Dear Parents/Guardian,

I will be reviewing academic areas I feel the students need more work in preparation for 4th grade.  My first area of concern is Long Division and the steps to complete the process.

Long Division is multiplication done backwards.  The students have learned the DMSB acronym for the steps of Long Division.  These steps continue to repeat no matter how many digits are inside the house.

Writing is a big event in 4th grade and because of this, we will continue to write each day.  I encourage you to check your students’ work and verify they are using descriptive language to explain the details fo the topic.

Any work the students do between now and the end of the year that you are able to check daily will allow the student to return quality work with less errors and edits. 

Thank you for you help in checking this work at home when the student is doing the assignments.

Mr. Fritzsche

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Hello Parents!

Castello has two events coming up and we need your help! Please review the information below and let us know if you can assist.

Our Library Technician, Ms. Mader, has organized a book fair at school and is in need of volunteers during the course of the event. She needs assistance on setting up on May 10, help running after school sales May 13-15, sales during Open House on May 16, and also help packing everything up on May 17. Below is a link to the sign up page. Please consider volunteering your time if you can.

Castello Elementary Book Fair

As you are probably aware, Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6-10, and we would like to show our teachers and staff just how special they are to us. We will be serving breakfast on May 7 for Teacher Appreciation Day and are looking for donations to make the breakfast a success. We would like a variety of breakfast foods to serve to the teachers in the morning before they head off to class to start the day. If you are able to donate any items, please indicate what you will be providing by following the link below.

Teacher Appreciation Breakfast

As always, thank you for your support!

Samantha Jones
President
Castello PTA

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I would like each of you to take some time and check out the link below for Donors Choose.org.  This is an organization  that helps bring supplies and technology to the classroom.  This year alone, UPS and Walt Disney fund our Vermicompost project in the classroom.  The two companies help fund the supplies and equipment to purchase the bins and worms to create the composting we have going on.  It is fun watching the freezer bag of leftover organic food eaten by the worms each week.  We have had this project running for 3 weeks now and continue to watch the worms work.

Two other projects are online as you read this.  The first is the projector for the classroom.  This projector will allow me to display vivid and in color pictures of what we are learning in school.  This benefits each student by seeing what is discussed and for those who have never seen what is discussed, they can now see it before there eyes.  I will use my iPad or laptop to present the images.

The third project I have on the site is a document camera.  For those who do not know what that is, it is a camera that along with the projector I discussed above, I can display in real time images from a book or picture on the screen for the students to see.  The biggest benefit is the ability to save paper by not having to make so many copies and thus save trees and our landfills.  As we save food from the cafeteria, we also save the trees and garbage from going to the landfill.  Additionally, I will be able to create the You Tube Channel videos so much easier for you and your student with the document camera!

This brings me to the last point and the one that is the toughest.  That is to ask you or for your friends or your employer to help donate to the projects.  Some of you may work for a business that has the ability to take the tax deductions and donate to the school and my site.  My email has the link to my page at the bottom to make the act of donating so much easier which in turn makes it easier for the kids to realize the tools to help with their education.  I showed this to a Kinder Teacher last week and her first project was funded in one week!  How exciting for them.  I hope we are able to also have success in a reasonable time too.

If you are able to or know someone who can, I would prefer the donations go to the projector first and the document camera second.

Thank you for taking the time to read the Posting and passing along the information to your friends and family.

Sincerely,

Bruce Fritzsche

http://www.donorschoose.org/mr.fritzsche

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Dear Parents/Guardians,

Castello Elementary has a National Elementary Honor Society (NEHS) group here on campus.  This group has been putting together projects that help and benefit their community.

Currently, there is a drive for new toys to give  to children who are at the Shriners Hospital.  This hospital provides free medical coverage for those they see and this group provides a tremendous service to those who  have severe medical conditions.

For every new toy brough in for this project, the student will receive a ticket for a raffle drawing to be held on April 8, 2013.  Feel free to participate and do not feel obligated.  As some of you know, when I was hit by the truck while on my bicycle, I spent 11 days at UC Davis.  Although separate organizations, they both provide a great service to our community as I have experienced.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post.

Bruce Fritzsche

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Dear Parents,

The PTA provides a tremendous link for our students here at Castello Elementary.  Without them, there would not only be less funds available for our classes, there would be less organization for all of the help parents provide in the way of volunteering.

Please think about offering your skills as a team member with the PTA here at your school.  The most immediate need is to fill the positions on the board so I have included a document for you to look over and decide if you can give of your time.

Thanks for taking a look.

Sincerely,

Mr. Fritzsche

2013-14 HCC PTA Nomi#67A2B6

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Dear Parents, 

We are beginning a new school-wide fundraiser and the forms are coming home today.  The PTA is doing a See’s Candy fundraiser, just in time for Easter.  The sale begins today and goes until March 6^th. Items ordered, will be delivered on March 22^nd.  Third grade teachers would like to help boost sales, so we are providing an incentive program for our students.

 For every item sold, the student gets a cougar coupon.

 For $30 dollars sold, the student gets a homework pass (and cougar coupons for every item sold)

 For the highest seller in each class, the teacher will buy you lunch and we will have lunch together (lunch item to be determined once sales are final).  (Plus a homework pass if $30 is sold and cougar coupons for every item sold)

 If you have any questions, please contact me.

 Sincerely,

 Bruce Fritzsche

Castello Elementary

(916) 686-1725 ext. 181

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Remind101

Dear Parents/Guardians,

This  program allows me to notify the parents of events in the classroom and in school.  I send one message out and it will notify either your email or text or both important event at the school.   An example would be to send out a message notifiying you of a test your student has coming up allowing you ample time to help them study and be prepared for the test.

Please take a moment to look at the PDF attached and sign up.  All you do is either send a text message or send an email and you are added to my list of people automatically notified each time I send a message.

Thank you,

Bruce Fritzsche

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Dear Parents/Guardians,

I have signed each student up with an account for Xtramath.org.  This program allows your student to work on their basic math skills and prepare them for the math lessons ahead.

I will give each student their code on Wednesday of this week so they can begin right away.  Please take some time and let me know how this works for you and your student.

https://www.xtramath.org/

Sincerely,

Bruce Fritzsche

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