We’re in the home stretch now. Just 4 more days of second grade! We have lots of fun activities planned for next week. Please review the activity slide attached to the email, so that you know what we’ll be doing each day and ensure that your child brings what they need from home each day!

May Reading BINGO

Our final reading challenge of second grade ends May 26. Please make sure to initial each box that your child completes to receive credit.

CHROMEBOOK SUMMER STORAGE

All students at CCE have a RRISD Chromebook checked out to them but all K-2 students keep their devices at school. Please complete this survey regarding whether you would like your child to take their Chromebook home for use during the summer or if you would prefer that we store your child's RRISD Chromebook for the summer.

Chromebook Storage Survey for K-4th Grade

Fun Run (May 24)

Our PTA Fun Run will be done in partnership with Field Day this year during school hours!

The Fun Run will take place during Field Day on May 24, and each grade level will run together at various times throughout the day.

If you would like to volunteer we are looking for people to help set up and attend during the grade level races. The course is pretty quick - so shouldn't be too long of a commitment per shift!

If you are interested in volunteering for the Fun Run, please sign-up here.

Field Day:

Our annual field day is Tuesday, May 24th.. It is going to be a full day of new and exciting activities! Students should bring a towel, a change of clothes, and a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated. They should wear closed-toed shoes or water shoes (no flip-flops, please). Some of our activities will involve getting wet! Students are allowed to wear swimsuits as long as they wear t-shirts or cover ups that follow our district dress code policy. Again, please apply sunscreen at home.

Please find the picture of the lunch menus here.

IMPORTANT DATES:

May 20- Second grade showcase at 1:30-1:50

May 23- Senior Walk

May 24- Fun Run/ Field Day

May 26- Last Day of School/ EOY Party

Our Learning:

Math:

Subtraction with Regrouping

Place Value using base ten blocks

Place Value and Model Multiplication

Problem Solving

Even/Odd

Ten More/Ten Less

Geometry

Multi-step Word Problems

Area, Time and Length

Language Arts:

Letters to our future selves

Author’s Purpose

Cause and Effect

Using homophones in sentences

Full year phonics review

Cursive handwriting

Science:

Butterfly life cycle

Butterfly characteristics and vocabulary

Social Studies

Map and Symbols

Compasses and Directions

If you made it all the way to the newsletter, respond to this email with One Week Left and your child will earn a ticket!

May 13, 2022

We had a magical week full of fairy tale writing that sparked creative writing within.

SECOND GRADE SHOWCASE:

The second grade students and teachers are excited to invite you to come by your child's classroom on Friday afternoon, May 20, from 1:30 - 1:50 p.m. for our Second Grade Showcase. Your favorite Second grader will be ready to show you some of the great work that he/she has been doing this year! We look forward to seeing you here! Please note, you will need to check into the office with a valid ID or driver's license if you plan to attend.

School Supply for 2022-2023

Click here to order an EPI school supply pack by May 30. Make sure to enter the school ID: CAN043. Your supplies will be shipped to Canyon Creek Elementary and waiting for your child when the next school year starts. We'll also send out a printed order form in the Tuesday folder in the next week or two, but these orders are due back to the school by May 18.

Please contact Pam Kuss if you have any questions.

May Reading BINGO

Our final reading challenge of second grade ends May 26. Please make sure to initial each box that your child completes to receive credit.

CHROMEBOOK SUMMER STORAGE

All students at CCE have a RRISD Chromebook checked out to them but all K-2 students keep their devices at school. Please complete this survey regarding whether you would like your child to take their Chromebook home for use during the summer or if you would prefer that we store your child's RRISD Chromebook for the summer.

Chromebook Storage Survey for K-4th Grade

Fun Run (May 24)

Our PTA Fun Run will be done in partnership with Field Day this year during school hours!

The Fun Run will take place during Field Day on May 24, and each grade level will run together at various times throughout the day.

If you would like to volunteer we are looking for people to help set up and attend during the grade level races. The course is pretty quick - so shouldn't be too long of a commitment per shift!

If you are interested in volunteering for the Fun Run, please sign-up here.

Field Day:

Our annual field day is Tuesday, May 24th.. It is going to be a full day of new and exciting activities! Students should bring a towel, a change of clothes, and a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated. They should wear closed-toed shoes or water shoes (no flip-flops, please). Some of our activities will involve getting wet! Students are allowed to wear swimsuits as long as they wear t-shirts or cover ups that follow our district dress code policy. Again, please apply sunscreen at home.

Star of the Week Our Star Of The Week next week is Parker. We can't wait to learn more about our friend and classmate!

Please find the picture of the lunch menus

IMPORTANT DATES:

May 16-20- CCE Teacher Appreciation Week

May 20- Second grade showcase at 1:30-1:50

May 23- Senior Walk

May 24- Fun Run/ Field Day

May 26- Last Day of School/ EOY Party

Our Learning:

Math:

Finished up Addition with regrouping

Subtraction with Regrouping

Place Value using base ten blocks

Language Arts:

Writing fairy tales

Reviewing Frozen -e and Bossy R

Cursive handwriting

Identifying the mood of a story

Using conjunctions in sentences

Science:

Butterfly life cycle

Butterfly characteristics and vocabulary

Social Studies

Working as a member of a team

Displaying good citizenship in the school

If you made it all the way to the newsletter, respond to this email with Bye-Bye Butterflies and your child will earn a ticket!

May 6, 2022

We hope everyone’s imagination and inspiration were sparked after yesterday’s field trip. Thank you to our chaperones and to all families that joined us on our field trip! It was long overdue and much anticipated!

End of the Year Testing

We will be starting End of the Year testing on Monday. Please make sure your child has his/her headphones at school. They will need them throughout the week until testing ends. It is important that your child is present for these tests, as we are limited on time to make up any testing that is missed.

SECOND GRADE SHOWCASE:

The second grade students and teachers are excited to invite you to come by your child's classroom on Friday afternoon, May 20, from 1:30 - 1:50 p.m. for our Second Grade Showcase. Your favorite Second grader will be ready to show you some of the great work that he/she has been doing this year! We look forward to seeing you here! Please note, you will need to check into the office with a valid ID or driver's license if you plan to attend.

School Supply for 2022-2023

Click here to order an EPI school supply pack by May 30. Make sure to enter the school ID: CAN043. Your supplies will be shipped to Canyon Creek Elementary and waiting for your child when the next school year starts. We'll also send out a printed order form in the Tuesday folder in the next week or two, but these orders are due back to the school by May 18.

Please contact Pam Kuss if you have any questions.

Fun Run (May 24)

Our PTA Fun Run will be done in partnership with Field Day this year during school hours!

The Fun Run will take place during Field Day on May 24, and each grade level will run together at various times throughout the day.

If you would like to volunteer we are looking for people to help set up and attend during the grade level races. The course is pretty quick - so shouldn't be too long of a commitment per shift!

If you are interested in volunteering for the Fun Run, please sign-up here.

May Reading BINGO

Our final reading challenge of second grade begins this Monday, May 2. Please make sure to initial each box that your child completes to receive credit. This month’s BINGO sheet must be turned in on May 26th.

Library News:

• Monday, May 9 -

  • ALL K-2nd grade students must return all library books

  • 3rd-5th grade must return any library books not needed for reading after STAAR

• Tuesday, May 10 - Overdue notices will be provided for Tuesday folders

• Wednesday, May 11 - All 3rd-4th grade books must be returned to library AFTER STAAR is completed for the day (green bin will be placed by the 1st floor central stairs in case library staff is unavailable)

• Friday, May 13: ALL LIBRARY BOOKS MUST BE TURNED IN

Dear Parents,

All students at CCE have a RRISD Chromebook checked out to them but most FAC and all K-2 students keep their devices at school. Students in grades 3-5 take their devices home to charge and bring them back to school on a daily basis or as requested by their teachers. Please complete this survey regarding whether you would like your child to take their Chromebook home for use during the summer or if you would prefer that we store your child's RRISD Chromebook for the summer.

Chromebook Storage Survey for K-4th Grade

Star of the Week Our Star Of The Week next week is Sanvi. We can't wait to learn more about our friend and classmate!

IMPORTANT DATES:

5/5: Field Trip to The Thinkery

5/16-5/20: CCE Teacher Appreciation Week

5/20 @ 1:30-1:50: Second Grade Showcase

5/24: Field Day

5/26: Class Party (more information to come)/Last Day of School

Our Learning:

Math:

Addition with regrouping

Place Value using base ten blocks

Language Arts:

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Persuasive writing

Phonics review

Science:

Butterfly life cycle

Butterfly characteristics and vocabulary

Social Studies:

Being a responsible and respectful classroom citizen

Cinco De Mayo

If you made it all the way to the newsletter, respond to this email with Edward’s Home and your child will earn a ticket!

April 29, 2022

Can you believe it, “It’s Gonna be May” next week! Our learning has bloomed throughout April, and our students' hearts have been pouring over Edward’s journey to understand the true meaning of love.

May Reading BINGO

Our final reading challenge of second grade begins this Monday, May 2. Please make sure to initial each box that your child completes to receive credit. This month’s BINGO sheet must be turned in on May 26th.

Field Trip this Thursday

Our field trip to the Thinkery on Thursday, May 5 is coming up soon! Here are some reminders for our trip:

• Pack a sack lunch with all disposable items labeled with your child’s name

• Pack two snacks (one for before the trip, one for after)

• Wear comfortable walking shoes

• Wear the yellow CCE PTA shirt or any yellow shirt

School Supply for 2022-2023

Click here to order an EPI school supply pack by May 30. Make sure to enter the school ID: CAN043. Your supplies will be shipped to Canyon Creek Elementary and waiting for your child when the next school year starts. We'll also send out a printed order form in the Tuesday folder in the next week or two, but these orders are due back to the school by May 18.

Please contact Pam Kuss if you have any questions.

Student Drop Off

We have noticed unsafe student drop off in the morning. Do Not drop off your student(s) in the parking lot. If you choose to come through the parking lot, you must park your car and walk your child to the crosswalk. Please remember BOTH car drop off zones are available for all students. If the 1st Grade doors are backed up, feel free to drive around and drop your student(s) off at the Kindergarten doors.

Star of the Week Our Star Of The Week of is Eli. We can't wait to learn more about our friend and classmate!

Library News:

• Monday, May 9 -

  • ALL K-2nd grade students must return all library books

  • 3rd-5th grade must return any library books not needed for reading after STAAR

• Tuesday, May 10 - Overdue notices will be provided for Tuesday folders

• Wednesday, May 11 - All 3rd-4th grade books must be returned to library AFTER STAAR is completed for the day (green bin will be placed by the 1st floor central stairs in case library staff is unavailable)

• Friday, May 13: ALL LIBRARY BOOKS MUST BE TURNED IN

Please find the picture of the lunch menus

IMPORTANT DATES:

5/2-5/5/6: Teacher Appreciation Week

5/5: Field Trip to The Thinkery

5/20 @ 1:30-1:50: Second Grade Showcase

5/24: Field Day

5/26: Last Day of School

Our Learning:

Math:

Division using equal groups and arrays

Language Arts:

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

“Shun” spelling patterns -cian, -tion, -sion

Persuasive writing

Science:

Insect life cycle

Insect characteristics and vocabulary

Social Studies:

Being a responsible and respectful classroom citizen

If you made it all the way to the newsletter, respond to this email with Sarah Ruth Forever and your child will earn a ticket!

April 22, 2022

What a historical week! Second graders did an AMAZING job bringing their historical figures to life at the Living Museum! Thank you so much for all your support at home, from editing paragraphs, to getting the speeches and costumes performance-ready! I hope it was not merely a project, but a valuable lesson and a special memory that will stay with your child for a lifetime!

Field Trip

Our field trip to the Thinkery on Thursday, May 5 is coming up soon! Please make sure to turn in the blue permission slip no later than Friday April, 29th and your $2.00 as soon as possible. Chaperones, we will be reaching out to you this coming week with more information. Thank you for volunteering your time!

