Kirk Elementary
Tiger Tales 1/3/2023
School Information
Email: Kirk@cfisd.net
Website: https://www.cfisd.net/Kirk
Location: 12421 Tanner Road, Houston, TX, USA
Phone: 713-849-8250
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KirkElementary/
Twitter: @KirkElementary
Principal's Corner
Happy New Year! I hope that everyone enjoyed the winter break. As we head into the new year, I want to take a moment to remind everyone how important regular school attendance is. Our teachers begin teaching right at 8:15 each morning and do not end instruction until 3:40. Please do your best to have your child at school on time each day that they are healthy and able to be here. When your child is absent, a doctor’s note or a written note from a parent/guardian is needed to excuse the absences. Please make every effort to have your children here each and every day.
Katie Ford
Principal
PBIS
As we start 2023, let's take an opportunity to review our Kirk P.B.I.S Matrices. We want to continue to review and practice our matrices to begin 2023 strong. The more you show K.I.R.K behavior, the more you will earn Kirk Cash in P.B.I.S Rewards!
Also, review the following presentation to remind your Kirk Tiger how to shop from our school store, The Kirk Store.
BOTB
For the months of January, our Mighty Tigers will learn about the character trait Accountability. Accountability is taking responsibility for your words, acctions, and results. Beginning speaking with your Tiger on ways they can take accountability with what they say, what they do, and how they respond to everyday situations. Below is the character trait poster you will see through our school district.
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:
General Information
January Calendar
Student of the Month for the Character Trait of Gratitude
Citlali Peralta
Nataly Diaz
Larissa Mendoza
December Character Trait - Gratitude
Library Corner
Happy New Year Tigers!
I hope you had an amazing winter break and I can’t wait to hear about all the books you all read. We will have lots of fun read alouds and activities in the library in 2023. I can't wait!
Your Librarian,
Mrs. Gallegos
Primary Practices
Welcome back and Happy New Year, Primary! We hope you had a restful winter break. This month we will be showing our learning during the Middle of the Year January DPM (District Progress Monitoring) so make sure you are getting enough sleep and eating a healthy breakfast. Please see your child’s teacher if you have any questions regarding grade level assessments. Also, click here for a free and interactive educational website including games, songs, and stories your child can use at home! Let’s have a super second semester!
Adventures in Math
Second Grade is learning about money. This unit includes time “spent” on identifying coins and composing and decomposing coins. Although we don’t see coins being used much in our daily lives, this is a great unit to promote skip counting by 5’s and 10’s as well as adding and subtracting.
Third grade is wrapping up Fractions with a focus on equivalent fractions. In this unit students are comparing fractions with the same denominator and different denominator. Teachers and students are using fraction towers, pattern blocks and cuisenaire rods to help students visualize. At home, you can use circles and rectangles divided into equal parts of halves, fourths, sixths and eighths.
Fourth grade is also working on fractions with a focus on benchmark fractions. Benchmark fractions are common fractions that we can measure or judge against, when measuring, comparing, or ordering other fractions. Benchmark fractions are easy to visualize and identify, and thus, help in estimating the parts. Students need to know these fractions so they can identify if a fraction is closer to 0 or 1.
Fifth grade is applying their knowledge of fractions by dividing them by the whole number. This concept can be challenging for students, so teachers are using fraction towers, models and number lines to give a variety of strategies for solving.
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Science Scholars
Second grade is “digging” into their unit on soil and rocks. Students will examine and identify properties of the soil such as color, texture and size of rocks. To experience this, students will be exposed to clay, potting soil, silt and loam soil. Using magnifying glasses, they will write about the properties they see in each type of soil.
Third grade students are starting their unit on Weather. In this unit, students will experience collecting weather data using various tools such as a rain gauge and wind vane. The goal of this lesson is for students to collect, record and compare data from weather tools.
Fourth grade is discovering properties of matter such as magnetism, sink or float, and solid, liquid and gas. Students will test a variety of items to see if certain objects and materials have the same properties.
Fifth grade is wrapping up their unit on astronomy with a focus on comparing the characteristics of the Earth, Sun and Moon. The purpose of this unit is for students to understand the Earth’s rotation, the pattern of the Moon phases and the relationship of the Sun in the water cycle.
Loving Literacy
Welcome back and Happy New Year! We hope you had a restful winter break. This month we will be showing our learning during the Middle of the Year January DPM (District Progress Monitoring) so make sure you are getting enough sleep and eating a healthy breakfast. Please see your child’s teacher if you have any questions regarding grade level assessments. Also, students in third - fifth grades will be learning about the extended constructed response which is a new question type on the STAAR test this year. The ECR (extended constructed response) is a prompt based argumentative or opinion essay that is based on an article or story. The students will need to use the article/story to develop a central idea statement or claim. They will also need to provide evidence from the article/story to back up their central idea or claim. Over the next several months, the students will practice writing several ECR’s. Let’s have a super second semester!
Tiger Technobytes
Nurse's Corner
January is a great time to work on healthy habits. Exercising together as a family is a great way to spend time together and work on your health. Bike riding, walking, and roller skating are beneficial and keep your heart healthy. Please encourage your child to go to sleep on time, make healthy choices when eating meals or snacks, and to drink water during the day. Share with your children the healthy habits you are working on this month and during the year.
Counselor Corner
Welcome back, Kirk Tigers! We hope that your Winter Break was relaxing and restful for both our students and their families. Let’s get ready to jump back into a wonderful new calendar year and a productive new semester. Keep making those good choices to stay KIRK: Kind, Independent, Responsible, and Keep Safe!
What’s Happening in Large Group?
Musical Magic
Hello Kirk Mighty Tigers!
All students will be focusing on Composition, which means that we will all become little composers by creating our own music. We will have a great time!
Mrs. Craig
PE
Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed their winter break, moved and played a lot :) .
We will start the new year with a recap of our rules, procedures and expectations, while playing some of your favorite games that we’ve played earlier this school year. WE will focus on moving, and being active so we can stay strong, fit and healthy!
Coach Mati
Art
Hello Kirk Artists! We finished off 2022 with fun print masterpieces. We will review our expectations and procedures as we explore different art supplies. I look forward to seeing our creativity grow in our new year.
Mrs. Kranson
PTO
Need some help registering on the PTO website so you can stay up to date on the latest and greatest things happening at Kirk? Do you want to join the PTO and have access to our school directory? Click on the following link to view a helpful tutorial!