TCES/SEC Newsletter

A Message from the Principals

What an incredible first week of school! It has been such a joy to welcome our students back and see our classrooms filled with smiling faces, excitement, and a love for learning. Thank you to our families for helping make the start of the school year such a success. We are looking forward to an amazing year together!

As we settle into our routines, we would like to share a few important reminders:

• School begins at 7:45 a.m. Students should be in their classrooms and ready to learn.
• The tardy bell rings at 8:00 a.m.
• Dismissal is at 3:26 p.m.

To help ensure the safety and security of all students, parents and visitors will not be permitted to walk students beyond the front office. We appreciate your understanding as we work to maintain a safe learning environment for everyone.

Please also remember:

• Bus notes must be turned in to the office by 1:00 p.m.
• Students cannot be checked out after 3:00 p.m.

We know these procedures may seem like a lot, but every one of them is in place with one goal in mind—keeping our students safe.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to the elementary principals. We are here to support you and are always happy to help. Working together, we can make this a wonderful year for every child.

Thank you for your partnership and trust. We look forward to a fantastic school year!

Together, We Make a Difference.

Warmly,

Katrina Selberg

Principal

Tricia Jump

Assistant Principal

Richard Marquez

Assistant Principal

Dear Kindergarten Families,

Welcome to kindergarten! I am so excited to begin this school year with you and your child. During the month of August, we will spend time getting to know one another and building our classroom family. Our main focus will be learning classroom routines, expectations, and procedures so students feel safe, confident, and ready to learn. We will practice listening, following directions, working together, sharing, and becoming more independent each day.

We will also begin introducing our English Language Arts (ELA) and math lessons. In ELA, students will start learning letters and letter sounds, listening to stories, practicing rhyming, and working on writing their names. In math, we will practice counting, recognizing numbers, sorting objects, identifying shapes and patterns, and using hands-on math tools to build number sense.

You can help your child at home by reading together every day, practicing writing their name, counting everyday objects, and encouraging them to complete simple tasks on their own. Thank you for trusting me with your child's education. We look forward to a wonderful year of learning, growing, and making many happy memories together!

🚗2nd Grade News 🚗

Welcome Back!

We are so excited to begin a wonderful year of learning, growing, and making memories together! Thank you for sharing your amazing children with us. We can't wait to see all they accomplish this year!

📚 What We're Learning

• Math (i-Ready): We are beginning our first unit, Numbers Within 20, where students will build strong number sense and develop confidence with counting, comparing, and working with numbers.

• Science: Our first science unit focuses on Properties of Matter as students explore and investigate the world around them through hands-on activities.

• Reading: We are starting our first reading unit on Citizenship, where students will learn about being responsible, respectful, and caring members of our classroom and community.

🍉 Watermelon Bust

Don't forget to join us for the Watermelon Bust on Tuesday, August 5th, from 4:00–5:30 p.m. We hope to see your family there!

🥕 Daily Reminders

Please help your child come to school prepared each day by sending:

• A healthy snack

• A water bottle

❤️ Classroom Wish List

If you would like to donate supplies to our classroom, we would greatly appreciate any of the following:

• Kleenex

• Clorox wipes

• Individually packaged classroom snacks (please check with teachers for any food allergies)

• Headphones

Thank you for your continued support and partnership. We are looking forward to an exciting and successful year in 2nd grade!

Teaching Future World Changers,

Mrs. Jankowski, Mrs. Flores, Mrs. H-Tolley, Mrs. Tolley

Welcome to 3rd Grade!

Welcome to a brand-new school year! We are so excited to welcome your children to our classroom! Third grade is filled with exciting learning, growing independence, and opportunities to build confidence. Together, we'll work hard, have fun, and make this a wonderful year!

Reading – HMH Into Reading Module 1: What a Character!

Our first reading module, What a Character!, helps students explore how characters' actions, feelings, and traits shape a story. Students will read a variety of engaging texts while practicing important reading skills such as making predictions, identifying character traits, determining theme, and supporting their thinking with evidence from the text. We will also build vocabulary, improve reading fluency, and strengthen writing skills by responding to what we read.