Student Drop Off

We have noticed unsafe student drop off in the morning. Do Not drop off your student(s) in the parking lot. If you choose to come through the parking lot, you must park your car and walk your child to the crosswalk. Please remember BOTH car drop off zones are available for all students. If the 1st Grade doors are backed up, feel free to drive around and drop your student(s) off at the Kindergarten doors.

School Supply for 2022-2023

Click here to order an EPI school supply pack by May 30. Make sure to enter the school ID: CAN043. Your supplies will be shipped to Canyon Creek Elementary and waiting for your child when the next school year starts. We'll also send out a printed order form in the Tuesday folder in the next week or two, but these orders are due back to the school by May 18.

Please contact Pam Kuss if you have any questions.

Star of the Week Our Star Of The Week of April 25th is Kane. We can't wait to learn more about our friend and classmate!

MAGIC SHOW ONLINE PIZZA ORDER FORM

We are extending the pizza ordering for the Magic Show until 9 am, April 26th! See attached flyer or read below.

Details:

• Pizza Toppings - Cheese, Pepperoni, or Mushroom

• Cost - $15 each

• Pick-up pizza between 4:30 - 5:30 pm (please note, food/drinks are NOT allowed inside)

• Magic Show - 6 - 7 pm (Doors open at 5:45 pm)

• Order Form - https://canyoncreekpta.membershiptoolkit.com/packet/6461 (sign into the Membership Toolkit first)

Also, we're looking for volunteers. Please go here to sign-up!

Please find the picture of the lunch menus here.

Our Learning:

Math:

Repeated Addition

Multiplication

Arrays

Language Arts:

Living Museum biography final drafts and speeches

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

Short o vowel sound patterns

Science:

Plant adaptations

Parts of a plant

Social Studies:

Character traits of notable people in history

If you made it all the way to the newsletter, respond to this email with From Edward to Susanna and your child will earn a ticket!

April 14, 2022

TIME IS FLYING BY:

I can’t believe that April is already half way done! It’s amazing to think back and remember the abilities of the children when they first arrived in second grade. We have seen so much growth! I appreciate all you have done, and continue to do, to make school and homework a priority. More success lies ahead and we’re so thankful to have your support.

Living Museum:

The Living Museum will come to life on Thursday, April 21st at 8:00 am in the cafeteria. Please make sure your child is at school on time and ready in their outfits when school starts at 7:40.

Parents are invited to join the second grade students as they "become" the famous person they have been researching. I can’t wait to see the creative outfits as they arrive in character. Our program will begin promptly at 8:00am. Please allow ample time for parking and signing in at the office. I appreciate your support throughout this project, and thank you for arranging childcare for younger siblings.

LIVING MUSEUM VISITORS: Please RSVP using this Google Form, so that the office can pre-print your visitor badges. Adult visitors are welcome at the museum; please make other arrangements for younger siblings.

FIELD TRIP:

Our new field trip has been scheduled! We will be traveling to The Thinkery on Tuesday May 5th. Your child has a new permission slip going home in their orange homework folder on Monday. Please sign and return these no later than next Friday April 29. Each class will need 4 chaperones. If you are able to chaperone, please check the box to volunteer. Your child’s classroom teacher will follow up with you to let you know if you have been selected. You must be an approved volunteer in order to attend. Adult tickets are $14.00 and can be purchased at the museum the day of the trip. The cost for this trip is $2.00 so if you have already paid for our previous trip, no other money is due.

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION:

We have a lot of fun activities happening between now and the end of the school year. Make sure you have a volunteer application filled out so that it has time to process and be approved and you can join us for these fun upcoming events and register with RRISD first.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES REFRESH:

Many students have let me know that their markers are running out of ink, crayons are missing or broken, and notebooks are filling up. Please check with your child about which supplies they may need replaced, this will help us with the final few weeks of school. All children should have brought in a second green composition notebook for math, or another notebook for reading by now. If you have not done so, please make sure your child has this by Monday. Our notebooks are filling up fast! We are also in need of glue sticks. Students will receive a ticket for each glue stick they bring into the class! Thank you!

Library News

Our book fair has been extended through Monday! Students can shop during the school day and families can come in at 3:00 PM. Click here for more information

Aunties, Uncles, Grandparents, and Grandfriends! Purchases can also be made online (free shipping to the recipient with orders over $25)!

We still have LOTS of great books, but if we're missing your special favorite, we can do a pre-paid order on Monday, and it will be delivered to the school (no shipping charge).

Library volunteers needed! We are so excited to welcome our library volunteers back! If you would like to help out in the library, CLICK HERE for the April SignUp Genius. Don't forget to register with RRISD first - you need to re-register every year.

CHICK LIVE STREAM:

The first grade chicks have hatched! If you would like to follow along as they grow, each class has set up a live stream. We encourage you to pop on and see what is happening!

Mrs. Barnard - https://youtu.be/TGSt2l_KGLg

Mrs. Ogle - https://youtu.be/RrLiP8ukzpQ

Mrs. Riggins - https://youtu.be/MSmj_VXjyYU

STARE OF THE WEEK: Our Star Of The Week of April 18th is Matthew. We can't wait to learn more about our friend and classmate!

Please find the picture of the lunch menus here.

IMPORTANT DATES:

4/18: Last day of Book Fair

4/21: Living Museum (Adults only)

4/22: Multicultural Fair

4/28: PTA Family Night-Magic Show. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased here

4/29: Field Trip permission slips due

5/5: Field Trip to The Thinkery

Our Learning:

Math:

Repeated Addition

Equal Groups

Multiplication

Language Arts:

Living Museum biography rough drafts

Literal and Non-Literal figurative language

Mentor Text: Catching the Moon

Science:

Plant adaptations

Parts of a plant

Social Studies:

Character traits of notable people in history

If you made it all the way to the newsletter, respond to this email with Catching the Moon and your child will earn a ticket!

April 10, 2022

We have had a very busy and exciting week learning all about our living museum people! The class has been fascinated by all the interesting facts they are learning about the person they've chosen. Thank you for supporting their research at home! Next week we begin transferring our notes into rough drafts. This is such an exciting project! I cannot wait to see everyone's presentations and costumes!

PERMISSION SLIPS: The permission slip says it is due on Friday, April 15th, however since there is no school due to Good Friday, please have all field trip permission slips and money turned in by Thursday, April 14th. The $2.00 can be a check or cash. Please do not send bills larger than $5.00, we cannot make change. Thank you.

LIVING MUSEUM: All living museum research notes are due Monday 4/11. Please follow up with your child and make sure their notes are complete. We will begin writing our rough drafts on Monday.

LIVING MUSEUM VISITORS: On April 21st from 8:00-8:30 am, second graders will present their Living Museum speeches in the cafeteria. Please RSVP using this Google Form, so that the office can pre-print your visitor badges. Adult visitors are welcome at the museum; please make other arrangements for younger siblings.

BOOK FAIR IS COMING:

Next week the library will host the book fair and we are bringing home a wishlist!

Mon, April 11: SALES Begin 7:20 AM - 3:30 PM

Tues, April 12: LATE NIGHT 7:20 AM - 5:15 PM & 6:45 PM - 7:30 PM

• Fair is OPEN until PTA meeting/3rd grade performance

• Fair is CLOSED during meeting/performance

• Fair is OPEN again after for about 30 min

Wed, April 13: regular sales times 7:20 PM - 3:30 PM

Thurs, April 14: LAST day 7:20 PM - 3:30 PM book fair ENDS :)

REPORT CARD ENVELOPES:

In last week's Tuesday folder your child received their report card for the third quarter grading period. You are welcome to keep the contents but please return the outer envelope so I'll have it for the final grading period. Thank you to all those that have already returned it!

APRIL READING BINGO is underway. Remember that you need to date and initial each square each night.

STAR OF THE WEEK: There will not be a Star of the Week next week due to our short week. We will resume week of 4/18 with Matthew .

MULTICULTURAL FAIR

The CCE PTA is pleased to host a hybrid Multicultural Fair on April 22, celebrating the vibrant CCE community and around the globe. The 2022 theme is Cultures on Earth, as we will be holding the event on Earth Day - a perfect occasion to honor our united global heritage and culture!

COUNTRY BOOTHS - IN PERSON:

One of the components that has made the CCE Multicultural Fair so special over the years is learning more about various cultures and traditions, and interacting together at the country booths.

We are delighted to hold this portion of the Multicultural Fair in-person at the Trailhead Park pavilion on April 22, from 5-7 pm.

Please email neha.londono@gmail.com by April 11th if you are interested in hosting a country booth.

PERFORMANCES - VIRTUAL:

Due to overwhelming positive feedback, performances will remain virtual. So many of you enjoyed the inclusive format- allowing for a record number of participants. We are really looking forward to seeing our CCE students celebrate Cultures on Earth.

• Time - 1-3 minutes video length per entry

• Submissions due by April 15th. Go here to submit your video.

COMEDY, MAGIC AND VARIETY SHOW

Come join us for Cody Fisher's "Comedy, Magic, & Variety Show!

Cody has performed his show in over 20 countries and is currently the headlining magician for Carnival Cruise Lines. He is one of the most in demand national touring acts...And he lives right here in Canyon Creek!

This fast-paced show combines family friendly COMEDY with mind boggling MAGIC and ILLUSIONS! During the show the audience will Learn A Trick, see The World's Most Dangerous Card Trick, and one lucky teacher will have a chance to win BIG prizes in Cody's "Bet Your Bucks Magical Game Show!

We are so excited about being able to offer this show to our Canyon Creek Families. Come join us as we celebrate our Canyon Creek Community...You do not want to miss this!

Show starts at 6 pm and doors open at 5:45 pm.

Food/Beverage Concessions

Pizza, snacks, soda, and water will be served outside at the CCE Picnic Area (Facing Boulder Lane). Since no food/drinks are allowed in the school for the show, you can eat/drink before the event.

Details:

• April 28 in CCE Cafetorium

• Ticket prices are $5 per person - go here to secure your spot as space is limited. You will then need to go to Will Call on site to pick up your wristband from 4:30 - 5:30 pm.

• 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm - Pizza, snacks, soda, and water served at the CCE Picnic Area (Facing Boulder Lane) available to eat/drink before the event

  • Pick-up your pre-ordered pizza (check your 4/19 Tuesday Folder for the order form)

  • Single pizza slices available until supplies last or 4:30 pm

  • Concessions will be sold on site (Chips, movie candy, water, soda)

  • Cash or Check accepted

• 5:45 pm - Doors open (wristbands required to enter)

• 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm - Magic Show

  • 6:45 pm - Announcement of Raffle Winner by Cody

Please note, food/water will be served OUTSIDE only at the picnic tables (facing Boulder Lane). NO food/drinks are allowed in the school for the show.

Raffle Ticket

For $1 enter a chance to win a Deluxe Magic Kit ($40 value). Tickets sold at the Concession stand from 4:45 - 5:30 pm.

Disclaimer

• Children must be accompanied by an adult.

• Absolutely NO food or drinks will be allowed in the building.

IMPORTANT DATES:

4/11-4/15: Book Fair

4/14: Field Trip permission slips due

4/15: NO SCHOOL

4/21: Living Museum (Adults only)

4/22: Field Trip

4/22: Multicultural Fair

4/28: PTA Family Night-Magic Show. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased here

Our Learning:

Math:

Area

Language Arts:

Biographies/Autobiographies

Living Museum research

Science:

Animal adaptations

Social Studies:

Economics

If you made it all the way to the newsletter, respond to this email with Salt in His Shoes and your child will earn a ticket!

April 1, 2022

We have officially hopped into the last week of school. With summer in sight it is easy to get excited and lose focus of our learning goals. We truly appreciate your support in encouraging your child to continue to do their best and finish the school year strong.

Field Trip: April 22 Crowe’s Nest Farm. Permission slips will be in next week’s Tuesday folder. We need 3 parent chaperones per class. Please indicate on the permission slip if you are able to help.

Living Museum: Next week we will begin our Living Museum project. Please be on the lookout for more information next week.

BOOK FAIR IS COMING:

Next week the library will be setting up for our upcoming book fair and we will get to preview it on Thursday and make our wish list. Your child can still return their library books on Wednesday but we won't be checking out any new books until the book fair is over.

