April 15
All the best,
Mr. Kyle
April 8
Welcome back after Spring Break! So glad everyone had a good and safe week off. Much needed time to catch up with family and take some time. The timing could not have been better as the students and I were at a breaking point and needed some away from school time! I was able to catch up on home projects, play a few rounds of golf, hike a bit, visit Point Lobos, read, and catch a few movies!
We are getting right back into it this week with classwork and homework. Please keep up with your homework journal and the online homework page. There is a short BIM and a Newsela assigned on climate. Please attend to these tonight and do your best to catch up if you need to.
We talked in class today about the behavior expectations for 6th graders on field trips. The standard for our students behavior at Rio is pretty clear and high. This needs to carry over to our field trips. We have two trips coming up in the next few months! It is up to students and their choices for classroom behavior on whether or not they will have the privilege to join us on one or both of these trips. Fill free to contact me if you need more specifics.
Spring into learning mode,
Mr. Kyle
Mar 25
Parent field trip meeting at 9:20 to get instructions and cars assignments. Let's plan on leaving by 9:30 and meet at museum garden park for lunch at 11am. This will give time to pick up lunch or a Starbucks and then we start our tour of the museum at noon. We plan to back to school by 3:30 so please make arrangements for students pick up. Please meet in front of the school after returning and get students signed out.
We have a full academic week of work and reading these next few days, so please help me keep students engaged and here at school all week. Thanks.
Mar. 11
We have another field trip planned for The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum on Friday March 29th, the last day before our spring break. As of today, we only have half of the class bringing in their permission slips and money. Please bring in forms and the $17 ASAP to reserve your child's entry. Price will be much higher if you wait and have to purchase tickets without the group rate.
We plan to leave later in the morning due to the Talent Show.
Report cards come home this Friday with your student. Please take time to go over the grades and comments. Please keep in mind that a lot of time went into the students earning these grades and my keeping track of their progress and keeping record in iGradesPlus. Note also, that there is no Language grade on the report card. These Language grades are placed in Writing and Reading in the grade book. I will be consolidating these all into Writing this final trimester. Let me know if you have any questions.
"If you think you can or if you think you can't...you're right!"
Mr. Kyle
Mar. 4
We did CASSP Testing today for Math in class. Ask your student about the best cell phone plan for their friend and why it's the best one! Homework will be modified this week while we are testing.
Reading can get a bit more attention at home this week as we begin the 5th period of our AR challenge. This new period ends April 12 so there is time to read some good books and strengthen our fluency!
Looks like another wet week of learning!
Let's set sail for bigger goals and sunny days!
Mr. Kyle
PS. An amazing amount of work goes into making your student's grades easily accessible to them as well as yourself. I really appreciate the families that are taking the time to regularly check in. There are only three families that have checked in more than 10 times. Thanks for supporting your student and the accountability towards becoming a life long learner.
The more you learn... the better everything gets!
Feb. 27
I just did some input of scores to iGradePlus www.igradeplus.com.
It would be a good thing to check on this as report cards are coming out soon and the grades will be the same there as they are posted on iGradePlus. Let me know if you need a new pass code. These were mailed toward the beginning of the year and may have been moved to your junk mail. Remember, if it is listed as an incomplete, the quiz or tests need to be finished. If the assignment is an Newsela and is incomplete, for sure go back and try for a better grade and let me know the better score!
Accountability drives purpose,
Mr. Kyle
Feb. 25
Please check the homework page and see what's going on this week in room 18.
Great field trip this last week to the Tech Museum of Innovation! Thanks to all the parents that made our trip awesome and engaging. Next field trips are beach clean up and NASA.
Exposure notice sent home today. Please find the paper in your students journal. Be on the lookout also this week for the homework files coming home in the big manilla envelopes. Please sign and return just the envelope and any papers that do not belong to your student!
Loving the discovery!
Mr. Kyle
Feb. 21
Reminders for tomorrow: If you are driving, please be ready to go by 8am. Come to the room and get your packet of emergency cards and student info. We will send students with you to load up and hit the road. There is a grill there at the Tech so lunch can be purchased. Price ranges so send $10 if not more. There is a gift shop that students will be allowed to visit.
Also we should return no later than 2:20 pm
Feb. 19
Field trip to Tech museum is still on for this Friday the 22nd. If you're a driver, thx for getting all you paperwork into the office last week. I will be setting up cars this week and have that info for you on Thursday. Look here to see who is with who for the road trip. We plan to be back to the parking lot before school is over. If in the event that we get stuck in traffic, please make arrangements with your student so they know where to meet you and who is dropping them off and where.
AR period ends this Friday! Please make sure all reading is done so last test can be taken on Friday. I hope to have the grade book www.igradeplus.com/updated this week. Take a minute and log in to see how your student is performing in all subjects. Report cards are coming home in early March so now is the time to start looking for where attention is needed academically.
Math Fair at Rio tonight! Please come out with your parents tonight 6:30- 7:30 and show them some of the Math tricks that you learned today.
Let's make it wonderful week of learning together,
Mr. Kyle
Feb. 5
We have an exciting field trip coming up this month Feb. 22nd! Should be a cool Friday to explore the Tech Museum of Innovation! Please text or email me if you are interested in driving on this event. There are a lot of hoops to jump through to be able to participate, so the sooner you get started hooping the better. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. I appreciate you all very much!
