December Newsletter

Dear Families,

December is here, and our classroom is buzzing with excitement as we dive into new learning adventures and wrap up some of our fall units. From exploring division in math to stepping into the shoes of characters in reading, students are growing as thinkers, writers, and creators every day. We’re also adding a touch of holiday magic with special projects and celebrations that make this season so memorable.

This month we’ll be diving into division! In EnVision Math Topic 5, students will explore division as sharing and grouping, connect division to multiplication, and practice solving problems with remainders. We’ll also look at strategies like repeated subtraction, fact families, and using arrays to build a strong foundation for understanding division in real-world contexts.

In Benchmark Workshop Unit 4, we’ll be focusing on how characters see the world through their own perspectives. Students will learn to identify point of view, compare how different characters interpret events, and analyze how perspective shapes the story. This unit helps readers build empathy and critical thinking as they step into the shoes of diverse characters.

Our writing focus will be on compare and contrast articles. Students will practice organizing their ideas using the TIDE structure (Topic, Important evidence, Details, Ending) and strategies from ThinkSRSD to strengthen their opinion writing. This will help them craft clear, well-supported essays while learning to see similarities and differences across texts.

We are wrapping up our unit on Colorado History with a small art project—details coming soon! This will be a creative way for students to celebrate what they’ve learned about our state’s rich past.

We’ll also study:

• Colorado landforms and map reading

• Why settlers chose specific locations for towns

• Ghost towns and the lives of miners

🔹 Colorado Social Studies Standards Focus:

• Analyze primary and secondary sources to understand Colorado’s past

• Explain how geography influenced settlement and development

• Understand the cultural and economic contributions of Native American tribes and early settlers

• Use maps and geographic tools to interpret data

We will finish our powerful read aloud, Radium Girls, this month. We’ve had some truly meaningful discussions around ethics—students have been thinking deeply about fairness, responsibility, and the choices people make. Next up is one of my all-time favorites: The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin! This classic mystery novel invites readers into a puzzle full of twists, turns, and clever clues. Sixteen heirs are challenged to solve the mystery of Samuel Westing’s death, and along the way, students will practice critical thinking, inference, and teamwork as they try to crack the case.

• December 2 – iReady Reading MOY testing begins

• December 5 – Building Communities In School Field Trip

• December 9 – iReady Math MOY testing begins

• December 18 – Last day of school before winter break & EPRs released

• December 19 – January 6 – Winter Break

🚲 Transportation Reminders Students may ride bikes and scooters to school, but they must dismount and walk them once they reach school grounds.

📵 Cell Phone Policy Cell phones may not be used during school hours. If your student needs to be reached or there are changes to their schedule, please contact me or the school office directly.

❄️ Weather Reminders

Winter is officially upon us! Please keep an eye out for district updates regarding delayed starts or school cancellations. To help students stay warm and safe during recess, make sure they come prepared with jackets, snow boots, gloves, and hats each day. We head outside for recess unless the temperature drops below 20 degrees, so bundled-up kiddos are ready for fun in the snow!

dfuller@dcsdk12.org.

Class Dojo

As we head into winter break, I’m so proud of the hard work and growth our students have shown this semester. Thank you for your continued support at home—it makes all the difference. Wishing you and your family a joyful holiday season filled with warmth, laughter, and rest. I can’t wait to see what the new year brings for our classroom community!