Time is flying, and we are excited to welcome the month of February! Our class has been working so hard, and it’s been wonderful to see how much growth the students are making both academically and socially.

This month we are focusing on reading sight words, counting to 100, and writing simple sentences. A few students are still practicing all of their alphabet letters, and we will continue supporting them while also challenging everyone to keep growing.

Our Character Counts focus for February is Trustworthiness. We will talk about being honest, keeping our promises, and doing the right thing even when no one is watching.

Thank you so much for your continued support—we are looking forward to another great month of learning!

This month, Gala is our winner of the Responsibility Award from the Character Counts program. She is an extraordinary student who consistently shows responsibility in everything she does. Gala completes her assignments on time, makes thoughtful choices, and follows classroom and school rules. She is respectful in her actions with her friends and teachers and truly goes above and beyond each day.

In science, we worked on our winter nature projects. Students learned how nature changes during the winter season and collected dried natural materials to create beautiful art projects.

In social studies, students are learning how to find information using different tools and how to identify primary and secondary sources. They are also learning how to use information to form opinions about history. Additionally, students explored the difference between a biography and an autobiography.

Our first graders continue to strengthen their phonics skills and vocabulary. Each month, they are writing better sentences and beginning to combine them into short paragraphs.

Our second graders are making great progress in reading and writing. They are improving their story writing by correctly applying what they have learned about parts of speech. We have also begun learning how to use a dictionary, why it is important, and how it helps us understand words better.

News & Information:

The third and fourth grade class started their skills labs.

"The iINNOVATE Regional Skills Lab is a new career-connected STEM initiative for the Central Coast that empowers all students, regardless of background, to explore regional careers and build confidence early."

https://k12skillslab.org/3/powerskills

Our fourth skills lab is focused on "Quality Control Technician." Students understand the role of a Quality Control Technician in Advanced manufacturing. They practice key skills like visual inspection, measurement and data documentation. Also allowing them to learn essential Future Ready Skills such as precision, observation, problem solving and doing reliable work.

Dear Parents,

Our class had an excellent month. We have been working hard on improving in writing. Its important that you have your child read at home every day. Also have them practice memorizing there times tables.

The end of the trimester will be at the end of this month.

Thank You,

Miss Rodriguez

Character Count Recipient for Responsibility: Roberto Hernandez

Learning Focus

Reading:

3rd: RI.3.2 Determine the main idea of a text; Recount the key details and explain how they support the main idea. RI.3.1 Ask and answer questions. RI.3.4 Determine word meanings.

4th: RI.4.3 Explain events, ideas, or concepts in a historical text, including what happened and why, based on specific information. RI.4.1 Make Inferences. RI.4.4 Determine word meaning.

R.I 4.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words or phrases in a text relevant to a grade 4 topic or subject area. RI.4.3 Analyze a scientific text

Math:

3rd: Unit 3: Fractions

4th: Unit 3: Fractions, Decimals, Measurement

Grammar:

Parts of Speech

Spelling:

Unit 4: Long e sounds

Vocabulary:

Student work on five academic vocabulary words per week.

Writing:

Step-Up-to-Writing: Narrative Essay

Science:

Twig- Module 3: Time-Traveling Tour Guide

Social Studies:

Chapter 2: California's Early History

Calendar of Upcoming Events

• February 2- 100th day of school. Valentines grams for sale $1.
• February 6- Basketball gave vs San Lucas at 9:45am
• February 9- No School
• February 11- Board Meeting at 4pm
• February 13- Away Basketball Game vs San Antonio 10am
• February 16- No School
• February 17- ICA testing
• February 20- Dr. Major distribute glasses
• February 23- Picture Day
• February 24- School Site Council
• February 27- End of Second Trimester

Dear Families, 

We've had a wonderful month of learning, growth, and community in our classroom. I want to take a moment to celebrate our students and highlight some exciting things happening in math and academics. 

Perfect Attendance

A huge congratulations to our students who have demonstrated responsibility and consistency by showing up every single day. Their dedication sets a strong example for our classroom community, and we're incredibly proud of them. Thank you, families, for supporting such an important habit!

High Flyers of the Month

This month, we are celebrating a group of students who have consistently gone above and beyond-whether through leadership, academic effort, kindness, or personal growth. These students have shown exceptional focus and perseverance, and they continue to inspire their peers through their work ethic and positive attitude. 

Honor Roll Scholars

We also want to recognize our Honor Roll students who have earned a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Their hard work across all subject areas shows in the quality of their assignments, their participation, and their drive to improve. Congratulations to these scholars for their dedication and pride in their learning!

This month in math, we've been diving into volume using a multimodal approach that helps students learn through hands-on exploration, visual reasoning, and real-world application. 