Please be checking the Homework page and keeping up with classwork and homework, Everything counts and all the pieces add up to making you the best student you can be!
Let's keep learning together!
Mr. Kyle
Jan. 28
Look for an email from Rachael regarding the upcoming field trip to the Tech Museum and info about the Valentines Day party.
We need parent drivers and help with the party. Thanks. Field trip forms to sign and return are coming home this week.
Today we restructured the class into groups. There is a lot of learning that can happen when the students share information with one another and are accountable for their work and behavior. I really want to see a surge in motivation from every student coming into this last trimester.
I have to say that the written reports on the Information Write assignment came out incredible! Every student in our class out did themselves and produced some very nice pieces. I will share them at the Young Authors Fair later in the year.
Let's make this a great week to really push our learning.
Mr. Kyle
Jan. 23
Reminder: If your student signed up for the science fair, here are some dates that are fast approaching.
Friday, January 25: Projects are due to classroom teacher. This way we can check them over and make any needed tweeks.
Wednesday, January 30: Kids will be released briefly from class to setup projects.
Thursday, January 31: Science Fair projects will be judged and there will be an evening viewing (6:30 - 7:30) that everyone is invited to.
Friday, February 1: Ten Winning projects will be revealed at a school assembly or as a whole school announcement!
If you have any questions please let me know.
Math Family Night is coming to Rio on Feb. 19 6:30-7:45!
Jan. 17
Greeting parents,
We have a planned field trip!!! Save the date for Friday, February 22nd!
We are going to the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose to explore and watch an IMAX movie OCEANS. We will need drivers for this field trip. If you'd like to join us we will need all paperwork filled out and updated in the school office asap. Also, please email me if you are interested in driving. Thank You so much!
-MR. Kyle
Jan. 15 Immunizations sheet sent home today!
Jan. 14
Happy New year! I hope your holiday was awesome and that you did not spend too much time gnashing your teeth and sobbing because you missed me so much!
I am excited to see you tomorrow and find out how your vacation time was spent and what adventures unfolded!
I was in a Readers workshop training all day today and when it was over at 2:30, I headed up to the classroom and spent the next two and a half hours cleaning and organizing. Our curriculum for the rest of the year is very exciting and full of valuable lessons that will help prepare all of us for the rigors of Jr. High.
Let's make this next half of the school year the best ever!
Blast off into 2019!
Mr. Kyle
Dec. 3
Please donate if you can for the class! We need Kleenex, Baby Wipes, and money added to our class account. I have spent nearly $200 plus-just this past month and have no cash left in the Room 18 account. Help!
Above is the Homework Week plan and due dates. We are going to be posting this here so that students and parents can access these dates and know for sure when (Upcoming and or next week's) projects are due. Let me know what you think and how this is helping you keep all the plates spinning.
Look for Science Fair project packets coming home next week! These are for the students interested in participating and also receiving extra credit for Science during the second trimester. Ask your student if they are thinking of getting involved in this years Rio Science Fair!
Mr. Kyle
Nov. 18
Happy Thanksgiving! I'm looking forward to spending time with the students these next two days before a much needed break.
At this point, the class did not decide on a celebration for Tuesday. We will for sure do some fun things, but there won't be a full course meal prepared by hard working parents ( so relax). Look for info from the students for anything we made need for Tuesday. Thx.
no-shave.org/team/teamrio Here is the Team Rio link for the Cancer Awareness of our No Shave November. Please consider a donation to help us reach our goal. I'm dedicating this month to remember Karen Salazar and Lisa Martin. Both were 5th and 6th grade teachers at Rio. They were part of our teacher family and both lost their battle with cancer. They will never be forgotten. Their legacy will forever be part of our school family.
Mr. Kyle
Nov. 13
Thanks everyone for coming in to see me and keeping your PTC time!
I really enjoyed our time and felt it was useful time spent. Now it's time to get the
report cards ready for the students for the Nov. 20 release date!
I'm asking that students check in with you and see how the grades look as I am close to transferring
the grades to the report cards. Please email me ASAP if there is a concern or if something does not look right.
Short week this week and another short one next week!
We have a lot to do, so keep all the gears engaged!
Let's Go!!
Mr. Kyle
Nov. 4
Above is the schedule that we made a while back at back to school night. I hope these times still hold well with you and that you are able to make your time slot! I appreciate the time that you will be taking to come and talk with me about your students progress and learning. I will make every effort to honor the meeting times and I will make sure to start and stop on time. Thanks for being here just a few minutes prior to your conference so as to make the transitions between the meetings roll smoothly.
Looking forward to seeing you this week,
Mr. Douglas Kyle
Oct 29
There was a parent teacher survey sent home Friday! Please find the form in your student's backpack, fill it out and then return it to me asap! Here is the survey:
Dear Parents,
Please complete the following questionnaire and return it as soon as possible. This information will be very helpful to me when I am preparing for your child’s parent- teacher conference.
NAME OF STUDENT________________________ PARENT/GUARDIAN NAME(S)______________________
Thank you for your time. I sincerely appreciate your concern and honesty.
