March 24, 2016
COLUMBIAN
Columbian Elementary envisions a community of students, staff and families that share the joy of
learning to achieve a positive impact on the global society.
Attendance
Our goal is to have
97% daily
attendance!
Why is attendance a priority?
Absences, excused or
unexcused, are harmful to
learning as completing work
outside of class is not as
effective as the experience
of doing it in class.
Experiences such as class
discussions and studentteacher interactions can not
be created outside the
classroom or at a later time.
In Event of an absence - If your
son / daughter will be
absent a call to the school
attendance line must be
made by leaving a message
on Columbian’s attendance
line 720-424-8606. If the child
is absent more than 2 days
due to illness a doctors note
is required.
Our current daily
attendance average
for this school year is
92.9%, well below our
goal. PLEASE ensure
your child is in school on
time every day!
Parent Teacher Home Visits
Columbian teachers, staff and families are participating in the
Parent Teacher Home Visit (PTHV) Program. The goal is to
start by building a strong and positive relationship between the
family and the school. The visits begin with the teacher asking
about the family’s hopes and dreams for their child. By
involving the parents and families, we create a better chance of
success for students. This year we have conducted more than
60 home visits! If you are interested in having a home visit
please stop by the office and speak to America Galan our
Family and Community Liaison or Andrew Hodges our
Assistant Principal to get a home visit scheduled with your
child’s teacher. Sign up for your home visit today!
Colorado Measures of Academic Success
(CMAS)
Last week students in the 3rd, 4th and 5th grade classrooms
began CMAS testing. CMAS assessments are delivered online,
replacing traditional paper and pencil tests. Students take Math
and English Language Arts in 3rd, 4th and 5th grades and
Science in 5th grade. Please support students in doing their best
on their assessments by being encouraging and asking
how your child is feeling about taking assessments.
1
March 24, 2016
Change of Schedule
Ensure your child to does his or her best by helping
them to get a good night’s sleep, eating a good breakfast
and being on time at school. Results will be published in
late summer and sent out to parents after school starts
next fall.
Light Sails
New Daily Schedule Next
Fall: Beginning in August the
school start time will be 8:15
in the morning and dismissal
will remain the same at 3:15.
Non-student Contact Days
Next year there will be four
non-student contact days
that are for Columbian
students only. Teachers and
staff will utilize the time for
professional learning to
ensure high levels of
for 2016-2017
implementation
of our new
Math curriculum, Bridges
into Mathematics.
There will be no school for
students on:
Oct. 31st, 2016
Dec. 21st, 2016
th
Feb. 17 , 2017
April 4th , 2017
Light Sails accelerates
literacy development and
fosters a love of reading.
Student engagement and
motivation are key factors in
student reading success.
Columbian is pleased to
share that in addition to our Accelerated Reader
program our
3rd grades have kicked of the use of the Light Sails
reading application this month. Light Sails is an online
reading application that allows teacher and students to
create personalized libraries for students to read books
at their independent
reading level. Following the reading of the online book
students complete an assessment that evaluates the
students level of comprehension of what they read. The
more students read books at their level the more they
will grow as readers and learners!
kNew Uniform Selection
We are beginning to discuss a change in school uniform for the
2016-2017 school year. The topic has been discussed with
parents in attendance at Chat and Charla with Principal Jeni
Rouse this month. Teachers will be giving input as to colors and
a new logo. Please be on the look out for written
communication that invites your family to participate in the
new uniform selection process.
Mark Your Calendar
Math Night – April 27
Spring Fling – May 21
Field Day – May 26
5th Grade Continuation – June 2
2
March 24, 2016
3