LUNCH MENU Class PHOTOS

May 3, 2024

Dear Parents,

I cannot believe that we are entering our last month of the school year!  We have so many fun events and activities planned, and I am excited to spend the next few weeks celebrating 4th grade.  This week we prepped for our upcoming showcase, had an author visit and set up our folders for our next book, Hatchet.  In Texas History we looked at the causes of the Civil War and Texas’ part in the Civil War. In writing, we completed our plans of our “OK” Book - come to Showcase to see the final product!  We also worked on our “Dream Vacation” in math as we concluded our financial literacy unit. Students should be able to help you plan out your summer vacation! 

CCE VOLUNTEER BREAKFAST

Thank you to everyone who was able to make it to our Volunteer Appreciation Breakfast.  It was nice to be able to give a little back to all of you who do so much to support us all year long!

FAMOUS TEXAN PROJECT

The final project is due Wednesday, May 8th. If your student needs the report printed out, PLEASE let me know by Monday, May 6th. 

TEXAS DAY - CHILI COOK OFF

Please have all non-perishable items to school on Wednesday, May 8th.  All items requiring refrigeration should be sent in on Thursday, May 9th. 

TEXAS DAY - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We still have a few more slots open to help with Texas Day on May 9th!  The SignUp Genius is divided into different time slots and activity locations.  We have noted where each class will be during specific time slots if you’d like to volunteer at an activity where your child will be.  You must be on the RRISD approved volunteer list  to sign up to help.

SAVE THE DATE - 4TH GRADE SHOWCASE

On Thursday, May 16th the fourth grade students will be hosting their Showcase from 7:20 am to 7:40 am.   This is a time where students get to show off what they have learned this year.  They will guide you through a list of activities for you to complete while admiring all of the hard work they put in creating quality products.  We can’t wait to see you! RSVP here to attend.

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Hatchet book study

Writing :: The OK Book

Math :: Dream Vacation

Texas History :: Texas Frontier

UPCOMING DATES:

May 8th- Famous Texan Project Due- (Assigned on April 19th)

May 9th - Texas Day and Chili Cook Off- (Volunteers needed -SignUp Genius)

May 16th  - Fourth Grade Showcase (7:20AM- 7:40AM)

May 21st- Field Day

May 23rd- Last Day of School - Pancake Breakfast at 8:00am

Enjoy the weekend! 

Megan

April 28, 2024

Dear Parents,

I cannot believe that we are entering our last month of the school year!  We have so many fun events and activities planned, and I am excited to spend the next few weeks celebrating 4th grade.  This week we wrapped up our literature study of our  “Restart” book in reading.  We began and completed our rough drafts for our Famous Texan project in writing.  I am happy to print out their reports at school if you do not have a home printer. We had our math STAAR test and are finishing up a unit on financial literacy.  And finally, we wrapped up science for the year by studying life cycles of plants and animals.  We will finish the year by completing our study of Texas History.

CCE VOLUNTEER BREAKFAST

The staff of Canyon Creek would like to invite any volunteers who served our campus this school year to an appreciation breakfast.  Please join us on Thursday, May 2nd from 7:20am - 8:00am. as we celebrate an amazing year together and honor all of you who have given your time to make our school and community such a special place to be!

FAMOUS TEXAN PROJECT

This week we constructed the template of the final product in class and those went home earlier in the week. As a reminder, the decorating of the project will be done at home.  The final project is due Wednesday, May 8th.

TEXAS DAY - CHILI COOK OFF

On Tuesday you should have  received a blue sheet of paper with an introduction to Texas Day.  For a grade in TX History, all students need to bring a chili recipe to school by Wednesday, May 1st.  We talked about searching for a crockpot recipe since they may be a bit different from the stove top ones.... or talk with mom or dad about altering the stove top one to work for the crockpot. Students will be put into groups, and the groups will decide on which chili recipe they want to make for the Texas Day Chili Cook-Off.  Each student will be responsible for contributing ingredients and/or supplies needed to make the chili.  Your child will bring home a list of their responsibilities on Wednesday, May 1st.  Please sign  this form and send it back to school by Friday, May 3rd.

TEXAS DAY - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

On May 9th while our chili is cooking, all 4th graders will be rotating through 4 different Texas themed activities that last about 45 minutes each.  Each station is in need of 2-3 volunteers during each rotation.  Please consider signing up to volunteer to make Texas Day fun for everyone!  The SignUp Genius is divided into different time slots and activity locations.  We have noted where each class will be during specific time slots if you’d like to volunteer at an activity where your child will be.  You must be on the RRISD approved volunteer list  to sign up to help.

SAVE THE DATE - 4TH GRADE SHOWCASE

On Thursday, May 16th the fourth grade students will be hosting their Showcase from 7:20 am to 7:40 am.   This is a time where students get to show off what they have learned this year.  They will guide you through a list of activities for you to complete while admiring all of the hard work they put in creating quality products.  We can’t wait to see you!

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Hatchet book study

Writing :: Famous Texan and The OK Book

Math :: Dream Vacation

Texas History :: Civil War and Reconstruction

UPCOMING DATES:

May 8th- Famous Texan Project Due- (Assigned on April 19th)

May 9th - Texas Day and Chili Cook Off- (Volunteers needed -SignUp Genius)

May 16th  - Fourth Grade Showcase (7:20AM- 7:40AM)

May 21st- Field Day

May 23rd- Last Day of School - Pancake Breakfast at 8:00am

Hope you had a great weekend!

Megan

April 21, 2024

Dear Parents,

We had another great week in 4th grade.  This week we wrapped up our Newbery unit.  Everyone seemed to have loved reading the award winning books.  We were able to get a bit more creative in writing this week while writing about our best features and how these features help us appreciate the world around us.  We are currently reviewing all of the math concepts we have learned this year to prepare for the Math STAAR this week.  And finally, we learned about inherited traits and learned behaviors of organisms in science.

MATH STAAR - WEDNESDAY

Next Wednesday students will be administered the Math STAAR assessment. A small snack will be provided by our amazing room moms with your generous donations from the beginning of the year. Most students also like an additional snack from home to have as they take mini breaks throughout the test. If at all possible, we ask that you not plan to eat lunch with your students on these testing days. There are so many moving pieces to the day and this can be a bit of a challenge.

*** PLEASE ensure that your child’s chromebook is fully charged with their charger in their backpack on Wednesday morning***

FAMOUS TEXAN PROJECT

This week I introduced to the students our Famous Texan project.  Your child chose a person from Texas that they would like to research.  Students are to do this research at home, and complete the notes page.  Students will use their research notes to write a report about their famous Texan.  This will be done in class next week.  I will also try to provide some class time for them to research on Monday. We will construct the template of the final product in class on Monday, but the decorating of the project will be done at home.  Please see the pictures on the research page that went home for example of projects from past years.  The final project is due Tuesday, May 8th.

CCE VOLUNTEER BREAKFAST

The staff of Canyon Creek would like to invite any volunteers who served our campus this school year to an appreciation breakfast.  Please join us on Thursday, May 2nd from 7:20am - 8:00am. as we celebrate an amazing year together and honor all of you who have given your time to make our school and community such a special place to be!

TEXAS DAY - CHILI COOK OFF

On Tuesday you will receive a blue sheet of paper with an introduction to Texas Day.  All students need to bring a chili recipe to school by Wednesday, May 1st.  Students will be put into groups, and the groups will decide on which chili recipe they want to make for the Texas Day Chili Cook-Off.  Each student will be responsible for contributing ingredients and/or supplies needed to make the chili.  Your child will bring home a list of their responsibilities on Wednesday, May 1st.  Please sign  this form and send it back to school by Friday, May 3rd.

TEXAS DAY - VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

On May 9th while our chili is cooking, all 4th graders will be rotating through 4 different Texas themed activities that last about 45 minutes each.  Each station is in need of 2-3 volunteers during each rotation.  Please consider signing up to volunteer to make Texas Day fun for everyone!  The SignUp Genius is divided into different time slots and activity locations.  We have noted where each class will be during specific time slots if you’d like to volunteer at an activity where your child will be.  You must be on the RRISD approved volunteer list  to sign up to help.

A NOTE FROM PTA - SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Order Your School Supplies NOW!

