Hello Families! 

Reading: This book club round will be fantasy and science fiction books. Students' book club reading, sticky notes, double-entry notes using at least one content imperative with an icon, and an independent unicorn menu activity are due Thursday, April 16th. I encourage you to check in with your child about their book and if they are working on this assignment. It does count as their 30 mins of reading at night.  This round of Book Club will go until Thursday, May 7th. 

Writing: This week in writing, we will be beginning our research project. The driving question for this project is "How did events/people impact the United States in the 20th and 21st Centuries?" Each student will have a different topic to research. Students will start developing deep research questions to begin the research process. Then at the end of the week, students will begin researching their topics using their approved research questions. Their research and their bibliography will be due next week.

Grammar and Word Study: In Grammar, students will continue to review key grammar skills we have learned throughout the year. 

This week in word study, we will focus on different content vocabulary in math and science. This will help students across disciplines. 

Social Studies: We will continue our Industrialization and Urbanization unit. This week, we will discuss the contributions of different immigrant groups to the United States. Then we will learn about the free enterprise system. Students will learn about the characteristics as well as the benefits, and disadvantages of this economic system. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Tuesday, April 14- Science STAAR Test

• Thursday, April 16- Last Day to Order 5th Grade Recognition Ad

• Tuesday, April 21- Math STAAR Test

• Monday, April 27- Friday, May 1- Last Week to Check Out Library Books

• Friday, May 1- Career Day

• Tuesday, May 5- Reunion Ranch Field Trip

• Friday, May 8- Field Day

• Friday, May 8- All Library Books Due

• Monday, May 11- 3rd Grade Economics Fair

• Tuesday, May 12- Flugtag

• Wednesday, May 13 from 8-10 am- TAG Showcase

• Thursday, May 14 at 6:30 pm- Stallion Choir Musical Evening Performance (Families Welcome)

• Friday, May 15 at 8:00 am- Stallion Choir Musical Performance (Students Only)

• Wednesday, May 20- 5th Grade Recognition

• Thursday, May 21- Bye Bye Breakfast

• Thursday, May 21- Last Day of School

We also have an important announcement:

Students should have 48 iReady lessons by the end of this week. Please check with your child to make sure they have 48 passed lessons in reading and in math by the end of the week. 

From the 5th Grade Team

Fill out your RRISD Volunteer Application HERE. This will be needed to volunteer on campus, and often has a turn-around of up to two weeks! This is imperative if you would like to chaperone the Reunion Ranch field trip at the end of the year! 

From PE Coaches

As part of the RRISD 4th and 5th grade Health Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) requirements, classes on maturation and hygiene will be provided for 4th and 5th grade students. Boys and girls will be separated for the instructional program.  

Per HB 1525, districts must receive parent permission for your student to participate in the lessons. Parents MUST opt-in and MUST complete the form in order for the student to participate in the Always Changing videos.

Students will gather during their Specials time. Again, boys and girls will be separated.

Thank you,

Coach Park & Coach Krusely

PTA

PTA Needs New Hands!

Please reach out to Cayla Johnston, Kay Kim, or Erin Bendlin with questions about getting involved in PTA.  There is space for everyone! We need your help to continue the wonderful PTA at Sommer.  

There is no job too small and every part is important!  Find what is right for you!  

Email Sommer Membership for more details. sommerptamembership@gmail.com

And don't forget to watch this fun video of some PTA members who are just looking for a couple extra hands.  We are always laughing while getting it done  in the PTA!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbBSkMo5cTs

Yearbook

Don't forget to purchase your yearbooks!!! Go to Purchase Link or www.treering.com/validate, school passcode 1016945264472865.  

If you already have an account go to Treering Existing Account Sign In .  Please be sure to edit your child's information to ensure their yearbook is delivered to the proper classroom.

We need photos for the yearbook! If you would like to see your child and their friends in the yearbook please share your photos with us!  The best are candid shots of groups of students or of multiple students participating in activities together, field trips, class parties, school events, teachers with their students.  Go to the link below to upload the photos.  Please put them into the corresponding folder or a folder that is closely related to the photo.  

Treering Photo Folders

If you have a 5th grader and would like to buy a recognition ad to celebrate the end of elementary school, please read the following information. There is only one size available.  You do not have to edit at the time of purchase, but it must be completed by the due date. The due date for purchase and submission is April 16, 2026.  

If you have any questions, please reach out to sommeryearbook@gmail.com. 

 Hello Families! 

Reading, Writing, and Grammar: We will be reviewing for STAAR. STAAR RLA will take place on Tuesday, April 7th.  This book club round will be fantasy and science fiction books. Students will get their books on Wednesday, April 8th. Students' book club reading, sticky notes, double-entry notes using at least one content imperative with an icon, and independent unicorn menu activity are due Thursday, April 16th. I encourage you to check in with your child about their book and if they are working on this assignment. It does count as their 30 mins of reading at night.  This round of Book Club will go until Thursday, May 7th. 

Social Studies: We will continue our Industrialization and Urbanization unit. This week, we will discuss the effects of industrialization and urbanization. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Tuesday, April 7- RLA STAAR Test

• Friday, April 10, from 5-7 pm- Sommer Carnival 

• Sunday, April 12- Last Day to Add Customizable Yearbook Pages

• Tuesday, April 14- Science STAAR Test

• Thursday, April 16- Last Day to Order 5th Grade Recognition Ad

• Tuesday, April 21- Math STAAR Test

• Monday, April 27- Friday, May 1- Last Week to Check Out Library Books

• Friday, May 1- Career Day

• Tuesday, May 5- Reunion Ranch Field Trip

• Friday, May 8- Field Day

• Friday, May 8- All Library Books Due

• Monday, May 11- 3rd Grade Economics Fair

• Tuesday, May 12- Flugtag

• Wednesday, May 13- TAG Showcase

• Thursday, May 14 at 6:30 pm- Stallion Choir Musical Evening Performance (Families Welcome)

• Friday, May 15 at 8:00 am- Stallion Choir Musical Performance (Students Only)

• Wednesday, May 20- 5th Grade Recognition

• Thursday, May 21- Bye Bye Breakfast

• Thursday, May 21- Last Day of School

We also have an important announcement:

Students should have 46 iReady lessons by the end of this week. Please check with your child to make sure they have 46 passed lessons in reading and in math by the end of the week. 

From the 5th Grade Team

Fill out your RRISD Volunteer Application HERE. This will be needed to volunteer on campus, and often has a turn-around of up to two weeks! This is imperative if you would like to chaperone the Reunion Ranch field trip at the end of the year! 

From PE Coaches

As part of the RRISD 4th and 5th grade Health Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) requirements, classes on maturation and hygiene will be provided for 4th and 5th grade students. Boys and girls will be separated for the instructional program.  

Per HB 1525, districts must receive parent permission for your student to participate in the lessons. Parents MUST opt-in and MUST complete the form in order for the student to participate in the Always Changing videos.

Students will gather during their Specials time. Again, boys and girls will be separated.

Thank you,

Coach Park & Coach Krusely

PTA

 Sommer Carnival is Coming! 

Join us for the Sommer Carnival on April 10th from 5–7 PM for an evening of fun for the whole family! This exciting event is sponsored by the PTA.

 Pre-sale wristbands are available now!
You can also pre-purchase concession tickets to skip the line.

 Early Bird pricing for children’s wristbands and concession tickets is available through April 6. See QR code. 

Important:
• Wristbands are for children only
• Adults and volunteers receive free entry

 This year’s attractions include:
• Bounce Houses
• Laser Tag
• Climbing Wall
• Foam & Bubble Zone
• Trackless Train
• Photo Booth
• 15+ small carnival games with prizes
• And so much more!

 Volunteers are needed to make this event possible!
Please consider signing up to help, or encourage your middle school and high school students to volunteer and earn service hours.

 Help us spread the word so more students can participate and earn volunteer hours!

 Use the links below to  sign up to volunteer.

Student Volunteer Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0B49ADAE23A2FA7-62301342-2026

Adult Volunteer Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0B49ADAE23A2FA7-62306635-2026

PTA Needs New Hands!

Please reach out to Cayla Johnston, Kay Kim, or Erin Bendlin with questions about getting involved in PTA.  There is space for everyone! We need your help to continue the wonderful PTA at Sommer.  

There is no job too small and every part is important!  Find what is right for you!  

Email Sommer Membership for more details. sommerptamembership@gmail.com

And don't forget to watch this fun video of some PTA members who are just looking for a couple extra hands.  We are always laughing while getting it done  in the PTA!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbBSkMo5cTs

Yearbook

Don't forget to purchase your yearbooks!!! Go to Purchase Link or www.treering.com/validate, school passcode 1016945264472865.  

If you already have an account go to Treering Existing Account Sign In .  Please be sure to edit your child's information to ensure their yearbook is delivered to the proper classroom.

We need photos for the yearbook! If you would like to see your child and their friends in the yearbook please share your photos with us!  The best are candid shots of groups of students or of multiple students participating in activities together, field trips, class parties, school events, teachers with their students.  Go to the link below to upload the photos.  Please put them into the corresponding folder or a folder that is closely related to the photo.  

Treering Photo Folders

If you have a 5th grader and would like to buy a recognition ad to celebrate the end of elementary school, please read the following information. There is only one size available.  You do not have to edit at the time of purchase, but it must be completed by the due date. The due date for purchase and submission is April 16, 2026.  

If you have any questions, please reach out to sommeryearbook@gmail.com. 

 Hello Families! 

We had so much fun on our field trip today. 

Reading, Writing, and Grammar: We will be reviewing for STAAR. This will cover all the major reading comprehension, composition, and grammar skills we have learned this year.  Students will also start having a reading passage and 5-6 questions for homework each night until STAAR. This will count as their 30 minutes of reading. They must be done because we will review the answers in class each day.

Word Study: For word study this week, we will focus on -Flect/Flex.  Students will be given a list of 10 -Flect/Flex words that they should learn. Students will have words glued into their notebooks and have time to make notecards as well.  They will have an affix quiz on Thursday, April 2nd. The quiz will be over this week's words and last week's.

Social Studies:We will be continuing our Industrialization and Urbanization unit. This week, we will be doing a mini research project over some key inventions during the late 19th and early 20th century, including the assembly line, telephone, lightbulb, airplane, and different farming techniques. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Friday, April 3- No School

• Tuesday, April 7- RLA STAAR Test

• Friday, April 10, from 5-7 pm- Sommer Carnival 

• Sunday, April 12- Last Day to Add Customizable Yearbook Pages

• Tuesday, April 14- Science STAAR Test

• Thursday, April 16- Last Day to Order 5th Grade Recognition Ad

• Tuesday, April 21- Math STAAR Test

We also have an important announcement:

Students should have 44 iReady lessons by the end of this week. Please check with your child to make sure they have 44 passed lessons in reading and in math by the end of the week. 

From the 5th Grade Team

Fill out your RRISD Volunteer Application HERE. This will be needed to volunteer on campus, and often has a turn-around of up to two weeks! This is imperative if you would like to chaperone the Reunion Ranch field trip at the end of the year! 

From PE Coaches

As part of the RRISD 4th and 5th grade Health Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) requirements, classes on maturation and hygiene will be provided for 4th and 5th grade students. Boys and girls will be separated for the instructional program.  

Per HB 1525, districts must receive parent permission for your student to participate in the lessons. Parents MUST opt-in and MUST complete the form in order for the student to participate in the Always Changing videos.

Students will gather during their Specials time. Again, boys and girls will be separated.

Thank you,

Coach Park & Coach Krusely

Librarian's Day:

Librarian's Day is next Saturday, April 4th but we will celebrate our ROCKSTAR librarian & librarian assistant on Thursday, April 2nd. The library is the heartbeat of a school and we want to show these amazing ladies how much we appreciate them!!  We know they would love kind words and cards from your kiddos. If you would like to send in a special treat, please check out their favorites on the flyer! 

PTA

 Sommer Carnival is Coming! 

Join us for the Sommer Carnival on April 10th from 5–7 PM for an evening of fun for the whole family! This exciting event is sponsored by the PTA.

 Pre-sale wristbands are available now!
You can also pre-purchase concession tickets to skip the line.

 Early Bird pricing for children’s wristbands and concession tickets is available through April 6. See QR code. 

Important:
• Wristbands are for children only
• Adults and volunteers receive free entry

 This year’s attractions include:
• Bounce Houses
• Laser Tag
• Climbing Wall
• Foam & Bubble Zone
• Trackless Train
• Photo Booth
• 15+ small carnival games with prizes
• And so much more!

 Volunteers are needed to make this event possible!
Please consider signing up to help, or encourage your middle school and high school students to volunteer and earn service hours.

 Help us spread the word so more students can participate and earn volunteer hours!

 Use the links below to  sign up to volunteer.

Student Volunteer Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0B49ADAE23A2FA7-62301342-2026

Adult Volunteer Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0B49ADAE23A2FA7-62306635-2026

PTA Membership Meeting 

2026-2027 PTA OFFICER NOMINATIONS

Please join us on Tuesday, March 31st for the PTA Annual Membership Meeting where we will be voting for our 2026-2027 Officers. The meeting will be held in the Patsy Sommer Cafeteria at 5:30pm. We hope to see you there! Don't forget to RSVP. *** We will have optional childwatch and pizza!!! 

https://calendar.app.google/puVynvPA7hXvSUpWA (RSVP Here)

PTA Needs New Hands!

Please reach out to Cayla Johnston, Kay Kim or Erin Bendlin with questions about getting involved in PTA.  There is space for everyone! We need your help to continue the wonderful PTA at Sommer.  

There is no job too small and every part is important!  Find what is right for you!  

Email Sommer Membership for more details. sommerptamembership@gmail.com

And don't forget to watch this fun video of some PTA members who are just looking for a couple extra hands.  We are always laughing while getting it done  in the PTA!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbBSkMo5cTs

Yearbook

Don't forget to purchase your yearbooks!!! Go to Purchase Link or www.treering.com/validate, school passcode 1016945264472865.  

If you already have an account go to Treering Existing Account Sign In .  Please be sure to edit your child's information to ensure their yearbook is delivered to the proper classroom.

We need photos for the yearbook! If you would like to see your child and their friends in the yearbook please share your photos with us!  The best are candid shots of groups of students or of multiple students participating in activities together, field trips, class parties, school events, teachers with their students.  Go to the link below to upload the photos.  Please put them into the corresponding folder or a folder that is closely related to the photo.  

Treering Photo Folders

If you have a 5th grader and would like to buy a recognition ad to celebrate the end of elementary school, please read the following information. There is only one size available.  You do not have to edit at the time of purchase, but it must be completed by the due date. The due date for purchase and submission is April 16, 2026.  

If you have any questions, please reach out to sommeryearbook@gmail.com. 

CARNIVAL

Mark your calendars for Friday, April 10th from 5–7 PM and join us for an evening of family fun at the Patsy Sommer Spring Carnival! Bounce on inflatables, test your skills on the rock climbing wall, cool off in the foam pit, and play carnival games for prizes. Come hungry—there will be delicious food trucks and plenty of surprises along the way. Bring the whole family and get ready for a night full of laughter, excitement, and community fun!

 Hello Families! 

I hope everybody had an extrodianary Spring Break!

Reading: This week, students will have an assessment over both the argumentative unit and the across-genres unit on Tuesday, March 25th.  Then, we will be reviewing for STAAR. We will start the week by reviewing essential vocabulary. Then, we will review important characteristics from each genre we have learned about this year.  Students will also start having a reading passage and 5-6 questions for homework each night until STAAR. This will count as their 30 minutes of reading. They must be done because we will review the answers in class each day. 

Writing: We will continue our ECR unit, which will focus on the testing genre of Extended Constructed Responses (ECRs). This week, we will focus on how to draft, revise, and edit an ECR to ensure that we include transition words, have explained our direct text evidence, and have correct conventions. This is important because these are major portions of the ECR rubric.

Grammar/Word Study: We will be talking about using quotation marks this week. We will focus on this grammatical topic for a couple of weeks. This week, we will be focusing on using quotation marks to show direct text evidence. 

For word study this week, we will focus on -Frail/Fract/Frag.  Students will be given a list of 10 -Frail/Fract/Frag words that they should learn. Students will have words glued into their notebooks and have time to make notecards as well.  They will have an affix quiz on Thursday, April 2nd. The quiz will be over this week's words and next week's.

