Dear Families,

It’s hard to believe we’ve arrived at the final week of 2nd grade! While the end of the year brings lots of celebration and fun, we’ll also take time to reflect on our learning and wrap up a few final tasks.

🗓 Schedule Overview:

• • Tuesday & Wednesday – Full school days

  • Wednesday 1:00–2:00 PM – Continuation Ceremony — Families are warmly invited to join us as we celebrate a fantastic year! 🎓

  • Thursday 10:15–11:15 AM – 1st & 2nd Grade Pod Party 🎉
•  

  • Thursday & Friday – Half days with dismissal at 11:30 AM

  • Thursday 2:00–6:00 PM – School Carnival 🎪

  • Thursday 3:00–5:00 PM – Student-Led Conferences (held during the carnival)

📦 Planning Ahead
If your child will be absent at any point this week, please let me know so I can be sure to send home any work, projects, or keepsakes ahead of time. We want to make sure everyone leaves with their special items from the year!

A Heartfelt Thank You 💛
Thank you for your support and partnership all year long. It has been a joy to teach your child and watch them grow in confidence, curiosity, and kindness.

Wishing you a wonderful summer ahead!

Warmly,
Mrs. Reeder

Our End-of-Year Carnival is coming up quickly!

Here's what you need to know:

 

Where: 12500 Washington Street - On Westgate's 6-acre campus

Date: May 29, 2025

Time: 2:00-6:00 PM

 

 

Reminders:

• Specials: Our Special is Music.
• Please return folders: If your child has a Friday Folder or an Absent Work folder at home, please send it back to school as soon as possible. This really helps me in sending home graded work on Fridays and any assignments they might have missed after being away.

 Spring Carnival Classroom Baskets

Our Spring Carnival is coming May 29th, and one of the most anticipated features is the themed classroom baskets for our silent auction. These baskets are a significant fundraiser, and we need your help to make them a success!

We’re asking each family to contribute at least one item—at any price point—to any of the themed baskets listed below. Every contribution helps create fun and unique baskets for the auction!

Donating is easier than ever! Amazon and Target registries have been curated by teachers and the events team so you can simply click "buy".  AND your purchase can be shipped directly to the school. Of course, you’re also welcome to shop outside the registries if you find something that fits the theme.  

Find the Registry Links within the Sign-Up Genius description. Be sure to sign up for the item too preventing duplicates.

• • Donations can be dropped off at the lobby during normal school hours.
  • All donations are due Friday, May 23
  • Please label your donation with the basket name and pod number

We are also in need of large empty baskets to hold all the donated items. If you have one to contribute, please sign up through the same links.

Thank you for your support and for making our carnival a fantastic event for the community!

1st/2^nd Basket Sign Up Links:

Pamper Party Basket

Colorado Proud Basket

 

 

May Advocacy: Our Advocacy Theme this month is Self-Care and Wellness.

Students will learn about the importance of caring for their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Through mindfulness activities and lessons on healthy habits, we'll work toward building a supportive and nurturing classroom environment. By helping students develop simple self-care practices, we aim to promote a culture of wellness and positivity throughout the school.

 

 

Reminders:

• Specials: Our Special is P.E. Please ensure your child wears athletic shoes to school every day.

 

• Field Trip to Hudson Gardens: The 1st and 2nd grade classes will be going on a field trip to Hudson Gardens in Littleton on Friday, April 11! This will be a wonderful opportunity for students to explore nature and engage in hands-on learning experiences. Hudson Gardens Permission Slip
  • During our visit, students will participate in activities such as:

🌿 Making Sense – Using their senses to discover the plant world
🍁 Leaf Lookout – Learning why leaves change color
🐸 Frog Quest – Searching for live frogs in their natural habitat

• • Field Trip Details:

📍 Destination: Hudson Gardens, Littleton, CO
🚌 Departure: 9:00 AM from Westgate
⏰ Return: 1:45 PM to Westgate

• • What to Bring:

👟 Comfortable walking shoes
🧥 A jacket (weather-appropriate)
🥪 A disposable sack lunch

 

• Please return folders: If your child has a Friday Folder or an Absent Work folder at home, please return it to school as soon as possible. This helps me in sending home graded work on Fridays and any assignments they might have missed after being away.

 

April Advocacy: Our Advocacy Theme this month is Social Awareness.

Social Awareness is the ability to understand and empathize with others, recognize their emotions, perspectives, and experiences, as well as being attuned to social cues and norms.

