The Cougar ConnectionChallenging all cougars to achieve—growing hearts and minds

March 2017

Timber Creek Elementary School • Tomball Independent School District • Lauren Thompson, Principal

A Note from the PrincipalIt is hard to believe that after Spring Break we will be entering the 4th Nine Weeks of this school year. I hope it has been a great memory-making year for all of our students. As the weather is warms up, days become longer and academic challenges grow, we typically find a bit of an increase in the number of students making poor choices related to classroom behavioral expectations. Please take a moment to speak with your child about the Cougar Commitments. We encourage all of students to “respect themselves, respect others and respect property”. We certainly understand that stressors and spring fever sometimes cause our students to make those poor choices. We want to partner with families to teach our students how to always rise to the occasion and always make the best choices for themselves and for their peers. With everyone focusing on these commitments, we will be able to continue to plan fun activities that are not only engaging, but also academically rigorous.

Warmest Regards,Lauren Thompson, Principal

March8 PTO Meeting @ 9:30AM in the cafeteria

8 Spirit Night @ Crust & Jordan’s Sweet Shoppe - ALL DAY

10 Kinder Rodeo Day 8:45-11AM

13- 17 Spring Break

20 Staff Development/ Student Holiday

28 STAAR Testing 4th Grade Writing and 5th Grade Math (no visitors on campus)

29 STAAR Testing 5th Grade Reading (no visitors on campus)

April3-7 Spring Book Fair

4 Parents & Pastries 7:30-8:30AM

6 Kinder Music Program 9AM for School-Wide Performance; 6PM Evening Parent viewing;

6 Family Night at the Book Fair

10-21 Dash & Bash Spring Fundraiser

12 PTO Meeting @ 9:30AM in the cafeteria

12 Spirit Night @ Crust & Jordan’s Sweet Shoppe - ALL DAY

14 Good Friday-Student/ Staff Holiday

17-21 Dash & Bash Raffle Sales 11-1PM

21 DASH & BASH

22 TISD Chess Tournament

25 2nd Grade Field Trip

28 Beach Safety Presentation form Galveston Island Beach Patrol

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February Attendance Data:TCES Monthly Attendance Goal- >/= 98%Total Absences-542 Late Arrivals- 87 Early Dismissal- 178 Unexcused Absences in February= 130February Attendance- 96.86% ADA by month for TCESSeptember-98.8%; October-97.8%; November-97.58%; December-96.32%January-97.56%

ACADEMIC NOTES

KinderWe had a great Field Trip to Main Street Theatre on March 7th! This is what we will be focusing on this month: ELA: we will be reading and writing poetry and exploring non-fiction expository texts. We will also be focusing on decoding words. Math: we will be creating and reading graphs and introducing addition. Science and Social Studies: we will be focusing on plant and animal parts as well as continuing our Texas symbol study. On March 10th we will be having a rodeo day, and we can’t wait to see out little cowboys and cowgirls dressed up! We will then be working with maps and globes.

1st Grade February passed by in a blur of 100th day celebrations, Valentine’s Parties, and our Market Day extravaganza - we are now ready to tackle March! Upcoming topics that First grade will be covering during the month include: ELA: we will explore poetry, write like famous authors and continue working with long vowel words. Math: we will learn about coins and their values. Science: will explore living vs nonliving and then move into a plant unit.Social Studies: we will work on a map skills unit. There is so much learning going on in first grade!

2nd Grade March will be an exciting month of learning for second grade. We will learn about different media literacy such as letters, emails, and advertisements. We will learn about persuasive writing and practice writing our own persuasive papers. During math we will learn how to tell time to the minute. We will explore time on digital and analog clocks. We will begin a unit on animals and discuss animal needs. We will finish the month practice our map skills. We will learn about the different items on a map.

3rd GradeThis month third grade will explore the Sun’s influence on the Water Cycle and animal traits and habitats in Science. In Language Arts students will read fiction stories to determine the author’s message, big idea and theme, testing strategies, narrative and persuasive writing. Culture and Diversity will be the main topics explored in Social Studies. Students will learn about measurement in Math. Attendance is critical to student success.

