B.B RICE ELEMENTARY
APRIL 2018
904 Gladstell Street
Conroe, TX 77304
936-709-2700
Fax 936-709-2799
School Mission
More than competency in the basic skills of reading, writing, and math, it is this school’s mission to nurture in each child:
The habit of creative independent thinking, a positive self-image, an attitude of social cooperation and moral responsibility, pride in self, community, state, and country, and
the ability to be a producer, not just a consumer, of Knowledge.
“In this school, we reach for the stars.”
School Information
- The building opens at 7:30 for students to eat breakfast and go to class.
- Please do not drop off students before 7:30 as there is no adult
- supervision.
- Breakfast is served from 7:30-7:55. 1st through 4th grade eat inside their classrooms. PK and Kinder eat in the cafeteria.
- Morning PK students go directly to the cafeteria and meet their teachers.
- The lunch menu is located on the Rice website: Rice.conroeisd.net
- Afternoon PK begins at 12:10. If they are going to eat lunch, then they need to arrive at 11:45.
- Students may not be checked out or change transportation mode after 2:30. This is for the safety of the students.
- Dismissal begins at 3:10.
- Please make sure you have your car rider sign in your car for car rider. You will be asked to park and come inside if you do not have your tag.
- Thank you for all your help to make this the very best year!!!
Kindergarten loves to read!!!
2017-18 Friend of Education!!
Pennies for Patients was a huge success!
From the Principal's Desk
Happy Spring!!!! We have lots of exciting things happening this time of year.
Pre-K & Kinder Round up will be the week of April 2-6th. Kinder registration is for student who are 5 years old on or before September 1, 2018. Please check our website for more details and required documents.
STAAR Assessments for 3rd and 4th grade will take place during the month of April and May. It is important that your student attends school regularly and comes prepared to learn. The dates are below:
4th Writing STAAR: April 10th
3rd/4th Math STAAR: May 14th
3rd/4th Grade Reading STAAR: May 15th
- May 22nd-2nd, 3rd, & 4th Field Day
- May 23rd-PK, K, & 1st Field Day
- May 29th- 1st, 2nd, & 3rd Grade Awards Day
- May 30th- 4th Grade Awards, Celebration. and 2:00 Clap Out
- May 31st-Kindergarten graduation at 8:30 and Early Release
Thank you for all you do to make your student successful. We appreciate you!!!
Mrs. Stewart
Message From Your Assistant Principal
Hello Rice Raccoons:
Our students have worked so hard this year and they deserve a standing ovation!!! Our parents deserve the same gratitude!!! We would like to thank you for your continued support in your child’s education!!!
Upcoming Assessments:
-April 17th-4th Grade Math Benchmark
-April 19th-3rd Grade Math Benchmark
-May 17th-2nd Grade Math Benchmark
-May 22nd-1st Grade Math District Checkpoint
-May 23rd-2nd Grade Science District Checkpoint
-May 24th-3rd Grade and 4th Grade Science District Checkpoint
Please remember that, as always, attendance is a vital component of educating your children. Students are counted tardy after 8:05 and absent after 9:00 a.m. Teachers begin academic instruction shortly after 8:05. When students are picked up early, they are missing instructional time as well. Every minute counts. Please make every effort to maximize on your child’s instructional day. Thank you for your support!!!
Wesley Harness
Message From School Counselor...
Dear Parents,
Happy Spring! Hope you all had a wonderful Spring Break. It’s always nice to spend some extra time with your loved ones. The kids always come back from Spring Break excited and ready to learn.
With April comes a crucial time of year with our STAAR test. This test will take place at the beginning of this month for our 4th grade Writing test and in the middle of May for the 3rd and 4th Reading and Math test. They have all been working hard all year to prepare for this test, and we know they will do great! As we get closer you might begin to notice your child experiencing anxiety before/during/or after the test. By working together, we can make your child’s test experience positive and successful. Here are some suggestions that you can do to help your child succeed:
- Make sure your child gets a good night’s rest.
- Have your child eat a healthy breakfast at home or in the cafeteria at school.
- Make sure your child arrives to school on time.
- Gently encourage your child to do their best.
I will be meeting with both grade levels this month to help provide techniques to minimize their testing stress. A little encouragement goes a long way, if possible please take a moment to write an encouraging note and give it to your child the first morning of testing. One of the most important things you can say to your child is I believe in you! They have been working hard all year long and will do a great job!
Thank you again for all you do!
Mrs. Orr
Pre-K
We hope that everyone had a wonderful Spring Break! This is a very busy time of year for pre-k! Please make sure your child is practicing his/her name, letter identification, letter sounds, number identification (0-9) and counting 1-30.
