Crescent Newsletter
February 2023
Prinicipal's Message
Crescent students and staff continue to shine! Our three robotics teams have competed at multiple tournaments this year. Each team has earned a variety of awards in the areas of overall performance, skills and best notebook. All three teams have qualified for States, where they will have an opportunity to qualify for Worlds. We wish them the best as they continue down the road to Worlds.
We are proud to share that Mrs. Wilson, 6th grade teacher, has been selected as our Crescent Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Wilson has a positive attitude and works to create a caring classroom community. She is an A+ teacher that provides strong daily lessons and intervention support to meet the needs of each student. Mrs. Wilson will be part of our district celebration later this year and is in the running for OUSD teacher of the year.
Mrs. Walters has been selected as our Classified Employee of the Year. Mrs. Walters joined Crescent this year as a Transitional Kindergarten Aide, supporting Mrs. Fitch and our children daily. Mrs. Walters loves working with our students and our students absolutely love her! Her can-do attitude and calm demeanor is contagious! Mrs. Walters will also be part of district celebration later this year.
OC Parenting Magazine recently selected Mrs. Carias, 3rd grade GATE teacher, as a finalist for the Top Teacher in Orange County. Mrs. Carias was nominated by a wonderful Crescent family. In the nomination, Mrs. Carias' stood out for her commitment to student achievement, positive class community and her connection with students and families. Mrs. Carias will be honored later this month at a virtual celebration. We wish Mrs. Carias the best as she is in the running for OC Parenting Top Teacher of the Year.
In just a few months, our 3-6 grade students will be participating in State Testing (CASSPP).This assessment will help us monitor our students’ growth progress from year to year. This information is used to identify our students’ strengths and areas for growth. Please mark your calendar to make sure all personal days and appointments are not scheduled during the school day. Additional information will be provided regarding the schedule closer to May. If you would like more information about State Testing (CASSPP) or want to review sample questions, please check out the parent resources on the State website.
Canyon High School Community Open House
The Orange Unified School District is inviting all families to the Canyon High School Community Open House and Showcase Event on February 22, 2023. The event starts at 5 p.m. with elementary and middle school performances. The high school showcase event will begin at 6 p.m. This is a great opportunity to see everything that our Canyon High School Feeder Pattern Schools have to offer students from TK to 12th grade. The community will also be able to tour the brand new state-of-the-art STEM building at Canyon HS, so you are able to show your students what they will get to experience as they go through the Canyon High School feeder pattern. We hope to see you at this great community event.
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
February 17 is National Random Acts of Kindness Day. Head over to https://www.randomactsofkindness.org/kindness-ideas for some great ideas to talk about Kindness at home, as well as some fun activities for the whole family to enjoy together.
We talk a lot with your students about how they can show Kindness to others, but I always like to talk to students about how they show Kindness to themselves.
Being a parent/caregiver is the most selfless act anyone can do. It's also one of the toughest jobs out there. I hope all of our Crescent parents/caregivers are treating themselves with Kindness whenever they can.
Have a happy February!
Lauren Pullin, M.S., PPSC
School Counselor
Crescent- M,T,W/Nohl Canyon- Th, F
Orange Unified School District
I Know My Habitat Information
Crescent Elementary's Annual "I Know My States" Contest is back and it's bigger and better!
The new "I Know My Habitat" allows TK-3rd graders to participate in the fun by testing on their habitat to get ready for the traditional I Know My States test. Testing is set for February 27 through March 10.
Students will be asked to list their country, state, city and neighboring states, among other topics.
Winners will receive a coupon for a Campitelli cookie. If you have questions, email “I Know My Habitat” Chair Eugene Fields at eugenewfields@gmail.com.
Testing begins in less than a month, so start studying! Click here for more information.
Librarian's Corner
It is hard to believe we are halfway through our school year. Our students are utilizing our library each and every day through visits, taking time to study, work on group projects and quietly read. It has been a very busy space this past month.
