Mr. Albarez's Class

2012-01-20T08:20:00.002-07:00

Report Cards went home on Thursday. Please sign the envelope and return to school ASAP! I do not need the contents inside the envelope. Thank you and stay warm!!

2012-01-02T16:16:00.002-07:00

Happy New Year!! I hope your holidays were special and memorable!!

Welcome back students!!!!

2011-12-07T14:45:00.001-07:00

Good Afternoon!

Mid-terms were sent home today with students. Please look them over and let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!!

2011-11-29T16:21:00.001-07:00

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!
I am so glad to be back at school!

KEEP SELLING THOSE STRAW HAT PIZZA COUPON BOOKLETS! IF YOUR CHILD IS NOT GOING TO SELL ANY, PLEASE RETURN THEM TO SCHOOL ASAP! THANKS FOR ALL YOU DO!!!!!!!!!!

2011-11-18T16:17:00.001-07:00

I WILL BE GONE NEXT WEEK AND THE FOLLOWING MONDAY. I WILL UPDATE THE BLOG WHEN I RETURN TO SCHOOL.

HAVE A GREAT THANKSGIVING!!

2011-11-14T15:07:00.002-07:00

PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF YOU ARE HAVING ANY DIFFICULTY SETTING UP OR ACCESSING THE POWERSCHOOL PARENT PORTAL!

Late Work Reminder:
All assignments (unless stated otherwise) are due the morning after they are assigned. I will have it listed in the directions on the whiteboard for the students every morning when they walk in. It is their responsibility to check the directions and turn in what needs to be turned in. Any work turned in after I have collected assignments from their respective trays will be considered LATE and I will deduct 10% for the final grade. Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this policy.
THANK YOU!!

2011-11-10T15:25:00.002-07:00

Don't forget to create your account on Power Schools for Parents!
Check it often to monitor the progress your child is making in sixth grade!

2011-11-01T16:19:00.000-06:00

EARLY OUT WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, & FRIDAY!! WOOOHOO!!

2011-10-31T15:16:00.001-06:00

Report cards went home today! Please return the envelope by Friday!

I look forward to talking to everyone at Parent Teacher conferences this week! Please bring questions with you about your child!

Thanks for being so supportive!!!

2011-10-25T15:41:00.002-06:00

HELLO!! Tomorrow's Drug-free theme is "Sock" It To Drugs: Wear Crazy Socks!

This Friday is the Pumpkin Patch Party-it should be a fun time!

Today, I sent home the "Notice of Conference Appointment" sheet. Please remember that we try our hardest to accommodate everyone's needs. If you are not able to attend at your scheduled time we can work out a better time on another day or the following week. THANK YOU!!!

2011-10-19T15:21:00.002-06:00

NO SCHOOL THURSDAY OR FRIDAY!!

Conference Preference sheets went home today. Please choose your first and second choices for times that are convenient for you. We will do our best to accommodate everyone's needs. Please return the sheets Monday. Thank you for all of your support of and involvement in your child's education!!

2011-10-14T15:24:00.001-06:00

Remember that next Wednesday is an early out: Students dismiss @ noon. No school on Thursday or Friday!!

2011-10-13T15:29:00.002-06:00

The field trip to Sartorie Farms was a success! We had lots of fun getting lost in the corn maze and picking out the perfect pumpkins! A few of the students left theirs here today, but these need to be brought home by tomorrow. Thanks!

2011-10-11T07:57:00.001-06:00

Our field trip was rescheduled for this Thursday afternoon. It looks like the weather will be nice that day.

We have started our annual "Snack Sales" to fund our end of the year trip. We also have a fundraiser planned in the coming weeks- details to follow.

2011-10-05T14:58:00.002-06:00

HELLO!!

I have overhead several students talking to other students about "dating"-related issues (breaking up, asking out, etc.). Please remind your children to not talk about these kinds of things in school. It is a HUGE distraction!! Also, it would be very helpful if there could be a discussion between parents and children about their purpose for being at school. Their main focus should be on learning and everything else is secondary. When they are distracted by friends and other things they lose sight of why they are here-to become better learners for school and for life.