Just a reminder:
Write your child’s name on their coats and backpacks.
Take all papers out of Daily Folder and backpack every day.
Keep a clean change of clothes in your child’s backpack.
If you need to change transportation please do so in writing.
Read to your child daily
Kinder
Our Kindergarten field trip is scheduled for April 19th. We will be going to 7 Acre Wood in Conroe. Please check your child’s folder for a permission slip coming home soon. You are welcome to join us as a chaperone. You must complete the CISD volunteer form to chaperone the field trip. We have had a great year in Kindergarten! We will continue our learning with our Reading Super Powers in Independent and Partner reading. We will introduce poetry and revisit informational writing. In math we will use manipulatives and number sentences to show addition and subtraction. In science we will continue to learn about the parts of plants and discuss the characteristics of plants. In social studies we will discuss needs and wants and ways to earn a living.
First Grade
Happy Spring!
1st graders have many exciting activities to look forward to as we move into April. We will be reading and writing poetry! Continue to let your 1st grader choose books to read with you at home! We are working hard on building great reading habits. This is a good time to play rhyming games with you child. We encourage you to continue practicing sight words with your child and reading each night. This month, try partner reading. Your read the left page and your child can read the right page. In Math, we will be practicing counting coins using our skip counting strategies. We will then move into addition and subtraction strategies within 20. Continue practicing addition to 10 facts daily. Tell your child a number less than 10 and have them tell you the missing number that makes 10: "I have 6, how many more do I need to make 10?" This will help tremendously with facts to 20. In Social Studies, we will be discussing impacts of weather and using natural resources. We will then finish the month of April discussing needs/wants and goods/services. In Science, we will be focusing on frog, fish and chicken life cycles as well as natural resources including ways to recycle.
Please keep a light jacket inside your child's backpack. If you have any questions, please contact us! Thank you for your continued support!
Second Grade
It's hard to believe that spring is already here and there is still so much to do and learn! We are looking forward to many upcoming activities this spring. Our Second Graders did a wonderful job on their Second Grade program! They have accomplished so much this year and we're still working hard. In Math, we have been counting money with quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies, we are continuously practicing problem solving. We've learned about fractions in groups, and continued learning about geometry and their many attributes. In science we have learned about weather patterns and patterns that we see in the sky. We are also learning about plants and watching our plants grow. We want to remind you to keep reading and practicing their math facts to 18, count money, practice telling time, and two and three digit addition and subtraction with regrouping. We are looking forward to a fun and successful month ahead. The second grade field trip is planned for Friday, April 6th. We will be going to P-6 Farms in Montgomery. If you are interested in coming on our field as a chaperone, please register as a volunteer on the CISD Home Page prior to the field trip. We hope you can join us. We would like to thank you again for all your hard work at home, and we look forward to a fun and rewarding spring.
Third Grade
In reading, students will be reviewing and strengthening their poetry skills this April. We will then work on understanding persuasive texts. We will begin STAAR Review lessons the last week of April.
In writing, students will be working on composing informational writing papers that show they are true experts in their topics! We will be adding more depth and detail to this unit of writing. Your writers will also learn how to compose a poem and use poetic language in their writing.
In math, students will be continuing the measurement unit. They will be ending area and perimeter and will begin capacity, weight, mass, time, and money. Students will be able to determine time intervals by adding and subtracting up to 45 minute intervals. They will be able to determine when it is appropriate to use measurements of liquid volume (capacity) or weight, and use appropriate units and tools. To conclude the measurement unit, students will determine the value of a collection of coins and bills.
In social studies student will be continuing our Economics unit. Your kiddos will be learning about the Free Enterprise System, Financial Literacy, Jobs and Entrepreneurs. After completing our Economics unit we will spend time learning about inventors such as Jonas Salk, Maria Mitchell, Cyrus McCormick, Bill Gates, and Louis Pasteur.
In science, students will be exploring learned and inherited traits. We will discuss how plants and animals inherit traits from their parents. Students will learn about plant structures and their purpose. We will dive into life cycles of plants and animals. We will focus on the life cycles of the tomato plant, a lady bug, and the frog.
Fourth Grade
The fourth grade teachers are extremely proud of how hard the students have been working on their expository writing compositions. It is really amazing to see how much they have grown and progressed in their writing since August. We will continue to review and practice revising and editing skills to prepare for the upcoming STAAR test on April 10th, 2018.