The California Reader Medal Nominees are out and we will begin reading the selections in the beginning of February. The nominees are as follows:
Picture Books for Older Readers
HOLES IN THE SKY BY PATRICIA POLACCO
DINOSAUR LADY BY LINDA SKEERS
Picture Books for Younger Readers
PARKER LOOKS UP BY PARKER CURRY JESSICA CURRY AND BRITTANY JACKSON
GRUMPY MONKEY BY SUZANNE LANG AND MAX LANG
THE GOOD EGG BY JORY JOHN AND PETE OSWALD
DOZENS OF DOUGHNUTS BY CARRIE FINNISON AND BRIANNE FARLE
WE DON'T EAT OUR CLASSMATES BY RYAN T. HIGGINS
Students will vote for their favorite story once all of the books have been read. We will submit our vote and will announce the winners in May. The voting is only allowed by students. Teachers, parents and librarians are not allowed to vote. The California Young Reader Medal (CYRM) program encourages recreational reading of popular literature among the young kids in the state. Since 1974, California children have nominated, read and voted for the winners of the California Young Reader Medal. The kids love that adults have zero input and the choices are the kids alone.
Thank you to the Wang Family and the Le Family for their very generous donation of many new library books. I am often asked where we get our books from. People are always amazed that funding the purchase of books does not come from the district. We rely on fundraising and donations to curate the library. The kids at school will enjoy these for many years to come. As the year progresses, the books become more and more well-loved and require replacement. Many of our students will donate books they have finished so others may borrow them. We are thankful to have so many wonderful families that see the value of new quality books in the hands of our children.
Read Across America Week will take place February 27 through March 3. Our week will be filled with dress ups days as follows:
Monday: Dress your best.
Tuesday: Wear your crazy or favorite hat!
Wednesday: Be a tourist at the library - Wear your favorite Hawaiian print and tourist gear!
Thursday: Wild about Reading - Wear your craziest animal print and carry your supplies in anything but a backpack!
Friday: Cozy Up to a Good Book - Wear your favorite pajamas!
There will be a few surprises sprinkled in throughout the week for students to participate in. We hope students will see that we associate reading with fun as well as learning.
Thank you for all you do to support our students and the library. Wishing you well!
Mrs. Marla Pearlman
Crescent Librarian
Mr. Ireland's Stem Corner
1st graders are preparing an ideal travel to an extreme environment
Students are presented with the problem of preparing an ideal traveler for a visit to an extreme environment and designing the ideal shoe for this traveler to wear in this environment. Students look to plant and animal adaptations to guide them as they make choices about how to prepare their traveler. Students learn what it means for an organism to be adapted to its environment and how different adaptations can be categorized. Through various investigations, students explore an example of adaptations for protection, camouflage, food and locomotion. Their shoe designs will be amazing to see!
Robotics Corner
Crescents Robotics Teams…
Off to an amazing start!
Crescent Elementary School robotics teams have been showing lots of success with a month left in competitions. Our student-led teams, ranging from 4th-to-6th graders, are showcasing their game strategy, design and teamwork skills in local competitions. This year, Crescent has three teams consisting of 8 members each. In May 2022, students at Crescent had an opportunity to fill out an application to be part of this team, with 24 students selected to represent the school in the VEX robotics competitions. Our teams have been competing in local tournaments since November and have qualified to compete in the state championships in March. The team has won several awards this year:
- All three teams have won the overall Excellence award (highest award given at the event)
- Two team robot design awards
- One Teamwork Champion award
- One Robot Skills award
We are very proud of our student and wish them the best at States.
