Hi,
We are excited about a fun filled week of learning!
Each of the students has a container on their desk with some meal worms inside. We are learning about life cycles and metamorphosis. We learned that a mealworm goes through a complete metamorphosis which means that it has 4 stages of growth-egg, larva, pupa, and adult. Butterflies, ladybugs, and beetles go through a complete metamorphosis. Frogs and other insects like walking sticks go through an incomplete metamorphosis which means they have 3 stages of growth-egg, nymph, and adult. We actually saw one of our meal worms in its pupa stage and an adult! We are observing, measuring, and giving our meal worms tests to record their reactions. We will be bringing our meal worms home at the end of next week. Feel free to set them free!
Sam Houston is coming to visit on Wednesday! We will enjoy a presentation and learn about the life of Sam Houston. We have begun to research him and will continue this week then we will write an expository piece about Sam Houston and his life.
Wednesday is also early release day and conferences will begin at 1:00. I attached the conference schedule. If you haven't signed up yet, please do so soon. Please bring your child to the conference so that they can help share their accomplishments this year and examine our goals.
Pen Pal Visit-Our class will take a bus to go and visit our Pen Pals at The Court on Sunrise Road on Wednesday, May 15. We will leave FCE at about 9:15 am and returning at about 11:00 am. This will be our last official visit of the year. You are invited to come with us for our trip. I would love to have a few parents join us. There will be room on the bus so you can ride with us (I will check and make sure) or you can meet us there. Let me know if you are able to attend. Feel free to go and visit our pen pals over the summer and beyond. Just call first to be sure that the pen pal is at home and up for company. I know that they would love to continue to see the children.
The FCE Service Club is collecting flip flops for the children of Honduras. Our goal is to collect 125 pairs of flip flops for the children at the orphanage as well as the people who live in Mt. Olives. Thank you in advance for your caring and giving spirit!
Be sure to remind your child that we are still in school and that the effort level should not be decreasing. I am excited by all the wonderful projects and activities the our class will do before this year is out. We are done with our testing for the year but will continue to learn and grow each day. Thank you for your support.
Our visit to volunteer at the Round Rock Serving Center will be on Saturday, May 11 from 9-10. Come join us!
Thank you!
Pam Bartholomew
Monday, April 29, 2013
Friday, April 19, 2013
Newsletter-Lots of Effort This Week! Geometry Vocab. test on Monday, Reading Log due on Monday, STAAR testing on Tuesday and Wednesday
Hi,
We worked so hard this week at school and at home. Our entire class should be proud of the effort that they put into their learning. I sure am proud of them! Thank you for your help and support at home.
The kids are coming home with a math packet that has problems from category 1 which includes place value, numeration, operations, fractions, and decimals. We went over the whole packet today in class. Please review this with your child over the weekend. You can make a game where you change the numbers and you do a problem and share your strategy, then your child does a problem (or the same problem) and shares his/her strategies. Be sure to encourage checking over work (always add to check after subtracting) and being sure to answer the question that was asked.
Continue to read and discuss books this weekend also. (summarize the story, look at tricky words in context and discuss meanings, how did characters change throughout book, how would you describe characters, what imagery or figurative language did the author use) Reading logs are due on Monday.
As you know, next week is our STAAR testing. Your child will take the Math STAAR on Tuesday and the Reading STAAR on Wednesday. Be sure to get to bed early, eat breakfast, and send water and healthy snacks. Breakfast is free at school all week! Effort is very important as well as focus and taking time. The test is timed but the children will have plenty of time to finish. Taking breaks as needed is a good way to refocus and be ready to continue working. I am excited for the class to get a chance to show off all the great things that they’ve learned this year and throughout their lives. I am very proud of this class and know that they will try their best.
The Forest Creek Service Club is continuing to collect food and books for the Round Rock Serving Center. Please send in items and put them in the box by the office. We will be going to volunteer at the Serving Center on Saturday, May 4 from 9-10am. Anyone is welcome to join us!
