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Coquille Valley Elementary

Home of the
EAGLES

Principal
Armando ruiz:

Armando Ruiz Principal

Kaili Chavez  Secretary
Holli Henthorn Secretary

Emma Avina 2nd Grade Teacher
Tammy Clements 2nd Grade Teacher
Angela L Dixon 2nd Grade Teacher
Amanda Nichols 3rd Grade Teacher
Amber Cannon 3rd Grade Teacher
Elizabeth E Cook 3rd Grade Teacher
Airika Cagley 4th Grade Teacher
Casey D Peterson 4th Grade Teacher
Alisha R Wells 4th Grade Teacher
Jennifer S Johnson 5th Grade Teacher
Joseph JD Nichols 5th Grade Teacher
Lisa R Palmer 5th Grade Teacher
Keith Meier 6th Grade Teacher
Kimberly R Pugmire 6th Grade Teacher
Breanna J Byers 6th Grade Teacher
Gary L Connors-Nelson PE Teacher
Danielle T Ekelund Reading Interventionist
Neil Ekelund Math Interventionist
Greer Lally Special Education Teacher
Jennifer Raimondo Resource/Special Education
Michele L Crook Title 1 Teacher
Emma Rostykus Music Teacher

Head Cook – Eva Sampson
Second Cook – Julie Nichols
Cooks Helper – Amanda Freeman

Sonia Amlin Counselor
Brandi Edwards Nurse

1115 N Baxter St., Coquille, OR 97423
P. (541) 396-2914
F. (541) 396-4543

Dear Parents and Guardians,

We are welcoming back 100% of our staff for the upcoming 23-24 school year and we have also added two new teachers! Mrs. Avina will teach second grade and Mr. Ekelund will be our math intervention teacher. In addition, Mr. Dixon will be our Dean of Students and Ms. Amlin will be our full-time counselor. We are eager to get the school year underway and to work with your student!

I believe that every student can thrive, learn, and be successful at CVE. Our staff is committed to providing all students with an appropriate and challenging educational experience in a respectful environment that fosters learning, growth, and student achievement. It is a top priority for us to ensure that all students feel safe and welcome, and that their social emotional needs are being met.

At CVE we strive to build positive relationships with students and families. We encourage you to be actively involved in your child’s education by staying informed on classroom happenings and getting to know your child’s teacher. We know you are your child’s best teacher, and we appreciate your support!

Please do not hesitate to contact me at (541) 396-2914 or aruiz@coquille.k12.or.us if you have any questions or would like to schedule a time to meet.

Sincerely,
Armando Ruiz
CVE Principal

Second Grade

Hello and Welcome to 2nd grade!

This is my fourth year teaching 2nd grade! I am so excited to work with you and your child.

I have worked for the district for 19 years. Mr. Dixon and I have raised three children in our amazing school district. Some of my favorite things to do are: spending time with my family, camping, paddle boarding, and hiking!

CVE is an exciting place to be. I can’t wait to have a wonderful year working hard together to learn, create, and have fun. Your child’s success is very important to me.

Classroom Management
We use stamp cards in our room, to help stay on task while following the classroom and school rules, at the end of the week students can redeem the stamps for prizes.

We also use eagle wings as a reward. Students build up their wings they’ve earned and put them into a drawing for our “Eagle Assemblies” to win prizes. Using these tools helps us to remember to be safe, respectful, and responsible.

Communication
It is key to communicate and I look forward to chatting with you regularly, this helps us become a team in making your child’s year be successful.

Email address: adixon@coquille.k12.or.us
Phone number: 541-396-2914
Class Dojo – messaging system (if you are not connected and would like to be, please let me know) This is a great way to communicate with me.

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I believe open communication with students and families is a crucial element in a positive learning environment.

Sincerely, Mrs. Dixon

Welcome to 2nd grade!

My name is Mrs. Clements, and this is my first year teaching. I am really excited to be a part of your child’s learning this year!
I have worked in the Coquille School District for 15 years and all of my children have gone to Coquille schools. I enjoy spending time with my family, camping, riding horses, and being outdoors.

Classroom Management

This year I will be using ClassDojo to help students stay on task and follow the classroom rules. At the end of each week students will redeem their points for prizes.

We will also be using “Eagle Wings” as a reward. Students save their Eagle Wings and will have the opportunity to redeem them for prizes as well.

Communication

Communication is an important part of your child’s education. I will be sending home information throughout the year with your child as well as posting on ClassDojo. Please let me know if you are not yet connected and would like to be.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Mrs. Clements
tclements@coquille.k12.or.us
(541) 396- 2914

Third Grade

Welcometo3rd grade!

