Parent Newsletter
September & October 2024
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Important Dates
Sept. 25th @ 8:25am: Field trip to San Diego (drop off at Nordstrom Rack is 23541 Calle De La Louisa, Laguna Hills
Sept. 27th @ 8:30am: First PTF meeting (location TBD)
Sept. 27th: Scholastic book orders due
October 7th-18th: Assessment days
October 17th: PTF event at Pumpkin City Pumpkin Farm
October 30th: Picture day
October 31st - November 1st: Parent/Teacher conferences (no students)
Classroom Updates
Ms. Beane
3rd & 4th grades
The year is off to a great start! It was wonderful to see so many parents at Back to School Night, and I appreciate their support. I have been impressed with how quickly the students have acclimated to the new routines and schedules being back at school. Currently, we are reading through the devotional Love Does by Bob Goff, and our class looks forward to a new adventurous story each day. Looking ahead, we are excited for the local firefighters to visit us and share what it takes to be a firefighter.
Mr. Wilson
5th & 6th grades
We are thrilled to share how well our students have embraced the transition to Mr. Wilson’s class! While we continue to keep Mrs. Matteson and her family in our hearts, we’re excited to see the progress the students are making under Mr. Wilson’s guidance. They’ve been honing their foundational writing skills, exploring empathy in social skills lessons, and mastering organization techniques in executive functioning class. We couldn’t be prouder of their hard work and flexibility!
Ms. Yoo
6th & 7th grades
The 6th and 7th-grade class has been hard at work getting back into the routine of school! I'm so proud to see all the hard work they've been putting in to master our morning routine, turn in their assignments on time, and advocate for themselves whenever they need a break, a fidget, or any help. It's certainly not easy to adjust to an entirely different school routine, but I'm so incredibly proud of how fast they have all persistently practiced and successfully adjusted. It's going to be an amazing school year full of growth, I know it!
Mrs. Visca
7th & 8th grades
We have gotten off to a great start in Mrs. Visca's 7th/8th grade class this year! For the first time ever, I have an entirely new class, as last year's eighth grade class graduated and are finding great success in high school. This year's group is "sugar and spice and everything nice." They are such a sweet class, and I'm really enjoying getting to know them! In ELA, we are learning about the book publishing business, and I may have some future best-selling authors in my class! In US History, we are focusing on the Articles of Confederation. "Route 66" is the theme for our BIble curriculum, and we are going to be learning how all 66 books of the BIble have different writers, but one author: God. We took a survey of our Executive Functioning skills, and Social Skills has us learning about our "social smarts" and how to be a "social detective." We sure are working hard and are having fun!
Mrs. VanDeCar
Science
In our recent egg drop lab, students explored Newton's Laws of Motion by designing protective devices to prevent an egg from breaking. This hands-on activity demonstrated how forces, inertia, and gravity interact, reinforcing key physical science concepts.
Curriculum & Learning Center Updates
Executive Function Skills
The Executive Functioning Skill that the classes are working on in September is Planning. Planning is the ability to figure out how to accomplish a goal. It includes analyzing what materials and steps you will need to complete a task.
Examples of Planning:
• Writing homework down in a planner
• Setting short-term due dates for a long-term assignment
• Making a list of tasks to complete
• Writing important dates on a calendar
Route 66: A Road Trip Through the Bible
We have a new Bible Curriculum called "Route 66: A Road Trip Through the Bible." In this series, kids will learn all the books of the Bible and how each section fits into the larger picture of God’s story.
This year’s Memory Verse: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
2 Timothy 3:16 (NIV)
Writing Intervention
In writing intervention, we are diving into the use of different types of thinking maps. These visual tools help students organize their thoughts, making it easier to improve their writing skills. We are exploring how each type of map can be effectively used not only in writing but across various subjects, which can help in all areas of learning.
Learning Center
Air writing is a technique that involves writing letters and numbers in the air using your hands. It can be used for a variety of purposes, including:
Helping children learn to read.
Air writing can help children develop reading skills by creating a cognitive impression of words, cementing them in their memory, and helping them practice writing.
Helping people with dyslexia
Air writing is a multi-sensory technique that uses visual, auditory, and kinesthetic senses to help people with dyslexia. An air writing recognition system can track the user's "air gestures" using a computer's webcam and classify them into letters and digits.
Developing awareness of the mind's eye
Air writing is a sensory exercise that can help learners develop awareness of their ability to imprint information in their mind's eye.
Instruct children to place their hands up high. With your pointer or index finger, trace the letter in the air from top to bottom the way you would write the letter. Think aloud as you show children the direction to move their finger as they form the letter.
SEPTEMBER IS NATIONAL LIBRARY CARD SIGN-UP MONTH
As kids head back to school, there's no better time for them to discover the treasures awaiting them in the local library. September is National Library Card Sign-Up Month! #LibraryCardSignUpMonth
A library card can be a rite of passage for your child, giving them a sense of obligation and responsibility. As a library patron, children learn the importance of caring for things that belong to others. Children take the essential early step in their development when they obtain their library card and become a conscientious member of the community.
Visit https://www.ocpl.org/ for more information.
SAVE THE DATE!
Our first PTF meeting will be Friday, September 27th @ 8:30am. Location TBD
Important Links:
Track It Forward: We use this site to log and track all volunteer hours. Each family is responsible for tracking and logging their own hours. Account setup takes just a few minutes. If you have an account from last year, there is no need to set up a new account.
https://www.trackitforward.com/site/pathway-school
Apparel Now Spirit Wear: Show off your Pathway Pride! Order shirts, jackets and other accessories with the Pathway logo. This is optional and Pathway School receives a small amount of the proceeds from each sale.
https://apparelnow.com/pathway-school-apparel/
Scholastic Books: Order books for your child throughout the school year and help Pathway School earn points to replenish our school library. Paper fliers will go home throughout the school year. All orders must be placed and paid for online. When ordering, please always list your child's first and last name when asked. https://clubs.scholastic.com/home