Mon, April 11: SALES Begin 7:20 AM - 3:30 PM

Tues, April 12: LATE NIGHT 7:20 AM - 5:15 PM & 6:45 PM - 7:30 PM

• Fair is OPEN until PTA meeting/3rd grade performance

• Fair is CLOSED during meeting/performance

• Fair is OPEN again after for about 30 min

Wed, April 13: regular sales times 7:20 PM - 3:30 PM

Thurs, April 14: LAST day 7:20 PM - 3:30 PM book fair ENDS :)

MASKS & PLEXIGLASS:

As we enter these last 8 weeks of school, our class has had a few conversations about masks and the fact that many friends have permission from their parents to not wear them during the school day. We've talked about how our district is no longer mandating them but to respect the wishes of our parents and those of our friends. I've encouraged the children to talk to you about your comfort level at school. I trust that you have shared your wishes with your children and I will continue to wear my mask throughout the school day out of respect to those children who have been asked to wear one at school by their parents. Although many things are starting to feel more normal, I want my students to know that no child stands alone when protecting themselves and their families. If your child has a plexiglass divider up around his/her desk, they may continue to keep it on their desk or you can request that it be removed as a way to transition them into what next year will look like without it. Just email me your wishes on this and as always, I respect whatever your family decides. Thank you!

REPORT CARD ENVELOPES:

In last week's Tuesday folder your child received their report card for the third quarter grading period. You are welcome to keep the contents but please return the outer envelope so I'll have it for the final grading period. Thank you to all those that have already returned it!

April Bingo is underway. Remember that you need to date and initial each square please.

Star of the Week: Next week’s Star of the Week is Kate. We can’t wait to learn more about our friend and classmate.

Please find the picture of the lunch menus here.

Our Learning:

Math:

2D/3D shapes

Language Arts:

Poetry

Final Stable Syllable

Publishing our final copies of poetry

Science:

Migration/Hibernation

Animal Group Behavior

Social Studies:

Economics

If you made it all the way to the newsletter, respond to this email with I'm a poet and I didn't even know it!

March 25, 2022

Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing Spring Break! It was so wonderful to see everyone again and hear about everyone's adventures and vacations. We worked hard all week and was rewarded with The Golden Spatula for the SECOND time this year! So proud of my class!!

Movie Night- JOIN US for another wonderful evening of OUTDOOR MOVIE NIGHT TONIGHT! Watch DOGS is hosting the Oscar nominated "Mitchells vs the Machines" on the CCE Black top (behind the school).

Details:

• March 25

• CCE "black top" behind the school

• 7 pm - pick-up your pre-ordered pizza (Single pizza slices available until supplies last)

• 7:30 pm - Movie starts

• Concessions will be sold on site (Chips, movie candy, water, soda) - cash/check accepted

READING BINGO- March Reading BINGO is due next Thursday, March 31st. Make sure each square is initialed and dated. Late BINGOS will not be accepted.

T-Shirts (Still available) It’s A Great Day to be a Comet!

There is still time to get your yellow Canyon Creek spirit shirt! Spirit shirts can be worn anytime to show your Comet pride, but especially to school on Friday’s and on our upcoming class field trips! Some sizes have sold out, so don’t delay any longer if you haven’t gotten your PTA Spirit Shirt yet!

Before ordering, you can check out the sizing charts below:

• Youth (please note, we do not have youth XS)

• Adults

Order here. (Please note, you will need to set up a profile on the CCE website first to access forms)

If you have any questions, contact Program Lead, Leslie Kvasnicka.

STAR OF THE WEEK: Our Star next week is Karly! We can’t wait to learn about our special classmate.

Please find the picture of the lunch menus here.

This Week's Curriculum:

Math:

2D Shapes

Sides

Angles

Vertices

Language Arts:

Poetry

Final Stable Syllables

Writing a 5 senses poem using similes

Poetic Devices and Figurative Language

• Similes

• Alliteration

• Repetition

• Personification

• Onomatopoeias

Science:

Producers and Consumers

Carnivores, Herbivores, Omnivores

Migration and Hibernation

If you've made it to the end of the newsletter please respond with Taylor tiptoed around the tiny toys and your child will receive a ticket on Monday.

March 11, 2022

Happy Spring Break!! Everyone has worked so hard and I know we are all ready for a little break! I hope you all have a wonderful time together and I can’t wait to hear about everyone’s adventures when we return! Please see below for important information when we return from Spring Break.

READING BINGO

Remember to read over spring break or your reading bingo won’t be completed by March 31st!

SENSORY PATHWAYS:

Recently, PTA sent home letters about a project that the Social and Emotional Learning Committee & Mrs. Hougham have been working on: Sensory Paths for our school! Several schools in RRISD have implemented the use of sensory paths to support students' social and emotional well-being, which in turn supports students' academic well-being. Watch this video https://news.roundrockisd.org/2021/09/23/sensory-pathways/ to find out more about how sensory pathways are used in our district. Our PTA is asking families for donations to fund one or possibly two sensory paths - one for the hallway by the Kindergarten entrance and one for the hallway by the First Grade entrance. If your family chooses to donate, you can either donate through the PTA website or by sending a check made payable to CCE PTA with "Sensory Paths" on the memo line. Thank you for your support and we are so excited that PTA is partnering with us to make this happen for our students!

KINDERGARTEN COMET KICK-OFF

We are very excited to welcome our incoming kindergarten students to Canyon Creek as we have in the past this year! Please spread the word to all your neighbors to register their incoming Kindergarten students asap! In order to attend Kinder Comet Kick-off incoming kinder students will need to be registered to attend CCE in the Fall.

Kinder Comet Kick-off will be held on Friday, April 22nd from 8:00-9:30 am. Incoming Kindergarten students will spend the morning visiting Kindergarten classrooms and experiencing all that Kindergarten has to offer. Our current kindergarten students will spend some time in 1st grade classrooms for 1st grade Q&A and have activity rotations with Mrs. Bamford and Ms. Owen.

KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION

Kindergarten online registration for the 2022-2023 school year opens Monday, March 7th. Parents of children turning 5 by or on Sept. 1, 2022, are encouraged to register their children for the upcoming school year. For more information click on this link - Kindergarten Registration Information.

STAR OF THE WEEK: Our star of the week for the week of March 21st will be Melian! We can’t wait to learn about our special classmate.

Please find the picture of lunch menus here.

This Week's Curriculum:

Math:

Financial Literacy

Language Arts:

Leprechauns

Nonfiction Text Features

Publishing our animal research reports

Science:

Basic Needs of animals

If you've made it to the end of the newsletter please respond with Watch out for Ari, Col, and Boo next Thursday and your child will receive a ticket on Monday

March 4, 2022

How can it already be March? I'm not sure where February went but we've had some fun lately learning about the many animals of the world as we selected animals for our research reports!

SPRING BREAK

Next week is a shortened week with no school on Friday March 11. If your child will not be at school any other days next week, could you please let me know. We still have assessments scheduled in reading, phonics and math and we want to make sure your child has completed these assessments before leaving for Spring Break.

LAST CALL FOR YEARBOOK PHOTOS

The yearbook team is busy putting together this year's yearbook, and we need your photos! We are looking for school-related pictures you may have taken of your child and their friends this school year - for example: back to school photos, on dress up days (Red Ribbon Week, Twin Day, EGGI Week, etc), Pumpkin Parade, at PTA Events (Movie Night, Holiday Fair), etc.

Options for submitting pictures. Choose whichever works best for you:

• Upload using Google forms (requires Google account)

• Upload to Balfour here and add Project number 217714. Leave "Upload Code" blank. More detailed instructions can be found here.

• Email photos to ccetxyearbook@gmail.com

Photo submission deadline has been extended to Thursday, March 9.

EDUCATION GO GET IT WEEK:

The week of March 7-10, we will have our annual Education Go Get It Week, when we highlight all of the wonderful career and college opportunities for our students. Mrs. Hougham is sending home an optional career paper doll for your child to complete in next week's Tuesday folder. Please send them back to me to turn in to her when your child is finished.

• Monday, March 7^th: CCE School T-Shirt Day! Our career journeys start with our educational foundation – right here at Canyon Creek!

• Tuesday, March 8^th: College/Military/Training Program T-Shirt Day! Show your spirit for higher education and training opportunities to build our education and skills!

• Wednesday, March 9^th: Career Dress-Up Day! Students are welcome to dress up in their dream career gear! We can't wait to see all of our future doctors, teachers, and scientists, and more!

• Thursday, March 10^th: Retire in Style Day! Retirement is a part of the career spectrum, so let’s retire the week in style with some relaxed clothing (to also get ready for spring break!). Hawaiian shirts, anyone?

SENSORY PATHWAYS:

Recently, PTA sent home letters about a project that the Social and Emotional Learning Committee & Mrs. Hougham have been working on: Sensory Paths for our school! Several schools in RRISD have implemented the use of sensory paths to support students' social and emotional well-being, which in turn supports students' academic well-being. Watch this video https://news.roundrockisd.org/2021/09/23/sensory-pathways/ to find out more about how sensory pathways are used in our district. Our PTA is asking families for donations to fund one or possibly two sensory paths - one for the hallway by the Kindergarten entrance and one for the hallway by the First Grade entrance. If your family chooses to donate, you can either donate through the PTA website or by sending a check made payable to CCE PTA with "Sensory Paths" on the memo line. Thank you for your support and we are so excited that PTA is partnering with us to make this happen for our students!

ATTENDANCE:

Canyon Creek is excited to welcome Nilda Mason, who will now handle all attendance matters! If you have attendance questions, please email her at nilda_mason@roundrockisd.org. Mrs. Quesnel is still working hard in the office but has decided to take on a different position. Thanks so much!

STAR OF THE WEEK: There will Star of the week next week due to our short week. We will resume Star of the Week when we return.

SIGHT WORDS: There will be no sight word test next week due to our short week. We will resume sight words when we return.

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Researching facts for our animal report

Citing our research sources

Suffix-ed

Nonfiction Text Features

Math:

Financial literacy - save, spend, deposit, withdrawal

Science:

Basic needs of animals and plants

Social Studies:

Reviewing classroom expectations including transitions, following directions, quality work, and voice levels

If you've made it to the end of the newsletter please respond with Shark Week was Jawsome and your child will receive a ticket on Monday

February 25, 2022

Talk about a quick week! We hope you enjoyed the extra little treat that was Thursday's ice day! Thankfully, we still managed to squeeze in lots of learning!

YEARBOOKS: This school year will be one to remember and the yearbook will capture all of it! Pre-order your book at this new link here. Yearbooks are on sale for $25 plus $1.00 processing fee. The yearbooks will be delivered in May, but order now to secure your copy!

Note: Yearbooks are NOT included in the PTA BTSF package and must be purchased separately at the link above.

Please note that Balfour's ordering site has closed. However the CCE PTA is allowing orders

to be accepted through the PTA website until February 28.

We will rely on parents, teachers, school staff, and even students for photos! Parents can submit photos of their students wearing spirit day items, at drop off and at pick up, and of their students showing off school work and projects.

Ways to share:

• Upload using Google forms (requires Google account)

• Upload to Balfour here and add Project number 217714. Leave "Upload Code" blank. More detail instructions can be found here.

• Email photos to ccetxyearbook@gmail.com

Pictures must be submitted by March 5, 2022. Thank you for your support!

FEBRUARY BINGO: Just a reminder that February BINGO is due next Monday February 28th. Remember all squares must be individually dated and initialed to be valid. March BINGO will begin the evening of 2/28.

SPRING READING INCENTIVE:

This spring Schlitterbahn Waves of Pages reading incentive has been extended to Monday February 28th. Students will need to have read a total of 10 hours by the end of February to get their ticket (and discount coupons) for Schlitterbahn. The library will submit the forms after Monday, so no late forms can be accepted.

Schlitterbahn will send the tickets to me for disbursement in April. If you need to count back your reading days, we started the program on December 14. Please click here to see the flyer that was sent home from the library prior to the winter break.

