Ruby Young Elementary

Where Students Are Achievers

What's Happening

During the DeSoto shelter-in-place order, RYE continues to provide online instruction and learning for our families. You can find the latest information about the district "Anytime, Anywhere Learning" plans and processes at the district website

5th Grade Families: Please watch for class announcements regarding "distance graduation." Prepare for promotion to middle school by choosing your elective classes for next year. Students who do not complete this step will be placed in electives based on seat availability.
6th Grade Elective Class Links
West and McCowan have provided transition presentations, below. We will add East when it is completed.
Preparing for 6th Grade at WMS
Preparing for 6th Grade at MMS

Need to speak with a teacher to get some face-to-face assistance in real time? DeSoto ISD has created academic helplines for all core content areas in each grade level. On these helplines you will find a certified teacher who currently teaches your child's grade level/content area in the district (although it may not be a teacher at your child's home campus). Helplines are open continuously from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Intermittent coverage is also available from 4:00-8:00 p.m. on these days. Open the Academic Helplines page for additional information.

The RYES Distance Learning Handbook will provide you with important information about continued instruction during social distancing, such as accessing your child's online classroom, and contacting teachers.

Each week, teachers will post a "Student Checklist" of the knowledge and skills students should work on, with a set of tasks to complete, by the end of the week (Sunday at 10:00 p.m.) These checklists provide parents and children with the flexibility to complete their learning around the other daily responsibilities of work and family. To access your student checklists, please click this link: 2020 RYE Student Checklists for Anytime, Anywhere Learning

We want to hear how "Anytime, Anywhere Learning" is working for you, and your family, so we can continue improving the process to make it easier and more accessible for all. Please submit your feedback at the DeSoto ISD Distance Learning Family Survey

If you are new to our school community and need to enroll, please email our registrar, Miss Ruiz, who can further assist.

RYE NEWS

Greetings Platinum Families!
Updates for June 1, 2020:

Greetings, Platinum Families!

We hope you are enjoying a slower pace of life, as we kick off the summer, and have fun fun activities or vacations planned, depending on re-opening status, and your personal health. We want you to enjoy this time away from the rigor of the last two months, but certainly encourage you to continue learning, discovery, and exploration in the coming months. I see some of you continuing to submit assignments in your Google Classroom, which is wonderful. We also hope you continue spending time in iStation, IXL, STEMScopes, etc. each week. Below, please find some resources to guide you through summer reading, and information about food distribution at DHS tomorrow, as we know many families have nutrition needs, especially during the summer months.

K-2 Summer Reading Project PDF
3-5 Summer Reading Project.pdf
North Texas Food Bank DHS.png

Updates for May 27, 2020:

Greetings Platinum Families!

As we close out the school year, we know that our end-of-year grade reporting looks a bit different than usual, which has caused some understandable questions and concerns. While there are still many gray areas, we do want to communicate the following guidelines, which are clear:

1. All RYE students are being promoted to the next grade level.

2. Final report cards, viewable through your Parent Portal this Thursday, will indicate "P" or "I." An "I" does not equate to a failing grade. For students in grades 3-5, it indicates that a CPA, or other sufficient evidence of academic work, was "Incomplete," or not submitted, for the subject (math, reading, science, or social studies). For grades K-2, it indicates that the student did not show grade-level progress during grading periods 1-4, when we were meeting in school for daily instruction, and that no work was submitted electronically, or completed on paper and turned in by email or in person. This "I" recommends "Intervention" will be needed through the summer and beginning of next school year in order to ensure the child's academic success when they promote to the next grade level. An "I" for PE, art, or music means a student did not submit any work online during school closure, and has no negative impact on a student's academic record.

3. Summer learning opportunities will be available online. Students with an "I" for core content areas (math, reading, science, or social studies) will be encouraged to participate. All families are welcome to continue these activities, to prevent "summer loss" and prepare for a strong start to 2020-21. Additionally, all digital platforms (iStation, IXL, Pearson, STEMScopes, etc.) will remain available through the summer, and we encourage families to pursue various learning activities through these programs.

As always, please reach out with further questions. Thank you again for all your support and persistence over these last 10 weeks.

Final Student Checklist
As we close out our 2019-20 school year online, please make sure the following items are checked off your list by this Thursday, May 28:

1. K-2 students have submitted work online to show their academic progress in reading and math. 3-5 students have completed their CPAs for math, science, and reading/social studies (3 total). NO-TECH: If you completed paper/packet assignments, and you did not bring them to campus last week, you can still take pictures of the completed pages, and email them to your child's teacher(s).

