CCSD Cool School News

CCHS

Students in Anne Hale-Smith’s Outdoor Adventure class recently traded the classroom for the beautiful waters of Lake Tahoe. During the field trip, students enjoyed kayaking and paddleboarding, building confidence, trying new activities, and making memories with their classmates. The Outdoor Adventure class encourages students to stay active, explore the outdoors, and develop an appreciation for the natural environment. From learning about outdoor recreation and conservation to exploring some of the incredible places northern Nevada has to offer, students have opportunities to build practical skills and discover new interests. The trip to Lake Tahoe was another chance for students to challenge themselves, enjoy the outdoors, and experience learning beyond the traditional classroom.

CCMS

Hope Squad members are finding creative ways to spread positivity and remind others that they are never alone. Thanks to Rush Coffee owner Crystal Bowman, students have the opportunity to share uplifting messages throughout the community by decorating coffee sleeves with words of hope, encouragement, and kindness. The first batch of sleeves was delivered to Rush Coffee on Monday to be shared with customers, spreading a little positivity with every cup of coffee. Hope Squad members and their advisors have also created a colorful “Hands for Hope” bulletin board at school featuring decorated hands with positive messages, along with photos and names identifying members and advisors. The display helps students recognize the friendly faces they can turn to when they need someone to talk to or additional support. Through these efforts, Hope Squad continues to build a culture of kindness, connection, and support while encouraging students to look out for one another.

Numa

Fifth graders in Kristina Lee’s class were dropped off on “Survival Island” to explore how natural resources and geography played an important role in early exploration and where settlements developed. Working in explorer teams, students were given resource tokens to spend on supplies to help them get started. They then had to examine the landscape to determine where they would have access to natural resources once their supplies ran out. Each team weighed the pros and cons of different locations and found ways to overcome challenges and natural disasters to ensure their survival. The activity challenged students to think like early explorers, make important decisions, and work together to solve problems while gaining a better understanding of how geography and available resources influenced the development of early settlements.

E.C. Best

Second graders in Jaylen Manning’s class are strengthening their foundational literacy skills by developing phonological awareness, the ability to hear, recognize, and work with the sounds in spoken words. Through activities such as identifying rhyming words and blending sounds together, students are learning how sounds work within words and building skills that are essential for reading and writing. As students become more confident recognizing and manipulating sounds, they develop a stronger foundation for decoding words, improving reading fluency, and understanding what they read. These early literacy skills are helping students grow into stronger, more confident readers and writers.

Lahontan

Lahontan families “walked the plank” and set sail on a reading adventure during last week’s Pirate Book Fair and Family Literacy Night. Wednesday evening, students and their families came together for a night of reading, learning, and pirate-themed fun. They made their way through seven interactive literacy activities before wrapping up the evening with a treasure hunt at the book fair, where the real treasure was books. The event gave families an opportunity to explore literacy together, discover new books, and celebrate the joy of reading. With plenty of pirate adventures and treasures to take home, it was a fun way to encourage a love of reading that continues beyond the classroom.

Northside Early Learning Center

Students and families enjoyed a special day of learning and fall fun during the school's annual School at the Farm event. The experience brought students, families, and staff together for an opportunity to explore, learn, and spend time with one another outside the traditional classroom setting. Events like School at the Farm provide young learners with opportunities to discover new things, make connections to the world around them, and share meaningful learning experiences with their families. NELC extends a special thank-you to its dedicated staff, students, and families, along with community partners Lattin Farms, Louie's Ace Hardware, and Walmart, for helping make the day such a success.