4th Grade In writing students will be prepare for the STARR writing test (March 28th) by editing, revising and writing expository essays. The preparation also includes an ice cream sundae reward and the golden pencil award. In reading students will continue building comprehension skills while reading non-fiction texts across the curriculum. In social studies students will create red backs/currency for Texas and discuss events that help build Texas documents, such as the Constitution and Declaration of Texas Independence. In math students will continue working on geometry. In science students will finish weather and look at earth patterns.

5th Grade In Science we will be starting our Life Science Unit and discussing plant/animal adaptations, inherited traits, instincts and learned behavior. We will also be learning about energy flow in food webs. In Social Studies we will be starting our Industrial Revolution unit. We will discuss how this era changed America and how it helped grow our country. In Math we are going to be working on financial literacy, along with preparing ourselves to be successful on the STAAR test. In ELA, we will begin working on strategies as well as reviewing concepts learned over the year. We know the students are going to put a ton of work in and rock the STAAR!

SPECIALS

PE—Coach KruppaThis month in PE, we will begin our Jump Rope/Hoops For Heart service project throughout all of our classes where students will have an opportunity to contribute donations towards the American Heart Association. We successfully met our goal of $5,000 last year in our inaugural debut with the program and we have doubled our school goal to $10,000. Students will receive thank you gifts through AHA for their efforts and our school can acquire up to $500 worth of PE equipment for meeting our school goals. Students will be participating in jumping, jump rope, and basketball fundamentals throughout the month.

Art—Mrs. Bridges Welcome Spring! As the weather continues to be beautiful, our artists are creating and studying beautiful works of art. We are wrapping up our world Art unit and heading towards a different direction, Fiber Arts. Students in all grade levels will learn the basics of weaving, with a complex project for 5th grade where students have created their loom out of clay and will weave on it. Be on the lookout for artwork coming home this month, due to Baby Bridges arrival in April, artwork will be coming home a tad early this year. Fine Arts Festival Invitations will be going home in late March/early April as usual, and we can’t wait to show off and brag on our sweet, amazing, Timber Creek artists.

Music—Mrs. Culver Kinder will continue learning the music for their program, “The Sounds of MOO-SIC” that will be on April 6th. We will also begin learning about walking vs. galloping and how to identify the difference in music. We will begin learning about musical form with GERMAN composer SCHUMANN’s “The Wild Horseman” and ITALIAN composer ROSSINI’s “William Tell Overture.”

1st Grade will practice reading, writing, and singing Sol-Mi patterns on the staff. We will finish learning about program music through FRENCH composer, SAINT-SAENS’, “Carnival of the Animals.” We will make predictions of what animals he wrote about based on clues in the music.

2nd Grade will practice writing with La, Sol, Mi, Re and Do based on the key. We will also begin learning about the Instruments of the Orchestra through ENGLISH composer BRITTEN’s “Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra”. We will identify characteristics and sounds of the instruments and how they fit into the orchestra.

3rd Grade will practice reading Low La and Low Sol on the staff. We will continue learning about METERS and how to feel them in our bodies. We will learn about AMERICAN composer, DESMOND, and his song “Take 5” and how the meter feels for this song.

4th Grade will continue working on our Recorder Karate Unit. We will learn how to read and play “B”, “A” and “G” on the recorder. They will have their 2nd playing test, “Merrill We Roll Along,” for their yellow belt. We will also look at their 3rd playing test, “Hola BAG” for their Orange belt. We will be working on smooth technique and better playing skills with these songs. Please allow your child to practice at home. :o) The Recorder Grading Guideline and all tests are located on my Edlio site!

5th Grade will be learning about bucket drumming and preparing for their program on May 4th. We are breaking from recorder for a few lessons, and will bring it back next rotation. :o) Please make sure they continue to practice what they know!

Clinic Corner—Nurse NelsonIf your child is ill, please keep them home! We want to limit the spread of illnesses to others in our community. For example, if your child has fever, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, keep them home until symptom-free for 24 hours without help of medicine. According to Harris County public health, “people

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who have nausea, vomiting or diarrhea should not attend school or work and should not handle food for others while ill.” We are also still in FLU SEASON. I encourage you to get a FLU shot, even now. The CDC says: “Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every year by the end of October, if possible. However, getting vaccinated later is OK. Vaccination should continue throughout the flu season, even in January or later. ” If ill, please refer to your doctor for diagnosis and treatment. Help TCES stay healthy!

