Parent Volunteers Needed at PRE

Two great opportunities to volunteer...

#1 

Nurse Diane will be doing a second height and weight check of students on Wednesday, November 30 and she is in need of 2 morning volunteers and 2 afternoon volunteers. 

The morning session is from 9:10 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

The afternoon session is from 12:10 p.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Please reply if you would like to help and let me know which session is preferable.

#2

Our Holiday Gift Shop will be open December 5-9 for the students to shop for their friends and family.  In order to make this event a success, WE NEED VOLUNTEERS!  The students are allowed to shop during their recess time according to the day that their class is scheduled to shop.  We need enough volunteers to make sure the students get time to shop and make it back to their classrooms on time too.  Please visit the Sign Up Genius website (signupgenius.com) and select "Find A Sign Up".  You will use my e-mail (renee.colvin@yahoo.com) to search for the sign up.  From there, you will be able to select the Holiday Shop Volunteers and see all the available time slots that we need to fill.  You do not have to open an account to use this tool.  I will contact you to confirm and remind you about your time. 

If you know another family member who is not on our PTO Manager list but may be able to help, please forward this on to them. 

Please note that the kindergarten classes shop a bit differently from the other classes.  You do not have to have a kindergartner to help out with those classes.  We need to help everyone shop so please volunteer whenever you can. 

The kids are excited about the Holiday Gift Shop and this is a fun way to volunteer your time.  Holiday attire is not required but encouraged!  :) Feel free to call if you have any questions or trouble using the Sign Up Genius. 

Thank you!

Renee Colvin

720-524-8009/303-345-7388

Vocabulary Words for Nov. 28-Dec. 2

1.       wake- (noun) ripples in the water made by a moving boat

2.       skiff- (noun) a boat small enough for one person to row or sail it

3.       harpoon- (noun) a large barbed spear with a rope on it

4.       culture- (noun) a way of living

5.       artifacts- (noun) human-made objects that help us understand how the people who made them lived

6.       nomadic-(adjective) moving from place to place, often with the changes in seasons to follow sources of food

7.       adapt-(verb) adjust or make changes to survive in a particular environment

8.       mixture- (noun) two or more materials stirred together

9.       solution- (noun) a special mixture formed when a material dissolves in water

10.   dissolving-(verb) one material disperses uniformly into another material, so that the first material seems to disappear (salt water)

Weekly Homework for Nov. 28-Dec. 2

Dear 5^th Graders and Families,

We hope everyone had a fun and relaxing Thanksgiving break. We have 3 weeks before the winter break and we really want to maximize this learning time. Remember to dress appropriately for the weather as we will be having outdoor recess whenever possible. We hope to see you at Skate City this Thursday. Be on the lookout for more information about Barnes and Noble Night and the Holiday Shop coming to Pine Ridge next week!

All homework is due on Friday so be sure to budget your time accordingly. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great week! J

Vocabulary:  On the back of this page are words that come from the other subjects we are currently studying. You need to know the definition, the part of speech, and how to use it correctly in a sentence. You will have a vocabulary test on all 10 words on Friday. The format of the test will vary each week.

Word Work/Spelling: This week we will focus on suffixes and antonyms in Unit 8. Please read the Family Letter and complete the Take-Home Task together to familiarize yourself with the concepts. We will also discuss the spelling rules for adding the suffixes –er,  –ly, and -able to base words. Be sure to look for these words in your reading and writing this week.

Reading:  Read a novel of your choice each night for 20 minutes to become a better reader. In class we will work on making connections (text-text; text-self; text-world) in our Daybook text. We will also work on novels and leveled readers to improve comprehension skills.

Social Studies: Complete the weekly geography worksheet, questions 51-55. Use the provided maps and other resources such as an atlas, globe, or internet websites. Be sure to answer ALL parts of each question!

Writing:  Please write a 5 paragraph essay on loose leaf paper describing your family’s winter holiday traditions. This is something we want you to discuss with your family.  Your teacher and classmates want to know what you celebrate, how you celebrate, and why you celebrate. This is a great way to learn about the diverse cultural traditions and religious beliefs of our community.

Use a circle map, bubble map, tree map, or flow map for prewriting before you begin your draft. Include a colorful illustration with your essay.

Your essay will be graded according to the following scoring guide:

·         Engaging lead

·         Clear purpose statement; content is focused and detailed

·         Writing is organized into 5 paragraphs: introduction, 3 descriptive body paragraphs, & a conclusion

·         Sensory images, power verbs, transition words, and other descriptive language is demonstrated

·         Distinctive voice/tone

·         Correctness: spelling, grammar, capitalization, punctuation

·         Neatness

·         Completeness: Thinking map, 5 paragraph essay, and colorful illustration

·         Be ready to share with the class!