2011-10-04T08:02:00.001-06:00

We are scheduled to go on a field trip this Friday to Sartorie Farm corn maze and pumpkin patch. Permission slips will go home today. We may have to reschedule for next week if the weather does not cooperate.

2011-09-28T15:25:00.002-06:00

Make sure students are showing you their assignment notebooks every night and you are signing them to show that you saw it. This is a great way to connect home and school, and for students and parents to keep track of homework. For the most part, the students have been doing an excellent job of completing this procedure. Kudos!!

2011-09-23T15:39:00.002-06:00

MANY OF THE STUDENTS HAVE LANGUAGE HOMEWORK THIS WEEKEND! PLEASE CHECK YOUR CHILD'S ASSIGNMENT NOTEBOOK FOR DETAILS!

Our Personality of the Week was Cain. Thanks for bringing in your dog to share with the class. He's a good looking puppy!

Next week's P.O.T.W. will be Adara!

2011-09-22T12:36:00.003-06:00

I was out sick yesterday so I was unable to update the blog. My apologies.

The substitute gave the class good reviews for behavior and effort while I was gone. I appreciate it when the students realize it's "business as usual", even when I am not here. This week's Focus Manner of the Week is: Expect the Best From Yourself", and I believe the students modeled this concept beautifully!

2011-09-20T11:25:00.003-06:00

THIS THURSDAY IS A PIR EARLY OUT DAY. STUDENTS WILL DISMISS @ NOON. THANK YOU.

2011-09-16T15:23:00.002-06:00

We had a great week! Most of the students consistently made good choices and chose learning as their top priority at school. Here are a few reminders for you and the students:

*Remember to look for the HOME folder in student backpacks
*Make sure the students are showing you their Daily Assignment Notebooks (sign them :)
*Talk to your child about appropriate behavior at school (language, actions, etc.)

2011-09-08T12:51:00.002-06:00

We began NWEA testing today on short notice. I believe the students will live up to expectations and do well on these assessments in the coming days. Next week, we will conduct the math and language portions.

2011-09-06T15:42:00.002-06:00

We are off and running with the 2011-2012 school year! We have spent much time devoted to getting to know one other, team-building activities, and school family rituals. Now we will shift our focus to academics, good choices, and behavior.

In math we are learning about number concepts such as place value, exponents, and rounding. Much of this is review so the students are responding well. In reading, we just finished the book, Twenty and Ten, which is the story of twenty French children who are asked to hide 10 Jewish children from the Nazis during World War II. The first Social Studies unit involves scientists who study the past to make theories of how ancient people lived. Our language lessons thus far have focused on sentence composition and kinds of sentences. In science, we are learning about theories of how the Earth has changed over time and continues to change every day.

I look forward to seeing you all at Open House and I know we are going to have an outstanding school year!!

2011-05-10T15:31:00.002-06:00

We are now in the "home stretch" with less than 4 weeks of school left. The students are definitely showing the signs of "summer fever". Please help me in keeping them focused on school so we can finish the year strong and on a positive note!!

2011-05-09T09:57:00.002-06:00

I only need a few more baby pictures of students to include in the graduation slide show. Please bring those to school sometime this week!

This Thursday, we are taking our field trip to Castle Rock for a tour and lunch. Students need to have money in their lunch account, bring cash, or bring a sack lunch in order to eat there. Permission slips will go home today. Please sign and return them by Thursday morning.

2011-05-02T16:04:00.001-06:00

Today we had a guest speaker from the F.B.I. who talked to the students about Internet Safety. It was very informative and hopefully opened a lot of eyes to the potential dangers on social networking, gaming, and peer-to-peer file sharing sites. Ask your child what they learned today!

REMINDER: THERE IS NO SCHOOL ON FRIDAY!!!!!

2011-04-19T09:38:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow is an early out day! Students dismiss @ noon! There is no school Thursday, Friday, or Monday! See you Tuesday!!

Tomorrow is also "Protect Our Environment Day"! Students can wear green!!

2011-04-13T15:31:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow is our final MAP (NWEA) test. It is the math portion of the test. Students may bring gum to chew during the test ONLY. Good luck students!!

2011-04-07T15:34:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow is "Support Our Troops" Day. Students can wear military camo and/or red, white, and blue.