Welcome to 3rd grade! My name is Mrs. Nichols, and I am excited to work with you and your child this year!

Communication:
This year we will be using ClassDojo as one of our main forms of communication. I will collect phone numbers or e-mail addresses the first week back. After I have gotten your email or number you will get an e-mail or text message with directions on how to connect to our class. My hope is that this will provide us with an easy and efficient way to communicate.

Routines:
Each day your student will bring home a Take Home Folder. This folder will have any important papers. Please make sure that this folder stays in their backpacks and doesn’t get misplaced at home.

I highly recommend students bringing their own water bottles to school this year. The drinking fountain is open for students to use for those that do not bring a water bottle.

Distance Learners:
If needed, distance learning will be conducted through Google Meet. There will be more information on this if this becomes necessary. As for now, all instruction will be in person in the classroom.

This year is sure to bring its own obstacles as we progress through the year, and I will be sure to communicate with all of you as we meet them.

If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me!

Mrs. Nichols
anichols@coquille.k12.or.us
anichols@csd8.info

Welcome to 3rd grade! (Click here to visit my Google site)

My name is Mrs. Cannon, and I am excited to work with you and your child this year! I have been with the school district now starting my second year and will be my fourth year of teaching. I am thrilled to be working with you and your child this year!

Communication: This year we will be using ClassDojo as one of our main forms of communication. I will collect phone numbers or email addresses the first week back. After I have gotten your email or number you will get an email or text message with directions on how to connect to our class. My hope is that this will provide us with an easy and efficient way to communicate.

Another addition to communication that our class has this year is a class website. The class website will have links to our Google Meet ( if required), links to the educational websites, and resources for parents. (Click here to visit my Google site)

Routines: As you all know this year is not going to be the same as previous years, and one of those areas that is different is school supplies.

This year your students will have a seat sack where they will store their school supplies.

In their backpacks they will have three folders: one will contain completed work and important paperwork for parents, the other two will have the students’ math and reading materials that they will need for the next week at school. It is important that these materials don’t get left at home, and please do not work on them from home! There will be homework introduced after the second week of school but highly recommend at least 20 minutes nightly reading.

Another area that this year is different is that the students will be eating each meal in the cafeteria. They can still bring lunch from home, and the lunch box will go to and from school each day. It is best practice to sanitize the box when it arrives home. I highly encourage you to send a water bottle with your student. If you cannot send one, a bottle will be provided.

Just a reminder, face coverings are required. If your child has a medical issure than a l a face shield is an option l but there has to be a doctor’s note provided!

Chrome books: Chrome books will be sent home everyday with students along with a charger and are expected to be brought back everyday. Please make sure that your child’s chrome book is charged as we will need to use them in the classroom. This will allow us to continue to deliver uninterrupted instructional time if our circumstances change.

This is a new year for parents, students, and teachers. Know that we are in this together and we will be extending our grace to each situation. We will try our best to provide a positive and safe environment for all.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me!

Mrs. Cannon (Click here to visit my Google site)
541-396-2914 ext. 3015
acannon@coquille.k12.or.us
acannon@csd8.info

Welcome to 3rd grade!

My name is Ms. Cook. This will be my fifth year at CVE teaching Third Grade! I am excited to welcome each family into the classroom community, as we learn and grow together.

Communication:
This year we will be using ClassDojo as one of our main forms of communication. I will collect phone numbers or e-mail addresses the first week back. After I have gotten your email or number you will get an email or text message with directions on how to connect to our class. This will provide us with an easy and efficient way to communicate. Dojo can be downloaded as an App on your phone, or accessed online.

Additional ways to connect to our class this year are our class website and Google classroom. The class website and Google classroom will have links to our daily work, resources, and grades. You may also contact me through our school email and telephone.

Routines:
Your child will have access to P.E., music and library this year. Students will also have many opportunities to experience sciences hands-on through our salmon life cycle unit, coding classes, and coming this Fall our S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) lab.

Another change this year will be during our small group reading core. Each classroom will be providing targeted instruction using a Walk to Read model. This will provide students with support at their reading level.

Each student will have a Take Home Folder for assignments that need to be completed at home, papers to be signed, and important updates from the Coquille District Office.

Daily schedule/bussing:
There have been changes to our daily schedule. Supper in the afternoon will no longer be served in the classroom, instead it is optional for students to eat it in the cafeteria. Students who ride the bus will still leave the building at

3:00. Students have the option to be picked up after 2:40 from the cafeteria or outside.