READ ACROSS AMERICA WEEK: Will be 2/28-3/4. The dress up days are:

Monday 2/28: My Many Colored Days- Wear your favorite color!

Tuesday 3/1: Cozy up to a great book: Wear pajamas!

Wednesday 3/2: Wear a Dr. Seuss shirt or character costume

Thursday: Fox in Socks: Wear Wacky Socks

Friday 3/4: Oh, The Places You'll Go: Wear your Class of 2032 shirt!

EDUCATION GO GET IT WEEK:

The week of March 7-10, we will have our annual Education Go Get It Week, when we highlight all of the wonderful career and college opportunities for our students. Mrs. Hougham is sending home an optional career paper doll for your child to complete in next week's Tuesday folder. Please send them back to me to turn in to her when your child is finished.

ATTENDANCE:

Canyon Creek is excited to welcome our new attendance, Nilda Mason! Mrs. Quesnel is still working hard in the office but has decided to take on a different position. If you have attendance questions, please email her at nilda_mason@roundrockisd.org. Thanks so much!

T-Shirts (Still available): There is still time to get your yellow Canyon Creek spirit shirt! Spirit shirts can be worn anytime to show your Comet pride, but especially to school on Friday’s and on our upcoming class field trips!

Some sizes have sold out, so don’t delay any longer if you haven’t gotten your PTA Spirit Shirt yet!

Before ordering, you can check out the sizing charts below:

• Youth (please note, we do not have youth XS)

• Adults

Order here. (Please note, you will need to set up a profile on the CCE website first to access forms). If you have any questions, contact Program Lead, Leslie Kvasnicka.

STAR OF THE WEEK: Next week's Star of the Week is Hannah! We are excited to learn more about our classmate and friend.

Picture Lunch Menu

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Identifying the main idea of a text

Reading comprehension

Capitalization

Parts of a Friendly Letter

Writing a thank you letter

Math:

Counting Coins up to $1.00

Ways to make a dollar

Using the cent and dollar symbol

Science:

Conservation

Natural and manmade resources

Recycling

Social Studies:

President's Day

If you've made it to the end of the newsletter please respond with Looking at Lincoln, and your child will receive a ticket

February 18, 2022

What a week! We started the week with love and kindness as we celebrated Valentine's Day and today we were bundles up and chilly on the playground. Thank you to our second grade room parents, Marissa Kashani, Katherine Cristobal, Alexis Russell and Lauren Perkins, and all Second grade parents for making all of the fun possible!

PICTURE DAY: Yesterday after picture day your child was given a QR code to view photos. These will be available online to view and purchase in 7-10 days.

YEARBOOKS: This school year will be one to remember and the yearbook will capture all of it! Pre-order your book at this new link here. Yearbooks are on sale for $25 plus $1.00 processing fee. The yearbooks will be delivered in May, but order now to secure your copy!

Note: Yearbooks are NOT included in the PTA BTSF package and must be purchased separately at the link above.

Please note that Balfour's ordering site has closed. However the CCE PTA is allowing orders

to be accepted through the PTA website until February 28. Pride Lines can still be ordered

through the Balfour website until February 21.

We will rely on parents, teachers, school staff, and even students for photos! Parents can submit photos of their students wearing spirit day items, at drop off and at pick up, and of their students showing off school work and projects.

Ways to share:

• Upload using Google forms (requires Google account)

• Upload to Balfour here and add Project number 217714. Leave "Upload Code" blank. More detail instructions can be found here.

• Email photos to ccetxyearbook@gmail.com

Pictures must be submitted by March 5, 2022. Thank you for your support!

T-Shirts (Still available): There is still time to get your yellow Canyon Creek spirit shirt! Spirit shirts can be worn anytime to show your Comet pride, but especially to school on Friday’s and on our upcoming class field trips!

Some sizes have sold out, so don’t delay any longer if you haven’t gotten your PTA Spirit Shirt yet!

Before ordering, you can check out the sizing charts below:

• Youth (please note, we do not have youth XS)

• Adults

Order here. (Please note, you will need to set up a profile on the CCE website first to access forms). If you have any questions, contact Program Lead, Leslie Kvasnicka.

STAR OF THE WEEK: There is no Star of the week next week due to our shortened week. We will pick up again the week of 2/28.

FEBRUARY BINGO: Just a reminder that February BINGO is due Monday February 28th. Remember all squares but be individually dated and initialed to be valid. March BINGO will begin the evening of 2/28.

SPRING READING INCENTIVE:

This spring Schlitterbahn is doing their Waves of Pages reading incentive for students to earn a free ticket. Students will need to read a total of 10 hours by the end of February to get their ticket (and discount coupons) for Schlitterbahn. The nightly reading done in the planner can also be recorded on the reading incentive program sheet. Please click here to see the flyer that was sent home from the library prior to the winter break. The reading incentive is due by February 25th.

READ ACROSS AMERICA WEEK: Will be 2/28-3/4. The dress up days are:

Monday 2/28: My Many Colored Days- Wear your favorite color!

Tuesday 3/1: Cozy up to a great book: Wear pajamas!

Wednesday 3/2: Wear a Dr. Seuss shirt or character costume

Thursday: Fox in Socks: Wear Wacky Socks

Friday 3/4: Oh, The Places You'll Go: Wear your Class of 2032 shirt!

Picture Lunch Menu

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Identifying 1st and 3rd person point of view

Reading comprehension

Abbreviations

Writing, Revising and editing and publishing our informational writing (My Specialty)

Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch

The History of Hershey

Math:

Wrapped up our fractions unit

Counting Coins

Social Studies:

Conservation

Natural and manmade resources

Recycling

If you've made it to the end of the newsletter please respond with Somebody Loves You Mr. Hatch, and your child will receive a ticket

February 11, 2022

What a pawsome week in second grade! We had so many adorable Dalmatians show up for class on Wednesday! Thank you for your part in making this a fun activity for your child!

VALENTINE’S DAY PARTY:

We look forward to spreading some love & kindness on Monday at our Valentine’s Day Party! A big thank you to Mrs. Perkins for organizing our upcoming party and for coming up after school on Friday to decorate our room. Although we aren’t able to have parents at school during the day, the children will have tons of fun and celebrate the many friendships they’ve made this year!

PICTURE DAY: Picture Day is scheduled for Thursday February 17th. Please remember send in order forms or click the link here to place your order online. There is a separate link for individual and class orders.

Group photo order form

Individual Class Order Form

WATER BOTTLES: Please be sure to send a water bottle with your child each day. The office is not able to purchase anymore and will no longer be able to provide water bottles when they are forgotten.

STAR OF THE WEEK: Next week's Star of the week is Parker. We are so excited to learn about our special friend and classmate!

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Identifying the lesson of a story

Reading comprehension

Pronouns

Welded sounds -ing, -ang, -ong, -ung, -ank,-ink

Writing, Revising and editing and publishing our informational writing (favorite holiday)

Adjectives and Adverbs

If I had 101 Dalmatians I Would.....

Math:

Naming and drawing fractional parts including halves, thirds, fourths, sixths, and eighths

101 Math Problems

Social Studies:

Identifying sources of basic needs

Changes over time

Creating our family interview projects

If you've made it to the end of the newsletter please respond with If I had 101 Dalmatians I Would, and your child will receive a ticket

February 6, 2022

Texas weather is always unpredictable! We hope that you are all staying safe and warm and that you are enjoying your extra long weekend!

Important information for this week:

1. 101st DAY OF SCHOOL:

With the two inclement weather days, the 101st day of school is now Wednesday February 9th! A letter went home in this week's Tuesday folder about joining in on our fun by wearing a Dalmatian style shirt. This can be purchased or made; and as always, this is an optional activity. It is just a fun and silly way for us to celebrate all the hard work these kids have done so far. Headwear is not necessary. We will be making ears in class!

2. VALENTINE’S DAY INFORMATION:

A class list was sent home in this week's Tuesday folder to help your child address their Valentine's for their classmates. Valentines need to be brought to the classroom on Monday February 7th so that they may be quarantined We will be making cute Valentine bags that will hold the cards that each child receives so they can easily be transported home after our party.

3. THE INTERVIEW PROJECT:

We will be finishing the final projects on Monday and Tuesday. Please make sure students have all notes, photos and any other information needed to complete their final products in class.

4. STAR OF THE WEEK:

Next week's Star of the Week is Thomas . We are excited to learn more about our classmate and friend.

5. READING BINGO AND PLANNERS

February reading BINGO in underway. Please make sure you are initialing and dating each evening on the BINGO card. We need to see students are only completing one square per evening and not rushing to complete the entire BINGO in the evening or weekend before the deadline. Also, make sure you are also signing the planner each night. Signing the BINGO card does not count for a parent signature on the planner. Many students keep the BINGO card at home and teachers do not check BINGO cards daily, so please make sure you are also signing planners each evening.

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Identifying the lesson of a story

Reading comprehension

Pronouns

Welded sounds -ing, -ang, -ong, -ung, -ank,-ink

Brainstorming and organizing ideas for informational writing (favorite holiday)

Math:

Naming and drawing fractional parts including halves, thirds, fourths, sixths, and eighths

Social Studies:

Identifying sources of basic needs

Comparing and contrasting past and present

If you've made it to the end of the newsletter please respond with Alexander used to be rich, and your child will receive a ticket

January 28, 2022

January sure did fly by and we are ready for all the fun and love that February will hold! Lunar New Year, Groundhog’s Day, 101st day, President’s Day and Valentine’s Day! We love learning about and celebrating all of these fun days!

Important information for this week:

1. 101st DAY OF SCHOOL:

It is hard to believe that Monday, January 7th is our one hundred and first day of school! We will celebrate by participating in many fun activities. The children will have many exciting stories to tell you at the end of the day! To celebrate this momentous occasion, we are asking students to wear a dalmatian spotted shirt. This can be done by purchasing a black and white polka dotted shirt, painting black spots on a white shirt, using iron vinyl or any other materials. A letter will be coming home in next week's Tuesday folder to help you plan for this special day. As always, this is an optional activity. It is just a fun and silly way for us to celebrate all the hard work these kids have done so far. Headwear is not necessary. We will be making ears in class!

2. VALENTINE’S DAY INFORMATION:

A class list will be coming home in the February 1st Tuesday folder. You may want to consider getting a head start on preparing their Valentines. We are asking that completed valentines be sent to school by February 7th. We will be making cute Valentine bags that will hold the cards that each child receives so they can easily be transported home after our party.

3. DOUBLES IN THE CAFETERIA:

Breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria continue to be free this year. However, if your child would like doubles, for example, an extra piece of pizza, extra nuggets, etc. those do require money in their account. You can set up an account, add money, or check balances at myschoolbucks.com. You can find more information about that here.

4. LUNCH MENU

There have recently been changes made to our lunch menu, If your child is planning to buy lunch the next day, please review the menu choices with your child, so they are prepared to make a choice upon arrival. It really helps to expedite the morning arrival procedures. Thank you so much for your help with this. I've included the picture lunch menus here.

5. WATER BOTTLES:

Please be sure to send a water bottle with your child each day. The drinking fountains remain closed and the office is not able to purchase anymore and will no longer be able to provide water bottles when they are forgotten.

6. THE INTERVIEW PROJECT:

In your child's Tuesday folder last week, materials came home for your our interview project. As a reminder interview notes are due Wednesday, February 2, so that we may finish the final products on Thursday and Friday. There will not be additional time outside of those 2 days to complete the project and unfinished posters will not be sent home to complete. Students who do not have their notes in class by Wednesday will fall behind.

7. STAR OF THE WEEK:

Next week's Star of the Week is Felix . We are excited to learn more about our classmate and friend.

8. READING BINGO

January reading BINGO cards are DUE MONDAY. Late submissions will not be accepted because February BINGO will go home in Monday's planner and begin immediately.

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Fact and Opinion

Reading comprehension

Possessive Nouns

Welded sounds -ing, -ang, -ong, -ung, -ank,-ink

Revising, editing and publishing our hamburger FRIEND paragraphs

Using a dictionary (guide words at the top of page, locating and correcting misspelled words in our writing).