Safety Officer—Mrs. StandeferDid you know you have to practice considering other people’s point of view? I wonder how many of us have considered practicing this with our children. What’s important to them? What motivates them? What type of things would they want to talk about? What wouldn’t they want to hear about? These type of questions help students feel empathy to their peers and understand another person’s feelings. This is a skill students will use throughout their life and carry on into their future careers. Your kids will love the time you spend listening to their points of view.

Counselor Corner—Mrs. CathcartMarch 28th and 29th will be the first round of STAAR testing. This can be a very exciting and anxious time. Exciting because students are looking forward to showing everyone how very smart they are! But also can be an anxious time for many as they are stressed about the test and how well will they do. Please remind your children to just take a deep breath and do their best!

Tuesday, March 28th – 4th Grade Writing and 5th Grade Math

Wednesday, March 29th – 5th Grade Reading

Just a reminder: No visitors on campus on state testing days

GT Specialist—Mrs. SimWe are now accepting GT testing requests for students in 1st through 5th grade. If you would like to have your student tested, please email Ms. Sims at sherisims@tomballisd.net to request the Nomination Form & Parent Survey OR pick up a copy in the front office.

These documents must be completed, signed, and returned to Ms. Sims NO LATER than March 9th (before spring break). Only those students who submit the required do cuments by March 9th will be included in this year’s testing process. Please contact Sheri Sims directly at sherisims@tomballisd.net or 281-357-3070, extension 5266 with any questions.

*If your student has already been tested during this school year, he/she will again be eligible for testing in spring of 2018. If you have any questions about the GT program, or testing requirements, please contact Ms. Sims directly.

**Kindergarten screening has already taken place, and those students who met further testing criteria will receive their final results the week of March 1st.

reading Specialist—Mrs. StorckCougars Commit to Reading and Writing

Learning to infer, or “read between the lines,” is one key to good reading comprehension. You can support your student at home by trying the following activities:

1. Pick a book, and read a few sentences to your child (without looking). Leave out words that would give away the setting. Can your child infer where the story is taking place? If he/she isn’t sure, give additional hints/clues.

2. Fables are great for reading between the lines. Try reading one of Aesop’s fables and discuss the lesson. Have your child give examples from the fable that he/she used to make the inference.

3. Ask open ended questions: “Why do you think...?” or “How do you know...?” You could ask why he/she thinks a character behaved a certain way then together, look for clues in the book that may help answer the question.

Math Specialist—Mrs. BaudoinHow Can I Help My ESL Student at Home?

Parents often ask teachers this question as they want to be helpful and supportive to their children in gaining their education. Here are some tips for parents:

• Find a balance between using English and your first language at home. Being multilingual is an advantage, and children should feel proud of being able to speak more than one language.

• Help your child focus on understanding books as well as pronouncing words.

• Work with your child’s teacher to help with any problems that either of you notice.

• When your child is having problems with understanding schoolwork in English, explain the concept in your native language first; then it will be easier for them to master the English to read, write and talk about the concept in class.

ESL Specialist—Mrs. MacPheeHow Can I Help My ESL Student at Home?

Parents often ask teachers this question as they want to be helpful and supportive to their children in gaining their education. Here are some tips for parents:

• Find a balance between using English and your first language at home. Being multilingual is an advantage, and children should feel proud of being able to speak more than one language.

• Help your child focus on understanding books as well as pronouncing words.

• Work with your child’s teacher to help with any problems that either of you notice.

• When your child is having problems with understanding schoolwork in English, explain the concept in your native language first; then it will be easier for them to master the English to read, write and talk about the concept in class.

TCES TidbitsFollow us on Twitter @TISDTCES for “real time” update regarding the wonderful happenings at TCES as well as weather related dismissal changes.