We know that you have a lot on your plate right now, so in order to make things a little easier for you, we've set up a system through EPI, where you can order your students 2024-2025 school supplies today online or on our printed form which will go into your child's Tuesday folder next week!!!

It's that simple!!

Printed Forms will go out next week in students Tuesday folders and all printed order forms will be due back into the school no later than May 15th.

ONLINE ORDERS:

An easier alternative is you can order online.

Just click here to order an EPI school supply pack by May 21st . Make sure to enter the school ID: CAN043. Your supplies will be shipped directly to Canyon Creek Elementary School and waiting for your child when the next school year starts during Comet Kick off.

Should you have any questions please contact Pam Kuss at pamelacassells@hotmail.com

SAVE THE DATE - 4TH GRADE SHOWCASE

On Thursday, May 16th, the fourth grade students will be hosting their Showcase from 7:20 am to 7:40 am.   This is a time where students get to show off what they have learned this year.  They will guide you through a list of activities for you to complete while admiring all of the hard work they put in creating quality products.  We can’t wait to see you!

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Restart and Nonfiction Study

Writing :: Famous Texan report

Math :: STAAR Review and Financial Literacy

Science :: Life Cycles

UPCOMING DATES:

April 24th- STAAR Math 

May 9th - Texas Day

May 16th - 4th Grade Showcase Day (7:20 - 7:40 am)

May 21st - Field Day

May 22nd - Texas Escape Room

May 23rd - Last Day of School (Pancake Party)

Enjoy the weekend!

April 12, 2024

Dear Parents,

I cannot believe that we are so close to the end of the year.  This week sure has been packed - starting with a once in a lifetime view of the total eclipse - STAAR test - a day off…..  We have so many more fun events and activities planned, and I am excited to spend the next few weeks celebrating 4th grade.  This week we continued our Newbery unit.  We were able to get a bit more creative in writing this week while we began planning our writing about our best features and how these features help us appreciate the world around us.  We are currently reviewing all of the math concepts we have learned this year to prepare for the upcoming math STAAR test.  And finally, we looked at how plant and animal adaptations allow them to survive in their environment…. They loved the bird beak lab!

A NOTE FROM PTA - SCHOOL SUPPLIES

Order Your School Supplies NOW!

We know that you have a lot on your plate right now, so in order to make things a little easier for you, we've set up a system through EPI, where you can order your students 2024-2025 school supplies today online or on our printed form which will go into your child's Tuesday folder next week!!!

It's that simple!!

Printed Forms will go out next week in students Tuesday folders and all printed order forms will be due back into the school no later than May 15th.

ONLINE ORDERS:

An easier alternative is you can order online.

Just click here to order an EPI school supply pack by May 21st . Make sure to enter the school ID: CAN043. Your supplies will be shipped directly to Canyon Creek Elementary School and waiting for your child when the next school year start during Comet Kick off.

Should you have any questions please contact Pam Kuss at pamelacassells@hotmail.com

Additional Math Practice this week:

This week we will be working to review specific skills we have covered in math this year.  Each day we will have a set of problems to work through. I will send these practice problems home so you can review how they did and know how to support your kiddo at home. It may be that they are unable to finish some of the problems. If this is the case, please help them work through the unanswered questions each night. All of that being said, please look through your child’s Homework folder each night for additional practice as needed.

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Complete Newbery Unit

Writing :: BEST Part of Me

Spelling:: Week 26

Math :: STAAR Review and Prep

Science:: Life Cycles

UPCOMING DATES:

April 18th - Kona Ice Day (after school)

April 24th- STAAR Math 

May 9th - Texas Day (more info to come)

May 16th - 4th Grade Showcase Day (7:20 - 7:40 am)

May 21st - Field Day

May 22nd - Texas Escape Room

May 23rd - Last Day of School (Pancake Party)

Enjoy the weekend! 

Megan

April 5, 2024

Dear Parents,

Whew! We have worked very hard during this first week of April.  We continued our Newbery Book study, and we are halfway through reading our books.  In writing we reviewed how to write an Informative ECR, and in math we finished our assessment on algebraic reasoning.  In science we studied ecosystems, food chains, and food webs.   

Language Arts STAAR - Tuesday

This Tuesday, students will be administered the Language Arts STAAR assessment. A small snack will be provided by our amazing room moms with your generous donations from the beginning of the year. Most students also like an additional snack from home to have as they take mini breaks throughout the test. If at all possible, we ask that you not plan to eat lunch with your students on these testing days. There are so many moving pieces to the day and this can be a bit of a challenge.

*** PLEASE ensure that your child’s chromebook is fully charged with their charger in their backpack on Monday morning***

ECLIPSE DAY: 

     The Eclipse Day will provide us with a wonderful opportunity for an outdoor classroom experience. While the PTA has provided us with eclipse glasses for students’ safety, students are invited to bring a beach towel or a picnic blanket (please choose one) for their comfort when we go outside to record our observations of the eclipse and learn more about this rare celestial event. We are also encouraging students to dress in either green or red, or a combination of the two because, from my layman's understanding, our eyes will perceive certain colors differently near totality. 

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Newbery book study - focus on theme and inferences

Writing ::  The Best Part of Me

Spelling :: No Spelling this upcoming week

Science :: Structures and Functions

Math :: Financial Literacy

UPCOMING DATES:

April 8th- Total Solar Eclipse

April 9th- STAAR ELA

April 10th- Student Holiday/Teacher Work Day

April 18th- Kona Ice after school

April 24th- STAAR Math

Enjoy the weekend!

Megan

March 28th, 2024

Dear Parents,

Whew! What a week even though it was short!  We have been quite busy with our Newbery Book study unit. We are using these award winning novels to review all we’ve covered this year with fictional text. This week we focused on figurative language and characterization. In math, we continued to work on measurement with a focus on elapsed time. In science we had several labs about different physical properties of soil and water retention! This week the students also worked on writing an argumentative extended constructed response to an article about miniature horses becoming guide animals.

SOLAR ECLIPSE DAY

In your child's Tuesday folder, there was an eclipse viewing permission form. Please complete and return the form if you wish your child to participate in any viewing of the eclipse on Monday, April 8th. If you do not return a signed permission slip,  your child will not be allowed to participate. All forms are due by Tuesday, April 2nd. All Canyon Creek Elementary students will receive a pair of solar eclipse viewing glasses compliments of Lakeway Vision and CCE resident eye doctor, Dr. Tristan Wild. If you misplaced your permission slip, please feel free to print another copy and send it back with your child.  Students are allowed to bring a picnic blanket or towel to sit on outside as we view and make observations of the solar eclipse.

BOOK FAIR IS HERE

This week the library set up for our  book fair and we  got the chance to preview it as well. We also made our wish list at that time. Book Fair will run from March 28th- April 5th.

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Newbery book study - focus Paired Passages

Writing ::  Informative ECR writing 

Spelling :: Week 24, homework due on Thursday, test of Friday

Science :: Producers, Consumers, and Food Webs

Math :: Review of Measurement and DCA (converting both customary and metric units, time, area, perimeter)

UPCOMING DATES:

April 8th- Total Solar Eclipse viewing at school

April 9th- Reading/Language Arts STAAR Test

April 10th-  Holiday- No School

April 24th- Math STAAR Test

Enjoy the beautiful long weekend!

Megan

March 24th, 2024

Dear Parents,

We had such a wonderful time last week exploring all of the exhibits at the Bob Bullock Museum!  Thank you to all our WONDERFUL parent chaperones that were able to come tour the museum with our class groups! Our tour included the movie Shipwrecked  which tells the story of the French explorer, La Salle, and the failed settlement of Fort Saint Louis. The students also toured all three floors of the museum which reflected what we have learned in our studies of Texas history.  It was a great day! 

Along with our field trip, fourth grade had a great week of learning after our much needed break.  We spent some time this week reading and discussing the events in our read aloud book Restart and continued to work to review fiction text with our Newbery award books.  We also reviewed rules of commas in compound sentences and with sentences using direct quotes.  In Science, we studied natural resources and looked at alternative forms of renewable energy.  Finally, in math we continued our measurement unit discussing the metric  units of measurement and converting them from one unit to another. 

BOOK FAIR :: GOLD MEDAL READERS

CCE's Book Fair kicks off next Thursday, March 28 at 3:00 PM - 7:30 PM with the K-4th grade art show and 3rd grade performance! Book fair sales will run through Friday, April 5.  Click here for more information and to volunteer!

