This week in First grade...

October 24-28

Kathy Caraway Elementary is celebrating Red Ribbon Week

Monday: We are Red-y for Red Ribbon Week! (Come decked in RED!)

Tuesday: We have the POWER make Good Choices!!! (Wear Super Hero Shirts) 

Wednesday: Hats off for being Healthy!(Wear hats to school)

Thursday: It’s Crazy to do Drug!(Wear crazy socks)

Friday: Wake up healthy and strong! (wear pajamas to school)

We enjoyed Academies again last week! Hopefully you were able to order a Caraway Academy t-shirt to help support future Academies! Next up is Harvest Fest.  On November 5th Caraway PTA will host their annual Harvest Fest.  It's a great time for all! I hope to see you there. 

Next week, October 31-November 4 Mrs. Lieurance will be subbing for me.  The students are familiar with her.  Mrs. I will be there as well.  I will not be checking email regularly so if there is a change in your child's afternoon routine please write a note in their communication folder.  Mrs. I will check them every day.  

You can also send an email to Mrs. I (karen_icossipentarhos@roundrockisd.org)  if you need to.   As always feel free to call the office 464-5500 and they will get a message down to Mrs. Lieurance. 

Reminders

Monday: Reading Homework Bags will come home

Tuesday: Library Books are Due by 8am.

               Tuesday folders will come home. lease unload, review work and return        

                          Wednesday. 

Wednesday: Early Release at 12:00pm.  Skate Night

Thursday: 

Friday: Reading Homework Bags are Due

              Caraway Academy 7:45am-8:30am

I'm including information for the following week as well!

Monday (10/31): Reading Homework- RAZ Kids* more info below

Tuesday (11/1): No Library 

                          Tuesday Folders will come home.  Please unload, review work and return        

                          Wednesday.

Wednesday (11/2): 

Thursday (11/3):

Friday (11/4): Caraway Academy 7:45am-8:30am

Saturday (11/5): Harvest Festival 

This week in Reading Workshop...

We will begin learning about Expository Texts.  We will explore the differences between Fiction and Nonfiction texts.  Then we will examine nonfiction text features such as photographs as pictures, diagrams, headings and table of contents.  We will begin reading nonfiction texts in our small groups.  We will discuss nonfiction texts and the purpose for reading them, to learn. This week we will focus our learning on Bats.

Next week (10/31-11/4)...

We will continue our exploration of nonfiction texts and move on to other features such as the index, bold words and the glossary.  Nonfiction books help us learn new things.  We will also learn that you read nonfiction texts differently than fiction.  Nonfiction texts can be read a section at a time while fiction texts generally are read cover to cover.

This week in Writing Workshop...

We will wrap up our unit on Small Moments.  We have been hard at work thinking of ideas, writing stories, making them fancy then publishing them! Author's Chair on Friday we extra special because we had quite a few of our "published authors" share their stories.  This week we will begin thinking about writing comments on things we know a lot about.  We will generate a list of things we know about then choose one to write more about.  We will also focus some of our time on writing what we know about Bats before we read to find out more. 

Next week (10/31-11/4)...

We will continue writing about things we know a lot about.  This week we will focus our thinking and writing on Spiders.  We will write things we know about spiders so we can make a nonfiction book.  

**This week (10/31-11/4) for reading homework the students will log in to their RAZ Kids reading accounts and read from the leveled section of the website.  There is a RAZ Kids app.  The students use it at school also.  Their login information is taped to the inside cover of their communication log.  Please have your child read 3-5 stories and answer the questions to go with it.  They can listen to the stories after they have read aloud. 

This week in Math...

We will continue thinking about measurement as we move into telling time.  Students will be able to tell time to the hour by identifying the short hand as the hour hand and the long hand as the minute hand on an analog clock.  We will relate digital clocks to analog clocks and tell time with both.  

Next week (10/31-11/4)...

We will begin a new unit on Place Value.  We will identify numbers with two digits, tens and ones.  We will compose numbers with tens sticks and cubes as we form the ideas that each digit has a value.  We will practice with manipulatives with numbers up to 50.  We will apply what we learn about place value to problem solving strategies.

This week in Social Studies...

