4th grade has just wrapped up our first language arts unit on personal narratives. The students and I have worked very hard to grasp the concept elements that are involved in reading and writing personal narratives. We are to begin Unit 2 which is all about informative text. We will focus on the Middle Ages for this unit and I believe the students will enjoy learning about knights during the Medieval Times. In this unit, students will gain a deeper understanding in report or informative writing.
Colorado Free Application Days - Oct. 19-21st
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Applicants who submit their admission applications to Colorado's colleges and universities during this three day period can do so for free. And remember, while the application must be submitted during this three-day period to be eligible for the fee waiver, applicants can begin working on their admission applications now! Just save your work online and submit the admission applications from Oct. 19 - 21. Go to the URL below for more information!
https://highered.colorado.gov/cofreeappdays
The third grade has been learning about plant growth and selection in science this week. This Thursday they did an activity to rate the sweetness and color of three different types of apples. They did this in order to see and taste the way that selection happens in fruits and vegetables.
To kick of the fall season and Halloween first graders read the wonderful story "Pumpkin Jack" by Will Hubbell. This story is about the life cycle of a pumpkin. We then started our own "Pumpkin Jack" experiment, where we hope to watch our pumpkin decompose and eventually sprout a new pumpkin plant, we can plant in the school garden. This process will take months so, stay tuned for updates on the life cycle of Jack.
Our 5th grade classroom has become a science lab! As we study ecosystems and food chains, we are diving into how organisms depend on one another in an energy cycle by building mold terrariums! Currently we have three variables and a control to test what causes mold to grow and what can stop the growth of mold. We've enjoyed hypothesizing and observing our terrariums daily. Check them out!
4th grade has completed their CO Relief Maps! The students worked very hard and put a lot of creativity into their team maps. Here are the final results of CO Relief Maps! They came out so good!
Counseling will look a bit different this year at Cotopaxi. Last year Solvista Health joined our team and will be here again as a resource for our students. Coming soon, the Cotopaxi School District has obtained contracted services to fulfill the district's counseling needs. We are very excited about this opportunity for our students and families.
Hello, from AP US History! It has been an exciting start to the year! I am so proud of the students who have taken on this challenge! It has been a great start!
4th grade is just starting our exploration into Colorado history. We are beginning our exploration with the physical features of our beautiful state. This week we are creating a relief map of Colorado's majestic mountain ranges. The students will create these maps using salt dough to replicate 3D models of the mountains. When the dough dries, we will paint our maps to represent the mountains, rivers and valleys of our great state.
First grade has been studying earth science. This includes the natural resources, why they are essential, and ways we can help to sustain them. We recently made bees from recycled items like paper scraps and toilet paper rolls to demonstrate how to help. We also used our hands to make the wings. The students enjoyed flying their bees all the way home to show their families.
Cotopaxi middle and high school students will be participating in the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey during the first week in October. Parent letters are being sent home with your student this week. Please see a copy of this letter below. Feel free to contact Nurse Debbie with any questions.
In order to get ready for a busy year of reading, the third grade designed and laminated bookmarks. The students created their bookmarks during the first week of school and brought them to the library to be laminated.
The 5th-grade class has been refreshing our memories about the United States Government this week. First, as a class, we identified the branches of government and the levels of government. Next, we determined the roots of our government are our principles; fairness, equality, and justice. Finally, students have been journaling about what those principles mean to them as American Citizens. Students will continue to identify patterns of these principles as we explore the history of founding our nation this year.
Hello from 2nd grade! Our brains are growing stronger by the day! We are learning about the -ch, -tch, 'th', and 'wh' sounds in words and are writing contractions! In Math, we are learning and practicing strategies to help us with using mental math for addition and subtraction. (So far, most of us like the 10-block method!) We were VERY excited to get new Chromebooks and now have enough for every student in our class!
Come support the Pirates in their homecoming games, Friday, September 10th!
Greetings from Nurse Debbie. Our school year has started off with a variety of allergies, sore throats, coughs, and tummy aches. I have attached a document from the Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment titled "How Sick is Too Sick?". School nurses across Colorado follow this guidance on a daily basis. I'm encouraging parents to take a look at this in order to make an informed decision on whether to send your child to school or keep them home based on their illness symptoms. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
Technology is an integral part of learning. First graders have been working hard to learn how to use all the different technologies and programs associated with their curriculums. This is a vital skill to learn even early on in school. Technology is more engrained in our day-to-day lives, so they must know how to navigate technology safely and adequately.
Welcome Back, Pirates! The summer was fast but we are excited to be back at school! It's been fun to see old friends and meet new ones! 2nd grade has been busy reviewing our fantastic Super Kids in reading as well as starting some work in our new math curriculum, iReady Math. Mrs. Christensen has made a big change this year- switching from the school counselor role to 2nd grade teacher. Although she's been plenty busy preparing to be a teacher and at times feels a bit overwhelmed, she is excited about the year to come!
First-grade had a wonderful start to the year! We have begun reviewing our math, reading, and writing skills. Enjoyed getting to know our new friends and reunite with our old friends. We cannot wait to see all the wonderful things the year brings for our Cotopaxi community!
Picture day is tomorrow, Tuesday, August 17th. Please remind your students to dress their best and bring their smiles! Order forms should be turned in to teachers and/or directly to our photographer.