Social Studies: Students' test over the Civil War will be on Tuesday, March 24th. We will be starting our Industrialization and Urbanization unit. Students will start the week by learning about some of the key inventions of the time, including the steel plow, the lightbulb, and the telephone. Then, we will talk about some of the key vocabulary students will need moving throughout the rest of the unit.

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Monday, March 23-Friday, March 27- Celebrate Neurodiversity Week

  • Tuesday, March 24- Show your support for one another by wearing red

  • Wednesday, March 25- Dress to show off something you love to learn or do

  • Friday, March 27- Wear rainbow or tie-die clothes. 

• Tuesday, March 24- Civil War Assessment

• Wednesday, March 25- Last Day to Order a Yard Sign

• Monday, March 30- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Field Trip 

• Friday, April 3- No School

• Tuesday, April 7- RLA STAAR Test

• Friday, April 10, from 5-7 pm- Sommer Carnival 

• Sunday, April 12- Last Day to Add Customizable Yearbook Pages

• Tuesday, April 14- Science STAAR Test

• Thursday, April 16- Last Day to Order 5th Grade Recognition Ad

• Tuesday, April 21- Math STAAR Test

We also have an important announcement:

Students should have 42 iReady lessons by the end of this week. Please check with your child to make sure they have 42 passed lessons in reading and in math by the end of the week. 

Neurodiversity Week 

Sommer Elementary welcomes you to celebrate Neurodiversity from March 23-27! Neurodivergent thinkers exhibit a wide array of differences between how they think, process information, behave and communicate. Types of neurodivergence include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and dyslexia, as well as many other conditions. Please join us in recognizing the diverse strengths of the neurodivergent community by celebrating in different ways! Help us to increase understanding and acceptance, and empower all individuals.    

PTA

 Sommer Carnival is Coming! 

Join us for the Sommer Carnival on April 10th from 5–7 PM for an evening of fun for the whole family! This exciting event is sponsored by the PTA.

 Pre-sale wristbands are available now!
You can also pre-purchase concession tickets to skip the line.

 Early Bird pricing for children’s wristbands and concession tickets is available through April 6. See QR code. 

Important:
• Wristbands are for children only
• Adults and volunteers receive free entry

 This year’s attractions include:
• Bounce Houses
• Laser Tag
• Climbing Wall
• Foam & Bubble Zone
• Trackless Train
• Photo Booth
• 15+ small carnival games with prizes
• And so much more!

 Volunteers are needed to make this event possible!
Please consider signing up to help, or encourage your middle school and high school students to volunteer and earn service hours.

 Help us spread the word so more students can participate and earn volunteer hours!

 Use the links below to  sign up to volunteer.

Student Volunteer Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0B49ADAE23A2FA7-62301342-2026

Adult Volunteer Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0B49ADAE23A2FA7-62306635-2026

5th Grade Yard Signs

Dear 5th Grade Families,

Celebrate your graduating student with a personalized 5th Grade Graduation Yard Sign from Patsy Sommer Elementary PTA!

These signs are a fun way to recognize your child’s accomplishment and show your school pride as we honor the Class of 2026.

Yard Sign Details:

• Size: 18" × 24" full-color sign

• Personalized with your child’s name (optional)

• Includes a metal yard stake

• Price: $11 per sign

Important Dates:

• Order Deadline: March 25th

Pick-Up Options:

• Sommer Carnival on April 10th

• OR anytime after April 10th in the school office

This opportunity is made possible by the Sommer PTA to help families celebrate their 5th graders.

Don’t miss your chance to celebrate your student in a special way—be sure to place your order by March 25th! Click HERE to order. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Warm regards,
Mariko Garza
Sommer PTA VP2

PTA Needs New Hands!

Please reach out to Cayla Johnston, Kay Kim or Erin Bendlin with questions about getting involved in PTA.  There is space for everyone! We need your help to continue the wonderful PTA at Sommer.  

There is no job too small and every part is important!  Find what is right for you!  

Email Sommer Membership for more details. sommerptamembership@gmail.com

And don't forget to watch this fun video of some PTA members who are just looking for a couple extra hands.  We are always laughing while getting it done  in the PTA!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbBSkMo5cTs

Yearbook

Don't forget to purchase your yearbooks!!! Go to Purchase Link or www.treering.com/validate, school passcode 1016945264472865.  

If you already have an account go to Treering Existing Account Sign In .  Please be sure to edit your child's information to ensure their yearbook is delivered to the proper classroom.

We need photos for the yearbook! If you would like to see your child and their friends in the yearbook please share your photos with us!  The best are candid shots of groups of students or of multiple students participating in activities together, field trips, class parties, school events, teachers with their students.  Go to the link below to upload the photos.  Please put them into the corresponding folder or a folder that is closely related to the photo.  

Treering Photo Folders

If you have a 5th grader and would like to buy a recognition ad to celebrate the end of elementary school, please read the following information. There is only one size available.  You do not have to edit at the time of purchase, but it must be completed by the due date. The due date for purchase and submission is April 16, 2026.  

If you have any questions, please reach out to sommeryearbook@gmail.com. 

CARNIVAL

Mark your calendars for Friday, April 10th from 5–7 PM and join us for an evening of family fun at the Patsy Sommer Spring Carnival! Bounce on inflatables, test your skills on the rock climbing wall, cool off in the foam pit, and play carnival games for prizes. Come hungry—there will be delicious food trucks and plenty of surprises along the way. Bring the whole family and get ready for a night full of laughter, excitement, and community fun!

 Hello Families! 

Happy last week before Spring Break. If you are planning on leaving early or come back late from the break, please let Ms. Wood and me know as soon as possible so that we can plan accordingly. 

Reading: This week, we will finish our unit, which is all about comparing across genres. Students will have an assessment over both the argumentative unit and the across-genres unit on Wednesday, March 11th. Students' book club reading, sticky notes, double-entry notes using at least one content imperative with an icon, and background reading are due Thursday. I encourage you to check in with your child about their book and if they are working on this assignment. It does count as their 30 mins of reading at night.  This round of Book Club will go until Thursday, March 12th. 

Writing: We will start our ECR unit, which will be focused on the testing genre of Extended Constructed Responses (ECRs). This week will be focuson how to plan an ECR to make sure that we restate the question, include transition words, and have direct text evidence. This is important because they are major portions of the ECR rubric.

Grammar: We will be talking about when to use the pronouns I and me in compound sentences. For example, "Ms. Wood and I celebrated getting to spring break." Or "The students thanked Ms. Wood and me for a fun year."

Social Studies: We will end our Civil War unit. We will discuss how the end of the Civil War affected supply and demand in the southern United States. Finally, we will discuss the effects of the Civil War and Reconstruction. Students received their review on today, March 9th. The review is due the Monday after Spring Break- Monday, March 23rd. Students' test over the Civil War will be on Tuesday, March 24th. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Wednesday, March 11- Field Trip Payment and Permission Slips Due

• Wednesday, March 11- Argumentative and Across Genres Assessment

• Friday, March 13- Civil War Rotations Help Needed

• Monday, March 16-Friday, March 20- Spring Break, No School 

• Monday, March 23- Civil War Study Guide Due

• Tuesday, March 24- Civil War Assessment

• Wednesday, March 25- Last Day to Order a Yard Sign

• Monday, March 30- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Field Trip 

• Tuesday, April 7- RLA STAAR Test

• Friday, April 10 from 5-7 pm- Sommer Carnival 

• Tuesday, April 14- Science STAAR Test

• Tuesday, April 21- Math STAAR Test

We also have an important announcement:

Students should have 40 iReady lessons by the end of this week. Please check with your child to make sure they have 40 passed lessons in reading and in math by the end of the week. 

From the Social Studies Teachers

Dear Parents,

We are so excited to be offering a new experience for the kids to learn history with hands on activities!  We will have a Civil War Walking Tour on March 13!  We would love parents to help us with the 6 stations we will be running that day.  Each station will have specific instructions to help you navigate the kids through the Walking Tour.  There will be different times for rotations so we have lots of spots for people to help! 

There will be three stations that will be run by parents and three that will be run by the teachers with several parents helping.  The times for the rotations are as follows

8:00-10:15

10:45-11:30 (this is a very short session but will run until lunch starts so you could have lunch with your student!)

12:10-2:00

Thank you so much for helping to make history come alive for the students!  If you have costumes for this time period you are welcome to dress up!  Just make sure to leave any costume weaponry at home! 

Please use the link below to sign up!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0F45AAAE29A64-62708733-5thgrade#/

Thank you!

5th Grade Team

From the 5th Grade Team

Have a question about Middle School Transition?

• Here is the 6th-grade transition page on the Pearson Ranch Website.

• Here is the 6th-grade transition page on the Cedar Valley Website. (Not yet updated for 2025-2026 school year)

PTA

 Sommer Carnival is Coming! 

Join us for the Sommer Carnival on April 10th from 5–7 PM for an evening of fun for the whole family! This exciting event is sponsored by the PTA.

 Pre-sale wristbands are available now!
You can also pre-purchase concession tickets to skip the line.

 Early Bird pricing for children’s wristbands and concession tickets is available through April 6. See QR code. 

Important:
• Wristbands are for children only
• Adults and volunteers receive free entry

 This year’s attractions include:
• Bounce Houses
• Laser Tag
• Climbing Wall
• Foam & Bubble Zone
• Trackless Train
• Photo Booth
• 15+ small carnival games with prizes
• And so much more!

 Volunteers are needed to make this event possible!
Please consider signing up to help, or encourage your middle school and high school students to volunteer and earn service hours.

 Help us spread the word so more students can participate and earn volunteer hours!

 Use the links below to  sign up to volunteer.

Student Volunteer Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0B49ADAE23A2FA7-62301342-2026

Adult Volunteer Link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/60B0B49ADAE23A2FA7-62306635-2026

5th Grade Yard Signs

Dear 5th Grade Families,

Celebrate your graduating student with a personalized 5th Grade Graduation Yard Sign from Patsy Sommer Elementary PTA!

These signs are a fun way to recognize your child’s accomplishment and show your school pride as we honor the Class of 2026.

Yard Sign Details:

• Size: 18" × 24" full-color sign

• Personalized with your child’s name (optional)

• Includes a metal yard stake

• Price: $11 per sign

Important Dates:

• Order Deadline: March 25th

Pick-Up Options:

• Sommer Carnival on April 10th

• OR anytime after April 10th in the school office

This opportunity is made possible by the Sommer PTA to help families celebrate their 5th graders.

Don’t miss your chance to celebrate your student in a special way—be sure to place your order by March 25th! Click HERE to order. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Warm regards,
Mariko Garza
Sommer PTA VP2

PTA Needs New Hands!

Please reach out to Cayla Johnston, Kay Kim or Erin Bendlin with questions about getting involved in PTA.  There is space for everyone! We need your help to continue the wonderful PTA at Sommer.  

There is no job too small and every part is important!  Find what is right for you!  

Email Sommer Membership for more details. sommerptamembership@gmail.com

And don't forget to watch this fun video of some PTA members who are just looking for a couple extra hands.  We are always laughing while getting it done  in the PTA!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbBSkMo5cTs

Yearbook Photos Needed!

We need photos for the yearbook! If you would like to see your child and their friends in the yearbook please share your photos with us!  The best are candid shots of groups of students or of multiple students participating in activities together, field trips, class parties, school events, teachers with their students.  Go to the link below to upload the photos.  Please put them into the corresponding folder or a folder that is closely related to the photo.  

Treering Photo Folders

There is still time to purchase your yearbook.  You can also add 2 customizable pages for free, to your personal yearbook (if purchased and created by April 12th)! 

Go to Purchase Link or www.treering.com/validate, school passcode 1016945264472865.  

If you already have an account go to Treering Existing Account Sign In .  Please be sure to edit your child's information to ensure their yearbook is delivered to the proper classroom.

 If you have any questions, please reach out to sommeryearbook@gmail.com. 

RRISD Clothes Closet Donations & Volunteers:

We are so thankful for the many families that have donated to the Clothes Closet. It is always a great feeling to drop off the donations knowing they will make a difference for someone in our community. We are still accepting donations of all clothing items for both females and males. Currently, boys and mens athletic pants and coats for males and females are most needed. Donations can easily be dropped off in the designated bin located right inside Patsy Sommer's front doors. As always, we are thankful for your generosity.

Please consider signing up for a volunteer shift at the Clothes Closet. You can sign up easily using the link below. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AEAF2CA0F8C52-58114760-20252026#/

Hello Families! 

Reading: This week, we will start our next unit which is all about comparing across genres. We will start by comparing images and comparing paragraphs. Students are going to be asked to make connections from their texts to other things they have learned in History, Science, or in another Text. Students will also practice comparing different types of texts. Students will have an assessment over both the argumentative unit and the across-genres unit on Wednesday, March 11th. Students' book club reading, sticky notes, double-entry notes using at least one content imperative with an icon, and background reading are due Friday. I encourage you to check in with your child about their book and if they are working on this assignment. It does count as their 30 mins of reading at night.  This round of Book Club will go until Thursday, March 12th. 

Writing: We will start our ECR unit, which will be focused on the testing genre of Extended Constructed Responses (ECRs). This week will be focuson how to plan an ECR to make sure that we restate the question, include transition words, and have direct text evidence. This is important because they are major portions of the ECR rubric.

Grammar/Word Study: We will be talking about complex sentences. 

For word study this week our root is -vit/viv. Students will be given a list of 10 -vit/viv words that they should learn. Students will have words glued into their notebooks and time to create flashcards in class. Students will have an affix quiz this Friday, March 6th. This quiz will cover both this week's affix words and last week's.

Social Studies: We will continue to talk about how the cotton gin impacted the supply and demand of cotton in the South. Then we will talk about slavery and the Underground Railroad by reading Henry's Freedom Box. This will lead to our discussion on the causes of the Civil War. As part of this, we will compare the North and the South during the Antebellum period and talk about key events before the Civil War. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Monday, February 23- Wednesday, March 4- Stallion Stampede Fundraiser

• Monday, March 2-Friday, March 6- Book Fair

• Wednesday, March 4, 1:50pm-2:40pm- Stallion Stampede Color Run 

• Friday, March 6- Picture Day (individual and class)

• Friday, March 6- No Place for Hate T-shirt Contest Designs Due

• Monday, March 9- Sandy Hook Promise Anonymous Reporting System Training

• Wednesday, March 11- Argumentative and Across Genres Assessment

• Monday, March 16-Friday, March 20- Spring Break, No School 

• Wednesday, March 25- Last Day to Order a Yard Sign

We also have an important announcement:

Students should have 38 iReady lessons by the end of this week. Please check with your child to make sure they have 38 passed lessons in reading and in math by the end of the week. 

From the 5th Grade Team

Have a question about Middle School Transition?

• Here is the 6th-grade transition page on the Pearson Ranch Website.

• Here is the 6th-grade transition page on the Cedar Valley Website. (Not yet updated for 2025-2026 school year)

PTA

Booster 

Please use this form to let us know if you will be attending the Stallion Stampede Color Run on Wednesday, March 4th. Also, please let us know if you would be willing to volunteer to mark laps on the stickers that will be placed on the backs of students' shirts. This helps us track the number of laps run. You can sign up here. 

5th Grade Yard Signs

Dear 5th Grade Families,

Celebrate your graduating student with a personalized 5th Grade Graduation Yard Sign from Patsy Sommer Elementary PTA!

These signs are a fun way to recognize your child’s accomplishment and show your school pride as we honor the Class of 2026.

Yard Sign Details:

• Size: 18" × 24" full-color sign

• Personalized with your child’s name (optional)

• Includes a metal yard stake

• Price: $11 per sign

Important Dates:

• Order Deadline: March 25th

Pick-Up Options:

• Sommer Carnival on April 10th

• OR anytime after April 10th in the school office

This opportunity is made possible by the Sommer PTA to help families celebrate their 5th graders.

Don’t miss your chance to celebrate your student in a special way—be sure to place your order by March 25th! Click HERE to order. 

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out.

Warm regards,
Mariko Garza
Sommer PTA VP2

Yearbook Photos Needed!

