Thursday, August 30, 2018

Week of August 27, 2018

Thursday Folder Flyers:

MLO/Bond Election News:
Parents/Guardians, please review the letter here regarding the Bond/MLO election and its potential impact on our school and staff. 

Parents Entering the Building During Rolling Entry:
While we love to have (and encourage!) parents in our building, one of the areas that we work on with our students is developing independence. One way that we encourage this is by having them walk to their classrooms on their own each morning during our rolling entry. This time also allows our teachers to connect with their students individually before the day starts. Because we want to encourage independence, please refrain from walking your student to their classroom - our entry door is a "kiss/hug and go" spot, unless you need to speak to someone in the office. If you feel that your child needs assistance getting to their classroom, please let the door greeter know and a staff member will help escort them to class. 

If you need to speak to the classroom teacher, please set up an appointment for another time, so that they can welcome their students without interruption. Thank you for supporting your student's growth and independence! 
Leah Gilbert:
We are excited to welcome author Leah Gilbert to Iron Horse! Ms. Gilbert will be meeting with grades K-2 on Friday, September 7th. Ms. Gilbert's new book, A Couch for Llama, is available for purchase by accessing the order form here. All orders are due by Friday, September 14th. 
Homecoming Parade:
Please join us on September 5th for the Legend Homecoming Parade! The theme is All American. Any student who would like to participate is welcome to join us. Each student will need to bring a bag of candy to throw to the crowd and should wear IHE spirit wear, red/white/blue colors, or dress up as something "all-American" (baseball player, Olympian, cowboy/girl, engineer, movie star, etc).

 All students who are participating should meet Mrs. Bloomfield and Mrs. Carlson in the lower Legend parking lot at 4:45pm. 

 In order to participate, every parent must fill out a waiver for their student and sign their student in with Mrs. Bloomfield and Mrs. Carlson. If you, as a parent, are also wanting to participate, you must complete a waiver as well.  Please click here to complete the required waiver. Any student/parent without a signed waiver, will not be allowed to participate in the parade. 

 All students must be picked up by a parent/guardian when the Iron Horse float reaches Cimarron Middle School. This typically takes about 10-15 minutes and occurs before the end of the entire parade. 

 If you are an active, veteran, or reserve military member, we invite you to join us! Please complete this form so that we can honor your service to our country during the parade. 
New Logo:
The votes are in and our new logo is shown above! Voting was very close - this design won by just 6 votes! We will be using this logo on our letterhead and our website. Thank you to everyone who voted!

 Student Leadership Team:
Students Leadership Team applications will be available tomorrow evening via Mrs. Hayes' webpage. If your child is interested in applying, please visit the page over the weekend! 

 PTO News:
Lot's of fun events coming up for the year!  Look for more info in next week's Thursday folders. Please connect with us on "Iron Horse PTO" Facebook Page.  Coming up: Legend Parade, Teacher Meals, Trunk or Treat, and Read-a-Thon.  Contact Janel or Pam if you have any questions or ideas! 303-877-5883 

 State Assessment Results:
The state's School Performance Frameworks came out this past weekend. The performance frameworks measure attainment on the key performance indicators identified in SB 09-163 as the measures of educational success:
  • academic achievement
  • academic longitudinal growth
  • postsecondary and workforce readiness
State identified measures and metrics for each of these performance indicators are combined to arrive at an overall evaluation of a school’s or a district’s performance. For schools, the overall evaluation leads to the type of plan schools will implement. 

 The School Performance Framework assigns to each school one of four plan types:
  1. Performance Plan
    The school meets or exceeds statewide attainment on the performance indicators and is required to adopt and implement a Performance Plan.
  2. Improvement Plan
    The school does not meet statewide attainment on the performance indicators and is required to adopt and implement an Improvement Plan.
  3. Priority Improvement Plan
    The school does not meet statewide attainment on the performance indicators and is required to adopt and implement a Priority Improvement Plan.
  4. Turnaround Plan
    The school does not meet statewide attainment on the performance indicators and is required to adopt and implement a Turnaround Plan.
Below is a graph showing our school performance framework scores for the past 3 years. Our Spring 2016 score was 43.1, placing Iron Horse on an Improvement Plan. In Spring 2017, our score was 58.2, placing Iron Horse on a Performance Plan. For Spring 2018, our score rose even more to 72.0, again placing Iron Horse on a Performance Plan. We are so proud of our continued achievement and growth, and are excited to see the gains our students will make in the coming year!  