One highlight was our Aquarium Volume Mission, where students were tasked with helping the Monterey Bay Aquarium figure out which animals belonged in which tank. Students used manipulatives, drawings, diagrams, and mathematical reasoning to calculate the volume of different tanks. They absolutely loved stepping into the role of problem-solvers and scientist for the day.

This kind of learning allows students to see math as something tangible, meaningful, and fun-not just numbers on paper.

Hello San Ardo Community. Currently, in the 7th and 8th grade class, we are working on getting 8th graders prepared for the academic expectations of becoming a high school student. On January 22nd, I took the 8th graders to the first annual KCHS Freshman Orientation where they met counselors, teachers, and current students. They were also introduced to the multitude of clubs and extra curricular activities which they may join once they become a member of the KCHS Mustang community. 

In class, our students are reading a novel named The House on Mango Street for English Language Arts, where they will learn critical thinking and writing skills and how to draw evidence to prove their ideas about the novel.

For Social Studies, the students are learning about common courtesies, mental health, self-awareness, self-control, while also adding historical knowledge of important figures in United States history.  They also get to know about current events around the world through our daily watching of CNN10 News.

In Science, they have worked on a unit on Cells, Nasa Spacecraft, Plate Tectonics, and Rocks on Earth.

For Math, Mrs. Black and I are preparing the students for state testing where we are focusing on teaching the students math fundamentals that will help them through more advanced math seen in the state tests.

On January 30th the 5th-8th grade students were invited to Hearst Castle in San Simeon for a full day of STEAM related activities and learning. After lunch, they got to do hands-on activities before taking a tour of Hearst Castle.

Welcome to February!

As spring approaches, we will be working more and more on preparations for state testing (ELPAC and CAASPP). The more familiar students become with the types of questions they'll see on the tests, the more automatic it will become to answer the questions.

In April, some (not all) students will take the "English Language Proficiency Assessment for California" or ELPAC. This is a test of speaking, listening, reading, and writing.

In May, students will participate in the "California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress" or CAASPP. CAASPP has math and ELA tests; each content area has two parts: a select-your-answer part and a writing part. (Students in grades 5 and 8 will also take the CA Science Test, CAST.)

Stop by if you want to talk about these assessments or look through sample questions.

Best,

Mrs. Bobbitt

To contact Mrs. Bobbitt:

kbobbitt@sanardousd.org

--or just stop by!

ELPAC Levels

Level 4: Well Developed

Level 3: Moderately Developed

Level 2: Somewhat Developed

Level 1: Minimally Developed

CAASPP Levels

Level 4: Standard Exceeded

Level 3: Standard Met

Level 2: Standard Nearly Met

Level 1: Standard Not Met

Visit Sample Test Questions

to view sample test questions.

1/30 5th-8th graders to Hearst Castle STEAM field trip

2/6 Basketball game home 9:45 vs. San Lucas

2/9 school closed in observance of President Lincoln's birthday (actual date 2/12/1809)

2/11 Board meeting 4:00 p.m.

2/13 Basketball game away 10:00 vs. San Antonio

2/17 Begin ICA testing

2/20 Bradley School Career Day grades 6-8 9:45 -12:15

2/20 Eyes of Hope glasses clinic 8:00 - 6:00

2/24 School Site Council 5:00

2/27 End of second trimester  

Dear San Ardo UESD Families,

As we welcome the month of February, I want to thank you for your continued partnership and support. Our students and staff are off to a strong start this winter, and we have several important dates and events coming up that I’d like to share with you.

February Holidays – No School

Monday, February 9

Monday, February 16

Please note that there will be no school for students on these days.

ICA Testing Begins – February 17
Beginning February 17, students will participate in Interim Comprehensive Assessments (ICAs) in English Language Arts and Mathematics. These assessments are part of the Smarter Balanced system and serve as a mid-year checkpoint to help teachers understand student progress toward grade-level standards.

ICAs mirror the structure and types of questions found on the end-of-year state assessments and may include performance tasks that require deeper thinking and problem solving. The results help our teachers identify strengths, address learning gaps, and provide additional support where needed. We encourage students to get plenty of rest, eat a healthy breakfast, and do their best each day.

VSP Eyes of Hope – February 20
On February 20, we are pleased to host the VSP Eyes of Hope program, which provides eligible students and families with free vision exams and, if prescribed, glasses. This is a wonderful opportunity to support student health and learning.

Bradley Career Day – February 20
Also on February 20, students will participate in Bradley Career Day. This event gives students the chance to learn about a variety of careers and pathways and to begin thinking about future goals. We appreciate our partners for helping make this meaningful experience possible.

Thank you for your ongoing support of San Ardo Unified Elementary School District. If you have any questions or need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact the school office.

Warm regards,
Catherine Reimer
Superintendent/Principal
San Ardo Unified Elementary School District