Neil A. Armstrong Elementary
Astronomical News
February 2008
Principal’s Message – Victor Uher
February Family Fling
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
4:30-7:30
Armstrong CafeteriaSilent Auction, Door Prizes, Raffle,
Valentine Photos, Bake Sale, Book Fair
Make-A-Card (free), Fish Pond (free)
Chick-Fil-A Nuggets and Sandwiches Sold for $5.00 each
Tickets may be purchased at the door.
The February Family Fling is an annual fund-raiser for Armstrong Elementary hosted by our teachers and staff. This is a wonderful time to come together, visit, enjoy a good meal, and have fun. If you cannot stay feel free to pick-up your meals to-go. Please mark your calendar and plan on attending. Each homeroom will have an item for the silent auction.
PTA News – Sharon Tipton, President
Adam Miller, a folksinger from Oregon, performed for our students January 22nd. Mr. Miller captivated the students by playing his unique instruments and singing old folk songs
The next general meeting will be Thursday February 28th at 6:30 p.m. in the cafeteria. Please mark your calendars because we will have a guest speaker for the parents. Our guest speaker, Dennis Mitchell, will be discussing “Strategies for Parent Sanity in the Home”.
We have already formed a nominating committee for next year and we are looking for interested parents. PTA is a great way to become more involved with your child’ education and meet new parents who are also interested in the education at Armstrong. It is both a fun and rewarding experience. If you or someone you know is interested in serving next year, please contact Kelly Wortham at 936-273-3933 or Sharon Tipton at 936-273-2933.
Your Assistant Principal…..Kathryn McDonald
The spring semester is a busy time for students and teachers. The first two nine weeks are now behind us. As we approach the last half of the year, please make sure you are aware of your child’s progress in the classroom. If you have concerns or notice a change in your child’s grades, please make sure you are conferencing with your child’s teacher.
March TAKS testing for 3rd and 4th grade
Due to primary election voting, the State of Texas has made a change with our spring TAKS testing dates. The new dates are as follows:
3rd Grade Reading TAKS will now be Wednesday, March 5th
4th Grade Writing TAKS will now be Wednesday, March 5th
Counselor’s Message – Nicole Donoho
Everyone needs friends. They are a great source of happiness and hope in our lives. To some children, making friends is easy and to others it is very difficult. All children have the capacity to make friends, however, making friends is a skill. By setting good examples, you can help your child learn how to make friends. Try:
· Helping them realize their own strengths.
· Listen to them without criticism.
· Encourage them to be kind and accepting of others.
· Help them to be understanding of what other children may be going through outside of school.
· Teach your child to accept what can’t be changed and to work hard on changing those things that can.
February 21st- Ronald McDonald will be visiting Armstrong and presenting “A Friendship with Ronald McDonald”. The program will focus on friendship, cooperation, and anti-bullying.
CISD Child Safety Seminar- WHAT EVERY PARENT SHOULD KNOW: Drug Trends, Internet Safety, and Dangerous Games Kids Play.
February 21st from 7-8pm at the The Woodlands College Park High School Commons.
Presented by: Sherry Sunderman, CISD Coordinator of Guidance and Counseling
Schantale Hebert, CISD Substance Abuse Prevention/Intervention
Bonnie Hubert, CISD Crisis Intervention Specialist
Reminders From The Clinic ….. Myla Cobler R.N.
February 28th Pre-k, Kindergarten and 1st graders will be participating in a dental screening offered by Colgate Bright Smiles Dental Van with Dr. Jackson, DDS. If you would like to help out, please stop by the clinic. Permission slips will be sent home and must be returned in order for your child to be screened. I have 2nd, 3rd and 4th graders scheduled in April.
From time to time students will come to the clinic with itchy heads only to find head lice. Head lice are not a sign of uncleanliness; they love clean hair because it is easier to latch on. Lice do not hop, jump or fly. The only place lice can survive is on a human head. Lice are not passed from pets or to pets. Head lice are not a sign of infection, they are a nuisance. Schools are not the most common places where head lice are spread. Sleep-overs among friends and relatives are thought to be a common way they are passed from home to home. School-wide head checks are not recommended or endorsed. The most effective screening occurs when parents routinely check their children at home and treat when lice are found and make efforts to remove nits. We want children with head lice treated and back in school as soon
as possible. I am here to support you in checking and rechecking as you work to remove lice and nits from your child’s head. If you have any questions or concerns please stop by the clinic.