Reading –In reading this week we read about Antarctica. We read an article about the people striving to reach the South Pole and were surprised by the ending! We also read a journal about the author’s time in Antarctica and a small book about birds, heroes, and the land of Antarctica. We wrote summaries, discussed cause and effect and met in small groups to talk about our thinking.
Writing-We wrote and published pieces for our school’s Rising Star book. We will be submitting poems, narratives, and essays and the teachers will choose about three or four from each category to be published in our campus book. Results will be in by next Friday.
Math-Measurement, geometry, problem solving, operations, etc….. We have done some of everything this week! We will continue reviewing on Monday and will have our geometry vocabulary test. Be sure to play games to practice our words over the weekend. Think Through Math is another great way to practice at home.
Science-We started learning about the water cycle and the sun and will continue with these concepts next week.
Social Studies-We will be learning about Statehood next week. We will have a Sam Houston presentation on May 1.
Thank you for all your support. Look for another email regarding conference dates and times.
Sincerely,
Pam
We worked so hard this week at school and at home. Our entire class should be proud of the effort that they put into their learning. I sure am proud of them! Thank you for your help and support at home.
The kids are coming home with a math packet that has problems from category 1 which includes place value, numeration, operations, fractions, and decimals. We went over the whole packet today in class. Please review this with your child over the weekend. You can make a game where you change the numbers and you do a problem and share your strategy, then your child does a problem (or the same problem) and shares his/her strategies. Be sure to encourage checking over work (always add to check after subtracting) and being sure to answer the question that was asked.
Continue to read and discuss books this weekend also. (summarize the story, look at tricky words in context and discuss meanings, how did characters change throughout book, how would you describe characters, what imagery or figurative language did the author use) Reading logs are due on Monday.
As you know, next week is our STAAR testing. Your child will take the Math STAAR on Tuesday and the Reading STAAR on Wednesday. Be sure to get to bed early, eat breakfast, and send water and healthy snacks. Breakfast is free at school all week! Effort is very important as well as focus and taking time. The test is timed but the children will have plenty of time to finish. Taking breaks as needed is a good way to refocus and be ready to continue working. I am excited for the class to get a chance to show off all the great things that they’ve learned this year and throughout their lives. I am very proud of this class and know that they will try their best.
The Forest Creek Service Club is continuing to collect food and books for the Round Rock Serving Center. Please send in items and put them in the box by the office. We will be going to volunteer at the Serving Center on Saturday, May 4 from 9-10am. Anyone is welcome to join us!
Reading –In reading this week we read about Antarctica. We read an article about the people striving to reach the South Pole and were surprised by the ending! We also read a journal about the author’s time in Antarctica and a small book about birds, heroes, and the land of Antarctica. We wrote summaries, discussed cause and effect and met in small groups to talk about our thinking.
Writing-We wrote and published pieces for our school’s Rising Star book. We will be submitting poems, narratives, and essays and the teachers will choose about three or four from each category to be published in our campus book. Results will be in by next Friday.
Math-Measurement, geometry, problem solving, operations, etc….. We have done some of everything this week! We will continue reviewing on Monday and will have our geometry vocabulary test. Be sure to play games to practice our words over the weekend. Think Through Math is another great way to practice at home.
Science-We started learning about the water cycle and the sun and will continue with these concepts next week.
Social Studies-We will be learning about Statehood next week. We will have a Sam Houston presentation on May 1.
Thank you for all your support. Look for another email regarding conference dates and times.
Sincerely,
Pam
Friday, April 12, 2013
Science test on Monday. Reading logs due on Mon. Go to websites to practice math and reading. Empty Bowl Project on Saturday. Bring in food and books for the Round Rock Serving Center.
HI,
Science weather test on Monday. Study on Stemscopes.
Reading log due on Monday.
Go to Think Through Math-FCE webpage, students, Think Through Math-Students should have their passwords.
Go to Quia.com to practice geometry vocabulary-go to Mrs. Brannan's website then geometry games
Go to I-Station to practice reading. Students should have their log in.
Read this letter about the band-aid drive and bullying awareness:
Hello everyone!