PTO Announcements

Skate City Night December 1

Thursday December 1st, 6-8 pm.  Admission is $4.00, regular skate rental $1.00 and a dinner special for $3.00.  Catch the skate City Fun Bus and get a free ride to and from school.  The bus will pick up children at Pine Ridge at 5:30 and bring them back to school after the party.

Holiday Shop December  5-9

DON'T FORGET THAT THE HOLIDAY GIFT SHOP NEEDS YOUR HELP!  Visit the Sign Up Genius website (signupgenius.com) and select "Find A Sign Up", use renee.colvin@yahoo.com to search for the sign up.  From there, you will be able to select the Holiday Shop Volunteers and see all the available time slots that we need to fill.  

Spirit Wear will also be on sale a couple of days during this week, look for times to come.

Barnes and Noble Bookfair December 6th

Please join Pine Ridge PTO, families and teachers at Barnes & Noble Night on Tuesday December 6th, 4:00 - 8:00 PM.  Principal Carney will be reading on the Main Stage at 5:00 PM and the choir will perform at 6:00 PM.  Hope to see you all at Barnes & Noble!

Earning 4 Learning

Don't forget to turn in your receipts by Monday, Nov. 28th so that I can have them logged by Nov. 30th for the following stores with triple points this month:  American Eagle, The Children's Place, Eddie Bauer, Gap & Gap Kids, Gymboree, New York & Co., Sports Authority, Ted's Montana Grill, Victoria's Secret, Yankee Candle.  Receipts may be dated since August 15.

Campbell's Labels For Education

Please send in any qualifying Campbell's labels for logging by Dec. 16th.  We receive a bonus for anything sent before the end of the year. 

Please contact PTO if you have any questions and have a great week....GO PANTHERS!!!

Your PTO Team

Happy Thanksgiving!

I'm so thankful for all of my students this year! I hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday. We had a great ice-cream party and LEAP assembly today. Congratulations to our first trimester winners: Dua, Angela, Brendan, and Mitchell.

We will have a unit four math test next Wednesday. Here are some practice division problems for you. Email your answers to emilymreese@gmail.com and I will let you know how you do...have fun and don't forget to read a good book too!

1. 247/13
2. 225/15
3. 828/18
4. 1728/36
5. 3276/39
6. 4028/76
7. 1377/55
8. 1835/47
9. 85.5/10
10.75.50/5

Vocabulary Words for Nov. 14-18

1. dredged (verb)- searched for; dug, or gathered

2. parched (adjective)- dried out

3. surged (verb)- sudden increased power

4. delirium (noun)- a state of uncontrolled emotion/losing mental abilities

5. creased (verb) folded; marked; bent

6. vengeance (noun)- a punishment inflicted for an injury or offense

7. reverently (adverb)- to do something in a reverent or respectful way

8. scouring (verb)- scrubbing or looking or searching

9. galvanized (verb)-stimulated by shock

10. quizzically (adverb)- to look at oddly or confused

11. hypnotic (adjective)- related to hypnosis/sleep

12. talons (noun)-claws on a bird

Weekly Homework for November 14-18

Dear 5^th Graders and Families,

It was great connecting with all of our wonderful students and families last week during conferences. We had an excellent turn out and we sincerely appreciate all that you do to support your child at home and school. Congratulations to all 5^th graders for collecting the most canned goods in the school during last week’s food drive. Many families will have a nice Thanksgiving meal because of your generosity. To celebrate our success, we will have an ice cream reward party on Tuesday, November 22! Finally, thank you to all who contributed to our Veteran’s Day celebration last Thursday. The students’ performance was heartfelt and we would just like to say one more THANK YOU to all veterans for all that you do to protect and serve our country.

Friday is Panther Pride Spirit Day. Be sure to wear your PRE spirit wear or blue for a “blue out” day!

Below you will find your homework for this week. All homework is due on Friday so be sure to budget your time accordingly. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great week! J

Vocabulary:  On the back of this page are words that come from the other subjects we are currently studying. You need to know the definition, the part of speech, and how to use it correctly in a sentence. You will have a vocabulary test on all 10 words on Friday. The format of the test will vary each week.

Word Work/Spelling: This week we will focus on compound words in Unit 7. Please read the Family Letter and complete the Take-Home Task together to familiarize yourself with the concepts. We will also discuss the spelling rules for adding the suffixes -ful and –ly to base words. We will also teach possessive pronouns. Be sure to look for these words in your reading and writing this week.

