March

Staff Bulletin Week of 3/9

Staff Shout Outs!

Thank you to Mr. Yuan for allowing me to play my ukulele at our Spring concert! (He hasn't heard me play yet, but I'll be practicing with third grade. 🤞)

Thank you to all of the teachers practicing putting student talk into their every day lessons! Kristal & I will be coming this week to record your points! (Since we were testing last week, this week we will be ready to count baskets. March Madness here we come!!) 🏀🏀🏀🏀

Remember if you have someone who has gone above & beyond-send me an email, and I'll make sure to recognize them in the next staff bulletin.

Just a quick update on a few things happening this week. Spring pictures will take place on Wednesday, an email has already been sent with the schedule. San Felipe Day will be on Thursday, and the schedule is currently being finalized and will be emailed out shortly. On Friday, we will have Parent/Teacher conferences. Friday is also the end of Quarter 3. Please let me know if there is any way I can support you throughout the week, especially it being the end of the quarter.

We also have some exciting news to share. Nicole Lujan and Eleanor Lucero have accepted full-time positions at Algodones for next school year. We are excited that our gardening teacher, Nicole, will be taking on more of our science instruction, giving students the opportunity to learn with her twice next year, and Eleanor will help our WIN time continue to expand with learning and growth. If you see them in the hallway, please offer your CONGRATULATIONS!! 🥳🥳🥳

Dates to Remember this Week:

March 9 - NAEPAC Meeting @ AES, 5:30 PM

March 11 - Spring Picture Day (order forms are in teacher's boxes, schedule has been emailed)

March 12 - San Felipe Day

March 13 - Parent/Teacher Conferences, End of Quarter 3

March 17 - Quarter 3 Awards--We are LUCKY to LEARN at Algodones! 🍀

March 18 - PD for Teachers-AM: Vertical Alignment Training, TESOL Share-Out, NewsELA training; PM: Spring Math @2:00

March 19 - Claudia from SAVVAS will be joining our PLC's to help with Week 6!! Bring your questions and inquiring minds . . . .

March 20 - First Grade Field Trip to Explora

March 23 - Mustang Monday Mashup!

March 26 - Third Grade Field Trip to the Valles Caldera National Preserve

March 27 - Kinder Field Trip to the Botanical Gardens & Aquarium

April 16 - Claudia from SAVVAS will be joining our PLC's to help with ELA small groups. 🥳

April 17 - Second Grade Field Trip to the National Museum of Nuclear Science & History

April 21-22 - NMSSA for Third Grade

May 5-6 - IMSSA for Third Grade

May 12 - Perfect Attendance Field Trip-Santa Ana Starlight Lanes

May 15 - Field Trip to the ZOO!

June 5 - Last Day of School (55 more days of school . . . but who is counting?!)

Bookkeeper (Repeat)

Our bookkeeper, Mikayla, will be on campus ALL day on Mondays for the rest of the school year. We are excited to have her on campus, and she will be willing to answer any questions you might have, Timeclock issues you might need assistance with, or answer any other questions you might have about our budget or just ask her to buy paper.... (I'm so happy. 🥳)

Student of the Week (repeat)
Don’t forget to submit your Student of the Week—someone who has been kind to peers, helpful, and a positive influence. Let’s celebrate those everyday heroes in our classrooms! The google sheet is in our shared google drive. Students will be called to the office each Friday morning after announcements.

Fiedelity vs Integrity

Fidelity vs Integrity

The two layers of the cake represent our standards and our HQIM. We can’t mix those up — they’re the structure, the foundation, the recipe that ensures we’re grounded in what students must learn and how we deliver it with quality.

But how we decorate the cake?
That’s where you come in.

The frosting, the design, the creativity — that’s the innovation. That’s how you respond to the students sitting in front of you. That’s how you differentiate, adjust, scaffold, extend, and meet the needs of your unique classroom community. Fidelity gives us consistency. Integrity is how we bring it to life with purpose and responsiveness.

Lockdown Drill Procedures and STaff Responsibilities

As part of our ongoing commitment to campus safety, we will be conducting lockdown drills to ensure that all students and staff are familiar with emergency procedures.

During the lockdown drill, all staff members are expected to follow established safety protocols and secure their classrooms or assigned areas promptly.

Once your room is secured, you must communicate the following information to the main office (GroupMe chat):

The total number of students currently in your classroom
The number of students who are currently missing from your roster

This accountability step is critical to ensure that all students are accounted for as quickly and safely as possible.