2011-04-06T13:38:00.003-06:00

Blue Sheets officially began yesterday! We hope all of the students will do their best to meet our expectations. We are not asking any more of them than we have been asking all year. For those that have been doing what they should be doing in school, they will have no problems completing Blue Sheets successfully. For those that haven't, it will require a little more effort and motivation to achieve success.

Today, one of the counselors from Castle Rock visited with the 6th graders to answer questions they may have, discuss expectations in middle school, and to register for classes. One of the things he mentioned is that students who are in band and orchestra now will be automatically enrolled in it next year unless their parents send a signed note to school saying otherwise.

We began MAP(NWEA) testing today. This is the one that is done on the computers. Today we took the reading portion, Friday we will do language, and next Thursday we will finish with math. Students are allowed to bring to chew during testing times only. Thank you!!

2011-03-24T15:54:00.003-06:00

Hello!

The sixth graders have been struggling to get along with each other at recess all year. There has been arguing, name-calling, gossiping, rule-breaking, etc. Mrs. Morales and I took away organized basketball games a month ago and today we had to take away kickball for the same reason. That left us with no choice but to have the students walk the field separately without interacting with each other for the entire recess. I am disappointed that it has gotten to this point, but without basketball or kickball the students would be standing around just "hanging out". Past experience has taught us that when students are idle this is usually when more problems happen because they end up talking about one another. We will keep recess this way for the rest of the week and reevaluate for next week. Thank you.

2011-03-21T15:22:00.002-06:00

The Fourth Quarter begins today!! We are now officially in the "home stretch" of the school year. It is more important than ever for the students to remain focused and keep school as their top priority. Many of the students are starting to forget why they are here, what is appropriate, and what their boundaries are as far as rules and procedures. Distractions in the classroom such as gossip, arguing, hands-on, dating, etc. are on the rise. I ask for your help, parents, to keep learning as the main focus this quarter and to prepare the students for the challenges of middle school. Middle school will be a great time in their lives, but only if they make the right choices and learn from their mistakes of previous school years. I am hopeful that this group of sixth graders will make a positive impact this year and in the future.

2011-03-15T15:20:00.002-06:00

We are officially done with MontCAS testing this year. Next up, NWEA in April!!

Coming soon- Blue Sheets! This is an incentive program we do every spring and it is intended to keep students focused for the remainder of the school year and to prepare them for middle school. The students have the chance to earn weekly rewards as well as the opportunity to go on the end of the year trip. A special incentive is the chance to have lunch at Fuddrucker's during the last week of school! More details about Blue Sheets are coming soon!

2011-03-14T15:58:00.001-06:00

Today, we completed the Math Session 1 MontCAS test. Tomorrow afternoon we will take Sessions 2 & 3. Students may bring gum to chew during testing. It tends to help the students relax and focus on doing their best.

NO ASSIGNMENT NOTEBOOKS TODAY.

2011-03-09T15:50:00.001-07:00

We are finished with the reading portion of MontCAS testing. Today's sessions took most of the afternoon, so we did not have time to complete assignment notebooks.

Next Monday and Tuesday afternoon we will complete the math part of the MontCAS.

2011-03-08T15:34:00.003-07:00

MontCAS testing continues tomorrow with Sessions 2 & 3 in the afternoon. Students may bring gum to chew during the test.

On a side note, we ask that students do not bring pop or energy drinks to school. The students are naturally energetic enough and we do not need the extra help from such beverages. Thanks for your understanding.

2011-03-07T15:24:00.001-07:00

MontCAS TESTING BEGINS TOMORROW!!!!! READING SESSION 1!!!
A good night's sleep, good breakfast, and a good attitude should do the trick!! Good luck to everyone!!

2011-02-28T09:57:00.002-07:00

MontCAS testing begins next week. This is our tentative schedule:

Tuesday March 8th- Reading Session 1
Wednesday March 9th- Reading Session 2 & 3

Monday March 14th- Math Session 1
Tuesday March 15th- Math Session 2 & 3

Please makes sure your child comes to school well-rested, well-fed, and with a positive attitude. We want every student to do their very best and I know they will rise to the challenge.

