Neil A. Armstrong Elementary
Astronomical News
October 2007
Principal’s Message – Victor Uher
We are off to a wonderful year! We have been able to adjust to the construction and we look forward to it being completed by July. You can go to our website at http://info.conroeisd.net/elementary/armstrong/ and see the plans. Click on renovation photos.
As we go forward I want to emphasize two areas where your involvement is critical. First, please make sure your child is doing his/her homework. Homework is always a review of what has been done at school and is needed reinforcement to help master a skill. The other area of importance is to make sure your child is reading at home. It is my expectation that children are reading every night. Our library is open all day so children always have access. If your child does not come home with a book in grades 1-4 please remind him/her to bring a book home the next night. Remember, the adults in a child’s life serve as role models and your encouragement and direction make a difference.
We expect all our students to succeed which means steady work and advancement. If you have not set up a conference with your child’s teacher please do so in the next two weeks. I always see success with a student when the teacher, student and parent have the same expectations.
It is a privilege for us to serve our community as teachers at Armstrong and we look forward to much success.
PTA News – Sharon Tipton, President
Our 2007-2008 PTA theme for this school year is “Dive In”. We hope that many of our parents and members of our community will take this phrase to heart and get involved. We started off the year selling school supplies, t-shirts, memberships, and directories at “Meet the Teacher” and we hope many of you were able to take advantage of these services. A big thanks to Kim Schnautz, Amy Thompson, and all of the committee chairpersons who made this event a success.
The first t-shirt order has been placed and our membership drive and sale of the student directory ended on September 7th. Many thanks to Merridee Rodel, Missy Ringo, and Stacey Young for all of their hard work and dedication.
Each year the PTA has only ONE fundraiser to support the many activities and programs sponsored by the PTA throughout the school year. A successful fundraiser allows the PTA to offer t-shirts and yearbooks at cost as well as bringing great educational programs for the students along with “Donuts with Dad” in November, “Breakfast with Santa” in December and “Muffins with Mom” in May.
Upcoming Events
· T-shirt sales, new design; will be available again in October
· Start saving “BOXTOPS” from hundreds of your favorite General Mills products. More information coming soon.
· Our next board meeting is Friday, Oct. 19 at 8:30 in the science lab. Any member of the PTA is welcome. This is a great way to meet members of the board and see where your talents can be utilized.
Please look for PTA’s correspondence this year on gold paper in your child’s Monday folder. We appreciate your continued support and we look forward to working with you throughout the year.
Your Assistant Principal…..Kathryn McDonald
Dismissal
Last minute changes can cause your child to be anxious about how they are getting home.
If your child is not going home the normal way, please plan ahead and send your child to school with a note.
· If a change in how your child will go home happens during the school day, you must come to the office before 2:30 pm or send a fax to notify us. Coming to the office to make changes should not be done on a regular basis.
· The pink “Car Rider List” in the front office notes a temporary change that your child needs to be a car rider or that you need your child to come to the front office. If you can send a note to the teacher, this is the best way to keep teachers informed of changes rather than using this Car Rider List.
· Again, any dismissal changes must be in writing and done before 2:30 pm.
Parent Communication
As a parent, your child’s success is very important to you. Armstrong’s teachers are constantly seeking to draw out the very best in each student. The more involved you are with your child’s education, the more successful your child is going to be. As we start off a new school year, consider ways that you can be a partner in your child’s education.
· Monday Folders- Each teacher sends home a folder on Monday to tell you about grades, behavior information, important informational notes and school fliers. Teachers use this tool to communicate weekly with each parent. Sign this and take the time to review the information inside the folder. When teachers see your signature, they know you have reviewed the information and that you will contact them by phone or note, if you have questions.
· Parent Conferences- Make sure you schedule a conference with your child’s teacher to meet one-on-one to discuss your child’s progress. Teachers are always looking at the positive things your child is doing as well as trying to find areas to ensure success of each child. Face-to-face conferences are preferred but a phone conference is better than just sending notes back and forth.