Math – i-Ready Classroom Mathematics Unit 1

In Unit 1, students will strengthen their understanding of place value and use addition and subtraction strategies to solve problems. They will explain their mathematical thinking, use models to represent their ideas, and build a strong foundation for the concepts we'll learn throughout the year.

Science – Amplify Science: Inheritance and Traits

Our first science unit explores how plants and animals inherit traits from their parents. Students will investigate similarities and differences among living things, discover how traits help organisms survive, and think like scientists by asking questions, making observations, and using evidence to support their ideas.

Thank you for partnering with us this school year! Your support and encouragement at home help your child succeed. We can't wait for a year full of learning, growth, and wonderful memories!

-3rd Grade Team

What’s Happening in the Classroom!

In Math, we started working with the 4.NBT.2 standard. This standard focuses on base-ten numerals, expanded form, and word form. We will work with this standard for the first three weeks. Then, we will move on to 4.NBT.4. This standard focuses on adding and subtracting in a standard algorithm.

In Reading / Language Arts, we start off this subject area with work in a Phonics lesson plan. In the plan, the students are given the new rule, reviewing old rules. Then we do Phoneme Grapheme mapping by breaking each word down by each sound. Finally, we do a Word Sort. This is where we do kid friendly definitions and kid friendly sentences using the words we are working on.

We use HMH into Reading as our curriculum. We are starting with Module 6 which is Marvels of Nature. This is a wonderful module as it gives the students different information about our natures greatest wonders. The first passage gives information about Seven Natural Wonders. The next passage is about the Mariana Trench. There is a passage about it, then we move on to Module 7.

In Social Studies the classes have been working on supplementing different things since we have no curriculum to follow. Some classes are working on a New Mexico poster, and later in the month of August we will work on the history of Lavor Day.

In Science, we have Amplify as our curriculum and should start the Earth’s Features Unit. Some classes are supplementing some sort of experiment to help engagement.

School-Wide Focus Areas

This year, we are emphasizing:

• Attendance: Being present and on time is key to learning and building strong routines. “When you miss school, you miss out!”

• CHAMPS Expectations: These classroom and school wide behavior expectations will help us create a productive and supportive learning environment for all students.

• New this Year: Stripes – Students showing Teamwork, Respect, Integrity, Progress, Engagement, and Success with incentives for good behavior.

Also, please feel free to contact any of our fourth grade team members if you have questions.

Dear 5th Grade Families,

Welcome to a brand-new school year! We are excited to welcome both new and returning students to fifth grade. This year will be filled with opportunities for learning, growth, friendship, and new experiences. We look forward to partnering with you to help make this a successful and memorable year for every student.

Throughout the year, students will:

• Read engaging fiction and nonfiction texts while strengthening comprehension and critical thinking skills.

• Build strong math skills through problem solving, reasoning, and real-world applications.

• Explore science through hands-on investigations and inquiry.

• Learn about history, geography, government, and citizenship in social studies.

• Develop collaboration, responsibility, organization, and leadership skills.

In fifth grade, we encourage students to:

• Be Respectful

• Be Responsible

• Be Safe

• Always do their best

We believe that every student can grow through hard work, perseverance, and a positive attitude. Our goal is to create a classroom community where students feel supported, challenged, and excited to learn.

Helpful Reminders

• Please send your child to school each day ready to learn.

• Encourage your child to read at home each evening.

• Check take-home folders and school communication regularly.

• If you have questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact your child's teacher. We value strong communication between home and school.

Looking Ahead

The first few weeks of school will focus on building classroom routines, getting to know one another, and establishing positive habits for learning. We are excited to watch our students grow academically, socially, and emotionally throughout the year.

Thank you for sharing your wonderful children with us. We are looking forward to an amazing school year filled with learning, laughter, and success!

Here's to a fantastic year in 5th Grade!

The 5th Grade Team

Welcome Back from the TCES/SEC Zia PTO!

We're excited to kick off another fantastic school year with our Tiger families!

Our PTO is all about creating fun experiences, supporting our students and staff, and building a strong school community. We have lots of exciting things planned, and we'd love for you to be part of it!

Come Visit Us!

Stop by our PTO table at:

• National Night Out – August 4

• Watermelon Bust – August 5 (pending confirmation)

We'll be there to answer questions, share upcoming events, and help you learn how you can get involved.

