Kirk Elementary
Tiger Tales
School Information
Email: Kirk@cfisd.net
Website: https://kirk.cfisd.net/en/
Location: 12421 Tanner Road, Houston, TX, USA
Phone: 713-849-8250
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KirkElementary/
Twitter: @KirkElementary
Principal's Corner
Tiger Families,
The fall semester is flying by and we are having so much fun with our Tigers! I hope that you and your family were able to enjoy time with loved ones last week during the Thanksgiving break.
As we enter these last three weeks that lead up to the winter holiday, I cannot stress the importance of daily attendance for your student. Regular, consistent attendance will help them do well in the classroom and eventually in the real world. We appreciate your efforts in avoiding taking extra days off during the upcoming holiday season. Just a few days missed here and there, even if they are excused absences, can add up to lost learning time and leave your child feeling behind in school. Our amazing staff pour their energy into making each learning experience exciting for students; so students look forward to each day.
As we round the corner for the holiday season, we are excited to share that we will again host our PBIS Holiday Store from December 6th - 10th. Students will have an opportunity to use their Dojo points to purchase gifts for their loved ones. Please encourage your student to be K.I.R.K. and ask them how they are earning their Dojo points daily.
We are looking forward to the PTO Winterfest on Tuesday, December 16 from 5:30pm - 7:00pm and hope to see many of you there. Our staff is also excited for our Minute to Win It event on Thursday, December 16th. Since we will not have volunteers or parent visitors during our Minute to Win It event, our teachers will take charge and facilitate all activities. Our Tigers will have this experience toward the end of the day.
As always, thank you for your support of Kirk. We appreciate you and are so thankful for your partnership. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions. Be sure to follow us on Facebook or Twitter.
With gratitude,
Dr. Jennifer Bell
#LeadLearner
Share your Feedback to Help Us Improve
December Calendar
Student of the Month for the Character Trait of Contentment
PREKINDER
KINDER
1ST GRADE
2ND GRADE
3RD GRADE
5TH GRADE
NOVEMBER CHARACTER TRAIT - CONTENTMENT
PREKINDER
KINDER
1ST GRADE
2ND GRADE
3RD GRADE
4TH GRADE
Leader in Me
As the staff continue to learn more about living the 7 habits, we invite you to learn more as well by reading the Leader in Me parents guide found here: https://tinyurl.com/LIMparentguideenglish.
PBIS
Our Tigers are still working on earning signatures for their Executive Tiger Bingo Card. Ask your student what happens if they earn a “tiger paw” sticker from an adult in the building. Ask them what are some different ways they can earn stickers and signatures.
Key Notices
This year we have gone digital with our title 1 meeting. To learn more about Title 1 at Kirk Elementary, please watch this short video (https://youtu.be/F0bl34aCIrM). Turn on closed captioning for Spanish.
If you would like to give feedback on the parent involvement policy (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1eDzNcyk8RJfelzcBISBV5ko3pmbtl5E3_A_twCWmpQ8/edit?usp=sharing) or the home-school agreement (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1yTnPaVljfld3U98OtIsz5PtVbn5wokQfKN8UpQSQtYU/edit?usp=sharing) for Kirk, please view the documents here and send in any suggested revisions to Dr. Bell.
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.
School Messenger: Text Message Sign Up
The directions for adding text messages to your School Messenger account are in the link below. All parents need to update their School Messenger Information:
Family & Community Engagement
Mark your calendars for our annual
Polar Express Day on December 16, when
our Kirk Tigers get to wear their school
appropriate PJs to school.
And on Friday, December 17, we will have Ugly Sweater Day.
17 FREE BUT MEANINGFUL CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS (WHEN YOU HAVE NO MONEY TO SPARE) Click here: https://bit.ly/freegifts21.
We appreciate you!
Kirk Elementary is in the process of a cultural shift as we implement the principles in the book The Leader in Me. We would like to recognize the following businesses and individuals for their generous donations in helping Kirk Elementary achieve its mission, especially Mrs. April Garay, of RollingStone Construction for her hard work spreading the word among our community!
Penco Gate & Fence
Penco Gate & Fence specializes in fencing, gate operators, and access control solutions in Central Houston. We offer fast & friendly service at an affordable price.
This month has gone so fast! Students enjoyed listening to The Very Last Leaf by Stef Wade. We discussed how the leaves change during Fall. We learned a new vocabulary word: deciduous which means trees that shed their leaves once a year.
On November 12th, 2nd grade tigers got to enjoy a presentation called Weather Wonders with Meteorologist Maggie. They learned about weather phenomena including the water cycle, snow, hail, and tornadoes!
