Gleason PAWS
Excellence Begins Here
Gleason Vision
Gleason Misson
Gleason Elementary
Email: gleason@cfisd.net
Website: https://gleason.cfisd.net
Location: 9203 Willowbridge Park Boulevard, Houston, TX, USA
Phone: 281-517-6800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Gleasontigers/
Twitter: @gleasontigers
October 9, 2020
Principal Message
Gleason Families,
Thank you for your support as we have embarked on an unusual school year. Our staff is doing a remarkable job meeting the needs of both our face-to-face and virtual students in spite of the challenges. Our students’ success is at the center of our campus decisions. Please review the expectations listed below:
● Unless ill or in quarantine/isolation, all students regardless of learning model (face-to-face or virtual) are required to attend school daily, following the teachers’ schedule. Students should be dressed for school and ready to learn.
● Should a face-to-face student opt to stay home for five consecutive days and participate virtually, the student’s learning model will be changed to CFISD Connect for the remainder of the current marking period unless they immediately return to face-to-face instruction.
● Students who are connecting virtually should log in on time (8:40 a.m.) using their real name and remain in the virtual classroom until dismissed by the teacher.
● Parents of virtual students should follow the same expectations for contacting the teacher as face-to-face students. Please send an email to the teacher or call the front office at 281-517-6800 to leave a message rather than interrupting instruction through the Zoom link. Teachers will get back to you within 24 hours.
● Please do not join the Zoom class with your child unless the teacher has extended an invitation.
● Thanks for keeping noises that may disrupt learning to a minimum if your child is participating virtually.
● For technical assistance, please contact the district help desk at 281-897-4357. You may also contact Deb Jones at Gleason at 281-517-6809 for assistance.
Testing Procedures for CFISD Connect students
● A student’s camera must remain on with the student in view so that the teacher can monitor them during testing.
● Students should complete assessments on their own so that teachers are able to gain an accurate representation of their mastery of the content and to be able to offer support as needed.
● Students are only to use materials and accommodations that are allowable by the teacher.
We are expecting a higher number of face-to-face students returning for the next marking period, and we look forward to welcoming them back. We will continue to socially distance as feasible and will continue to be vigilant about following all safety protocols (hand hygiene, mask wearing, additional cleaning and sanitizing, and use of desk shields in the classroom).
Our top priority is your children. Thank you for your cooperation and support.
Christine Melancon
Principal
Breakfast and Lunch Application
We also wanted to make sure all our families are aware of the breakfast and lunch programs. CFISD does have breakfast and lunch available for all students (on campus or CFISD connect).
Families that are on-campus or CFISD Connect
- We encourage families that are eating CFISD breakfast and lunch to sign up through school cafe at https://www.schoolcafe.com/CYPRESS-FAIRBANKS%20ISD where you can:
- Make Payments
- Set Purchase Restrictions
- Submit Meal Applications to see if your family qualifies for free or reduced meal prices
- View Purchases
- Set up Auto Pay
- Get Low Balance Alerts
- View Letters
- View Menus
For more information on CFISD breakfast and lunch Information visit our district website at CFISD.net. Click the tab for parents & students and there are many resources under nutritional services.
CFISD Connect Families
- Curbside Connect Meals: https://www.cfisd.net/en/parents-students/food-service/curbside-meals
- CFISD Connect students still have access to school breakfasts and lunches. Please click the above link to find out locations and procedures.
Please reach out to us if you have any questions or need additional resources.
STUDENT RETRIEVAL OF ITEMS CFISD CONNECT STUDENTS- Grades PK, K, 1
Grade Level News
Pre-Kindergarten
Our Pre-kinder students have learned so much in the first few weeks of school! In language arts, we will continue to learn letters and sounds as well as recognize our names and our friend’s names. We are working on following two step oral directions and participating in class. In math, we are counting to 10. We are continuing to make patterns and explain our sorts. We will learn about the four seasons with a focus on fall.