We need photos for the yearbook! If you would like to see your child and their friends in the yearbook please share your photos with us!  The best are candid shots of groups of students or of multiple students participating in activities together, field trips, class parties, school events, teachers with their students.  Go to the link below to upload the photos.  Please put them into the corresponding folder or a folder that is closely related to the photo.  

Treering Photo Folders

There is still time to purchase your yearbook.  You can also add 2 customizable pages for free, to your personal yearbook (if purchased and created by April 12th)! 

Go to Purchase Link or www.treering.com/validate, school passcode 1016945264472865.  

If you already have an account go to Treering Existing Account Sign In .  Please be sure to edit your child's information to ensure their yearbook is delivered to the proper classroom.

 If you have any questions, please reach out to sommeryearbook@gmail.com. 

RRISD Clothes Closet Donations & Volunteers:

We are so thankful for the many families that have donated to the Clothes Closet. It is always a great feeling to drop off the donations knowing they will make a difference for someone in our community. We are still accepting donations of all clothing items for both females and males. Currently, boys and mens athletic pants and coats for males and females are most needed. Donations can easily be dropped off in the designated bin located right inside Patsy Sommer's front doors. As always, we are thankful for your generosity.

Please consider signing up for a volunteer shift at the Clothes Closet. You can sign up easily using the link below. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AEAF2CA0F8C52-58114760-20252026#/

Hello Families! 

Happy last week in February. You will be hearing a lot about our school fundraiser  over the next couple of days. We are excited to do a color run next week. 

Reading: This week, we will determine the audience for different persuasive writing. We will also talk about how the audience will impact the persuasive technique used. Students' book club reading, sticky notes, double-entry notes using at least one content imperative with an icon, and background reading are due Friday. I encourage you to check in with your child about their book and if they are working on this assignment. It does count as their 30 mins of reading at night.  This round of Book Club will go until Thursday, March 12th. 

Writing: In writing this week, we will learn about 3 very important persuasive techniques. They are Ethos, Pathos, and Logos. 

• Ethos uses the Experience someone has to persuade. 

• Pathos Plays with the reader's emotions to convince them. 

• Logos uses Logic and Facts to persuade the reader. 

These are the techniques writers use to convince their readers to do or believe in something. Students will be learning which each type is, then they will be working to identify which technique is used in different examples, we will be looking at both writing and advertisements while working on these skills. 

Grammar/Word Study: We will be talking about complex sentences. 

For word study this week our root is -bio. Students will be given a list of 10 -bio words that they should learn. Students will have words glued into their notebooks and time to create flashcards in class. Students will have an affix quiz next Friday, March 6th. This quiz will cover both this week's affix words and next week's.

Social Studies: We will continue to talk about how the cotton gin impacted the supply and demand of cotton in the South. Then we will talk about slavery and the Underground Railroad by reading Henry's Freedom Box. This will lead to our discussion on the causes of the Civil War. As part of this, we will compare the North and the South during the Antebellum period and talk about key events before the Civil War. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Monday, February 23- Wednesday, March 4- Stallion Stampede Fundraiser

• Thursday, February 26- Yearbook Cover Contest Submissions Due

• Friday, February 27- PTA Movie Night

• Monday, March 2-Friday, March 6- Book Fair

• Wednesday, March 4, during specials- Stallion Stampede Color Run 

• Friday, March 6- Picture Day (individual and class)

• Friday, March 6- No Place for Hate T-shirt Contest Designs Due

• Monday, March 9- Sandy Hook Promise Anonymous Reporting System Training

• Monday, March 16-Friday, March 20- Spring Break, No School 

We also have an important announcement:

Students should have 36 iReady lessons by the end of this week. Please check with your child to make sure they have 36 passed lessons in reading and in math by the end of the week. 

From the 5th Grade Team

Have a question about Middle School Transition?

• Here is the 6th-grade transition page on the Pearson Ranch Website.

• Here is the 6th grade transition page on the Cedar Valley Website. (Not yet updated for 2025-2026 school year)

• Or reach out to our Sommer counselor, Ms. Macre (jessica_macre@roundrockisd.org).

PTA

Yearbook Cover Contest!  

Do you have artistic talent or are you creative?  We need a yearbook cover for this year and would love to see what our Sommer students can come up with!  Please read the flyer for all rules and recommendations.  On the back of your artwork please include the student's name, homeroom teacher and grade.  You can turn in the entries to the front office or your teacher by February 26th, 2026.

Yearbook Photos Needed!

We need photos for the yearbook! If you would like to see your child and their friends in the yearbook please share your photos with us!  The best are candid shots of groups of students or of multiple students participating in activities together, field trips, class parties, school events, teachers with their students.  Go to the link below to upload the photos.  Please put them into the corresponding folder or a folder that is closely related to the photo.  

Treering Photo Folders

There is still time to purchase your yearbook.  You can also add 2 customizable pages for free, to your personal yearbook (if purchased and created by April 12th)! 

Go to Purchase Link or www.treering.com/validate, school passcode 1016945264472865.  

If you already have an account go to Treering Existing Account Sign In .  Please be sure to edit your child's information to ensure their yearbook is delivered to the proper classroom.

 If you have any questions, please reach out to sommeryearbook@gmail.com. 

RRISD Clothes Closet Donations & Volunteers:

We are so thankful for the many families that have donated to the Clothes Closet. It is always a great feeling to drop off the donations knowing they will make a difference for someone in our community. We are still accepting donations of all clothing items for both females and males. Currently, boys and mens athletic pants and coats for males and females are most needed. Donations can easily be dropped off in the designated bin located right inside Patsy Sommer's front doors. As always, we are thankful for your generosity.

Please consider signing up for a volunteer shift at the Clothes Closet. You can sign up easily using the link below. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AEAF2CA0F8C52-58114760-20252026#/

Hello Families! 

Happy Lunar New Year and Ramadan Mubarak to those who celebrate. 

Reading:  In reading, students will continue our Argumentative Unit. We will be talking about 2 of our essential vocabulary words- Arguments and Evidence. Then, students will practice identifying Claims, Arguments, and Evidence in passages. Students' book club reading, sticky notes, double-entry notes using at least one content imperative with an icon, and background reading are due Friday. I encourage you to check in with your child about their book and if they are working on this assignment. It does count as their 30 mins of reading at night.  This round of Book Club will go until Thursday, March 12th. 

Writing: We will be working on argumentative ECRs in writing this week. Students will practice grading ECRs using a provided rubric before seeing how teachers would rate them. Then they will revise and edit their own Argumentative ECR to make it stronger. 

Grammar/Word Study: We will be talking about independent and dependent clauses in grammar. 

Social Studies:  We will start our next unit about the Civil War by talking about industrialization and the major inventions and changes. This will lead to the differences between the North and the South leading up to the Civil War. Then we will be talking about the invention of the Cotton Gin. As part of our learning, we will talk about how the cotton gin impacted the supply and demand of cotton in the South. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Thursday, February 19- Skating Permission Slips due for P.E.

• Friday, February 20- Cedar Valley Choice Sheets Due

• Thursday, February 26- Yearbook Cover Contest Submissions Due

• Friday, February 27- PTA Movie Night

• Monday, February 23- Wednesday, March 4- Stallion Stampede Fundraiser

• Monday, March 2-Friday, March 6- Book Fair

• Wednesday, March 4, during specials- Stallion Stampede Color Run 

• Friday, March 6- Picture Day (individual and class)

• Friday, March 6- No Place for Hate T-shirt Contest Designs Due

We also have an important announcement:

Students should have 34 iReady lessons by the end of this week. Please check with your child to make sure they have 34 passed lessons in reading and in math by the end of the week. 

From the 5th Grade Team

Have a question about Middle School Transition?

• Here is the 6th-grade transition page on the Pearson Ranch Website.

• Here is the 6th grade transition page on the Cedar Valley Website. (Not yet updated for 2025-2026 school year)

• Or reach out to our Sommer counselor, Ms. Macre (jessica_macre@roundrockisd.org).

PTA

Yearbook Cover Contest!  

Do you have artistic talent or are you creative?  We need a yearbook cover for this year and would love to see what our Sommer students can come up with!  Please read the flyer for all rules and recommendations.  On the back of your artwork please include the student's name, homeroom teacher and grade.  You can turn in the entries to the front office or your teacher by February 26th, 2026.

Yearbook Photos Needed!

We need photos for the yearbook! If you would like to see your child and their friends in the yearbook please share your photos with us!  The best are candid shots of groups of students or of multiple students participating in activities together, field trips, class parties, school events, teachers with their students.  Go to the link below to upload the photos.  Please put them into the corresponding folder or a folder that is closely related to the photo.  

Treering Photo Folders

There is still time to purchase your yearbook.  You can also add 2 customizable pages for free, to your personal yearbook (if purchased and created by April 12th)! 

Go to Purchase Link or www.treering.com/validate, school passcode 1016945264472865.  

If you already have an account go to Treering Existing Account Sign In .  Please be sure to edit your child's information to ensure their yearbook is delivered to the proper classroom.

 If you have any questions, please reach out to sommeryearbook@gmail.com. 

RRISD Clothes Closet Donations & Volunteers:

We are so thankful for the many families that have donated to the Clothes Closet. It is always a great feeling to drop off the donations knowing they will make a difference for someone in our community. We are still accepting donations of all clothing items for both females and males. Currently, boys and mens athletic pants and coats for males and females are most needed. Donations can easily be dropped off in the designated bin located right inside Patsy Sommer's front doors. As always, we are thankful for your generosity.

Please consider signing up for a volunteer shift at the Clothes Closet. You can sign up easily using the link below. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AEAF2CA0F8C52-58114760-20252026#/

Hello Families! 

Congratulations to the Community House for winning our first house cup of the year. This was earned for showing house values through the Collaborative pack-up, respecting Community in the hallways, Purposeful transitions, and having materials to work toward their academic Growth.

Reading:  We will be starting our Argumentative Unit. We will be talking about 4 of our essential vocabulary words- Claims and Counter-claims, Arguments, and Evidence. Then, students will practice identifying Claims.

Writing: We will be finishing a PBL project with the driving question "How can I use poetry to express my identity?" Students will be using all of the elements of poetry that we are learning about in writing and using them to write their own poems. Each poem they write will need to focus on a piece of the student's identity. We will start the week off by discussing what makes up our identities. At the end of the PBL, students will be picking one poem they have written to perform in a class-wide poetry slam. Our in-class poetry slam will be on Thursday, February 12, 2025. Parents are welcome to come and watch their children perform. Please just email me in advance so that I can plan seating accordingly. 

Grammar/Word Study: We will be talking about indefinite pronouns this week. Indefinite pronouns are not clearly defined and don't refer to a specific noun in the text.   

We will be developing our vocabulary this week using Flocabulary. Students will wear a name tag on Wednesday saying, "Ask me what _____ means" This will encourage them to teach their word to others. 

Social Studies:  We will finish our unit on Manifest Destiny. We will discuss the Chinese Exclusion Act and the Chinese immigrants' struggle on the Transcontinental Railroad. The student's study guide is due on February 11th.  The test over Manifest Destiny will be on Thursday, February 12th. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Monday, February 9- 5th-grade Fine Arts Night & Parent Meeting at Cedar Valley (fine arts walk will be 4 pm-5 pm, and parent meeting from 5:15 pm-6 pm)

• Thursday, February 12- Manifest Destiny Assessment

• Thursday, February 12- Woodliardi Poetry Slam

• Friday, February 13- Grade-Wide Poetry Open Mic 

• Friday, February 13- Board Game Time from PTA fundraiser

• Friday, February 13- Valentine Exchange and Friendship Dance (no parents)

• Monday, February 16- No School

• Monday, February 16- Pearson Ranch Choice Sheets Due

• Tuesday, February 17- No School

• Thursday, February 19- Skating Permission Slips due for P.E.

• Friday, February 20- Cedar Valley Choice Sheets Due

• Thursday, February 26- Yearbook Cover Contest Submissions Due

• Friday, February 27- PTA Movie Night

We also have an important announcement:

Students should have 32 iReady lessons by the end of this week. Please check with your child to make sure they have 32 passed lessons in reading and in math by the end of the week. 

Valentine's Day

We are excited to celebrate Valentine’s Day with our 5th graders this year, including continuing our tradition of a friendship dance. During the morning of Valentine’s Day, students will enjoy passing out and opening their Valentines.  In the afternoon, the 5th grade will gather for a 30-minute dance party before specials.   Please understand that these events are for students only so they can enjoy celebrating as a class. 

A few FYIs:

• Students are welcome to bring their Valentine’s box or bag either the day before or on February 12th. 

• Please make sure that the opening of Valentine's boxes or bags is wide enough for Valentine's that might have candy attached.  All boxes are expected to be appropriate.  

• Please make sure that if you choose to send valentines, your student includes everyone in their class.

From the 5th Grade Team

Have a question about Middle School Transition?

• Here is the 6th-grade transition page on the Pearson Ranch Website.

• Here is the 6th grade transition page on the Cedar Valley Website. (Not yet updated for 2025-2026 school year)

• Or reach out to our Sommer counselor, Ms. Macre (jessica_macre@roundrockisd.org).

PTA

Yearbook Cover Contest!  

Do you have artistic talent or are you creative?  We need a yearbook cover for this year and would love to see what our Sommer students can come up with!  Please read the flyer for all rules and recommendations.  On the back of your artwork please include the student's name, homeroom teacher and grade.  You can turn in the entries to the front office or your teacher by February 26th, 2026.

Yearbook Photos Needed!

We need photos for the yearbook! If you would like to see your child and their friends in the yearbook please share your photos with us!  The best are candid shots of groups of students or of multiple students participating in activities together, field trips, class parties, school events, teachers with their students.  Go to the link below to upload the photos.  Please put them into the corresponding folder or a folder that is closely related to the photo.  

Treering Photo Folders

There is still time to purchase your yearbook.  You can also add 2 customizable pages for free, to your personal yearbook (if purchased and created by April 12th)! 

Go to Purchase Link or www.treering.com/validate, school passcode 1016945264472865.  

If you already have an account go to Treering Existing Account Sign In .  Please be sure to edit your child's information to ensure their yearbook is delivered to the proper classroom.

 If you have any questions, please reach out to sommeryearbook@gmail.com. 

RRISD Clothes Closet Donations & Volunteers:

We are so thankful for the many families that have donated to the Clothes Closet. It is always a great feeling to drop off the donations knowing they will make a difference for someone in our community. We are still accepting donations of all clothing items for both females and males. Currently, boys and mens athletic pants and coats for males and females are most needed. Donations can easily be dropped off in the designated bin located right inside Patsy Sommer's front doors. As always, we are thankful for your generosity.

Please consider signing up for a volunteer shift at the Clothes Closet. You can sign up easily using the link below. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AEAF2CA0F8C52-58114760-20252026#/

Hello Families! 

We are in for another wonky week due to unit tests, interim testing, and middle school field trips.

• Monday, February 2nd- Cedar Valley Field Trip

• Tuesday, February 3rd- 100th Day of School

• Wednesday, February 4th- RLA STAAR Field Test

• Thursday, February 5th- Pearson Ranch Field Trip

• Friday, February 6th- Poetry Assessment 

Reading:  In reading, we will be focusing on analyzing poetry. We use an acronym, POETS, to help with poetry analysis. Each letter will include one step of the poetry analysis: Preview, Occasion, Emotion, Theme, and Sensory and Figurative language. This will require reading through the poem multiple times to understand it deeply. As we read through the poems, we will be inferring about skills like the emotion of the speaker, themes, and mood.  This skill will also be on their poetry assessment on Friday, February 6th, 2026. Students' book club reading, sticky notes, and double-entry notes are due Thursday. I encourage you to check in with your child about their book and if they are working on this assignment. It does count as their 30 minutes of reading at night.  

Writing: Our poetry unit for We will be starting a PBL project with the driving question "How can I use poetry to express my identity?" Students will be using all of the elements of poetry that we are learning about in writing and using them to write their own poems. Each poem they write will need to focus on a piece of the student's identity. We will start the week off by discussing what makes up our identities. At the end of the PBL, students will be picking one poem they have written to perform in a class-wide poetry slam. Our in-class poetry slam will be on Thursday, February 12, 2025. Parents are welcome to come and watch their children perform. Please just email me in advance so that I can plan seating accordingly. 