Our achievement performance as compared to the district and the state are shown below. These graphs represent achievement in each grade level. 
  • 3rd Grade Achievement:
  • 4th Grade Achievement:
  • 5th Grade Achievement:
  • 5th Grade Science:

Our growth performance as compared to the district and state are shown below. This graph represents grades 4 and 5. Growth is measured as students move from grade to grade, and continue to take the CMAS assessment. Since 3rd grade has only taken CMAS once, growth data is not reported for that grade. 


Upcoming Events:
September 3: NO School - Labor Day
September 5: Legend Homecoming Parade 4:45pm
September 10: Texas Roadhouse Restaurant Night for IHE 4:00-10:00pm
September 19: PTO Meeting 3:45-4:45pm
September 19: SAC Meeting 5:00-6:00pm
September 21: NO School - Teacher PLC Day
October 2: Fall Conferences 4:00-6:00pm
October 4: Fall Conferences 4:00-8:00pm
October 6-14: NO School - Fall Break

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Thursday, August 23, 2018

Week of August 20, 2018

Thursday Folder Fliers:

Chick-Fil-A Night:
Thank you for the awesome turn out at our first restaurant night! Our next restaurant night is on Monday, September 10th at Texas Roadhouse.


Parking Lot:
Please make sure to go SLOW in our parking lot. We have had a few parents/families who have been nearly hit walking through the lot. Thank you for ensuring the safety of our families.


Legend Homecoming 2017
Legend Homecoming Parade:
We are seeking parents interested in planning and creating the IHE float for the Legend Homecoming Parade on Wednesday, September 5th from 3:45-5:00pm. Please contact Becki Gonzales at beckiwithani@gmail.com if you are interested.



Mindful Parenting Resource Ideas:
Mindfulness is an amazing tool that can increase self awareness, focus, and self regulation as it decreases stress in everyday life. We are excited to practice these skills with our students at Iron Horse Elementary.  Research on mindfulness by Mindful Schools and Mindful Life. https://www.mindfulschools.org/about-mindfulness/research/  and https://mindfullifetoday.com/press/. First of all, what is mindfulness?  Mindfulness is the quality of paying attention in an open, balanced and curious way.  
Ideas for home

  • Modeling Mindfulness for your children at home. Two great books to read are Mindful Parenting by Kristen Race, owner of Mindful Life, or 10 Mindful Minutes by Goldie Hawn.
  • Practice breathing techniques at home on a regular basis. Here is a great activity called belly breathing: http://www.pbs.org/parents/adventures-in-learning/2015/09/calming-breathing-exercise-for-kids/
  • Go to the local library and ask the librarian for some picture books on the topic. Some of our favorites are:
    • Mindful Monkey, Happy Panda by Lauren Alderfer
    • Anh’s Anger by Gail Silver
    • Master of Mindfulness by Laurie Grossman & Mr. Musumeci’s 5th Grade Class
Activities
  • Unplug the electronics on a regular basis! Use Screenagers Tech Talk Tuesday blog for ideas on topics to discuss with the family around the digital world
  • Go for a hike and try to find as many shades of green, blues, yellow, etc.
  • Play some music and listen to the lyrics together, ask “what is the song about?”
  • End the day by identifying three good things from the day (threegoodthingsaday.com)
  • Download a mindful APP for your home device. A few suggestions are Mind Yeti, Stop Breathe and Think Kids, or Dreamy Kid
  • Practice mindful movement activities, such as yoga, taking a mindful walk, signing up for karate lessons
There is so much out there on the topic, if you are interested to learn more please reach out to Erin O’Hara or Rachel Perkins for more resources.

 Upcoming Events:
August 24: Donuts for Dads 7:45-8:15am in the Cafeteria
August 28: Assessment and Picture Day 8:00am-3:30pm
September 3: NO School - Labor Day
September 5: Legend Homecoming Parade
September 10: Texas Roadhouse Restaurant Night for IHE
September 19: PTO Meeting 3:45-4:45pm
September 19: SAC Meeting 5:00-6:00pm
September 21: NO School - Teacher PLC Day

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Thursday, August 16, 2018

Week of August 13, 2018

Thursday Folder Fliers:

Parking Lot Drop-off and Pick-Up Reminders:
Thank you so much for following our parking lot rules! It has been a very smooth few days with some blips. As a reminder, if you choose to drop-off or pick-up your student in our drop-off/pick-up lane, you may not leave your vehicle for any reason. Staff members are on hand to support your student with getting in/out and to your vehicle. If you need assistance, please ask a staff member. When pulling up in our lane, please make sure to pull all the way forward. Following these rules results in a quicker drop-off and pick-up! 