Reading:  Read a novel of your choice each night for 20 minutes to become a better reader. In class we will work on making connections (text-text; text-self; text-world) in our Daybook text. We will also work on novels and leveled readers to improve comprehension skills.

Social Studies: Complete the weekly geography worksheet, questions 46-50. Use the provided maps and other resources such as an atlas, globe, or internet websites. Be sure to answer ALL parts of each question!

Writing:  We will continue to generate essay ideas in our writer’s notebooks using thinking maps (circle map; bubble map; tree map).

Complete the following journal activities in your writer’s notebook this week to become a better writer:

·         Make a FLOW Map sequencing the plot of our read aloud book Touching Spirit Bear

·         Describe 3 connections you have to Touching Spirit Bear in a paragraph

·         Cole hurt many people (including himself) in Touching Spirit Bear. Write a letter of apology to someone you have hurt. Be sincere to show that you have grown as a result of this thought process.

PTO Announcements

This week there will be a Kaiser Permanente Assembly on Thursday-- Health Team Four will demonstrate how food and activity choices impact the future.   This is an interactive play giving children ideas for staying healthy.

Buzz Books

You should have all received one buzz book in your child's Thursday folders last week.  This school directory is a gift to you from the PTO, made possible by the generous advertising by our local (Pine Ridge Family) businesses.  Thanks again to all of the students that submitted artwork for the cover. Congratulations to Taylor Rowland for being selected for the cover artwork.   If you would like an additional copy for $5.00, please contact Tonya Barber tonyatb@msn.com.

Barnes & Noble

Barnes & Noble night is coming up on Tuesday, December 6th, please look for information in your child's Thursday folder pertaining to the event. Choir performance will be at 6:30 that evening.

Skate City

Thursday, December 1st will be Pine Ridge Skate City night, information on this event will come home as well.

Teacher Information

Para Professional Day is Wednesday.  Thank you to all of our wonderful Para's, we so appreciate all of the hard work they do for our teachers and our school.  We would also like to thank all of our teachers for working so hard during conferences last week.  Dinner was provided for the teachers on Wed. evening by Jim and Nicks BBQ.  Thank you to all of our families that enjoyed the Jim and Nicks BBQ night a few weeks ago, the proceeds from that night provided dinner for our teachers.

Veterans Day

We had a wonderful Veterans Day Celebration on Thursday, thank you to all of our Veterans, their families, our students and the staff for making this a memorable event.  Thank you to several of our families for bringing in lunch for our Veterans that day, we always appreciate your support and thoughtfulness.

Pine Ridge Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Pine-Ridge-Elementary-School/148679781822964

Earning 4 Learning

Sign Up For Earning 4 Learning E-Mail & Earn Up To 2,000 Points Visit shoppingpartnership.com and select Southlands to register. After you join, you'll receive details to earn an additional 1,000 points. Limit one e-mail address per person. Must be at least 13 years of age.

Earning 4 Learning e-mails are sent once or twice a month and feature exclusive Earning 4 Learning bonus offers.

As Always, thank you to all of our families for their support.....GO PANTHERS!!!!

Your PTO Team

PTO Announcements

Student Council Canned Food Drive

Student Council will be holding a 4 day food drive to benefit needy families within CCSD.  The food drive is also a friendly competition between grade levels here at Pine Ridge.  The grade level with the most non-perishable food items will be rewarded with an ice cream party!!!!   Each item is worth 1 point.  There will be ONE bonus item (peanut butter) that will earn your grade level 5 points!!!!  The winning grade level is based on the average number of points per student (not total points) due to different number of students at each grade.  Watch the daily totals at the main office.  Good luck and thanks for your support.

Fun Run

Please turn in any last minute envelopes/pledges by Thursday Nov. 10th, thanks again for all of you hard work and dedication to our main fundraiser.

Book Fair

Please visit the book fair this week Monday and Tuesday from 4:00 to 5:30 in the library.  The book fair will be open during conference on Wed. & Thurs. from 4:00 to 7:00. 

REMEMBER  that Teacher Conferences are this week, please contact your teacher if you have not signed up for a conference time.

Veterans Day Celebration will be on Thursday November 10th.

Earning 4 Learning

Here are a couple ways you can help us earn more points for our school:

PURCHASE A SOUTHLANDS GIFT CARD AND EARN 1,000 POINTS Available from the Southlands Management Office or online at shopsouthlands.com. 1,000 bonus points is in addition to the points earned per dollar spent.