In reading, students are working to master reading concepts and different genres, such as fiction, non-fiction, drama, and poetry. Many of the questions require higher level thinking skills and reading very carefully. It’s important to continue to encourage your child to read daily at home. Please ask them questions about their reading, as this will help them with their comprehension skills, which is vital in fourth grade.
In math, we are moving into our measurement unit. Within this unit, we will be exploring the customary and metric systems, converting different measurement units, measuring area and perimeter, and figuring elapsed time. We will use these measurement skills to analyze and solve multi-step word problems. We cannot stress enough as we move further into our math curriculum that knowing math facts is a crucial component to your child’s success. If your child is struggling with their multiplication and division facts through the 10’s, please set aside some time each night to work with them. They should be able to repeat the answers back pretty quickly. Try one with your child and see how he or she does. For example, 56 divided by 7. This is vital to their ability to solve problems quickly, without mistakes, and without frustration.
We will begin exploring new concepts in science that include food webs, life cycles, inherited and learned traits, and different environments. These are all going to be exciting skills to learn about. We always encourage students to become their own scientists and investigate and research these skills as we learn them. Be prepared for students to ask parents questions the week we focus on inherited traits!
In Social Studies, we will continue learning about early Texas history – from starting the Republic of Texas to Texas becoming part of the United States. We will then move into Texas’ role in the Civil War and beyond. Your child may come home wanting to tell you all about the battles they’ve learned about in the next month and beyond.
From The Library ...Ms. Parks
Stop by the library the next time you visit our school. We have been adding new books to our collection and we would love to show them to you! Thank you for your continued support of our library program. Our parent volunteers have helped make our library more efficient, effective and fun. I look forward to seeing you and showing you our new books! Happy Spring!
Nurses Notes...Mrs. McLaren
Conroe ISD Health Services
Head Lice Fact Sheet
What are head lice?
Head lice are parasitic insects that can be found on the head of people. Head lice feed on human blood several
times a day, and live near the scalp. Head lice lay eggs, called nits, on the hair shaft, very close to the scalp. Nits
further than ¼ inch from the scalp are likely dead/hatched. Lice do not spread disease.
What are the symptoms of head lice?
Tickling, feeling something moving in your hair
Itching, caused by an allergic reaction to the louse bite
Irritability and difficulty sleeping; lice are most active in the dark
Sores on the head caused by scratching (which can lead to secondary bacterial infection)
How do you get rid of head lice?
Examine everyone in the home for lice and nits. Look carefully through the hair and at the scalp, behind the
ears, and the back of the neck. Nits are easier to see than live lice.
Treat only the household members who have lice. Use products available over-the-counter (according to
package directions) or by prescription (according to physician directions).
Comb the hair after treatment, using a special lice/nit comb. Separate the hair into sections and try to comb
out every nit and louse you can. Live nits that are not combed out will hatch within 7-10 days. Combing is
the most time-consuming step, but also the most important.
Clean the house. Lice do not live long without a host on which to feed. However, to pick up any stray hairs
that may have a live nit attached, wash and dry clothes, sheets, pillow cases, and towels using hot water and
high heat. Vacuum the floor and furniture to pick up loose hairs. Combs and brushes should be soaked in hot
water for 5-10 minutes.
Follow the lice treatment product directions for when to retreat. It is usually recommended to retreat 7-10
days after the initial treatment. Continue to check heads daily until 1 week after second treatment or 1 week
after last louse or nit is removed.
How are head lice spread?
Head lice are spread by direct contact with the hair of an infested person. The highest risk involves head-tohead
contact. Lice crawl - they do not jump, and they do not have wings. It is fairly uncommon for lice to
be spread by contact with clothing or other personal items. Personal hygiene and cleanliness have nothing to
do with getting head lice.
How are head lice prevented?
Teach children to avoid head-to-head (hair-to-hair) contact during play at home, school, and elsewhere
(sports activities, playground, sleepovers, camp).
Avoid sharing clothing (hats, scarves, coats).
Avoid sharing brushes, combs, and hair accessories.
Is there a season for head lice?
September is National Head Lice Awareness Month. Head lice incidences peak shortly after school starts
particularly among young children. This is most likely due in part to younger children playing closely together
and having head-to-head contact. During the winter season, the sharing of coats and hats may contribute to head
lice occurrences. As spring comes, outdoor playing and sports activities bring children close together.
Summertime often means summer camps and sleepovers which can lead to the spreading of head lice. So it
seems as if there is no “one” season for head lice. Year round awareness and routine family inspection will help
prevent head lice occurrences.
Resources:
Center for Disease Control & Prevention-http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/lice/head/index.html
Texas Department of State Health Services-http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/schoolhealth/lice.shtm#2
CISD Health Services 8/2017