2011-02-22T15:51:00.001-07:00

Mid-terms go home tomorrow!! Any student that has missing work will still have time to turn it in. They need to come and talk to me about anything that is missing.

2011-02-04T09:19:00.002-07:00

It is now the Third Quarter which means we are more than half-way through the school year. We are really focusing on getting the students ready for middle school which means we are going to try and mimic some of the rules and procedures they will have next year. This includes raising expectations for behavior and academics. If a student is absent, it is their responsibility to find out what they missed and make up that work. If they don't make it up it will be a 0 in the grade book. The same goes for any missing assignments. Inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated. I will not give any more warnings to students. At this point in the year they should know what the rules and procedures are and what is appropriate and inappropriate in school. If they make a bad choice there will be a consequences for the first offense, and so on. I am sure that we not asking too much of this group of students and I am hopeful they will rise to the occasion! Thank you.

2011-01-11T07:34:00.002-07:00

Hello! I hope everyone had a great time spending time with their families over the Christmas break. As you may have heard, my wife and I had our second child, a son, over the break. As a result, I took last week off to stay home with my family. I am now back at school and focused on teaching and learning.

*Please make sure your children are showing you their assignment notebooks every day. Not only is it a requirement for part of their Language homework grade, it will also be required next year in middle school.

*Venture Theater practice will continue this week and next. It takes place in the gym from 3:10-5:15 every day except next Monday. The performances will be next Friday, the 21st. There is a performance at 2:00 for students and one at 6:00 for parents.

*We are still in need of a parent volunteer to help supervise Snack Sales on Thursdays at 2:20 and 3:00. Please let us know if you can help at all!!

2010-12-16T08:53:00.002-07:00

Hello!!

Tonight is PTA-sponsored "Skate Night" @ Skateworld West for 5-8PM.

Tomorrow morning we will be going to "Santa's Workshop" where students will be able to buy Christmas gifts for their family. Everything is $1. Please send money with your child if they plan on shopping.

Tomorrow afternoon is "Game Day". Students can bring portable gaming systems such as a Nintendo DS, Gameboy, or PSP. We will also have a Wii and a Playstation 2 set up. Board games are also welcome! The students have really earned this reward and I am very proud of them!!

2010-12-09T15:58:00.002-07:00

The students earned their 20th compliment today and therefore earned a reward. They came up with several ideas they voted on the best one. Next Friday will be "Game Day". We will spend the last part of the day playing board games, video games, etc. We will talk about the details sometime next week.

I also made a deal with the class. If every student earns a 100% on their spelling test tomorrow, they will receive another reward after the Christmas break! Good luck students!! I'm pulling for you!!

2010-12-06T15:32:00.002-07:00

-Please remember to send back the permission slip and $1 for the field trip to Moss Mansion.

-Second Quarter Mid-terms were sent home today with the children. Keep in mind that this is a progress report and that there is still time to bring up grades before the end of the quarter. As always, please contact me with any questions or concerns. Thank you!

2010-11-23T09:05:00.002-07:00

Thank you to all of the parents who make school a priority for their children. Even though today is a half day of school (like others to come), we still go about the business of learning no matter how long the school day. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving!! See you Monday!!

2010-11-12T10:46:00.002-07:00

Tonight is the PTA-sponsored "Dinner and a Movie" night in the gym. Dinner is $2.00 and consists of a hot dog, chips, and a soda. Other concessions will also be available for purchase. The movie is free and it will be "Toy Story 3".

Tomorrow is the PTA Centennial Ice Skating Day from 12:30pm - 2:30 pm.

Monday is Picture Retake Day. Anyone who did not like their pictures and want a do over, please bring the original pictures back to school. Thank you!!

2010-11-02T07:51:00.002-06:00

I look forward to meeting with everyone this week. Make sure you notify the office if you are not able to come to your conference at the scheduled time. Thanks!

Tonight is "Fundraiser Night" at Chuck E. Cheese's. From 3:30 - 9:00PM a portion of their sales will go to Bitterroot Elementary. Hope to see you there!

Make sure your child is showing you their homework folder and assignment notebook everyday. There is almost always something sent home. It may be graded work, newsletters, PTA info, reminders, etc.

