YAY!

I am so excited that it is finally back to school night! You can watch the video below, and then if you have any questions, you can join my Zoom meeting from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm tonight (7/18/2020) by clicking here. The password is rams. You can pop in to the meeting and ask questions, you don’t need to stay for the whole meeting. You will be muted when you join, I have to mute everyone or we will hear all the noises from everyone’s houses, you can unmute when it is your turn to ask a question. You can also email me or send me a Bloomz message with any questions you might have 🙂

I also want to mention that you may want to send a couple extra clean masks with your child each day. They tend to get damp and that can be annoying, it would be nice if your child can change into a fresh mask if they need to. Also, the drinking fountains are going to be off limits, so don’t forget to send a water bottle!

School starts in 2 days, I can’t wait!!! We are going to have a great year!!!

Tiffany Brown is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Back to School Night!
Time: Aug 18, 2020 06:30 PM Mountain Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/71298803047?pwd=M21GaDd1QXFseFFxOS9XWFU4Ylc4Zz09

Meeting ID: 712 9880 3047
Passcode: rams

Back to School Night

Our first virtual Back to School Night will be held on Tuesday, August 18 6:30-7:30.  I will have a Zoom link for you to visit me during that time. I will post the ZOOM meeting link on my BLOG that day. Please make sure you have the Zoom app downloaded or are able to connect from the browser. 
CLICK THE VIDEO BELOW TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR CLASS! 
I CAN’T WAIT TO MEET YOU! 🙂

WELCOME TO 3RD GRADE!

Hello! I hope that you are having a fan”cactus” summer so far and are getting ready for an amazing school year.  I am so EXCITED to have your child in my class this year and I can’t wait to get started.  Back to School Night will be on August 18th and our first day of school will be on August 20th.  The first two days are early out with dismissal at 1:00.  I am looking forward to meeting all of you.  Here are a few things that you can do to get a jump start on the school year:

  • Blog:  Sign up to follow this blog.  This is on the right-hand side of this page.  Once you enter your email in, you will receive an email asking you to verify your email address.  Please do this or you will not be following our class blog.
  • Bloomz Apps:  Use the following link for instructions to connect to our class using the Bloomz App.  I will use this throughout the year to communicate with parents along with the blog.  I use Bloomz a lot so please sign up for Bloomz.  – Bloomz App
  • Class Disclosure Statement: Read and sign the class disclosure statement. – Class Disclosure Statement
  • Parent Survey:  The following link is a short survey to help me get to know your child better.  Please take a few moments to fill it out. – Parent Survey
  • Supply List:  I am asking for money donations in the amount of $30.00 instead of you buying your child’s supplies.  This means that I do all the shopping, labeling, and organizing.  Awesome, right? One less thing that you have to worry about.  However, this does not cover headphones.  Please send those in with your child on the first day of school.  You can click on the Parent Info tab above, or click the link, to find out what your $30.00 will cover. – Supply Link
  • Food Permission Form: This is a blanket food permission form for the entire school year.  The food items on this list are ones that we have used regularly in the past for class parties and for math, science, and ELA lessons.  Please check all of the items that your child can have.  There is a box for substitution suggestions if your child cannot have items on the list.  –Food Permission Form

     