Mr. Kyle
Oct.23
Halloween keeps getting closer! So exciting, the students are thrilled with the prospect of eating more sugar than humanly possible for a few days. Please help them ease into the sugar loaded season by limiting what they smuggle to school and eat for lunch. All teachers everywhere thank you!
There will be a retake on the math quiz from last week! We have been practicing and carefully going through the 2.5 and 2.6 lessons to check for understanding. The students have been working very hard and practicing a lot so that they will do their very best. Keep up the good work everyone!
And now a word from our sponsors...
Happy Halloween 6th Grade Families!
It is a Rio 6th Grade tradition for all the classes to get together, party and enjoy tacos and treats. We can't make this amazing without parent volunteers. Below is the link to sign up to help:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094AACAA2FABFD0-6thgrade
Thank you families who have already sent your class contribution for the year. The amount that should cover class parties and teacher gifts fo the rest of the year is $ 25. Some parents have sent $35, Many Thanks!
How to Pay?
In an envelope with your child’s name please send cash or a check to Rachel Nigh. It will be greatly appreciated if your child brings funds by Friday 10/26/18
The cost for this party is $10 per child. It is a little more than normal parties because we hire a taco company to come cook up some delicious tacos. Also the funds provided help pay for plates, napkins, cutlery, decorations, drinks and desserts. If you'd like to send a special treat or dessert to share with the 6th grade class, please send with your student the day of party.
***My goal is to make this one time ask, the last for the whole year for any of my needs (class parties and teacher gifts). End of year party and celebration to (TBA) destination will have a cost depending on what we decide to do.
The timeline for Halloween is as follows:
Please let me know if you have any questions. E-mail, call or text all work. Thank you for all that you do , it truly takes a Village!
Best Wishes,
Rachel Nigh ( Room Parent) and Corine Csermelyi (Room Parent Helper)
Oct. 16...It's getting kinda spooky!!
It's starting...the dreaded zombie like behavior that takes over most elementary age students as the scary day of Halloween quickly approaches.
Symptoms include: dazed looks, answering teachers questions with, "Huh?!", making funny and strange noises, unconsciously wondering around the classroom, asking to go use the restroom repeatedly as soon as a lesson starts or immediately after a recess or after walking right by the restrooms when coming back from a pull out, not turning in assigned work, and digging through their desk while the teacher is explaining a lesson.
The reason: It took me many year of teaching and researching October student behavior ( aka...OSB) to finally crack this code...but I did it!!! It's candy!
5 Ways to ease the OSB symptoms:
1. Never allow your children to know where you have hidden the Halloween candy!
2. Never assume that they do not know that you have hidden candy in the house...they know!
3. Do not hide candy in the house! I'd give you ideas of where to hide the goods, but the students might actually read these weekly updates and that could turn everything upside down. Berrrr, sends spines down my shivers!!
4. Check their lunch bag each day of Oct. and early Nov. to insure that there is no evidence of contraband being smuggled!
5. Relax, carve a pumpkin, and do really nice things for your student's teacher to insure their sanity! Educators will need extra support as they wade through the fog of this harrowing Halloween season.
"..The midnight hour is close at hand..."
Happy Halloween everyone!
Mr. Kyle
PS. We gotta lot going on this week!! "Let's do dis thang!"
Oct. 11
Dear Parents,
The last two weeks of October will be College Weeks at Rio del Mar.
I'm hoping a few parents will be willing to come to class to share about
their college experience/major and how it prepared you for your career, etc.
I will be sharing as well.
Please let me know if you're interested!
Thanks for your support and I look forward to seeing you at
parent teacher conferences soon. If you haven't done so, email the time you wish then check my website to see that you are scheduled.
Please let me know if you have not logged in to the iGrades yet. I have sent out invitations to every parent via email. Check junk email to be sure it is not being rerouted.
Make learning happen everyday!
Mr. Kyle
Students, please check your Google Class for info on wrapping up your Narrative writing.
Oct. 2
Kids are having a great time at science camp so far! The ones that were a bit homesick last night are much better this morning. Lots of smiles and learning going on. This makes it fun to take pictures and capture moments. Check back here tomorrow and I'll put some more pics up of students doing the ropes course and the challenge events.
Sept. 27.
Monday, 6th grade student don't need to come to school till 8:30! Please drop off camp luggage by the flag pole in front of the school. Please come to school no later than 8:45! Students need to come up to the class to check in and take role. There are other key pieces of information they will need at that time.
From Corine:
Dear 6th grade Families,
Each shirt has been cared for already and is ready for your children to wear to Science Camp. Yay! If your child is in Mr. Sweets class they should be bringing them home today, Thursday the 27th. Mr. Kyle’s and Ms. Birchall’s class will receive shirts tomorrow, Friday the 28th.
As stated they are ready to wear. Warning: It will take a couple of more washes before the dye stops bleeding. I recommend washing it alone or with other tye dyed clothes.
Please remind your students to wear their shirts on Monday when they show to school for Outdoor school. We can’t wait to see all their beautiful t-shirt designs!
Thank you Parents for all your donations that went to making this project a success! The remainder of funds have been added to the Lily Jacobs fund. We will let the kids know what that amount is soon. Also many thanks to all the parent volunteers and our art teacher Mrs. Kirkpatrick for making Ms. Birchall’s idea a reality. It truly takes a village and what a warm hearted village we have at Rio.
