^{Photo: Principal Anne Heckman enjoying a little Wild West Day fun with one of our Tigers!} 

Dear Tiger families,

I have two VERY important requests for you!

First, please ensure every child attends tomorrow, October 1st. This is the day that the State will use to fund us for this school year. State funding is allocated on a per-pupil basis, meaning every student present at a desk directly secures vital operational dollars for teachers, materials, and special programs. Even if your child cannot stay all day, please have them come first thing in the morning so we can mark them as in attendance. 

Second, as you may or may not know, Eagle County School District has placed Ballot Question 5B, a $10.1 million mill levy override (MLO), on the November ballot. We encourage everyone to register to vote and return their ballot by Tuesday, November 3. 

ECSD has put together a factual summary about 5B. The funds from 5B would stay 100% within Eagle County and be used for:

Retaining and attracting high-quality teachers and support staff by offering salaries competitive with neighboring mountain districts.

Strengthening reading, writing, and math instruction to improve student achievement.

Restoring art, music, and physical education instruction.

Ensuring continued student access to mental health professionals.

YOU, our community, make decisions about local school funding. I cannot tell you how to vote, but I can ask you to please be sure to return your ballot!

Appreciatively,

Anne

October Break Reminder: October break is coming up October 12–16. We encourage families planning travel to use the scheduled break and avoid additional missed school days. Being present before and after the break helps students stay connected to their learning. Thank you for your partnership, and we hope everyone enjoys the break!

School Store Donations: Want to help us keep our school store stocked with fun goodies for our students? We've created an Amazon list with items we're hoping to add to the store. If you'd like to help, you can purchase an item directly from the list and have it shipped to the school. Every little bit helps, and we truly appreciate your support! 

Book Fair Volunteers: Help us make our Book Fair a success by volunteering for a shift!

Parent-Teacher Conference Meals: Help keep our teachers fueled during Parent-Teacher Conferences by signing up to bring a snack, meal, or treat for our staff.

Thank you for always showing up for our school and teachers! We truly appreciate our amazing RSES families. 

Closed Campus Reminder: Eagle County School District would like to remind everyone that for the safety and security of our students and staff, all of our schools are “Closed Campuses” during the school day. That means that all school grounds are closed to the general public, including parking lots, school sidewalks, fields, and playgrounds. 

It is imperative that school staff know who is at their school grounds and why. If you are visiting one of our buildings for school business (such as picking up a child during the day for an appointment or volunteering in a classroom), please immediately check in with the front office.

Thank you for helping us to provide a secure environment for our students to learn and grow in without outside distractions.

Note: RSES can no longer provide before-school care on Wednesdays due to lack of resources. Please do not drop off your student before 8:40am. 

Hello RSES Families,

Thank you to those of you who have improved your car seat and booster seat usage!  There are still some cars coming through with 7-8 year olds that should still be in a booster seat.  More info can be found on the State’s website: https://www.codot.gov/safety/carseats/colorado-child-passenger-safety-law-1

We are all excited for Fall Break, please consider chatting with your kids before traveling on what to do if they get lost or separated or encounter a scenario they are uncomfortable with! 

Thanks All!

All grade levels have been hard at work on their Original Works art projects! This optional fundraiser supports the RSES Art Program and gives you the opportunity to turn your child’s amazing artwork into keepsakes such as notebooks, mugs, blankets, and more.

Ordering information will be sent home in early November, and items are expected to arrive in early December—just in time for holiday gift-giving!

We're wrapping up Fat Bear week in STEM. The kids have loved watching the bears of Katmai bulk up for winter, and we'll be cheering on our favorite to the very end... Go Backpack! They've also loved sharing all their personal bear sightings :)

In Kindergarten, we're digging into our five senses with fun hands-on projects to go along with each one.

In 2nd grade, students are learning how to classify animals and sort them into groups based on their traits.

After jello-earthquakes next week, 3rd grade will be starting our unit on the human body.

4th grade is deep in their research for their biomimicry projects and getting inspired to invent something new or improve on an existing design. It's been awesome to hear all their ideas!

In SEL class, we will be using 2nd Step, a research-based program designed to improve social-emotional skills and help children both in and out of school. This month, we will begin our first unit—Growth Mindset and Goal Setting. 

Kindergarteners and 1st graders will learn behaviors and habits to help them succeed at school and in life. They will discover that paying attention helps them learn and stay safe in different situations. Students will learn that distractions are things that take their attention away and explore ways to refocus when they get distracted.

2nd graders will learn ways to improve when learning a new skill and how to keep going when they make a mistake or face a challenge. Students will share what they can do to help themselves learn new skills—for example, asking for help, practicing, and trying hard. They will also learn that mistakes can help us figure out what is not working so we can make changes, try again, and do better next time. Students will practice identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts (“I can’t do this”) into helpful thoughts (“I can’t do this yet”).

3rd graders will learn about the importance of practice and how it changes the brain. Students will learn how trying repeatedly and making mistakes help their brains form and strengthen connections so that their skills improve.

4th graders will learn how to set and work toward a collaborative goal with a small group. Students will work together to create a plan, take action, and reflect on their progress along the way. They will learn how to overcome obstacles, stay motivated, and support each other.

5th graders will explore a process for setting and achieving personal goals. They will identify meaningful goals and create specific and challenging goal statements while developing positive habits to support their goals. They will learn strategies to overcome obstacles and reflect on their progress with goal setting. This unit teaches skills that empower students to take charge of their personal growth and development.

RSES Swag Preorder is Here! 

A few important details:

Paper orders only: No online orders. Need an extra form? Stop by or contact the front office!

Payment: Cash or check payable to RSES PTO. Please turn payments in to the front office.

Price Correction: The Mountain Squishy is $10, not $20 as listed on the order form. Sorry for the typo!

Orders and payment are due Thursday, October 8th.

Happy shopping, Tigers!