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Mrs. Cundari's Advocacy

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Advocacy Activities from Mrs. Valenza (Optional)

Monday - If you are doing one of the choices for the “Earth Day Assignment” please use this day to work on that and send it to me as you finish it.  

I will also be doing a live Zoom with the chickens and goats at 12:30pm this day! Tune in to see the ladies and ask questions.  

Time: Apr 20, 2020 12:30 PM Mountain Time 

Meeting ID: 951 417 9342               Password: see email from Mrs. Valenza

Tuesday- Use this day to finish up your “Earth Day Assignment” and send it to me. If you’re not doing the assignment enjoy your day off. 😊  

Wednesday-  You have 2 options today...Join the Lorax and Mr. Rowan for a live reading of The Lorax by Dr. Seuss. Or head to Mrs. Valenza’s staff profile page to hear a pre-recorded reading of the story.  

Topic: The Lorax Read Aloud with Question and Answer 
Time: Apr 22, 2020 01:15 AM Mountain Time  
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/79083049885?pwd=cXdiMk9vYjh6Z2Y4dGl5NHpvUVJHQT09 
Meeting ID: 790 8304 9885           Password: see email from Mrs. Valenza

Thursday - Today I want you to make sure you get outside for a walk. With all the water we’ve been getting (in the form of snow) the plants should be popping! Take notice of this. What flowers can you find? What new buds are popping up on the trees? Is there sign of life? Can you find any birds nests? If you want to get really fancy you could download a plant identification app – Plantifier is a relatively good one that is also free! Send Mrs. Valenza a picture of you with your favorite sign of life.

Friday - Westgate kids are amazing at solving real-world problems. They dream big! This game from National Geographic uses a robot to solve real-world problems.  

Week of April 13, 2020

Basic Expectations: Moby Max Modules
Beginning this week, students should be able to find specific assignments to work on in Moby Max under the Assignments tab after logging in.  There should be at least one lesson per subject for the week, possibly more.  Students should begin working on these at their pace, continuing to aim for the work times below.  If assignments for each subject don't show up in the assignments section, or you have any problems finding them, please let me know right away so I can help getting students rolling in the right direction!
     Math 30-45 Minutes daily building towards 60 minutes daily
     Fact Fluency work on as needed or wanted
    Literacy-  Reading/Writing 30-45 Minutes daily building towards 60 minutes daily
    Science/Social Studies 20-30 Minutes daily each subject
 
Weekly Advocacy Meetings  
We will be meeting weekly as an Advocacy using the Zoom app.  You can access this on a computer, laptop, or cell phone.
It is not required that you attend, but I would love to connect personally with all of you as often as possible in this way!
I will host 2 advocacy meetings each week.  Please feel free to join whichever is a better time for your schedule, or both!
Wednesday 10-11 a.m. Zoom meeting code: 836-959-494
Thursday 1-2 p.m. Zoom meeting code: 110-302-059
**See email for meeting passwords (these haven't changed from last week), and for security purposes, do not share them with anyone outside our advocacy class (even other Westgate friends)! 
 
Specials- Art for this rotation:
Please check Ms. Cox's page for art assignments!
 
My "Office" Hours:
I will have an open Zoom meeting twice weekly where students and parents can pop in and out with any questions.  Starting this week, I will be sending specific invitations to students who appear to need support on various concepts.  I absolutely understand if the meeting times don't work for your family, but I want to do my best in support student learning individually.
Wednesday 
1:00-1:30 p.m. Student Groups/1-on-1 Support
1:30-2:00 p.m. Office Hours open Q&A drop in
Zoom meeting code: 164-993-834
Thursday
10:00-10:30 a.m. Student Groups/1-on-1 Support
10:30-11:00 a.m. Office Hours open Q&A drop in
Zoom meeting code: 539-347-325
**See email for meeting passwords (these haven't changed from last week), and for security purposes, do not share them with anyone outside our advocacy class (even other Westgate friends)! 
 
Other Times/Ways to reach me:
As always, I am available daily (Mon.-Fri.) via email.  I will be checking my email regularly throughout normal school hours, and should be able to respond to emails within 24 hours.
 