· Volunteering- Express your wish to participate in your child’s education and offer to help in a big or small way. If you have an area of expertise, let the teacher know you are available. Join PTA, (Parent Teacher Association) to help be visible on the campus and at campus events.
· Classroom and School Events- As your schedule allows, attend all school events. This allows your child to see your involvement with the school. When you show your child school matters, children will make it matter to them.
· Newsletters- Take the time to read the entire newsletter to see what is going on for the month. The teachers and staff take time to communicate the important highlights for the month. In addition, the newsletter gives you a calendar of important school events.
Counselor’s Message – Nicole Donoho
This year we are proud to announce that we have a bilingual counselor at Armstrong. Her name is Cecilia Okuhara and she will be on campus on Mondays, Tuesdays, and alternate Fridays.
3rd and 4th Grade Guidance- 3rd and 4th grade classes will have guidance on Fridays during their music time and will receive six weeks of guidance during a nine week grading period. Mrs. Schaller’s class and part of Mr. Lamb’s class have already started guidance and will continue through the end of October.
Week 1- Self-Esteem
Week 2- Diversity
Week 3- Bullying
Week 4- Bullying
Week 5- Stranger Danger
Week 6- Internet Safety
Classroom Guidance (PreK-2nd) - Once a month we will be visiting each classroom and talking about the Six Pillars of Character. The Six Pillars of Guidance include:
Trustworthiness
Respect
Responsibility
Fairness
Caring
Citizenship
October 24th- “Back to Your Future Day”- Teachers will be talking to students about college experiences and career choices. We encourage students to participate by wearing a favorite college shirt and asking lots of questions.
October 29th-November 2nd- Red Ribbon Week- We will be encouraging our students to make smart drug free choices. Monday we will kick off our Red Ribbon Week with a food drive to support Montgomery County Food Bank. The food drive will run all week as we remember that “I Can, You Can, We Can Be Drug Free”.
Thank you for all your support and have a great year!
Reminders From The Clinic ….. Myla Cobler R.N.
Welcome back to school and I hope that your children are off to a great start.
All medications whether over the counter or prescription, must be brought to the clinic by a parent or guardian and signed in with me. The students can not transport any medication. This is for your child’s safety and others.
Tips for a healthy and happy school year:
Keep your child active-activity is an important part of overall health. Not getting enough exercise can lead to weight gain which can lead to potential health problems.
Sleep- Make sure your child is getting adequate sleep. This will help your child stay healthy and focused in the classroom.
Eating habits- Diet affects your child’s health and learning potential. Parents can show good food choices by eating healthy themselves.
I will be screening vision and hearing for our pre-k, kindergarten, 1st, and 3rd graders soon. Please watch your child’s folder for any clinic information. I will only contact you if your child fails the screening.
If you have phone number changes please contact me immediately so I can update your child’s contact information. This is very important in case of an emergency situation.
I hope this year will be full of great experiences for you and your children, so let’s keep our kids healthy.
Lynn Christiansen - Librarian
One of the strongest enrichment programs we offer to children at Armstrong is the Accelerated Reading (AR) Program. Children choose their AR books from the library based on their current reading level. The teachers help students set their levels based on assessments like the DRA and Star Testing, which are translated into different colored dots. The colored dot is on the front of their library folders. Students are allowed to check out any books in their dot range. As your child becomes successful at one level, they will begin to move up to higher and more challenging levels.
The purpose of the AR Program is to help your child develop a love for independent reading, while building their reading comprehension skills. The grades on AR tests are not part of the child's final 9 weeks grades.
The most exciting part about AR is our reward system. At the end of the year, we take the second, third, and fourth grade children that meet their individual yearly goal to a film at the movie theater. Our PTA helps fund this event. Throughout the year, each grade level will set incremental goals to help your child reach their yearly goal.
The yearly point goals are as follows: 2nd Gr. 50, 3rd Gr. 75, 4th Gr. 100
If you have any questions please let me know any time.
