The Wildcat
THE WILDCAT
From the Principal
Welcome Back! I hope you enjoyed some of the spring weather with your children over break! Those warm days
can make us forget that Colorado can have crazy weather sometimes, so please check the forecast for the day and
help your child be prepared for any type of weather the day may bring! I hope you all had a relaxing fun filled
spring break because we are heading down the final stretch of the 2016-17 school year and it is action packed!
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April brings kindergarten registration, 4 grade middle school orientation, class lists for next year, field trips, and
many more exciting events! Mark your calendars because on May 3rd, from 5:00 to 6:30pm, our “CAR”nival Family
Night at Columbine Ford is returning! Listen to grade level autodialers for more information and continue to visit
with your child(ren) about all the learning they accomplish in school. This daily discussion helps students better
retain the information they are gaining each day.
Last week, I returned to Wamsley after back surgery and 7 weeks of medical leave
to recuperate. (It is so great to not have chronic back pain anymore!) It was
SOOOO NICE to see some of you and be back with your students and the
AMAZING staff! I want to thank Mrs. Carpenter, Mr. Hesselberg, and Mrs. Rice for
doing a great job filling in during my absence. I also want to recognize the staff and
students for their cards and support, and for staying focused so lots of learning took
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place! I can’t believe how well your 4 graders play the recorder in just 7 weeks! ☺
Speaking of lots of learning…. It’s time for your students to show what they have
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learned this year! Beginning April 11 , our third and fourth graders will be starting
our state testing sessions. Support your student’s efforts by making sure they are
well rested, have a great breakfast, and a reminder from you about their
perseverance promise. We are looking forward to seeing an increase in
achievement and the growth your students have worked so hard for this year. Go Wildcats!
As I mentioned above, we will begin putting class lists together for next year in the beginning of May. I will
entertain a letter from parents who are interested in a certain type of teacher or atmosphere for their child, but I do
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not take specific teacher requests. This letter needs to be submitted to me by April 27 and should include your
child’s name and a description of the type of teacher or atmosphere you feel your child will be most successful with
next year. As usual there will be some teacher changes because of the number of students enrolled in each grade
level at this time. The administrative team will use the information you provide to best meet your child’s needs.
We have some exciting news to celebrate at Wamsley this month! We had three teams of students compete in the
Western Slope Regional Destination Imagination Tournament on April 1st! Congratulations to the team of Mr.
Hermiller and Ms. Termin, they placed 3rd overall! Mr. Fisher's team also participated and placed 2nd in their
group, and Ms. Kennedy's team competed as Rising Stars! Congratulations to our Wildcat Destination Imagination
students!
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Congratulations to our wings, roots, and kinder readers! They all reached their 3 quarter reading goal and the
week before spring break they enjoyed some time in the dinosaur bouncy house, decorating cookies, and the
rocket park! Ask your child what their goal was and how they achieved it. After third quarter testing, we currently
have 71% of wildcats reading on or above grade level. Remember our goal is for 80% of wildcats to be reading on
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or above grade level by the end of the year! We will be creating a new 4 quarter reading incentive soon, so ask
your student what they are working towards!
You can support our efforts at home by making reading a priority. Thank you for your support and efforts!
This Month’s Reading Tip is Card Tricks: Do you think effective reading only takes place at school, libraries and
book stores? Think again! There are reading opportunities everywhere. Go to a greeting card store with your child
and read the greeting cards together. Later, vote for the ones whose words convey the best birthday wish or getwell sentiment. Reading is ALL around us! Take time to help your student notice it as you complete your daily
routines.
Thank you for sharing your children with us and for all you do to help make our school a great place! Please check
Thursday folders and listen for autodialers in the coming weeks for information regarding all our upcoming events!
As always, call or stop in and let us know how we are doing. Sincerely, Kathi Senor Principal
April 2017
Important Dates
Apr. 5th 4:30-6:30pm
Kindergarten Registration for
new 2017-18 Kinders
Apr. 10th - 13th
PTAC Book Fair
Buy One Get One Free!
Apr. 11th
PARCC Testing Begins
for 3rd & 4th Grades
Apr. 13th 8:30am-2:30pm
Kinder Fieldtrip to Rifle Airport
and Downtown
Apr. 19th
AM & PM Preschool Fieldtrips to
Rifle Library
Apr. 27th 7:30am
Parents 2nd Cup of Coffee
with Kathi Senor
Apr. 27th 3:00pm
ROARS Assembly
May 1st 4:30pm
PTAC Meeting
May 2nd 1:15-3:30pm
3rd Grade Fieldtrip to City Hall
May 1st - 4th
Spirit Week
May 3rd
Spring Picture Day
May 3rd 5:00-6:30pm
CARnival Family Night at
Columbine Ford
Check out our website for all the latest information at: www.wamsleywildcats.org
Find us on Facebook at: Wamsley-Elementary-Wildcats
Please call us before 8:00am if your child will be absent at: 970-665-7950
Si desea información en español, por favor llame a la oficina.