Grammar/Word Study: This week, we will review grammar skills we've learned already this year. 

Social Studies:  We will continue our unit on Manifest Destiny. We will continue talking about the Transcontinental Railroad. Students will also receive their social studies study guides on Wednesday to start studying for their unit test. The study guide is due on February 11th.  The test over Manifest Destiny will be on Thursday, February 12th. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Tuesday, February 3- 100th Day of School- Dress up if you wish

• Tuesday, February 3- Advanced Academic Middle School Info Session (for both schools) at Sommer

• Wednesday, February 4- RLA STAAR Field Test 

• Thursday, February 5- Pearson Ranch Field Trip 

• Thursday, February 5, at 5:30 pm- Pearson Ranch Parent Night at Pearson Ranch

• Friday, February 6- Poetry Assessment

• Monday, February 9- 5th-grade Fine Arts Night & Parent Meeting at Cedar Valley (fine arts walk will be 4 pm-5 pm, and parent meeting from 5:15 pm-6 pm)

• Thursday, February 12- Manifest Destiny Assessment

• Thursday, February 12- Woodliardi Poetry Slam

• Friday, February 13- Grade-Wide Poetry Open Mic 

• Friday, February 13- Board Game Time from PTA fundraiser

• Friday, February 13- Valentine Exchange and Friendship Dance (no parents)

• Monday, February 16- No School

• Monday, February 16- Pearson Ranch Choice Sheets Due

• Tuesday, February 17- No School

• Thursday, February 19- Skating Permission Slips due for P.E.

• Friday, February 20- Cedar Valley Choice Sheets Due

• Thursday, February 26- Yearbook Cover Contest Submissions Due

We also have an important announcement:

Valentine's Day

We are excited to celebrate Valentine’s Day with our 5th graders this year, including continuing our tradition of a friendship dance. During the morning of Valentine’s Day, students will enjoy passing out and opening their Valentines.  In the afternoon, the 5th grade will gather for a 30-minute dance party before specials.   Please understand that these events are for students only so they can enjoy celebrating as a class. 

A few FYIs:

• Students are welcome to bring their Valentine’s box or bag either the day before or on February 12th. 

• Please make sure that the opening of Valentine's boxes or bags is wide enough for Valentine's that might have candy attached.  All boxes are expected to be appropriate.  

• Please make sure that if you choose to send valentines, your student includes everyone in their class.

From the 5th Grade Team

Have a question about Middle School Transition?

• Here is the 6th-grade transition page on the Pearson Ranch Website.

• Here is the 6th grade transition page on the Cedar Valley Website. (Not yet updated for 2025-2026 school year)

• Or reach out to our Sommer counselor, Ms. Macre (jessica_macre@roundrockisd.org).

PTA

Yearbook Cover Contest!  

Do you have artistic talent or are you creative?  We need a yearbook cover for this year and would love to see what our Sommer students can come up with!  Please read the flyer for all rules and recommendations.  On the back of your artwork please include the student's name, homeroom teacher and grade.  You can turn in the entries to the front office or your teacher by February 26th, 2026.

Yearbook Photos Needed!

We need photos for the yearbook! If you would like to see your child and their friends in the yearbook please share your photos with us!  The best are candid shots of groups of students or of multiple students participating in activities together, field trips, class parties, school events, teachers with their students.  Go to the link below to upload the photos.  Please put them into the corresponding folder or a folder that is closely related to the photo.  

Treering Photo Folders

There is still time to purchase your yearbook.  You can also add 2 customizable pages for free, to your personal yearbook (if purchased and created by April 12th)! 

Go to Purchase Link or www.treering.com/validate, school passcode 1016945264472865.  

If you already have an account go to Treering Existing Account Sign In .  Please be sure to edit your child's information to ensure their yearbook is delivered to the proper classroom.

 If you have any questions, please reach out to sommeryearbook@gmail.com. 

RRISD Clothes Closet Donations & Volunteers:

We are so thankful for the many families that have donated to the Clothes Closet. It is always a great feeling to drop off the donations knowing they will make a difference for someone in our community. We are still accepting donations of all clothing items for both females and males. Currently, boys and mens athletic pants and coats for males and females are most needed. Donations can easily be dropped off in the designated bin located right inside Patsy Sommer's front doors. As always, we are thankful for your generosity.

Please consider signing up for a volunteer shift at the Clothes Closet. You can sign up easily using the link below. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AEAF2CA0F8C52-58114760-20252026#/

Hello Families! 

I hope everyone has stayed warm and safe over the last couple of days. We are in for a wonky week due to RLA Interim on Wednesday, and the bad weather days on Monday and Tuesday. 

Reading:  In reading, we will be focusing on analyzing poetry. We use an acronym, POETS, to help with poetry analysis. Each letter will include one step of the poetry analysis: Preview, Occasion, Emotion, Theme, and Sensory and Figurative language. This will require reading through the poem multiple times to understand it deeply. As we read through the poems, we will be inferring about skills like the emotion of the speaker, themes, and mood.  This skill will also be on their poetry assessment next Friday, February 6th, 2026. Students' book club reading, sticky notes, and double-entry notes are due Friday. I encourage you to check in with your child about their book and if they are working on this assignment. It does count as their 30 minutes of reading at night.  This round of Book Club will go until February 5th.

Writing: Our poetry unit for We will be starting a PBL project with the driving question "How can I use poetry to express my identity?" Students will be using all of the elements of poetry that we are learning about in writing and using them to write their own poems. Each poem they write will need to focus on a piece of the student's identity. We will start the week off by discussing what makes up our identities. At the end of the PBL, students will be picking one poem they have written to perform in a class-wide poetry slam. 

Grammar/Word Study: This week, we will review grammar skills we've learned already this year. 

Social Studies:  We will continue our unit on Manifest Destiny. We will start talking about the Transcontinental Railroad. We will talk more about this next week as well.  Then, we will end the week by talking about the different economic activities that took place in the different territories during this time. Students will use their geography skills to create maps representing this information. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Thursday, January 29th at 6 pm- Fine Arts Night at Sommer *5th graders highly enouraged to attend to fine out about middle school fine arts options. 

• Saturday, January 31st- UIL District Competition 

• Monday, February 2- Cedar Valley Field Trip

• Tuesday, February 3- Advanced Academic Middle School Info Session (for both schools) at Sommer

• Wednesday, Febrary 4- RLA STAAR Field Test 

• Thursday, February 5- Pearson Ranch Field Trip 

• Thursday, February 5, at 5:30 pm- Pearson Ranch Parent Night at Pearson Ranch

• Friday, February 6- Poetry Assessment

• Monday, February 9- 5th grade Fine Arts Night & Parent Meeting at Cedar Valley (fine arts walk will be 4pm-5pm and parent meeting from 5:15pm-6pm)

• Friday, February 14- Valentine Exchange and Friendship Dance (no parents)

We also have an important announcement:

From Ms. Gagliardi and Ms. Wood

As a grade level, we have seen many students start chewing gum in class. This is not allowed. Please make sure your child isn't bringing gum to school. We appreciate your help in keeping our classrooms clean and focused.

From the 5th Grade Team

Have a question about Middle School Transition?

• Here is the 6th-grade transition page on the Pearson Ranch Website.

• Here is the 6th grade transition page on the Cedar Valley Website. (Not yet updated for 2025-2026 school year)

• Or reach out to our Sommer counselor, Ms. Macre (jessica_macre@roundrockisd.org).

PTA

RRISD Clothes Closet Donations & Volunteers:

We are so thankful for the many families that have donated to the Clothes Closet. It is always a great feeling to drop off the donations knowing they will make a difference for someone in our community. We are still accepting donations of all clothing items for both females and males. Currently, boys and mens athletic pants and coats for males and females are most needed. Donations can easily be dropped off in the designated bin located right inside Patsy Sommer's front doors. As always, we are thankful for your generosity.

Please consider signing up for a volunteer shift at the Clothes Closet. You can sign up easily using the link below. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AEAF2CA0F8C52-58114760-20252026#/

Hello Families! 

Reading: In reading, we will be focusing on Poetry. Throughout the week, students will learn about the genre's key elements. We will continue talking about sensory language. Sensory language is language that appeals to one or more of the five senses. The most common type of sensory language is imagery. Students will also work to identify the rhyme scheme of a poem. Students' book club reading, sticky notes over sensory language, and double-entry notes are due Friday. I encourage you to check in with your child about their book and if they are working on this assignment. It does count as their 30 minutes of reading at night.  This round of Book Club will go until February 5th.

Writing: Our poetry unit for We will be starting a PBL project with the driving question "How can I use poetry to express my identity?" Students will be using all of the elements of poetry that we are learning about in writing and using them to write their own poems. Each poem they write will need to focus on a piece of the student's identity. We will start the week off by discussing what makes up our identities. At the end of the PBL, students will be picking one poem they have written to perform in a class-wide poetry slam. 

Grammar/Word Study: This week, we will review grammar skills we've learned already this year. 

We will be developing our vocabulary this week using Flocabulary. Students will wear a name tag on Thursday saying, "Ask me what _____ means" This will encourage them to teach their word to others. 

Social Studies:  We will continue our unit on Manifest Destiny. This week, we will review why people journeyed west, including elbow room and the Gold Rush. Then, we will talk about the Homestead Act, which led to even more settlers in the West. Once the settlers moved west, they had to modify their environment. We will discuss the many ways the environment was modified and some major inventions, including the steel plow, mechanical reaper, telegraph, and canals, that made life in the West manageable. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Wednesday, January 21st- Math STAAR Interim  

• Tuesday, January 27th- RLA STAAR Interim

• Thursday, January 29th at 6 pm- Fine Arts Night at Sommer *5th graders highly enouraged to attend to fine out about middle school fine arts options. 

• Saturday, January 31st- UIL District Competition 

• Monday, February 2- Cedar Valley Field Trip

• Tuesday, February 3- Advanced Academic Middle School Info Session (for both schools) at Sommer

• Wednesday, Febrary 4- RLA STAAR Field Test 

• Thursday, February 5- Pearson Ranch Field Trip 

• Thursday, February 5, at 5:30 pm- Pearson Ranch Parent Night at Pearson Ranch

• Monday, February 9- 5th grade Fine Arts Night & Parent Meeting at Cedar Valley (fine arts walk will be 4pm-5pm and parent meeting from 5:15pm-6pm)

• Friday, February 14- Valentine Exchange and Friendship Dance (no parents)

We also have an important announcement:

From Ms. Gagliardi and Ms. Wood

As a grade level, we have seen many students start chewing gum in class. This is not allowed. Please make sure your child isn't bringing gum to school. We appreciate your help in keeping our classrooms clean and focused.

From the 5th Grade Team

Have a question about Middle School Transition?

• Here is the 6th-grade transition page on the Pearson Ranch Website.

• Here is the 6th grade transition page on the Cedar Valley Website. (Not yet updated for 2025-2026 school year)

• Or reach out to our Sommer counselor, Ms. Macre (jessica_macre@roundrockisd.org).

PTA

RRISD Clothes Closet Donations & Volunteers:

We are so thankful for the many families that have donated to the Clothes Closet. It is always a great feeling to drop off the donations knowing they will make a difference for someone in our community. We are still accepting donations of all clothing items for both females and males. Currently, boys and mens athletic pants and coats for males and females are most needed. Donations can easily be dropped off in the designated bin located right inside Patsy Sommer's front doors. As always, we are thankful for your generosity.

Please consider signing up for a volunteer shift at the Clothes Closet. You can sign up easily using the link below. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AEAF2CA0F8C52-58114760-20252026#/

Hello Families! 

Reading: In reading, we will be focusing on Poetry. Throughout the week, students will learn about the genre's key elements. We will continue talking about figurative language, including hyperbole, onomatopoeia, personification, and alliteration. Students will have an opportunity to review these types of figurative language and how they affect the poem. We will also talk about sensory language. Sensory language is language that appeals to one or more of the five senses. The most common type of sensory language is imagery. Students will be reading two different poems to find examples of sensory language and what it helps them to picture in their minds.  At the end of the week, students will be working to identify the types of poetry of different poems. We focus on 5 types of poetry in 5th grade- Narrative, Free Verse, Ode, Humorous, and Lyrical.  Students' book club reading, sticky notes over figurative language, and double-entry notes are due Friday. I encourage you to check in with your child about their book and if they are working on this assignment. It does count as their 30 minutes of reading at night.  This round of Book Club will go until February 5th.

Writing: Our poetry unit for We will be starting a PBL project with the driving question "How can I use poetry to express my identity?" Students will be using all of the elements of poetry that we are learning about in writing and using them to write their own poems. Each poem they write will need to focus on a piece of the student's identity. We will start the week off by discussing what makes up our identities. At the end of the PBL, students will be picking one poem they have written to perform in a class-wide poetry slam. 

Grammar/Word Study: This week, we will practice with comparative and superlative adjectives. We will focus both on how to use these adjectives and spelling them appropriately. 

For word study this week, we will focus on -mal/male.  Students will be given a list of 10 -mal/male words they should learn. Students will have words glued into their notebooks. They will have a quiz this Friday over there Ben/Bene/Bon and Mal/Male words. 

Social Studies: We will continue our next unit, Manifest Destiny. We will discuss Lewis and Clark's expedition through the newly purchased Louisiana Territory. Then, we will talk about the Oregon Trail, which was one way that people traveled west. Finally, we will discuss the ethical issues related to westward expansion. We will start with the Trail of Tears and how this impacted the Native Tribes. We will end the week by talking about the different economic activities that took place in the different t 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Tuesday, January 13th at 6 pm- Spelling Bee 

• Wednesday, January 14th- Science STAAR Interim

• Monday, January 19th- No School MLK Day

• Wednesday, January 21st- Math STAAR Interim  

• Thursday, January 29th at 6 pm- Fine Arts Night at Sommer *5th graders highly enouraged to attend to fine out about middle school fine arts options. 

• Saturday, January 31st- UIL District Competition 

• Monday, February 2- Cedar Valley Field Trip

• Tuesday, February 3- Advanced Academic Middle School Info Session (for both schools) at Sommer

• Thursday, February 5- Pearson Ranch Field Trip 

• Thursday, February 5, at 5:30 pm- Pearson Ranch Parent Night at Pearson Ranch

• Monday, February 9- 5th grade Fine Arts Night & Parent Meeting at Cedar Valley (fine arts walk will be 4pm-5pm and parent meeting from 5:15pm-6pm)

We also have an important announcement:

From Ms. Gagliardi

Please check with your child that they still have a complete set of colored pencils. Many students are missing many pencils. If this is the case, please get them a new set. We will be using colored pencils heavily in my classroom in two weeks. 

From the 5th Grade Team

Have a question about Middle School Transition?

• Here is the 6th-grade transition page on the Pearson Ranch Website.

• Here is the 6th grade transition page on the Cedar Valley Website. (Not yet updated for 2025-2026 school year)

• Or reach out to our Sommer counselor, Ms. Macre (jessica_macre@roundrockisd.org).

PTA

RRISD Clothes Closet Donations & Volunteers:

We are so thankful for the many families that have donated to the Clothes Closet. It is always a great feeling to drop off the donations knowing they will make a difference for someone in our community. We are still accepting donations of all clothing items for both females and males. Currently, boys and mens athletic pants and coats for males and females are most needed. Donations can easily be dropped off in the designated bin located right inside Patsy Sommer's front doors. As always, we are thankful for your generosity.

Please consider signing up for a volunteer shift at the Clothes Closet. You can sign up easily using the link below. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AEAF2CA0F8C52-58114760-20252026#/

Hello Families! 

I hope you all had a restful winter break and got to enjoy time as a family. I am excited to start our second semester together. 

Reading: In reading this week, we will be learning about the Content Imperatives. These icons are partnered with depth and complexity icons for even deeper thinking. We will start using the content imperatives along with our other icons during our book club assignments. Students will be getting new book club books on Friday. Then, we will start our next unit, which will focus on Poetry. At the end of the week, students will start to learn about one of this genre's key elements, figurative language. We will be talking about similes and metaphors. Students will be able to review these types of figurative language and how they affect the poem. Students will also be asked to find examples of figurative language in their book club books. This book club will be novels in verse or poetry books. Students' book club reading, sticky notes over figurative language, and double-entry notes are due Friday. I encourage you to check in with your child about their book and if they are working on this assignment. It does count as their 30 minutes of reading at night.  This round of Book Club will go until February 5th.