Sept 24!
Thanks for all the birthday gifts and good wishes! Really having a great day with my students!
I appreciate all your kindness so much!
Last week before we go to Science Camp!!!!
I'm getting students ready this week by giving nightly assignments to start gathering what they need for camp.
In class, we have been doing close research and discussion on the vocabulary for outdoor school. It's going to be an amazing adventure together! Please make sure all paperwork is signed and turned in with any money asap.
Attention Families!!!!: Friendly Reminder. Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the Last day to bring in shirts and donations.
Kids will need 1- washed white shirt and a donation of $2-$5. Funds will help pay for tie dye and other materials purchased just for this project and the remaining funds will be donated to the Lilly Jacobs fund- which gives Science School scholarships to students in need.
We are tie- dying tomorrow during art so please send them everything in with your child.
We will use the shirts on the day we go to camp Oct. 1 and whenever we go on field trips this year!
Loving the outdoor learning options!
Mr. Kyle
Sept. 18
Dear Families,
Please send in a plain white t-shirt this week for your student to participate in tie-dying shirts for Science Camp and a $5-10 donation that will go towards purchasing the supplies needed for this project by the end of this week! You could also donate by sending in dye, which can be found at stores like Ace Hardware. The art teacher has agreed to do this as an art project. Write their name with a black Sharpie in the tag. Any left over funds will be used towards the 6th Grade Science Camp Scholarships.
Can't find a shirt at home? Students can buddy up and packages of 4 t-shirts or so can be found at stores like Khols, K-Mart, etc. in the boy's/men's section, then split the cost.
Are you a master tie-dyer or interested in helping out with the students in their art classes next week?
Please email: brittany_birchall@pvusd.net
Thank you!
Sept. 17
Above is the updated Parent teacher schedule. If you did not make it to the back to school night, please email me a time that you see is open. Also,when you email, your address will be linked to iGrades so you can keep up with your students grades.
Many Science camp packets have been turned in, but there are many more needed. Thanks everyone for taking care of this and returning the slips and money!
See Homework page for updates today. Busy week of learning together! Just the way we like it.
Mr. Kyle
Sept. 10
Thanks again to all the families represented at Back to School Night! It was really nice to make new friends and see familiar faces. I will count on your student to fill you in on Room 18 info if you missed my presentation.
Look for Outdoor School Packets to come home as soon as tomorrow. Please attend to each page and fill out and sign all information. Make checks out to the RDMPA and if anything is ordered from camp, make checks payable to the
Santa Cruz County Office of Education. I will update this post tomorrow as I am waiting for an update on the total cost for camp minus the funds raised last year.
Let's make it a great week of learning together!
Mr. Kyle
PS. Please sign up for a conference time if you have not already! See pic above for open times. Simply email me or text me the time you'd like and I will update the schedule.
We are off to a great start in room 18! Everyone is getting reacquainted and we are gaining traction by working together.
Next week we will be starting to collect grades and set up our online grade book (iGradePlus). Be ready to get instructions on how to set that up for yourself and your parents.
Our class is piloting the new Social Studies program for all 6th grade classes in the school district. We will be crossing over this next week and starting with Discovery publishers. The program looks really good and I believe that it will easily meet the needs of all our learners. But, just so ya know... we are piloting another publisher (TCI) five weeks later! The students will be a great thermometer to gauge learning, interest and excitement about both of the programs.
Science camp is coming up fast (Oct. 1-5) and there will be more info coming at you starting as soon as next week. We have Back to School night on the evening of Sept. 6th and plan to have a parent information meeting in the MPR right after our classroom presentations. Here is a link that will give you an idea of what's coming. https://youtu.be/m9XDEwZyeoE (English)
https://youtu.be/kTUhE35zGDc (Spanish)
Living to learn,
Mr. Kyle
Dear Students and Parents,
I am looking forward to meeting each of you and starting an exciting journey of learning together this year in Room 18!
We have a lot of exciting curriculum to travel through and many ways that we will be challenging ourselves to becoming the best lifelong learners possible!
I (Mr. Kyle) will be your guide as we discover all the incredibly unique and interesting things in our grade level curriculum!
I know you will enjoy being in room 18 as I will be giving you each ownership of the class this year! Students will be helping by having classroom jobs that benefit the classroom and our school as a whole! We will be having class meetings so that you can voice opinions, ideas and concerns on a regular basis.
It's going to be a great journey! Are you ready? Lace up, grab your backpack and lunch and off we go!
Check out the supplies page that I have attached to this site so you can get some of your materials together before our adventure begins!
Fun and Ownership in Learning,
Mr. Kyle
- No school Friday. Teachers will be doing training that day.
- This week we started CASSP testing and the students are working hard and doing their best to perform well.
- Homework is modified and reading this week is extended to 70+ minutes per day. Check the HW page.
- A new reading period starts today and goes all the way through toll the last day of school.
- Please get ready to start checking your Grade book online as I will begin to post grades as we roll into this third and last
- Get lots of rest and come to school ready to test and do your best!
All the best,
Mr. Kyle
April 8
Welcome back after Spring Break! So glad everyone had a good and safe week off. Much needed time to catch up with family and take some time. The timing could not have been better as the students and I were at a breaking point and needed some away from school time! I was able to catch up on home projects, play a few rounds of golf, hike a bit, visit Point Lobos, read, and catch a few movies!