Also, remember not to send any medication to school with your child. A parent/ guardian must sign it in with me in the clinic. Thank you in advance.
Library News – Lynn Christiansen
The students had a great time meeting and visiting with illustrator Mike Wimmer. They learned a lot of interesting information about art and illustration.
Our biggest annual event is just around the corner! The Scholastic Book Fair will be will be at our school February 11-15 and will be open during the February Family Fling on February 12. Our fair will connect kids with books they want to read. We are looking for Book Fair volunteers. If you can help, please contact Lynn Christiansen at (936) 709-3408. If you cannot volunteer, you can still help by simply spreading the word about our fair and joining your child at the Family Fling.
All Around Armstrong News
PK
February is the month of love and friendship. Our February 1st PJ Party will be full of excitement. Be prepared to spend a wonderful time with your child.
For the 3rd 9 weeks, students will need to be able to write their name using capital and lower case letters. This is something that can be practiced at home. In math students will begin to recognize patterns in their environment and predict what comes next when patterns are extended. In health and safety, we will teach our students to become aware of routine and healthy behaviors. They will also learn not to talk to or take treats from strangers. Finally, we would like to suggest you read fifteen minutes a day with your children. They will really enjoy it!
Kindergarten
February will be a busy month for kindergarten students. The students will be learning more about similarities and differences in people, life-cycles of tadpoles and butterflies, and lots of other facts about our planet. Our students will also begin to work on and improve their reading skills.By this time in the year all students should have basic knowledge of: rhyming words, same and different sounds, beginning sounds, all alphabet letters identified and their sounds, most sight words, all colors, and all numbers 1-20 identified and written. You can assure this achievement in your child by continuing to review these important skills.
The annual February Family Fling will be Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008, 4:30~–7:30. This is a great opportunity to share a fun time with your child and their peers, hope to see you there.
First Grade
Our first graders are becoming independent learners and we are very proud of them. This month, students will learn about proper dental hygiene, mammals, the characteristics of a good friend, and the good citizenship of two extraordinary presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Every day we are incorporating more detailed writing activities and we expect all spelling words to be written correctly. Please review all of the spelling words we have learned so far this year. In math, we are learning addition strategies to help our students memorize their addition facts of sums to 10 and higher. Also, we are exploring place value and learning how to read a thermometer. Please continue to listen to your child read at home every night and check their math homework after they have completed it
independently. We value the help you give your child at home.
From the Perspective of a 1st Grade Child
By: Maritza Lopez
A cool thing that I have learned is about animals in the winter. I liked it because our teacher taught us a new song called "migrate, hibernate, gather food and hunt." The song tells us how animals live in the winter. It is a fun song and we have cool motions to go with it.
Second Grade
Second grade has been extremely busy. In math, we are studying temperature and telling time. Also, please continue to work on two-digit subtraction with and without regrouping. Subtraction is always a challenge, but practicing this skill will provide immediate results. In reading, we are learning the elements of nonfiction materials. We will be studying historical figures during social studies. Your child will learn how these figures have impacted his/her life.
Your child will be able to exchange Valentine cards in his/her classroom on February 14th. Second grade wants to thank you for your continued support
From the Perspective of a 2nd Grade Child
By: Adriana Hernandez
Our second grade is learning how to write stories. In science we are studying about sounds and we are making instruments. In social studies we are learning the difference between needs and wants. During math we are subtracting with regrouping. Some students are in the 10 minute and 5 minute Fast on Facts Club. At P.E. we play 4 square and we run a lot.
Third Grade
We are so excited to have begun our third nine weeks. We have many exciting things happening this month in third grade. We have started warming up to TAKS every Wednesday. We are reviewing all the objectives that we have learned and have interactive activities to reinforce these skills. Don’t forget to wear your warm-ups on Wednesdays, and try your best to get a ticket on Fridays. This month is also a very important month, it is Black History Month. We will learn about many important black citizens and how they have contributed to our society as leaders, such as Martin Luther King Jr. We will also learn about scientists, authors, athletes, and inventors in the black community. In mathematics we are learning about fractions. This month will be a great month full of new things to learn.