I look forward to meeting you,

Ms. Cook
Class Website: https://sites.google.com/csd8.info/wantland/home
Email: ecook@csd8.info

Fourth Grade

Hello! My name is Alisha Wells. This is my seventh year teaching at Coquille Valley Elementary School. I taught second grade for twelve years and this will be my third year teaching fourth grade.

I’m looking forward to getting to know your child and getting this year started! It is important that we all work together as a team in order to help your child succeed. I would like to have every guardian connected to Class Dojo if possible. Class Dojo is the fastest way for me to get information out to all families. There is also an option to send the teacher a message on Class Dojo. I will check Class Dojo for messages before and after school. If you need to get ahold of me by phone, or during the day please call Coquille Valley Elementary at 541-396-2914.

Math Homework
Starting on Wednesday September 8th each student will start bringing home a math homework page that focuses on the math concept we worked on in class that day. There will be a homework side and a remembering side. The remembering side should have been completed in class the day that the page is brought home. I would like students to bring the paper back the following day completed. One of the scores on our report card is for returning homework responsibly. I will be keeping track of the pages your child returns for this score. I understand that life happens and your child may not be able to get their homework completed some nights to be turned in the next day. Homework that is occasionally turned in late will be given full credit when it is completed.

Dear Fourth Grade Families,

Welcome to fourth grade! I’m Mr. Peterson, your fourth graders teacher this year. This is my four teaching with CVE and I am excited to share this exciting year with you. I grew up in the Salt Lake City area and received my teaching degree from the University of Alaska. My wife and I have two little boys, and a third one coming early 2022.

We are focused on developing a learning community in the classroom. One where everyone feels like they belong. My goal is to have a space where all students are comfortable and able to learn. I also want to make learning as accessible as possible. Students will all have access to a google classroom site as well as a classroom website where 90% of the class materials can be accessed both during school and outside of school hours.

I will be using Classroom Dojo to monitor behavior in the class as well as communicate with home. Please sign up for Dojo if you have not already, so you can receive updates and message me. Open communication between the classroom and home is key to ensuring academic success.

I am at school around 7:30 am and I stay until 4:00 pm daily. If you would like to meet with me, please send an email or message through Dojo. Alternatively I would be happy if you decide to drop in for a quick meeting during the above mentioned times.

Please reach out to me with any questions you may have. Thank you!

Mr. Casey Peterson
cpeterson@coquille.k12.or.us

Google Login:
Username: firstname.lastname@csd8.info (Ex: jane.doe@csd8.info)
PW: cveagles

Our Schedule
7:45-8:15 – Students arrive, go straight to classroom 8:00-8:20 – Breakfast in classroom
8:25-10:00 – Math
10:00-10:15 – Recess/Break
10:15-11:50 – Writing/Science/Social Studies 11:50-12:25 – Reading Part 1
12:25-1:00 – Lunch/ Recess
1:00-2:00 – Reading Part 2
2:00-2:40 – Enrichment
2:40-3:00 – Snack/Recess/Dismissal

Homework
Each week (besides this first week) a Homework and Reading log will come home. It will include information about the math we are covering during the week, as well as the week’s vocabulary words.

Reading: Students are asked to read 20 minutes
Math: Students will be completing homework and remembering math sheets each day. Students have a lot of time in class to complete this, but anything unfinished in class is homework that is due the following day.
Writing: Students should not have any writing homework, if there are special circumstances, I will reach out to you at home to let you know.

Book Club / Book Report
This year students are expected to read one 4th grade level book per month. These will be tracked on our class website as well as in our class room. Students may borrow books from the school library for our book club. All students are expected to read one book per month, however students are allowed and encouraged to read as many books as they wish.

Book club books will then be used for the three book reports through the year. Most of the work for book reports will be done in class.

Fifth Grade

Welcome to 5th grade at CVE! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lisa Palmer and I have been a classroom teacher since 1986. Over the years, I have taught in many different schools, grade levels, and settings—but fifth grade is my favorite! Outside of teaching, I enjoy hiking, traveling, and gardening. Please use the following link to our classroom website to find out more about our class: https://sites.google.com/csd8.info/mrs-palmer/home

Welcome to 5th Grade

Welcome to 5th grade at CVE! I am excited to begin a new school year and hope that you and your family had a wonderful summer vacation! I am excited for our year in 5th grade!

This year you and I will be working together to help our students as learners. I am a strong believer in parent teacher communication as I feel that it positively and directly influences your child’s learning. Our main form of communication this year will be done through Class Dojo and emails. For those of you that have not used Class Dojo before, it is an online classroom management tool that I will be using in the class. Through the app you will be able to communicate with me via messages. In order to connect with our class, go to our class website and click on the class dojo link. Please know that I want to help my students and families feel supported, so feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns throughout the year.