EARN 1,000 POINTS WHEN YOU BUY A SANTA PHOTO Visit the Santa Photo Experience, located next to Ted's Montana Grill, log your receipt and earn 1,000 bonus points. Check shopsouthlands.com for special pet photo nights.

Box Tops

We finished up strong with the Box Tops collecting 13,050 total!  The classroom winners were:

1st place - Mrs. Woolnough with 1523

2nd place - Mrs. Crowe with 1269

3rd place - Ms. Mahnke with 767

Way to go!  That's an amazing amount of Box Tops collected!  The next opportunity will be in February.  Thank you for your support!

REMEMBER NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY DUE TO NON CONTACT DAY. HAVE A FUN LONG WEEKEND.  Thank you for all of your continued support.  Please contact PTO if you would like to volunteer or if you have any questions.  Thanks, Your PTO Team

GO PANTHERS!!!!!!

Weekly Homework for November 7-10

Dear 5^th Graders and Families,

I look forward to seeing everyone at conferences this week. Don’t forget that students are required to attend the conference. Please return the report card envelope to school so we can reuse it for the next trimester. Also, this week is the Student Council Food Drive. If you could donate nonperishable food items (especially peanut butter) for families in need this holiday season we would be extremely grateful. Remember, there is no school for students on Friday, November 11. Enjoy your day off!  

Below you will find your homework for this week. All homework is due on THURSDAY so be sure to budget your time accordingly. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great week! J

Vocabulary: We will not have a vocabulary test this week.

Word Work/Spelling: This week we will review commonly misspelled words so be sure to study each night for the test on Thursday. There are 20 words:

about                      no                           by                            didn’t

except                    know                      buy                         doesn’t

myself                    knew                      one                         who

usually                    new                        won                        something

what                       then                        especially              sometimes

Below are the assignments for the week. Please staple them all together and turn them in on Thursday for a grade.

·         Write each word 5X each in cursive

·         Write your words in alphabetical order

·         Write a story (at least one paragraph/8-10 sentences) using all of your words. Underline each word.

Reading:  Read a novel of your choice each night for 20 minutes to become a better reader. In class, we will begin reading “paired novels.” We will focus on “becoming an active reader” by learning skills such as making connections, asking questions, determining importance, visualizing, inferring, and synthesizing.  You and your partner will decide how much to read each night for homework. We will also be creating a book to analyze our novels. You will be responsible for completing activities in your book each night. This book will be a large part of your reading grade.  

Writing: We will begin generating ideas for essay writing in our writer’s notebook. There will be nightly journal activities to complete in your writer’s notebook.

·         Should there be an age limit for trick-or-treating?

·         Should students be required to wear uniforms at PRE?

·         Should Ameritowne be a field trip for 5^th grade students next year?

Social Studies: Complete the weekly geography worksheet, questions 41-45. Use the provided maps and other resources such as an atlas, globe, or internet websites. There will be a geography quiz this week and a Unit 1 Test.

We hope you can join us on Thursday for our Veteran’s Day program. 9:45 a.m. – Veteran’s arrive and get their picture taken

11:00 – 11:30 a.m. – Program for Vet’s – 4^th and 5^th will sing and perform. Lunch will be after the program.

Snow Day!

I hope everyone is enjoying the SNOW DAY! What FUN!

Just a reminder that all work assigned on Monday will still be due on Friday.I hope you are getting some good reading in on this cold, snowy day! The only exception is that Ms. Reese's math class will have to postpone the Unit 3 Test until next Monday. See you tomorrow! :)

In case you still need to sign up for conferences next week here is the link to the website. Please let me know if you have any problems signing up. Thanks!

www.SignUpGenius.com/go/fall4902

PTO Announcements

Monster Mash was a huge success, thank you to all of our families and teachers who attended and a big thanks to all of our volunteers.

Fun Run

It is not too late to turn in your pledge envelopes and money.  Please make sure all money and envelopes are turned into your teachers by Nov. 10th.  Thanks again for all of you support and hard work.

Picture Retake

Friday November 4th will be picture retake day.

Earning 4 Learning

 EARN TRIPLE POINTS OCTOBER 15-NOVEMBER 30 from these stores:

American Eagle, The Children's Place, Eddie Bauer, Gap & Gap Kids, Gymboree, New York & Co., Sports Authority, Ted's Montana Grill, Victoria's Secret, Yankee Candle.

Receipts may be dated since August 15.