2010-10-25T12:58:00.002-06:00

Welcome back!! I hope you all had a fun extended weekend. Tomorrow I will be sending home the "Notice of Conference Appointment" sheets. Please sign those and return to school ASAP! We tried very hard to accommodate everyone's time request. Please let us know if we need to schedule a different time.

This week is Drug-Free awareness week. Every day is a different "dress up" theme. Here is the schedule:

Monday- "Life Without Drugs is No Sweat!": Wear sweats
Tuesday- "Run Away From Drugs!": Wear sneakers
Wednesday- "Sock it to Drugs!": Wear crazy socks
Thursday- "Too Cool for Drugs!": Wear sunglasses
Friday- "Team Up Against Drugs!": Wear your favorite team gear

2010-10-20T10:56:00.001-06:00

Just a reminder that today is an Early Out (dismiss at noon) and no school tomorrow or Friday! Enjoy the long weekend!!

2010-10-19T16:12:00.002-06:00

Thank you for returning most of the "Conference Preference" sheets. I tried very hard to meet every schedule request. I will be sending home a "Notice of Conference Appointment" sheet soon. If the time I scheduled for you does not work, please let me know. Thank you.

2010-10-14T08:03:00.002-06:00

We will be going to Alberta Bair Theater next Tuesday afternoon to see the production "Wired". Please return permission slips by Tuesday morning, if not sooner. Thank you!

2010-10-13T08:00:00.002-06:00

I just wanted everyone to notice the "Important Dates" listed along the right side of this page. It goes all the way to January 3 when school resumes from Winter Break. I hope this helpful!

2010-10-05T08:06:00.003-06:00

Hello.

I was home sick last Thursday and away at a meeting on Monday, but I am glad to be back in the classroom. This Friday we are going to the corn maze for a field trip. We will walk to it because it is just down the street. Make sure permission forms are sent back by Friday morning. Thanks!!

2010-09-27T15:49:00.002-06:00

Hello!

Mid-terms went home today. Please take a look at any notes I may have added. These are suggestions for improving grades. Also, I attached a newsletter with important reminders.

We are still looking for WISH tutors. When the students were asked last week if they wanted to volunteer, there were about 13 hands that went up. As of today, only 2 students have returned their permission forms. Please return those to school as soon as possible.

Tomorrow is the chapter 1 test in math. Students will be allowed to use their notes and textbook, but it will make no difference if they do not know the concepts we have covered in class.

In reading, we watched a video on the Holocaust of World War II. The video contained actual survivors who told their stories about the atrocities that took place. The students seemed very interested in these personal stories and it provided good background knowledge for our next book, Number the Stars.

This week in social studies we will be studying the problems faced in ancient Mesopotamia and how the Sumerians solved those problems.

2010-09-22T08:12:00.002-06:00

We will be taking the final MAP test in language tomorrow morning.
Don't forget that tomorrow is an early out. The students will dismiss @ noon. Teachers will have a normal full day of work.
We are still taking donations of snacks for Snack Sales every Thursday after school.

2010-09-20T15:00:00.003-06:00

Hello!!

We have had to postpone our MAP testing recently due to circumstances beyond our control. We are going to try and resume testing tomorrow afternoon. Students may bring gum to chew during testing ONLY. If they are caught with gum outside of the testing time, they will throw it away and pull a card. Thank you for making sure your child is well-rested and fed before testing.

We had an awesome assembly this morning for Rachel's Challenge. Rachel Scott was a young girl in Colorado who passed away at seventeen. She left behind a legacy of kindness that started a "chain reaction" across the country. Ask your child what we are doing at Bitterroot to continue this reaction.

2010-09-15T14:44:00.003-06:00

Just a friendly reminder that Mrs. Morales (the other 6th grade teacher) and I are asking for donations of snacks (fruit snacks, pretzels, Chex mix, baked chips, baked goods, etc.) to sell after school to raise money for the end of the year field trip. Every year we try to make this trip fun and memorable for the students. The more money we can raise, the better the trip will be. Thanks for your understanding and support!!

If your child has a birthday, he or she is welcome to bring treats for the class. I only ask that there is enough for everyone (including the teacher :).

2010-09-14T09:29:00.003-06:00

MAP testing has officially begun. Today we are taking the math portion and tomorrow we will do the reading portion of the test. Next Monday we will take language test which is the final one.