Please remember:

Lock and secure all doors immediately.
Turn off lights and remain quiet.
Keep students out of sight and away from doors and windows.
Do not open the door until an official “all clear” is given.

Your cooperation and attention to detail during this drill are essential to maintaining a safe environment for everyone.

If you have any questions prior to the drill, please contact the main office.

Thank you for your continued dedication to student safety.

(Lockdown procedures have been added to our AES shared drive, and we will remind you of these procedures before our next lockdown drill.)

GoogleClassroom_Email_Template_School_Admins_to_Teachers.pdf

Newsela!! & Generation Genius

We are excited to share that you and your students now have Premium access to Newsela! You can log in easily through Clever, and this subscription unlocks more than 15,000 instructional articles across 20+ genres, with content that is leveled, engaging, and aligned to standards. One of the most powerful features is the ability to adjust and reassign the Lexile level for every passage, allowing you to seamlessly differentiate instruction and ensure all students can access the same content at a level that supports their growth.

We will explore the platform together during our March 18th PD, but feel free to jump in now and start exploring. Premium access also includes Generation Genius—one of my favorite supplemental resources for math and science instruction. I’m confident you can already think of meaningful ways to use these tools in your classroom, and we’ll collaborate on even more practical strategies during our PD session.

March Math Madness Student Talk Challenge!

We are excited to kick off our March Math Madness Student Talk Challenge! Throughout the month, we’re focusing on increasing student voice in math classrooms because when students are talking about their thinking, they are deepening understanding and strengthening learning. Kristal and Amber will be visiting classrooms looking for structured opportunities for students to respond to teachers, respond to one another, explain reasoning, and engage in collaborative strategies. We can’t wait to celebrate the magic happening as our students fill classrooms with mathematical conversation! 🎩✨

MARCH MATH MADNESS

Bringing the Magic of Student Talk! ✨🎩

When Students Talk, They Think.

When Students Think, They Learn.

Research shows:

Students retain more when they explain their thinking.
Peer discussion strengthens conceptual understanding.
Frequent opportunities to respond increase engagement and achievement.
In math, verbalizing reasoning deepens problem-solving skills.

This March, we’re turning up the volume on student voice!

🏀 THE CHALLENGE

Kristal and Amber will be visiting math classrooms looking for structured student talk. You earn points when students are responding, explaining, and engaging!

🎯 1 Point

Responding to teacher questions
Turn & Talk
Think-Pair-Share
Choral responses
Quick write + share

🎯🎯 2 Points

Students responding to each other
Using accountable talk stems
Explaining reasoning
Asking clarifying questions

🎯🎯🎯 3 Points

Snowball Fight
KWL Charts
Give One, Get One
Walk & Talk
Four Corners
Huddle
Student-led discussions

🪄 MAGIC MULTIPLIER

If students are doing most of the talking (not the teacher), your points DOUBLE.

🏆 PRIZES

Golden Microphone Trophy 🎤
Staff shout-outs
Jeans pass
Bragging rights as a Magic Maker

Let’s fill our classrooms with mathematical conversation and bring the magic to learning!

Read Across America Week 3/2-3/6

Read Across America Week

Staff Bulletin Week of 3/2

Staff Shout Outs!

Thank you to Ms. Spina who headed up our Science/STEM Night. Your dedication to our students and their pursuit of STEM was electric. What in the world are we going to do without you?!!!!

Thank you to EVERYONE who helped with our Science/STEM Night as well-decorating, hanging posters, displaying projects, rolling ham, and decorating cupcakes. We appreciate you!

Thank you to Mr. Greg for trying relentlessly to fix our badge issue!! (fingers crossed for Monday)

Remember if you have someone who has gone above & beyond-send me an email, and I'll make sure to recognize them in the next staff bulletin.

This week is full of exciting events and important preparations! On Monday, we are honored to welcome the Governor as he visits our San Felipe students — a special opportunity to celebrate our learners and community. We’ll also be celebrating Read Across America Week, inspired by the work of Theodor Seuss Geisel, with activities that promote a love of reading across our campus. In addition, teachers will be preparing for upcoming parent-teacher conferences, ensuring we are ready to share student progress and celebrate growth. It’s a busy and meaningful week ahead!

Dates to Remember this Week:

March 2 - Governor visits San Felipe students 1:00-2:30 PM

March 11 - Spring Picture Day (order forms are in teacher's boxes)