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Newbery Book Study

Writing :: Argumentative ECR

Spelling :: No spelling

Math :: Measurement

Science :: Properties of Soil 

UPCOMING DATES:

March 28th - Art Show and Book Fair

March 29th - No School

Enjoy the short week!

Megan

March 18th, 2024

Dear Parents,

I hope everyone had a VERY restful and fun filled Spring Break!  Thank you for your understanding and patience the week before the break with my absence. My husband was in the hospital from Sunday to Friday and required support while there. I heard the class did a wonderful job while I was out, and I appreciate their flexibility and understanding. Well.... We are on the sprint to the finish. I can't believe we are so close to the end of 4th grade. We have one more nine-weeks session together!? I feel like we were just prepping for dead words and Coffee House Poetry!  

FIELD TRIP

Thank you for sending in your permission slips and money for admission for the Bob Bullock Museum.  We are looking forward to our field trip on Wednesday, March 20th,!  Your child will need to bring a sack lunch and a hearty snack as we will be eating at different times than usual.

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Responding to Text & Introduction to Newbery Unit

                    Nonfiction Reading Log Week 4

Writing :: Rules for Commas

Spelling :: Week 22 - Homework is due Thursday, Test is on Friday

Math :: Measurement

Science :: Resources 

UPCOMING DATES:

March 11th - 15th - Spring Break

March 20th - Bob Bullock Museum

March 29th: No School

April 9th: ELA (English Language Arts) STAAR Test

April 10th: No School / Staff Development

I hope you had a wonderful break!

Megan

March 1st, 2024

Dear Parents,

Well, we survived Fun Fort Friday... aka our "Kingdom!" Hahaha. They had a blast and it was the, "BEST DAY EVER!" We did manage to fit in some learning this week though... in writing, we worked on capitalization. We finished our unit on the Texas Revolution in Texas History and began our new unit in Science on patterns of Earth. In Math, we ended our unit with decimals. In reading this week, we reviewed informational text structure including description and compare/contrast.

Field Trip

We will be taking a field trip to the Bob Bullock Museum on Wednesday, March 20th. The cost of the ticket is $6 per student and will be due on Friday, March 8th. Your child can bring in cash or a check made out to Canyon Creek Elementary. If you have not done so, please send in the form and money as soon as possible.

• We are in need of volunteer chaperones. If you are interested in chaperoning, you will be responsible for meeting us at the museum and purchasing your own ticket prior to the museum. You will be leading a small group around the museum. In order to chaperone, you must be an approved volunteer.

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Nonfiction Text Structures: Cause and Effect, Order and Sequence

                Homework: Nonfiction Reading Log Week 3 Activities C, E, G due Friday, March 8th

                Link to Week 3 article in Writing Schoology

Writing :: Commas in a series and coordinating conjunctions

Spelling :: Spelling week 19

Science :: Patterns of Earth 

Math :: Customary Units of  Measurement Unit begins

UPCOMING DATES:

March 1st- Multicultural Fair at 5:00-7:30 PM

March 7th- Kona Ice after school

March 11th - 15th  Spring BREAK!

March 20th- Field Trip to Bob Bullock Museum

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Megan

February 23, 2024

Dear Parents,

What a week!  We have only been here for four days, but we have managed to accomplish quite a bit. I hope you enjoyed that little gem of some extra family time this week. This week in writing, we practiced independently crafting an argumentative response to text based on a novel we have been reading and continued to study grammar in popular song lyrics.  This week our karaoke session was to “The Story of My Life.” Our class is quite the little group of performers!  We also concluded our study of the Texas Revolution and the road to statehood.  In math we continued our work on comparing decimals and placing hundredths and tenths on a numberline. In reading this week we reviewed key concepts like fact vs. opinion and context clues. We will work our way back into Nonfiction and the different text structures nonfiction can be written in.

BOB BULLOCK FIELD TRIP:

Last week a permission slip went home about our upcoming field trip to Bob Bullock Museum. When returning the permission slip, please make sure that you sign the back and send in $6.00 to cover the expenses for your child. If you forgot to sign the back, I will send it home in your child’s Homework Folder. Please return it to school as soon as possible. Also, we would love to have parent chaperones on this trip to make it more enjoyable for the students as they tour through the museum. If you would like to accompany your child on this field trip, please let me know by next Friday, March 1st. I will reach out to those interested and provide further information. 

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Nonfiction Text Structures: Description, Compare/Contrast

Reading Homework :: WEEK 2 Due on Friday using and article from the National Geographic magazine link found in the Schoology Writing Course

                Mrs. Christie’s Reading Class Activities: B, E , H

Writing :: Argumentative Extended Constructed Responses,  Edit and Revision process; Grammar:: Capitalization

Spelling :: Week 17 - Homework is due Thursday, Test is on Friday

TX History:: Road to Statehood concludes on Tuesday

Science:: Patterns of the Earth

Math :: Reviewing decimals to the hundredths place - TEST on Thursday

UPCOMING DATES:

March 11th - 15th  Spring BREAK!! (how is this happening already?!)

March 20th: Bob Bullock Field trip (Start thinking now about joining us as a parent chaperone!!) 

Have a wonderful weekend,

Megan

February 2, 2024

Dear Parents,

It is finally February!  January always seems like it is twice as long as all of the other months in the year.  It is crazy to think that we only have 5 weeks until spring break!  In reading we continued our unit on dramas by writing scripts to retell traditional literature stories.  I’m excited for the students to create the final project next week by “acting” out their scripts.  In writing, students worked on an informational extended constructed response to an article they read.  This week we also concluded our fraction unit, and in Texas History, we began learning about the major people linked to the Texas Revolution.

INTERIM TESTING NEXT WEEK

Students will be taking the STAAR Interim tests next week.  It is very important that students charge their Chromebooks at home each night and bring them back to school as these tests are conducted on the computer.  Please help your child remember to keep their Chromebooks charged next week.  Students will take the Reading/Language Arts test on Monday and the Math test on Wednesday.

VALENTINE’S DAY PARTY

We will be having a Valentine’s Day party in class on Wednesday, February 14th. We are asking that students bring in their Valentines and Valentine boxes/bags on Tuesday, February 13th. 

FROM THE LIBRARY: BLUEBONNET VOTING & BATTLE INFORMATION

Voting: Many of our 3rd - 5th graders have been diligently reading through the 2023-24 Texas Bluebonnet Award Master List this year! Students must read at least 5 to vote for this prestigious award. Voting will take place next week during library time. 

Battle: Students who have read at least 17 from the list by Wed, Feb 14 can take part in our campus-wide Battle of the Bluebonnets on Friday, Feb 16 at 3:00. The top two  will join our CCE team for the district battle in March.

Click here for more info about voting and battling!

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Elements of Drama: Script writing and producing

Writing :: Informational Extended Constructed Response

Spelling :: Week 14 - Homework is due Thursday, Test is on Friday

Texas History :: Texas Revolution 

Math :: Decimals

UPCOMING DATES:

February 13th: Boxes/Bags Due

February 14th: Valentine’s Day Party, 2:00pm (no siblings, please)

February 19th:  Teacher Work Day/ Student Holiday

Have a wonderful weekend!

January 26, 2024

Dear Parents,

I hope you’ve as much fun as we have this week! Thank you to all of you who showed up in support of STEAM night on Thursday.  It was so enjoyable interacting with all the families!  In Reading we began our study of drama and began planning out our own retellings of a traditional literature story in the form of a script. In math we continued to study fractions. We also concluded our study of slow changes to land and will be transitioning to Texas History next week.  In Writing we continued to work on our skill of making and supporting claims in argumentative writing. 

AUTHOR VISIT ON MONDAY

PJ Hoover will be visiting with our 4th graders on Monday.  If you ordered books directly from the author, the books will be available on Monday, and Ms. Hoover will sign them.  If you bought books from another location, please remember to send them with your child to school on Monday.

VALENTINE’S DAY PARTY

We will be having a Valentine’s Day party in class on Wednesday, February 14th. We are asking that students bring in their Valentines and Valentine boxes/bags on Tuesday, February 13th. If your child would like to write names on the Valentines, a class note with student names went out last week.