We are getting right back into it this week with classwork and homework. Please keep up with your homework journal and the online homework page. There is a short BIM and a Newsela assigned on climate. Please attend to these tonight and do your best to catch up if you need to.
We talked in class today about the behavior expectations for 6th graders on field trips. The standard for our students behavior at Rio is pretty clear and high. This needs to carry over to our field trips. We have two trips coming up in the next few months! It is up to students and their choices for classroom behavior on whether or not they will have the privilege to join us on one or both of these trips. Fill free to contact me if you need more specifics.
Spring into learning mode,
Mr. Kyle
Mar 25
Parent field trip meeting at 9:20 to get instructions and cars assignments. Let's plan on leaving by 9:30 and meet at museum garden park for lunch at 11am. This will give time to pick up lunch or a Starbucks and then we start our tour of the museum at noon. We plan to back to school by 3:30 so please make arrangements for students pick up. Please meet in front of the school after returning and get students signed out.
We have a full academic week of work and reading these next few days, so please help me keep students engaged and here at school all week. Thanks.
Mar. 11
We have another field trip planned for The Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum on Friday March 29th, the last day before our spring break. As of today, we only have half of the class bringing in their permission slips and money. Please bring in forms and the $17 ASAP to reserve your child's entry. Price will be much higher if you wait and have to purchase tickets without the group rate.
We plan to leave later in the morning due to the Talent Show.
Report cards come home this Friday with your student. Please take time to go over the grades and comments. Please keep in mind that a lot of time went into the students earning these grades and my keeping track of their progress and keeping record in iGradesPlus. Note also, that there is no Language grade on the report card. These Language grades are placed in Writing and Reading in the grade book. I will be consolidating these all into Writing this final trimester. Let me know if you have any questions.
"If you think you can or if you think you can't...you're right!"
Mr. Kyle
Mar. 4
We did CASSP Testing today for Math in class. Ask your student about the best cell phone plan for their friend and why it's the best one! Homework will be modified this week while we are testing.
Reading can get a bit more attention at home this week as we begin the 5th period of our AR challenge. This new period ends April 12 so there is time to read some good books and strengthen our fluency!
Looks like another wet week of learning!
Let's set sail for bigger goals and sunny days!
Mr. Kyle
PS. An amazing amount of work goes into making your student's grades easily accessible to them as well as yourself. I really appreciate the families that are taking the time to regularly check in. There are only three families that have checked in more than 10 times. Thanks for supporting your student and the accountability towards becoming a life long learner.
The more you learn... the better everything gets!
Feb. 27
I just did some input of scores to iGradePlus www.igradeplus.com.
It would be a good thing to check on this as report cards are coming out soon and the grades will be the same there as they are posted on iGradePlus. Let me know if you need a new pass code. These were mailed toward the beginning of the year and may have been moved to your junk mail. Remember, if it is listed as an incomplete, the quiz or tests need to be finished. If the assignment is an Newsela and is incomplete, for sure go back and try for a better grade and let me know the better score!
Accountability drives purpose,
Mr. Kyle
Feb. 25
Please check the homework page and see what's going on this week in room 18.
Great field trip this last week to the Tech Museum of Innovation! Thanks to all the parents that made our trip awesome and engaging. Next field trips are beach clean up and NASA.
Exposure notice sent home today. Please find the paper in your students journal. Be on the lookout also this week for the homework files coming home in the big manilla envelopes. Please sign and return just the envelope and any papers that do not belong to your student!
Loving the discovery!
Mr. Kyle
Feb. 21
Reminders for tomorrow: If you are driving, please be ready to go by 8am. Come to the room and get your packet of emergency cards and student info. We will send students with you to load up and hit the road. There is a grill there at the Tech so lunch can be purchased. Price ranges so send $10 if not more. There is a gift shop that students will be allowed to visit.
Also we should return no later than 2:20 pm
Feb. 19
Field trip to Tech museum is still on for this Friday the 22nd. If you're a driver, thx for getting all you paperwork into the office last week. I will be setting up cars this week and have that info for you on Thursday. Look here to see who is with who for the road trip. We plan to be back to the parking lot before school is over. If in the event that we get stuck in traffic, please make arrangements with your student so they know where to meet you and who is dropping them off and where.
AR period ends this Friday! Please make sure all reading is done so last test can be taken on Friday. I hope to have the grade book www.igradeplus.com/updated this week. Take a minute and log in to see how your student is performing in all subjects. Report cards are coming home in early March so now is the time to start looking for where attention is needed academically.
Math Fair at Rio tonight! Please come out with your parents tonight 6:30- 7:30 and show them some of the Math tricks that you learned today.
Let's make it wonderful week of learning together,
Mr. Kyle
Feb. 5
We have an exciting field trip coming up this month Feb. 22nd! Should be a cool Friday to explore the Tech Museum of Innovation! Please text or email me if you are interested in driving on this event. There are a lot of hoops to jump through to be able to participate, so the sooner you get started hooping the better. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help. I appreciate you all very much!
Please be checking the Homework page and keeping up with classwork and homework, Everything counts and all the pieces add up to making you the best student you can be!
