Friday, January 30, 2015

Principal's Message


Dear Canyon View Families,

With the second trimester grading period coming to a close, we’re already looking forward to an action-packed third trimester!  Over the next three weeks, our teachers will finish entering their grades and will be preparing report cards to go home on March 6.

Over the course of the first two trimesters, students have shown a high degree of effort and perseverance in mastering their grade level’s academic content!  While observing our children in action, it’s rewarding to see them applying their mathematical reasoning and understanding to contextualized problems during our Situation Of The Day. These “situations” are used across all grade levels (K-5) and require our students to make sense of various problems and think critically about the different ways to come up with a solution.  Students’ problem solving and communication skills are consistently stretched as they look for two different ways to solve the situation, and then effectively communicate the thinking that went into solving the problem.

Over the past few months, I have also observed our children learning how to read and annotate complex texts through the use of close reading strategies.  When using these strategies, students make various claims about the content or meaning of the text, and then support their claims with evidence directly cited from the text.  Close reading is not just for our older students, however, as many of our younger readers are demonstrating proficiency with this higher-level skill.

Finally, the first year of our LEGO Robotics program has been a smashing success, and I have been absolutely amazed with the creativity and innovation our students have shown as they dive into the world of programming.  Mrs. Ackerman has worked tirelessly to successfully implement this academic program not only at Canyon View, but at the other CFSD elementary schools as well.  Our students have certainly benefitted from her expertise and passion for problem-based learning, and when it comes to transferring knowledge to authentic and unique situations, LEGO Robotics hits the mark! 

School Registration For Next Year
In the next few days, current residents will receive enrollment packets.  It is critical to complete the enrollment process for each of your children who will attend Canyon View next year.  The completed and returned registration forms will determine staffing decisions for the next school year.  The registration forms are due at Canyon View on February 13th.  Please help us prepare for the 2015-2016 school year by submitting your child’s registration on time.  The number of students enrolled determines the number of teachers assigned to teach at Canyon View. Please contact our office at 209-7701 to help you with the registration process if needed.

Science Fair
Monday, February 9 is the first day of our annual Science Fair.  Classes will be viewing the various projects Monday-Wednesday of that week, and we will be hosting the Science Fair Recognition Ceremony on Wednesday, February 11 at 6:00 p.m. in the MPR.  We are definitely looking forward to seeing our young scientists’ projects!

Open Houses & Tours
On Monday, February 9 at 2 PM, Canyon View will be hosting our final Kinder Show & Tell.  Parents who have an incoming kindergarten student(s) are invited to attend our final Open House to learn more about the kindergarten programs offered at Canyon View.  Please call 209-7701 to make your reservation.

Additionally, Canyon View will be hosting our next two Open Houses for prospective Open Enrollment families on Wednesday, February 4 at 8:30 AM and Monday, February 16 at 2:00 PM.  If you know of any families who are interested in learning more about what Canyon View has to offer their children, please pass this important information along to them.  To RSVP for the Open Houses, or to schedule a small group/individual tour, please call 209-7701.  As a reminder, current Open Enrollment families must reapply each year between December 1st and the end of February.  Open Enrollment applications are available online at  HYPERLINK "http://www.cfsd16.org" www.cfsd16.org.  

Have a wonderful weekend!

Rob Henikman
Principal