February 2025
Peek Inside Lower Elementary
BLACK BEAR
Dear Black Bear Families,
What a wonderful month filled with learning and fun! The weather was perfect, with sunny days that made everything feel bright and lively. The garden bloomed with vibrant flowers, providing the perfect backdrop for all our biology lessons. We delved into the science of plants, pollination, and the environment, bringing the subjects to life right outside the classroom.
Our student teacher, Ms. Anna, brought a fresh dynamic to the classroom. Her creativity and enthusiasm inspired all the children, providing them with new opportunities for growth.
A visit to the farm was an exciting adventure, where the students learned about crops, and the importance of sustainable farming. The best part was returning with fresh produce and goodies, which made for a delicious and memorable experience.
The hard work and dedication of the students paid off during the sleepover, which was a huge success. It was filled with laughter, bonding, and an incredible sense of teamwork. As we prepare for the arrival of spring, the students are energized and ready for the next chapter of learning.
A big thanks to the parents for their continued support throughout the month—it truly makes all the difference!
Warmly,
Ms. Rebeca and Ms. Carmen
COYOTE
Dear Coyote Parents and Families,
Dear Coyote Families,
As we step into February, we continue to witness a lot of growth and collaboration within our classroom community. This past week was particularly inspiring as our third-year students engaged in their annual testing. Their dedication and focus were impressive, but what stood out most was the way it motivated the entire class to put their knowledge to the test. Students came together in groups to support, challenge, and encourage one another.
The process tied in beautifully with our Cosmic Education philosophy, reinforcing the interconnectedness of knowledge and the importance of learning within a supportive community. Whether it was reviewing math concepts, discussing historical events, or practicing reading comprehension, the students embraced any challenge(s) with enthusiasm and a shared sense of purpose.
Thank you for your continued support and for being an integral part of the Coyote Classroom community. We look forward to another month of learning, growth, and meaningful connections!
Warmly,
Ms. Shelby and Ms. Evelyn
Peek Inside Upper Elementary
FALCON
Dear Falcon Parents,
What a busy and exciting month it has been! Here’s a look at everything we’ve been up to and what’s coming up next.
Going Out Adventures: We’ve had so many enriching “going outs” this month! We’ve wrapped up our shopping and preparations for the Upper Elementary Sleepover, which was a wonderful community building opportunity. They also presented their research on a plant and animal, getting ready for our field trip to the Desert Sonoran Museum. Our visit to the museum was a huge success – the students had a blast learning about rocks and minerals, dinosaur bones, wildlife, and many fascinating features of the Sonoran Desert. In addition, a group of students attended a class at the Arizona Worm Farm, further expanding their knowledge of the natural world. We’ve also been taking walks both on and off campus, like to Agritopia Farms, to practice walking in groups and following directions as we prepare for our Big Trip.
That’s Amore Fundraiser: Our fundraiser for the Big Trip was a resounding success! Thanks to our incredible families, we sold out of our chocolate-covered strawberries and served over 80 plates of pasta. The art sale was also a hit, with the children feeling so proud to see their hand-crafted keychains, jewelry, bookmarks, and cards purchased. We are so grateful for everyone’s support!
Mathematics: In math, we’ve been diligently working through state standards while encouraging each child to learn at their own pace. We’ve been focusing on test-taking strategies, evaluating word problems, and familiarizing the students with bubble sheets in preparation for upcoming assessments. Most of the students are now fluent in their multiplication facts and are beginning to work on increasing fluency with division.
Language Arts: Our language lessons have focused on the writing process. The children are gaining confidence in brainstorming, outlining, and drafting paragraphs. Soon, they’ll be moving on to revising and editing, followed by typing their final drafts on the computer. Additionally, every student is working on a book report project, where they’re diving into key story elements like characters, setting, plot, and theme.
Capstone Projects: Our sixth graders have been hard at work on their Capstone Projects. They’ve been diving deep into their chosen topics, preparing questions, and learning how to set up interviews with experts. We are so proud of their dedication to research!
History: We’re thrilled to begin our study of the ancient Greeks! We will kick things off by exploring the various city-states, their clothing, gods and goddesses, and the Greek alphabet. There’s so much to learn, and we’re excited to dive in!
Music: In music, many students are learning basic music theory and rhythm, while others are exploring basic fingering on the keyboard. We’re also having a great time singing together each day!
Art: Our young artists are busy sketching plants and objects they observe in nature. Some students are also learning the craft of origami, exploring their creativity in new ways.
Science: In science, students have been exploring the scientific method and applying it to experiments. Others are diving into the atomic structure of elements on the periodic table. All students are working on creating a nature journal to document their observations and findings in nature.
We have so much more to look forward to in March, and I’m excited for another busy month of learning, growth, and fun!
Warm regards,
Ms. Emily and Ms. Carla
ROADRUNNER
Dear Roadrunner families,
February has been a wonderfully busy and enriching month for our students! With so many new experiences, we’ve begun to lay the groundwork for our exciting adventures ahead, including our Big Trip to California in April. Here’s a look back at all the incredible learning that took place this month.
This month, we introduced nature journaling as a class to sharpen our eyes, hands, and minds for the comparisons we’ll be making between the flora, fauna and ecosystems of California and our own desert landscape. The students began by sketching geometric shapes and learning about shading, which helped them transition into drawing organic shapes and plants from our community garden. To make this experience even more meaningful, we took a walk to Agritopia, a local neighborhood garden known for its lush variety of plant life. We were joined by Ms. Natasha, our art teacher, and Ms. Laura, our garden teacher, who provided valuable guidance. During our visit, we had the pleasant surprise of meeting the wonderful team from Farm Hands, a local organization that offers hands-on garden experiences. They engaged with our students, answering questions and sparking their curiosity. We’re excited to continue our nature journaling practice as we gear up for our big trip!
Some of our students also had the thrilling opportunity to visit the Arizona Worm Farm, where they learned about the microorganisms that help plants thrive and witnessed the full circle of life in action. From hot composting food and land waste to seeing worms creating cold compost, the children explored sustainable farming in action. They even got to observe the life cycle of Black Soldier Flies, which are used as live protein for chickens on the farm and had a chance to feed the chickens themselves. They saw the thriving food garden and food forest and had an opportunity to try the organic produce enriched with nutrient rich soil.
In addition to these field trips, we’ve been spending time preparing for our upcoming tests by exploring graphs and various ways to display data. This has provided a rich opportunity for students to expand their understanding of how information can be organized and interpreted in different ways.
As always, the students have continued their work on group and independent research projects, experiments, and their regular follow up work, math skill development and writing practice. Their enthusiasm and focus have been inspiring to witness!
We’re so proud of the hard work, curiosity, and enthusiasm the students have shown this month, and we look forward to seeing how they continue to grow and explore in the weeks leading up to our trip in April.
Sincerely,
Ms. Lauren and Ms. Juany