From the Perspective of a 3rd Grade Child
By: Miguel De La Cruz
We are learning fractions in math to prepare us for the TAKS. In social studies we are learning about cultures and traditions. We get to wear warm ups on Wednesdays and we are having tests on Fridays to get tickets to go to the hot chocolate party. On Wednesdays we get to play games and have fun while we learn about cause and effect, inferences, and the main idea in reading. We are so happy because we have been practicing to do better at the benchmark to go to a baseball game. This month I think that we are going to do great!
Fourth Grade
The weather may be frightful outside, but it isn't stopping our Armstrong Astros from achieving!
In math the students are working on long division and continuing to strengthen their skills at problem solving. In science our fourth graders are not too proud to get their hands dirty if it means learning more about the properties of soil and soil conservation. Remember the Alamo? Well, we do, thanks to an in-depth look in social studies at the people and events connected with the Texas revolution.
An important date to remember is Wednesday, March 5th. This is the big day when the Writing TAKS test is given for all fourth graders in Texas. Expectations are high that this will be the best year yet to really blow the lid off!
From the Perspective of a 4th Grade Child
By: Jaime Baeza
I am in Mr. Lamb's 4th Grade class. In Writer's Workshop we're working on story leads and endings. We are also working on a story's setting, action and dialog. The students in our class are really having fun writing their personal narratives.
Special Subjects
Art News – Mrs. Sharp
This month, the 3rd and 4th graders will continue to work on their clay projects. The projects have been drying for two weeks. Next, the projects will be fired in our kiln. Then the students will paint their clay pieces and they will be fired one more time. Look for these clay projects to come home in March. The 2nd, 1st, and kindergarten classes will be busy learning about color. They will be painting with primary and secondary colors.
Music Notes – Mr. Bennett
The spring semester is now upon us and as we progress further through the year there will be a lot going on. Soon the second graders will be entertaining us as they perform E-I-E-I-Ooops! This will ake place on Friday, February 29, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. We hope that you can come and enjoy the show. In third and fourth grades we are playing the recorder. For those who ordered a recorder this year, please be patient as we await their arrival. This should take place in about a week. First graders and kindergarten will begin to experiment with various percussion instruments and start learning about the four main families of instruments (woodwinds, brass, percussion, and strings).
P.E. News – Mrs. Barber
We had such a fun time with our four square unit! We will begin our volleyball unit soon and it is going to be awesome. Our Mileage Club is such a success! As a school we have run close to 7,000 miles in one semester! I can’t wait to see what we can do this semester. Come check out the new Mileage Club bulletin board in the cafeteria. It is loaded with pictures and information about our 2nd-4th grade runners. Happy Valentine’s Day!
CALENDAR
February
1 PK Pajama Party – 9:00 and 1:00
9 Black History Parade (Saturday)
12 February Family Fling – Armstrong Cafeteria 4:30-7:30
21 Ronald McDonald Visit – Topic: Friendship, Cooperation, Anti-bullying
22 Spring Fever Individual Pictures
23 SCI-TECH Science Fair – Montgomery College (Saturday)
28 Dental Screening – PK, K, 1st
28 PTA General Meeting – 6:30 Special Guest Speaker Dennis Mitchell – The Do’s and Don’ts of Discipline
29 2nd Grade Music Program 9:00 Cafeteria
March
5 TAKS Test (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills)3rd Grade Reading and 4th Grade Writing
5 1st Grade Field Trip – Main Street Theater Houston
7 PK Field Trip – 7 Acre Wood
13 4C Club Awards – 8:20
14 Early Release K-4th – 8:05-12:05 – Final Day of 3rd 9 Weeks
PK 8:05-10:05 Morning Class
PK 10:05-12:05 Afternoon Class
STUDENT NON-DISCRIMINATION STATEMENT
The Conroe Independent School District does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in its admissions policies, or by excluding from participation in, denying access to, or denying the benefits of district services, academic and/or vocational and technology programs, or activities as required by Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act.