Math:

Wrapped up our time unit

Introduction to fractions

Science

Earth's Forces

Exploring the effects of wind and water on the land

Social Studies:

Change over time (timelines)

This week's story was super exciting! It was about a dog who ran in the Iditarod Sled Dog Race in Alaska.

If you've made it to the end of the newsletter please respond with Akiak and your child will receive a ticket

January 21, 2022

I hope that you and your family enjoyed a wonderful three-day weekend! We spent much of this week learning about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in both reading and social studies. I was so impressed with how engaged the students were; how so many of them were angered about the civil rights issues of the past and voiced how they would never make someone feel the way Dr. King and so many others were made to feel. Today we wrote about who he was and the impact he had on our nation. This class is full of so many generous and kind hearted kids who work daily to be good classmates, friends and members of the community.

Important information for this week:

SPRING READING INCENTIVE: This spring Schlitterbahn is doing their Waves of Pages reading incentive for students to earn a free ticket. Students will need to read a total of 10 hours by the end of February to get their ticket (and discount coupons) for Schlitterbahn. The nightly reading done in the planner can also be recorded on the reading incentive program sheet. Please click here to see the flyer that was sent home from the library prior to the winter break.

STAR OF THE PACK: Star of the Week will resume next week with Cris. We cannot wait to learn more about our classmate and friend!

VALENTINE'S DAY PARTY: We will be having a Valentine's Day party this year. It will be on Valentine's Day, Monday February 14. We will be decorating Valentine bags here at school so it is not necessary to purchase or create a box at home. In keeping with Covid safety protocols, all Valentines will need to be brought to school by Monday February 7 so that they may be isolated and safe for passing out to our classmates the following week.

CURSIVE WRITING: As we get closer to Spring break, we will begin cursive writing. At this time, we are still redirecting those who continue to make their letters at the bottom and are improving legibility. While the thought of writing in cursive is exciting and we have many who are practicing at home. This excitement is transferring to names on papers and answers on classwork being turned in in cursive, While we love the excitement, we have not taught proper formation and do not want students to begin building a habit of forming cursive letters and words incorrectly. At this time, we are asking students to not do any writing- names or otherwise on classwork in cursive.

Breakfast: If you aren't aware, breakfast is served here at school every morning while breakfast is free. There is a limited amount prepared and it is meant for students who aren't getting breakfast in the morning at home before coming to school. Lately there has been an increase in students who are later saying this is their second breakfast because they didn't like what they had at home. Other students are using breakfast as a way to delay the start to their morning work and rather than eating, they're playing and being silly. If your child is getting breakfast, please let me know so I am aware of who should be getting breakfast.

Please find the picture lunch menus here.

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Phonics pattern: Ghost letter digraphs (gn, kn, mb, wr)

Writing and revising an informational paragraph using the hamburger paragraph method

Commas in a sentence and writing dates

Identifying key facts vs. irrelevant details

Math:

Time to the minute

Ordering time

Science:

Describing properties of rocks

Recording and analyzing data

Social Studies:

Primary and Secondary sources

Martin Luther King, Jr.

If you have read this newsletter in its entirety, please respond with I Have a Dream and your child will earn a ticket!

January 14, 2022

Time fries when you're having fun! We've had a great start to the new year! We got back into our regular routines and have been working hard to earn those tickets and class rewards.

On Tuesday, the report cards for the 2nd grading period (mid-Oct. - mid-December) went home in your child's Tuesday folder. The paper copy of the report card is for you to keep. Please sign and return the outer envelope. I will store it here to use for the next report card that is scheduled to come out after Spring Break. Thanks for your help with this!

Important information for this week:

SPRING READING INCENTIVE:

This spring Schlitterbahn is doing their Waves of Pages reading incentive for students to earn a free ticket. Students will need to read a total of 10 hours by the end of February to get their ticket (and discount coupons) for Schlitterbahn. The nightly reading done in the planner can also be recorded on the reading incentive program sheet. Please click here to see the flyer that was sent home from the library.

STAR OF THE WEEK: Due to the 4-day week, our Star of the Week schedule will resume next Monday. We want to celebrate each student for a full school week.

SIGHT WORDS: Next week's sight words were written in planners today to study over the long weekend. There will be a sight word assessment next week. In an effort to improve spelling and phonics rules retention, we will begin incorporating words into the list that follow phonics rules previously taught.

On-Line App Approval Form - Since we have SO many new students since the beginning of the school year and added a few apps, please complete this online form for app approval.

On-line App Approval Form

Please find the picture lunch menus here.

IMPORTANT DATES TO REMEMBER:

Jan. 17: MLK Holiday, No School

Feb. 14: Valentine’s Day party (details to follow)

Feb. 21: Presidents Day, student holiday

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Phonics pattern: "Blue Crew" words - ui, ue, ew

Summarizing a story

Finding the lesson in a story

Comparing and contrasting two texts

Organizing and writing an informational paragraph using the hamburger paragraph method

Plural Noun Rules - add -s, add -es, change y->-ies, change f->-ves

Math:

Parts of a Clock

Time to the half and quarter hour

Time to the 5 minutes

Science:

Describing properties of rocks

Recording and analyzing data

Social Studies:

Comparing and contrasting the past and present, focusing on technology and innovation

Have a whopping good 3 day weekend!

If you have read this newsletter in its entirety, please respond with Say Cheese (burger) and your child will earn a ticket!

January 7, 2022

Welcome back to school! We hope you had a relaxing and restful break! We are off to a great first week back to school.

Important information for this week:

1. SIGHT WORDS: Sight word assessments will begin again next week. In an effort to improve spelling and phonics rules retention, we will begin incorporating words into the list that follow phonics rules previously taught.

   1. Another

   2. Around

   3. Away

   4. Both

   5. Drown

   6. Close

   7. Down

   8. Dress

   9. Each

   10. Five

2. STAR OF THE WEEK: We will resume our Star of the week of January 24th with Cris.

3. Classroom Supplies Needed: In keeping with our Covid protocols, we are washing our hands and sanitizing throughout the day. At this time, we are need in of hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes. If you are able to send some in with your child, we would greatly appreciate it.

4. Student Supplies: As the second semester begins, we are quickly running out of pages in certain notebooks. Please send your child to school with a new GREEN composition (not spiral) notebook for math. In addition, many of your child's individual supplies are broken or running low. Please speak with your child about the following supplies and send in as needed: 24ct crayons, and 8 washable broad tip markers.

5. Classroom Management: With the new semester, we will be starting a new reward system. Students will be given individual tickets for good behavior and class participation for skills similar to those in Class Dojo. They will earn and save their tickets throughout the month, and then be able to spend their earnings on the last Friday of the month in our classroom "store." Not only does a fresh incentive program align with a fresh New Year, but when tickets are handed out, this motivation is much more tangible than a Dojo on the screen that isn’t always visible. It is also a physical reminder to help build listening skills, encourage participation and monitor self-regulation. I will continue to use Class Dojo for reminder/announcements and photos in our class story for communication purposes throughout the day.

6. Reading BINGO: We have started a new reading incentive for the new year. Reading BINGO was sent home in your child's planner yesterday. This is a per month incentive. Students may keep the BINGO in their planner or a safe place at home for the month. Students should choose 1 square to complete with their nightly 20 minutes of reading. Parents MUST initial and date each square each evening. Students may only complete 1 square per evening. Any students who complete 24 squares by the end of the month will earn a special prize. Happy Reading!

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Ay/ai, ow,oa,oe, ey and ie phonics review

New Year's resolutions

Setting classroom and personal goals

Giving and receiving feedback

Ways to show kindness

Quick write journaling and how to write a complete sentence

Math:

Parts of a Clock

Time to the half and quarter hour

Time to the 5 minutes

Science:

Objects in the sky

Social Studies:

Reviewing classroom expectations

Building classroom community

Important Dates to Remember:

Jan. 17: MLK Holiday, No School

Jan. 18: Report cards go home

If you have read this newsletter in its entirety, please respond with A Dozen Ways to be Kind and your child will earn a ticket!

December 17, 2021

We had a great last week of school and a FUN-tastic party!

Important information for this week:

1. WINTER BREAK READING:

Over the Winter Break, the second grade teachers are asking that the students read a total of 5 days between the dates of December 16th and January 5th. The titles can be recorded in their student planner on the dates read and do not have to be on consecutive days. Reading over the break will help ensure that your child is ready to pick up where we left off. Just like after a break from exercise, it is much harder to pick it back up if they completely stop reading.

2. SIGHT WORDS: There will not be a sight word assessment when students return in January due to the shortened week. Sight word assessments will resume on January 10th.

3. Star of the Week: We will resume our Star of the Week in January when we have a full five day week to celebrate our classmates!

JANUARY SUPPLIES: If you are willing and able, please send your child to school with a new set of crayons, markers, pencils, and a pack of glue sticks. These are sad condition and running low. We would greatly appreciate it. Thank you in advance.

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Reviewing story elements.

Reviewing floss rule, blends, digraphs, short and long vowels, vowel suffixes and suffix-s

Reading and writing nouns, verbs and adjectives, proper and common nouns.

Asking questions about our reading

Comparing and contrasting characters in a text

Making connections to our reading

Putting words in ABC order

Math:

Estimating and measuring in inches, feet, yards, centimeters and meters

Addition and subtraction review

Measuring with non-standard units

Using the UPSCheck strategy to solve word problems

Science:

Phases of the Moon

Social Studies:

Learning about diverse cultural celebrations around the world

If you have read this newsletter in its entirety, please respond with Mooseltoe and your child will earn a Dojo point!

December 10, 2021

It's hard to believe that we are about halfway through our second grade year together! The children have been working so hard! We have lots of fun activities planned for next week as we eagerly make our way to the upcoming break.

Important information for this week:

1. MIDDLE OF THE YEAR ASSESSMENTS:

We are approaching the end of our 2nd grading period and the teachers are finishing academic units and administering district assessments. If your holiday schedule will involve travel before our break begins on December 16th, would you please send an email? This will allow us to work around your travel schedule and still gather the necessary academic data for this point in the year. Thanks for your assistance.

2. HOLLY JOLLY DAYS:

Next week we have some fun dress up days planned for the kids.

Monday: Candy Cane Day- Wear red and white

Tuesday: Baby It's Cold Outside- Wear your favorite hat and scarf combo. We'll have the AC on blast!

Wednesday: PJ/Comfy Clothes Day

Thursday: Let's Get Festive- Wear your favorite holiday attire for our holiday party!

3. WINTER BREAK READING:

Over the Winter Break, the second grade teachers are asking that the students read a total of 5 days between the dates of December 16th and January 5th. The titles can be recorded in their student planner on the dates read and do not have to be on consecutive days. Reading over the break will help ensure that your child is ready to pick up where we left off. Just like after a break from exercise, it is much harder to pick it back up if they completely stop reading.

4. ABC ORDER: As we continue to work through our phonics and grammar units, there are still students struggling with ABC order, especially with multiple words beginning with the same letter. Please review this skill with your child at home to support their understanding of this spiraling concept.

5. SIGHT WORDS: There will not be a sight word assessment next week due to the shortened week and holiday activities planned.

6. LEADER OF THE PACK: We will resume our Leader of the Pack in January when we have a full five day week to celebrate our classmates!

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Using the writing process to create a procedural text about How to Catch Santa

Reading and writing the oi/oy vowel pattern

Reading and writing nouns, verbs and adjectives

Asking questions about our reading

Comparing and contrasting characters in a text

Making connections to our reading

Putting words in ABC order

Math:

Estimating and measuring in centimeters and meters

Science:

Presenting a weather report

Explaining ways weather affects

Social Studies:

Learning about diverse cultural celebrations around the world

Important Dates to Remember:

December 16: Winter Party

December 17-January 4: Winter Break

Jan 5: Students return to school

Jan. 17: MLK Holiday, No School

If you have read this newsletter in its entirety, please respond with How to Catch Santa and your child will earn a Dojo point!