At Wamsley, we strive to grow learners and leaders by encouraging success in every way, every day!
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The Wildcat
April 2017
P.E.
Music
3rd and 4th graders have been working hard to finish
up their Recorder Karate Unit! In this unit, the
students are able to pass off different songs and earn
different belts (colored yarn strings) if they play the
correct rhythm and notes of the songs! This week is
our last week of recorders and most of the students
will finish with their black belts in Recorder Karate!
In PE this past month we worked on our soccer skills.
We worked on dribbling, passing and shooting the
ball. The students worked on controlling the ball. We
worked on shooting the soccer ball to an X on the
wall. This is something I will try to add to Carnival Day
on the last week of school. In April we are starting our
Jump Rope unit and Jump Rope for Heart!
Kindergarten Round-Up
Kindergarten registration for the Class of 2030 will take place
on April 5th from 4:30 to 6:30pm here at Wamsley. Classroom
tours and childcare will be provided. Children must turn 5 years
old before October 1, 2017 to register for next year’s
kindergarten class. The following documents are required to
complete the registration: birth certificate, immunization records, and proof of residency (ex: lease,
utility bill, etc). Free half-day kindergarten is available for all children, and all-day kindergarten is
available on a paid tuition basis. If you aren't able to attend this night, please contact the office.
Preschool
In March, Preschool studied and played with Maps,
Colors, Patterns, and Community Helpers. For the
Community Helper week we talked with the
manager of City Market, the manager of the waste
and recycling company for all of Rifle, and the
Police Department (who brought their dog Tulo!).
Our classes visited our wonderful Wamsley library
and Mrs. Sandquist read us two stories. We also
got to talk with our school nurse about people who
work in the health field. Finally, we each wrote a
letter to ourselves and mailed it home to learn
about the postal system.
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Garfield RE-2 School District’s vision is to encourage, nurture and challenge every student, every day.
The Wildcat
April 2017
Kindergarten
Before spring break we explored the season spring. The Kinders had fun
making butterflies and watching the ants build their home! It was a fun
unit. Since break we have played many games that are helping us
become fluent with subtraction. Your kinder has learned that when we
subtract we take things away. They are getting really good at subtracting.
After wrapping up our unit "Buggy about Spring" we ventured into another
important area of spring; plants! Your student has been discussing and
observing the growing cycle of plants, learning the names of plant parts,
and also how gardens can grow anywhere, from in their backyard to the
middle of a city! The other day we read about a boy who worked on a
farm with his family and in this story he refused to take a bath. His mother told him if he didn't a squash
plant would grow from his ear; and sure enough one did. The boy was so embarrassed he took a bath
right away and his mother made him his favorite dish Calabacitas. So we made Calabacitas in class and
your student loved it! We were lucky enough to have Mrs. Connie from the office come make it for us!
1st Grade
First grade is off to a great start for our last quarter! In science class,
students are learning about animal adaptations that allow animals to
survive in their environments. The kids will also learn about body parts
and behavior. Students are working on narratives during writing. They are
working on including transition words, a beginning, middle, and end.
Eventually, the kids will create their own characters, settings, problems,
and solutions. Students began a new math unit called, “How Many Tens?
How Many Ones?” The students will develop an understanding of place
value. They will also practice strategies for adding within 100. You can
continue helping your child at home by counting forwards and backwards
within 120. This will help build your child’s number sense. Please
continue doing the math and reading homework each night!
2nd Grade
We are off to a great start for the fourth quarter! We
hope everyone had a wonderful spring break and
enjoyed their time off. In Math, we are finishing up our
unit on building the foundations of multiplication and
will move onto addition and subtraction word
problems. In Writing, we will be working on a variety
of research projects. In Social Studies, we are
finishing our unit on economics and will be starting
Science. In Science, we will be learning about
habitats and what it takes for animals to survive. If
you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to
contact your child’s homeroom teacher at 665-7950.
As always, thank you for sharing your child with us!
At Wamsley, we strive to grow learners and leaders by encouraging success in every way, every day!
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The Wildcat
April 2017
3rd Grade
Hello Wamsley families, we had another great month in
third grade. The students are working really hard in all
content areas and the work they are producing is
showing it. In writing we have been giving them
challenging informative and narrative prompts to write
about. In fact, one of the topics was from Social Studies
where the kids had to write an essay about how a bill
becomes a law. They had to explain the exact steps in
the law making process and formulate it into a polished
writing piece. In math we are still working on fractions.