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading ::Elements of Drama: Script writing

Writing :: Assessment: Informational Extended Constructed Response (topic sentence, citing evidence to support topic sentence, and explaining how the evidence supports their central idea)

Spelling :: Week 13 - Homework is due Thursday, Test is on Friday

Texas History:: VIPs of the Texas Revolution 

Math :: Fraction Assessment on Friday

UPCOMING DATES:

January 29th: Author Visit 9:30am

February 13th: Boxes/Bags Due

February 14th: Valentine’s Day Party

February 19th:  Teacher Work Day/ Student Holiday

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Megan

January 19th, 2024

Dear Parents,

We had another great week in 4th grade!  We wrapped up our traditional literature unit with a focus on legends.  In writing we have started an intense study on how to write while responding to our reading by focusing on providing specific text evidence to support our ideas.  In math we have been adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers with like denominators.  We also continued our study of slow changes to land – weathering, erosion, and deposition.  .

Valentine’s Day Party and Prep

We will be having a Valentine’s Day party on Wednesday, February 14th at 2:00pm.  Students will need to decorate their own box or bag to receive Valentine’s from their classmates.  Please make sure their name is clearly visible to those who will be delivering to their box/bag. Boxes and Valentines can be brought to school no sooner than Tuesday, February 13th.  Students received a list of classmates on Thursday and placed it in their Homework folder. Many also wrote their First Grade Reading buddy name at the bottom. Students are welcome to make valentines for students in other classes.

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Elements of Drama

Writing :: Argumentative Extended Constructed Response

Spelling :: Week 12 - Homework is due Thursday, Test is on Friday

Science:: Changes to Land - Weathering, Erosion, Deposition

Math :: Fractions

UPCOMING DATES:

January 25th - Spring Picture Day

February 12th - can bring in Valentines and your box/bag

February 14th - Valentine’s Day Party, 2:00pm

Have a wonderful weekend!

Megan

January 14, 2024

Dear Parents,

Fourth grade has had a week full of learning.  We continued our study of traditional literature with a focus on Tall Tales and Fables.  We also started our new grade level read-aloud of the book Restart by Gordon Korman.  It is a great book about someone who gets the chance to make a new name for themselves, and I know the kids are going to love the story.  In writing we finished writing our New Year’s Resolutions, and we are beginning to look at sentence structure in order to build better sentences in our own writing.  In science we began our unit on weathering, erosion, and deposition, and in math we continued learning about fractions, improper fractions, and mixed numbers.

READING BUDDIES:

Last week our class was paired with our new 1st grade Reading Buddies.  We will be meeting with our Buddies every first and third Friday of the month.  On the third Friday, 4th grade students are responsible for bringing a few books that they believe their Buddy would be interested in.  Students are not allowed to use the CCE library to check out these books, as this would impact the amount of  “everybody” books that are available to the younger grades.  Please have your child look around the house for books that they can bring this Friday.  I do have a few books that they can use, but I have a very limited amount of picture books.

YEARBOOKS:

Each year the PTA creates a 65 page hardcover yearbook that features photos from the wonderful events at Canyon Creek Elementary.  The books are distributed to the students during the last week of school, and it is a tradition to have their friends sign the inside of their book.  If you would like to purchase a CCE 2023-24 yearbook, you can do so using this Balfour link.  Yearbooks are $25.

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading ::Traditional Literature focus on myth and legend 

Writing :: Writing Extended Constructed Responses to Text

Spelling :: Week 11 - Homework is due Thursday, Test is on Friday

Science:: Changes to Land - Weathering, Erosion, Deposition

Math :: Adding and Subtracting Fractions

UPCOMING DATES:

January 15th - 19th - EGGI Week

January 15th -  MLK Day - Student and Staff Holiday

January 18th - Barn Hill Preserve visit

I hope you enjoyed the frigid temps together!

Megan

January 5, 2024

Dear Parents,

It’s great to be back and start a fresh new year together! What a short, but full week we have had. In Reading this week we began our study of Traditional Literature. In Science we have reviewed the components of the water cycle. Ask your kiddo if they can explain what happens!  For Math, we began our unit on fractions. This will continue for the next few weeks. We also set New Year’s Resolutions for ourselves. Be sure to find out what resolution your child made! Hopefully we can keep them for more than a few days! 

CLASSROOM/STUDENT SUPPLIES:

Now that we are halfway through the year, talk with your child and see if any of their supplies may need replenishing. Supplies like pencils, markers, or glue tend to get used up the most. We will replenish all of their color pencils with a box we collected from their beginning of year supplies. 

Ordering STAAR Practice Workbooks

If you would like to purchase 4th grade STAAR practice workbooks to use at home for additional practice, please use this link to select the items you would like to purchase.  Please note that this is completely optional.  Fourth grade currently only has 9 orders for the 4th grade math workbooks, and we need to have at least 15 in order to be able to place the bulk order. 

If your child is in TAG math, you will need to purchase the 5th grade practice workbook as they will be taking the 5th grade STAAR test in the spring.  Please use this link to purchase the 5th grade book.

A NOTE FROM THE LIBRARY:

Award winning author, P.J. (Connor) Hoover, will be visiting CCE 3rd - 5th graders on January 29. Ms. Hoover is the author of many books including the interactive Pick Your Own Quest series and Tut: The Story of My Immortal Life (great for Percy Jackson fans). Her presentation is based on her new book, Write Your Own Quest, a super-fun book that leads kids through the process of creating and writing their own interactive adventures! 

Click here to pre-order a book from the quest series for $7 or feel free to bring any of her books to be signed. A hardcopy of the form will also be coming home.

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading ::Traditional Literature Focus: Myth and Fables (trickster characters) 

Writing :: Final Copy of New Year’s Resolution, Review of Types of Sentences

Spelling :: Week 10 - Homework is due Thursday, Test is on Friday

Science :: Changes to Land - Weathering, Erosion, Deposition

Math :: Fractions - comparing fractions

UPCOMING DATES:

January 12th - Order forms due to the library to reserve a signed book from PJ Hoover

January 19th - Report Cards come home (please return the provided envelope)

January 15th -  MLK Day - Student and Staff Holiday, No School

January 16th - 19th Red Ribbon Week (optional dress up days listed on paper coming in Tuesday Folders this week)

January 18th - Barn Hill Preserve visit

January 25th - Steam Night

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Megan

December 15, 2023

Dear Parents,

Wow! We made it to winter break! Thank you so much for all of your generosity and support this year. The kids had a fabulous last day of school full of food, crafts, movies, and games!  A special thank you to our Room Parents  and volunteers for hosting a fabulous holiday party.  And thank you to all of the parents who were able to attend the festivities! I Love my green Stanley and Amazon gift card from the class!  Thank you so much for the generosity from all of you!  I truly am  thankful and blessed to have each of your families apart of my life this year!

This week, we completed our biography reports and participated in Hour of Code. We also reviewed and tested in both reading and math. Everyone has worked very hard this semester, and this break is well deserved!  Enjoy the rest and relaxation!

ORDERING STAAR PRACTICE MATERIALS

If you would like to purchase 4th grade STAAR practice workbooks to use at home for additional practice, please use this link to select the items you would like to purchase.  Please note that this is completely optional.

If your child is in TAG math, you will need to purchase the 5th grade practice workbook as they will be taking the 5th grade STAAR test in the spring.  Please use this link to purchase the 5th grade book.

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Traditional Literature

Writing :: Expository Paragraph

Spelling :: no spelling until the week of January 8th 2024!

Math :: Fractions

Science:: The Water Cycle

UPCOMING DATES:

December 15  Winter Break Begins

January 4th - Back to school and Barn Hill Preserve

Have a very wonderful Winter Break! 

Megan

December 8th, 2023

Dear Parents,

I cannot believe we are looking at only four more days until our first semester of fourth grade is completed. Time sure does fly!  Thank you to all the volunteers and homeroom moms for your help gathering supplies for our Winter Party on Thursday. 

This week we completed editing and revising our biography reports, reviewed simple machines in science, learned more about Stephen F. Austin and the “Old 300” and became more confident in our long division skills.We will have our long division test on Tuesday, December 12th. Any extra practice at home would be very helpful!  We will continue to review these concepts throughout the year. 