Kindergarten
In Reading Workshop, we are working so hard to build our reading stamina! We are moving toward independence by reading our old favorite storytime books on our own. In Writing Workshop, we are working to stretch out words in our books. We are also studying authors that have great illustrations. We will use what we are learning to add more details to our writing! In Math, we are learning about composing and decomposing numbers 1-5, subitizing (counting with our eyes) numbers 1-10, and part-part-whole relationships. This month, we will take our beginning of the year Math DPM. Kind reminders: please send a dry, healthy snack and water bottle daily with your student, and place a change of clothes (shirt, pants, underwear, and socks) in a Ziploc bag in your student’s backpack. Make sure their first and last name is written on all items sent to school. Thank you for your support! -The Kindergarten Team 😊
First Grade
We have had a great first month of school in First Grade! We are really enjoying getting to know all of our students. We have many exciting things happening this month. We will have our chicks coming soon. Throughout the month we will follow their life cycle and watch them hatch!
In math we will begin to learn how to solve word problems using our problem solving model. We will also learn about graphs, number bonds, and skip counting by 10s.
In reading we will continue to learn and use strategies that help us become better readers. These strategies will be used to help us figure out unknown words as well as read more fluently to better understand the story.
In writing we will focus on appreciating illustrations and telling stories with pictures across the pages. Once written students will read and share their stories to their partners and class.
Second Grade
Our second graders are learning the procedures for reading workshop and learning roles their responsibilities. We have been focusing on building our reading stamina by staying engaged and focused while reading. We are learning to monitor our comprehension and using reading strategies. In writing, we are creating our writing ideas list and using it to begin writing our personal small moments.
We have been working on composing and decomposing numbers using base ten blocks to represent numbers in multiple ways. We are working hard on deepening our understanding of place value. We will add and subtract numbers up to 120 without using the standard algorithm. In science, students have been observing and collecting data, learning about physical properties of matter, and exploring forces. We are looking forward to an amazing school year!
Third Grade
Welcome Gleason 3rd Grade families to the 2020 - 2021 school year! We are excited to have your children either in our classrooms, or virtually through CFISD Connect. Students were ecstatic to get the school year started and we can’t wait to see the growth they will make this year.
Our mathematicians have been working on place value to the hundred thousands, representing numbers in various forms, comparing/ordering numbers, and rounding. We are currently in our addition and subtraction unit with word problems and estimation. To support your child’s learning at home, you can review addition and subtraction flashcards, and talk about how we round or compare numbers outside of school (ex: shopping, cooking, etc.). We will have our first checkpoint on October 16th. We will then begin our unit on building the foundation of multiplication.
In Science, we have learned our safety procedures and scientific practices such as collecting and using data. We are near the end of our matter unit, which includes physical properties of matter, and the heating and cooling of solids, liquids, and gases. Our first Unit Test will be on October 14th.
In Reader’s Workshop, we’ve established our procedures, created a place to write about what we read, and we’ve looked at our reading habits to create goals to become even stronger readers. We are moving into our unit of study on fiction. We will look at the characteristics of drama, traditional literature, and realistic fiction. We will also notice how they have a similar structure (character, setting, conflict, rising and falling action, and resolution).
In Writing, we have launched our Writer’s Workshop. Students were excited to begin using their Writer’s Notebooks to collect ideas. This month we will explore personal narratives. Students will look at the characteristics of strong narratives and use that information to create narratives with a problem that gets bigger, show not tell details, as well as adding a lead and a conclusion.
Fourth Grade
In reading, our 4th graders are wrapping up their Poetry unit. We've learned different poetry elements such as alliteration, onomatopoeia, similes, metaphors, and personification. We love finding these elements in the texts we read. In our next unit we will be focusing on fiction and traditional literature texts. As your child reads books at home, ask them questions about the genre of their book, the characters in their stories, as well as the lesson or message to be learned from the text. Reading 20 minutes at home is vital to their growth in fluency and comprehension and will also help them tremendously when we take the 4th grade STAAR in the spring.