December 3, 2021

We had a great first week back! We hope you all had a relaxing and enjoyable Thanksgiving break. Can you believe we are in the first week of December already? Second grade is flying by faster than Santa's sleigh! These next 2 and half weeks are going to be busy! We have lots of fun holiday activities planned leading up to winter break before celebrating with our class winter party on the 16th!

Important information for this week:

Check minus work in Tuesday folders

Just a friendly reminder that when your child brings home their Tuesday folder, any work that has a check minus needs to be corrected, signed and returned. While we continue to spiral content here at school, this lets us know that you have seen and reviewed areas that your child may need extra practice in.

LEAVING EARLY FOR WINTER BREAK:

Is your family starting winter break early? Please email your child's teacher and let them know in advance if your child will not be here any part of the last week of school. We will be performing our middle of the year assessments over the next two weeks leading up to report cards, and this will allow us to make sure any assignments or assessments are completed before they leave.

Star of the Week: We are excited to celebrate our next Star of the Week Ben! We look forward to learning more about our special classmate!

CHARACTER COUNTS WORD OF THE MONTH: TEAM PLAYER

RECESS: Please make sure your child is dressed for the cold/damp weather. We always go outside unless there is heavy rain or freezing temperatures. Please label your child’s coats, jackets, and sweaters with names. (Also label lunch boxes and water bottles, too!) This will prevent our lost and found from filling up. Thank you!

TAG REFERRAL: The TAG testing referral window is open until Thursday December 9th at 4:00 PM. Parents who wish to refer their students for testing must complete the referral form before the window closes.

Questions can be directed to melissa_hamilton@roundrockisd.org or erinn_henrichs@roundrockisd.org.

TAG Referral Form - English

Link to Parent Information Video

Link to Referral Process Slideshow

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Using the writing process to create a procedural text about How to Make Pie in a Cup

Reading and writing the ou/ow vowel pattern

Reading and writing contractions

Identifying main Idea and supporting details

Putting words in ABC order

Math:

Measuring using a ruler

Estimating and Comparing length

Science:

What is a meteorologist

Tracking patterns of weather

Explaining ways that weather affects us

Social Studies:

Learning about diverse cultural celebrations around the world

If you have read this newsletter in its entirety, please respond with Pie in Cup and your child will earn a Dojo point!

November 19, 2021

TURK about a FUN week! The children had so much fun today doing the Turkey Trot and the Turkey Tango! Thanks to our Essentials teachers, they had a little friendly competition trotting around the field and had the opportunity to flap their wings and strut their stuff as turkeys!

Thank you to everyone who supported the Scholastic Book Fair this past week!

And a SPECIAL thanks to all who donated the yummy pies for the teachers and staff here at CCE!

Just a reminder now that the weather has turned cooler, we want to make sure that our second graders are dressed appropriately. We go to recess during the fall and winter months, unless it is raining, so please make sure that your child has a jacket on days when it is chilly. Please label your child’s coats, jackets, and sweaters with names. (Also label lunch boxes and water bottles, too!) This will prevent our lost and found from filling up. Thank you!

Important information for this week:

1.CLASS EVENT DONATION:

This week, our wonderful room parent, Marissa Kashani, sent home a donation request for this year’s class events. If you haven't donated yet, please do so as this is what funds all of our parties that will take place throughout the year. I am happy to forward your donation on to them to help with event supplies. Thanks so much for helping to make this year great and for those families who have already donated!

2.HOMEWORK FOR THE THANKSGIVING BREAK:

Please have your child read and record in their planner 3 times over the 9 day break. Please record the title of your story and how many minutes they have read! For those that would like to read more, that is wonderful!

3. VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES:

Unfortunately we haven't been able to invite parents on campus yet this year but we are hopeful to have the opportunity for parent involvement in the spring!! Please take a moment and fill out the volunteer information that is needed to interact with children on campus.

If you plan to be a Volunteer, go on a field trip, help in the classroom, or work with students, you MUST complete the volunteer application AND receive approval. If you completed an application last year, you will still need to complete a new one for the current school year.

Click here for more information and the application link.

If you do not have a social security number you must complete a paper application. The applications are available in English, Spanish and Korean for anyone who does not have Internet access or prefers to use a passport or alternate form of identification. Paper applications must be turned in at the campus where you wish to volunteer. Paper applications can take up to three (3) weeks to process.

Star of the Week: We are excited to celebrate our next Star of the Week, Lucy after the break! We look forward to learning more about our special classmate!

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Writing the final copies of our lab report

Thanksgiving writing

Vowel teams ee/ea

Adjectives and Adverbs

Math:

Using a variety of strategies to solve 3-4 2-digit addition and subtraction problems without regrouping.

Word problems using PSA Check! Underline-Plan and Draw a Picture-Solve and Write the Sentence-Double Check our Work.

Science:

What is a meteorologist

Tracking patterns of weather

Social Studies:

Learning about and celebrating the truth about Thanksgiving

If you have read this newsletter in its entirety, please respond with Any Turkey Can Tango and your child will earn a Dojo point!

November 14, 2021

Gobble Gobble! Did you know that wild turkeys can fly and domestic turkeys cannot? Your child learned that this week and so many more fun turkey facts! The excitement is building with just 5 more days until Thanksgiving break! We still have a jam packed week of learning and will have our normal assessments and sight word tests, so please continue to make attendance and checking and signing your child's planner each evening a priority.

It definitely feels like fall these days, which makes recess so much more enjoyable. We want to make sure that our second graders are dressed appropriately. We go to recess during the fall and winter months, unless it is raining, so please make sure that your child has a jacket on days when it is chilly. Please label your child’s coats, jackets, and sweaters with names. (Also label lunch boxes and water bottles, too!) This will prevent our lost and found from filling up.

As we head into the holiday season, please let me know of any travel dates that coincide with school days. I will be sure to pass the information on to the office, as well.

Important information for this week:

CLASS EVENT DONATION:

Next week in Tuesday folders, there will be a letter and envelope sent home from our room parent regarding classroom contributions for this year’s class events. Once you send back your donation contribution, I will forward it to them to help with event supplies. Thanks so much for helping to make this year great!

Fall Book Fair continues through next week

• Students Only, Mon, Nov 15 - Fri, Nov 19 (during school hours)

• Click HERE for all the information on our book fair website!

Operation Turkey

Once again, the Canyon Creek Elementary (CCE) PTA would like your help to feed Austin families in need this Thanksgiving as we kick-off Operation Turkey!

Operation Turkey will be delivering meals to the Austin community this season. It’s only $2.50 for each meal and $100 to feed 40 people this Thanksgiving. We feel so fortunate to have such a wonderful and supportive community. Our goal is $2,000 of which we have raised only $950. Help us meet our goal for 2021! I know we can do it.

At CCE, the PTA will keep track of our total contribution on the “Turk-o-meter” for the kids to see! This food drive goes from October 29 to November 17.

Your family can help by donating funds to purchase meals and any amount helps us reach our goal.

There are two ways to donate:

• Checks will be accepted and please make check payable to: Operation Turkey and send with the slip received in your child’s Tuesday folder. Send to your child’s classroom in an envelope marked for PTA Operation Turkey by Wednesday, November 17th.

• Donate online. You can donate directly through the Operation Turkey website http://www.operationturkey.com/donate/. Please indicate that you are donating from CCE PTA Operation Turkey.

Please contact the Program Lead, Bindia Shah, if you have any questions and thank you for your consideration and participation!

Star of The Week: We are excited to celebrate our next Star of The Week, Francisco. We look forward to learning more about our special classmate!

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Character Traits

Summarizing

Vowel teams ai/ay/a_e

Singular and Plural Possessive Nouns

Writing a lab report

Math:

Using a variety of strategies to solve 2-digit addition and subtraction problems without regrouping

Science:

Identifying types and sources of heat, light and sound energy

Planning and conducting a science investigation using heat energy and the scientific process

Social Studies:

Learning about and celebrating Veterans' Day

If you have read this newsletter in its entirety, please respond with S'mores are delicious and your child will earn a Dojo point!

November 5, 2021

Hate to be corn-y, but autumn is in the air! We've enjoyed the cooler temperatures, especially at recess! In the classroom, we've been hard at work diving deeper into texts and building up our math strategy toolbelt, as well as being critical thinkers in planning science investigations.

STAR OF THE WEEK: Our Star of the Week will be Rishi!

Fall Book Fair is Almost Here - and it's IN PERSON!

We are thrilled to invite parents and families back to campus for one evening to shop our fall book fair! The other days will be student-only.

• FAMILY NIGHT! Friday Nov 12, 3:30 PM - 7:00 PM (parents & students welcome - MASKS REQUIRED)

• Students Only, Mon, Nov 15 - Fri, Nov 19 (during school hours)

• Click HERE for all the information on our book fair website!

We do need some after school volunteers on Wed, Nov 10 and Fri, Nov 12. Click here for information and to sign up. Volunteers MUST be registered and approved. It takes a few days, so click the link ASAP for information.

Operation Turkey

Once again, the Canyon Creek Elementary (CCE) PTA would like your help to feed Austin families in need this Thanksgiving as we kick-off Operation Turkey!

Operation Turkey will be delivering meals to the Austin community this season. It’s only $2.50 for each meal and $100 to feed 40 people this Thanksgiving. We feel so fortunate to have such a wonderful and supportive community. Our goal is $2,000 of which we have raised only $750. Help us meet our goal for 2021! I know we can do it.

At CCE, the PTA will keep track of our total contribution on the “Turk-o-meter” for the kids to see! This food drive goes from October 29 to November 17.

Your family can help by donating funds to purchase meals and any amount helps us reach our goal.

There are two ways to donate:

• Checks will be accepted and please make check payable to: Operation Turkey and send with the slip received in your child’s Tuesday folder. Send to your child’s classroom in an envelope marked for PTA Operation Turkey by Wednesday, November 17th.

• Donate online. You can donate directly through the Operation Turkey website http://www.operationturkey.com/donate/. Please indicate that you are donating from CCE PTA Operation Turkey.

Please contact the Program Lead, Bindia Shah, if you have any questions and thank you for your consideration and participation!

This Week's Learning:

Language Arts

• Make inferences using text clues and schema

• Make connections

• Brainstorm ways to help in the community

• Read and write prefixes and suffixes

• Identifying synonyms and antonyms

• Writing a lab report

Math

• Adding 2-digit numbers using the Break Apart Ones strategy and Break Addends strategy

• Adding more than two 2-digit numbers

Science

• Describing the effect of changes in thermal and light energy

Social Studies

• Learning about Election Day and Diwali

If you made it to the end, thank you! Please email me with the word "Those Shoes," and your child will receive a Dojo point!

October 30, 2021

It's been a fa-BOO-lous week of learning! We also enjoyed the fun themes for each day of Red Ribbon Week! I hope you all have a Happy Halloween!

STAR OF THE WEEK: We will not have a Star for our short week. Our next Star will be Rishi for the week of November 8-12.

COOLER TEMPS: This week, we saw chillier temperatures at recess. It truly feels like fall! Please make sure to send your child to school with a jacket each day. Many families have found it helpful to label the tag with the child's name in case it gets lost!

PLANNERS: Thank you so much for your support with this important organizational tool! Most families have helped establish checking the planner and homework folder each night as a daily routine, which truly helps each student grow in responsibility. If your child is not showing you his or her planner daily or forgetting to check the homework folder, I ask for your help in reminding them about these 2 things each day so they can build this habit!

This Week's Learning:

Language Arts

• Identifying problem and solution

• Sequencing a story

• Making connections

• Using text evidence to support a conclusion

• Differentiating between fact and opinion

• Using synonyms and antonyms

• Spelling rule - doubling consonants before a vowel suffix

Math

• Place Value to the thousands

• Representing numbers in standard, expanded, word and base ten block form

• Comparing Numbers

Science

• describing patterns of movement

• introducing thermal, light, and sound energy

Social Studies

• identifying historical figures who displayed good citizenship

If you made it to the end, thank you! Please email me with the word "Crankenstein," and your child will receive a Dojo point! (Bonus: To find out what Crankenstein is, ask your child!)