My name is Emily Couture and I am a junior at Cedar Ridge High School. I organized "Bullying is Whack Day" in October as part of my Girl Scout Gold Award project. My project is called H.E.A.L. (Help Encourage Affection and Love) and is helping to raise awareness about anti-bullying and kindness throughout Forest Creek Elementary. The last part of my project is a band aid drive. I feel as if a band aid represents my project and anti-bullying so I want to collect around 1,000 band aids (about one for every student) and make a giant heart out of them to frame and hang in FCE. I will be on broadcast the following week of April 15-19 advertising this band aid drive which ends Friday April 19th. The class that brings in the most band aids will get a prize (which is undecided as of right now). The band aids can be any size, shape, or color as long as they are not used.
Thank you for all your help!
Emily Couture
Read about our week!
Reading-We read and discussed some articles and books this week in small groups. We read a WWII book about a boy who was sent to Scotland to avoid the Blitz in London. We also read articles about Japanese Internment camps and Navajo Code Talkers. Half the class read one and half read the other and they each discussed their article with a person who read the other article. There was some good discussion and great cooperation. An article about the Brown vs. Board of Education case was also read and discussed by many students. We are working on reading longer pieces and summarizing effectively as well as making inferences and using context to understand vocabulary. We will work on these concepts next week.
Math-Geometry and measurement has been a focus. We are using blocks to measure volume as well as rulers and meter sticks to measure length. We are doing a lot of problem solving and lots of discussion to help us learn and practice strategies. Continue to practice math facts and go to Think through Math to practice at home.Review geometry vocabulary on quia.com. Go to Mrs. Brannan's website and quia then do games to practice geometry vocabulary. We will be having a test on geometry vocabulary next week on Friday.
Writing- We are working on writing poetry about weather including similes, metaphors, and lots of descriptions using sensory words. Line breaks and stanzas are included in our poetry and many of our poems will be entered into our Rising Star contest for our school. I wonder if any of our work will be published.
Science-Weather test on Monday. We collected weather data this week, watched videos, and worked on some weather plays. We will be performing our plays or reader's theaters for our reading buddies on Friday.
Empty Bowl Project is tomorrow at Cedar Ridge High School. Come and see our bowls and support the Round Rock Serving Center.
Bring in food and books for the Round Rock Serving Center also. The shelves were almost empty last Saturday when we were there.
Have a great weekend. Keep working hard.
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
Science weather test on Monday. Study on Stemscopes.
Reading log due on Monday.
Go to Think Through Math-FCE webpage, students, Think Through Math-Students should have their passwords.
Go to Quia.com to practice geometry vocabulary-go to Mrs. Brannan's website then geometry games
Go to I-Station to practice reading. Students should have their log in.
Read this letter about the band-aid drive and bullying awareness:
Hello everyone!
My name is Emily Couture and I am a junior at Cedar Ridge High School. I organized "Bullying is Whack Day" in October as part of my Girl Scout Gold Award project. My project is called H.E.A.L. (Help Encourage Affection and Love) and is helping to raise awareness about anti-bullying and kindness throughout Forest Creek Elementary. The last part of my project is a band aid drive. I feel as if a band aid represents my project and anti-bullying so I want to collect around 1,000 band aids (about one for every student) and make a giant heart out of them to frame and hang in FCE. I will be on broadcast the following week of April 15-19 advertising this band aid drive which ends Friday April 19th. The class that brings in the most band aids will get a prize (which is undecided as of right now). The band aids can be any size, shape, or color as long as they are not used.
Thank you for all your help!
Emily Couture
Read about our week!
Reading-We read and discussed some articles and books this week in small groups. We read a WWII book about a boy who was sent to Scotland to avoid the Blitz in London. We also read articles about Japanese Internment camps and Navajo Code Talkers. Half the class read one and half read the other and they each discussed their article with a person who read the other article. There was some good discussion and great cooperation. An article about the Brown vs. Board of Education case was also read and discussed by many students. We are working on reading longer pieces and summarizing effectively as well as making inferences and using context to understand vocabulary. We will work on these concepts next week.
