Rocket News

Rocket Families!

What a great start! I have shared with several that this year has been one of the best starts in recent memory. Thank YOU for getting your Rocket off on the right foot each and every morning. Elementary education is truly a team sport. We are grateful for your partnership in this work.

Speaking of partnerships, please note that Parent/Caregiver/Teacher conferences are this month during the week of Oct. 20-24. If your teacher hasn’t already sent a sign up, she/he will this week. It is our hope that we will see 100% of our parents and caregivers that week. We will have almost two months of time with your child and together we will be able to solidify a plan that will support your child in meeting grade level expectations (and beyond) in all things academic, behavioral and social emotional. Educating the ENTIRE child is our goal and Together We Can! One of the things I’ve suggested that parents/caregivers do in preparation for conferences is to think of a question or two that you’d like to know. You will also have an opportunity in November to see what a day looks like for your Rocket. As you will read further down in this newsletter, our Family Learning Night is scheduled for Thursday, November 20 from 5:30-7:00. This is a great opportunity to come and explore your child’s room and get a first hand look at what their day looks like.

Let’s try to reach that 100% mark attendance at conferences: Oct. 20-24

In addition to starting the year strong in the classroom, we have also had a lot of fun this past month. As you will see in posts below we had another wonderful Rocket Run! The event is mostly a great community event, but it is also our primary fundraiser and we still have a ways to go to reach our goal. Check out the link in this newsletter to make any last minute donations. Our ROSCO does so much for us…just this past Friday, a group of ROSCO volunteers repainted the USA map on our playground. Our ROSCO funds and coordinates many things like Teacher Appreciation week events, fun social events like Winter Festival and Trunk or Treat along with supporting learning inside and outside our walls like purchasing a green house and a salad “wall tower” (you can check this out at Family Learning Night). Our ROSCO funds New Family Dinners and Welcome Back lunches. The list really goes on and on. Please consider a donation to ROSCO if you haven’t already done so. A dollar a lap for your Rocket will go a long way.

Lastly, we have had several amazing Rocket Rallies in September and October. Our Rocket Rallies are great ways to celebrate the great choices your Rocket is making in the classroom and beyond (music, physical education, library, art and recess). Rockets are recognized for showing the Rocket Way of Cooperation, Assertiveness, Responsibility, Empathy and Self Control (CARES). We linked a video of our past Rocket Rally here so you can get a taste of what one looks like. I’d encourage you to ask your Rocket what a Rocket Rally is like. It is a Rocket Way party!

We look forward to seeing you all in a couple of weeks. As always please reach out with any questions.

Go Rockets!

Love,

Mr. Ackley

We’re excited to connect with all of our families during Parent-Teacher Conference Week, taking place October 20–24. Our teachers will be reaching out soon to offer a variety of meeting times throughout the week to help accommodate your schedule.

These conferences are a valuable opportunity to discuss your child’s progress, celebrate successes, and work together to support their continued growth this school year.

Our goal is simple: 100% participation! We want to meet with every parent and caregiver—because when school and home work together, our students thrive.

Thank you for being an essential part of our Rocket community. We look forward to seeing you!

Dan Darmstadter is returning to RO with Cody the therapy dog for classroom and small group visits this year. He is planning to do one classroom visit with each class between now and winter break. After winter break we will move to doing small groups with students who may benefit from some time reading to or interacting with Cody.

October is National Bullying Prevention Month. Students and staff at Royal Oaks will participate in activities and dress up days to recognize Bullying Prevention and Unity Day. All Rockets participated in a grade level “Pit Talk” discussion this week about ways that we can regulate emotions, solve problems, prevent bullying and make Royal Oaks a safe and welcoming place for everyone. Sun Prairie Area School District, in their Bullying, Cyberbullying and Hazing policy, defines bullying as “deliberate or intentional behavior using words or actions, intended to cause fear, intimidation, or harm. Bullying may be repeated behavior and involves an imbalance of power.” Our discussions focused on recognizing what bullying is and what strategies students can use to prevent it.

Royal Oaks does not allow any food for Birthdays or Celebratory reasons. If students bring any food items to school we will hold them in the office until a Parent/ Caregiver can come pick them up. If you would like to celebrate your child's birthday at school, please consider scheduling a time with their classroom teacher to read to their class or join your child for lunch.

Sometimes it is necessary for children to take medication during the school day.

Due to Wisconsin State Law:

· All prescription medication must have the District Medication Administration Form signed by a parent/guardian and a doctor on file. The doctor's office may use their own clinic form and the parent/guardian would sign that document.

· Non-prescription medication must have the District Medication Administration Form signed by a parent/guardian. COUGH DROPS/THROAT LOZENGES are included. These medication forms may be picked from Nurse Dan or see the link below.

· No medication will be sent home with a child. Parents/guardians should send only the correct amount required.