Writing: This week we will be focusing on coming up with one word goals for the year. This is based on the book One Word for Kids by Dan Britton, Jimmy Page, and Jon Gordon. I encourage you to talk to your child about their word on Friday. We will check on how we are doing with these words throughout the rest of the school year. 

Social Studies: We will be starting our next unit, Manifest Destiny. This week, we will focus on answering the driving ethics question- "Was Manifest Destiny good or bad? Why?" We will be asking students to look at this question from multiple perspectives and think about how different groups (native tribes, and pioneers) as well as animals and nature (if they could talk) would view Manifest Destiny. As part of this, we will analyze the image of American Progress by John Gast. Then, we will discuss the first major land acquisition- The Louisiana Purchase. Students will work to tell why this purchase was significant to the United States. Finally, we will discuss Lewis and Clark's expedition through the newly purchased Louisiana Territory. 

Word Study:  For word study this week, our root is -scrib/script. Students will be given a list of 10 ben/bene/bon words to learn. Students will have words glued into their notebooks and will have time to create flashcards over their words. Students will have an affix quiz on Friday, January 16th. This quiz will cover both this week's affix words and next week's.

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Tuesday, January 6th- First Day of the Third Nine Weeks

• Tuesday, January 13th at 6 pm- Spelling Bee 

• Wednesday, January 14th- Science STAAR Interim 

• Thursday, January 29th at 6 pm- Fine Arts Night

• Saturday, January 31st- UIL District Competition 

• Monday, February 2- Cedar Valley Field Trip

• Tuesday, February 3- Advanced Academic Middle School Info Session (for both schools) at Sommer

• Thursday, February 5- Pearson Ranch Field Trip 

• Thursday, February 5 at 5:30 pm- Pearson Ranch Parent Night at Pearson Ranch

• Monday, February 9- 5th grade Fine Arts Night & Parent Meeting at Cedar Valley (fine arts walk will be 4pm-5pm and parent meeting from 5:15pm-6pm)

We also have an important announcement:

From Ms. Gagliardi

Please check with your child that they still have a complete set of colored pencils. Many students are missing many pencils. If this is the case, please get them a new set. We will be using colored pencils heavily in my classroom in two weeks. 

From the 5th Grade Team

Have a question about Middle School Transition?

• Here is the 6th-grade transition page on the Pearson Ranch Website.

• Here is the 6th grade transition page on the Cedar Valley Website. (Not yet updated for 2025-2026 school year)

• Or reach out to our Sommer counselor, Ms. Macre (jessica_macre@roundrockisd.org).

PTA

RRISD Clothes Closet Donations & Volunteers:

We are so thankful for the many families that have donated to the Clothes Closet. It is always a great feeling to drop off the donations knowing they will make a difference for someone in our community. We are still accepting donations of all clothing items for both females and males. Currently, boys and mens athletic pants and coats for males and females are most needed. Donations can easily be dropped off in the designated bin located right inside Patsy Sommer's front doors. As always, we are thankful for your generosity.

Please consider signing up for a volunteer shift at the Clothes Closet. You can sign up easily using the link below. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AEAF2CA0F8C52-58114760-20252026#/

Hello Families!

If you know that your child will be leaving early for the Winter break, please let Ms. Wood and me know now so that we can plan for getting your child caught up with assignments and tests that they will be missing.  

Reading: We will be finishing up our Drama unit this week. Students will have an assessment of Drama and Fiction on Wednesday, December 10th. The reading test will be three passages: one fiction text, one drama, and one revision and editing passage.

Writing:  In writing, we will start our Creative Writing unit. This is one of my favorite writing units. Students will pick one photo from The Mysteries of Harris Burdick and complete the story. This week, students will pick the photo they are most interested in and complete a plot diagram with the plot of their creative writing. Then, I will confer with students over their plot, and they will start drafting.

Grammar:  In grammar this week, we will be looking at word choice. Students will work on revising sentences to pick the best possible word for the context.

Social Studies:  In social studies, we will start by comparing the powers of the state and federal government. Then, at the end of the week, we will talk about the causes and effects of the War of 1812. We will be looking closely at one specific effect, Francis Scott Key's Star-Spangled Banner, which would later become our National Anthem.  We will be having a Social Studies Assessment on Monday, December 15, 2025. Students have a study guide that is due Friday, December 12th.    

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Wednesday, December 10, 2025- Fiction and Drama Assessment

• Friday, December 12, 2025- Penguin Patch Preview

• Friday, December 12, 2025, at 4:30 pm- TAG Referral Window Closes

• Monday, December 15th, 2025- Forming a Nation Assessment 

• Wednesday, December 17th, 2025- Penguin Patch Shopping

• Thursday, December 18th, 2025 at 12:30- 5th Grade Holiday Party (Homeroom Parents Only)

• Thursday, December 18th, 2025- Last Day of the 2nd Nine Weeks

• Friday, December 19th, 2025- Monday, January 5th, 2026- Winter Break

• Tuesday, January 6th- First Day of the Third Nine Weeks

We also have an important announcement:

TAG 

The referral window for students to be considered for gifted services is from November 10, 2025 through December 12, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. On the morning of November 10th at 8:00 a.m. the links will be live and you can submit registration requests.

The referral link will be on:  https://www.roundrockisd.org/o/rrisd/page/gifted-services

If you would like more information about TAG testing, please check out the Patsy Sommer TAG Website here. 

From the 5th Grade Team

Have a question about Middle School Transition?

• Here is the 6th-grade transition page on the Pearson Ranch Website.

• Here is the 6th grade transition page on the Cedar Valley Website. (Not yet updated for 2025-2026 school year)

• Or reach out to our Sommer counselor, Ms. Macre (jessica_macre@roundrockisd.org).

Cedar Valley Middle School:

• 02/02/26 - 5th grade field trip to Cedar Valley MS (students only)

• 02/03/26 - Advanced Academic Parent Info Session at Sommer ES (for both middle schools)

• 02/09/26 - 5th grade Fine Arts Night & Parent Meeting at Cedar Valley (fine arts walk will be 4pm-5pm and parent meeting from 5:15pm-6pm)

Pearson Ranch Middle School: 

• 02/03/26 - Advanced Academic Parent Info Session at Sommer ES (for both middle schools)

• 02/05/26 - 5th Grade field trip to PRMS (students only)

• 02/05/26 - 5th Grade Parent Night at Pearson Ranch - 5:30 pm

PTA NEWS

Senior Sidekicks

Calling All Parents!
We are looking for kids who would love to bring joy, friendship, and connection to seniors in our community.

What Your Child Will Do:
- One monthly visit to spend time with their senior buddy
- One letter or drawing per month (more are always welcome!)

Brown Santa

We are again excited to partner with the WilCo Brown Santa program to provide holiday gifts for underprivileged kids throughout Williamson County.  The Brown Santa program provides gifts for males and females ages infant through 18 years old. Sommer will host a Holiday Gift Drive from November 17th - December 12th.  Good gift options are: toys, board games, books, puzzles, art supplies, makeup, nail polish kits, sports equipment, and much more.  All donations must be brand new and unwrapped.  A donation box is set up in each classroom, and there is also a donation box in the main office.

You can also participate in the Brown Santa Adopt-A-Family program, donate items through their Amazon wish list, or make an online monetary donation.  Visit the website for more info. 

Brown Santa website - https://www.wcbrownsanta.com/

Ways to Donate - https://www.wcbrownsanta.com/want-to-donate

Let’s all work together to make the holiday season brighter for our neighbors!  As always, please reach out if you have any questions.

RRISD Clothes Closet: Donations and Volunteers

We are so thankful for the many families that have donated to the Clothes Closet. It is always a great feeling to drop off the donations knowing they will make a difference for someone in our community. We are still accepting donations of all clothing items for both females and males. Currently, boys and mens athletic pants and shorts, coats, and NEW underwear and socks of all sizes, for males and females, are most pressing. Donations can easily be dropped off in the designated bin located right inside Patsy Sommer's front doors. As always, we are thankful for your generosity.

Please consider signing up for a volunteer shift at the Clothes Closet. You can sign up easily using the link below. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AEAF2CA0F8C52-58114760-20252026#/

Sommer Lost and Found

More coats and sweaters are being brought to the lost and found. Please encourage your children to check for any items that they may be missing. We'd hate for them to go home in the cold with items still at school. They can check during their lunch period or before/after school. The lost and found is located directly across from the cafeteria. Also, please remember to label all of your children's items for the best chance of getting them returned. Take a look at the pictures to see if you recognize anything that belongs to your child. 

As of 12/06:

91 Jackets/Sweaters/Hoodies

12 Water Bottles

5 Lunchboxes

1 Cap

1 Hat

2 Headsets

Walmart "Spread the Love" Initiative

Sommer students, help our PTA partner with Walmart to spread holiday cheer throughout our community! Print out one of the attached coloring pages and give it your best coloring/decorating effort! Return to the main office by December 3rd and your coloring sheet will be in the running to be displayed at the Cedar Park Walmart (2801 E. Whitestone Blvd.) for the two weeks before Christmas, after which it will be delivered to a local hospital, nursing home, or senior center to brighten the holidays of patients or residents. Have fun and be creative!

Please top by the SOMMER OFFICE to pick up a full sized coloring page.

Penguin Patch Holiday Shop is coming to our school December 15–17!

Please see the TENTATIVE schedule below to know which day your child will get to shop!

Monday 12/15: Pre-K, 1st, kinder

Tuesday 12/16: 4th, 2nd

Wednesday 12/17: 3rd, 5th 

Students will have the chance to pick out special gifts for their loved ones, wrap them, and take them home just in time for the holidays. Parent volunteers will be on hand to help children shop so they can keep their gifts a fun surprise!

The shop will feature 100+ gift options, ranging from $0.50 to $13, making it easy for every child to find something meaningful. The Holiday Shop is a fun and unique way to empower students with independence and generosity during the season of giving.

✨ We need parent volunteers!

Please consider donating your time to help make this event magical for our students. Your support ensures every child has a joyful experience. Click HERE or use the link below to sign up! 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E44A4A62FA1FFC16-60670272-penguin

Hello Families!

If you know that your child will be leaving early for the Winter break, please let Ms. Wood and me know now so that we can plan for getting your child caught up with assignments and tests that they will be missing.  

Reading: In reading this week, we will start our unit on Drama. At the beginning of the week, we will talk about the characteristics of drama that make it unique, including Character Tags, Scenes, and Stage Direction. Then, we will take a closer look at stage directions and what they can tell us about different characters in a drama. At the end of the week, we will start looking at different scripts. We will figure out their plots and themes.  Students will have a Reading Assessment next Wednesday, December 10th. This assessment will cover Fiction and Drama. 

Writing:  In writing, we will start our Creative Writing unit. This is one of my favorite writing units. Students will pick one photo from The Mysteries of Harris Burdick and complete the story. This week, students will pick the photo they are most interested in and complete a plot diagram with the plot of their creative writing. Then, I will conference with students over their plot, and they will start drafting.

Grammar/Word Study:  This week in grammar, we will review conjunctions. We will specifically look at the conjunction "so." 

We will be developing our vocabulary this week using Flocabulary. Students will wear a name tag on Wednesday, saying, "Ask me what _____ means." This will encourage them to teach their word to others. 

Social Studies:  In social studies, we talk about the formation of our nation after the end of the Revolutionary War. This week we will start talking about the government that is set up in the Preamble to the Constitution how our government runs. We will also be learning about each of the 3-branches of government. Students will need to know who is part of each branch and what jobs they do for our country. Finally, we will also be talking about how the 3 branches "check" each other and make sure that no one branch becomes too powerful. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Monday, December 8, 2025- Mari Mancusi Author Visit

• Wednesday, December 10, 2025- Fiction and Drama Assessment

• Friday, December 12, 2025- Penguin Patch Preview

• Friday, December 12, 2025, at 4:30 pm- TAG Referral Window Closes

• Monday, December 15th, 2025- Forming a Nation Assessment 

• Wednesday, December 17th, 2025- Penguin Patch Shopping

• Thursday, December 18th, 2025 at 12:30- 5th Grade Holiday Party (Homeroom Parents Only)

• Thursday, December 18th, 2025- Last Day of the 2nd Nine Weeks

• Friday, December 19th, 2025- Monday, January 5th, 2026- Winter Break

We also have an important announcement:

TAG 

The referral window for students to be considered for gifted services is from November 10, 2025 through December 12, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. On the morning of November 10th at 8:00 a.m. the links will be live and you can submit registration requests.

The referral link will be on:  https://www.roundrockisd.org/o/rrisd/page/gifted-services

If you would like more information about TAG testing, please check out the Patsy Sommer TAG Website here. 

Gracie's Canned Goods

Mrs. Manning's class is excited to have FORMER SOMMER STALLION, Gracie Garbade as our high school intern. When Gracie was in Mrs. Manning's Kindergarten class, she noticed several people in our own community that were struggling to get adequate food and wanted to do something about it. Since then, she and her mom started a non-profit called "Gracie's Canned Goods". They are committed to helping those in our community that are experiencing food insecurity. Gracie has done tremendous work to provide meals for those in need and we are hoping to support her mission this holiday season! Gracie's Canned Goods is currently collecting donations for Cedar Park's Blue Santa. If you are interested in donating items, we will have a collection box outside of my classroom from now until the first week of December. We are so thankful for any donations you would like to provide.  

Please see the list below of items we are accepting: 

• Canned Vegetables and Fruits

• Stuffing mix/gravy

• Pasta/Sauce

• Cereal

• Rice

• Boxed Potatoes

• Peanut Butter/ Jelly

• Mac and Cheese

• Soup

• Boxed dessert mixes

• Biscuit or roll mix

PTA NEWS

Senior Sidekicks

Calling All Parents!
We are looking for kids who would love to bring joy, friendship, and connection to seniors in our community.

What Your Child Will Do:
- One monthly visit to spend time with their senior buddy
- One letter or drawing per month (more are always welcome!)

Brown Santa

We are again excited to partner with the WilCo Brown Santa program to provide holiday gifts for underprivileged kids throughout Williamson County.  The Brown Santa program provides gifts for males and females ages infant through 18 years old. Sommer will host a Holiday Gift Drive from November 17th - December 12th.  Good gift options are: toys, board games, books, puzzles, art supplies, makeup, nail polish kits, sports equipment, and much more.  All donations must be brand new and unwrapped.  A donation box is set up in each classroom, and there is also a donation box in the main office.

You can also participate in the Brown Santa Adopt-A-Family program, donate items through their Amazon wish list, or make an online monetary donation.  Visit the website for more info. 

Brown Santa website - https://www.wcbrownsanta.com/

Ways to Donate - https://www.wcbrownsanta.com/want-to-donate

Let’s all work together to make the holiday season brighter for our neighbors!  As always, please reach out if you have any questions.

RRISD Clothes Closet: Donations and Volunteers

We are so thankful for the many families that have donated to the Clothes Closet. It is always a great feeling to drop off the donations knowing they will make a difference for someone in our community. We are still accepting donations of all clothing items for both females and males. Currently, boys and mens athletic pants and shorts, coats, and NEW underwear and socks of all sizes, for males and females, are most pressing. Donations can easily be dropped off in the designated bin located right inside Patsy Sommer's front doors. As always, we are thankful for your generosity.

Please consider signing up for a volunteer shift at the Clothes Closet. You can sign up easily using the link below. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AEAF2CA0F8C52-58114760-20252026#/

Sommer Lost and Found

More coats and sweaters are being brought to the lost and found. Please encourage your children to check for any items that they may be missing. We'd hate for them to go home in the cold with items still at school. They can check during their lunch period or before/after school. The lost and found is located directly across from the cafeteria. Also, please remember to label all of your children's items for the best chance of getting them returned. Take a look at the pictures to see if you recognize anything that belongs to your child. 