Mobile Library on December 11th from 12:30-2:30
Please come and enjoy reading a great book by visiting the CFISD Mobile LIbrary.
Chimney Hill Community Center
13720 Smokey Trail
Primary Practices
It’s hard to believe we are in December already! The year is flying by! We are working hard in reading and math and growing as learners each day. Please remember to read with your child daily. Below are some questions you can ask them about the characters in the story.
Who is the main character/characters in the story?
What are some traits of the main character?
How did the main character change throughout the story?
Did the main character learn a lesson? What lesson did the character learn?
Our district provides some great resources for our students and parents. Below is a link to some various resources available to our students.
ST Math
My.cfisd.net
Additional resources
ST Math
https://sites.google.com/cfisd.net/cfisdprimary/home
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qeYXv-ne4ACYk56y_UmBSKwECSJ2DF_WnwzJO9NCilc/edit?usp=sharing
Adventures in Mathematics
December welcomes skills including money (identifying coins, counting coins up to one dollar) multiplication and division.
Depending on your grade level, these skills can vary in difficulty but there are ways to adjust to support each student.
Money
17 Fun Money Activities for Kids at Home
Multiplication and Division
Working on math facts with your student can make a huge difference in all areas of math. Starting with Fact Families, then moving to solving problems.
Science Scholars
Energy & Weather
Students in grades 2 and 4 are learning about types of energy. Grades 3 and 5 are discovering types of weather and instruments used to measure it.
Below are some ideas for how to discover more at home!
Loving Literacy
It’s hard to believe we are in December already! The year is flying by! We are working hard in reading and writing and growing as learners each day. Please remember to read with your child daily. Below are some questions you can ask them about their books.
Who is the main character/characters in the story?
What are some traits of the main character? What evidence from the book supports your finding?
What is the author’s purpose for writing the book?
What features can you find in the informational text?
What are some key ideas in the book?
Our district provides some great resources for our students. Below are some various resources available to our students.
Amplify
My.cfisd.net
Additional resources
Amplify
Scholastic Literacy Pro and Storyworks
My.cfisd.net
Schoology
Scholastic Digital Manager
Tiger Technobytes
Have your child try the Hour of Code during
Computer Science Education Week (December 6-12) or any day!
Nurse’s Corner
Please send your Tiger with a bottle of water every day. Drinking water throughout the day is a very important part of keeping your student healthy.
For all grade levels, please put a change of clothes in your student’s backpack. Accidents happen, and your student needs extra clothes.
If you have any shorts or pants to donate, the clinic is in need of shorts and pants for boys and girls of all sizes. Thank you.
Please continue to screen your students daily, and keep them home if they are feeling ill.
Counselor Corner
Monthly Character Trait: Service means lending a hand to help someone else.
By the time kids hit upper elementary, they begin to realize their first major crisis: Friendship.
This isn’t just something that happens to our fourth and fifth graders.
Believe it or not, research is beginning to show that by kindergarten many kids are testing the power of their influence and seeking connections with friends at any cost.
Meaning, as soon as they become aware there are other people in the
world besides them, they start making decisions based on the sort of
friends they want to attract.
Here are a few ways you can help your elementary kids develop friendships:
• Help them develop self-confidence.
• Widen the circle of people around them to include adults you trust.
• Ask questions about what’s happening in their friendships.
• Don’t freak out! Every phase is new for your child and you as a parent,
so there will be some bumps in the road.
So don’t miss it. Developing friendships is a part of being a kid, and each one is learning as they go.
What’s happening in Large Group?
Musical Magic
Hello Kirk Mighty Tigers! Music classes have been fun and engaging. We will focus on “Rhythm” now. Students from Kindergarten to 5th Grades will be Reading, Creating and Writing Rhythm Patterns.
Ms. Craig
PE
Wow! I can’t believe December is here already. I hope everyone enjoyed the Thanksgiving break; we have three more weeks of fun and entertaining activities.
A big thank you to all the parents that volunteered for Field Day. Our tigers really enjoyed it and were happy to work with you.
During the winter break, please remember to keep moving and stay healthy and safe!
Coach Mati
Art
Hello Mighty Tigers! I hope you had an awesome Thanksgiving break, I have had an amazing time seeing each student create art and learning about different artists! During the month of December, we will be learning about Snowflake Bentley and working with different mediums.
Ms. Pacheco
PTO Corner
We are so excited about this year and getting back into the groove supporting all of our Tigers. If you haven’t already, please take a moment to join PTO today by visiting http://kirkpto.square.site