Tiger Talk

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February 2025

Dear Tiger Families, 

February brings a mix of weather, but inside RSES, we are steady and focused. This time of year, from January to March, is truly inspiring as we dive deep into our curriculum with minimal interruptions.

Our intermediate grades are solidifying essential skills and knowledge for the upcoming CMAS state test in April, while our primary grades are experiencing significant growth in both learning and social skills. Yet, it has been our school-wide efforts to foster a culture of respect, success, empowerment, and problem-solving that have provided the greatest gains.

We have worked steadfastly with your children to learn about, understand, and practice these character traits as we internalize them and what it means to be a Red Sandstone Tiger. As a result, we regularly hear compliments regarding our students and your children. Community members and substitute teachers have praised our students for their respectful behavior, and our community partners frequently commend their conduct. This feedback validates our efforts but also constantly reminds us of what a special place RSES is and how grateful we all are to be a part of it.

Coincidentally, in 7 Mindsets, our social-emotional learning curriculum, we have been focusing on having an "Attitude of Gratitude". I write today to tell you that we are grateful to be where we are, doing what we do, with all of you.  I ask that in this Valentine’s Day month, you consider sharing with your child’s teacher or any school staff what you and/or your child are grateful for. Warm words will help us all battle the crazy cold days that lie ahead.

We will continue to hold high expectations for your children, just as we do for ourselves. We appreciate your faith in us as we believe in our collective potential to achieve great things.

Gratefully,

Anne C. Heckman

Important Dates:
  • Feb. 3rd and 4th – Learn to Ski 
  • Feb. 6th – CORRECTION: NO Green Team
  • Feb. 11th – School Accountability Committee @ 3:15pm
  • Feb. 13th – Green Team @ 3pm
  • Feb. 14th – Spirit Day: Wear Red
  • Feb. 17th-20th – Parent-Teacher Conferences + Book Fair
  • Feb. 24th-Feb.28th – Mid-Winter Break, No School
STEM Update from Mrs. Fletcher 

We were busy in January with so many projects! Our youngest scientists kicked off our animal unit exploring camouflage and animal movement. The 2nd graders were zip-line engineers this month! They experimented with gravity and friction - some rides were faster than others! Turns out, friction really slows things down! It was a great way to see them problem-solve and understand how these forces work in real life. 3rd grade took on the challenge of designing their own mazes, then coding robots to navigate them. They had to think carefully about angles (we focused on 90 / 180 / 270 degree angles) and how to program their robots to follow the path. It was amazing to see their creativity and tech skills come together.

Music Update from Mrs. Archey 

The music classes are studying about The Orchestra.  Kindergarten through 2nd grade have listened to some incredible music by famous composers and identified the instruments playing the parts.  3rd grade through 5th grade are still working on becoming the best percussionists ever - we also played some really interesting music!

Art Update from Ms. Miz

Kindergarten artists are just wrapping up on their playground sculpture project. We expanded on knowledge of different types of lines and had so much fun manipulating paper!

First grade artists just started learning about how to create a still life drawing. Stay tuned to see what the cuddly subject matter is!

Second grade artists have been hard at work learning how to weave. They have been going over/under again and again with paper to create some amazing masterpieces!

Third grade artists just finished up on their Worry Doll lesson. We all really enjoyed hearing the Guatemalan stories about how these special creations first came to be.

Fourth grade artists have been busy wrapping and weaving on their unique animal looms.

Fifth grade artists are finishing up on their Cubism inspired cardboard sculptures. They will close out the project with some reflection on their art process.

SEL Update from Mrs. Asia

This month in SEL class, we are exploring a new mindset: the Attitude of Gratitude.

The Attitude of Gratitude Mindset teaches us the importance of seeking the positives from every experience and being thankful for all that we have. Through this mindset, we learn that we can use the positives or the negatives of our lives as the foundation on which to build. Choose the positives, and we are on our way toward extraordinary success; choose the negatives, and we embark on a path toward disappointment, resentment, and suffering. In these lessons, we guide students to focus on all the things they have, leaving no time to be distracted by what they don’t.

The 4 key components of the Attitude of Gratitude:

  1. Treasure Yourself – Embrace your unique qualities and recognize your worth, focusing on the good within you to create a fulfilling life.
  2. Be More Grateful – Choose to focus on the positive aspects of life, which will grow and guide you toward your goals, rather than dwelling on regret or negativity.
  3. Thank It Forward – Doing something kind for others, especially expressing gratitude, not only makes them feel appreciated but also boosts your own happiness.
  4. Elevate Your Perspective – View challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. Adversity often leads to valuable lessons that contribute to long-term success.

All of the students engaged in art activities to express the mindset of gratitude, positivity and love.

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