OPTIONAL activity suggestions from Ms. Valenza

Monday- I have a strict belief that the more we know about a place the more we want to care for it. We can’t travel many places right now, but we can still appreciate what Earth has to offer. Let's travel using Google Earth. (https://www.google.com/earth/) Use the Search function to look up these different places: 1. Your house 2. Westgate Community School - you'll be able to see what it looked like before we had our playground 3. Favorite nature area to visit 4. Favorite City to visit 5. Somewhere you want to visit      Use the Street View function (the little guy above the black and white Earth on the bottom right hand corner of the screen) to look around each of these places.  

Tuesday – Head to Mrs. Valenza’s Staff Profile Page to hear her reading The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry.

Wednesday - Load up a good playlist, your favorite album, or your favorite song on repeat for a 15 minute walk (at least!).  

Thursday - Earth Day is next Wednesday. What better time to learn about this EPIC day??? Here is one article from Scholastic.

               And this history article is straight from the Earth Day website. Make sure to watch video from this page about the 1st Earth Day where Denver is featured!  

               Ask yourself, your family, a neighbor, a friend: Where would you be on this 1st Earth Day in 1970 as a student? On the capital steps? At school? Riding your bike around town?  

Friday - Originally, we were going to have an Earth Day fair at Westgate (next Wednesday) but that can’t happen anymore. We’re going to celebrate in a little different way. Head to Mrs. Valenza’s Staff Profile page to hear what she wants you to do! 

Distance Learning Kick Off - Week of April 6

Welcome to the adventure!
We are all going to be learning a ton of new things (academically, technologically, and so much more!) as we try this new style of learning.  I am excited to dive in with you all and support your learning in new ways.
 
For now, I will be managing your academics for all subjects through Moby Max.  Login information was sent out yesterday via email.  If you have any problems signing in, please let me know! 
Your other teachers will have access to check on your progress, and we will also be sharing a variety of optional learning extensions on our class pages.
 
Basic Expectations: Moby Max Modules
     Math 30-45 Minutes daily building towards 60 minutes daily
     Take the Quick placement test first, then the program will assign skills at your level
     Fact Fluency work on as needed or wanted
    Literacy-  Reading/Writing 30-45 Minutes daily building towards 60 minutes daily
    Science/Social Studies 20-30 Minutes daily each subject
 
Weekly Advocacy Meetings  
We will be meeting weekly as an Advocacy using the Zoom app.  You can access this on a computer, laptop, or cell phone.
It is not required that you attend, but I would love to connect personally with all of you as often as possible in this way!
I will host 2 advocacy meetings each week.  Please feel free to join whichever is a better time for your schedule, or both!
Wednesday 10-11 a.m. Zoom meeting code: 836-959-494
Thursday 1-2 p.m. Zoom meeting code: 110-302-059
**See email for meeting passwords, and for security purposes, do not share them with anyone outside our advocacy class (even other Westgate friends)! 
 
Specials- Art for this rotation:
Please check Ms. Cox's page for art assignments!
 
My "Office" Hours:
I will have an open Zoom meeting twice weekly where students and parents can pop in and out with any questions.
Wednesday 1-2 p.m. Zoom meeting code: 164-993-834
Thursday 10-11 a.m. Zoom meeting code: 539-347-325
**See email for meeting passwords, and for security purposes, do not share them with anyone outside our advocacy class (even other Westgate friends)! 
 
Other Times/Ways to reach me:
As always, I am available daily (Mon.-Fri.) via email.  I will be checking my email regularly throughout normal school hours, and should be able to respond to emails within 24 hours.
 

Mar. 16 - Extended Break Info

Access to Westgate and Open/Close Dates
Westgate is closed to students from Monday March 16th thru Friday, April 3rd. 

Our building will be open from 8:30am-3:30pm on Monday the 16th so that families can come to the school and retrieve any items they may need over the course of the next three weeks.

Teacher Communication Regarding Student Progress (conferences) and Instructional Assignments
Student academic progress emails will go out to families on Monday, March 16th.  

In addition, teachers have prepared three days’ worth of instructional assignments that would’ve been received had we been in school on March 16th, 17th, and 18th .  When school resumes, students can bring back any work that was completed at home during this time. This ensures continuity to education and continued growth.  Teachers will be available to communicate via email and phone on Monday and they will be available via email March 17th and March 18th.

Students will receive instructional assignments in several ways.  Some students will receive hard-copy assignments via a packet in a Friday folder, some students may have instruction assigned via their teacher webpages and for other students it may be a combination of both. 

Week of Mar. 9, 2020

Hey everyone- I hope you had a great weekend! 

