verbs, adjectives and conjunctions. Students are developing skills to assist them in forming and writing their opinion on a given topic. In math, the students continue to develop strategies to solve addition or subtraction double digit word problems and comparison of place value. Students will develop skills to compose and distinguish two-dimensional shapes. The Readers for Life is a vital part of the student’s homework. Thanks for your support.
We have learned about money! We now know how to identify and count collections of coins to $1.00. Moms and dads; no longer will you be able to impress your child with 10 pennies! We know that handful of money is only worth 10 cents! We’d prefer four quarters please. J Coming up in math is geometry, time, and measurement. In reading and writing, we have worked hard on locating and writing details found in expository text. We will move on to learn more about plot, characters, and setting in literature. We will also begin poetry, focusing on rich vocabulary that creates a visual and auditory experience for the reader. As you can see, with such a fascinating world to explore all around us, there is not a moment wasted here in 2nd grade.
The third grade team would like to remind parents that breakfast starts at 7:25am and ends promptly at 7:40am. Please continue to read every night, and fill out the Readers for Life packet. Don’t forget to sign your child’s agenda every night. In our language arts block the students have been focusing on alphabetizing to the third letter, locating facts in expository text, and organizational features. In math the students have been working hard on number sorts, input/output tables, and estimation. The students have also been busy working on expository reports in writing!
It is important to note that AIMS testing will be upon us very soon. Please work with your child nightly on skills that you know they lack in. We would also like to remind parents to sign “Readers for Life” nightly and to make sure your child is Reading. Remember Readers Make Strong Leaders! One last note, homework is handed out on Monday and must be returned by Friday.
Our scholars are really committed to the Readers for Life program. Please remember to sign their reading logs nightly and make sure that they bring this to school.
We will be giving Fifth Graders Extra Credit in Social Studies for participating in Social Studies Night. Please mark your calendars and plan on being there!
Students also need to practice times tables daily. Some are becoming “rusty” with basic multiplication. Please practice this daily!
Language Arts-Students will be working on determining the author’s specific purpose for writing the persuasive text, identifying the facts and details that support the author’s argument regarding a particular idea, subject, concept, or object and describing the intended effect of persuasive strategies and propaganda techniques .
Math- We will be focusing on different forms of measurement.
Science- In Science we will be examining the water cycle and the oceans.
Social Studies- We will be learning about Rome and making connections to the civilizations we have previously studied and to Modern America as well as our Current Events which are due EVERY Wednesday.
Language Arts- In Language Arts students are continuing to work on non-fiction. Ask your child about text features and strategies we use to comprehend informational text.
Math – Math students have been hard at work on Geometry. We will continue to be working on Geometry standards for the rest of the quarter. Please expect a Math handout for homework on Monday - Thursday most weeks.
Science-7th graders will be completing the unit on plate tectonics and begin the unit on ecology. Students will be looking at organisms and their interactions with their environment. Seventh graders will also be starting their science project, look for a letter home later this month.
Social Studies- Social Studies Night is fast approaching. The event will be held February 28th, at 5:00. All games are free.
Language Arts - We are currently learning the persuasive techniques used to compel an audience. Students will be learning how to read and use informational texts to accomplish tasks. Lastly, soon we will be moving into reading and understanding poetry.
Math- This quarter we are covering geometry. Concepts include: Pythagorean Theorem, Surface Area, Volume, Area, Congruency, Similarity, Midpoint Formula, and Proportions. There is also review on concepts that were covered during 1st and 2nd quarter of this school year.
Science- In Science, the 8th graders are now into the Biology Unit. They are learning about DNA, chromosomes, cell division, and will be using this knowledge for understanding how our traits are passed from generation to generation.
Social Studies - Examining the election of Dwight Eisenhower to the presidency ushered in one of the most prosperous periods in American history. Economic growth resulted in increased employment and higher wages throughout the 1950s.
Many students are home alone for a short time each day after school. Sometimes they have trouble with their homework, or they get a bit lonely and just would like a person to talk to. Phone Friend is a free, phone number for children ages 5-18 to call for homework help, play a game, hear a story, or just talk to someone during after school hours. 1-6pm. Phone Friend helps children build self-confidence and problem-solving skills and encourages activities that promote self-sufficiency within parents’ boundaries. They have bilingual help as well. If you are interested in this organization you can check it out on the web: http://www.phonefriendaz.org/
This month’s Pillar of Character is: Citizenship designated by the color purple which is the color of Valor and Honor.
Good Citizens: cooperate, get involved in community affairs, stay informed, vote, are a good neighbor, Obey laws and rules, Respect authority, Protect the environment.
Our Collier Essentials for the month are:
Collier Students:
- Teach Younger Children by their Example
- Cooperate with Others on a Team
- Use the Crosswalk When Crossing a Street
- Recycle Paper and Plastic When Possible
It may sound cliché, but eating a healthy breakfast gives your student a head start. Studies have shown that children who eat breakfast learn better, participate in class more often, behave better, and attend school more often. They even visit the school nurse less frequently.
Breakfast also helps them with a less delicate problem: constipation. A lot of kids go to the nurse's office with stomach pain, and it's often because they did not have a bowel movement at home and don't want to use the school bathroom. "The body is ready to stool within a half hour of eating breakfast, but most kids don't leave enough time in the morning for that. I urge middle and high school kids to get up early enough to eat, shower, and use the bathroom before they go to school.”
Art - Come join Collier for “A Special Night with Special Areas.” The event will take place at Collier on February 9th, 5-7 p.m. There will be concerts, P.E. games, art projects, computer games, and information as well as lots and lots of fun. Students in attendance will be able to earn a “Free Dress Down” day and a special treat from their Special Area Teacher.
Band - We have students involved in Solo and Ensemble Festival on February 25th and All State Band on March 10th. Information about these events will be sent home as soon as they are received by Mr. Rudy. Students will know and will learn the music required. All Collier Band members will be performing at the Specials night at Collier on Thursday, February 9th. All performances will take place in the band room between 5 - 7 p.m. Several advanced band members are performing their Festival solos or ensembles (those playing on February 25th) that evening and all others will be performing solos for parents to hear. Parents, please come to hear them perform. They are doing well and your support means a great deal for their success in band. A complete time of performance will be sent home and posted through the building that evening. All members of the Intermediate band (Beginning Band last semester) will also play this evening.
Computer - In February, 3th-8th 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. The computer lab will be open during the “A Special Night.” Sign up forms for ParentVue will be available for parents who want to have access to grades and attendance of their students. Staff will also provide ParentVue training during the “A Special Night” event.
P.E. - Harmon/Teer: I encourage all parents to attend “A Special Night of Special Areas” it is a great opportunity to understand what your students learn outside the regular education classroom. There will be art, music, games, and many other fun activities and I hope to see everyone in attendance.
Resource- Breaking Tasks Down:
Before you start any task, it is important to have a rough idea of what it is you are setting out to achieve.
You need to know:
By breaking a task down into its smaller pieces you are learning a bit about each of the pieces of the puzzle. This helps you avoid that 'I just don't know where to start' feeling that can make beginning or completing an activity at school a bit (or a lot) of stress!
What you are really doing by thinking about a task in this way is doing a task analysis. We all have areas of our learning where we do better and not so well. Doing a task analysis is all about learning to make the most of your positives and not letting the negatives trip you up along the way.
Bike helmets have saved many children -- and adults -- from serious injury or death. Indeed, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) says helmets are 85 percent effective in reducing head injuries and 88 percent effective in reducing brain injuries. Helmet usage continues to climb as a result of better-fitting and better-looking helmets, public education, and state helmet laws.
February 2012
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