ORDERING STAAR PRACTICE MATERIALS

If you would like to purchase 4th grade STAAR practice workbooks to use at home for additional practice, please use this link to select the items you would like to purchase.  Please note that this is completely optional.

If your child is in TAG math, you will need to purchase the 5th grade practice workbook as they will be taking the 5th grade STAAR test in the spring.  Please use this link to purchase the 5th grade book.

From the Library: Schlitterbahn Waves of Pages Challenge is HERE!

Students who read at least 10 hours between next week and February 22 will receive prizes from the library AND a free ticket to Schlitterbahn in April (read the fine print on the log for valid days)! Reading to your child & audiobooks count! Reading logs should be in Tuesday folders. Digital copies and more information can be found on the CCE Library Website. Happy Reading!!

SCIENCE FAIR!

Canyon Creek Comets, demonstrate your passion for science by entering a SCIENCE FAIR project! This year, Science Fest will be held in person on February 23rd at the Palmer Events Center. All grades are encouraged to participate, and projects from grades 3-5 will undergo judging with the opportunity to advance to the Greater Austin Regional Science Engineering Fair.

The deadline for project submissions is Friday morning, January 12, 2024. We will arrange a school-level judging event, and more details will be provided soon.

Students interested in participating can access entry forms and guidelines at https://austinscience.org/elementary.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact CCE PTA Science Fair Program Lead, Latha Sudharsan, at latha.sudharsan@gmail.com.

UPCOMING UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Biography Unit Concluded

Writing :: Biographies - complete final copy and turn in

Spelling :: no spelling until the week of January 8th 2024!

Science:: Simple Machines

Math :: Long Division and Multiplication practice ( A REVIEW went home in Homework Folders on Friday - please use this to study for our district assessment of multiplication and division on Tuesday)

UPCOMING DATES:

December 14 - Holiday parties at 2:00

December 15 - January 4 - Winter Break

January 4- Barn Hill Preserve (permission slip required to attend)

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Megan

December 1, 2023

Dear Parents,

Wow!  I am so impressed with our class performance for Coffee House Poetry!  Each student worked so very hard on not only memorizing their mentor poem, but also reciting their poems with feeling, articulation, and volume.  I am so proud!  Thank you so much for joining us for this treasured event!  I also want to give a special thank you to our room parents for decorating Coffee House Poetry, for providing our special “wrap party” snacks and hot chocolate, and for helping with the take down.  Thank you to all the fabulous parents who helped make this day one for the books! My heart is full!!! Feel free to add any group shots to our class folder of pictures for Coffee House!

We have completed poetry, and we are now in the middle of writing our biography reports after spending a week researching our famous people.  I’m excited to see the students grow in their writing.  In math we have begun tackling long division and dividing by 1-digit divisors.  It takes some time to build that “muscle memory” -- there are a lot of steps to long division!  Any practice done at home will be a huge help. Our long division unit exam will be on Tuesday December 12th.

Holly Jolly Days!

Students are welcome to participate in our staff days celebrating the winter holidays! The more, the merrier! I sent you a picture of a calendar this morning that shows all the JOLLY days from now until the winter break. Feel free to participate in those days that are convenient to do so. No pressure to get them all in!!! 

UNITS OF STUDY

Reading :: Biographies - How Authors’ Lives Influence Their Writing

Writing :: Editing & Revising Biography Reports 

Spelling :: Week 9 - HW due Thursday, Test on Friday

Texas History :: Stephen F. Austin and the Old 300

Math :: Long Division

UPCOMING DATES

December 14 - Holiday Party, 2:00pm

December 15 - January 3 - Winter Break

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Megan

November 17, 2023

Dear Parents,

Happy Thanksgiving break! I hope you have a wonderful week spending time together and reflecting on what you have to be so very thankful for! As I look around our classroom and see your kiddos working and enjoying one another - I am so grateful for each and everyone of them being in my class this year. Thank you for trusting me this year with such a treasured "possession" - I do not take that lightly. All my gratitude! 

We had a very productive week!  On Monday and Tuesday we took our fall interims in english-language arts and math.  Also, this week, students chose a person of interest to research and spent time reading and taking notes for their upcoming biography essay.  We took our assessment over multiplication in math, and in Texas history we learned about the Spanish missions in Texas and even drew our own diagrams of a mission.

Mentor Poem

Please help your child memorize their mentor poem.  Poems must be memorized by Monday, November 27th. This will count as an assessment grade and will be recited for memory at Coffee House Poetry.

Coffee House Poetry

The students have been working very hard, and they are now ready to show off their creativity!  Please join us for our annual Coffee House Poetry on Friday, December 1st at 9:45am in the Canyon Creek Coffee House (science lab). We will have coffee and snacks for you to enjoy as you listen to the amazing poetry written by the students.  Have your snaps ready to applaud our poets!  Please let me know if you and other family members  plan on attending so we can have badges pre-printed in the office.  Everyone will need to have their photo ID in order to enter the building.  Thank you to all of the volunteers for decorating the coffee house.  The students will be so excited when they see it!

UNITS OF STUDY

Reading :: Literary Nonfiction - Biographies

Writing :: Note Taking and Writing Biographies 

Spelling :: No spelling for the week of November 27th

Texas History  :: Stephen F. Austin and the Old 300

Math :: Long Division

UPCOMING DATES

November 20th- 24th: Thanksgiving Break

November 27th: Mentor Poem must be memorized

December 1st: Coffee House Poetry, 9:45 am.

December 1st: Holiday Fair

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

Megan

November 10, 2003

Dear Parents,

Whew! Our marathon of poetry writing has “drawn to a close.” I’ve been impressed with their analyzing poetry and creation of original works. In Texas History this week, they learned about the colonization of North America. For math, students continued to work on the algorithm for two digit by two digit multiplication as well as the area models to strengthen their understanding of “why” the algorithm works. Looking forward, we will continue to work on the two digit by two digit multiplication. 

MENTOR POEM 

Please help your child memorize their mentor poem. They should be able to recite about half of the lines so far.  Poems must be memorized by Monday, November 27th. This will count as an assessment grade and will be recited for memory at Coffee House Poetry.

STAAR MASTER WORKBOOKS

Each year we give parents the option to purchase STAAR Math and Reading/Language Arts practice books.  These books are used for at-home practice and are completely optional.   We have to purchase a minimum of 15 of each book and the exact price is based on the amount of books purchased.  If you would like to purchase either one or both of these books, please let us know so we can figure out the exact cost. Each book will cost between $16-$20 plus a service fee.  

Once we know how many total books Fourth Grade parents want to purchase, we will send out information on the exact price and how to order. 

If you are interested, please fill out this Google Form by the end of this weekend.

(Please note that math TAG students will need to purchase the 5th grade level math workbook as they will be taking the 5th grade Math STAAR.)

UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Literary Nonfiction - biographies. Students will research a person of interest.

Writing :: Biographies - students will work to take notes daily on different topics for their person of interest.

Spelling :: Week 8, homework due on Thursday, test of Friday (no spelling week of November 29th)

Texas History :: Day in the life of a Spanish Mission

Math :: Multiplication of 2-digit by 2-digit numbers

UPCOMING DATES:

November 20th - 24th - Thanksgiving Break

November 27th - Mentor Poem must be memorized

November 30th- Coffee House Poetry for Mrs. Christie and Mrs. Siwek (more details to come)

December 1st - Coffee House Poetry for Mrs. Babbitt (more details to come)

Have a wonderful weekend!

Megan

November 3, 2023

Dear Parents,

We began this week on a sad note as we laid to rest many overused words from our writing.  Thank you to all of you who were able to join us as we celebrated these words and the new words that will take their place.  We have been hard at work this week analyzing poems, and students have been writing their own poetry.  I can not wait for the students to showcase their creativity next month during Coffee House Poetry!  Be on the lookout for details coming soon on this beloved 4th grade event.   In Texas history, we are discussing the events that led to the European colonization of the Americas, and in math we started our multiplication of large numbers unit.  We have been busy!

MENTOR POEM

This week your child selected a mentor poem that will be memorized and recited at Coffee House Poetry which is on Thursday, November 30th at 8:00am.  The mentor poem is a piece of poetry written by a published author, and it must be at least 16 lines long.  Your child is to type their mentor poem in their poetry book in Schoology.  Once it is printed, students are required to illustrate the poem with a border that represents the poem (an example is provided below).  Please help your child memorize their mentor poem.  Poems must be memorized by November 27th.