We Need YOU!

Did you know that just 30 minutes of your time can make a huge difference?

Whether you can help with one event or several throughout the year, every volunteer helps create lasting memories for our students. No experience is needed—just a willingness to lend a hand!

Coming This Year...

We're hoping to bring you:

• Family Movie Nights (our first one may be in August!)

• Community Clothing Swap

• Pancakes with Santa

• A Family Dance

• Teacher Appreciation Events

• And even more fun throughout the year!

Watch for flyers, school newsletters, and announcements with event details.

Stay Connected!

Join the TCES/SEC Zia PTO Facebook Group to stay up to date on events, volunteer opportunities, and ways to support our schools.

Together, we can make this an unforgettable year for every Tiger!

Physical Education: It's the beginning of another wonderful year. PE will start with the sport of Dodgeball for the month of August. Please send your child with appropriate footwear (no sandals or dress shoes) on their PE day of the week. We will not be going outside due to the heat. Please contact me (cbrownfield@torcschools.net) if your child needs extra accommodations (health or safety risks) during PE. Lastly, please send a note if your child is unable to participate. This will allow for your child to sit out at no cost to their grade. Hope everyone has a great school year, take care!

Chase Brownfield - PE Teacher

Hi Families!

August 2026

Welcome back!

During this first quarter, students are learning art room procedures and routines, and engaging in many art projects. We are starting the year with a collaborative project. Most every student in grades K-5 created a paper quilt square. Look for the large “quilts” to be hanging in the hallways. Please check them out. The students are doing wonderful work! Some student examples are pictured below.

Next, kids in grades 1 through five will learn about actual and implied texture. They’ll use both kinds of texture in one exciting artwork. Please take the opportunity to have a discussion with your child about texture.

As always, please reach out with questions or concerns or ideas. We welcome your input about current and future art projects!

Be well,

Thea Storz

Rhonda Nickles

tstorz@torcschools.net

rnickles@torcschools.net

PS: Yes! We would always love egg cartons!!!

Art Supplies to have at home:

Crayons, markers, glue, scissors, watercolor paints, paper, modeling clay, model magic clay.

Fun art websites:

https://www.tate.org.uk/kids

https://archived.metmuseum.org/art/online-features/metkids/

https://artsology.com/

https://www.sfmoma.org/visit/sfmoma-for-kids/

Welcome back from Computers!

My name is Natalie Clement, and I am your student’s computer teacher! By students, I am known as Ms. Raine. I joined Truth or Consequences Municipal Schools in the second semester of last school year. I absolutely love teaching students computer science, Internet safety, typing skills, computer science, programs like Google Docs and Slides, coding basics, and so much more!

This month, kindergarten and first grade will be focusing on the basics of computers. They will be learning about the parts of a computer, how to use the internet, their logins and how to log-in, and will be getting basic mouse and keyboard practice.

Second and third grade will get a refresher on basic computer skills as well as logging in to their computers. They will also be learning about how technology is around us every day, using the Internet safely, technology vocabulary, and technology in the past versus the present.

Fourth and fifth graders will be refreshed on the more advanced computer skills that they were learning about last year. This month, they will focus on tech troubleshooting and computer history. Fifth graders will be starting their first project, which will consist of using Google to research a set of questions about basic computer knowledge and productivity programs (Docs, Slides, etc.). They will complete this project in pairs, and will type their answers onto a Google Doc.

I hope everybody had a great summer, and I am excited to see what this school year brings! Here is an Internet safety tip you can use to keep your kids safe online:

• ALWAYS guard sensitive data such as real names, phone numbers and addresses online. NEVER use a real name as a username online. This can keep both your child and yourself safe while browsing the internet!

Hello everyone!

My name is Isabella Hernando, and I am the new Instructional Music Assistant here at TCES and SEC. I am a Music Education student at NMSU, and it has been an incredibly amazing and surreal experience to be given the opportunity to teach and connect with the students here. They are an enthusiastic bunch, and I cannot wait to spend the year getting to know them all.

Any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to me!

ihernando@torcschools.net

Thank you,

Isabella Hernando