In writing, we are working on our 2nd personal narrative. After finishing our 1st personal narrative, we've become familiar with personal narrative characteristics and knowing how to elaborate our writing using FASTD (feelings, actions, sights/sounds, thoughts, dialogue). Ask your child what FASTD stands for and how this strategy helps them develop their writing in detail. In our next unit we will be working on informational paragraphs.
We are expanding our student's math world by introducing decimals to their place value chart. We have represented decimals in different ways such as expanded form, expanded notation, as fractions, and number lines. We have also compared and ordered decimals in a place value chart and on number lines. Next week we will start our unit on adding and subtracting whole numbers and decimals. We have taken our first checkpoint and have learned many strategies for our virtual CONNECT students. We would like to emphasize the importance of paper and pencil and how it is important to the student's learning process virtually.
It is foundational that our 4th grade students to know their multiplication facts fluently. We highly recommend they know their facts fluently to help support our learning at school. Practicing their multiplication math facts every night for 15-20 minutes in addition to our fact fluency lesson at school is very beneficial.
In science have completed our Think Like a Scientist unit and have covered science safety rules and scientific practices. We are currently in our Life Sciences unit learning about our ecosystem and plants. The are exploring ways plants pollinate, inherit traits, and their life cycle. As we continue in this unit we will explore the functions and structure of animals. Our unit ends with a Unit Test October 23rd.
Fifth Grade
In 5th grade reading and writing workshops, our Tigers are analyzing and will soon be crafting poetry. Students will be reading a variety of poetry forms and exploring how poets compose poems. As students discover sound devices, figurative language, structural elements, and other tools that authors use, they will write their own poems. They will apply their spelling skills and best handwriting to publish their poems.
Math learners will be working in Unit 3 to add sub positive rational numbers.
5th grade Tigers will demonstrate an understanding of how to represent and manipulate numbers and expressions. They will demonstrate an understanding of how to perform operations (addition & subtraction) and represent algebraic relationships. Then, they will continue with Unit 4 to multiply and divide positive rational whole numbers. Students will demonstrate an understanding of how to represent and manipulate numbers and expressions. Our mathematicians will demonstrate an understanding of how to perform operations (multiplication & division) and represent algebraic relationships.
In science our young scientists are learning about life science. Topics include life cycles; food chains & webs; changes in ecosystems, fossils as evidence of the past; structures and functions of plants and animals; inherited traits and learned behaviors. Students will have their life science test on November 5th.
A Note from the Nurse....Mrs. Compton
Hello! My name is Nurse Compton and I am the school nurse. This is my 4th year here at Gleason and I am so excited to be back. Below are some key reminders to make sure everyone is staying healthy:
Parents must screen students daily (prior to entering a school bus or school) for the following signs and symptoms of COVID-19:
1. Are you experiencing any of the following in a way that is not normal to you?
• Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.00 F
• Loss of taste or smell
• Cough • Difficulty breathing
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Headache
• Chills
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Shaking or exaggerated shivering
• Significant muscle pain or ache
• Diarrhea
• Nausea or vomiting
2. Have you had known close contact with a person who has tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 14 days?
• Students must stay home if they answer “yes” to any of the above. See “Students with COVID-19 Symptoms or Confirmed COVID-19 Test Protocol”. Students may transition temporarily to the CFISD Connect remote learning option during this period with the ability to keep up with instruction and meet attendance requirements.
• Students who show symptoms of COVID-19 at school will be evaluated by the nurse. The nurse will determine whether that child can remain at school.
• Before a student may return to school, established criteria must be met as stated in the “Students Return to School Protocol”.
Please let me know if your student will be absent and is staying
home due to the above reasons: sarah.compton@cfisd.net
If you take your child to a healthcare provider for an evaluation of illness or injury, please be sure to request a written letter stating when your child may return to school and any accommodations required upon his/her return.
All medication must be brought to the clinic by a parent, guardian or other responsible adult and shall be secured there at all times. For the safety and protection of all students, medication will not be sent home with students. Students will not be allowed to carry medications except for emergency medications such as insulin, inhalers or epi-pens.