Upcoming Events:

  • March Advocacy-               Growth Mindset
  • Ice Skating in PE                Tuesday, March 10
  • CMAS begins                      Monday, March 16
  • Conferences-                      4-7 PM Mon &Tues, March 16th,17th
  • Conferences                       8 – 8 PM Friday, March 20th

CMAS 

March 16-18: ELA 6th Grade 

(6th Math and 5th ELA, Math, and Science will be after Spring Break)

Testing will be in the mornings.  Please be sure your child has a good breakfast and arrives to school on time!  We want to set our kids up for success.

Our regular schedule will be heavily modified for both 5th and 6th grade in order to accommodate testing, including a change in our specials time.  

Ice Skating in PE

We will be having a skating company come in the week of March 9-13th.  They will be putting down some artificial ice on the gym floor and students will get to learn how to skate.

Students MAY bring their own ice skates if they have them.  Socks higher than the ankle need to be worn.

Conferences SignUps:  The dates and times of the spring conferences have changed.  They will be held on Monday and Tuesday, March 16th and 17th from 4 PM to 7 PM and Friday, March 20th from 8 AM to 8 PM.  The spring conferences' signup is below.  Please choose only ONE-time slot and include your child’s name and teachers requested.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409054cacac28a4fb6-562020

Reminders:
 
Birthdays are celebrated at the end of the day between 3:15-3:30, all treats need to be store bought, in original packaging with ingredients listed.
 
 

Westgate is moving towards a “toy free” zone.  Unfortunately, there has been a lot of distractions and problems caused by students bringing toys, fidgets, stuffed animals, blankets, Pokemon cards, etc. We want students to focus on learning and building relationships while they are here, and toys become a disruption to this learning process.  Outdoor equipment (balls, scooters, etc) is still acceptable. Appropriate fidgets will be available in the classrooms for those who need one. More information is coming soon from admin. 

I would also like to remind you to have your child keep personal electronics at home. We do provide ear buds here at school and cell phones can stay in the backpack if they are turned off during school hours. Again, these items can be a distraction and take away from academic and social/emotional learning.

Thank you so much for your support with this!

Week of Mar. 2, 2020

Hey everyone- I hope you had a great weekend! 

Upcoming Events:

  • March Advocacy-               Growth Mindset
  • Civil War Fundraiser           March 2nd
  • Ice Skating in PE                Tuesday - March 10
  • Conferences-                      4-7 PM &Tues, March 16th,17th
  • Conferences                       8 – 8PM Friday, March 20th

  

Conferences SignUps:  The dates and times of the spring conferences have changed.  They will be held on Monday and Tuesday, March 16th and 17th from 4 PM to 7 PM and Friday, March 20th from 8 AM to 8 PM.  The spring conferences' signup is below.  Please choose only ONE-time slot and include your child’s name and teachers requested.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409054cacac28a4fb6-562020

Ice Skating in PE

We will be having a skating company come in the week of March 9-13th.  They will be putting down some artificial ice on the gym floor and students will get to learn how to skate.

Students MAY bring their own ice skates if they have them.  Socks higher than the ankle need to be worn.

Reminders:
 
Birthdays are celebrated at the end of the day between 3:15-3:30, all treats need to be store bought, in original packaging with ingredients listed.
 
 

Westgate is moving towards a “toy free” zone.  Unfortunately, there has been a lot of distractions and problems caused by students bringing toys, fidgets, stuffed animals, blankets, Pokemon cards, etc. We want students to focus on learning and building relationships while they are here, and toys become a disruption to this learning process.  Outdoor equipment (balls, scooters, etc) is still acceptable. Appropriate fidgets will be available in the classrooms for those who need one. More information is coming soon from admin. 

I would also like to remind you to have your child keep personal electronics at home. We do provide ear buds here at school and cell phones can stay in the backpack if they are turned off during school hours. Again, these items can be a distraction and take away from academic and social/emotional learning.

Thank you so much for your support with this!

Week of Feb. 24, 2020

Upcoming Events:

  • Chipotle Spirit Night - 25th

 

Reminders:
 

Westgate is moving towards a “toy free” zone.  Unfortunately, there has been a lot of distractions and problems caused by students bringing toys, fidgets, stuffed animals, blankets, Pokemon cards, etc. We want students to focus on learning and building relationships while they are here, and toys become a disruption to this learning process.  Outdoor equipment (balls, scooters, etc) is still acceptable. Appropriate fidgets will be available in the classrooms for those who need one. 