Crescent Lunar Bots (15A)
Team Captain: Pia Odhrani (6th grade)
Shaunak Ganguly
Avani Naik
Eleanor Markley
Susan Braun
Rasa Nazarinia
Sareena Uppal
Dhruv Bhide
Crescent Cougar Bots (15B)
Team Captain: James Malilim (6th grade)
Caleb Henninger
Garrett Lish
Maya Williams
Aaron Wu
Leana Doung
Sana Patel
Sana Rao
Robo-Cougars (15C)
Team Captain: Nayra Sharma (6th grade)
Avery Perry
David Froissard
Theodore Kim
Dhevan Sampat
Zeal Parekh
Isabella Averion
Allison Kan
Early Learning Programs 2023-2024
The Early Learning office is taking parent information for those that are interested in enrolling in our preschool program for next school year. Please see the following flyers for more information:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/10O3uqE8ak8nDJ4TZZEUOWfm2LuXs2LKq/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1F5wJRtAkxU0epfXgVUYMrn6BHSXHqq9O/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1o0M5yjULA3_hEpeU_QJpTlPBt1f76TmV/view?usp=sharing
PTA President's Message
Hello Crescent Families,
January flew on by and it is hard to believe that it is already February! Thank you to all of you for your ongoing support. This year has been very successful and the students seem to be enjoying all the fun!
As you all know we are half through the school year. This means it is time to plan for next year; already! The PTA Executive Board has nominations currently open. If you or someone you know is interested in being a part of the Board please reach out to Dara Walker at nuyrbbe79@yahoo.com. The school relies on the support of the volunteers and PTA so that we can have all of these amazing programs and events.
Also, please be sure to mark your calendars for some fun upcoming events; Bowling Fun with Dad’s Club, Movie Night, Beach Clean Up and STEM night to name a few. Please take a look at the Crescent Calendar that is posted on the PTA website for all the information.
I would like to thank all of those that joined PTA and those that have volunteered throughout the year so far. Your support is greatly appreciated! Let’s keep that momentum going!
Wishing everyone a wonderful February!
Thank you!
Jennifer Rea
Crescent PTA President
Dad's Club Update
Upcoming Dads Club activities:
- Dads Club "Winter Mixer" - Thursday, Feb. 23rd, 6 pm, Click here for more information.
- "Family Funday Bowling Extravaganza" - Sunday, March 5th, 12 noon, at Concourse Bowling Center, in Anaheim [concoursebowling.com]
- Beach Clean Up with the Surfrider Foundation - Sunday, April 23rd, 9:30 am, at Seal Beach
If you want to get involved and jump into the mix, contact Sandeep at Sandeep@IntellexStrategy.com or 714.222.4967 or Oscar Jiminez at RealtorOscarJimenez@gmail.com or 714.222.6204.
Sunshine Cart Donations Welcome
Thank you to all the TK and Kinder families that have donated to the Sunshine Cart in January. The teachers really enjoy and appreciate the thought and kindness of this. We would like to ask First and Second Grades to sponsor the cart for the month of February. Please see the attached link. Also, if you include a note, we will attach it to the cart. The staff LOVE seeing these and knowing who to thank!
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2FM884W0298D4?ref_=wl_share
6th Grade Baby Photos Needed
I will be collecting baby photos of the 6th graders until Friday, February 10th, 2023. Even if you do not plan to purchase a yearbook for your 6th grader, please submit a photo for them anyway.
Guidelines:
Submit only one photo, best quality preferred.
The picture needs to be a close up and only of the student. Please do not include photos that show other people.
Please do not send any hard copies of pictures with your child.
Email photos to: crescentptayearbook@gmail.com. Please indicate “Baby Photo” in the subject line and include Student Name and Teacher in the email. Do not expect a response until after February 15th. I will be responding with a “received”
email once uploaded to the yearbook page.
Yearbook Cover Contest
We are inviting all 6th grade Crescent students to enter their drawings in our Yearbook Cover Contest. We want to see your creativity! This year’s theme is “PAWS for the Moments“. The yearbook will showcase our school colors of yellow/gold and black. If you would like to participate in this year’s cover contest, please read the rules below carefully and submit your original work no later than Friday, February 10th. Please make sure you read and follow all the rules or you will be disqualified from the contest.