Final Schedule for May 18th – 22nd

This is our last week of school.  This is our testing week so our schedule will be different than normal.  Students will be taking the i-Ready diagnostic test.  For this test, students will need to login to our Zoom meeting at specific times (see below) and I will need to monitor them while they take the test. Because this is such a long and important test, I will not have any other assignments this week. 
Please help your student by creating a “testing environment” that will allow them to focus with minimal distractions. They are allowed to have a pencil and paper, but that is all. They will need to have their mic and camera on the whole time.  
If you or another adult it able, please help monitor your student so that I know the data is accurate and they aren’t using other resources to answer the questions. Again, the results of this test will help the 4th grade teachers know the best way to help your students in the fall.
As students finish a test, they will not need to attend the corresponding sessions for that specific subject. However, the program does let me know if a student rushed through the test and they will be required to retake it. Please help your student understand the importance of doing their best and taking their time.
Here is the schedule for that day, please make sure your child is a few minutes early!!! (Click on the image for a better view):
Screen Shot 2020-05-10 at 9.31.01 PM
May 22nd: Virtual “Field Day” – This is our last day of school.  Students will meet with me on Zoom from 10:00 – 11:00.  During this time we will be making ice cream in bags and eating it all together and doing other activities.  Here is the ice cream recipe we will be making.  I have made this ice cream so many times, and I highly recommend double bagging the ice cream mixture, and the ice (so you will need two zipper close sandwich baggies and gallon baggies).  The recipe link has alternatives if you don’t have the traditional ingredients.  Please have your ice cream mixture ready for “shaking” when our Zoom meeting starts at 10:00.  We will be shaking and eating the ice cream together!  

May 26th – 28th: Drop off and Pick up – Return checked out Chrome books & library books and pick up report cards/materials and yearbooks.  More details will be coming from administration about how this will work.

May 11-15

Good news, we are almost done!   Here is what the schedule is going to look like through the end of the school year:

May 11th – 15th:  Online school as normal.  Continue what you have been doing. 
May 18th – 21st:  i-Ready End of Year Diagnostic Testing. (See below for more information)
May 22nd:  Virtual Fun Day!  More information will come as it gets closer 
May 26th – 28th:  Drop off and Pick up.  Return checked out Chromebooks to the school and pick up yearbooks and any items (most of you have picked your items up already).  More details will be coming from Administration about how this will work.

Click here for this week’s learning schedule.
    
i-Ready online Diagnostic Testing:  Throughout the year our math and reading program does a large diagnostic to test to reevaluate the level your student is at.  Administration had felt that even with distance learning, we still would like the students to complete the end of year test.  This data will help 4th grade know what gaps to fill, if there are any, in the fall. Because this is such a long and important test, there will be no other school work that week. 
*  For the test students will need to login to our Zoom at specific times listed on the schedule below, and I will need to monitor them with their camera and microphone on while they take the test. 
*  Please help your student by creating a “testing environment” that will allow them to focus with minimal distractions (think of a library-like environment).
*  Please make sure they get a good night’s sleep each night and have breakfast before they begin.
*  They are allowed to have a pencil and paper, but that is all. 
*  If you or another adult is able, please help monitor your student so that I know the data is accurate and they aren’t using other resources to answer the questions.  It is important that you do not help them with this test, it is okay if they don’t know an answer, it actually helps them because the 4th-grade teachers know what learning gaps they need to fill in next year.  Also, make sure your student isn’t just guessing.  This will put them at a low level and they will get so bored with school! The program does let me know if a student rushed through the test and they will be required to retake it.  Please help your student understand the importance of doing their best and taking their time. 
*  Again, the results of this test will help the 4th-grade teachers know the best way to help your students in the Fall.  
*  This test will take multiple sessions to complete, please check the schedule that I have attached to see when your child needs to be in Zoom with me for testing.  If this does not work for you, we do have evening options available, please let me know soon.
As students finish the tests, they will not need to attend the corresponding sessions.  However, the program does let me know if a student rushed through the test and they will be required to retake it.  Please help your student understand the importance of doing their best and taking their time.
*  Here is the schedule (please make sure your student is on time for the test each day):
Screen Shot 2020-05-10 at 9.31.01 PM
Thank you for all you have done and continue to do to help your student.  Please continue to let me know of any questions you have, and how best I can help.

May 4-8

WHERE HAS THE TIME GONE???  This is crazy that we are in the last month of school.  There are a bunch of announcements this week so please make sure that you read through the blog carefully, and check if often.  Please do not hesitate if you have any questions or concerns.  You are WONDERFUL!!!