2. Please complete the online end-of-year assessments in iStation for both reading and math, if you have not yet done so (if you logged onto iStation at all in May, you have likely already done this).

3. Please check with the enrichment team (music, art, and PE) to make sure you have met any end-of-year expectations for those classes. If you never joined these Google classes, information is linked in the RYES Distance Learning Handbook, at the top of the webpage.

 

Retirement Celebration

Please join us this Friday, May 29, to honor our 2019-20 retiring teachers: Mrs. Bell, Mrs. Ledbetter, Mr. Sohn, Mrs. Wallace, and Mr. Ware. You are encouraged to decorate you vehicles, and children are welcome to prepare handmade notes, or bring gifts to thank these faculty members for their contributions to our school community. Details are posted on ClassDojo.
 

Final Report Cards

For health reasons, all final report cards will be electronic this year. Thursday, May 28, you may view final grades in your Parent Portal. Children receiving P indicate they will be promoting to the next grade. I indicates an "Incomplete," meaning that additional requirements may need to be met for grade promotion, such as summer school, or completing an entry assessment upon returning to school at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year.

 

Summer Assistance and Recommendations

 All iStation logins will remain active through the summer. We encourage you to help your children find at least 30 minutes each week for reading, and 30 minutes each week for math, to continue learning and preparing to enter the next grade level strong. Summer reading plans will be emailed out, and posted, shortly after we close the 2019-20 academic year. If you have been receiving student grab-and-go meals, and need assistance with nutrition through the summer, please visit hhs.texas.gov/PEBT

Let's finish strong!!! Thanks for all your hard work in this most unusual end to a school year.

Updates for May 22, 2020:

Greetings Platinum Families!

It’s finally here! Can you believe it? You, and your scholars, have [almost] survived this very bizarre end to the 2019-20 school year. All work is due today, May 22, in order to allow our teachers adequate time to finish scoring and entering grades to close out your children’s final academic report card, which will be sent electronically.

Grades K-2 will be assessed on the Student Checklist assignments they've completed each week. Grades 3-5 student progress will be evaluated on Student Checklist assignments, as well as three Culminating Performance Assessments (CPAs): 1 math, 1 science, and 1 combined ELAR/social studies. Please email your child's teacher(s) with questions about this work. All email addresses can be found in the RYES Distance Learning Handbook, linked at the top of this webpage.

If you received a paper-based packet, and/or need to submit any non-tech assignments for grading, please bring them to RYE today, May 22. Office staff will be available to receive student work from 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., and from 4:00-6:00 p.m.. If you have questions about on-tech assignments, please email your scholar's teacher(s), or if you are unable to deliver paper-based assignments to the campus, email janel.morris@desotoisd.org

If your child has not completed the end-of-year math and reading assessments in iStation, we kindly request that, between now and May 28, you help your student get these items done, as they will provide us with very valuable information that will enable us to make the best decisions about how to support their learning at the beginning of the 2020-21 school year. Each assessment will take 30-45 minutes to complete, and we suggest a “brain break” between the two subjects, preferably taken on different days. If you have questions about iStation assessments, please email your child’s teacher(s), or nicole.king@desotoisd.org for assistance.

We may not be on campus, but we are still observing the time-honored RYE tradition of Field Day! Coach Mims has provided excellent activities you can do at home, and upload pictures or videos so that we can celebrate physical education and healthy movement, while observing social distance protocols. We can’t wait to see how much fun you have together!

Thank you SO MUCH for hanging in there with us, putting on your teacher hats, and collaborating to ensure that your children continue to grow in their knowledge, skills, and confidence during this time. We do plan to continue providing you with opportunities to continue this progress throughout the summer.

Updates for May 14, 2020:

As you know, our 2019-20 school year is quickly winding down, and ending very differently than any of us expected. Please see the following announcements, and remember that all work must be submitted by May 22. Assignments not completed by that date will NOT be entered as zeroes—they simply will not be factored into your child’s final grade. Our goals at this time are 1) preservation of life, and 2) help prepare your child for a successful start in the next grade level when we enter the 2020-21 school year. We are not penalizing students for challenges related to technology access, personal family matters, independent learning, etc.