 The cones that have been placed out front to support you finding your student's class at the end of the day will no longer be placed out front starting on Monday. This was a temporary solution to support students and families transitioning into the new year. Teachers will be in the same spots, so please continue to look for your student in the same area. 

 Finally, please do not allow your student to walk alone to or from the gravel lot - this is a safety issue and not allowed. They need an adult with them to walk to the sidewalk. Thank you for your help and support with these parking lot rules. 

 Assessment Day/Picture Day:
Our Assessment Day/Picture Day is August 28th. Students do not attend school on this day, but instead are brought in by parents/guardians at a set time to complete an assessment with their teacher and get their picture taken. Parents sign up for a time that works for them on this day. Please see the directions below to sign up for a time. The window is open starting today and will close on August 23rd. 

 Pictures will be in the Gym from 7:30am until 3:30pm. Picture packets will be sent home next Thursday and will also be available in the Gym on Picture Day. You may also opt to pay online - that information will be available next week. 

To sign up, please go to the Iron Horse Website. 
Once you are at the website, click on the Parent Resources.

Once there, you will click on "Online Scheduler"

This will direct you the the Online Scheduler page. From there, please select "IRON HORSE ELEMENTARY" and click "Go". Then you will need to enter your student's ID number (same as their lunch number) and the password "engineer". From there, you will be able to select a date and time for your student's assessment. 



                               

Our New Spirit Rock - Donated by Melanie Morgan

 Rent the Rock:
"Rent the Rock" to recognize a student's birthday, show school spirit, thank or recognize teachers or staff members, congratulatory events, etc. It is a great way to spread positive messages and increase excitement in our community!  The Iron Horse PTO would like to thank you for supporting our school through your donation to paint the Spirit Rock! Donations made to paint the rock directly benefit our school and its' programming for students.  We hope to keep the Spirit Rock as a fun and exciting tradition for students and parents for years to come. The Spirit Rock is located on the East side of the light pole at the sidewalk entrance to our building. 
Spirit Rock Policies:
  • Reservations are on a first come, first serve basis.The cost for the reservation is $10 per day. Here is a link to sign up: 
  • Payment is due when the reservation is made. You may pay by cash or check, payable to IHE PTO. Payment must be dropped off at the IHE Office at time of reservation - please note SPIRIT ROCK, name & the date you are reserving in the memo or on the envelope if paying by cash.
  • Reserve the date you want!!!! Once reserved and paid for, you have the rock for 24 hours, from 4:00 pm on the afternoon prior to your reserved day until 4:00 p.m. on the reserved day.  (If your child's birthday is on March 2 - book March 2. Then at 4:00 p.m. on March 1st, you may begin painting).
  • It is your responsibility to paint the rock or find someone to paint it for you. The PTO will not paint the rock.
  • The family or organization must supply paint, rollers, brushes and appropriate clothing for painting the rock. All supplies and the area around the rock must be left as you found it. Please clean up after yourself and do not leave any paint or materials on or around the rock or on school property. Any damage to school property as a result of painting the rock will be taken care of by the family or group that reserved the rock for that day.
  • Plan to use 2-3 cans of paint as the base coat. More will be used if the color you are covering is dark or bright. Exterior paint works best. 
  • In the event of inclement weather, a family or organization may revisit the calendar and choose an open date for a substitution. This may or may not be the next school day as that may already be reserved. We apologize we are unable to make refunds.
  • In keeping with the IHE Code of Conduct and Behavior Guidelines, Iron Horse will not allow any bullying, profanity, obscenity or derogatory language. Please refrain from any political or discriminatory remarks. If there is any question to the wording or symbols painted on the rock, we reserve the right to remove/repaint the rock without notice.

Animals on the Grounds:
While Douglas County School District does not allow animals to be on campus (Policy Number: Superintendent File: KFAA), we understand that many of you enjoy walking with your dog to school in this beautiful weather. If you choose to bring your dog (or cat) to pick-up or drop-off, please stay near the trailhead sign/sidewalk (on the East side) and have your child meet you there. Many of our students are frightened of animals; and some animals do not get along with one another or children when overwhelmed. Staff members will remind you if you are in other areas beyond this. Thank you for your help! 