As of 11/13:

71 Jackets/Sweaters

1 Cap

1 Scarf

6 Water Bottles

4 Lunchboxes

2 Headsets

Walmart "Spread the Love" Initiative

Sommer students, help our PTA partner with Walmart to spread holiday cheer throughout our community! Print out one of the attached coloring pages and give it your best coloring/decorating effort! Return to the main office by December 3rd and your coloring sheet will be in the running to be displayed at the Cedar Park Walmart (2801 E. Whitestone Blvd.) for the two weeks before Christmas, after which it will be delivered to a local hospital, nursing home, or senior center to brighten the holidays of patients or residents. Have fun and be creative!

Please top by the SOMMER OFFICE to pick up a full sized coloring page.

Penguin Patch Holiday Shop is coming to our school December 15–17!

Please see the TENTATIVE schedule below to know which day your child will get to shop!

Monday 12/15: Pre-K, 1st, kinder

Tuesday 12/16: 4th, 2nd

Wednesday 12/17: 3rd, 5th 

Students will have the chance to pick out special gifts for their loved ones, wrap them, and take them home just in time for the holidays. Parent volunteers will be on hand to help children shop so they can keep their gifts a fun surprise!

The shop will feature 100+ gift options, ranging from $0.50 to $13, making it easy for every child to find something meaningful. The Holiday Shop is a fun and unique way to empower students with independence and generosity during the season of giving.

✨ We need parent volunteers!

Please consider donating your time to help make this event magical for our students. Your support ensures every child has a joyful experience. Click HERE or use the link below to sign up! 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E44A4A62FA1FFC16-60670272-penguin

Hello Families!

 Happy week before Thanksgiving Break.  If you know that your child will be leaving early for the Thanksgiving break, please let Ms. Wood and me know now so that we can plan for getting your child caught up with assignments and tests that they will be missing.  

Reading: This week, we will be working on summarizing fictional texts. To do this, we will be using the Beginning, Middle, and End strategy. This will connect well to the plot, which we've talked about already. Students will work to write their own summaries, pick the best summary, and add to a partial summary using this strategy.

Writing:  In writing, students will use their small moments and plot diagrams to draft their personal narratives. Students will go through the writing process, drafting first an intro, then body paragraphs, and finally a conclusion. Then, students will start to revise and edit their writing to add details and check spelling and grammar. 

Grammar/Word Study:  This week in grammar, we will review conjunctions. We will specifically look at the conjunction "but." 

For word study this week, our root is -scrib/script. Students will be given a list of 10 scrib/script words that they should learn. Students will have words glued into their notebooks and will have time to create flashcards over their words. Students will have an affix quiz on Friday, November 21st. This quiz will cover both this week's affix words and last week's.

Social Studies:  We will be starting our Forming a Nation Unit.  This week, we start by talking about the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation (AoC).  Then, we will start by talking about the Constitutional Convention. We will discuss the key plans proposed at the Convention and the Great Compromise that helped form our current government. We will also talk about two key founding fathers, James Madison and George Mason. Finally, we will be talking about the Bill of Rights. Students need to be able to not only name the rights guaranteed by the different amendments but also give situations where these rights apply. Students will be taught a Hand Jive to help them memorize the rights of the Bill of Rights. I encourage you to ask your child to show it to you. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Tuesday, November 18, 2025- Thanksgiving Lunch (please bring your own lunch unless you filled out the form)

• Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at 6pm- PTA Snacks Wars

• Monday, November 24-Friday, November 28- Thanksgiving Break No School

• Friday, November 12, 2025 at 4:30 pm- TAG Referral Window Closes

• Monday, December 8, 2025- Mari Mancusi Author Visit

We also have an important announcement:

TAG 

The referral window for students to be considered for gifted services is from November 10, 2025 through December 12, 2025 at 4:30 p.m. On the morning of November 10th at 8:00 a.m. the links will be live and you can submit registration requests.

The referral link will be on:  https://www.roundrockisd.org/o/rrisd/page/gifted-services

If you would like more information about TAG testing, please check out the Patsy Sommer TAG Website here. 

Gracie's Canned Goods

Mrs. Manning's class is excited to have FORMER SOMMER STALLION, Gracie Garbade as our high school intern. When Gracie was in Mrs. Manning's Kindergarten class, she noticed several people in our own community that were struggling to get adequate food and wanted to do something about it. Since then, she and her mom started a non-profit called "Gracie's Canned Goods". They are committed to helping those in our community that are experiencing food insecurity. Gracie has done tremendous work to provide meals for those in need and we are hoping to support her mission this holiday season! Gracie's Canned Goods is currently collecting donations for Cedar Park's Blue Santa. If you are interested in donating items, we will have a collection box outside of my classroom from now until the first week of December. We are so thankful for any donations you would like to provide.  

Please see the list below of items we are accepting: 

• Canned Vegetables and Fruits

• Stuffing mix/gravy

• Pasta/Sauce

• Cereal

• Rice

• Boxed Potatoes

• Peanut Butter/ Jelly

• Mac and Cheese

• Soup

• Boxed dessert mixes

• Biscuit or roll mix

PTA NEWS

PIE DONATIONS

Thanksgiving Pie Donations:

It's that time of year again when we show our gratitude to our wonderful staff by providing each person with a pie they can take home to share with their loved ones over the holiday break.  Please use the link below to sign up to donate a pie or any amount of money to help us make the Thanksgiving break just a little more special for them. Be sure to read the entire description for full details. Thank you so much for your support!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0B49AEAE28A4FA7-60309673-anyway#/

Senior Sidekicks

Calling All Parents!
We are looking for kids who would love to bring joy, friendship, and connection to seniors in our community.

What Your Child Will Do:
- One monthly visit to spend time with their senior buddy
- One letter or drawing per month (more are always welcome!)

Brown Santa

We are again excited to partner with the WilCo Brown Santa program to provide holiday gifts for underprivileged kids throughout Williamson County.  The Brown Santa program provides gifts for males and females ages infant through 18 years old. Sommer will host a Holiday Gift Drive from November 17th - December 12th.  Good gift options are: toys, board games, books, puzzles, art supplies, makeup, nail polish kits, sports equipment, and much more.  All donations must be brand new and unwrapped.  A donation box is set up in each classroom, and there is also a donation box in the main office.

You can also participate in the Brown Santa Adopt-A-Family program, donate items through their Amazon wish list, or make an online monetary donation.  Visit the website for more info. 

Brown Santa website - https://www.wcbrownsanta.com/

Ways to Donate - https://www.wcbrownsanta.com/want-to-donate

Let’s all work together to make the holiday season brighter for our neighbors!  As always, please reach out if you have any questions.

RRISD Clothes Closet: Donations and Volunteers

We are so thankful for the many families that have donated to the Clothes Closet. It is always a great feeling to drop off the donations knowing they will make a difference for someone in our community. We are still accepting donations of all clothing items for both females and males. Currently, boys and mens athletic pants and shorts, coats, and NEW underwear and socks of all sizes, for males and females, are most pressing. Donations can easily be dropped off in the designated bin located right inside Patsy Sommer's front doors. As always, we are thankful for your generosity.

Please consider signing up for a volunteer shift at the Clothes Closet. You can sign up easily using the link below. 

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0E45AEAF2CA0F8C52-58114760-20252026#/

Sommer Lost and Found

More coats and sweaters are being brought to the lost and found. Please encourage your children to check for any items that they may be missing. We'd hate for them to go home in the cold with items still at school. They can check during their lunch period or before/after school. The lost and found is located directly across from the cafeteria. Also, please remember to label all of your children's items for the best chance of getting them returned. Take a look at the pictures to see if you recognize anything that belongs to your child. 

As of 11/13:

71 Jackets/Sweaters

1 Cap

1 Scarf

6 Water Bottles

4 Lunchboxes

2 Headsets

Walmart "Spread the Love" Initiative

Sommer students, help our PTA partner with Walmart to spread holiday cheer throughout our community! Print out one of the attached coloring pages and give it your best coloring/decorating effort! Return to the main office by December 3rd and your coloring sheet will be in the running to be displayed at the Cedar Park Walmart (2801 E. Whitestone Blvd.) for the two weeks before Christmas, after which it will be delivered to a local hospital, nursing home, or senior center to brighten the holidays of patients or residents. Have fun and be creative!

Please top by the SOMMER OFFICE to pick up a full sized coloring page.

Hello Families!

 Happy Veterans Day! 

I want to make sure everyone knows students have a social studies test on November 13th. Their study guides are due on November 12th.  

Reading: This week, we will talk about the different points of view. Finally, We will also learn about the different types of traditional tales and what makes them unique. We are also finishing our next round of book club. This book club will be realistic fiction books. TAG ELAR students will be reading Mysteries. Students have reading, sticky notes, and double-entry notes, and a Theme Chart due Friday. We will collect book club books next week. 

Writing: This week, we will continue Personal Narratives. We will plan our writing with a plot diagram. Students will use their small moments and plot diagrams to draft their personal narratives.  Students will go through the writing process, drafting first an intro, then body paragraphs, and finally a conclusion. Then, students will start to revise and edit their writing to add details and check spelling and grammar.

Grammar/Word Study:  This week in grammar, we will review subject-verb agreement. 

For word study this week, our root is -graph. Students will be given a list of 10 graph words that they should learn. Students will have words glued into their notebooks and will have time to create flashcards over their words. Students will have an affix quiz on Friday, November 21st. This quiz will cover both this week's affix words and next week's.

Social Studies:  We are finishing this unit by learning about the Battle of Yorktown and the Treaty of Paris that ended the American Revolution. This will be imporant as we move into our new unit next week.  Students will have an assessment of the American Revolution on Thursday, November 13th. Their study guides are due on Wednesday, November 12th.

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• 
  

• Tuesday, November 11, 2025- Veterans Day Assembly

• Wednesday, November 12, 2025- Revolution Study Guide Due

• Wednesday, November 12, 2025- Adam Gidwitz Author Visit Field Trip

• Thursday, November 13, 2025- Picture Day Make-Ups

• Thursday, November 13, 2025- Revolution Assessment

• Tuesday, November 18, 2025- Thanksgiving Lunch

• Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at 6pm- PTA Snacks Wars

• Monday, November 24-Friday, November 28- Thanksgiving Break No School

We also have an important announcement:

From The Cafeteria:

If you are planning on attending the Thanksgiving Lunch with your child(ren) on November 18th, please fill out THIS SURVEY. We want to make sure we have enough food and seating. Even if you are not ordering food but plan on attending, please fill out the survey when it is sent out. Remember to bring your photo ID with you.

Gracie's Canned Goods

Mrs. Manning's class is excited to have FORMER SOMMER STALLION, Gracie Garbade as our high school intern. When Gracie was in Mrs. Manning's Kindergarten class, she noticed several people in our own community that were struggling to get adequate food and wanted to do something about it. Since then, she and her mom started a non-profit called "Gracie's Canned Goods". They are committed to helping those in our community that are experiencing food insecurity. Gracie has done tremendous work to provide meals for those in need and we are hoping to support her mission this holiday season! Gracie's Canned Goods is currently collecting donations for Cedar Park's Blue Santa. If you are interested in donating items, we will have a collection box outside of my classroom from now until the first week of December. We are so thankful for any donations you would like to provide.  

Please see the list below of items we are accepting: 

• Canned Vegetables and Fruits

• Stuffing mix/gravy

• Pasta/Sauce

• Cereal

• Rice

• Boxed Potatoes

• Peanut Butter/ Jelly

• Mac and Cheese

• Soup

• Boxed dessert mixes

• Biscuit or roll mix

Hello Families!

 Happy November! I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather we have been having. 

I want to make sure everyone knows that Ms. Wood's birthday is this Thursday, November 6th. Let's make her feel extra special this day. 

Reading: This week, students will work to infer character traits. This is important because a character's traits often shape the story's conflict.  Once we identify character traits, we will analyze how they impact relationships among characters. We are also continuing our next round of book club. This book club will be realistic fiction books. TAG ELAR students will be reading Mysteries. Students have already received their books. Our first meeting will be on Friday, October 25. Students have reading, sticky notes, and double-entry notes, and a Characterization Chart due Thusrday. This round of Book Club will go until Thanksgiving Break.

Writing: This week, we will then be starting Personal Narratives. We will talk about the elements of personal narratives, and then we will be using those elements to write our own narratives. At the end of the week,  will be brainstorming our Small Moments and the theme or lesson we learned from this moment.

Grammar/Word Study:  This week in grammar, we will review subject-verb agreement. 

Social Studies:  In Social Studies, we will start by talking about the Declaration of Independence. During this conversation, we will discuss the purpose of this document as well as how it impact America in the future. Then, we will talk about some of our important founding fathers. Finally, we will discuss the importance of the song "Yankee Doodle" during the American Revolution. Students get their study guides on Tuesday and will be due next Wednesday. We will be making paper flashcards for students to study within this unit. Please go over these notecards at home to help them study. They can be found in their yellow folders. This Social Studies Unit will have a test at the end. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Wednesday, November 5, 2025- Spirit Night at Mandolas

• Thursday, November 6, 2025- Ms. Wood's Birthday

• Friday, November 7, 2025- No School

• Tuesday, November 11, 2025- Veterans Day Assembly- RSVP Here

• Wednesday, November 12, 2025- Revolution Study Guide Due

• Wednesday, November 12, 2025- Adam Gidwitz Author Visit Field Trip

• Thursday, November 13, 2025- Picture Day Make-Ups

• Thursday, November 13, 2025- Revolution Assessment

• Tuesday, November 18, 2025- Thanksgiving Lunch

• Wednesday, November 19, 2025 at 6pm- PTA Snacks Wars

• Monday, November 24-Friday, November 28- Thanksgiving Break No School

We also have an important announcement:

From The Cafeteria:

If you are planning on attending the Thanksgiving Lunch with your child(ren) on November 18th, a survey will be coming soon. We want to make sure we have enough food and seating. Even if you are not ordering food but plan on attending, please fill out the survey when it is sent out. Remember to bring your photo ID with you.

Veteran's Day

Is there a Veteran in your family? If the answer is “yes”, the students and staff would like to show our appreciation and honor your Veteran in person as well as be included in a slideshow that will be presented at our Veterans Day Assembly on November 11th at 7:45 am in the Sommer Cafeteria.  If your family would like to contribute a photo to the slideshow, please send a digital photo to your child’s homeroom teacher, no later than Wednesday, November 5th.  When emailing your child’s teacher, please include:

• A digital photo of your family’s Veteran(.jpg or .png format)

• Your Veteran’s name, military branch, & years of service

• Relation to your child (examples: grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt/uncle)

Will your Veteran be joining us at our November 11th assembly?  If the answer is “yes,” please fill out the form below, no later than Thursday, November 6th.

Veteran RSVP for our Assembly 

Student Ambassadors

Dear Sommer Families,

We are excited to reintroduce the Student Ambassadors program at Sommer, a special leadership opportunity for our 5th-grade students. This program is designed to help students develop important skills such as leadership, communication, and building positive relationships.

As Student Ambassadors, your child will have the chance to lead by example and show responsibility and respect for everyone in our school community. Ambassadors will participate in meaningful activities like giving tours to new or prospective families, assisting new students as they settle in, and warmly welcoming families to Sommer.

If your child is interested in becoming a Student Ambassador, please have them complete the application using this Google form. This needs to be completed by next Thursday, November 6th. Additionally, teachers will provide feedback on students who apply to help us select the best candidates for the program.

Through these experiences, students will learn how to be confident leaders and supportive peers, while embracing and valuing the diversity that makes our campus unique.

We look forward to working with your child in this exciting program and helping them grow as leaders and ambassadors of our school.

Please let me know if you have any questions at corianna_gagliardi@roundrockisd.org. 

Gracie's Canned Goods

Mrs. Manning's class is excited to have FORMER SOMMER STALLION, Gracie Garbade as our high school intern. When Gracie was in Mrs. Manning's Kindergarten class, she noticed several people in our own community that were struggling to get adequate food and wanted to do something about it. Since then, she and her mom started a non-profit called "Gracie's Canned Goods". They are committed to helping those in our community that are experiencing food insecurity. Gracie has done tremendous work to provide meals for those in need and we are hoping to support her mission this holiday season! Gracie's Canned Goods is currently collecting donations for Cedar Park's Blue Santa. If you are interested in donating items, we will have a collection box outside of my classroom from now until the first week of December. We are so thankful for any donations you would like to provide.  

