August 2025
Peek Inside Lower Elementary
BLACK BEAR
Dear Black Bear families,
What a joyful and purposeful month we’ve shared together! The children have been deeply engaged in their environment—receiving lessons, caring for their classroom, singing and playing community building games together, and even starting to spend time in the garden with Ms. Laura, where they connect with nature through meaningful work.
We’ve also embarked on the first two Great Lessons, sparking wonder and curiosity as the children begin to see their place within the great unfolding story of the universe. There is a beautiful hum of activity in the classroom—conversations, concentration, discovery.
In addition, the children have started their art enrichment with Mr. Jason, where they explore creativity and expression in new and exciting ways. They also have had lessons with Ms. Carmen, working on their Spanish vocabulary through engaging activities that make learning fun.
We look forward to nurturing this momentum as each child continues their journey of growth and transformation and continue to be grateful for your trust and support.
Warmly,
Ms. Rebeca & Ms. Carmen
COYOTE
Dear Coyote Parents and Families,
It has been such a joy getting to know all of our new students and hearing the wonderful summer stories from our returning ones. The classroom is already buzzing with energy, curiosity, and kindness as we settle into our routines together.
This month, we have been focusing on Grace and Courtesy lessons. These give students the foundation they need to navigate our classroom community; everything from learning rules and routines to practicing how to move safely and respectfully in shared spaces. For many of our new students, this year comes with exciting new freedoms, such as working in the hallway or independently leaving the classroom to use the restroom. With these new freedoms, we’ve been talking about the importance of responsibility; choosing to follow the rules and keeping themselves and others safe.
Our returning students have stepped beautifully into their leadership roles, guiding younger classmates, modeling how to use materials, and respectfully moving through the classroom. It has been inspiring to watch them take on this responsibility with such care and enthusiasm.
Academically, we’ve been busy launching into lessons across geometry, math, grammar, and reading assessments. These early assessments help us better understand each student’s strengths and guide our next steps in their individual learning journeys.
We’ve also started our yearlong study of Arizona. This month, we explored different types of cacti and desert animals. The students have shown great interest in these lessons. Many of the students are already diving deeper by creating reports, dioramas, and other projects to showcase their learning.
I am continually impressed by the joy, curiosity, and determination of this group of children. Their eagerness for new lessons and love of discovery make for a wonderful start to our school year.
Finally, a heartfelt thank you to our amazing parents for your support. From thoughtful donations to meaningful contributions to our “Show and Share” time, you help enrich our classroom in so many ways. I feel very grateful for this strong partnership between home and school, as it truly makes a difference.
Warmly,
Ms. Samantha and Ms. Maria
Peek Inside Upper Elementary
FALCON
Dear Falcon Families,
We have been working hard already this year establishing routines and expectations in the classroom. To start, we played community-building and name games to strengthen relationships and help the children feel more connected to one another.
Organization
This year, we introduced the use of planners as a tool for keeping track of daily work and upcoming due dates. The students are also using binders with tab dividers so they can easily keep unfinished work in one place. These skills will be important as they learn to balance greater responsibilities.
Fundraising for Our Big Trip
We are excited to share that our fundraising is already underway! Every Friday, we serve Chick-fil-A lunches. Before beginning, the children first worked to obtain their food handlers cards. Each week, they calculate how many trays and how much fruit to purchase, call to place the order, portion food for each classroom, make deliveries, and clean up afterward. It is hard work, but the students are learning valuable life skills in the process!
Math
In math, we are starting strong by practicing multiplication facts using flashcards, games, and materials. We are also diving into geometry nomenclature and learning how to complete follow-up work after each lesson.
Language
In language, the children have started book clubs. Each group reads together daily and responds to a journal prompt. Many students are also working on creative writing stories or practicing with grammar materials.
History
In history, each child is researching a different country, which will later be turned into both a written report and a poster presentation.
There is so much more to come this year, and we are off to a wonderful start. Thank you, as always, for your support!
Warmly,
Ms. Emily and Ms. Carla
ROADRUNNER
Dear Roadrunner Families,
What a wonderful and busy first month we have had together! August has been filled with welcoming new friends, community building, new lessons, and the joy of reconnecting with our classroom routines. We began the year by focusing on creating a strong classroom community through games, songs, and establishing the rhythms of our day.
In science, the children have explored a variety of concepts, including the color spectrum, a review of the states of matter, an introduction to the periodic table, and several engaging botany lessons and experiments. Each child has also begun research on a country of their choice, which has led to wonderful curiosity and conversation.
We launched our book club this month as well. At first, we practiced whole group note-taking and shared examples using short stories. We have now transitioned into partner and small group discussions with chapter books, allowing the children to engage more deeply with the texts. Our sixth-grade students have also started the exciting process of their Capstone projects, beginning with brainstorming three possible topics and reflecting on their personal interests in each.
In mathematics and geometry, we have been reviewing key lessons from previous years to ensure a solid foundation as we move into deeper explorations. It has been inspiring to see the children’s eagerness to revisit concepts and build on them with fresh perspectives.
We are also very excited to have Ms. Catie joining our classroom. She has been assisting with lessons and learning about our routines, space, and community. Beginning in early September, she will be taking over the classroom during my maternity leave. The children have enjoyed getting to know her and look forward to building an even stronger connection.
It has truly been a joy to be back with your children. Thank you for your continued support as we embark on this new school year together.
Best regards,
Ms. Lauren, Ms. Catie, & Ms. Juany