I am noticing a large amount of students who are consistently not getting there assignment notebook signed by an adult at home. The students do receive points for this as part of their Language homework grade. So I emphasized yesterday to them that not getting a signature is the same as not doing a homework assignment. We do not do many homework assignments in Language so the daily assignment notebook is a large portion of their grade in that subject. There is a real purpose and valuable reason for using the assignment notebook. It teaches the students note-taking, organization, and responsibility- all skills that are required to be successful in middle school and beyond. The sooner we can establish good academic habits in children the more successful they will be in school and in life. Thanks for your support.

2010-09-10T15:28:00.002-06:00

What a great week this has been!
-In math we have been learning about estimation, order of operations, and properties of operations.
-In reading the students are working on plays based on the book "Twenty and Ten". This story takes place in France during World War II. Twenty French children are asked to hide ten Jewish children from the Nazi army. It is an awesome tale of courage and friendship and the students are enjoying it!
-In social studies we are starting the chapter on how people went from hunter-gathers to farmers. Farming was one of the most important inventions in history. It changed the course of human events as we know it.
-In science we are learning about properties of matter. Today we conducted an experiment to see how much more matter can fit into a jar of marbles and then we discussed what happens to sugar when it is mixed with water. Most of the students know it "dissolves", but none could really tell what that meant until we looked up the word in the dictionary and discussed it.
-In spelling we have studies long vowels sounds and we had our test today.
-In language we have been practicing "Mountain Language" which will be a weekly review exercise that the students will work on independently during their free time.

Mrs. Morales and I are asking for donations of snacks and baked goods to sell on Thursdays after school. The money we raise will help to fund the end of the year field trip. Thanks for your support and help!

2010-09-08T15:56:00.002-06:00

Thanks to all who attended Open House last night. I hope it was informative and gave you a glimpse into the workings of our classroom.

Next week, we will begin MAP testing (formally NWEA). I do not know the exact days yet, but when I do I will let you know. As with all standardized testing, it is extremely important that the students do their best. Their test scores are not a reflection of their ability so much as they are an assessment of my ability to teach them. Make sure the students are well-rested, have a good breakfast, and a positive attitude. I am sure this group will do great!!

2010-09-07T09:38:00.002-06:00

I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing weekend! We have spent the last two weeks focusing mainly on learning, practicing, and reviewing procedures in the classroom. I believe the students are very well-versed in this area! Now it is time to really focus on academics with reviews of rules and procedures from time to time. We are now fully engaged in the curriculum and are on our way to getting ready for seventh grade.

Just a reminder to check your child's backpack every night for their Daily Assignment Notebook and Homework folder. Both are essential tools for success in school. The Homework folder is not just for homework. It also will contain graded work, newsletters, school correspondence, etc. The Daily Assignment notebook is a good way for you to keep track of what your child is learning and any homework they may have. It is also part of the students' Language homework grade. They receive 1 point every time they bring it back to school with an adult's signature.

2010-09-01T10:34:00.002-06:00

Just a reminder that the Daily Assignment Notebook is part of the students' Language homework grade. They receive 1 point every time they get a parent's signature. It may not seem like much, but it can dramatically bring down or improve their overall Language grade.

Homework is a great opportunity for the students to practice concepts learned that day in school. It is helpful when parents can assist students with their assignments, but I also understand that you may not be able to help in certain subjects, especially Math. Students do receive points for completing their homework, so it is vital that they use their Assignment Notebooks to help them remember to bring it home and then complete it. If they consistently do not do their homework, their grades will be adversely affected and they will fall behind their peers. Thank you for your understanding and patience.

2010-08-30T12:09:00.000-06:00

Welcome to our class blog! This is the place to visit if you want the latest updates on things happening in and around our class. It contains the Daily Assignment Notebook, the spelling words for the week, important events, and other important information about our class and Bitterroot School.

Last week was spent learning classroom and school procedures, rules and consequences, and so on. This week we are starting to tackle our curriculum with review of things learned the first week.

I will soon be compiling a parent e-mail list to use for communications and messages. Students are welcome to give me their e-mail address as well.

Thanks a bunch and I look forward to a great year!!