Please see the list below of items we are accepting: 

• Canned Vegetables and Fruits

• Stuffing mix/gravy

• Pasta/Sauce

• Cereal

• Rice

• Boxed Potatoes

• Peanut Butter/ Jelly

• Mac and Cheese

• Soup

• Boxed dessert mixes

• Biscuit or roll mix

 Hello Families!

 Happy Red Ribbon Week!  

• • Monday, October 27th- Crazy Sock Day

  • Tuesday, October 28th- Team Day (Wear Team Shirt and/or Workout Gear)

  • Wednesday, October 29th- Wear Red

  • Thursday, October 30th- Pajama Day

  • Friday, October 31st- Book Character Day

Reading: In reading this week, we will work on our inferring skills. We will start the week by talking about what an inference is. Students will practice using their background knowledge and text evidence to make an inference.  Then, later in the week, we will work on inferring the themes of books. We will end the week practicing with inferring context clues again.  We are also continuing our next round of book club. This book club will be realistic fiction books. TAG ELAR students will be reading Mysteries. Students have already received their books. Our first meeting will be on Friday, October 25. Students have reading, sticky notes, and double-entry notes due Friday. This round of Book Club will go until Thanksgiving Break. As a final note, students will have the opportunity to redo their plot diagram assignment from Friday. Many of them struggled with it. If they are going to redo it, it will be due this Friday, October 31st. They will get the redo paper tomorrow. 

Writing: This week, we will then be starting Personal Narratives. We will talk about the elements of personal narratives, and then we will be using those elements to write our own narratives. At the end of the week,  will be brainstorming our Small Moments and the theme or lesson we learned from this moment.

Grammar/Word Study:  This week in grammar, we will be reviewing subject a predicate. This is the base of all simple sentences. This is important groundwork before we move into compound sentences soon. 

For word study this week, our root is -miss/mit. Students will be given a list of 10 -miss/mit words that they should learn. Students will have words glued into their notebooks and will have access to a Quizlet to study as well. Students will have an affix quiz this Friday, October 31st. This quiz will cover both this week's affix words and last week's.

Social Studies: We will be continuing our American Revolution unit. This week, we will start by talking abou the Boston Massacre. Then we will discuss the differences between loyalists and patriots. Then we will talk about the Boston Tea Party. Finally, we will discuss the midnight ride and the Battles of Lexington and Concord. This marks the official start of the American Revolution. We will be making paper flashcards for students to study within this unit. Please go over these notecards at home to help them study. This Social Studies Unit will have a test at the end. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Tuesday, October 28 - TAG (Talented and Gifted) Parent Information Session 5:00-5:45pm in cafeteria (for those interested, NOT for current TAG students.) 

• Thursday, Octover 31th- Math STAAR Interim

• Friday, October 31, 2025- Permission Slip for Adam Gidwitz Author Visit Field Trip Due

• Friday, November 7, 2025- No School

• Tuesday, November 11, 2025- Veterans Day Assembly- RSVP Here

• Wednesday, November 12, 2025- Adam Gidwitz Author Visit Field Trip

• Monday, November 24-Friday, November 28- Thanksgiving Break No School

We also have an important announcement:

Veteran's Day

Is there a Veteran in your family? If the answer is “yes”, the students and staff would like to show our appreciation and honor your Veteran in person as well as be included in a slideshow that will be presented at our Veterans Day Assembly on November 11th at 7:45 am in the Sommer Cafeteria.  If your family would like to contribute a photo to the slideshow, please send a digital photo to your child’s homeroom teacher, no later than Wednesday, November 5th.  When emailing your child’s teacher, please include:

• A digital photo of your family’s Veteran(.jpg or .png format)

• Your Veteran’s name, military branch, & years of service

• Relation to your child (examples: grandparent, great-grandparent, aunt/uncle)

Will your Veteran be joining us at our November 11th assembly?  If the answer is “yes,” please fill out the form below, no later than Thursday, November 6th.

Veteran RSVP for our Assembly 

From PTA

Pony Up October 3 - 31, 2025

Goal: $25,000 • Benefiting every Stallion

(This equates to approximately $30/student --- Our school record is $48/student)

Pony Up is our fall PTA fundraiser—no door-to-door sales, just direct support that powers the extras our kids and teachers love: guest speakers, gym equipment, after-school enrichment, classroom libraries, and more.

Every dollar stays at Patsy Sommer and is applied to THIS school year.

How it works

• Donate Oct 3–31 to your student’s class.

• We track progress on a giant wall at school and will run the campaign in four quarters (10/3–10/9, 10/10–10/16, 10/17–10/23, 10/24–10/31).

• Each quarter, two teachers and two classrooms win prizes (Round Rock Amp tickets, dinner gift cards, Round Rock Express, smoothie cards, a night at Kalahari—plus bragging rights!).

• If we hit $25,000, the whole school earns Board Game Day

Add a message (optional +$10)

Make your donation extra-special with a red-and-gold note on our hallway display: Sommer Stallion Shout-Outs. Share a 1–2 sentence pep message for your student and we’ll post it on campus.

DON'T FORGET: Matching & receipts

Many employers match gifts—please check your benefits portal. The Patsy Sommer PTA is a nonprofit; your receipt will include details for potential tax deductibility.

Thank you for helping our Stallions gallop to the finish line!

Donate at: https://ponyup2025.cheddarup.com/

 Hello Families!

Happy Diwali to all of those who celebrate. 

Reading: In reading this week, we will be starting our fiction unit. To start this unit, we will be talking about the Plot, which is the structure of all fictional stories. We will talk about the parts of a plot and then work to put a story on a plot diagram. Then, students will independently put a story on a plot diagram. We are also about to start our next round of book club. This book club genre will be realistic fiction books. TAG ELAR students will be reading Mysteries. Students have already received their books. Our first meeting for TAG ELAR students was today. For everyone else, it will be on Friday, October 24. Students have reading, sticky notes, and double-entry notes due Friday. This round of Book Club will go until Thanksgiving Break. 

Writing: This week in writing, we will return to our nonfiction writing. We will be continuing our work on planning out each section of our nonfiction writing. Our planning will also use the boxes and bullets strategy and focus on the text structure of students' writing.  Then, students will start drafting their essays. 

Grammar/Word Study:  This week in grammar, we will be reviewing subject a predicate. This is the base of all simple sentences. This is important groundwork before we move into compound sentences soon. 

For word study this week, our root is -port. Students will be given a list of 10 -port words that they should learn. Students will have words glued into their notebooks and will have access to a Quizlet to study as well. Students will have an affix quiz next Friday, October 31st. This quiz will cover both this week's affix words and next week's.

Social Studies: We will be continuing our American Revolution unit. This week, students will be talking about the taxes that King George passed for the colonies. Students will work in groups to learn about and present one of the Acts. We will also be learning some important language of the discipline, including propaganda, monopoly, and taxation. We will end the week by talking about the differences between and loyalist and a patriot. We will be making paper flashcards for students to study within this unit. Please go over these notecards at home to help them study. This Social Studies Unit will have a test at the end. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Wednesday, October 22, 2025- Round Rock ISD Unity Day-Wear Orange

• Thursday, October 23, 2025- Spelling Bee Round 1 (in classroom)

• Thursday, October 23, 2025- RLA STAAR Interim

• Monday, October 27-Friday, October 31- Red Ribbon Week

• Monday, October 27, 2025- Author Visit: Nicholas Solis

• Tuesday, October 28 - TAG (Talented and Gifted) Parent Information Session 5:00-5:45pm in cafeteria (for those interested, NOT for current TAG students.) 

• Friday, October 31, 2025- Permission Slip for Adam Gidwitz Author Visit Field Trip Due

• Wednesday, November 12, 2025- Adam Gidwitz Author Visit Field Trip

We also have an important announcement:

From Ms. Mensing

Author Visit

Dear Families,

We are excited to host author Nicholas Solis!  This visit has been made possible with support from our Sommer PTA and funds raised through our Scholastic Book Fair (our next one is coming October 10th).

If your family would like to pre-order one of the author's books, he will personalize it on the day of the event. Click here to pre-order!

From PTA

Pony Up October 3 - 31, 2025

Goal: $25,000 • Benefiting every Stallion

(This equates to approximately $30/student --- Our school record is $48/student)

Pony Up is our fall PTA fundraiser—no door-to-door sales, just direct support that powers the extras our kids and teachers love: guest speakers, gym equipment, after-school enrichment, classroom libraries, and more.

Every dollar stays at Patsy Sommer and is applied to THIS school year.

How it works

• Donate Oct 3–31 to your student’s class.

• We track progress on a giant wall at school and will run the campaign in four quarters (10/3–10/9, 10/10–10/16, 10/17–10/23, 10/24–10/31).

• Each quarter, two teachers and two classrooms win prizes (Round Rock Amp tickets, dinner gift cards, Round Rock Express, smoothie cards, a night at Kalahari—plus bragging rights!).

• If we hit $25,000, the whole school earns Board Game Day

Add a message (optional +$10)

Make your donation extra-special with a red-and-gold note on our hallway display: Sommer Stallion Shout-Outs. Share a 1–2 sentence pep message for your student and we’ll post it on campus.

DON'T FORGET: Matching & receipts

Many employers match gifts—please check your benefits portal. The Patsy Sommer PTA is a nonprofit; your receipt will include details for potential tax deductibility.

Thank you for helping our Stallions gallop to the finish line!

Donate at: https://ponyup2025.cheddarup.com/

 Hello Families!

It was great meeting with all of your for parent conferences. 

Reading: In reading this week, we will start by continuing our work on summarizing. We will focus on adding to a paragraph to create a complete summary. We will end the week by reviewing everything we've learned in our unit. These will be the last big skill before our Nonfiction Assessment.  Students will test this week on Friday, 10/17. A practice passage went home today that students can do to help them study.

Writing: This week in writing, we will return to our nonfiction writing. We will be continuing our work on planning out each section of our nonfiction writing. Our planning will also use the boxes and bullets strategy and focus on the text structure of students' writing.  Then, students will start drafting their essays. 

Grammar/Word Study: This week, we will be thinking about Parts of Speech. There are eight parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, interjections, and prepositions. 

We will be developing our vocabulary this week using Flocabulary. Students will wear a name tag on Wednesday, saying, "Ask me what _____ means." This will encourage them to teach their word to others. 

Social Studies:  We will be starting our new unit this week. We will be learning about the American Revolution. Students will be learning about the 1st cause of the American Revolution- the French and Indian War. Then, we will be talking about the taxes that King George passed for the colonies. This will be another major cause of the American Revolution.  We will be making paper flashcards for students to study within this unit. Please go over these notecards at home to help them study. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Monday, October 13-Friday, October 17- Book Fair

• Friday, October 17, 2025- Nonfiction Assessment

• Monday, October 20, 2025- PTA Reflections Due

• Monday, October 27-Friday, October 31- Red Ribbon Week

• Monday, October 27, 2025- Author Visit: Nicholas Solis

• Tuesday, October 28 - TAG (Talented and Gifted) Parent Information Session 5:00-5:45pm in cafeteria (for those interested, NOT for current TAG students.) 

• Friday, October 31, 2025- Permission Slip for Adam Gidwitz Author Visit Field Trip Due

• Wednesday, November 12, 2025- Adam Gidwitz Author Visit Field Trip

We also have an important announcement:

From Ms. Mensing

Author Visit

Dear Families,

We are excited to host author Nicholas Solis!  This visit has been made possible with support from our Sommer PTA and funds raised through our Scholastic Book Fair (our next one is coming October 10th).

If your family would like to pre-order one of the author's books, he will personalize it on the day of the event. Click here to pre-order!

Book Fair

Our Fall Scholastic Book Fair begins Friday, October 10th before PTA Movie Night! Book Fair proceeds help us host Author & Storyteller Visits, add more library books to the collection, & reward student readers with books. 

Please sign up to volunteer at the book fair! We would appreciate your help in one of the following ways:

• Setting up (Th 10/9 or packing up (Fri. 10/17)

• Helping students with Book Fair Previews (Fri. 10/10)

• Book Fair Sales (M-F 10/13-10/17)

Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C48AAA829A2F49-59077220-sommer#/

Please be on the lookout for Teacher Wish Boxes at the fair or Teacher eWallet links, if you’d like to contribute to their classroom libraries. (Ms. Wood's eWallet link is here)

EWallets are a CASHLESS way your student can shop independently during the school day.

You will need to create a Scholastic account, and if you have funds left over from a previous book fair, it will appear as an eCard:

https://account.scholastic.com/my-scholastic/profile/ewallet.html?fairID=6020819 

Thank you for your support! 

From PTA

Reflections Program

Calling the creators of tomorrow!!!

Theme for Reflections 2025-2026 is "I Belong",

The PTA Reflections Program gives space for students to benefit from creative expression and help in finding their own voice in telling their unique story.  Express your artistic talent in 1 of the 6 arts categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, or 2D Visual Arts. 

• Accepting digital submissions only

• Check eligibility criteria before sending entries @https://www.txpta.org/reflections-participation

  • At east one member of the household must be a PTA member to be considered - Join PTA

• Student Entry form is must & Check guidelines before submission : Scan QR code or click here

• Submit digital file with entry forms @ patsysommerptareflections@gmail.com

• For Visual Arts entry if submitting the original artwork, please drop it off at the Patsy Sommer front office

• More than 1 entry in any category, requires additional student entry form to be submitted.

DEADLINE for Submission: Monday, October 20th, 2025

Pony Up October 3 - 31, 2025

Goal: $25,000 • Benefiting every Stallion

(This equates to approximately $30/student --- Our school record is $48/student)

Pony Up is our fall PTA fundraiser—no door-to-door sales, just direct support that powers the extras our kids and teachers love: guest speakers, gym equipment, after-school enrichment, classroom libraries, and more.

Every dollar stays at Patsy Sommer and is applied to THIS school year.

How it works

• Donate Oct 3–31 to your student’s class.

• We track progress on a giant wall at school and will run the campaign in four quarters (10/3–10/9, 10/10–10/16, 10/17–10/23, 10/24–10/31).

• Each quarter, two teachers and two classrooms win prizes (Round Rock Amp tickets, dinner gift cards, Round Rock Express, smoothie cards, a night at Kalahari—plus bragging rights!).

• If we hit $25,000, the whole school earns Board Game Day

Add a message (optional +$10)

Make your donation extra-special with a red-and-gold note on our hallway display: Sommer Stallion Shout-Outs. Share a 1–2 sentence pep message for your student and we’ll post it on campus.

DON'T FORGET: Matching & receipts

Many employers match gifts—please check your benefits portal. The Patsy Sommer PTA is a nonprofit; your receipt will include details for potential tax deductibility.

Thank you for helping our Stallions gallop to the finish line!

Donate at: https://ponyup2025.cheddarup.com/

Stock the Lounge - 4th and 5th grade

This year we are hoping to help bring the staff daily joy by stocking the teacher's lounge with snacks and treats they can enjoy whenever they want! Every three months, different grades will be taking the lead for this, and for the months of October- December, the 4th and 5th grade classes will be helping to make this happen. Please click HERE to sign-up to bring in some goodies.

Items can be dropped off directly to school - there will be a box in the lobby (see picture) or in a box on the porch at 3903 Winchester Drive by October 8th! 

Hello Families!

As a reminder, conferences will be held on Monday, October 13th.

Reading: In reading this week, we will practice with context clues. This is a review from previous years. Students will be asked to determine the meaning of words. Students will test next week on Friday, 10/17. We will also be spending time this week working to prepare for our student-led conferences.

Writing: This week, students will work on planning out and drafting an Extended Constructed Response. This will be a major focus in writing this year. Students will also work to prepare for Student-Led Conferences. 

Grammar/Word Study: This week, we will be thinking about Parts of Speech. There are eight parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, interjections, and prepositions. 

This week, our root is -sect. Students will be given a list of 10 -sect words that they should learn. Students will have words glued into their notebooks. Students will have an affix quiz Thursday, October 9th. This quiz will cover both last week's (ject) and this week's (sect) affix words.