We have moved on to learning what equivalent
fractions are and can show if fractions are bigger than, less than, or equal to each other. They are doing a
great job!! Please continue to play the math games with your child and read with them every night. It's
exciting to see how much they have grown throughout the year with your help!
4th Grade
Can you believe the Fourth Graders will be Middle
School Student in a matter of weeks? We are so proud
of their growth this year! These last two months of
school are going to fly by before you know it. There
are many exciting events coming, so keep watching for
fliers and listening to the autodialer to stay up to date
on all the fun this last quarter as Wamsley Wildcats.
Add to your calendars that parent night will be at Rifle
Middle School on May 17th from 6-7 pm. Fourth grade
will go to RMS to tour the school on May 10th and
attend the annual picnic during school on May 17th.
PARCC and CMAS testing will begin Tuesday, April 11 for two weeks. Please ensure your students
get a good night's sleep to be well rested. Spring pictures are coming May 3rd, so get out your
summer best and get ready to smile!
Our class field trip to the Smuggler Mine and Holden/Marolt Mining & Ranching Museum in Aspen
will be on Thursday May 18th. It will be an exciting experience which includes authentic mine and
ranch buildings, and even the opportunity to go into a real mine. The Smuggler mine and property
were recently sold, so this may be our last opportunity to tour in the mine.
Ms. Daniels is reviewing past knowledge and continuing to build on our understanding of fractions
in math. We will begin multiplying fractions and continue to practice adding and subtracting
fractions. Please keep doing your math game homework. In Science, students designed an
invention to stop heat leaks and continue to learn about types of energy including electrical,
thermal, sound and light energy. Miss. Allen is reviewing all the different types of writing we have
learned about this year in English. We are also learning about different test taking strategies that
students can use before and during a test to help our fourth graders stay confident and in control.
Thanks for all your help and support through this last quarter of the year!
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Garfield RE-2 School District’s vision is to encourage, nurture and challenge every student, every day.
The Wildcat
April 2017
From the Health Room…
Taking Care of Your Teeth - When you get your picture taken, everyone says, "Say cheese! Smile!" So
you do — you open your mouth and show your teeth. When you see the picture, you see a happy person
looking back at you. The healthier those teeth are, the happier you look. Why is that? It's because your
teeth are important in many ways. If you take care of them, they'll help take care of you. Strong, healthy
teeth help you chew the right foods to help you grow. They help you speak clearly. And yes, they help you
look your best.
Why Healthy Teeth Are Important - How does taking care of
your teeth help with all those things? Taking care of your teeth
helps prevent plaque (say: PLAK), which is a clear film of
bacteria (say: bak-TEER-ee-uh) that sticks to your teeth.
After you eat, bacteria go crazy over the sugar on your teeth,
like ants at a picnic. The bacteria break it down into acids that
eat away tooth enamel, causing holes called cavities. Plaque
also causes gingivitis (say: jin-juh-VY-tis), which is gum disease that can make your gums red, swollen,
and sore. Your gums are those soft pink tissues in your mouth that hold your teeth in place.
If you don't take care of your teeth, cavities and unhealthy gums will make your mouth very, very sore.
Eating meals will be difficult. And you won't feel like smiling so much.
Brush at least twice a day - after breakfast and before bedtime. If you can,
brush after lunch or after sweet snacks. Brushing properly breaks down plaque.
It's also important to visit the dentist twice a year. Besides checking for signs of
cavities or gum disease, the dentist will help keep your teeth extra clean and can
help you learn the best way to brush and floss.
It's not just brushing and flossing that keep your teeth healthy — you also need
to be careful about what you eat and drink. Remember, the plaque on your teeth
is just waiting for that sugar to arrive. Eat lots of fruits and vegetables and drink
water instead of soda. And don't forget to smile!
Attention Bus Riders!
State regulations governing the transportation of school
children require that an emergency evacuation drill be
performed at least twice each school year. Every child who
rides a school bus will know what to do in an emergency
requiring an evacuation of the bus. Special needs passengers
are not exempt from this requirement. In fact, there may be
more of a need to practice emergency procedures with these
passengers since they may not be able to exit quickly or
without assistance, and they may learn more easily through repetition. In accordance with state
regulations, Garfield RE-2 School Transportation will be conducting it's bus evacuation at random during
the month of April 2017. This may delay the return time of your student by a few minutes. If you have any
questions regarding the evacuation please call the Transportation Department at 665-7630.
At Wamsley, we strive to grow learners and leaders by encouraging success in every way, every day!
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