Let's keep learning together!
Mr. Kyle
Jan. 28
Look for an email from Rachael regarding the upcoming field trip to the Tech Museum and info about the Valentines Day party.
We need parent drivers and help with the party. Thanks. Field trip forms to sign and return are coming home this week.
Today we restructured the class into groups. There is a lot of learning that can happen when the students share information with one another and are accountable for their work and behavior. I really want to see a surge in motivation from every student coming into this last trimester.
I have to say that the written reports on the Information Write assignment came out incredible! Every student in our class out did themselves and produced some very nice pieces. I will share them at the Young Authors Fair later in the year.
Let's make this a great week to really push our learning.
Mr. Kyle
Jan. 23
Reminder: If your student signed up for the science fair, here are some dates that are fast approaching.
Friday, January 25: Projects are due to classroom teacher. This way we can check them over and make any needed tweeks.
Wednesday, January 30: Kids will be released briefly from class to setup projects.
Thursday, January 31: Science Fair projects will be judged and there will be an evening viewing (6:30 - 7:30) that everyone is invited to.
Friday, February 1: Ten Winning projects will be revealed at a school assembly or as a whole school announcement!
If you have any questions please let me know.
Math Family Night is coming to Rio on Feb. 19 6:30-7:45!
Jan. 17
Greeting parents,
We have a planned field trip!!! Save the date for Friday, February 22nd!
We are going to the Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose to explore and watch an IMAX movie OCEANS. We will need drivers for this field trip. If you'd like to join us we will need all paperwork filled out and updated in the school office asap. Also, please email me if you are interested in driving. Thank You so much!
-MR. Kyle
Jan. 15 Immunizations sheet sent home today!
Jan. 14
Happy New year! I hope your holiday was awesome and that you did not spend too much time gnashing your teeth and sobbing because you missed me so much!
I am excited to see you tomorrow and find out how your vacation time was spent and what adventures unfolded!
I was in a Readers workshop training all day today and when it was over at 2:30, I headed up to the classroom and spent the next two and a half hours cleaning and organizing. Our curriculum for the rest of the year is very exciting and full of valuable lessons that will help prepare all of us for the rigors of Jr. High.
Let's make this next half of the school year the best ever!
Blast off into 2019!
Mr. Kyle
Dec. 3
Please donate if you can for the class! We need Kleenex, Baby Wipes, and money added to our class account. I have spent nearly $200 plus-just this past month and have no cash left in the Room 18 account. Help!
Above is the Homework Week plan and due dates. We are going to be posting this here so that students and parents can access these dates and know for sure when (Upcoming and or next week's) projects are due. Let me know what you think and how this is helping you keep all the plates spinning.
Look for Science Fair project packets coming home next week! These are for the students interested in participating and also receiving extra credit for Science during the second trimester. Ask your student if they are thinking of getting involved in this years Rio Science Fair!
Mr. Kyle
Nov. 18
Happy Thanksgiving! I'm looking forward to spending time with the students these next two days before a much needed break.
At this point, the class did not decide on a celebration for Tuesday. We will for sure do some fun things, but there won't be a full course meal prepared by hard working parents ( so relax). Look for info from the students for anything we made need for Tuesday. Thx.
no-shave.org/team/teamrio Here is the Team Rio link for the Cancer Awareness of our No Shave November. Please consider a donation to help us reach our goal. I'm dedicating this month to remember Karen Salazar and Lisa Martin. Both were 5th and 6th grade teachers at Rio. They were part of our teacher family and both lost their battle with cancer. They will never be forgotten. Their legacy will forever be part of our school family.
Mr. Kyle
Nov. 13
Thanks everyone for coming in to see me and keeping your PTC time!
I really enjoyed our time and felt it was useful time spent. Now it's time to get the
report cards ready for the students for the Nov. 20 release date!
I'm asking that students check in with you and see how the grades look as I am close to transferring
the grades to the report cards. Please email me ASAP if there is a concern or if something does not look right.
Short week this week and another short one next week!
We have a lot to do, so keep all the gears engaged!
Let's Go!!
Mr. Kyle
Nov. 4
Above is the schedule that we made a while back at back to school night. I hope these times still hold well with you and that you are able to make your time slot! I appreciate the time that you will be taking to come and talk with me about your students progress and learning. I will make every effort to honor the meeting times and I will make sure to start and stop on time. Thanks for being here just a few minutes prior to your conference so as to make the transitions between the meetings roll smoothly.
Looking forward to seeing you this week,
Mr. Douglas Kyle
Oct 29
There was a parent teacher survey sent home Friday! Please find the form in your student's backpack, fill it out and then return it to me asap! Here is the survey:
Dear Parents,
Please complete the following questionnaire and return it as soon as possible. This information will be very helpful to me when I am preparing for your child’s parent- teacher conference.
NAME OF STUDENT________________________ PARENT/GUARDIAN NAME(S)______________________
- What is your child’s general feeling about school this year?
- What does your child seem to enjoy the most at school?
- How long does your student spend on homework each night on average?
- Do you have any concerns about your child’s experience in class so far?
- Is there anything you would like me to know about your child? (interests, struggles, physical or emotional needs, etc..) We can discuss this in detail at the conference?
- In what ways can I better help you and your child?