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
*** MONDAY, MAY 4TH @ 1:30 – POQA (our parent organization) is sponsoring Quest’s Teacher Appreciation Parade this upcoming Monday, May 4th, at 1:30pm. We’d love to have you drive through our parking lot to say hello! Your teachers might even be tossing students a few treats through your car window as you drive by! In order to maintain social distancing standards, our educators will be spaced along the school—elementary teachers will be along the curb in the front of Q1, and jr. high teachers will be along the carpool lane in the back of the school. If you have students in both the elementary and the jr. high, feel free to make two trips around. If you are able to make it, we ask that students with last names beginning with letters A to M come between 1:30pm and 2:00pm, while those with last names beginning with letters N to Z come between 2:00pm and 2:30pm. To ensure social distancing standards are followed, please don’t exit your vehicles. Do, however, feel free to honk, cheer, and tell your teacher how much you appreciate them
.

***Sign up for Quest’s virtual talent show! Click here to access the virtual talent show website. The talent show will be available to watch the week of May 18th! All video submissions are due May 8th, so get out your phones and start recording your talented kiddos (please ensure recordings are less than 5 minutes)! Though you’ll be able to upload videos from your computer, you might find it a bit easier to do so from your phone. Here is a short recording to show you how to do this.  I know I have talent in my class! Let’s show the rest of the school!

***Quest Jr. High
 annual “I MADE THAT!” Game Coding Competition is going on now.  We need everyone’s help. Please go to this site https://bit.ly/gamecodingcomp  Play the games on that site and rate your favorites. Your votes will determine the winners.

***Monday, May 18th thru Thursday, May 21st – End of year i-Ready diagnostic testing – Starting Monday the 18th the school will be giving students an end of year diagnostic test for i-Ready reading and math.  I will meet with students in small groups and they will log onto i-Ready to take their test. I will be making a schedule later this week with the times that your child will meet with me for testing each day.  The testing will take 30 to 45 minutes each day.  i-Ready will only be available from 9:00 – 1:00 on these days.  If your child CANNOT meet with me between 9:00 and 1:00 that week, please notify me as soon as possible.  Other arrangements will need to be made for your child to take the diagnostic.  

Talent Show

Parents-
Please read the message from Dr. Dave below. We are going to do everything we can to continue with as many end of year traditions as possible, and the Talent Show is one of our most loved. The awesome thing about this format is you can even submit a previously recorded recital, skit, or video clip of your child being the awesome, amazing, spectacular child they are. You have until May 8th to submit your video. Watching the talent show from home would be a wonderful activity to enjoy with your family!

Hello, Quest Families!

We are so excited for our first VIRTUAL talent show–RAMS GOT TALENT!!! Click here to access the virtual talent show website (Thanks for creating it, Jen Jones!). The talent show will be available to watch the week of May 18th! All video submissions are due May 8th, so get out your phones and start recording your talented kiddos (please ensure recordings are less than 5 minutes)! Though you’ll be able to upload videos from your computer, you might find it a bit easier to do so from your phone. I’ve provided a short recording to show you how to do this. RAMS GOT TALENT is for ALL Quest students, so we expect to see submissions from kindergarteners, 9th graders, and EVERY grade in between! See you on the virtual stage!
Quest Administration

April 27 – May 1

I loved seeing all my students who stopped by on Saturday!  Parents, you are all doing amazing jobs and I am so grateful for you.  I know that this is not the easiest thing to be going through right now but you are killing it.  I am here to make things easier for you, so please let me know if you have any concerns, struggles, or questions.  I am here to help and support so please reach out.  

4/29 Happy Birthday Courtney!!

April 20-24

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!  A huge shout out to all of you awesome parents!  I have the best students in our class and the best parents.  This whole online learning is tough but you are killing it and I really appreciate it. We have a great week planned full of learning, so please check out our WEEKLY LEARNING SCHEDULE THANK YOU!!

Happy Birthday to Sydnie on April 26!!