Principal’s Message:

Dragon Tales

Thursday, March 9

School Tour: 9:00 (new families)

Sunday, March 12

Daylight Savings Time begins. Set

your clocks forward one hour

Thursday, March 16

Women in History Assembly

Friday, March 17

St. Patrick’s Day—wear green!

Awards Assemblies

Monday, March 20

First day of Spring

Thursday, March 23

Spring/Culmination Picture Day

Parent Workshop and Education Se-ries “Anxiety, Signs, Symptoms and

Strategies” Horizon Hills

McDonald’s Restaurant Night [PTA]

Friday, March 24

Shakespeare Educational Tour: Stu-

dent workshops and assembly

Report Cards to Students

Meet the Masters Parent Training [PTA]

8:15 and 1:40

Wednesday, March 29

GATE-District Advisory Council

Meeting: 11:00-1:00 D.O. Board Rm

Thursday, March 30

School Site Council Meeting: 3:00

Ladera Library Night at TO Library [PTA]

Friday March 31

Mr. Softee Ice Cream is coming! [PTA]

Dear Ladera Families,

WOW! That’s about all that all I can

think to say about the outcome of our

Dragon Dash! Let me begin by extend-

ing a HUGE Thank You to Amy

Ciandella and Chris White, our PTA

Ways and Means duo, for all the work

they put into pulling this event off!

AAAAAAmazing! They had many other

people that helped in a variety of ways

(you know who you are)…THANK

YOU! Another BIG thank you goes out

to all our Ladera students and families

for stepping up big time with the dona-

tions and pledges! I am humbled and

honored to announce to you that we

actually EXCEEDED our $30,000 goal!

Please Take

Note:

March 23 Spring/Culmination

Pictures

March 24 Report Cards to Students

March 30 Library Night at the TO

Library

Planning for the leveled incentive parties

is underway AND the Mr. Softee Ice

Cream truck is coming for all the stu-

dents on Friday, March 31. Because of

the efforts of our PTA and the generosity

of our families we now have the funds to

finish out the year with our wonderful

music, computer, and PE specialists, Art

events...plus even MORE technology and

fun events will be coming to our students

before the year ends. Wow!

In December, I wrote to you about some

of the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engi-

neering, Art, Math) activities we have had

going on this year at Ladera. [Please use

the Dragon Tales link on the website to

find that article, if you missed it.] This

month I want to tell you a lit-

tle about the direction we will

be going with Science instruc-

tion. The state of California

has officially adopted the Next

Generation Science Standards

(NGSS) for students in Kinder-

garten through 12th grade.

These standards were devel-

oped by teachers, scientists

and education researchers

from 26 states. The goal is to

move science instruction to-

wards more hands-on, interac-

tive, and integrated lessons

focusing on inquiry and discov-

ery. (continued on pg. 2)

Calendar of Upcoming Events and Activities

Important Items

This is how students naturally learn

to think, problem solve, communi-

cate and collaborate. We want this

for our students! Right?

As an educator, I love the way the

standards build on what students

learned in previous years and how

concepts and themes are woven

through the content for each grade

level. For example, kindergarten

students learn about what plants

and animals need to survive and

about weather. Through both of

these topics, there is an emphasis

on finding patterns and understand-

ing cause and effect. In first grade,

students revisit the concepts of pat-

terns, studying how animals grow

and develop. In third grade, students

Important Items

Principal’s Message (Cont’d from page 1)

revisit both patterns and weather,

but with more depth and through

a study of natural hazards and

their impacts.

Every grade level has standards in

the following Disciplinary Core

Ideas:

Earth and Space

Life

Physical

Engineering

Science is an engaging and moti-

vating topic for students and I am

really looking forward to seeing

our students immersed in the

NGSS in the coming months and

years!

Regards,

Mrs. Wall

March Spotlight

Character Key:

Habit of a Scholar:

Perler beads

Pool Noodles

Maker Space

Wish List

Engineers in Action

[Ladera’s Makerspace]