If at anytime you have questions or concerns,
please let me know how I can help. Sarah Compton, RN 281-517-6808, sarah.compton@cfisd.net
From the Library....Mrs. Jones
This year the Gleason Library will look very different. Many of our 3-5 students are finding books on the Sora ebook app and our younger students are using Capstone Interactive to continue to grow as readers. Our on campus students are also using these resources and will soon get a visit from the mobile library. Students will create a wish list for books that will be delivered to their classrooms.
Students in grades PreK to 2 will check out 2-5 books for a two week period, and students in grades 3-5 are encouraged to check out 1-2 chapter books. Once returned all books will be quarantined from 4 days before being checked out by other students. Thank you for your patience as we open the library safely for all.
PBIS NEWS
Our students continue to work on routines and procedures as we practice the PBIS Matrix. The PBIS Matrix is a one way to review expected classroom behaviors no matter if your child is receiving face-to-face or online instruction. We want our students to have ROAR Behaviors (Respectful, On-Task, Accountable and Responsible)! We appreciate your help in reviewing these expectations.
October Core Value- Integrity
From the Counselor....Mrs. Salazar
This month we are focusing on the word integrity. We want our student to have the integrity by choosing to be truthful in whatever you say and do. This month we will show integrity not only by our daily behaviors, but by participating in Red Ribbon Week to show that we promising to be drug-free and bully-free. We appreciate you for helping us make the value come alive each month by pointing out true examples of people showing integrity. At school, if your child is demonstrating the monthly value that we're focusing on, they may earn tiger bucks, a positive office referral or a spirit stick from a staff member. We appreciate you being a part of our team by participating in building these inward attitudes into outward behaviors and supporting the upcoming activities.
Gifted and Talented Information
The school counselor is accepting screening referalls for Gifted and Talented testing for kindergarten through 5th grade students. To be considered for the 2020-2021 mid-year testing cycle all screening referall forms must be received by November 30, 2020. If received after November 30th, the student will be considered for the 2021-2022 mid-year testing. You can find the program overview and parent information on the district website, https://www.cfisd.net/en/parents-students/academics/gifted-talented . Please discuss the appropriateness of refering your child with your child's teachers. The screening referral form may be requested by contacting the school counselor, Liz Salazar, at elizabethr.salazar@cfisd.net or 281-517-6800.
Credit-By-Exam
Students in grades K-5 will have four opportunities during the school year to use “credit-by-exam” to accelerate to another grade level. Students will only have one opportunity to test for each grade level considered. To apply to take the test to skip kindergarten, a student must be 5 by September 1, and registered in a CFISD school. To apply to take the test to skip grade 1, a student must be 6 by September 1, and enrolled in a CFISD school. Students who earn scores of 80% or better on each component of the credit-by-exam will qualify to advance one grade. Only one grade level may be “skipped” each year. No retests will be given. If you are interested in getting more information about credit-by-exam, please contact the school counselor.
Red Ribbon Week
October 26th: From head to toe, I'm drug free! Wear crazy hair and crazy socks.
October 27th: I vote to be drug & bully free! Wear your patriotic colors.
October 28th: I'm too bright for drugs & bullying! Wear bright clothing.
October 29th: Don't get tied down with drugs & bullies! Wear tie dyed clothing
October 30th: I love my drug-free and bully-free selfie! Wear your Gleason spirit shirt or blue and white.
Upcoming Events
November 9- Beginning of MP2 and changes in learning option begins
November 10- Picture retake face-to-face students only
November 23-27 Thanksgiving Break
TITLE I INFORMATION
NOTICE TO PARENTS
As a parent of a student at a campus receiving Title I funds, federal law allows you to ask
for information about the certification, college major, and advanced degrees of your child’s teacher(s). You also have the right to request information about the qualifications of a teacher aide or paraprofessional providing direct services to your child. If you would like to receive this information, you may contact the Cypress-Fairbanks I.S.D. Human Resources Department at 281-897-4099.