STAAR MASTER WORKBOOKS

Each year we give parents the option to purchase STAAR Math and Reading/Language Arts practice books.  These books are used for at-home practice and are completely optional.   We have to purchase a minimum of 15 of each book and the exact price is based on the amount of books purchased.  If you would like to purchase either one or both of these books, please let us know so we can figure out the exact cost. Each book will cost between $16-$20 plus a service fee.  

Once we know how many total books Fourth Grade parents want to purchase, we will send out information on the exact price and how to order.

If you are interested, please fill out this Google Form by Friday, November 11th.

FROM THE LIBRARY

Book Fair is here! 

Thursday, 11/9 - Friday, 11/17, 7:20 AM - 3:30 PM

Late night shopping: Thurs, 11/9 until 5:30 PM, then again 6:30 PM - 7: 30 PM

Funds raised through the book fair support all CCE students by funding library programs like author visits, campus educational resources such as Discovery Ed & Tumblebooks, Kindergarten & 5th grade gift books, and more!

UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Analyzing Poetry - TEST on THURSDAY - Study the Figurative Language puzzle pieces!

Writing :: Writing Poetry

** You may see poetry come home for homework over the next few weeks. We have dedicated class time to complete all the work, but some may need just a bit more time to type or illustrate their personal poems.

Spelling :: no spelling this week, complete poetry

Texas History :: European Exploration, Colonization, and Spanish Missions

Math :: Multiplication 2-digit by 2-digit

UPCOMING DATES:

November 9th – 17th - Scholastic Book Fair

November 10th - No School, Staff Development

November 20th - 24th - Thanksgiving Break, no school

Have a wonderful weekend!

October 27, 2022

Dear Parents,

This week we started our poetry unit where we analyzed figurative language in order to determine the meaning of the poem.  We also began writing our own poems including an acrostic and a couplet.  We can’t wait to show off our writing skills during Coffee House Poetry our first week back from Thanksgiving.  We started our multiplication unit this week, also.  This is the time of year where it is very important for students to be fluent in their multiplication and division facts in order for the new concepts of 2-digit multiplication and long division to not be too difficult to complete.  In science we completed our Forms of Energy unit and started learning about insulators and conductors. Thank you to all the families for sending in the D cell batteries. We will continue to use them next week as we explore more about circuits.

Dead Word Funeral

Please join us in honoring our dearly departed words on Tuesday, October 31st at 7:50am at the “Canyon Creek Cemetery” (the picnic tables).  Ms. Thigpen will give the eulogy, and there will be a time to capture memories of this solemn event.  Please have your child wear black as we are in mourning for our overused words.  (Students will be able to change after the funeral)

MENTOR POEM:: VERY IMPORTANT

This week your child will select a mentor poem that will be memorized and recited at Coffee House Poetry which is on November 30th at 8:00am.  The mentor poem is a piece of poetry written by a published author, and it must be at least 16 lines long.  Your child is to type their mentor poem in their poetry book in Schoology.  Once it is printed, students are required to illustrate the poem with a border that represents the poem.  Please help your child memorize their mentor poem.  Poems must be memorized by November 27th and ready to recite for Coffee House Poetry that Thursday morning. We will be having frequent check ins to make sure students are actively working to make progress memorizing their poems. 

Crossing Guard Sign Up

A Canyon Creek parent created this sign up to cover more crosswalks around CCE. Please use this link to find a time that works for you if you are able! LINK

UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Analyzing Poetry

Writing :: Writing Poetry

** You may see poetry come home for homework over the next few weeks. We have dedicated class time to complete all the work, but some may need just a bit more time to type or illustrate their personal poems.

Spelling :: No spelling this week due to additional time that may need to be spent at home on poetry

Science :: Electric Circuits

Texas History :: European Exploration

Math :: Multiplication Unit (Know those facts!)

UPCOMING DATES:

October 31st - Dead Word Project Due and Dead Word Funeral

November 6th – 9th - Scholastic Book Fair

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Megan

October 20th, 2023

Dear Parents,

I loved seeing everyone come out for the Trunk or Treat! What an amazing week to be a CCE Fourth Grader! We kicked off the week learning about procedural text with our Owl Cupcakes. Thank you to all the families for your donations to this activity. In math the students are finishishing up their Geometry unit and beginning to review for our exam on Tuesday. We also finished up our Favorite Time of Year expository compositions. We have a long way to go, but I’m proud of where we are! In science we began our study of energy that will lead into our study of circuits next week - it’s always a fan favorite!   I have also included a link to our classroom photo drive. I will add photos and videos of various activities throughout the year. 

Action Items for  Science

We will begin learning about circuits next week in science! In order to have a successful lab, we are asking for each child to bring in a D- Cell battery from Monday to Wednesday of this week. This will be for a science lab as we study circuits this week. 

Geometry Study

We will be wrapping up our unit on Geometry next week. In an effort for each child to be prepared for the exam, please review some of the vocabulary words provided below with your child. I also sent home some pages that have been graded to use as a review of what their strengths are and areas still needing work. There are some practice pages in their homework folder if they need additional practice. These do not need to be returned and are optional to be completed at your discretion for review for the geometry test on Tuesday. 

• Polygon

• Parallel lines

• Perpendicular lines

• Right angle

• Obtuse angle

• Acute angle

• Congruent

• Finding the degrees of an angle on a protractor whether the ray starting at zero or not

Dead Word Funeral Project 

Just a reminder - the Dead Word Funeral project is due on October 31st and can be brought in as early as October 27th. Please have your child wear all black on the 31st, if possible, due to this solemn event.  Parents are welcome to attend the funeral march which will begin after the morning broadcast.  We will make our way to the CCE cemetery (picnic tables) where the eulogy will be said.

Red Ribbon Week: Living Happy, Healthy Lives!

Monday ::  Wear a college, military, or other post-secondary education shirt!

Tuesday :: Dress in your favorite decade’s style!

Wednesday :: Wear mismatched clothes, socks, shoes, and/or crazy hair!

Thursday :: Wear your favorite pajamas!

Friday :: Dress in your fanciest Red Carpet look! 

UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Analyzing Poetry

Writing :: Writing Poetry

** You may see poetry come home for homework over the next few weeks. We have dedicated class time to complete all the work, but some may need just a bit more time to type or illustrate their personal poems.

Spelling :: Week 7, Homework due on Thursday, Test on Friday

Science :: Electric Circuits

**Please bring in a D-Cell battery for science next week to explore electricity and circuits**

Math :: Multiplication Unit

UPCOMING DATES:

October 23rd-27th - Red Ribbon Week

October 31st - Dead Word Project Due and Dead Word Funeral at 8:00

November 9th:: Veteren’s Day Performance 8:00 AM & Bookfair Kickoff 

November 10th:: Student Holiday/Teacher Work Day

I hope you had a wonderful weekend!!

Megan

October 13, 2023

Dear Parents,

For it being a short school week, we sure did accomplish a lot!  In reading, we continued our study of nonfiction text by looking at the different text structures authors use to give information.  As writers, we are learning how to write an expository text about our favorite time of year.  In Texas History, we spent the week learning about how the indigenous people of Texas lived.  We especially enjoyed telling a story by illustrating on a “buffalo hide”.  As mathematicians, we continued our study of geometry, and this week we focused on angles. 

DEAD WORD FUNERAL PROJECT

Just a reminder - the Dead Word Funeral project is due on October 31st. Projects can be brought in for display as early as Friday, October 27th. 

*** Remember to include all 5 components of the project as listed on the project sheet***

UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Procedural Text - Owl Cupcake

Writing :: Expository Writing - Favorite Time of Year

Spelling :: Week 6 - Homework due on Thursday, test on Friday

Science :: Forms of Energy

Math :: Polygons and Lines of Symmetry

UPCOMING DATES:

October 20th: CCE Trunk or Treat

October 31st: Dead Word Project Due (can bring to school starting on Oct. 27th)

October 31st: Dead Word Funeral Procession 8:00am

October 6. 2023

Dear Parents,

We have had another busy week in fourth grade! This week, we learned about nonfiction text features and text structures.   We also continued our study of the difference between narrative writing and expository writing by editing some “blah” paragraphs.  We deepened our knowledge of geometry with a study of new vocabulary and skill specific terms.  We also studied many of the Native Tribes that lived in what is now our state of Texas. 