Final Assignments and Closing Out 2019-20 Strong

Information about student checklists, academic helplines, and CPAs (cumulative performance assessments for grades 3-5, in place of STAAR) can be located at https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11iqQuDy9CirlD7lwGb-DY5eU-R4n2Ij-?usp=sharing

District grading guidelines information can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kVciAwVjFD2ZuH41KW6YBIDLgw1D3FS3tz2Z99HRbAk/edit

Videos explaining the CPA process for grades 3-5 can be found here (scroll down to the last item): https://sites.google.com/desotoisd.org/desotoisd-aal/how-will-students-be-assessed-what-about-grades#h.etjy514lykz7

Final RYE Platinum Family Meeting TODAY

Please join us at 4:30 p.m. this afternoon for our closing 2019-20 parent Zoom. The link was sent out via SchoolMessenger, and posted in ClassDojo.

If you missed the previous meeting, you can access the recording here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BmpG0sEFeM3VtlI5zoljda3QHMJU3pLF?usp=sharing

 

Yearbook

We are anticipating yearbooks will be delivered to RYE at the end of May. We will provide more information about pick-up dates and times as soon as possible.

5^th Grade Preparing for Transition to MS

In 6^th grade, you have a choice for electives! Please click the link below to access registration, or open the attachment below. Anyone who does not request classes will be placed in electives with available seats. In this folder, you can also find presentations from MMS and WMS about preparing for a smooth entry to middle school (EMS presentation will be added when it becomes available): https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Teg0247s4tNtxcijloVIfvy3HovZTEyW/view?usp=sharing

Middle School Elective Choices 

MMS 

WMS 

Kindergarten Graduation

Thursday, May 21, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. on Zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82505472496?pwd=VnpBN0dkZFZ6bDArWXIxUXFFOGpndz09

Meeting ID: 825 0547 2496

Password: 4dqDbm

A drive-by parade to honor all RYE kindergarten and 5^th grade graduates will be held at 3:30 p.m. on May 21, through the RYE pickup lane, weather permitting. Please attend, if you are able, so our teachers can send you onto your next great chapter in style!

Student Item Retrieval

1^st, 4^th, and Applied Academics pick up today! 2^nd and 5^th grade families pick up tomorrow! If you still need to sign up for a spot, please do so here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70a0e49a5ab29a0f58-ryestudent

Remember to stay in your vehicles. You may also return any library books you checked out before Spring Break. Please reach out to your child's homeroom teacher with any questions.

Technology Returns

In order to support continued academic growth, DeSoto ISD is allowing all students to keep any district devices they checked out for the 2020 summer. We hope to provide parents and children with online resources to keep practicing your reading, math, and social-emotional learning together as a family during the upcoming months. If you know that your child will not be returning to the district this fall, please communicate with your teacher, or email janel.morris@desotoisd.org, so we can make arrangements for devices to be returned as part of your withdrawal process.

Update for May 7, 2020:

Participation Requested on Code of Conduct Survey

DeSoto ISD is working to develop a Code of Conduct that is fair and equitable and one which is reflective of opportunities for social and emotional development and restorative justice with a goal of helping students develop the skills and tools to manage emotions and resolve conflict. As we aim to develop a guide that outlines our expectations for students while in our school community, we also want to ensure we have measures and guidelines that communicate both expectations and consequences. Please submit your responses, via the links below, by Tuesday, May 12.

Student Survey 

Parent/Teacher Survey 

National Teacher Appreciation Week and Day of Play

During this week, which observes Teacher Appreciation Week, this district will host a number of activities designed to honor and recognize our valued teachers.

As aligned with this effort, teachers will participate in a virtual field day which permits teachers to step away from phones and other electronic devices to engage in a day of play.

We encourage our families and students to join us in engaging in a day of play on Friday, May 8, 2020.

Health experts encourage time outdoors and physical activity to maintain and enhance physical and emotional health and wellness.

It is important to note that teachers may not be available to assist or respond to questions related to instructional help on this day; however, all questions or inquiries will be addressed in the order received by teachers on Monday, May 11, 2020.

For questions or assistance, please direct an email to janel.morris@desotoisd.org

Update for May 6, 2020: 

We know some of you have been wondering how you are going to retrieve your child’s backpack, lunch box, jacket, etc. that he/she left in their class on the day before Spring Break and you thought, “Oh well, I guess we can survive without it for a week.” …ha ha.