I would also like to remind you to have your child keep personal electronics at home. We do provide ear buds here at school and cell phones can stay in the backpack if they are turned off during school hours. Again, these items can be a distraction and take away from academic and social/emotional learning.

Thank you so much for your support with this!

Week of Feb. 10, 2020

Upcoming Events:

  • February Advocacy-  Healthy Relationships
  • Tokyo Joe’s Spirit Night               4th
  • Kindness Week                           10th – 14th
  • President’s Day- No School        17th  
  • Professional Development- No School    18th

 

Kindness Day:  Friday, February 14th:

Please remember that we do not do individual Valentine’s Day cards for individual students.  Instead, we take kindness and spread it throughout the community.  We will be making Kindness Cards for some businesses in the area and passing them out on that Friday.   Please fill out the form below to give your child permission to walk to deliver cards.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=g63kUOjsn0GLHt1cphgzjTZooahmzs1Nn7XXm7E0C2lUNzFDRFhMMjFONUhRN0JZWkhKNUwzM1FYNC4u

Monday 2/10 - Be KIND to the ENVIRONMENT 

  • Everyone Wear Green 
  • Kindness Tree in lobby – More information to come!

Tuesday 2/11- Be KIND to YOURSELVES

  • Everyone Wear Your Favorite Color! 
  • Self-Compassion Activities and Treat

Wednesday 2/12 - Be KIND to YOUR CLASSMATES 

  • Everyone Wear Blue
  • We will have blue nail polish at recess for the Blue Pinky Challenge – Kindness and Anti-Bullying Campaign

Thursday 2/13 - Be KIND to YOUR TEACHERS 

  • Everyone Wear Red for Ed
  • Spread kindness to your teachers through notes of gratitude, words of affirmation, and more!

Friday 2/14 - Be KIND to EVERYONE! 

  • Wear Westgate Shirts 
  • Community Kindness Day! 

Upcoming Dates:
 
Next week we will be celebrating Kindness.  Please stay tuned for further information regarding a walking field trip to deliver kindness cards to one or more local businesses.
 
We do not celebrate Valentine's Day at Westgate.  Students should not be bringing treats, gifts, or cards for their classmates.  Students wishing to exchange cards or other gifts with friends need to make arrangements to do so outside of school.  Thank you for your support!
Reminders:
 

Westgate is moving towards a “toy free” zone.  Unfortunately, there has been a lot of distractions and problems caused by students bringing toys, fidgets, stuffed animals, blankets, Pokemon cards, etc. We want students to focus on learning and building relationships while they are here, and toys become a disruption to this learning process.  Outdoor equipment (balls, scooters, etc) is still acceptable. Appropriate fidgets will be available in the classrooms for those who need one. More information is coming soon from admin. 

I would also like to remind you to have your child keep personal electronics at home. We do provide ear buds here at school and cell phones can stay in the backpack if they are turned off during school hours. Again, these items can be a distraction and take away from academic and social/emotional learning.

Thank you so much for your support with this!

Upcoming Events:

  • January Advocacy- Self Compassion
  • Symphony Field Trip – 1/28 9:00- 11:30
  • JA in a Day – 1/31
 

JA in a Day:  Friday, Jan. 31st will be our annual JA in a Day!  If you would like to volunteer to teach one of our classes on this day, we would love to have you!!  Contact Holly Peterson at [email protected]  for more information.

 

Reminders:
 

Westgate is moving towards a “toy free” zone.  Unfortunately, there has been a lot of distractions and problems caused by students bringing toys, fidgets, stuffed animals, blankets, Pokemon cards, etc. We want students to focus on learning and building relationships while they are here, and toys become a disruption to this learning process.  Outdoor equipment (balls, scooters, etc) is still acceptable. Appropriate fidgets will be available in the classrooms for those who need one. More information is coming soon from admin. 

I would also like to remind you to have your child keep personal electronics at home. We do provide ear buds here at school and cell phones can stay in the backpack if they are turned off during school hours. Again, these items can be a distraction and take away from academic and social/emotional learning.

Thank you so much for your support with this!

 

Drums Around the World Field Trip

The link is posted and has been emailed out! Please fill out the form online and let me know if you have any questions!!

We need volunteers! This is a fun field trip and easy to chaperone- we all go together in one big group!! 

Volunteers will be contacted!

We will have snack before we leave.

We leave around 9 and get back just after normal lunch time.