And to top off this amazing week, we had a wonderful field trip to the Meadows Center.  We learned about water conservation, the Edwards Aquifer, and all of the wildlife that lives in and around Spring Lake.  We even took a glass bottom boat ride to see the fish and the natural springs of Spring Lake!  The weather was amazing, and we had an incredible time!

Procedural Text Project Donation

Every year 4th grade students create an Owl Cupcake as part of our lesson on nonfiction reading, text features, and writing a procedural text.  Please check out our Owl Cupcake Sign Up if you could provide some of the materials needed for this project.  Thank you!!

Dead Word Funeral Project

Students brought home their Dead Word Funeral Project this week. Your child has been assigned a ‘dead’ word and they are responsible for coming up with ‘surviving’ synonyms. Your child will be creating a freestanding tombstone (or coffin) and bringing it to school on October 31st. As a grade level, we will be having a ‘Dead Word Funeral’ on October 31st. A sample project is shown above.  Please note that NOT all of the 5 requirements are shown in the picture.  Please see your child’s project sheet to see all of the parts needed for a complete project.

Fall Parent Conferences

It was so wonderful being able to meet with each of you. I loved putting parent faces to these sweeties you share with me each day! Thank you so much!  If you ever need to reach out, have a question, or concern, please do not hesitate to ask.   

Chromebook Storage

Just a reminder that Chromebooks will come home on Fridays to charge over the weekend, and will need to be brought back and left at school for the week. 

UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Nonfiction Text Structures

Writing :: Expository Writing & Simple, Compound, and Complex Sentences

Spelling :: Week 5 - Homework due on Thursday, test on Friday

Texas History: Native Groups in Texas

Math :: Geometry Terms

UPCOMING DATES:

October 9th: Teacher Work Day - No School!

October 13th: End of First Nine Weeks

October 20th: CCE Trunk or Treat

October 31st: Dead Word Project Due (can bring to school starting on Oct. 27th)

October 31st: Dead Word Funeral Procession 8:00am

Have a wonderful long  weekend!

October 1, 2023

Dear Parents,

What a WONDERful day we’ve spent together! This week we concluded the novel Wonder, worked on understanding the difference between narrative and expository essays, finished up our unit on addition and subtraction, and completed our Force and Motion unit. The students loved creating and implementing experiments proving force using Hot Wheels.

MEADOWS CENTER

On Friday, October 6th we will take our first field trip to the Meadows Center in San Marcos. We will not need parent chaperones for this trip. Please have your child wear comfortable shoes for walking and being outdoors. Your child will need to bring a sack lunch and a hearty snack as we will be eating at different times than usual.

CHROMEBOOK STORAGE

Just a reminder that Chromebooks will come home on Fridays to charge over the weekend, and will need to be brought back and left at school for the week. As of now, for our purposes, the chromebooks seem to be holding their charge.

UNITS OF STUDY:

Reading :: Begin a study of informational text

Writing :: Narrative Writing Concluded, begin expository and begin our Dead Word Project 

Spelling :: Week 4 - Homework due on Thursday, test on Friday

Texas History:: Native American groups in Texas (Bring in a flat, smooth river rock - about palm sized by Wednesday)

Math :: Measuring and classifying angles 

UPCOMING DATES:

October 6th:: Meadows Center Field Trip

October 9th: Teacher Work Day - No School!

October 13th: End of First Nine Weeks…. How did that happen so fast!!!???

Have a wonderful rest of your weekend,

Megan

September 22, 2023

Dear Parents,

What a quick week! We began our force and motion unit in science this week and will venture into exploration next week with Hot Wheels! We completed our own Bad Kitty stories this week.  We had a great time putting Kitty in a brand new setting with a new plot for her to explore.  These stories with their illustrations will be displayed in the hallway – be sure to look for your child’s story if you come to an in person fall conference in the next couple of weeks.   In reading we continued our study of Wonder and analyzing the characters and building our strategies to respond to questions using text evidence. In math we continued our unit on adding and subtracting large numbers.

PARENT CONFERENCES

Next week I will begin meeting with all of you for our annual Fall Parent Conference. Each conference will be 20 minutes in length. Due to conferences scheduled back to back, I will need to honor that time to respect the time of other parents. If your conference time is scheduled after 3:30, I will meet you at the side doors that face the track, (Kinder dismissal doors) so I can let you in. If it is before 3:30, you will need to check in through the front office before proceeding up to our classroom (room 202). If you have not yet scheduled a conference time, please do so using our link  this link.  I am also available to have conferences virtually.

DONATION REQUEST

Your child received a donation form to cover the costs of the events this school year in this week’s Tuesday folder. The room parents are requesting a donation of $15 by September 29th. Students can return the form along with cash, check (made out to: Marissa Kashani) or Venmo (@marissa-kashani) .  Thank you for your assistance and generosity. 

MEADOWS CENTER

On Friday, October 6th we will take our first field trip to the Meadows Center in San Marcos. We will not need parent chaperones for this trip. Please have your child wear comfortable shoes for walking and being outdoors. Also, they will need a sack lunch from home. We will eat in our classrooms when we return back to CCE. . Students will also have an opportunity to have a snack before leaving for the field trip. If you have not already done so, please return the green permission form and $2 to me by Friday, September 29th.

WONDER

We will be completing our unit study of the fictional story of Wonder by watching the 2017 movie.  You can view the movie trailer and read a synopsis about the film here.  Please let me know if you’d rather your child not watch the movie on Friday. 

UNITS OF STUDY

Reading :: Complete the Book Study of Wonder

Writing :: Narrative vs Expository Text; Capitalization

Spelling :: Week 3 - Homework Due Thursday, Test on Friday

Science :: Investigation of Forces using Hot Wheels

Math :: Adding and Subtracting Large Numbers

UPCOMING DATES

September 25th - Staff Development, No School

September 30th: - PTA Fun Run

October 6th - Meadows Center field trip

Have a great LONG weekend! 

Megan

September 15, 2023

Dear Families,

It was great seeing many of you at our Parent Information Night meeting last night. For those of you who were unable to attend, I did send out the slide presentation that contains the information discussed.  Please let me know if you have any questions about the school year.

It is time for fall conferences. I am available for both in person and virtual conferences this year.  Please use this link to sign up for a conference time.  Please email me if you’d prefer to have a virtual conference or make a note of it on the Sign-Up. I look forward to meeting with each of you to get some more focused time together one on one! Also, a pink paper should come home today that will help me prepare for conferences. It is a list of strengths and areas for improvement that you feel we could address together this year. The students have done their part already. Please select 2-3 strengths and 2-3 areas for improvement. If possible, please have this returned by Monday, September 18th. Thank you! 

In math, we began our unit on addition and subtraction of larger numbers.  We observed internal and external conflicts while analyzing the characters in Wonder. In writing, we completed our rough draft of our Bad Kitty stories and reviewed nouns and adjectives.  Lastly, we studied map features by creating “Islands of Our Own” with directions of latitude and longitude, and made a digital overlay map of Texas with its many regions, landforms, rivers, and resources. Have your students show you this work! They really go into making it their own with adding transitions!

Spelling

Please remind your child to complete their spelling homework. Going forward, the spelling page is due every Thursday. 

Multiplication Facts

Please continue practicing multiplication facts 0-10 with your child. Being able to recall multiplication and division facts quickly will make our upcoming long division unit in math less difficult.

UNITS OF STUDY

Reading :: Plot and Summarization, continue Wonder

Writing :: Final Copy of our Bad Kitty Stories

Grammar:: Complete subjects and complete predicates

Spelling :: Week 2 - homework due on Thursday, test on Friday

Science :: Forces

Math :: 9-digit Numbers; Addition and Subtraction, strip diagrams to represent addition and subtraction 

UPCOMING DATES

September 25th: Staff Development, No School

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Megan

September 8, 2023

Dear Parents,

How is it that the shortest weeks are always the longest??! We have accomplished quite a bit in these past four days. We continued our study of the relationship between nine digit numbers, enjoyed the life of Auggie Pullman through the reading of Wonder, solved a crime scene with our expert inferencing skills, began brainstorming for our "Bad Kitty" stories, and dipped our toe into Texas History with a study of all four geographical regions. Phew! We were busy!

