February 13, 2012
Valentine's Day is almost here! Last week your child brought home a pink piece of paper with the list of classmates' names on it. Hopefully this will help as we don't want to forget any of our friends. Valentine cards can be brought in on Monday, but need to be at school by Tuesday morning at the latest so that the students have time to pass them out before our party. Our party will be from 1:45 - 2:45 on Tuesday afternoon. Thank you to Elizabeth Ewald and Irene Fogelsong for planning the activities for this party and we are looking forward to a "lovely" time!
CLASS NEWS…
The February reading project is posted under the “Reading Project” section of our web page. This month the children will read a biography about a real person. Our school library has a wonderful selection of biographies. This project is being completed by the entire grade level, so I encourage your child to check out a book soon before the selection dwindles. The public library and local bookstores also have a supply of age appropriate biographies. Please let me know if you have any questions about this new project.
SUPERSTAR: Our Superstar this week is Mary! We look forward to learning more about our special classmate!
VOLUNTEER REMINDER…
This semester there are many fun first grade activities that we would love to have parent participation. If you would like to volunteer for an event in the classroom, please take time to fill out the necessary volunteer paperwork. This district-wide policy is required for all activities that involve students other than your own child. This would include events such as field trips, parent readers, Ocean Day (or other thematic events), working with small groups of students, volunteering in the cafeteria, lunch recess, Watch Dog Dads, field day etc. The application has to be completed every school year. If you are unsure if you have completed it for this school year, please email me and I am happy to check with Becky Klaus. It takes 72 hours for the paperwork to go through the system. Each adult in your family has to complete the volunteer application in order to volunteer. It is not a family application. To find the application, please visit the Round Rock ISD website. Click on the “Students/Parents” tab and then the “Volunteer and Mentor Application.” Directions are provided to walk you through the process. Thanks for filling out this application, and we look forward to seeing you in the classroom this semester! Please email me if you have any questions about this process or how to locate the application.
SCHOOL NEWS...
***Family Fun Fest (our annual school carnival) is coming up on Saturday, February 25th from 2-5 PM. Mark your calendars for a great time for everyone in the family. In order to make it a success, we need volunteers to man the games, set up and clean up. You can sign up at www.canyoncreekpta.com/familyfunfest.php. Also, if you have some leftover candy or small toys (like those from fast food restaurants) you are wanting to part with, please donate them in the Family Fun Fest box by the stairs so we can use them as prizes. Teacher Treat forms went out in the last Tuesday folder so get those in to your teachers. We have some great stuff for the silent auction, which will be in the cafeteria during Fun Fest. If you have any questions or ideas, please contact Cory Vessa at vessacory@hotmail.com.
***The One World Challenge is sponsored by CCE PTA Environmental Awareness Committee and it is open to all students attending CCE school. Each year, the committee highlights a current environmental or conservation issues for students to utilize their creativity. Water conservation is increasingly becoming an important concern. According to the statistics, 36 states are anticipating water shortages by 2013 and Texas is one of them. Whether this is due to population growth, availability of water, or environmental concerns, water conservation is becoming a major focal point. The current drought has simply intensified that effort. Perhaps now is a good time for CCE students to take up the issue and unleash their imagination by participating in The One World Challenge. In this challenge, students are invited to create a solution to address the protection and conservation of our water resources. Solutions may be submitted in any of the following three formats:
Visual – Open to all grade divisions (K-5)
Essay – Open to Intermediate (3-5) grade divisions
Public Service Announcement – Open to Intermediate (3-5) grade division
For more information about how to enter, program rules and guidelines and for resources related to the conservation issue, visit the following links:
Deadline for solutions:
CCE PTA deadline – 03/08/2012 by 3:30pm. Turn in to the Front Office.
If any questions, contact Sue Dwyer (sue_dwyer@roundrockisd.org) or Kal Dangi (kalpanadangi@yahoo.com) Environmental Awareness Committee.
DISTRICT ATTENDANCE CAMPAIGN...
Starting with Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten, every grade provides an important foundation. Missing just one day of instruction can be costly to the child’s academic future because the basic skills taught during these early development classes, such as letters, numbers, and reading, will be used as the basis in every class through graduation. Research has proven the link between daily attendance and success in classes as well as standardized tests. Children also learn other important lessons during these grades which will help them in subsequent grades such as socialization with other students and understanding the routine of a school day. Additionally, encouraging responsibility through daily attendance will instill good habits students will keep into adulthood. Children who are successful are the ones who are in attendance for the full day of instruction. Every day your child is in school makes them more likely to excel and rise to the head of their class.
Check the District’s website and subscribe to the District E-News to see periodic messages about the importance of daily attendance. Also, follow us on Twitter @Round Rock ISD.
SPECIAL THANKS…
- Thank you parents for making reading time an important part of your evening! We had several days last week when every student brought their planner to school, filled in the titles, and had your initials! This nightly practice time is important for the students in so many ways! Don't forget to fill in these titles on your Schoolwide Reading Incentive Program "Hooked on Books" so your child can get a free ticket to Six Flags this summer! The books that are read for their nightly reading can also be used for the Reading Program as well. These are due back to the library by February 24th if you wish to participate.
HOMEWORK...
1. Read for 10-15 minutes
2. Practice Math Facts daily
3. Practice Spelling words daily
4. Be working on the February book project so your child is ready to share on his/her sharing day
IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER...
Feb. 14: Class Valentine's Day party at 1:45 in the classroom
Feb. 15: Class Group Pictures
Feb. 17: Jump Rope for Heart (during P.E.)
Feb. 20: Student Holiday/ Teacher Staff Development
Feb. 25: Family Fun Fest (2-5 pm)
Feb. 27- March 2: Pay It Forward Week
THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE...
READING: During our reading instruction this week, the students will learn about compound words. We will work on new vocabulary words, reading with fluency and comprehending what we read. The students will practice questioning before/during/after reading and locate the answers within the text. We will also practice retelling various stories with increasing detail.
SPELLING: This week's spelling patterns can be found on our class website.
SOCIAL STUDIES and WRITING: This week we will be learning about inventors and their inventions such as Richard Allen, Thomas Edison, Alexander Graham Bell, and Garrett Morgan and will write about these men in our "Inventors and Their Inventions" booklet. We will put facts about these inventors in chronological order and create a timeline showing when their invention became known. We will compare and contrast some of these historical figures that we've learned about as well. We will continue working on writing in complete sentences with appropriate capitalization and punctuation with the hope that this becomes more automatic.
MATH: In math, we will review measurement and measure length using nonstandard units of measurement as well as understand that measuring an object using different length units will result in different measurements. Using various objects around the classroom we will predict and measure their perimeters. On Valentine's Day we will celebrate math by exploring and reviewing a few concepts such as fractions, place value, measurement, and telling time.
Have a "lovely" week!
Jean Riggins