All Around Armstrong News
Pre-K
We really enjoy singing our little hearts out amongst the ‘big kids’ on campus out here in the Annex. We’ve got a second set of “4 C’s” emerging in our classrooms - counting, cutting, coloring, and creating! We are beginning to learn all about the seemingly “little” things that undoubtedly form the foundation for our future. As you watch us explore our world this year, don’t forget that we will also be watching you for clues on how to be a good citizens!
Kindergarten
We are very excited to start this new school year and expect to see our students enjoy more new experiences in class. For language arts, students will learn to identify the letters of the alphabet through different fun activities. We will also read books so they can be introduced to concepts of print and appropriate reading behaviors. In writing, students will learn to add details to their stories through the use of pictures and phonemic phrases. In math, we will learn to identify number quantities and numerals up to 10, compare objects of different lengths and use picture graphs to present information. In social studies, we will talk about friendship and home. In science, we will learn about basic human needs, the scientific method and the five senses. Look forward for information regarding a field trip we will have
during October. Students will enjoy exploring McDonald’s Farm and will even get a chance to bring home a pumpkin.
Please remember to keep up with your student’s lunch account and review the green discipline folder daily.
We expect the best learning experience for our students here in Kindergarten. As one of our kindergartners drew during writer’s workshop: School is fun!
First Grade
Welcome to first grade! We are off to a great start and we are looking forward to the coming year! To start the year, we have been reviewing Kindergarten skills in math and reading. We have been working on creating patterns and graphs and reviewing letter sounds and short vowels. We have also learned about our 5 senses and how they help us experience the world around us. Throughout October, first graders will be reading and writing about Johnny Appleseed, the life cycle of an apple, how seasons affect nature, fire safety, and Christopher Columbus. In math, we will explore number patterns, compare and order numbers from 0-10, and recognizing the penny and its value. In spelling, your child must memorize how to read and write every word in each spelling sentence and all of the sight words.
Students are expected to write each spelling word as it would appear in a book. In order to give learners time to develop appropriate spelling strategies, spelling grades will not appear on the report card until the 3rd nine weeks. We appreciate all of your help at home.
From the Perspective of a 1st Grade Student
By: Riddhi AnkolekarFirst grade is fun. We get recess before lunch. We get our own desk and new friends and our own scissors. There are lots of ways to get treasure box. I like first grade.
Second Grade
We enjoyed meeting everyone who attended Parent Information Night. Hopefully, the information you received gave you a better overview of the expectations of second grade. Currently, we are assessing your child’s reading skills. It is very important that your child reads every night.We are looking forward to our units on matter and communities. In math, second graders are working on place value. Also, we are working on addition facts and sums to 18, so your child needs to start practicing at home using flash cards.
Thanks for all your support at home.
From the Perspective of a 2nd Grade Student
By: Shayla CaffeyWe are having so much fun in 2nd grade. We are learning about matter. Matter is a solid, liquid, or gas. Some solids are hard like a door. A liquid is like water. A gas is like air. Matter is everywhere.
Third Grade
What a great start to a new school year!~ We are very excited to get this year under way.~ We are looking forward to a productive school year, learning new things and making new friends.~ We are delighted to get to know your children's personalities and their needs.~ We believe that a good parent-teacher relationship is important for maximum school success.~ Throughout the year, we will communicate with you through notes, telephone calls, e-mails, progress reports, nine-week report cards, and parent-teacher conferences.~ We encourage you to contact us at 936-709-7540 if you have any questions or concerns at any time.~ Our conference time is from 10:00-10:55 a.m.~
We ask that your child read every night for at least 15 minutes.~ We know~that the more children read, the better readers they will become.~ We also encourage you to review addition and subtraction facts with your child.~ Homework is an integral part of each student's success.~ Students should be doing homework each night and returning it to school.~ Again, we welcome you to third grade and we are looking forward to a fantastic school year!
From the Perspective of a 3rd Grade Student
By: Brent CoghlanIn class we have been doing a lot of fun things.~ In Mrs. Warren's class, we have been working hard on AR, learning about and writing 4 kinds of sentences, having weekly spelling tests with dictation, reading some cool stories, and writing our own stories.~ In Mrs. Williams' class, we have been doing place value and learning strategies to help make the work easier.~ We are also reviewing our addition and subtraction.~ We had a great time learning about the Constitution, and what the words in the pledge mean.~ Third grade has really been a lot of fun!
