CJM Monthly Matador
September 2018
September 2018 Events
SEPT. 3: LABOR DAY HOLIDAY – No School
SEPT. 11: Spirit Drive Kick-off Assembly
SEPT. 12: School Site Council Mtg 3-4pm
SEPT. 14: Student of the Month Assembly - MPR
SEPT. 17: CJM Community Club Mtg: 9:20am - Annex
SEPT. 18, 19, 20: Parent Volunteer ID Badges 8:30-10am / 1-3pm: Annex
SEPT. 24 - 28: Science Olympiad Trials
SEPT. 26: Fall Portraits
International Baccalaureate - Mrs. Kelly Howard
What an exciting year this will be for C.J. Morris as we continue on our journey in the International Baccalaureate Programme! This is an evaluation year for us, which is part of a five-year cycle that all IB Primary Year Programme schools have. As a part of that cycle, we continue our reflections and self-study as a school community at C.J. Morris. We have been gathering feedback on ways to improve our program from teachers, students, support staff, district personnel, community club and parents. Feedback will be used to continue to help us grow as an IB community. If you have any questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me at khoward@wvusd.k12.ca.us.
The ten attributes of the Learner Profile help our students to become global citizens and more internationally-minded. To guide family conversations, you can read more about these attributes and all of the attributes from IB in the Learner Profile Attribute Descriptions at https://goo.gl/6dmEFA. Thank you for being a part of our learning community!
We miss our students when they are away from school. Parents, we appreciate your promptly notifying the office of your child’s absence. As a friendly reminder, please inform the office by:
- Calling the absence line at 909-839-2109,
- Completing the Google form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1er5Eez4c_KS-PGCJ32Ykad5EmHmnT86cY3eb9XptwO4/edit,
- Submitting a parent/guardian signed and dated note or doctor’s note, or
- Informing the front office staff.
Thank you, parents, for verifying our students’ absences and helping to keep them safe and sound!
Tips for Helping with Homework By Rochelle Mortensen
1. Know what your child’s homework is. Check their folders . and agendas DAILY. If necessary, call your child’s teacher and Ask about their homework policies and how you should be involved.
2. Set up a homework-friendly area. Make sure kids have a well-lit place to complete homework. Keep supplies — paper, pencils, glue, scissors — within reach.
3. Schedule a regular study time. Some kids work best in the afternoon, following a snack and play period; others may prefer to wait until after dinner.
4. Help them make a plan. Encourage your child to break up the work into manageable chunks. Create a work schedule for the night if necessary — and take time for a 15-minute break every hour, if possible.
5. Keep distractions to a minimum. This means no TV, loud music, electronics, or phone calls. (Occasionally, though, a phone call to a classmate about an assignment can be helpful.)
Transitional Kindergarten
We are growing and exploring! In TK, we are learning how to use new learning tools and how to follow classroom procedures! We are having a blast dancing and singing about letters, colors and shapes. Our first IB unit, “Let’s Play,” focuses on social and academic skills that we develop through play. We are practicing using our words and manners to express our needs and wants. We are looking forward to doing lots of art and learning about our letters! It’s going to be a wonderful year!
Kindergarten
Welcome back to school kindergarteners! September will be a busy month as we learn about rules and how they keep us safe. This is our first IB planner of the year. We will read books about how we can show respect and treat people the way we want to be treated. In language arts, we will continue to establish routines on how to work in reading and writing centers. We will also read informational text pieces, write narrative stories, and build a simple sentence. In math, we are learn about numbers 1-10, shapes, and adding and subtracting word problems through oral stories. It will be a fun month as we continue to learn about each other and the rules and expectations at school.
First Grade
Second Grade
Second Grade is so happy to be back! We have participated in many exciting team-building activities and are off to a great start! Our first PYP Unit: Who We Are has created many opportunities for students to share how special they are. Throughout the month, we will also learn about the uniqueness of cultures, families, and traditions. Students will explore how life was long ago and how things are today. September will also bring us many exciting learnings on states of matter! There will be many cool things happening in 2nd grade!
Third Grade
Our third graders are off to a terrific start! Our math focus at the beginning of the year revolves around understanding the concepts of multiplication and division. Our language arts unit introduces government and a historical timeline of people’s rights. The IB planner we focus on first is “Who We Are,” as the students inquire and learn about the different IB attitudes and attributes that make them unique. It is also a reflective time for understanding that their choices make an impact on the world! Socials studies and science this month provide an opportunity for the students to learn about our galaxy, planets, continents, country, state, and city. We are excited to be traveling to the Los Angeles County Fair this month to explore the farm, make and take science stations including rockets, cars, rocks, and plant exhibits! We hit the ground running and we are so excited for a fun year!
Fourth Grade
The 4th grade has had a wonderful time returning to school! We have spent time getting to know our new classmates and teachers, as well as learning our new routines as upper grade students. During the month of September, we will explore our Who We Are Planner and learn how people have beliefs and values that are influenced by cultures and communities. We will learn the California Regions and find how the Native Americans were influenced by the geographic location they lived in. We will discover what IB attitudes and learner profiles the indigenous people exhibited. In Math, we will begin to learn how to multiply larger numbers. We also will be learning how to identify a Main Idea and details in a text when reading, and are learning Narrative Writing using the Lucy Calkins Writer’s Workshop method. Fourth grade is full of fun, excitement, and a lot of learning! We all look forward to a fantastic year!
Fifth Grade
Our fifth graders are off and running! We look great in our new “#unlimitedpossibilities” shirts. August is all about training to be a 5th grader, learning about drawing positive/negative attention to ourselves, and settling in. Students have put their binders together and are learning to stay organized. The students are getting acclimated to the rules and routines of 5th grade. This month we started learning how people use language to persuade or inform others. In math we are learning fractions. Finally, we have been learning how to write summaries and develop short answer responses, while incorporating evidence from the text to support our conclusions.
CJ Morris Elementary School
Website: https://cjmorris.wvusd.k12.ca.us/
Location: 19875 East Calle Baja Drive, Walnut, CA, USA
Phone: 9095940053
Twitter: @CJM_Matadors