Crescent Elementary Yearbook Cover Contest Rules:
What do you think of most when you think back on your time at Crescent? Your art should reflect the spirit of our school and the ways it has shaped you for success, educationally and personally. Use of school highlights is highly encouraged in your design.
- Each entry must be the original work of the student submitting the artwork. It may not contain copyrighted material (such as Mickey Mouse) or material produced by someone besides the entrant (such as popular songs, magazine cutouts, photographs, etc.)
- Artwork must be created on a piece of 8 1⁄2” x 11” white paper with a portrait orientation. Do not use lined paper. Name must be written in pencil on the back of the page only. Make sure you include Crescent Elementary 2022-2023 in your drawing.
- Color: Bright colors are strongly encouraged
- Every element of the artwork (design, lines, marks, color, shapes, shading, highlights, etc) must be the work of the student whose name appears on the back of the artwork. No tracing of other work is allowed.
- Photographs and artwork created with a computer will not be judged for inclusion in the yearbook.
- Only Crescent Elementary 6th graders may submit artwork to be considered for the yearbook.
- All entries are due Friday, February 10th, by the end of the school day, to your teacher or the front office. Late entries will NOT be accepted.
If you have any questions, please email Nancy Fenn at nyfenn@gmail.com
Important Reminders
4th-6th Grades Spelling Bee Coming Up in March: We will be having our annual grades 4-6 Spelling Bee in March. Please see the flyer and information packet using the links below.
Spelling Bee Flyer (Information for Students to Prepare)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1b-xoWTV8GpWDc5BBWW00Bvs0_PmYJK2W/view?usp=sharing
Spelling Bee Information Packet (Bee Procedures and Rules)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WvP3VIibpQNZzAi7hNh7UN-hlmd2dNab/view?usp=sharing
2022 - 2023 Yearbook: Crescent is offering special pricing this year for our yearbooks. You can order a yearbook for just $12.70!
Don't forget, our yearbooks have 2 free custom pages that will print in your student's yearbook. These pages are great to highlight all of the special moments for your student, including awards, sports, family events, holidays, vacations, friendships, etc.
If you would like to submit your photos to be considered for yearbook, please email them to Nancy Fenn at crescentptayearbook@gmail.com. Please include the event title on the subject line.
Paper Tutoring Information: We have some incredible news to share! We are thrilled to announce that Orange Unified School District will continue its partnership with Paper to provide ALL 3rd-6th grade students with free, 1-on-1, tutoring and writing support.
When students log in and start a session, they are instantly connected with subject-matter experts that guide your students through problems step-by-step, without giving away the answers. This way, students can walk away from sessions feeling confident that they understand the material and have the tools to succeed on their future assignments and exams.
Here are a few ways Paper can support you and your students this school year:
Unlimited 24/7/365 tutoring support — sessions can run for as long as students need!
Revisions for any typed writing assignments in 24 hours or less!
Tutoring and writing support in 4 different languages — English, Spanish, French and Mandarin.
Explore with your students! Have them log in through their OUSD Dashboard to start a tutoring session. Interested in speaking to a member of the Paper team? You can reach them at parents@paper.co.
General Association PTA Meeting-This meeting has been cancelled
President's Weekend - School Closed
Dad's Club Winter Mixer
Spring Picture Day
Read Across America Week
Read Across America Week will take place February 27 through March 3. Our week will be filled with dress ups days as follows:
Monday: Dress your best.
Tuesday: Wear your crazy or favorite hat.
Wednesday: Be a tourist at the library - Wear your favorite Hawaiian print and tourist gear!
Thursday: Wild about Reading - Wear your craziest animal print and carry your supplies in anything but a backpack!
Friday: Cozy Up to a Good Book - Wear your favorite pajamas!