Students will learn to recognize and appreciate similarities and differences among people, show empathy for others, and understand different perspectives. These lessons help build a classroom community where everyone feels seen, heard, and respected. We encourage you to continue these conversations at home by celebrating what makes each member of your family unique!

 

 

Reminders:

 

• Parent-Teacher Conferences: It's that time of the year for our spring conferences!  The conferences will be held IN-PERSON on Thursday, March 6th from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM and VIRTUALLY on Friday, March 7th from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM. A sign-up was emailed to families last week. Please contact Mrs. Reeder if you did not receive the email with the link to sign up for conferences.

• Specials: Our Special is I-Lab.

 

• Please return folders: If your child has a Friday Folder or an Absent Work folder at home, please return it to school as soon as possible. This helps me send home graded work on Fridays and any assignments they might have missed after being away.

 

March Advocacy: Our Advocacy Theme this month is MINDFULNESS!

Join us this March as we delve into the power of mindfulness. In a world filled with distractions and noise, cultivating mindfulness offers a pathway to inner peace, clarity, and resilience. Through our advocacy theme this month, we aim to introduce and integrate mindfulness practices into our classes, fostering a supportive environment where individuals can thrive mentally, emotionally, and academically.

Throughout March, our class will incorporate various mindfulness techniques, including guided meditation, mindful breathing exercises, and reflective journaling. These practices will help our students develop greater self-awareness, emotional regulation, and concentration skills. By nurturing a mindful approach to learning and living, we empower our community to navigate challenges with grace and intention.

Together, we'll embark on a journey of self-discovery and growth, embracing the present moment with openness and compassion! ❤️

 

Kindness Week is Monday, February 10th through Friday, February 14th. A few things for you to know about:  

• We do not exchange Valentine's cards, candy, or treats at school. If your student arrives with Valentine’s cards, candy, or treats, they will be asked to put them back into their backpack to be taken home. 

• Get your Kindness Day permission slip (virtually emailed to families) signed by Wednesday, February 12th. Classes will be walking to different nearby businesses to deliver hand-made kindness cards to local businesses on Friday, February 14th. We do not need any chaperones for these trips.   

• Be prepared to go rain or shine on Friday, February 14th (half day) – bring a warm jacket, gloves, beanies, etc. If needed because we will be walking outside.  

NEW this year – Kindness Week Food Drive! Let’s spread some kindness by collecting non-perishable food items for A Precious Child. The details:  

• Bring non-perishable food items to your advocacy class from Monday, February 10th – Friday, February 14th.  

• Last year in November we collected 1,100 non-perishable food items! Help us reach our goal of 1,500 this year!  

Monday, February 10th: Spice it up Monday - Dried herbs and spices  

Tuesday, February 11th: Pasta Tuesday - Dried pasta in boxes  

Wednesday, February 12th: Veggie Wednesday - Canned vegetables  

Thursday, February 13th: Toiletry Thursday - Kleenex, toilet paper, paper towels  

Friday, February 14th: Fruit-filled Friday - Canned fruits  

  

In addition, there are different advocacy themes for each day aligned with the different love languages. Here’s a list of things that you can do to support your student’s learning at home.  

Monday, February 10th: Words of Affirmation  

Kindness Week Challenge #1 – Use kind words of affirmation with 3 or more other people you see today. It could be a family member, friend, teacher, grocery store worker, or anyone else. Set aside a few minutes daily where each person gives a positive word or phrase to another family member.  

Tuesday, February 11th: Quality Time  

Kindness Week Challenge #2 – Spend at least 30 minutes of quality time with yourself or someone you love today after school. Have a family game night, movie or show night, cook or bake something as a family, enjoy story time, crafts, exercise, or even some yard work together.  

Wednesday, February 12th: Acts of Service  

Kindness Week Challenge #3 – Do another act of service for someone when you get home! Cook a meal for the family, organize a shared space, help each other with chores, plan a relaxation evening, do a surprise improvement project, or care for a pet together.  

Thursday, February 13th: Gift Giving  

Kindness Week Challenge #4: Deliver the gift you made today in class to the person you made it for. Talk about how giving someone a gift made you feel. Dedicate an evening to creating homemade gifts for each other, create a family shared photo album, playlist, or video.   

Friday, February 14th: Kindness Day (Half Day) - various walking trips  

Kindness Week Challenge #5: Create a family “Compliment Jar”. Place a jar in a common area. Family members can write positive affirmations or compliments about each other on small pieces of paper and drop them in the jar.  

Hello Parents!  