Legend Homecoming Parade:
The Legend Homecoming Parade is coming! We are in need of volunteers to plan and create our Homecoming Float. Please email me at kirsten.bloomfield@dcsdk12.org if you are interested in this opportunity. If your child is interested in walking in the parade, please email me at the above address. Thank you! 

Spirit Wear:
If you would like to order IHE spirit wear, the link to the order form is listed above under "Thursday Folder Fliers". Orders will be accepted in the office until August 27th. This is a great way to show your Iron Horse pride! 

 Chick Fil-A Restaurant Night:
Our first restaurant night of the year is tonight! If you mention "Iron Horse" during your purchase, we will receive a generous portion of all proceeds from the night. This is a great way to raise funds for our school AND you don't have to cook dinner!  

Did You Know?
Every month, our PTO publishes a newsletter filled with important information regarding the school. The newsletter also contains ads from a variety of service providers. Every time a reader clicks on one of the links, Iron Horse receives funding from the newsletter company. Get those fingers clicking! 

 School Fees:
DCSD will be using My School Bucks instead of RevTracks, our previous system, for all parent fees.  Although it will be much more user friendly, it is having some technical issues. Please review this letter from Douglas County School District in regards to My School Bucks. The district is working around the clock to resolve these issues.  Thank you! 

Upcoming Events:
August 16: Chick Fil-A Restaurant Night 4:00-8:00pm
August 24: Donuts for Dads 7:45-8:15am in the Cafeteria
August 28: Assessment and Picture Day 8:00am-3:30pm
September 3: NO School - Labor Day
September 5: Legend Homecoming Parade
September 10: Texas Roadhouse Restaurant Night for IHE
September 19: PTO Meeting 3:45-4:45pm
September 19: SAC Meeting 5:00-6:00pm
September 21: NO School - Teacher PLC Day
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Thursday, August 9, 2018

Week of August 6, 2018

Thursday Folder Fliers:
Welcome to the 2018-19 school year! The staff at Iron Horse is so thrilled to work alongside you to support your student in their journey of learning. Thank you to everyone who came to our Back to School Open House. We had a wonderful time meeting all of the families, new and returning. This year is going to be fantastic!

 Rolling Entry Starts Tomorrow: 
Our rolling entry starts tomorrow. The school day officially starts at 8:35am. Students are allowed to enter the building and go to their classroom at 8:18am. Students are not considered late until after 8:35am. There is no supervision outside until 8:18am. Thank you for honoring this time so that our students remain safe and supervised. 

 Parking Lot Pick-Up:
Please note that our gravel parking lot closes at 3:20pm with no entry thereafter until 3:45pm. This is to ensure that our walking students can safely cross this area on their way home. Thank you for your understanding. 

 School Fees:
DCSD will be using My School Bucks instead of RevTracks, our previous system, for all parent fees.  Although it will be much more user friendly, it is having some technical issues so please hold on paying new fees for the next week. They are working around the clock to resolve the issues.  Thank you! 

 Chick Fil-A Restaurant Night:
Our first restaurant night of the year is next week! We will be partnering with Chick Fil-A. If you mention "Iron Horse" during your purchase, we will receive a generous portion of all proceeds from the night. This is a great way to raise funds for our school AND you don't have to cook dinner! 

 PTO Meeting:
Our first PTO meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 15 from 3:45-4:45pm in the Junction. We will be holding elections for our PTO president during this meeting, as well as starting work on our upcoming Read-a-Thon fundraiser. We would love to see you there! 

 SAC Meeting:
Our first SAC meeting of the month will be held on Wednesday, August 15 from 5:00-6:00pm. This group is an advisory committee that provides the principal with feedback in the areas of parent engagement, budget priorities, the Unified Improvement Plan, and assisting the district in parent engagement strategies at the district level. We will be holding elections for our SAC at this meeting. If you are interested in serving on the SAC, please send a brief paragraph introducing yourself and why you'd like to serve on the SAC to kirsten.bloomfield@dcsdk12.org. We hope you can join us! 

 Upcoming Events:
August 15: PTO Meeting 3:45-4:45pm in the Junction
August 15: SAC Meeting 5:00-6:00pm in the Junction
August 16: Chick Fil-A Restaurant Night 4:00-8:00pm
August 24: Donuts for Dads 7:45-8:15am in the Cafeteria
August 28: Assessment and Picture Day 8:00am-3:30pm - More information to come!
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