The district has granted permission for student retrieval of items, next week (May 11-15) ONLY. Due to health concerns, we are not able to let anyone other than staff members in the building, and must comply with social distancing directives. For these reasons, we will be conducting a staggered, drive-thru pick-up on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday of next week. Please click on this link if you need to retrieve any of your child’s personal belongings.

A few items of note:

• Each teacher has a 1-hour block of time, on one specific day, ONLY. We do realize this may create an inconvenience for some of our families, and we appreciate your understanding of our limitations during this unprecedented era. Our hope is that we are providing you with enough notice that you can make arrangements with your work, or enlist a family member’s assistance, to be available at your child’s school item pickup time.

• Grades 3-5, please be sure to sign up for your homeroom teacher’s slot ONLY.

• Applied Academics has one time slot only, regardless of your child’s grade level.

• On your day and time, please remain in your car. When you turn off Young Blvd. into the school car lane, please stop at the first door  if your child is in K, 1st, 4th, or 5^th (this is our normal 1st grade after-school car rider door, closest to the K/1 playground). Please stop at the second door if your child is in Applied Academics, 2nd, or 3rd grade (our normal kindergarten after-school car rider door, just before the car lane curves). I believe these doors have yellow stickers indicating Door #15 and 16, respectively. Homeroom teachers will bring your child's items out to your car.
•  
• Please note that community supplies (pencils, notebook paper, etc.) that have been opened will not be returned, for health reasons.

Email your child’s homeroom teacher with specific questions, or janel.morris@desotoisd.org if you have general questions. Thank you!

Update for May 4, 2020:

Here are the announcements for 5/4/2020-5/8/2020:

Happy National Physics Day, and May the Fourth be with you. Some may try to tell you that it is National Star Wars Day, but in the Morris house, we know that force is a very real, and far more important element of our daily lives, than galactic battles on fictional planets. 😊 I encourage you to think of the ways force is present in your lives today—especially my 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th grade scientists. Remember that force is any push or pull, including gravity, which pulls you down to the Earth, and keeps you from flying off into space and your own Star Wars adventure. Try to think of at least five times today that you a force acted on you, and post your list on the Class Stream in Mr. Sohn’s online STEM Lab.

Please log into IStation for your month math and reading ISIP assessments this week. This will be our final progress monitor for the year, and it is very important we have this data, so that our students’ teachers for the next grade level can begin to prepare the best lessons for them. Be sure to set aside about 30 minutes for each assessment, and we recommend doing them on separate days, for a little brain rest in between. We hope this information will help you see how much your child has grown academically this year, as we have been conducting these assessments once a month since August. Whether your child has grown 1 point or 20, we strongly encourage you to CELEBRATE their accomplishments, and let them know how they are more prepared to enter the next grade level now than they were nine months ago.

We’ve added a new webpage that features our online learning resources. Feel free to bookmark https://sites.google.com/desotoisd.org/rye-aal or connect to it from the main district AAL page.

We know that these past 8 weeks (yes, it has been that long) have been a challenge for our families, not just academically, but social and emotionally as well. The DeSoto ISD student services department is releasing a weekly video to help you manage the stress in your life, and regulate your emotions. You can also find these videos in Coach Mims’ PE Google Classroom.

Mindfulness 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4uwYVRELgY&feature=emb_logo

Mindfulness of Breath

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=AShOWGA1XJs&feature=emb_logo

Teacher Appreciation Week

May 4-8 is National Teacher Appreciation Week! We know it looks a bit different, but we’ve provided some suggestions for great ways to celebrate and mark the occasion that are social distance approved, so we encourage you to join us in thanking our teachers. We also want to thank you for partnering with us to co-teach these final ten weeks of school for your children—give yourself a break or reward this week as well!

Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns. We love talking with you!

Update for April 28, 2020:

Distance Learning Resources

We know you are over inundated with emails, Google Classroom posts, ClassDojo announcements, etc. and recognize the need to have the items you need most frequently housed in one location. You will find those essential resources at permanently housed at the very top of this page, in the “What’s Happening” section.

RYE Platinum Family Gathering

This Thursday, we will hold our third Zoom for all RYE parents, at 4:30 p.m. Please check your email or ClassDojo for login credentials.