I hope you're all doing well! I've noticed that quite a few students have been forgetting to bring back their Friday Folders and Absent Work Folders lately. If your child has one of these at home, it would be fantastic if you could remind them to bring it back to school as soon as possible. This really helps me in sending home completed work on Fridays and any assignments they might have missed after being away. Thank you so much for your support!  

Warmly,  
Mrs. Reeder

 

 

Reminders:  

 Specials: Our Special is Art. You can subscribe to Ms. H’s edlio page here.  

 

 

Advocacy Theme for February is Empathy & Kindness 

• Learning Goals:  

• • Students will be able to explain that empathy is the ability to understand how someone feels. 

• • Students will be able to explain why empathy is important.  

• • Students will understand how to read facial expressions and body language to predict emotions. 

• Skills for Self: 

• • I can imagine what it’s like to stand in someone else’s shoes. 

• • Being empathetic strengthens the community.  

• • It is important to take someone else’s emotions and experiences into consideration.  

• • Deepens relationships with my classmates and people I know outside of school. 

 

Upcoming Kindness Week:  

Kindness Week is Monday, February 10th through Friday February 14th. A few things for you to know about:  

• We do not exchange Valentine's cards, candy, or treats at school. If your student arrives with Valentine’s cards, candy, or treats, they will be asked to put them back into their backpack to be taken home. 

• Get your Kindness Day permission slip (virtually emailed to families) signed by Wednesday, February 12th. Classes will be walking to different nearby businesses to deliver hand-made kindness cards to local businesses on Friday, February 14th. We do not need any chaperones for these trips.   

• Be prepared to go rain or shine on Friday, February 14th (half day) – bring a warm jacket, gloves, beanies, etc. If needed because we will be walking outside.  

NEW this year – Kindness Week Food Drive! Let’s spread some kindness by collecting non-perishable food items for A Precious Child. The details:  

• Bring non-perishable food items to your advocacy class from Monday, February 10th – Friday, February 14th.  

• Last year in November we collected 1,100 non-perishable food items! Help us reach our goal of 1,500 this year!  

Monday, February 10th: Spice it up Monday - Dried herbs and spices  

Tuesday, February 11th: Pasta Tuesday - Dried pasta in boxes  

Wednesday, February 12th: Veggie Wednesday - Canned vegetables  

Thursday, February 13th: Toiletry Thursday - Kleenex, toilet paper, paper towels  

Friday, February 14th: Fruit-filled Friday - Canned fruits  

  

In addition, there are different advocacy themes for each day aligned with the different love languages. Here’s a list of things that you can do to support your student’s learning at home.  

Monday, February 10th: Words of Affirmation  

Kindness Week Challenge #1 – Use kind words of affirmation with 3 or more other people you see today. It could be a family member, friend, teacher, grocery store worker, or anyone else. Set aside a few minutes daily where each person gives a positive word or phrase to another family member.  

Tuesday, February 11th: Quality Time  

Kindness Week Challenge #2 – Spend at least 30 minutes of quality time with yourself or someone you love today after school. Have a family game night, movie or show night, cook or bake something as a family, enjoy story time, crafts, exercise, or even some yard work together.  

Wednesday, February 12th: Acts of Service  

Kindness Week Challenge #3 – Do another act of service for someone when you get home! Cook a meal for the family, organize a shared space, help each other with chores, plan a relaxation evening, do a surprise improvement project, or care for a pet together.  

Thursday, February 13th: Gift Giving  

Kindness Week Challenge #4: Deliver the gift you made today in class to the person you made it for. Talk about how giving someone a gift made you feel. Dedicate an evening to creating homemade gifts for each other, create a family shared photo album, playlist, or video.   

Friday, February 14th: Kindness Day (Half Day) - various walking trips  

Kindness Week Challenge #5: Create a family “Compliment Jar”. Place a jar in a common area. Family members can write positive affirmations or compliments about each other on small pieces of paper and drop them in the jar.  

 

 

Reminders:  

 

• Specials: Our Special is Art We will continue in this special for the next 4 weeks. You can subscribe to Ms. H’s edlio page here.  

 

Advocacy Theme for January is Growth Mindset 

• What is a Growth Mindset? A growth mindset is the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication, hard work, and perseverance. It's about embracing challenges, learning from criticism, and understanding that effort is the path to mastery. 

• Skills Students Will Learn:  

• • Resilience 

• • Perseverance 

• • Adaptability 

• • Embracing Feedback 

• Extending Growth Mindset to Personal Lives: It's essential to emphasize that the principles of a growth mindset extend beyond the classroom. Encourage your child to apply these concepts in their daily lives: 

• Goal Setting: Help your child set realistic goals and work with them to develop a plan to achieve those goals. Celebrate progress along the way, reinforcing the idea that improvement comes with effort. 

