Happy Fall, View Ridge Families!

It’s a wonderful time of year, filled with change, excitement, and learning! We are excited to share that we already have 477 students at View Ridge this year. Our staff have been hard at work teaching and reinforcing our SPARK learning expectations: Safe, Positive, Always Have Grit, Responsible, and Kind. Students are reminded of these expectations each and every day and can earn SPARK slips when they demonstrate what it means to be an Otter who SPARKs!

Today, we celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month during our monthly school assembly. It was especially meaningful for me to share my own story with our students and talk about how Cultural Arts were an important part of my upbringing. I love having opportunities to share our diverse stories and celebrate the many cultures and experiences that make our school community so special.

Later this month, we will celebrate Trick or Treat Street! As we did last year, we will also honor Día de los Muertos as part of this event. Everyone is encouraged to participate in this beautiful cultural tradition. We will create our school ofrenda in the library, where students can honor relatives and loved ones who were important in their lives. Families are welcome to send in a photo to include on the ofrenda. Any photos will be returned to families; please be sure to write your student’s name on the back. This is a celebratory experience, and we hope your family will consider participating!

As mentioned at yesterday’s School Board meeting, October has been proclaimed Disability Awareness Month. This is a particularly meaningful recognition for our View Ridge community, where approximately one-third of our students receive special education services. We work hard to create an inclusive environment where every student is valued, supported, and celebrated for who they are. We are proud of our commitment to all means all and to creating a school where every child belongs.

This month’s family bulletin also includes our grade-level instructional goals, aligned with our district’s essential standards. Each month, you’ll see these updates so you have a clearer picture of what your child is learning and working toward at school.

In addition, teachers will be reaching out this month to schedule parent-teacher conferences on November 5 and 6. Our goal is 100% family participation because your partnership and involvement make a meaningful difference in your child’s learning and success!

As always, thank you for sharing your wonderful children with us each day. We are grateful for your partnership, your trust, and the many ways you contribute to our View Ridge community.

With gratitude,

Principal Mendoza

As the weather starts to change please make sure your students are coming to school with appropriate clothing for that days weather. Our goal is to let kids get fresh air as much as possible so they will be going outside for recess unless it is freezing or pouring. 

Skyward was updated over the summer! The new version—SkywardQ—is more user-friendly and intuitive. Your login credentials remain the exact same.

Need a login or assistance? Please contact your child’s school office. For details and guides, visit bremertonschools.org/skywardq.

View/download the 26-27 academic calendar here. 

October 12th- Indigenous People Day- No school

October 27th- Picture Retakes

October 28th- Costume dress up day and Trick or Treat Street- 5-6:30

October 30th- Grading day- No School

November 5&6th- Parent/Student Conferences- No School

11/21- Fall Dance Showcase - 1st/4th @ BHS 5:00

12/9 - 5th Grade Musical - 6:00 @ BHS

1/26 - 2nd Grade Musical - 6:00 @ BHS

2/24 - 4th Grade Musical - 6:00 @ BHS

2/27 - Winter Dance Showcase - 3rd and Kinder - 5:00 @ BHS

3/24 - Bremerton Voices Choir Concert - 6:00 @ BHS

4/13-14 - Disney (+ K2 on 4/14) - 6:00 @ BHS

5/12 - 3rd Grade Musical - 6:00 @ BHS

5/27 - 1st Grade Musical - 2:45 @ VREAA

6/5 - Spring Dance Showcase -5:00 @ VREAA

6/10 - Kinder Musical - 2:45 @VREAA

View Ridge Elementary Arts Academy

Right At School (on-site at View Ridge Elementary)

Emmanuel Lutheran Childcare Center (*Route P) *Transportation has to be approved by transportation

Bremerton Boys & Girls Club (next door / after school only) - students are walked to the club (next door) by staff

Bremerton Voices is the Bremerton School District's Children choir for grades 3-5. Rehearsal is Tuesday and Thursdays from 8:55-9:15 am. This will begin October 6th. It will be located in the View Ridge Music Room. Students will still get breakfast after each rehearsal. Concert details are below as well.

Jennifer Crane- jennifer.crane@bremertonschools.org

Dottie Armistead- dorothy.armistead@bremertonschools.org

Julie Morse- julie.morse@bremertonschools.org

Dottie Schnyder- dorothy.schnyder@bremertonschools.org

Anita Cryder-anita.cryder@bremertonschools.org

Melissa McCourt-melissa.mccourt@bremertonschools.org

Philip Thompson@bremertonschools.org

Finishing up review of short vowels

Starting to read and write words with digraphs th, ch, and ck.

During and after reading we are working on main idea, details, character and setting in a story. 

We are still working on neat handwriting and forming all capital and lowercase letters correctly.

Writing a complete sentence with correct capitalization and punctuation 

Math:

Adding and subtracting within 10

Greater than, less than <. > =

SEL focus-”Be Responsible”

Tina Bowers- tina.bowers@bremertonschools.org

Lynda Shipley- lynda.shipley@bremertonschools.org

Melinda Villines- melinda.villines@bremertonschools.org

Ben Dixon- bendixon@bremertonschools.org

Shannon Gooding-

shannon.gooding@bremertonschools.org

Heidi Estano

heidi.estano@bremertonschools.org

Understand multiplication and division concepts 

Properties and strategies (commutative, associative)

Fluency for x and ÷ within 100

Foundational skills between addition and subtraction

Math Vocabulary words-Equal groups, Multiply, divide, array, equation, factor, product, quotient, place value, digit, rounding

Checking number sense from prior year to support students’ learning this year.

Ask & answer questions about a text

Decode multisyllabic words (RGR)

Sentence structure, nouns, verbs, adjectives

Capitalization and punctuation review

Writing Focus:

With guidance and support from adults produce writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task and purpose. Starting opinion writing will be a key focus through October. Growing penmanship skills to be able to clearly read ones’ writing. 

Amy Spencer- amy.spencer@bremertonschools.org

Sophie Sargent- sophie.sargent@bremertonschools.org

Meredith Vincent- toni.vincent@bremertonschools.org

We finished our first unit of math this week on place value and comparing numbers. We will re-configure Walk to Math groups and start the second unit, which will focus on multi-digit addition and subtraction. In Reading, we are writing narratives and citing text evidence in our reading. And we’re having a blast in our dance lessons - make sure to mark your calendars for our Dance Showcase on Saturday, November 21st! 

Katie Sprague- kathryn.sprague@bremertonschools.org

Michelle Baumgarten- michelle.baumgarten@bremertonschools.org

Meredith Vincent-

toni.vincent@bremertonschools.org

Our musical, “Star Power” is on December 9th at 6:00 at Bremerton High School.  The kids are working hard to learn their choreography and blocking as we study the script and put it together.

*ELA - We are working on writing narratives, identifying character traits, and analyzing complex texts.  In our reading groups we are focusing on vocabulary and comprehension skills.

*Math - We are working 3 digit by 3 digit multiplication as well as division of large numbers as well as multiplying and dividing by multiples of 10.  

*Science - We have been studying our planet Earth through the rock cycle, erosion, the water cycle, and the solar system.  

Kindergarten

First Grade

Second Grade

Third Grade

Fourth Grade

Fifth Grade

K-5 Health Focus: Hygiene & Disease Prevention

We will discuss personal hygiene (continuation of healthy habits) and ways to prevent the spread of germs and illness - handwashing, covering coughs and sneezes, and making healthy food choices to support the immune system. 

K-5 PE Focus: Throwing & Fitness Testing

Students will participate in activities throwing various implements at targets. 3rd - 5th grade students will begin fitness testing (running, push ups, sit ups, and sit & reach).