Meal Distribution

• Breakfast and lunch can be picked up at RYE on Mondays and Thursdays, between 9:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. Families will receive meals for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday during Monday distribution, and meals for Thursday and Friday during Thursday distribution.
• Families can also register for evening meals for children under 18, by emailing sweetstartchildcare@gmail.com or calling 469-747-3073. Parents will need to provide their children’s names and birthdates, and pick up the meals, Monday-Friday, between 5:00 and 6:30 p.m., at the Community MBC (115 W. Beltline Rd.)
• The MINT Foundation, at 201 Executive Way, is providing “Grab & Go” meals, every Friday, from 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m., for children and adults, while supplies last.

Pre-K Registration

Please note that the 2020-2021 Pre-K Round Up Registration is open and now fully online at www.DeSotoISD.org/PreKEnrollment

For questions or additional info, direct an email to PrekRoundUp2020@DeSotoISD.org or text - Prek to 972-687-7735.

Community Announcements

Please remember to complete your household 2020 census registration at www.census.gov

City of DeSoto Waste Management requests that you:
1) bag and seal all trash,
2) hold all bulk items until social distancing restrictions are lifted, and
3) bundle yard waste (such as tree limbs) in groups no larger than 10 items.

Spanish Resources (Consejos para las familias de aprendices de ingles)

Parents of English Learners can find resources for helping your child with distance learning assignments from Region 10 and TEA. Please open the attached flyer for more information: Tips for Families with English Learners- Explanation Posting Directions

Academic Helplines

Beginning this week, we are responding to the feedback we received from many families, requesting increased availability of teachers to provide instructional assistance in “real time.” A certified teacher who currently instructs your child’s grade level/content area will be available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday each week, from 8:00-4:00 p.m. Additionally, there will be some assistance available from 4:00-8:00 p.m. on these days as well. To access the correct helpline, open the attached “Academic Helplines for Students” page, and click the appropriate link.

Student Checklists and Cumulative Performance Assessments

We appreciate your patience and persistence as we have learned together through this “new normal” of conducting school from a distance. We know there has been a LOT of material sent out, in an effort to provide detailed communication, which often leads to confusion and an overabundance of information that is difficult to sort through. In an effort to simplify all that you have received since March 16, we want to be very clear that students have the following expectations for the 5^th and 6^th six weeks of the 2019-20 school year:

1. Student Checklists—these should be posted in the Google Classroom Stream each Monday morning by 8:00 a.m., and all grade levels/content areas can be found in one location at the 2020 RYE Student Checklists for Anytime, Anywhere Learning link above in the "What's Happening section. The checklist contains all assignments for the week, and families can complete these tasks at their own pace, to submit by Sunday at 10:00 p.m.

    

2. Culminating Performance Assessment (CPA)—in lieu of STAAR, students in grades 3-5 will demonstrate their content mastery in an alternate assessment format. This may involve a research paper, creative performance such as a song or skit, constructing a model, etc. Students will complete these for core contents (math, reading, science, social studies) as well as enrichment courses (art, music, PE, A2E2). You can learn more about the CPA by contacting your teacher directly, or visiting the DeSoto AAL Site 

We hope this information is helpful as you partner with us in educating your child through online learning. As always, please email if you have questions or concerns.

Online library services are available at this link:

https://www.smore.com/drp8y

There are many read-aloud book recordings, which may be helpful to parents who are still working away from home during the day, but have a K-2 student at home who needs a reading partner.

Teachers are delivering "work for the week" via Google Classroom, so don't stress trying to finish everything today. All assignments are due by Sunday at 10:00 p.m. Please pace yourselves. :) If you complete everything early, we encourage you to log additional time in one of the following ways:
1) Additional IStation minutes
2) More IXL skills practice
3) Reading for more than 20 minutes a day--be sure to journal about what you read, and share what you are learning with your teachers in your Google classrooms!

If you need assistance with enrollments or withdrawals, please email julia.ruiz@desotoisd.org

For those with technology and Internet access:

• Please use the information attached to assist with logging into the various platforms your teachers may be using to complete distance learning assignments.

 

Elementary_Technology Resources Info Graphic.pdf

• The 2019-20 Campus Improvement Plan is available here: 2019-20 RYE CIP

        

Find out about our Library      e-Books HERE

http://www.desotoisd.org/about_de_soto_i_s_d/for_parents

• Enrollment information can be found at the link above. Please email julia.ruiz@desotoisd.org if you need help with enrollment or withdrawals.

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