TISD CHESS Tournament: April 22 from 8-3PM @ TIS

Open to any interested TCES student. Contact Mrs. Jetton, Chess Club Sponsor, for registration details. amandajetton@tomballisd.net

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Donation Request: The campus Speech-Language Pathologist is looking to expand her materials for her speech therapy classroom. She is looking for donations of new or used items to benefit expanding children’s speech and language skills to use when working with children aged 2 years and 10 years old. Examples of materials might include but are not limited to: Legos, Blocks, Dolls, Community people or figures, Farm, Puppets, Games, etc.

Wednesday March 8 Spirit Day/Night Crust & Jordan’s Sweet ShoppeWhy cook when you can support TCES Instead?!

NEWS

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Family Community Service Opportunity! Join our TCES PTO team!!Great American Clean Up, Earth Day 2017 Saturday, March 25th • Rob Fleming Park You must register in advance to be a part of our team & reserve equipment. Be sure to select Creekside Park Village and enter TCES PTO into the group field. For more information: http://www.creeksideparkvillage.com or on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=creekside%20park%20village%20association.

Like Us on FACEBOOK! @ TimberCreekElementaryPTO & Add us to your News Feed to get updates on what’s happening with our PTO!

DON’T FORGET!

It’s March and we’re feeling LUCKY to have such wonderful TCES families & staff!

Thank you to our parent volunteers for participating in the Parent Reading Mentor program! And, a special thanks

to Mrs. Storck, TCES Reading Specialist, and Nancy Hairell, PTO Educational Enrichment Chairperson, who helped make this special support for our students happen!

The Golden Pencil awards have begun for stand-out students and their amazing writing skills! Our PTO was

honored to contribute prizes and a ceremony for the winners – we’re SO proud of all of our student writers and our own Nancy Hairell and Mrs. McPhee, ESL Specialist, for shining a spotlight on these talented kids!

It’s feeling like spring already and that means it’s almost time for our 5th Annual Dash&Bash spring fundraiser!

Friday, April 21&

The Dash: A fun run for the kids during the school day, complete with a crazy obstacle course! Families, neighbors, and friends are encouraged to “sponsor” your child and come out to cheer them on! Hugely popular with our kiddos, our Dash is a healthy and active way to support our children and Timber Creek!

This year is a special “Ninja Warrior Edition” – you won’t want to miss it!

The Bash: 6-9PM – Time to celebrate with the biggest bash of the year! All families welcome to come party with music, games, balloon artist, photo booth, exciting activities, food & our famous Sweet Shoppe! A super family fun way to support Timber Creek, wristbands and tickets are available for purchase in advance or at our event.

Feeling Lucky? You’ll also have a chance to win some awesome finds you won’t find just anywhere at our Super Silent Auction! Offering: vacations, grade-level fun baskets, special teacher time fun, your child’s name on our marquee for their birthday,

those front carline spots, sports memorabilia, summer camps and fun kids packages, and much much more! Bid High Bid Often!!

Our volunteers are our lucky charms! And WE NEED MORE! Sadly, we’re running low on volunteer power and we’re at risk for some of this fun and essential support for our school not to happen! We need your help, big or small

– attendance at daytime meetings not always necessary. No experience required – just a helpful heart! Can YOU help with:

Kid’s Raffle Coordinators – We need a person or two to help collect and use collected funds to purchase items on our list.

Bash Activity Coordinators – We’ve booked activities but need help making a few calls to sponsors, and also help monitor volunteer coverage at the event. This is a great opportunity for our Timber Creek dads to help!

If interested in helping with planning our event or help at our event, please email our Volunteer Chairperson: Jen Kable: tcespto.volunteer@gmail.com

We still have Dash & Bash Family/ Home Business Donation Opportunities!We are looking for both big and small basket donations for Dash & Bash! Got season tickets, a vacation rental, or products you can donate to help raise funds for our school? Donations are tax deductible!

Can you help call/email some potential donors from our list? If so, please contact Silent Auction Chairperson: Stephanie Piepho tcespto.fundraising @gmail.com

Please use this signup if your family or business would like to sponsor an item - OR DONATE THE PARTIAL COST OF AN ITEM - for our children’s RAFFLE at Dash & Bash.

https://m.signupgenius.com/#!showSignUp/4090948aaa929a5f58-raffle

PTO Executive Board Elections are in May! Have good ideas or want to be a decision maker for our PTO? All Executive Board positions are open

for the 2017-2018 school year.