• Positive Self-Talk: Encourage your child to replace negative thoughts with positive affirmations. Remind them that their abilities are not fixed and that they can improve with dedication and hard work. 

• Embracing Challenges: Teach your child to see challenges as opportunities for growth. Encourage them to approach new experiences with enthusiasm and a willingness to learn.  

 

Upcoming Kindness Week:  

Kindness Week is Monday, February 10th through Friday February 14th. A few things for you to know about:  

• We do not exchange Valentines cards, candy, or treats at school. If your student arrives with Valentine’s cards, candy, or treats, they will be asked to put them back into their backpack to be taken home. 

• Get your Kindness Day permission slip (virtually emailed to families) signed by Wednesday February 12th. Classes will be walking to different nearby businesses to deliver hand-made kindness cards to local businesses on Friday, February 14th. We do not need any chaperones for these trips.   

• Be prepared to go rain or shine on Friday, February 14th (half day) – bring a warm jacket, gloves, beanies, etc. If needed because we will be walking outside.  

NEW this year – Kindness Week Food Drive! Let’s spread some kindness by collecting non-perishable food items for A Precious Child. The details:  

• Bring non-perishable food items to your advocacy class from Monday, February 10th – Friday, February 14th.  

• Last year in November we collected 1,100 non-perishable food items! Help us reach our goal of 1,500 this year!  

Monday, February 10th: Spice it up Monday - Dried herbs and spices  

Tuesday, February 11th: Pasta Tuesday - Dried pasta in boxes  

Wednesday, February 12th: Veggie Wednesday - Canned vegetables  

Thursday, February 13th: Toiletry Thursday - Kleenex, toilet paper, paper towels  

Friday, February 14th: Fruit-filled Friday - Canned fruits  

  

In addition, there are different advocacy themes for each day aligned with the different love languages. Here’s a list of things that you can do to support your student’s learning at home.  

Monday, February 10th: Words of Affirmation  

Kindness Week Challenge #1 – Use kind words of affirmation with 3 or more other people you see today. It could be a family member, friend, teacher, grocery store worker, or anyone else. Set aside a few minutes daily where each person gives a positive word or phrase to another family member.  

Tuesday, February 11th: Quality Time  

Kindness Week Challenge #2 – Spend at least 30 minutes of quality time with yourself or someone you love today after school. Have a family game night, movie or show night, cook or bake something as a family, enjoy story time, crafts, exercise, or even some yard work together.  

Wednesday, February 12th: Acts of Service  

Kindness Week Challenge #3 – Do another act of service for someone when you get home! Cook a meal for the family, organize a shared space, help each other with chores, plan a relaxation evening, do a surprise improvement project, or care for a pet together.  

Thursday, February 13th: Gift Giving  

Kindness Week Challenge #4: Deliver the gift you made today in class to the person you made it for. Talk about how giving someone a gift made you feel. Dedicate an evening to creating homemade gifts for each other, create a family shared photo album, playlist, or video.   

Friday, February 14th: Kindness Day (Half Day) - various walking trips  

Kindness Week Challenge #5: Create a family “Compliment Jar”. Place a jar in a common area. Family members can write positive affirmations or compliments about each other on small pieces of paper and drop them in the jar.  

 

 

Reminders:

 

• Specials: Our Special is Music. We will continue in this special class until Winter Break.

 

Advocacy Theme for December is Generosity

During the month of December, we will be focusing on generosity. Throughout the month, we will explore what it means to be generous, both in our words and actions. Students will learn how giving to others, whether through kindness, time, or resources, can make a positive impact on our community.

We hope this will be a meaningful and fun learning experience for your child, and we encourage you to continue the conversation at home.

 

Our learning goal is:

Students will define emotional generosity as an act of making others feel positive without expecting anything in return.

 

 

Reminders:

 

• Specials: Our new special is Music. We will continue in this special class until Winter Break.

 

• Future Forward Field Trip this Friday: 2^nd Grade is going on a walking field trip to Future Forward at Washington Square (Career and Technical High School) on Friday, November 22^nd, 12:15 PM – 2:00 PM. Students will eat lunch at school and attend specials as normal. A field trip lunch is not necessary for this field trip. Please send your child with comfortable walking shoes and a water bottle for the day.

 

 

Reminders:

• Specials: Our Special is P.E. Please make sure your child wears athletic shoes to school every day. We will switch to Music on November 18.