This is the last week for our Coins for Coats Drive.  It has been amazing to see the children hard at work counting the coins as they are collected.  We've raised over $200.00 so far!  One of our focuses is Selfless Giving.  We discuss how giving to others makes us feel like we've made a difference in our community.  We wrote letters last week to see if our parents can help us find some more coins at home!  

We will also learn about our community symbols as we study the US Symbols.  We will discuss their meaning and why symbols like the Liberty Bell are important to our nation's history.  We will also study our state's symbols such as the Texas Flag and the Alamo.  We will learn about our state's history and why we should be proud to be Texans.

Next week (10/31-11/4)...

We will begin a unit in Science on Forms of Energy. We will discuss what energy is and where it comes from.  We will make observations about energy inside our school building and outside.  We are excited to record our scientific knowledge in our Science Notebooks!

Have a great week! 

This week in First grade...

October 17-21

Our second week at Academies was fantastic! The students came back ready to share all of the new things they learned!


Reminders:
Monday: Reading Homework Bags will come home. Due Friday.  Optional Homework Menu will be in there as well.
Tuesday: Tuesday folders come home.  Please unload and return Wednesday.
*Library Lesson- no check out.
Wednesday: Wear orange for Kindness- Unite against Bullying
Thursday:
Friday: Return reading bags.

A note from Mrs. Bailey...

Red Ribbon Week Poster Contest

Red Ribbon Week is celebrated across the United States each October. The goal is to reach millions of children with the vital message that a healthy mind requires healthy body and we pledge to stay healthy and stay away from all the destructive, harmful things that could hurt our bodies and our mind.This year’s Red Ribbon Week will be celebrated October 23-31.

We want to hear your message. All Caraway students are invited to help keep our school drug free by participating in our poster contest. This year’s Red Ribbon Week theme is Y.O.L.O (you only live once). Create a positive message on an 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper that includes this year’s theme. There will be 12-16 students/grade level chosen to receive a special prize for participating in this year’s contest.

All entries are due October 21, 2016 by 8:00 a.m.. Please turn in your entry to the front office. Students will be notified the following week. We’ can’t wait to receive your entry!

Kathy Caraway Elementary

Student Essay/Poetry Contest

October 2016-Be Kind

The National Bullying Prevention Month campaign was founded in 2006 by PACER's National Center for Bullying Prevention. The campaign is held during the month of October and unites communities nationwide to educate and raise awareness of bullying prevention. Its mission is to transform a society that accepts bullying into a society that recognizes that bullying must – and can – be addressed through education and support.

The Caraway theme for the month of October is “Be Kind.” We are inviting all students to participate in an anti-bullying essay/poetry contest. The theme is “Be Kind.” Students are invited to submit an original poem with a message about being kind to others.

There will be 12-16 students/grade level chosen to receive a special prize for participating in this year’s contest.

All entries are due Friday, October 21st at 8:00 a.m.. Please turn in your entry to the front office. Students will be notified the following week. We’ can’t wait to receive your entry!

This week in Reading Workshop...

This week we will be focusing on how good readers retell a story! They can retell a story and add details from the beginning, middle and end in order.  They can add time words to retell.  They can also retell their story to a partner.

This week in Writer's Workshop...

We will continue writing about Small Moments.  We will learned that authors take a tiny piece of time and stretch it out by adding details and describing words.  Authors also remember that they are practicing good writing skills such as sketching an idea quickly then moving on to add the words.  

This week in Math...

We will begin our unit on Nonstandard Measurement.  We will be using pieces of string, paper clips and cubes to measure things around our room.  We will be able to describe object by their measurement. 

This week in Social Studies...

We will continue our Coins for Coats PBL project.  We will learn about wants versus needs as we examine the needs of others in our community.  We will also integrate the study of money and counting coins as we collect coins from the students!  Our drive begins Monday and will last until the 28th.  We can't wait to see what an impact our students will have on our community! Let the giving begin!

This week in First grade...

October 11-14

     Our first Sprit Assembly was last Monday.  We practiced singing our school song that was written by Mr. Touchet.  We sang Happy Birthday to all of our friends who have October birthdays.  Then we reviewed our 3 Owl Agreements. Be Safe. Be Respectful. Be Responsible.  We will have assemblies at the beginning of each month.
     Last Friday we went to our very first Caraway Academy.    The boys and girls came back to our classroom ready to share all that they learned at their Academy! We will have Academies for the next 5 weeks on Friday mornings.  I hope your child came home and told you all about it!

