Red Ribbon Week (Week 10)

This week will be our annual Red Ribbon Week, bringing awareness about the risks of drugs and alcohol. There are daily "themes" for the students each day.

Monday, 10/24
“TEAM UP against Drugs”
Wear your favorite Team jersey or tshirt

Tuesday, 10/25
“Coyotes Give Drugs the BOOT”
Wear your favorite pair of boots

Wednesday, 10/26 (Early Release)
“It’s CRAZY to do Drugs!”
Wear everything inside out, backwards, or anything the CRAZY way!

Thursday, 10/27 (Picture Day)
“Coyotes are too SMART to do drugs”
Dress SMART for Picture Day

Friday, 10/28
“Say PEACE OUT to DRUGS!”
Wear your favorite tie-dye items

Weeks 7-9

We have wrapped up our unit on matter, and we are diving head first into weather. Questions we are exploring include:

• What affect does the Sun have on water above and on the surface of the Earth?
• Which tools can be used to gather weather information and how should we record the data?
• How does a weather map indicate weather conditions?
• How can we use weather maps to make predictions about weather changes?

In social studies, we are beginning to look at American Indians of early Texas, asking:

• How did American Indian groups in Texas organize their government systems?
• Why are American Indians important to the history of Texas then and now?

We will have a brief unit on health as science during Red Ribbon Week.

First Round of Parent Conferences

Mrs. Ahn, Mrs. Pinter and I are beginning the first rounds of parent conferences on Monday, October 10th. The sign up went out via email, and the first thirty slots were filled within three hours. Please know that we will continue to make times available to meet with each family in the coming weeks.

Weeks 4-6

We are more than halfway through our first grading period, and we are still rolling along! In science for the past three weeks, we have examined the physical properties of matter, including changing state, and we have compared mixtures and solutions. We explored the following essential questions:

• What are the physical properties of matter and how can they be measured?
• How can we compare and contrast matter?
• What are the similarities and differences among mixtures and how can they be separated?
• What is the effect on water when heat is added or removed?
• What changes occur to the outside of a glass when ice water is placed in it?

In social studies, we finished our exploration of the physical regions of Texas, and practiced map skills with latitude and longitude. Some essential questions were:

• Why did geographic factors influence settlement patterns?
• Why is geography important in understanding the history of a place?

We will be covering the native tribes in Texas in the coming weeks, as well as concepts of weather and the water cycle.