!! CHROMEBOOKS PLEASE READ !!

All students will need their chromebooks each day next week, fully charged and ready to go. We will be using them in math everyday and Texas History Thursday - Friday. Thank you for your help and flexibility with this.

SPELLING

Your child received the spelling homework pages for the remainder of the year in their homework folder. They are located in the page protector that has been placed in the folder brads. We will begin on Week 1. They have written the 18 spelling words for their test next week in their planners.  Please check thier list. If all 18 are not there, they will have time on Monday to get the list and copy them again. They will use these 18 words to complete the Week 1 homework page. This homework page will be due every Thursday morning, neat and complete. In addition to providing an understanding of the spelling patterns or words for the week, the homework page is a small step in building the responsibility of having assigned homework with a due date. The page can be done anytime before Thursday, but not collected before then. 

MULTIPLICATION FACTS

Please continue practicing multiplication facts 0-10 with your child. Being able to recall multiplication and division facts quickly will make our upcoming long division unit in math less difficult.

PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT

Fourth Grade Parent Information Night will be held the evening of Thursday, September 14th from 5:30pm - 6:00pm.  We will meet to discuss the year and answer any questions. There will also be a PTA meeting in the cafeteria immediately following from 6:00-6:30.

UNITS OF STUDY

Reading :: Plot, continue Wonder

Writing :: Fiction Writing, Adjectives

Spelling :: Week 1 (list of 18 words in the planner)

Texas History :: Mapping and Map Skills

Math :: 9-digit Numbers; Addition and Subtraction

UPCOMING DATES

September 14th: Picture Day (order online or return picture money envelope)

September 14th: Parent Info. Night

 -TAG- 5:00-5:30

 -4th Grade 5:30- 6:00

- PTA Meeting at 6:00 in the cafeteria. 

September 25th: Staff Development, No School

I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Megan

September 1, 2023

Dear Parents,

Wow!  We had a busy week full of learning!  In reading, we focused on analyzing character traits while reading Wonder.  We completed a project in which we focused on the main character, Auggie, and used text evidence to prove two of his many character traits.  We also worked on revising our first personal narrative piece describing a “Short”  moment from this past summer.  In math we did an intense study in place value of 6-digit numbers.  We also conducted lab experiments in science where we separated different materials from each other in various mixtures. Next week we will begin our study of Texas History!

THANK YOU!

A huge thank you and shout out to Marissa Kashani for stepping up to be our homeroom parent this year! I’m sure she would appreciate all the help she can get, so please reach out to her if you  are able and willing to help with activities throughout the year!  

PARENT VOLUNTEER

If you would like to volunteer in the classroom this year, help set up for parties/special events, or chaperone field trips, you will need to be on the approved volunteer list for RRISD. Every volunteer is required to resubmit this form each year. The process takes several days, so please do not wait! Here is the link! :)  Volunteer Application 

Library Sign Up Genius LINK - must be an approved volunteer for this current school year

MULTIPLICATION FACTS

Continue to build those skills by studying each night! You can use the little benchmark “quizzes” to see what facts your child is still uncertain of. The first week quiz should have already come home in their homework folder or Tuesday folder. We took another one today and we talked about the goal is to just improve from the week before anyway they can even if that only means by one.  When your student has shown mastery of their multiplication facts, I will move them on to division.

SAVE THE DATE!

Fourth Grade Parent Information Night will be held the evening of Thursday, September 14th  from 5:30pm - 6:00pm. We will meet to discuss the year and answer any questions.

UNITS OF STUDY

Reading :: Making Inferences Using Text Evidence

Writing :: Fiction Writing; Adverbs

Spelling :: Non Negotiable Words - List 3, test on Friday

Texas History :: Regions of Texas

Math :: Place Value and Rounding Very Large Numbers

UPCOMING DATES

September 4th: Labor Day - No School

September 14th: Parent Information Night 5:30pm

Have a great LONG weekend!

Megan

August 25, 2023

Dear Parents,

Happy Friday! We made it through our first full week! I can’t tell you how much I have enjoyed getting to know all the kids this week personally and as learners.  They impress me more and more each day! This week we continued reading the novel Wonder by RJ Palacio. There are so many beautiful life lessons to unpack in this book. In writing, we began to look at the writing process of a personal narrative as we exploded a moment from our short, short summer. During our math time we discussed the importance of a growth mindset, established positive group norms, and reviewed multiplication.  We reviewed science safety procedures and tools like the triple beam balance, and we began our exploration of matter with a fun investigation in which we practiced finding different properties of different types of matter!

CHROMEBOOKS

Students will be bringing home their Chromebooks every Friday so that they can be charged over the weekend.  Students are able to store their Chromebooks overnight if they do not want to continually bring it back and forth from home everyday, however, we do not have the ability for the Chromebooks to charge overnight in our rooms.  I have instructed the students to watch the battery life of their laptops so that they know if they need to take it home to charge overnight.

HOMEROOM PARENT

Thank you to Marissa Kashani for volunteering to be our homeroom mom!!  With the removal of our library aid position at Canyon Creek, we will be looking to help support Mrs. Bamford in the library this year with an opportunity for parents to volunteer during our library time each week. Our classroom library time for students in my reading class is Fridays, 7:55 - 8:25. Be on the look out for a Sign Up genius coming out if you would like to volunteer on a weekly basis!

SPIRIT DAY ON MONDAY

Monday is National Bow Tie day, so let's dress for success - around the neck, at least! Students and staff can wear a bow tie or similar (folded scarf or bandana, etc) to school on Monday. 

*Full penguin suit is not required ;)

MULTIPLICATION FACTS

If your child is still struggling with multiplication facts 0 - 10, please dedicate some time each evening to review these skills. There are several apps out there to help with building their number (multiplication) fluency and I would be happy to provide pages for you to quiz these skills. Multiplication is such a cornerstone for all of fourth grade math and beyond.

SAVE THE DATE!

Fourth Grade Parent Information Night will be held the evening of Thursday, September 14th  from 5:30pm - 6:00pm. We will meet to discuss the year and answer any questions.

APPS Permission LINK:

PLEASE COMPLETE ONE FORM FOR EACH CCE STUDENT.

Learning Applications Permission form

UNITS OF STUDY

Reading :: Characterization

Writing :: Personal Narrative; Subject/Verb Agreement

Spelling :: Non Negotiable Words - List 2, test on Friday

Science :: Matter and Mixtures & Solutions

Math :: Place Value of Six-Digit Numbers

UPCOMING DATES

September 4th: Labor Day - No School

September 14th: Parent Information Night 5:30pm

Have a great weekend!

Megan

August 18, 2023

Dear Parents - 

These past four days have FLOWN by! I have had such a lovely week getting to know your children. We have spent a lot of time building our classroom community by searching for an “Absent Historian”, playing team building games, and getting to know you gallery walks. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out!  Below is some helpful information for next week.

WONDER

All fourth graders will read Wonder by RJ Palacio. This is a beautiful and beloved story to begin the year as we establish a culture of kindness and acceptance in our classroom. Some students  like to have their own copy to follow along and take notes in, but I do have a class set so every student can follow along as we read.

HEADPHONES/EARBUDS

Each student will need their own personal set of headphones or earbuds. If you could please have these to school on Monday of next week that would be wonderful!  The headphones must be able to fit in your child’s supply box (a plastic shoebox).

SCIENCE SAFETY CONTRACT

Your child has a Science Safety Contract in their homework folder. We went over these expectations as a class to follow as we progress through science this year. They have signed the contract already. For homework, they need to show you the contract and get your initials at the bottom. This is due back on Monday. Thank you!

UNITS OF STUDY

Reading :: Establish Reader’s Workshop

Writing :: Personal Narrative; Verb Tenses

• "ME" Cover Due Monday

Spelling :: Non Negotiable Words - List 1, test on Friday

Science :: Science Safety and Properties of Matter

• Science Safety Contract Signed and returned in HomeWork Folder on Monday

Math :: Setting Positive Math Norms; Place Value

UPCOMING DATES

September 4th: Labor Day - No School

Have a great weekend! 

Megan