October 22, 2021

Thank you so much to parents who cheered us on for our pumpkin parade this morning! The kids loved seeing the crowd outside. When we came in we had a great time sharing our pumpkins and stories. They are now on display in the library for other classes to see. They will be sent home next Thursday!

We enjoyed getting to know Cara more throughout this week!

Star Of The Week: Next week's Star Of The Week is Fitz.

RED RIBBON WEEK:

Red Ribbon Week is here! Please refer to the chart attached to the email to organize for each dress-up day! Flyers also went home in your child’s last Tuesday folder. It should be a fun week celebrating a healthy life!

REPORT CARDS: On Tuesday, the report cards for the first quarter will go home. Please remember that this is a 37-week journey through second grade and we've only finished week 10.

In your child's report card envelope you will find a letter included to give you guidance on understanding the RRISD primary report card. Thank you for reading over this as you review your child’s report card. There is a place for your signature on the outside of the envelope. Please sign and return the envelope by Friday October 29th. The contents are yours to keep at home.

As you look over your child’s report card, please remember that a “Level LP” can have two meanings. It can mean that your child has had adequate exposure to the skill and is struggling to independently show mastery. Or, a “Level LP” can mean that the skill is multi-faceted and grows across the school year. These skills are much broader and will need time to build the depth and complexity needed for a strong, balanced foundation. In this case, the LP means that your child is progressing as expected on a long journey to gain the necessary depth, complexity, and independence. If I did not mention concerns at our conference and have not contacted you through email, written note, or a phone call, please do not worry about the “Level LPs” that you see on the report card after the first grading period. It is exactly where the children are at this point in the school year for MANY of the areas.

Tag Informational Meeting

Do you want to find out more information about Gifted Services (TAG) in Round Rock ISD? Please take 15 minutes to watch this video Parent Meeting - Talented & Gifted Referral, Identification, and Services

If you have questions, please join Mrs. Hamilton and Mrs. Henrichs for a virtual Question and Answer session on Wednesday October 27, 2021 at 5:30pm-6:00pm. See here for more information.

SILLY SPOOKY STORY TIME FOR SIBLINGS

Canyon Creek Siblings and Future Canyon Creek Comets, ages 5 and under, are invited to join us on Friday , October 29th from 10:30-11am at CCE for Silly Spooky Story Time for Siblings with our librarian, Julianne Bamford! This spooktacular event will take place outside of CCE at the picnic tables. Non-scary costumes are welcome but not necessary. Parents must stay with their children, and masks are encouraged. You are also welcome to bring chairs and/or blankets for social distancing. Click here to RSVP for this event.

Important Dates

October 25th-29th- Red Ribbon Week

October 26th - Report Cards go home

October 27th - Virtual Parent Meeting TAG Referral Process

November 1st-NO SCHOOL/Staff Development

This Week's Learning:

Language Arts:

• Making Connections

• Creating Mental Images and Visualizing

• Spelling with -IR,ER,UR

• Adjectives

• Abbreviations

• Publishing our non-realistic fiction stories

Math:

• Place Value to the thousands

• Representing numbers in standard, expanded, word and base ten block form

• Comparing Numbers

Science:

• Exploring magnets

Social Studies

• Good Citizenship

If you made it to the end, please respond with The Salamander Room and your child will earn Dojo points.

October 15, 2021

It's hard to believe we are halfway through October already! We are starting to do fall and Halloween themed activities in the classroom and the kids are loving it!

Thank you to everyone for meeting with me to discuss your child. It was so great to speak with you in detail and discuss your child's progress and set goals for them for the school year.

STAR OF THE WEEK: Next week's Star of the Week is Cara!

Pumpkin Parade update: As a way to share our boo-tiful work, we will be holding an outdoor pumpkin parade on Friday October 22nd immediately following morning announcements and lunch count (approx time 8:00). We will be exiting the kindergarten doors and walking left around the front of the school and re-entering through the first grade doors. Parents will need to stay on the outer curb of the front entrance. Only students who use a plastic pumpkin will be able to participate.

Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon Week will be coming up October 25-29. Flyers will be going home in next week's Tuesday folders. You can also find the flyer with spirit days link here

Tag Informational Meeting

Do you want to find out more information about Gifted Services (TAG) in Round Rock ISD? Please take 15 minutes to watch this video Parent Meeting - Talented & Gifted Referral, Identification, and Services

If you have questions, please join Mrs. Hamilton and Mrs. Henrichs for a virtual Question and Answer session on Wednesday October 27, 2021 at 5:30pm-6:00pm. See here for more information.

Important Dates

October 21st - Evacuation Drill

October 22nd-Pumpkin Reports, book and pumpkins due

October 22nd - 2nd grade Pumpkin Parade - 8:00 am

October 25th-29th- Red Ribbon Week

October 26th - Report Cards go home

October 27th - Virtual Parent Meeting TAG Referral Process

November 1st-NO SCHOOL/Staff Development

This Week's Learning:

Language Arts:

• Making Inferences

• Spelling with -OR

• Verbs

• Abbreviations

• Drafting an end and adding dialogue to our non-realistic fiction stories

Math:

• Place Value

• Representing in numbers in standard, expanded, word and base ten block form

• Comparing Numbers

Science:

• Exploring magnets

Social Studies

• Government and laws

• Good Citizenship

If you made it to the end, please respond with Wilfred Gordon Partridge McDonald and your child will earn Dojo points.

October 8, 2021

Fall is here and we are having so much fun with all of our learning in the classroom!

Thank you to the parents that I've already conferenced with. It has been great to connect with you and discuss your child's progress and set goals for them as we navigate this school year together. REMEMBER, Monday, October 11th is a student holiday.

Pumpkin Parade update: As a way to share our boo-tiful work, we will be holding an outdoor pumpkin parade on Friday October 22nd immediately following morning announcements and lunch count (approx time 8:00). Parents will need to stay on the outer perimeter of the car dismissal sidewalk. Only students who use a plastic pumpkin will be able to participate.

This Week's Learning:

Language Arts:

• Making Connections

• Sequence of Events

• Reader's Theatre

• Spelling with -AR

• Common and Proper Nouns

• Drafting a beginning, middles and end for our non realistic fiction stories

Math:

• Place Value

• Representing in numbers in standard, expanded, word and base ten block form

Science:

• Wrapping up our matter unit

• Exploring magnets

Social Studies

• Government and laws

September 30, 2021

Happy October! This month is always so fun in second grade! We are using fall texts and activities to really get the kids excited for apples, leaves, trick-or-treating and all the excitement of the season.

Important information for this week:

1. PARENT ACTION ITEM: We still have several students who have not brought in headphones for their chromebooks. Please send in a set as soon as possible so that your child can begin using their chromebooks as another learning tool. These headphones will be kept at school so.

2. Parent conferences begin next week with our primary conference day on October 11th. If you have not signed up for a conference time, please do so ASAP. Please click on Ms.Thurin's Conference Signup to pick a day that works for you. We are wanting to speak with all parents during this time. Conferences will be virtual and you will be receiving a link prior to your scheduled time. Since our time is limited, please try to be in an area free of distractions. These conferences will highlight both your child's strengths and weaknesses. Due to the nature of the conversation, we are asking that your child not be present for the meeting. We strive daily to build their confidence in the classroom and hearing parts of our conference may hinder this growth.

3. Star of the week will begin next week, October 4th. Our first Star Of The Week will be Kate! Please refer to the Star Of The Week tab for more info. There will also be an email sent prior to your child's week.

4. If you would like your child to have plexiglass in the classroom, please email me and let me know. Also, please remind your child of our school protocols for COVID. With all the allergies, students are needing extra masks. I have some to provide for the students, but if you would prefer your child use one from home, you may send extra clean masks in your child's backpack.

5. PARENT ACTION ITEM: Students are doing well copying down planner information. Please make sure you are reviewing homework and initialing the planner daily.

6. Sight Words for the week of October 4-8

   1. put

   2. ran

   3. saw

   4. tell

   5. try

   6. up

   7. went

   8. who

   9. yes

   10. you

7. PUMPKIN PROJECT: We hope you are off to a great start on the pumpkin project! As a reminder, this is a 100% AT HOME PROJECT. Please make sure to read the introduction letter, planning page and report in its entirety. When deciding which book to use, make sure to use the project questions as a guide. If you can answer the questions about the main character, then your selection is appropriate. When your child brings in their completed project, they will need to bring in 1) the pumpkin, 2) the book the character is from NO MOVIES and 3) the pumpkin project packet FILLED OUT BY THEM. We have given your child 4 weeks to complete this project so please do not feel overwhelmed or rushed. Please do not send in projects before 10/18. We do not have room to store them before this date.

Important Dates:

October 1: Pumpkin Decision and Parent signature due

October 11: No School for Students, Parent Conference Day

October 14: Virtual Coffee Chat with admin

October 22: Pumpkin Projects due

November 1: Staff Development; no school for students

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Spelling with the floss rule ff,ll,ss,zz

Researching and brainstorming our Realistic fiction stories

Nouns Review

Identifying setting

Making Connections

Personification

Math:

Odd and even numbers

Ordering numbers least to greatest to 120

Counting by 2's, 5's and 10's

Tally marks

Graphing

**Unit 1 test Wednesday September 29**

Science:

Physical changes in matter

Combining materials using properties of matter

Social Studies:

Government and Laws

If you've made it to the end THANK YOU! It means so much that you've taken the time to stay connected to our class. Email me with the words Arnie the Doughnut and your child will receive three Dojo points!

September 24, 2021

We've made it through another week in second grade! Fall is here and we are loving the cooler weather for recess.

Important information for this week:

1. PARENT ACTION ITEM: If you haven't sent in your child's Chromebook, please do so on Tuesday with the charger, with your child next week so that it may be kept together with the correct Chromebook. We are asking that each student bring a set of headphones to school so that we are not distracting friends while working on digital learning. Please send in a set as soon as possible so that we can begin using our chromebooks as another learning tool.

2. Parent conference day is October 11th. Please click on Ms.Thurin's Conference Signup to pick a day that works for you. We will have several dates and times outside of October 11th to make sure we have a time that works for you! A parent conference form will be coming home in your child's Tuesday folder next week. Please complete and return with your child's Tuesday folder Wednesday morning.

3. Star Of The Week will begin October 4th. Our first Star Of The Week will be Kate! Please refer to the Star Of The Week tab for more info. There will also be an email sent the week prior to your child's week.

4. PARENT ACTION ITEM: Student are doing well copying down planner information. Please make sure you are reviewing homework and initialing the planner daily.

5. Sight Words: Sight words will be coming home every Monday. This week as a practice, we did five words. Beginning next week, there will be 10. Next week's words are:

   1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. far

                  2. get

                  3. had

                  4. its (no apostrophe)

                  5. jump

                  6. keep

                  7. let

                  8. most

                  9. now

                  10. off

6. PUMPKIN PROJECT: Three important papers came home in your child's Tuesday folder this week about our pumpkin project. This is a 100% AT HOME PROJECT. Please make sure to read the introduction letter, planning page and report in its entirety. Your child MUST use a PLASTIC pumpkin. These are easy to find at Walmart, JoAnn's, Michaels and Hobby Lobby. These will be displayed in the library and real pumpkins will rot, smell and ruin our beautiful library books. The book your child uses must be FICTION and the pumpkin must be a MAIN CHARACTER, not the entire book or setting. The pumpkin decision and parent permission page is due 10/1. The entire project is due 10/22. When your child brings in their completed project, they will need to bring in 1) the pumpkin, 2) the book the character is from NO MOVIES and 3) the pumpkin project packet FILLED OUT BY THEM. We have given your child 4 weeks to complete this project so please do not feel overwhelmed or rushed. Please do not send in projects before 10/18. We do not have room to store them before this date.