Math-Geometry and measurement has been a focus. We are using blocks to measure volume as well as rulers and meter sticks to measure length. We are doing a lot of problem solving and lots of discussion to help us learn and practice strategies. Continue to practice math facts and go to Think through Math to practice at home.Review geometry vocabulary on quia.com. Go to Mrs. Brannan's website and quia then do games to practice geometry vocabulary. We will be having a test on geometry vocabulary next week on Friday.
Writing- We are working on writing poetry about weather including similes, metaphors, and lots of descriptions using sensory words. Line breaks and stanzas are included in our poetry and many of our poems will be entered into our Rising Star contest for our school. I wonder if any of our work will be published.
Science-Weather test on Monday. We collected weather data this week, watched videos, and worked on some weather plays. We will be performing our plays or reader's theaters for our reading buddies on Friday.
Empty Bowl Project is tomorrow at Cedar Ridge High School. Come and see our bowls and support the Round Rock Serving Center.
Bring in food and books for the Round Rock Serving Center also. The shelves were almost empty last Saturday when we were there.
Have a great weekend. Keep working hard.
Sincerely,
Pam Bartholomew
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Field Trip on Friday, April 5 to Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum
Hello!
Reminder: Our field trip to the Bob Bullock Texas state History Museum is tomorrow (Friday, April 5)!
Bring a sack lunch. Wear comfortable shoes and a purple, green, or Forest Creek shirt. (if possible) Don't send cameras, any form of electronics, or money. We can't take photos inside the museum and we don't want anything getting broken or lost. We will not be going into the gift shop.
We are all very excited about the trip and know that the kids will have a great time and learn a lot.
We will be seeing lots of primary sources or original artifacts, letters, diaries, speeches, photographs, tools, etc... and some secondary sources such as drawings, paintings, articles, textbooks, etc....
We will review information about native Americans in Texas, explorers, missions, and the Texas Revolution as well as learn about statehood and Texas today.
Be sure to talk to your child about what they saw and why it was interesting for them.
We will also be watching an IMAX movie about tornado alley. We will be learning about weather next week so this will be perfect!
We talked in class about behavior expectations on the bus and in the museum. Please review these with your child at home.
Bus-sitting with back against back of seat at all times, quiet talking to people in the seat with you, feet and bodies out of the aisle, respectful actions to bus driver as well as all other people on bus. Follow the Forest Creek HOWL motto.
Museum-stay with your group at all times, walking only, quiet voices, listen to adults with you as well as people in the museum, don't go to the bathroom or anywhere else in the museum without an adult's permission and a buddy. Follow the Forest Creek HOWL motto.
H-honor yourself and others
O-own your actions
W-work toward your best
L-listen and be heard
It will be a great day!
Thanks,
Pam
Reminder: Our field trip to the Bob Bullock Texas state History Museum is tomorrow (Friday, April 5)!
Bring a sack lunch. Wear comfortable shoes and a purple, green, or Forest Creek shirt. (if possible) Don't send cameras, any form of electronics, or money. We can't take photos inside the museum and we don't want anything getting broken or lost. We will not be going into the gift shop.
We are all very excited about the trip and know that the kids will have a great time and learn a lot.
We will be seeing lots of primary sources or original artifacts, letters, diaries, speeches, photographs, tools, etc... and some secondary sources such as drawings, paintings, articles, textbooks, etc....
We will review information about native Americans in Texas, explorers, missions, and the Texas Revolution as well as learn about statehood and Texas today.
Be sure to talk to your child about what they saw and why it was interesting for them.
We will also be watching an IMAX movie about tornado alley. We will be learning about weather next week so this will be perfect!
We talked in class about behavior expectations on the bus and in the museum. Please review these with your child at home.
Bus-sitting with back against back of seat at all times, quiet talking to people in the seat with you, feet and bodies out of the aisle, respectful actions to bus driver as well as all other people on bus. Follow the Forest Creek HOWL motto.
Museum-stay with your group at all times, walking only, quiet voices, listen to adults with you as well as people in the museum, don't go to the bathroom or anywhere else in the museum without an adult's permission and a buddy. Follow the Forest Creek HOWL motto.
H-honor yourself and others
O-own your actions
W-work toward your best
L-listen and be heard
It will be a great day!
Thanks,
Pam
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