· All medication must be kept in the Nurse’s office and administered by Nurse Dan, Ellen Breunig ( School Secretary), or Zoe Horant (Welcome Desk Secretary).

· Please refer to the District website under Health Services for forms, policies, and further information, or see the link below.

District Medication Administration Consent form

District Medication Administration Consent Form (Spanish Version)

On Tuesday, November 5th, we will conduct vision screenings at school for all students in Kindergarten, 2nd grade, and 4th grade.

In addition, Kindergarten students will also receive a hearing screening on that day.

🔹 If your child is in another grade and you would like them to be screened, or
🔹 If you do not want your child to participate,

please contact the school health office at 608-834-7206 or email Nurse Dan at dagopli@sunprairieschools.org.

We Need Volunteers!
We are looking for 6 volunteers to help with the vision and hearing screening process. If you’re interested, please contact the main office to sign up. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Welcome to the Royal Oaks Library Corner. This is a place to keep you up to date with what is going on in the library.

Our Rockets are off to a great start to the year with 2,291 books checked out in the first month. Our third graders are leading the pack with 556 books. Wonderful work, Rockets!!

Our top books are:

Non-Fiction: Anaconda vs. Jaguar by Thomas Adamson

Graphic Novel: Babysitter Club series

Fiction: Dog Man series by Dav Pilkey

Everybody: The Duckling Gets a Cookie by Mo Willems

In class this month, Kindergarten and First Graders are continuing to work on mastering library routines and how to find a Just Right Book. The Second Grade Rockets are learning about the different genres we have in the library from Science Fiction to Humor. Third through Fifth graders are becoming familiar with our Google Classroom and are working to become proficient users of Destiny Discover - our library on-line catalog.

October Book Recommendation

A Plate of Hope: The Inspiring Story of Chef José Andrés and World Central Kitchen written by Erin Frankel; illustrated by Paola Escobar José Andrés's love of cooking began as a young boy in Spain as he gathered the wood to make the fire that would cook the paella just right. José loved everything about it: the sizzling olive oil, the mounds of chopped vegetables, and the smell of saffron. When he left home, he realized he wanted to tell stories with food. And tell them he did, creating magic with the seeds of ripe tomatoes and pomegranates and cheese. His dreams grew until they were as big as the stars in the sky. He thought, No one should ever go hungry. I want to help feed the world -- and World Central Kitchen was born.

From the earthquake in Haiti to the war in Ukraine and the Covid pandemic, José and his team at World Central Kitchen have been at the frontlines, serving more than 200 million meals and counting, and bringing comfort and hope in the darkest times.

Dear Parent/Caregiver,

Three times annually in the fall, winter and spring all students in grades K-8 are provided with Universal Screening Assessments to see how they are doing across important areas related to reading and math skill development. Depending on the grade level and time of year, those skills assessed might be different based on what is expected as students progress through school.

These assessments tell us how well students are performing and growing, and if students are not performing or growing as expected, that additional support might be needed. Please see your student(s) score report by accessing this link: https://nextpath.app/login.

As a student guardian, you will “log in with email” like the icon below to access your student(s) information. During a first log in you will be prompted to complete some information about your child(ren) for security purposes. From there, you will be able to view a “Universal Screening Results” document at any time(s).

It is important to know that aimswebPLUS has updated its national norms for literacy and reading. Norms are benchmarks that show how your child’s score compares to students across the country. This update means that scores may look a little different from last year. These kinds of updates are normal and expected—they give us a clearer and more accurate picture of how today’s students are learning.

What this means for families:

• Your child’s test form and the way it’s scored have not changed.

• A shift in percentiles doesn’t mean your child suddenly became a stronger or weaker reader. It simply reflects an updated, more accurate comparison to students nationwide.

• Teachers will continue using the results to guide instruction, support growth, and keep you informed about progress. This may include a student academic support plan beyond WI ACT 20 K-3 Personal Reading Plan requirements.

If you have any questions or concerns or would like a paper copy of your student(s) Universal Screening Results please contact your student(s) classroom teacher.

Sincerely,

Educators of Sun Prairie Area School District

We had the perfect day last Thursday for our annual Rocket Run. Our Rockets were out there working hard and showing the Rocket Way! A BIG THANK YOU again to all our volunteers to help make the day a success.

We have raised almost $20,000 that goes back to supporting our students, staff and families.

Donations can still be made through Monday, October 13 either directly online or cash/check. Any cash or check can be dropped off in the front office in the white pledge envelopes.

If you have any questions, please contact Laura (Event Lead) at royaloaksrocketrun@gmail.com.

https://funrun101.pledgebrite.org/fund/rocketrun2025

Celebrate Autism Acceptance by wearing apparel that spreads awareness and inclusion! The SPASD Autism Awareness Store has t-shirts and hoodies—available now at SPASD Autism Awareness Store.

Wearing this apparel is a simple way to spark conversations, show support for individuals and families, and promote acceptance in our school community.