Important Dates:

September 30: Principal Coffee Chat 8:00AM

September 30: Lockdown Drill

September 30: Girl Scout Information Night: 6:30-7:30pm RSVP for the Zoom link by emailing lakecreeksur@gmail.com

October 11th: No School for Students, Parent Conference Day

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Spelling with ck and K

Drafting, editing and publishing a personal narrative

Compound Words

Capitalization

Writing a summary of a fiction story using SWBST (Somebody, Wanted, But, So, They)

Comparing two stories by the same author

Describing characters using text evidence

Math:

Odd and even numbers

Ordering numbers least to greatest to 120

Counting by 2's, 5's and 10's

Tally marks

**Unit 1 test Wednesday September 29**

Science:

Physical changes in matter

Social Studies:

Government and Laws

If you've made it to the end THANK YOU! It means so much that you've taken the time to stay connected to our class. Email me with the words Sheila Rae and your child will receive three Dojo points!

September 17, 2021

What a busy week we've had here in second grade! Each week your child opens a little more and I get to see more of their fun loving personalities, learn their struggles and celebrate their 'aha" moments. Thank you for sharing them with me!

THANK YOU to everyone who has reached out and offered to be our home room parent for this year, it means a lot to see how many people offered to support our class! Our home room parents this year will be, Katherine Cristobal and Alexis Russell! Once we have our grade level room parent meeting, they will be in contact with you.

Important information for this week:

1. Thank you to everyone that attended our virtual Parent Information Night on Wednesday, We will be sending out a recording, but a copy of the slideshow will be attached to the email for anyone that wasn't able to attend. In the meantime, if you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me and we can set up a time to talk.

2. Computer updates were done this week on your child's school issued Chromebook if they had one at home for virtual learning. These will not be coming home again. They will be kept in the classroom for technology activities here in the classroom. If your child did not have a school issued device in the past, they do now. If you haven't sent in your child's Chromebook, please do so on Monday with the charger, with your child next week so that it may be kept together with the correct Chromebook.

3. Picture Day went great on Wednesday! A QR code will be coming home in your child's Tuesday folder next week for you to access your child's photos when they become available. If you missed picture day or would like retakes, there will be an opportunity in the future to do so. Once we have more information, we will share.

5. All classes are now being connected to Dojo. If you have already connected THANK YOU! We have seen great improvements in behavior this week. Don't forget to check Dojo daily for how your child is doing academically and socially. This makes for enriching conversations about their school day at home. Teachers also post important messages and photos of your child's school day.

6. PARENT ACTION ITEM: Student planners will start coming home Monday! Please check this daily for important information including; daily homework or unfinished work your child is expected to complete each night and important messages from the teacher.

7. PARENT ACTION ITEM: Orange homework/take home folders will begin coming home daily next week. THIS IS DIFFERENT FROM THE TUESDAY FOLDER. This folder needs to go home and come back daily. It will contain unfinished work or important information that needs to be addressed outside of the Tuesday folder timeframe. Please continue to check your child’s backpack on Tuesdays for work from the previous week or important notes from the office. This is an excellent way to spend quality time with your child, and gain an insight into what she/he is doing at school.

8. This week we've been working on skip counting. Please work with your child on counting by 2's at home, This one was tricky for us.

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

Frozen (silent e)

Drafting, editing and publishing a personal narrative

Alphabetizing

Describing characters

Writing a summary of a fiction story using SWBST (Somebody, Wanted, But, So, They)

Math:

Odd/Even

Ordering numbers least to greatest

Counting by 2's, 5's and 10's

Science:

Properties of matter

Solids and liquids

Social Studies:

Hispanic Heritage Month

CHALLENGE: If you've read this newsletter in its entirety respond back to me via email with the words SECOND GRADE SUPERSTAR and your child will earn 3 Dojo points!

September 13, 2021

We've made it through another week of second grade! Thank you for sharing your child with me each day! They are so much fun!

Important information for this week:

1. The second grade teachers will hold a virtual Parent Information Night this Wednesday, September 15th from 6:00-7:00 to provide general information about second grade, as well as answer any questions from you. We will send out a meeting link Wednesday morning.

2. We are still in need of a homeroom parent. We will need help with parties and activities throughout the year, and without a homeroom parent, these things will not be able to happen.

3. Each week, we will visit the library for a lesson and book check out. The students may check out a total of 5 books at a time. The amount of time to keep books checked out from the library is two weeks. Our library day is Wednesday from 10:45-11:20. Students are required to keep 1-2 of their books in their book box here at school for independent reading. The rest may go home. Students are only allowed to check out 1 graphic novel at a time. Checking out new books is fun! If you need advice on what level books your child should be checking out, please email me.

5. PARENT ACTION ITEM: Picture Day is this Thursday. Our time is 9:40-10:00. Please send your child's picture envelope and money or online purchase confirmation with them to school on or before Wednesday morning.

6. PARENT ACTION ITEM: We have had multiple water bottle accidents in the classroom this week. This destroys supplies and assignments. Please make sure your child's water bottle has a spill proof spout. No screw on caps or large openings please.

7. PARENT ACTION ITEM: This week has been a challenging week. We are continuing to learn to collaborate as a classroom community, understand our roles and responsibilities in the classroom and adjust to the rigor of in person second grade. As we strive to achieve our daily goals, following directions, transitioning, and staying on task are crucial components to a successful day. Please reiterate with your child at home the importance of raising their hand, listening to directions the first time they are given, and staying on task during independent work time.

8. PARENT ACTION ITEM: We have some friends who struggle to begin or rush through assignments, specifically in reading and writing and are getting frustrated when they are reminded to start or sent back to their seats to dig deeper or add detail. Please take the time to speak with your child about the importance of beginning assignments right away and taking their time to do a good job.

9. Thank you for packing an extra mask (or 2!) in your child’s backpack. They have come in handy after recess!

7. Please continue to check your child’s backpack on Tuesdays for work from the previous week or important notes from the office. This is an excellent way to spend quality time with your child, and gain an insight into what she/he is doing at school.

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

- Making Predictions

- Drafting a personal narrative

- First person point of view

- Using a graphic organizer

- Capitalization and punctuation

- The H brothers (ch, sh, th, wh)

- Increasing our reading stamina

- Handwriting letters A-D

- Noun review

Math:

- Number lines up to 130

- Even and Odd numbers

- Greater than Less than

-Practicing math stations

Science:

- Properties of Matter

- Sort objects by flexibility

- Pour test-solid or liquid

Social Studies

-Remembering 9/11

Important Dates to Remember:

September 13: Families with a Chromebook at home, please send it charged in your child’s backpack for software updates.

September 15: Parent Information Night 6:00-7:00 (virtual meeting link coming soon)

September 16: Fall Picture Day

September 27: No School for Students

September 4, 2021

It was another great week in second grade!! September is here and we hope that cooler weather will be coming with it soon!

It is fun to see a classroom community come together and see new friendships being made. We are still fine tuning our routines and procedures in second grade. The students are doing amazing adhering to mask and hygiene procedures, but we are still working to improve our transitions between activities and expectations during direct instruction vs. independent work time. As we enter the 4th week of school, please help us to reinforce the following at home: raising your hand to speak, asking for permission before moving about or leaving the classroom, appropriate posture to learn and keeping your hands to yourself.

This week we got to visit the library and Mrs. Bamford allowed us to check out library books! Our library day is on Wednesday so bring any books back that you are done reading and we ,can check out new ones then! Second graders can check out up to 5 books. I have asked students to leave 1-2 of their books at school for our independent reading time but they may bring home any others.

Important information for this week:

1. The second grade teachers will hold a virtual Parent Information Night on Wednesday, September 15th from 6:00-7:00 so you can learn more about second grade in general and ask questions. We will send out a meeting link as time gets closer.

2. With the heat outside and lots of sweating and the occasional mess, it's a good idea to have an extra mask (or two!) in your child's backpack.

3. We are sending home folders each Tuesday of the week. Please make sure to check your child's backpack for their Tuesday folder for work from the week or important notes from the office. This is an excellent way to spend quality time with your child, and gain an insight into what she/he is doing at school.

4. Green homework folders are beginning to be sent home. If your child brings home this folder, they have unfinished work from the day that they need to complete and return by the next school day.

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

-Making Connections with stories that we read

-Complete and Incomplete Sentences

-R,L and S blends

-ch and -tch

-Build reading stamina

-Make text-to-self connections

-Build writing stamina

-Create lists of ideas for future stories

-Elements of a personal narrative

Math:

-Graphing

-Skip counting

-Using a hundreds chart up to 120

-Word problems

-Place value

Science:

-Discuss safety in science

-Science tools

-Observe and describe properties of matter

Social Studies:

-Identifying national and state symbols

August 27, 2021

We have had a AWESOME first full week in second grade. Tuesday folders came home for the first time this week. They were jam packed with September lunch menus, work we've done this past week Please make sure to empty the folders, sign the front cover and return EACH WEDNESDAY. Please know that we are working hard at school; however, most of the work that we’ve been doing has been collected as “show what you know” papers, kept in notebooks or spirals at school, or activities discussed as a class. This means that currently there are minimal papers coming home in your child’s Tuesday folder. Folders will stay here at school and only go home on Tuesdays. If a Tuesday folder is not returned, then work and important information cannot be sent home.

Writing: This week we began our first writing assignment and this proved challenging for many. While we have realigned our curriculum to fill in gaps from last year's virtual learning, there are still students who are not meeting age appropriate level writing skills including pencil grip, appropriate formation of writing letters from top to bottom and NOT bottom to top and capitalization. We will continue to work on these skills at school but for those of you interested in more information or practice, I will be sending practice printing pages for anyone that would like to practice at home.

Scholastic book order: If you are interested in placing a Scholastic book order, please click the link below. Anyone who orders helps our classroom earn FREE books PLUS there is a monthly incentive for you and your child. You can choose to have your books shipped to your home or delivered to me with our class order. With a $25 order, you can pick a FREE $5 Book (use code: READS).

Class Order Due Date: 09/24/2021

Shop Our Class Page: https://orders.scholastic.com/TWXFW

Shop Digital Flyers for Our Grade with Your Child: https://clubs.scholastic.com/grade2

What we are Learning:

Science: What is a scientist? Different fields of science.

Social ​Studies: Introduction to the different branches of social studies

Reading: Annotating Text, Read to Self, Read to Someone, Building our reading stamina, preparing for centers

Writing: Interviewing a friend

Math: Graphing and Data Analysis

Phonics: short vowels

Important Dates to Remember:

September 6: Holiday; No School

September 15: Parent Information Night 6:00-7:00 (virtual meeting link coming soon)

September 27: No School for Students

Wishing your family a fantastic 3-day weekend! See you on Tuesday!

August 20, 2021

What an amazing first week of school! Your children are doing such a wonderful job adjusting to all of the second grade routines and procedures! It is going to be a great year!

As we move into our second week of school, we will continue to get to know each other and build classroom friendships. Establishing a community of learners that care about each other is our top priority. We will also continue building classroom expectations and routines. The time we spend now will help ensure a smooth and successful year.

Communication is very important. As questions arise, please feel free to give me a call or send an email. If you need to change your child’s after school transportation plans for that school day, please contact the main office (428-2800) before 2:00. I am not always able to check email during instructional times. If you call the office to relay a change in plans, a staff member will come to our classroom to deliver the information.

Each week you will find my weekly newsletter on this webpage. I will send out an email when the newsletter is posted. Please be sure to visit each page on the website to help familiarize yourself with second grade. The newsletter is a valuable resource for important classroom information.

Important information for this week:

1. Please make sure to complete the student information form if you have not done so already.

2. August temperatures are soaring high! Thank you for sending your child to school with a reusable water bottle. Please label it with your child’s name for easy identification.

3. Click here to learn more about our 2021-22 CCE Student/Parent: Campus Plan

From the Library:

Our summer Beach Blanket Bingo reading challenge forms are due next Friday, August 27. You can find more information and links to the form on the library website. Library lessons will begin the week of August 30th. Happy Reading!

This Week's Curriculum:

Language Arts:

• Read stories about the beginning of school

• Responded to stories

• Cause and Effect

Math:

• First grade spiral review

Social Studies:

• Meet and learn about our new second grade classmates and friends

• Learn classroom procedures, rules and expectations

• Review cafeteria procedures, rules, and expectations

• Review recess rules and expectations

• Learn how to share information with partners

• Discuss importance of making good choices

Science:

• Introduced science notebooks