• Cold Weather Gear: As the weather continues to be cold, please remember to send your children in with coats, hats, and gloves to keep them warm throughout the day. Please make sure to label your child's clothing. If you or someone you know needs assistance providing warm clothing for your child, please reach out or check out the resources below:
  • Clothes to Kids
  • A.S.H. Closet
  • Goodwill
  • Arc Thrift Store
  • Cozy Coats for Kids(this is a great option, but you need to order clothes in August, so this can be used next year)

Also, the colder weather means more items for your child to be in charge of. Please try and label your child’s clothing, especially outerwear, so that we can quickly return any lost items.

 

• Volunteer Opportunities:
  • Tear out books from workbooks and staple them together.
  • Repair damaged books from my classroom library.
  • Help with Friday Folders on Thursdays or Fridays.
  • Interested in Volunteering?
    • Complete an online Volunteer Interest Form
    • Complete a background check. Cost is $20.95
    • Complete a Volunteer Agreement Form

 

Advocacy Theme for November is Gratitude

Learning Goals:

• Students will look at their skills, abilities, accomplishments, loved ones, and many things to identify what they are grateful for.
• Students will increase their well-being and happiness with activities that promote a sense of togetherness and belonging with their advocacy and families.
• Students will reflect upon their successes and improvements using a self-reflection tool, and consider how they’ve changed, and to reflect on the people who made their progress possible.

Looking forward to a great month of gratitude and thankfulness!

 

 

Reminders:  

 

• Specials: Our Special is P.E. Please ensure your child wears athletic shoes to school daily. We will switch to Music on November 18. 

 

• Volunteer Opportunities:  

• • Tear out books from workbooks and staple them together.  

• • Repair damaged books from my classroom library. 

• • Help with Friday Folders on Thursdays or Fridays. 

• • Interested in Volunteering? 

• • • Complete an online Volunteer Interest Form 

• • • Complete a background check.  Cost is $20.95 

• • • Complete a Volunteer Agreement Form 

 

Advocacy Theme for November is Gratitude 

Learning Goals:  

• Students will look at their skills, abilities, accomplishments, loved ones, and many other things to identify what they are grateful for. 

• Students will increase their well-being and happiness with activities that promote a sense of togetherness and belonging with their advocacy and families. 

• Students will reflect upon their successes and improvements using a self-reflection tool, consider how they’ve changed, and reflect on the people who made their progress possible. 

We are looking forward to a great month of gratitude and thankfulness! 

 

 

Reminders:

 

• Specials: Our Special is P.E. Please make sure your child wears athletic shoes to school every day.

 

• Infinite Campus App: As we begin the 2nd quarter, I would like to invite you all to regularly check Infinite Campus to check on your student's grades and identify any incomplete or missing assignments that may need to be finished.
  • Click on the following link to create your Infinite Campus account if you do not already have one.
    • https://4.files.edl.io/8b72/09/15/22/164611-24e1a24a-402c-49de-9a50-97e1e60c66bd.pdf
  • The following link will help you set up the Infinite Campus App, which is nice to have as you can set it to notify you whenever a grade is entered for your student.
    • https://1.cdn.edl.io/X3X3DBQ7iIoHx1h6P5aI99A0RyC52XnQd9k5SnwDVIODKHgl.pdf

 

• Volunteer Opportunities:
  • Tear out books from workbooks and staple them together.
  • Repair damaged books from my classroom library.
  • Help with Friday Folders on Thursdays or Fridays.
  • Interested in Volunteering?
    • Complete an online Volunteer Interest Form
    • Complete a background check. Cost is $20.95
    • Complete a Volunteer Agreement Form

 

Advocacy Theme for October is Bullying Prevention

This month students will learn:

• friendship – identifying the traits of a good friend, how to be a good friend, having healthy boundaries with friends, and to confidently use their voice to advocate for their own needs and the needs of others.  
• what bullying is and is not, including the roles of people in a bullying situation.
• specific ways that they can stand up to bullying and use their voice to be an upstander.

Donation request:  

I am trying to put together a hands-on timeline of the telephone. I have a rotary phone from the 1950’s, a corded push-button phone from the 1980’s, and the school’s classroom phone.  

• I am looking for a donation of a “Fisher-Price Toddler Pull Toy Chatter Telephone with Rotary Dial and Wheels” that students can use to see how the rotary mechanism works. My antique rotary phone is currently broken, and I can’t allow students to touch it.  

• I would also like to have a cordless phone that was popular in the 1990s.  

• Lastly, I would love to have an old Nokia or early cell phone. 

If you have one of these phones and are looking to part with them, our class would love to give them a new home!