Reminders:
Monday: No School for Students.  Conference Day
Tuesday: Tuesday folders come home.  Please sign them and return them on Wednesday.
               *We have Library this week. Please help your child remember to return their books.
Wednesday: 
Thursday: Science Night at 6:00pm
Friday: Caraway Academy 7:45am-8:30am

This week in Reading Workshop...
We will begin working in our small groups for reading.  In our classroom we call them Book Clubs.  This week I will discuss interests with the students and begin collecting materials for us to read together.  Your child will begin bringing one book home for reading Homework this week.  I will send a note with specific details about the expectations for Reading Homework.  The Reading Homework Bag will come home on the first day of the week and return to school on Friday. 

This week in Writer's Workshop...
We will begin to think about experiences we've had that take place within a small time frame.  A birthday party, taking the dog for a walk or going to the park are a few "Small Moments" that we will be writing about this week.  We will continue to use the writing process (sketch a picture, write words to match, make our story fancy) as we narrow our topics down and describe our experiences with detailed words. 

This week in Math...
We will be wrapping up our unit on Addition Strategies.  It is important that first graders begin to practice their math facts and solve them quickly without counting on their fingers.  We will continue to practice addition strategies and basic problem solving throughout the year.  As always, the objective for learning strategies is to become a more confident problem solver!

This week in Social Studies...
We will begin our Coins for Coats Project.  For this Project Based Learning (PBL) opportunity we are partnering with with Mrs. Letendre and the Student Council to raise money for a district wide philanthropy project.  More information will be coming soon!

Have a great week! 

This week in First grade...

October 3-7

      Wow! It's already October! On Monday we will have our first Spirit Assembly.  It will begin promptly at 7:40am (for K-2).  We will drop our backpacks off in the room and head down to the cafeteria.  This is going to be a great time for our school community as we share good news and celebrate our accomplishments!
     On Friday we will begin Caraway Academy.  This will also begin promptly at 7:40am.  We will drop our backpacks off and head to the classrooms where our academies are located.  There will be a note that will come home in the Tuesday folder for more information about Caraway Academy! We are all very excited to share our passions with students and help them develop their passions!
    This is going to be an amazing week at Caraway Elementary!

Reminders: 
Monday: K-2 Spirit Assembly 7:40am-8:00am
Tuesday: Tuesday folders come home.  Please sign them and return them on Wednesday.
               *We do not have Library this week.
Wednesday:
Thursday:
Friday: Caraway Academy 7:40am-8:30am

*If you have not signed up for a conference please do so as the slots are filling up.  Email me if you have any questions.

This week in Writing Workshop...
     We will be reminded about all we have learned as writers so far this year.  We will review the steps of the writing process as we lead up to our Celebration on Friday.  Writers begin a story by sketching an idea, matching their words to their picture, then rereading our story to make sure it makes sense.  We also know that a writer's work is never done.  When we finish a story we can add to our picture, add to our words to make them fancy (revising and editing).  We will celebrate by sharing our stories at our very first Author's Chair Celebration!

This week in Reading Workshop...
    We will be thinking about how good readers make connections.  When we read a book we can think about how readers make a connection to something they know (text to self), something they've read (text to text) and/or something they've experienced (text to world).  "That reminds me of..."

This week in Social Studies...
    We will be exploring how the leaders in our community are good citizens.  We will discuss responsibilities of our community leaders from our school to our country.  We will also begin exploring our national symbols.  We will learn about the American Flag, what it represents and why it is so special to us.

This week in Math...
    We will continue our unit on addition.  We have learned to count on (5..6,7,8) when we add. We will learn that basic facts have things in common.  For example 5+4 = 9 so, when you turn it around 4+5 = 9 you know two facts just by thinking about what the problem has in common.  We call these facts Turnaround Facts.  Research shows that students who learn strategies to acquire basic fact knowledge will become better problem solvers! At home you can use concrete objects to add together such as beans or pieces of fruit or vegetables! "I see on your plate you have 5 peas and 3 carrots.  How many veggies do you have!" Try it at dinner some time this week.

Growth Mindset:
    We've been talking about our Fantastic Elastic Brains! We know that if we make a mistake it can help our brains grow! This week we will learn a little more about how our brains grow when we read The Fantastic Elastic Brain.

Have a great week!