Social Studies: This week,  we will compare the New England, Middle, and Southern colonies. We will talk about the differences in the reason for founding, geography, economy, and government.  Students will have a Social Studies Assessment on Friday, October 10th, 2025. They received their reviews last week to start working on them. They will be due Thursday, October 9th. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Wednesday, October 8, 2025- Walk, Bike, Roll to School 

• Friday, October 10, 2025- Colonization Assessment

• Friday, October 10, 2025- Fall Picture Day

• Friday, October 10, 2025 @ 6 pm- PTA Movie Night

• Friday, October 10, 2025- End of First Nine Weeks

• Monday, October 13, 2025- Student Holiday / PARENT CONFERENCES

• Monday, October 13-Friday, October 17- Book Fair

• Friday, October 17, 2025- Nonfiction Assessment

• Monday, October 20, 2025- PTA Reflections Due

• Monday, October 27, 2025- Author Visit: Nicholas Solis

• Tuesday, October 28 - TAG (Talented and Gifted) Parent Information Session 5:00-5:45pm in cafeteria (for those interested, NOT for current TAG students.) 

• Friday, October 31, 2025- Permission Slip for Adam Gidwitz Author Visit Field Trip Due

• Wednesday, November 12, 2025- Adam Gidwitz Author Visit Field Trip

We also have an important announcement:

From ITS

Our district is providing families access to GoGuardian Parent, a mobile app designed to provide parents/guardians insight and control over their student's online activity when on school-managed devices and accounts. GoGuardian Parent was created to help provide students additional educational support and is a companion to the classroom engagement and internet filtering tools that our school uses. The GoGuardian Parent app provides an overview of the apps, extensions, documents, and websites your student visited, as well as internet controls that you can set for out-of-school hours. 

To access the app, please follow the below instructions:

1. Download the app: Apple Store  |  Google Play Store

NOTE: GoGuardian Parent is currently compatible with iOS versions equal to or newer than iOS 8 and Android version equal to or newer than Android Jelly Bean, v16, 4.1.x.

2. After the app is successfully downloaded and installed, open it up and enter the email address registered with the school. This will only work using the email address submitted on RRISD Student Registration Forms (InfoSnap).

3. Login/Check Email: Check your email on your phone for a link to log in to the app. Tap the "Verify your email", and it will take you straight to the app. Note: If you don't have access to your email through the device you used to log in, tap on "Login with verification code", and copy and paste the verification code from the email into the app.

Check out Getting Started with GoGuardian Parent to learn more about the settings and features within GoGuardian Parent.

If you experience issues and are unable to log in to GoGuardian Parent, please complete this form. You will receive an email when your issue is resolved.

From Ms. Mensing

Author Visit

Dear Families,

We are excited to host author Nicholas Solis!  This visit has been made possible with support from our Sommer PTA and funds raised through our Scholastic Book Fair (our next one is coming October 10th).

If your family would like to pre-order one of the author's books, he will personalize it on the day of the event. Click here to pre-order!

Book Fair

Our Fall Scholastic Book Fair begins Friday, October 10th before PTA Movie Night! Book Fair proceeds help us host Author & Storyteller Visits, add more library books to the collection, & reward student readers with books. 

Please sign up to volunteer at the book fair! We would appreciate your help in one of the following ways:

• Setting up (Th 10/9 or packing up (Fri. 10/17)

• Helping students with Book Fair Previews (Fri. 10/10)

• Book Fair Sales (M-F 10/13-10/17)

Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C48AAA829A2F49-59077220-sommer#/

Please be on the lookout for Teacher Wish Boxes at the fair or Teacher eWallet links, if you’d like to contribute to their classroom libraries. (Ms. Wood's eWallet link is here)

EWallets are a CASHLESS way your student can shop independently during the school day.

You will need to create a Scholastic account, and if you have funds left over from a previous book fair, it will appear as an eCard:

https://account.scholastic.com/my-scholastic/profile/ewallet.html?fairID=6020819 

Thank you for your support! 

From PTA

Reflections Program

Calling the creators of tomorrow!!!

Theme for Reflections 2025-2026 is "I Belong",

The PTA Reflections Program gives space for students to benefit from creative expression and help in finding their own voice in telling their unique story.  Express your artistic talent in 1 of the 6 arts categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, or 2D Visual Arts. 

• Accepting digital submissions only

• Check eligibility criteria before sending entries @https://www.txpta.org/reflections-participation

  • At east one member of the household must be a PTA member to be considered - Join PTA

• Student Entry form is must & Check guidelines before submission : Scan QR code or click here

• Submit digital file with entry forms @ patsysommerptareflections@gmail.com

• For Visual Arts entry if submitting the original artwork, please drop it off at the Patsy Sommer front office

• More than 1 entry in any category, requires additional student entry form to be submitted.

DEADLINE for Submission: Monday, October 20th, 2025

Pony Up October 3 - 31, 2025

Goal: $25,000 • Benefiting every Stallion

(This equates to approximately $30/student --- Our school record is $48/student)

Pony Up is our fall PTA fundraiser—no door-to-door sales, just direct support that powers the extras our kids and teachers love: guest speakers, gym equipment, after-school enrichment, classroom libraries, and more.

Every dollar stays at Patsy Sommer and is applied to THIS school year.

How it works

• Donate Oct 3–31 to your student’s class.

• We track progress on a giant wall at school and will run the campaign in four quarters (10/3–10/9, 10/10–10/16, 10/17–10/23, 10/24–10/31).

• Each quarter, two teachers and two classrooms win prizes (Round Rock Amp tickets, dinner gift cards, Round Rock Express, smoothie cards, a night at Kalahari—plus bragging rights!).

• If we hit $25,000, the whole school earns Board Game Day

Add a message (optional +$10)

Make your donation extra-special with a red-and-gold note on our hallway display: Sommer Stallion Shout-Outs. Share a 1–2 sentence pep message for your student and we’ll post it on campus.

DON'T FORGET: Matching & receipts

Many employers match gifts—please check your benefits portal. The Patsy Sommer PTA is a nonprofit; your receipt will include details for potential tax deductibility.

Thank you for helping our Stallions gallop to the finish line!

Donate at: https://ponyup2025.cheddarup.com/

Stock the Lounge - 4th and 5th grade

This year we are hoping to help bring the staff daily joy by stocking the teacher's lounge with snacks and treats they can enjoy whenever they want! Every three months, different grades will be taking the lead for this, and for the months of October- December, the 4th and 5th grade classes will be helping to make this happen. Please click HERE to sign-up to bring in some goodies.

Items can be dropped off directly to school - there will be a box in the lobby (see picture) or in a box on the porch at 3903 Winchester Drive by October 8th! 

Hello Families!

As a reminder, conferences will be held on Monday, October 13th.

Reading: We will be spending time this week working to prepare for our student led conferences. 

Writing: This week, students will start the week by setting a writing goal for themselves. They will pick one of the 6 traits of writing as a focus. Students will also work on reading responses about their book club books now that they are finished. 

Grammar/Word Study: This week, we will be thinking about Parts of Speech. There are eight parts of speech: nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, interjections, and prepositions. 

This week, our root is -ject. Students will be given a list of 10 -ject words that they should learn. Students will have words glued into their notebooks. Students will have an affix quiz Thursday, October 9th. This quiz will cover both this week's (ject) and next week's (sect) affix words.

Additionally, students will have an opportunity for a requiz over their Spec/Dict words this Friday, October 3rd.

Social Studies: This week, we will be learning about famous colonists. This will include William Bradford, Anne Hutchinson, William Penn, John Smith, and Roger Williams. Students will be able to learn about the different colonists and how they impacted their colony. Then we will discuss two important economic systems- Mercantilism and Free Trade. Students will have a Social Studies Assessment on Friday, October 10th, 2025. They received their reviews today to start working on them. They will be due Thursday, October 9th. 

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Friday, October 3, 2025, from 5-7 pm- Spooky STEAM Night

• Wednesday, October 8, 2025- Walk, Bike, Roll to School 

• Friday, October 10, 2025- Colonization Assessment

• Friday, October 10, 2025- Fall Picture Day

• Friday, October 10, 2025 @ 6 pm- PTA Movie Night

• Friday, October 10, 2025- End of First Nine Weeks

• Monday, October 13- Student Holiday / PARENT CONFERENCES

• Monday, October 13-Friday, October 17- Book Fair

• Monday, October 27, 2025- Author Visit: Nicholas Solis

We also have an important announcement:

A Note from Ms. Gagliardi and Ms. Wood

An important note in case you missed our Parent Night last week. 

• First, we are doing 5th-grade class shirts through Amazon this year. The Woodliardi pairing color is Navy. You can order using this link. 

From ITS

Our district is providing families access to GoGuardian Parent, a mobile app designed to provide parents/guardians insight and control over their student's online activity when on school-managed devices and accounts. GoGuardian Parent was created to help provide students additional educational support and is a companion to the classroom engagement and internet filtering tools that our school uses. The GoGuardian Parent app provides an overview of the apps, extensions, documents, and websites your student visited, as well as internet controls that you can set for out-of-school hours. 

To access the app, please follow the below instructions:

1. Download the app: Apple Store  |  Google Play Store

NOTE: GoGuardian Parent is currently compatible with iOS versions equal to or newer than iOS 8 and Android version equal to or newer than Android Jelly Bean, v16, 4.1.x.

2. After the app is successfully downloaded and installed, open it up and enter the email address registered with the school. This will only work using the email address submitted on RRISD Student Registration Forms (InfoSnap).

3. Login/Check Email: Check your email on your phone for a link to log in to the app. Tap the "Verify your email", and it will take you straight to the app. Note: If you don't have access to your email through the device you used to log in, tap on "Login with verification code", and copy and paste the verification code from the email into the app.

Check out Getting Started with GoGuardian Parent to learn more about the settings and features within GoGuardian Parent.

If you experience issues and are unable to log in to GoGuardian Parent, please complete this form. You will receive an email when your issue is resolved.

From Ms. Mensing

Dear Families,

We are excited to host author Nicholas Solis!  This visit has been made possible with support from our Sommer PTA and funds raised through our Scholastic Book Fair (our next one is coming October 10th).

If your family would like to pre-order one of the author's books, he will personalize it on the day of the event. Click here to pre-order!

From Mrs. Macre:

Parents, on Friday, you should have received an email from Round Rock ISD about the Panorama Survey. Round Rock ISD Board Goal Four measures student perceptions of Sense of Belonging, Safety at School, and Student Self-Efficacy. Since 2023, the district has used a survey from Panorama Education to help us understand these perceptions.

• In previous years, parents could opt-out of this survey. However, with the passage of Senate Bill 12, your student must be opted-in for them to participate.

• To review the questions on the survey, please click the link. 

• 3rd-5th Grades: Student Perception and Climate

• See this link for more information

The survey will be administered during the weeks of October 6-17 (Fall Survey) and March 2-13 (Spring Survey). To give your consent for your student to take the survey, please view this email and make your selection by September 29, 2025. 

From PTA

Spooky STEAM Night 

Hello Sommer Families.

The PTA is thrilled to announce the return of STEAM Night—and this year it’s going to be a little spooky! Join us for an evening packed with 30 + hands-on activities in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math. 

Meet awesome raptors and cool reptiles, dive into hands-on science fun, send a postcard to space, learn how to be a CPR hero, go on a creature hunt, craft your very own yarn monster buddy, uncover Austin’s sneaky invasive plants, play with friendly robots, create adorable anime art, make magical dry ice, and even bring home your very own glowing bug friend! Enjoy this and more and don’t forget Students are encouraged to come dressed in their favorite spooky costumes!

 Friday, October 3rd

 5:00 – 7:00 PM

    Free for all

To insure a successful, safe, and fun filled event we need lots of parent volunteers especially during the event.

Please review the available slots and sign up for as much time as you can. 

 Spooky Steam Night at Sommer- PARENT VOLUNTEERS ONLY

Volunteers, we thank you for supporting our school community—we couldn’t do it without you!

PTA Membership

Join our PTA!!! No Volunteering Required! Don't forget to add a student membership! Join Here! 

Spirit Wear Wednesdays!

Show off your school pride by rocking your Stallion gear every Wednesday!
Snap a pic in your spirit wear and tag us on Facebook or email (sommerptaspiritwear@gmail.com) for a chance to be featured or win a prize!  Let's turn the halls into a STAMPEDE of Red and Gold! 

1st General Meeting

We are excited to host the Hey Dude, Nice Shoes! Anti-Bullying presentation on Thursday, September 25th. Mrs. Carolyn Brown does an amazing job and will be holding a parent session that evening. We will have our first General PTA meeting at 5:15pm with the presentation immediately following around 6:00. We would love to have you join us for both! Come meet some other stallion families. You do NOT want to miss this event! This event is co-hosted by our fabulous PTA! We will have high school students volunteering for childcare in the gym while parents attend the event. Students will be able to write notes of appreciation to staff members during this time, along with other activities. 

https://calendar.app.google/o749U5MaQLooGooR6 

Reflections Program

Calling the creators of tomorrow!!!

Theme for Reflections 2025-2026 is "I Belong",

The PTA Reflections Program gives space for students to benefit from creative expression and help in finding their own voice in telling their unique story.  Express your artistic talent in 1 of the 6 arts categories: Dance Choreography, Film Production, Literature, Music Composition, Photography, or 2D Visual Arts. 

• Accepting digital submissions only

• Check eligibility criteria before sending entries @https://www.txpta.org/reflections-participation

  • At east one member of the household must be a PTA member to be considered - Join PTA

• Student Entry form is must & Check guidelines before submission : Scan QR code or click here

• Submit digital file with entry forms @ patsysommerptareflections@gmail.com

• For Visual Arts entry if submitting the original artwork, please drop it off at the Patsy Sommer front office

• More than 1 entry in any category, requires additional student entry form to be submitted.

DEADLINE for Submission: Monday, October 20th, 2025

Hello Families!

Reading: We will be continuing our Nonfiction unit this week. The skill focus for this week will be nonfiction text structures and the author's purpose. These are review skills from previous grades. At the beginning of the week, we will be taking notes on author's purpose and the 5 text structures. As part of the notes, students will be identifying keywords to help them know which structure their reading is in. Then, in the middle of the week, students will read different nonfiction passages and work with a partner to identify their text structure and the author's purpose for the texts. We will end the week by reviewing everything we have learned so far about Nonfiction Texts. We will have our next Book Club meeting on Friday, September 19th. Students have reading, sticky notes, and double-entry notes due for this meeting. Please check in with your child about their assignment. 

Writing: In writing this week we will be brainstorming topics for our expository nonfiction writing. To do this, students will create an expert list to see what topics they are already knowledgeable on. This writing will not be researched, so students must pick a topic they are "experts" in. Then, we will be working on drafting thesis statements. Students' thesis will be the guide for their expository writing. 

Grammar/Word Study: This week, we will learn about the root -dict. This means to speak. Students will be given 10 words using this root to learn the meaning of. Students will have a word study quiz on this Friday, September 19th over this week's words and last week's. 

 We will continue to focus on capitalizing proper nouns. This is a review skill from previous grades, which is very important as we continue into 5th grade. 

Social Studies: We are starting our colonization unit in Social Studies. We will be starting the unit by reading the book Encounter by Jane Yolen. Students will think about the different perspectives presented in the book (colonists and native tribes). Then, students will use the ethics and paradox depth and complexity icons to dig deeper into those perspectives. Then, we will learn about a couples type of government- Monarchy, Democracy, and Republic. Finally, we will discuss the colonies of Jamestown and Plymouth, why they were founded, and what life was like for a colonist in one of these colonies.

On top of all of the amazing learning we are doing, some important dates are also coming up. They are:

• Monday, September 15-Friday, September 19, 2025- Start with Hello Week

• Friday, September 19, 2025- Grandparents' Lunch option 2

• Monday, September 22, 2025- NO SCHOOL

• Tuesday, September 23, 2025- NO SCHOOL

• Thursday, September 25, 2025 @ 5:15- PTA Meeting

• Thursday, September 25, 2025 @6:00 - Hey Dude, Nice Shoes- Parent Presentation 

• Friday, September 26, 2025- Grandparents' Lunch option 3

• Friday, October 3, 2025 from 5-7pm- Spooky Steam Night

• Friday, October 10, 2025- Fall Picture Day

• Friday, October 10, 2025 @ 6pm- PTA Movie Night

• Monday, October 13- Student Holiday / PARENT CONFERENCES

We also have an important announcement:

A Note from Ms. Gagliardi and Ms. Wood

Two important notes in case you missed our Parent Night last week.