- What questions would you like me to answer at our conference?
Thank you for your time. I sincerely appreciate your concern and honesty.
Mr. Kyle
Oct.23
Halloween keeps getting closer! So exciting, the students are thrilled with the prospect of eating more sugar than humanly possible for a few days. Please help them ease into the sugar loaded season by limiting what they smuggle to school and eat for lunch. All teachers everywhere thank you!
There will be a retake on the math quiz from last week! We have been practicing and carefully going through the 2.5 and 2.6 lessons to check for understanding. The students have been working very hard and practicing a lot so that they will do their very best. Keep up the good work everyone!
And now a word from our sponsors...
Happy Halloween 6th Grade Families!
It is a Rio 6th Grade tradition for all the classes to get together, party and enjoy tacos and treats. We can't make this amazing without parent volunteers. Below is the link to sign up to help:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C094AACAA2FABFD0-6thgrade
Thank you families who have already sent your class contribution for the year. The amount that should cover class parties and teacher gifts fo the rest of the year is $ 25. Some parents have sent $35, Many Thanks!
How to Pay?
In an envelope with your child’s name please send cash or a check to Rachel Nigh. It will be greatly appreciated if your child brings funds by Friday 10/26/18
The cost for this party is $10 per child. It is a little more than normal parties because we hire a taco company to come cook up some delicious tacos. Also the funds provided help pay for plates, napkins, cutlery, decorations, drinks and desserts. If you'd like to send a special treat or dessert to share with the 6th grade class, please send with your student the day of party.
- FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE ALREADY PAID ME FOR THE YEAR, THERE IS NO NEED TO CONTRIBUTE. YOU ARE GOOD TO GO. THANK YOU!
- For those of you who have not yet contributed to the classroom party and teacher gift fund for the year, please do so. $25 is appreciated.
***My goal is to make this one time ask, the last for the whole year for any of my needs (class parties and teacher gifts). End of year party and celebration to (TBA) destination will have a cost depending on what we decide to do.
The timeline for Halloween is as follows:
- Parade 8:30-9
- Party 9-11:00
- Taco Truck/Lunch 11-noon
Please let me know if you have any questions. E-mail, call or text all work. Thank you for all that you do , it truly takes a Village!
Best Wishes,
Rachel Nigh ( Room Parent) and Corine Csermelyi (Room Parent Helper)
Oct. 16...It's getting kinda spooky!!
It's starting...the dreaded zombie like behavior that takes over most elementary age students as the scary day of Halloween quickly approaches.
Symptoms include: dazed looks, answering teachers questions with, "Huh?!", making funny and strange noises, unconsciously wondering around the classroom, asking to go use the restroom repeatedly as soon as a lesson starts or immediately after a recess or after walking right by the restrooms when coming back from a pull out, not turning in assigned work, and digging through their desk while the teacher is explaining a lesson.
The reason: It took me many year of teaching and researching October student behavior ( aka...OSB) to finally crack this code...but I did it!!! It's candy!
5 Ways to ease the OSB symptoms:
1. Never allow your children to know where you have hidden the Halloween candy!
2. Never assume that they do not know that you have hidden candy in the house...they know!
3. Do not hide candy in the house! I'd give you ideas of where to hide the goods, but the students might actually read these weekly updates and that could turn everything upside down. Berrrr, sends spines down my shivers!!
4. Check their lunch bag each day of Oct. and early Nov. to insure that there is no evidence of contraband being smuggled!
5. Relax, carve a pumpkin, and do really nice things for your student's teacher to insure their sanity! Educators will need extra support as they wade through the fog of this harrowing Halloween season.
"..The midnight hour is close at hand..."
Happy Halloween everyone!
Mr. Kyle
PS. We gotta lot going on this week!! "Let's do dis thang!"
Oct. 11
Dear Parents,
The last two weeks of October will be College Weeks at Rio del Mar.
I'm hoping a few parents will be willing to come to class to share about
their college experience/major and how it prepared you for your career, etc.
I will be sharing as well.
Please let me know if you're interested!
Thanks for your support and I look forward to seeing you at
parent teacher conferences soon. If you haven't done so, email the time you wish then check my website to see that you are scheduled.
Please let me know if you have not logged in to the iGrades yet. I have sent out invitations to every parent via email. Check junk email to be sure it is not being rerouted.
Make learning happen everyday!
Mr. Kyle
Students, please check your Google Class for info on wrapping up your Narrative writing.
Oct. 2
Kids are having a great time at science camp so far! The ones that were a bit homesick last night are much better this morning. Lots of smiles and learning going on. This makes it fun to take pictures and capture moments. Check back here tomorrow and I'll put some more pics up of students doing the ropes course and the challenge events.
Sept. 27.
Monday, 6th grade student don't need to come to school till 8:30! Please drop off camp luggage by the flag pole in front of the school. Please come to school no later than 8:45! Students need to come up to the class to check in and take role. There are other key pieces of information they will need at that time.
From Corine:
Dear 6th grade Families,
Each shirt has been cared for already and is ready for your children to wear to Science Camp. Yay! If your child is in Mr. Sweets class they should be bringing them home today, Thursday the 27th. Mr. Kyle’s and Ms. Birchall’s class will receive shirts tomorrow, Friday the 28th.
