Aspen's February Newsletter

Parent and Family Activities:

• 2/10 PIE (Parents In Education) Monthly Meeting
• 2/2-13 Valentine Sucker Fundraiser in Mathill's Class
• 2/20 Awards Assembly 1:15 PM in the gym
• 2/20 Reading Parent Education Event 2:30 in the cafeteria
• 2/27 End of Kids Heart Challenge

School Updates:

• 2/9 Addam's Family Performance K-2 at 9 AM, 3-5 at 12:30 PM
• 2/9 Student Council Meeting
• 2/10 NHS Literacy Day
• 2/13 Boost Field Trip
• 2/13 Early Release 12:35 PM for Students and Staff
• 2/20 End of Trimester 2
• 3/2 Report Cards Sent Home

We would love to have you join our monthly PIE (Parents In Education) meetings! Meetings are held in person in the library or live on our Facebook page at 3:45 PM.

Help us:

• Guide the direction of our school

• Review Title I information

• Support our families and teachers

• Offer parent educational opportunities

• Make decisions about spending PIE funds

• Raise money for various school needs

Be a part of the effort!

Meeting Dates:

• February 10

• March 10

• April 14

• May 12

✨ Parent Education Event focused on reading

• Feb. 20th 2:30 in the cafeteria (after the awards assembly)

PE has started Kids Heart Challenge this month. The students are working towards helping collect donations and keeping their hearts strong and healthy. We encourage kids to sign up and complete Finn's Mission where they learn Hands-Only CPR. You can download the AHA Schools app or visit heart.org/schools to join your school team.

Kindergarten students are continuing to learn how to navigate the keypad and explore different games. First grade just started Coding last week and are excited to be doing what the older grades are learning! Second, third, and fourth graders are progressing through the Coding curriculum, with Music Lab being a favorite as they get to create their own musical projects. Fifth graders are beginning to design their own projects and are enjoying the freedom and creativity that comes with it.

Fifth graders are preparing for their performance on March 5th of our concert "A World of Music". First graders are also working hard learning their songs and speaking parts for their musical retelling of the story "The Three Little Pigs" in "Three Piggy Opera". The first grade performance will be on March 12th.

We are learning about being kind and sharing with our friends in preschool. We are making some fun snowmen. We are counting how many snowballs it takes to make them, and how many eyes & buttons they have. Our four year old classes are learning how many letters are in their names and we continue to practice our "Every Mouse and Bumblebee" nursery rhyme.

Boost started February on the right foot with the 100th day of school! We counted to 100, we built with 100 blocks, we stacked 100 cups, and we even counted out a 100 item trail mix! We had the best day focusing on the special number that is 100!

Down here in the yellow hall, Kinders have been reading stories about Kings, Queens and Medieval times. We've had fun building castles, drawing kings and queens, and reading all sorts of stories from Cinderella, Snow White to King Midas and the Golden Touch.

In 1st grade, we have been learning all about space! We explored constellations, the planets in our solar system, and even spaceships. The students had so much fun designing and building their own rockets while learning about how astronauts travel to space. It has been exciting to see their curiosity grow as they discover new facts about our universe. In reading, we are continuing to build our fluency and confidence as readers. We recently learned about “magic e” and how it changes the vowel sound in words. The students have been practicing reading and writing words with magic e and are doing a wonderful job applying this new skill during reading time. In math, we have begun our measurement unit. Students are learning how to measure using centimeter cubes and are comparing the lengths of different objects. They are practicing using math vocabulary such as longer, shorter, and equal to, while building a strong foundation in measurement skills. We also had a fantastic time celebrating our 100th day of school! It was so special to reflect on how much we have learned and grown since the first day. We are proud of all the hard work our first graders continue to show each day.

In reading, we have just finished the unit on Cycles of Nature. We are beginning to decode multisyllabic words with diphthongs such as oo, ue, ew, ui, au, aw, oi, and oy. In math, we have completed standards 2NBT.5 addition and subtraction up to 100 and 2.OA.1 multi-step story problems with addition and subtraction. We are starting geometry and fractional parts. In writing, we are writing informational paragraphs. Please have your child share what they have been learning about in class. Thanks!

Third graders have been having a blast! After WYTOPP, we kicked things off with a fun sensory day where we explored our senses of smell, touch, and taste. During our taste test, we used Mberries to temporarily change how our taste buds work; it was so cool! We’ve wrapped up our Vikings unit in reading and are super excited to begin learning about our solar system. We’re looking forward to learning in the school’s planetarium. In math, we just finished our measurement and data unit and are now diving into lessons on area and perimeter.

After finishing up a unit on energy, our 4th-grade geologists have spent the last few weeks digging deep into the rocky mysteries of Earth’s surface. We’ve been asking big questions like: Why are the continents where they are? How did mountains rise up, valleys sink down, and deep ocean trenches form?

During reading time, our geologists discovered that Earth’s seven continents don’t just sit still - they ride on giant slabs of Earth’s crust called tectonic plates. These plates slowly float and slide on top of Earth’s hot, gooey mantle. Ask one of our experts how scientists know that, over 200 million years ago, all seven continents were once squished together like a giant rock puzzle called Pangaea. We’re also wondering… where might North America drift to in another 200 million years?

In science, we explored with a giant sand table and researched to see how wind, water, and living things help shape Earth’s crust. These powerful forces wear rocks down, move soil around, and carve new landforms over time. Try asking one of our geologists, “How have wind, water, and living things changed the shape of the Earth?”

Finally, be sure to ask a 4th grader about their informational writing essay. Each student researched one amazing geological feature and wrote all about it. From volcanoes in Russia and the pink sandy beaches of Bermuda, to the Hawaiian island chain and fiery, lava-filled craters, we’ve taken a virtual rock-solid journey around the world!

We are learning about elections, running for office, and political campaigns. We're also diving into decimals and finishing our Renaissance unit! Mr. Guthrie's class did Sistine Chapel drawings on paper under their desks for a fun activity, and Mrs. Wood's class practiced decimals by running a restaurant during Friday stations one week.

Special education at Aspen is dedicated to empowering every student through individualized supports and collaborative teamwork. Recently, our team celebrated a meaningful milestone: a student walked for the first time without her walker—an achievement that reflects consistent therapy, targeted instruction, and family partnership. Across the department, staff are focused on delivering high-quality, specifically designed instruction (SDI) tailored to each learner’s strengths and needs. Teachers, therapists, and paraeducators collaborate to implement SDI with fidelity, monitor progress using data, and adjust teaching strategies to promote independence and access to the general curriculum. Our commitment to inclusive practices, professional growth, and strong home–school communication helps students reach important functional and academic goals. Moments like this new step remind us that thoughtful, coordinated supports make measurable differences in students’ lives and propel us to continue refining instruction for even greater impact.