Fourth Grade
Autumn is around the corner and our fourth graders are looking forward to cool weather. The language teachers will take advantage of such a beautiful season to describe autumn. The children will use their five senses and write poetry to depict this special time. The objective is to choose words that paint a picture in the reader’s head. In addition, we will continue to use story parts, summarizing, and higher order thinking skills in reading to further improve their comprehension. Remember reading 30 minutes nightly is a requirement for success in fourth grade and beyond! In math we are starting problem solving and reviewing our multiplication facts. We are preparing for JA BizTown, a city designed to represent real world business for students. In science we are discussing
the scientific process and safety so we can be effective in the science lab. The fourth grade teachers appreciate all your support you provide for your children.
From the Perspective of a 4th Grade Student
By: April Artrip In school we are starting on spelling. Everyday we focus on writing. We write as a warm-up and we write stories. Our teachers stress to us to read. They say reading is important. In math we do two A.D.D. problems and a color of Target the Problem In Social Studies we are going to go to J.A. Biztown. We get to learn to write checks! I’m running for mayor!
Special Subjects
Music – Mr. Bennett
Once again I am excited to be your child’s music teacher. This year again we will have a music program for each grade. As usual the third graders will have the honor of going first. This program will take place on Friday, November 2, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. Our focus for these students this year will be thinking about what they would like to be when they grow up. They all need to realize the many “Possibilities” that lie ahead.
While these students will be preparing for their program the other students will be working on various music fundamentals. All grades will be working on learning the Solfege system for singing, tempo and rhythm, and dynamics. A new addition for this year is the composer of the month. This is mainly for second through fourth grades, but the younger students will be listening to various musical selections composed by each composer and discussing them briefly. If you have a second, third, or fourth grader please be sure to ask them who this months composer is and maybe a little fact about the person or his/her music. If you would like additional information about my class please see my web page located under the schools website.
P.E. – Mrs. Barber
In P.E. we will be doing our football unit this month. Please make sure your child is dressed appropriately for P.E. We prefer, your child to wear tennis shoes with good support. Crocs, flip-flops, and sandals are great for the beach, but are not safe for P.E. There have been incidents where one student trips or loses a shoe, and five other students fall with them. We want everyone to learn, have fun, and not get hurt.
Art – Mrs. Sharp
In October the kindergarten, first, and second grade classes will celebrate the arrival of fall with scarecrows, pumpkins, and beautiful fall trees. The fourth graders will put the finishing touches on their Georgia Okeeffe paintings and will now begin their western art projects. All the art classes will continue to learn and experiment with line, color, shape, value, and texture. It should be a colorful fall.
October 2007
8 Holiday
18 PTA Presents: The Critter Man 8:30 – Presentation with Live Animals
19 Individual Pictures
24 College Day – Students should wear their favorite college apparel.
25 4C Club Awards – 8:20 Cafeteria – You will receive a note if your child is getting an award.
26 Early Release
Kindergarten – 4th Grade – 8:05-12:05
PK – Morning Class 8:05-10:05, Afternoon Class 10:05-12:05
26 End of 1st 9 Weeks
29 Red Ribbon Week – Say No to Drugs
30 PTA General Meeting – 6:30 with Preview of the 3rd Grade Program – Cafeteria
November 2007
1 4th Graders go to Biz Town (formerly known as Exchange City) Sponsored by Armstrong PTA
2 3rd Grade Music Program 9:00 – Cafeteria
2 Report Cards Go Home
Reminders
Have your children at school on time. Morning announcements begin promptly at 8:00 and the official day begins right after.
Students can not wear flip flops. A good tennis shoe or shoe with good toe protection is recommended.
Students can not use a rolling backpack.
Car Riders – Please be patient and wait in the car rider line. You will find that coming into the building to sign your child out a few minutes early will be difficult because of traffic and limited parking. Now that we are in a routine the car rider line is completely done by 3:15.