Campbell's Labels for Education

 We are collecting these labels and will be sending them in around the Winter Break.  Please send in any Campbell's labels you may have with your child to school.  You can visit:  http://www.labelsforeducation.com/How-to-Earn/Participating-Products to see the list of eligible products.  There is also a drop box in the school lobby by the tv.  Thank you for your support!

There will be no PTO General Meeting in November, we will resume after the holidays.

Barnes and Nobel night will be December 6th; more information will follow in a few weeks.

Buzz Book is finished and should be sent home with your child later this week.

Cookbooks will be distributed toward the end of November.

Thank you for all of your continued support and please remember to contact your PTO team if you should have any questions, concerns or ideas.

Thanks and have a great week.

CCSD Newsletter Information

Did you know that Cherry Creek School District has a Homeless Liaison?    Families who are currently experiencing homelessness or in transitional housing are protected under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance Act.   Parents should contact the Homeless Liaison with questions or for assistance with issues related to their child’s education.   

CCSD Homeless Liaison: Vicky Lisi (720-554-4555)

Vocabulary Words for Oct.31-Nov. 4

All Vocabulary words this week are NOUNS: people, places, or things

1. geography- the study of the earth and how people interact with it

2. climate- weather of a place over time (temperature; precipitation; wind)

3. globe- 3D model of the earth

4. physical features/landforms- features of the Earth’s surface (mountains; plains; oceans, etc.)

5. compass- shows four CARDINAL DIRECTIONS (north, south, east, west) and four INTERMEDIATE DIRECTIONS (NW, SW, SE, NE)

6. lines of latitude- parallel lines that run east to west (parallels)

7. lines of longitude- parallel lines that run north to south (meridians)

8. tessellation- a pattern of shapes that covers a surface completely with NO GAPS OR OVERLAPS

9. polygon- 2D figure formed by three or more line segments that meet at vertices to make a closed path and do not cross.

10. precipitation- rain, snow, sleet, hail, or form of water that falls from the sky (part of a place’s weather and climate)

Weekly Homework for October 31-November 4

Dear 5^th Graders and Families,

We hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing fall break! We are excited to get back into the swing of school and set new goals for the second trimester. Please check your email for important information regarding conferences. The email will direct you to a website for you to sign-up for the time that works best for you. Conferences will be held the week of November 7-11. There is no school for students on Friday, November 11. If these times do not work for you, please contact me via email or phone so we can schedule a different time. Students are required to attend the conference. Power School has been updated over the weekend. Any missing work must be completed by tomorrow, Tuesday, November 1 or it will negatively impact scores. Report cards will go home this Friday, November 4.

Have you been reading our class website/blog? Check us out at www.prereese.blogspot.com to stay on top of current events happening in our classroom and at Pine Ridge. Below you will find your homework for this week. All homework is due on Friday so be sure to budget your time accordingly. Please let us know if you have any questions or concerns. Have a great week! J

Vocabulary: On the back of this page are words that come from the other subjects we are currently studying. You need to know the definition, the part of speech, and how to use it correctly in a sentence. You will have a vocabulary test on all 10 words on Friday. The format of the test will vary each week.

Word Work/Spelling:  Each night you will need to study your spelling words for homework. The Spelling test will be on Friday. Read the attached letter carefully to discover the spelling words this week and understand the concepts we will be teaching in class. This week we are focusing on different patterns for the sound /o/ (o, al, au, aw, and a). “Rough Toughies” are words that have /ou/ spelled ou or ow, but be careful! The patterns can have different sounds. (ex: your, brought, through, could, enough, dough, etc.) We will also practice spelling the homophones there, their, and they’re correctly in our writing.

Reading: We will begin reading “paired novels” in class. You and your partner will decide how much to read each night for homework. We will also be creating a book to analyze our novels. You will be responsible for completing activities in your book each night. This book will be a large part of your reading grade.  

Writing: We will be publishing our personal narratives this week by creating a book with illustrations. We will also begin generating ideas for our next unit on essay writing.

Social Studies: Complete the weekly geography worksheet, questions 36-40. Use the provided maps and other resources such as an atlas, globe, or internet websites. There will be a quiz on Friday.

This week we will begin our History Alive curriculum. Unit 1 focuses on geography. There will be a unit assessment almost every week. Information for the tests will be covered in class. Large amounts of studying should not be required if you actively participate in class discussions and activities. It is very important to be at school so as not to miss all of these fun, hands-on lessons!

Science: We will begin a new FOSS unit this week: Mixtures and Solutions. Be sure to read the Family Letter and discuss it with your child.  

Math: Ms. Reese’s math class will have a test on Unit 3 on Friday.