As stated they are ready to wear. Warning: It will take a couple of more washes before the dye stops bleeding. I recommend washing it alone or with other tye dyed clothes.
Please remind your students to wear their shirts on Monday when they show to school for Outdoor school. We can’t wait to see all their beautiful t-shirt designs!
Thank you Parents for all your donations that went to making this project a success! The remainder of funds have been added to the Lily Jacobs fund. We will let the kids know what that amount is soon. Also many thanks to all the parent volunteers and our art teacher Mrs. Kirkpatrick for making Ms. Birchall’s idea a reality. It truly takes a village and what a warm hearted village we have at Rio.
Sept 24!
Thanks for all the birthday gifts and good wishes! Really having a great day with my students!
I appreciate all your kindness so much!
Last week before we go to Science Camp!!!!
I'm getting students ready this week by giving nightly assignments to start gathering what they need for camp.
In class, we have been doing close research and discussion on the vocabulary for outdoor school. It's going to be an amazing adventure together! Please make sure all paperwork is signed and turned in with any money asap.
Attention Families!!!!: Friendly Reminder. Tomorrow (Tuesday) is the Last day to bring in shirts and donations.
Kids will need 1- washed white shirt and a donation of $2-$5. Funds will help pay for tie dye and other materials purchased just for this project and the remaining funds will be donated to the Lilly Jacobs fund- which gives Science School scholarships to students in need.
We are tie- dying tomorrow during art so please send them everything in with your child.
We will use the shirts on the day we go to camp Oct. 1 and whenever we go on field trips this year!
Loving the outdoor learning options!
Mr. Kyle
Sept. 18
Dear Families,
Please send in a plain white t-shirt this week for your student to participate in tie-dying shirts for Science Camp and a $5-10 donation that will go towards purchasing the supplies needed for this project by the end of this week! You could also donate by sending in dye, which can be found at stores like Ace Hardware. The art teacher has agreed to do this as an art project. Write their name with a black Sharpie in the tag. Any left over funds will be used towards the 6th Grade Science Camp Scholarships.
Can't find a shirt at home? Students can buddy up and packages of 4 t-shirts or so can be found at stores like Khols, K-Mart, etc. in the boy's/men's section, then split the cost.
Are you a master tie-dyer or interested in helping out with the students in their art classes next week?
Please email: brittany_birchall@pvusd.net
Thank you!
Sept. 17
Above is the updated Parent teacher schedule. If you did not make it to the back to school night, please email me a time that you see is open. Also,when you email, your address will be linked to iGrades so you can keep up with your students grades.
Many Science camp packets have been turned in, but there are many more needed. Thanks everyone for taking care of this and returning the slips and money!
See Homework page for updates today. Busy week of learning together! Just the way we like it.
Mr. Kyle
Sept. 10
Thanks again to all the families represented at Back to School Night! It was really nice to make new friends and see familiar faces. I will count on your student to fill you in on Room 18 info if you missed my presentation.
Look for Outdoor School Packets to come home as soon as tomorrow. Please attend to each page and fill out and sign all information. Make checks out to the RDMPA and if anything is ordered from camp, make checks payable to the
Santa Cruz County Office of Education. I will update this post tomorrow as I am waiting for an update on the total cost for camp minus the funds raised last year.
Let's make it a great week of learning together!
Mr. Kyle
PS. Please sign up for a conference time if you have not already! See pic above for open times. Simply email me or text me the time you'd like and I will update the schedule.
We are off to a great start in room 18! Everyone is getting reacquainted and we are gaining traction by working together.
Next week we will be starting to collect grades and set up our online grade book (iGradePlus). Be ready to get instructions on how to set that up for yourself and your parents.
Our class is piloting the new Social Studies program for all 6th grade classes in the school district. We will be crossing over this next week and starting with Discovery publishers. The program looks really good and I believe that it will easily meet the needs of all our learners. But, just so ya know... we are piloting another publisher (TCI) five weeks later! The students will be a great thermometer to gauge learning, interest and excitement about both of the programs.
Science camp is coming up fast (Oct. 1-5) and there will be more info coming at you starting as soon as next week. We have Back to School night on the evening of Sept. 6th and plan to have a parent information meeting in the MPR right after our classroom presentations. Here is a link that will give you an idea of what's coming. https://youtu.be/m9XDEwZyeoE (English)
https://youtu.be/kTUhE35zGDc (Spanish)
Living to learn,
Mr. Kyle
Dear Students and Parents,
I am looking forward to meeting each of you and starting an exciting journey of learning together this year in Room 18!
We have a lot of exciting curriculum to travel through and many ways that we will be challenging ourselves to becoming the best lifelong learners possible!
I (Mr. Kyle) will be your guide as we discover all the incredibly unique and interesting things in our grade level curriculum!
I know you will enjoy being in room 18 as I will be giving you each ownership of the class this year! Students will be helping by having classroom jobs that benefit the classroom and our school as a whole! We will be having class meetings so that you can voice opinions, ideas and concerns on a regular basis.
It's going to be a great journey! Are you ready? Lace up, grab your backpack and lunch and off we go!
Check out the supplies page that I have attached to this site so you can get some of your materials together before our adventure begins!
Fun and Ownership in Learning,
Mr. Kyle