I am excited to be starting this year’s journey with your child! I am looking forward to watching them learn, grow, and have a fantastic time in 5th grade!

Sincerely, Joe Nichols

Contact Information:
(541)-396-2914
joenichols@coquille.k12.or.us

Welcome to 5th grade at CVE! Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Lisa Palmer and I have been a classroom teacher since 1986. Over the years, I have taught in many different schools, grade levels, and settings—but fifth grade is my favorite! Outside of teaching, I enjoy hiking, traveling, and gardening. Please use the following link to our classroom website to find out more about our class: https://sites.google.com/csd8.info/mrs-palmer/home

Sixth Grade

Welcome to 6th Grade Math!

I am very pleased to be teaching 6th Grade Math this year! This will be my seventh year teaching at Coquille School District. I am really excited that I get to work with this group of sixth graders and looking forward to a great year!
Sixth grade math is a stimulating course that builds the foundations for the further study of algebra. This foundations course will cover the following topics: decimals, fractions, area, rational numbers, algebraic expressions, variables, ratios, rates, and statistics.

Attendance is an essential aspect of this course because each day builds on the previous days. Daily participation in group and individual work during class will be crucial for success. It will be easy to fall behind if the students don’t keep up with the material. If a student misses class, it will be their responsibility to catch up. If a student is absent, they should get the notes from a trusted classmate, check the board for missing assignments, and take any missed tests. They can also see me for individual help before school or after school! Listed below is the online access to all of the 6th grade math books.

Website: Corefocusonmath.com
Click on green button in upper right corner (login to online courses)
Student username: Coquille
Password: math123

It is my hope that we can team up together to best support your child. Feel free to contact me at any time by Class Dojo, phone, or email!

Sincerely, Mrs. Pugmire
kpugmire@coquille.k12.or.us
(541) 396-2914

Special Education/Resource

Hello CVE Families!

I am Mrs. Raimondo, and I am the Resource teacher at Coquille Valley Elementary. I work with students who need extra support in school. I am so excited to be part of the CVE team this year!

While this is my first year in Coquille School District, I have 17 years of teaching experience and have taught at all levels, from kindergarten to college freshmen. In my classroom, we focus on skills that help students be successful in their core, content areas.

Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions. I am looking forward to a wonderful year at Coquille Valley Elementary!

My phone number is 541-396-2914 ext. 3004.

My email address is jraimondo@coquille.k12.or.us.

Interventionists

Hello to all CVE Eagles and families!  I’m Mrs. Ekelund and I teach Reading Intervention for 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th grades.  I have the privilege of working with children who need to improve their phonics, fluency and comprehension in reading. 2023-2024 is going to be a great school year!

I graduated from the University of Montana-Missoula and then taught 7th-12th grade PE/Health from 1997-1999 in Victor, MT.  When I moved back to Oregon, I earned my Elementary Endorsement, Reading Endorsement and Master’s degree from Southern Oregon University.  I have taught Reading Intervention since 2005 (and Math Intervention 2015-2022).  I’ve worked with K-6 students at Lincoln, CVS, CVIS and now CVE.  I really enjoy helping children succeed!!!

My husband is Mr. Ekelund, the 2nd – 6th grade Intervention Math teacher at CVE. Together, we have 4 children:  Cayanne, is an RN at Bay Area Hospital. She is married to our son-in-law, Johnny Rowe. Rhiannon graduated from U of O in Dec. ‘22. She lives in Springfield and plans to go into Nursing. Cort also lives in Springfield and works for Dutch Bros.  Ellie Ekelund is a Junior at OSU. I enjoy hanging out with my husband, baking, gardening, playing with my dog, Rogue, reading and spending time with family.

Tips for Success

Enjoy your time as an EAGLE!

Keep a positive attitude!

Good manners are welcome and appreciated everywhere!

Stay to the right-hand side of the hallways whenever possible to avoid traffic problems!

Ask your teacher when you need help with class work!

Talk to your parent, teacher, or principal if you  have a personal or school related problem. Try to resolve it early!

Create a reputation of being an honest, hard worker!

Get to school on time and your mind in a mode for learning!

Do your homework promptly and use your class time well!

Continue to build a good reputation for yourself. Be sure to include the character traits of trustworthiness, respectfulness, responsibility, caring, fairness, and good citizenship!

CVE at its core is about providing academics, social skills, and memories.