Cedar Ridge
Elementary School

It's been an annual fall assignment for the past few years in Katrina Phlipot's fifth grade class.

The assignment: Make an amoeba and identify all the parts. One caveat! You can't eat it. Not until it has been graded first!

"My amazing fifth graders have been diving into the fascinating world of amoebas, learning how these tiny single-celled organisms survive and function," she started. "As we explored the structure of an amoeba, students discovered the important jobs of the cell membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus. They learned that the cell membrane acts like a protective barrier, controlling what enters and leaves the cell, while the cytoplasm is the jelly-like material that fills the cell and supports its activities. The nucleus serves as the 'control center,' (brain) directing the cell's functions and storing important information."

To connect the class' life science studies with its Matter Mysteries unit, students examined how matter makes up all living things, including single-celled organisms. They observed how the different parts of a cell are made of matter and work together to help an organism survive.

"After learning the functions of each cell part, students put their knowledge into action by creating an edible amoeba," Philpot said.

"Using a variety of tasty materials, they designed creative models, carefully labeled each structure, and explained the function of every part. Their creativity, effort, and scientific understanding truly shined through. It was a fun, hands-on learning experience that brought science to life, and I couldn't be more excited about this incredible class," she said.

Dear Union Parents/Guardians & Community Patrons - How confident are you in our local school system? It's a simple question -- but the answer matters now more than ever.

Union Public Schools is participating in the AASA National Research Initiative, a nationwide study benchmarking public confidence in K-12 education. We want to hear from parents, guardians and community members like you.

The survey takes about 5 to 8 minutes, is completely anonymous and helps us understand what's working, what our community values most and what our students most need to equip them for the future.

TAKE THE THOUGHT EXCHANGE SURVEY: https://tejoin.com/participate/990197822

Participation will be open until Sept. 15 at 11 p.m.

Please share with your neighbors! Thank you for being part of this important conversation — the more voices we hear from, the stronger our school district's story will be.

Come join us for our next PTA meeting at Society Burger (101st & Mingo)! This is a great chance to meet other Cedar Ridge families, connect with our PTA, and learn more about ways to get involved and make a difference at our school.

📅 Monday, August 24th

⏰ 7:00 PM

📍 Society Burger – 101st & Mingo

Whether you’re already involved with PTA or just want to see what it’s all about, everyone is welcome!
We can’t wait to see you there!

At Cedar Ridge, we are happy to see you! We see all of our students as enthusiastic, creative learners eager to glean knowledge from their teachers.

Enjoy these pictures from the second day of school!

Families are invited to join the Cedar Ridge PTA. See graphic for QR code.

Visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/492366068113510/ for more information.

Incoming Cedar Ridge pre-kindergarten students had the school to themselves this morning for a pre-kindergarten orientation camp.

While parents toured the school, little ones enjoyed time with their new teachers and enjoyed some activities to better acquaint themselves with their new environment and reduce their anxiety when school starts on Thursday, August 13.

Funding for the program is courtesy of the Union Schools Education Foundation.

Thank you for everyone that came out to celebrate with us Monday night! We are so excited for another great year at Cedar Ridge! See photos on our PTA page.

Follow Cedar Ridge PTA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/CREPTA/