Camp Director - Gwen Sandles
Greetings Youngblood Parents,
Can you believe that we have already completed 1/2 of the school year already? Happy New Year! Hopefully, you and your child have enjoyed what the teachers have prepared for the first semester of learning. Before you know it, we would have finished the second semester as well.
During the second semester the teachers will focus heavily on getting the students ready for the State of Texas Assessment of Academic Readiness (STAAR). We will continue to have after school tutorials, as well as tutorials during the day entitled Accelerated Instruction.
Parents, you can assist by asking your child what they have learned in school each day and checking their homework which makes you aware of what is being taught. Also, don't forget to sign their planner. Working together with the school and our teachers equals SUCCESS!
-Gwen Sandles, Youngblood Intermediate Principal
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English Application | | Spanish Application |
English Application
Spanish Application
Student Drop Off/Pick Up Safety
All vehicular traffic should enter the cul-de-sac near the marquee and exit near the portables to ensure everyone’s safety.
Our Counselors' Message...
Why is mindfulness important? Mindfulness helps you to have a better experience of life in the present. Mindfulness enhances your level of awareness through Self-Reflections and Self-Resolutions.
Take the time to reflect on your own thoughts and evaluate the things that motivate you to reach your best - attitude, desired outcome, and behavior. Resolve to continue good practices or begin to improve your life at the start of this new year.
Determine your “Why? Less stress, less anxiety, more self-awareness, and most of all more happiness.
-Tarakibu Francis and Shelba Glenn, Counselors
Attendance Reminders
1) School starts at 8:35 a.m.— Students who are not in class at this time are considered tardy. Students who are 30 or more minutes tardy, will be considered as a “POD30”, which is a part-of-day attendance violation.
2) Dismissal is at 3:50 p.m.— Students may not be released after 3:30 p.m. because dismissal procedures will have already started.
Dismissal Order: Walkers, Daycares, Car riders and Buses.
- Parents, please stay in your cars at all times - drive on the right side of the cul-de-sac.
- Daycare drivers, please drive on the left side of the cul-de-sac.
- For the safety of our students, please do not block the wheelchair ramp marked with two orange cones.
- Walkers should cross the street with a designated crossing guard.
3) Students who are picked up before dismissal time will be considered as an “early leave”, which is a part-of-day attendance violation.
4) Excuse notes for absences must be returned no later than 3 days after returning to school.
5) Only 10 parent excuse notes will be allowed per year, without extenuating circumstances.
6) Only 10 doctor/clinic/nurse excuse notes will be allowed per year, without a medical need documented by your doctor and verified by the school nurse.
Dismissal Reminders
The earliest you can drop off your child in the morning is 7:30 AM.
With the increase of students traveling by car, it is imperative that proper procedures are followed for the safety of the students and staff. Students may only load/unload within the “loading zone”.
During dismissal, parents must stay in their car to receive their child.
All cars will line up on Wellington Drive and Dairy View Lane.
There is only one line for cars. The second line is for daycare vans only.
Please do not park in a parking space or on the side of the street in front of the school.
Please do not ask your child to walk down the street to enter your vehicle. Students who are picked up by a vehicle must do so within the student “loading zone”.
Please do not park in reserved spaces in the front of the building.
There is no parking on the side of the street of the Community Garden. Alief ISD Police will issue tickets periodically.
Students are dismissed from the inside of the building daily.
Dismissal begins at 3:50 P.M.
All car riders will need to be picked up by 4:20 P.M.
Student Dress Code
Collared Shirts - Solid Red, White and Navy (preferred colors) polo style with a collar
*Any solid colored polo shirt is acceptable.*
Pants - Solid Navy or Khaki - must fit at waist - no baggy/sagging pants.
Shorts/Skirts/Skorts - Solid Navy or Khaki - must fit at the waist and length must be within 2 inches above the knee
Dresses - Solid Navy or Khaki - length must be within 2 inches above the knee
Hoodies - Solid colors are preferred with little or no wording; no pictures or images
Jackets - Solid colored preferred - no designs or wording; stripes on the sleeve are okay.
Sweaters/Sweatshirts - Solid Red, White, Navy - no logos
Socks/Tights - Solid Red, White and Navy - socks and shoes must match
Jeans - Solid blue denim loose fitting jeans (no torn, ripped, cut and/or blingy) with a Youngblood Spirit Shirt and/or college/university shirts.
Designated Days:
- Wednesday - STEM academy students can wear their STEM shirts with jeans
- Wednesday - YB Spirit shirt with jeans
- Friday - College or university shirts with jeans
Earrings - No bigger than a quarter
No designs and/or words cut into hair.
Shoes - Must wear closed toe shoes - no slides, flip flops, house shoes, Crocs and etc.
Expectations:
Shirts tucked in.
IDs worn on left collar.
No lanyards.
Belts on pants.
No sagging or oversized pants.
For examples and full dress code policy go to https://www.aliefisd.net/Page/1038.
Advancement Via Individual Determination
We are AVID learners!
What is AVID? AVID is a school-wide system of strategies and practices that help students become organized, focused, and successful.
A - Advancement (moving forward academically and personally)
V - Via (through, by way of)
I - Individual (you, on your own)
D - Determination (never give up, hard work)
Our mission is to create critical thinkers and problem solvers using WICOR. We use WICOR to increase rigor and engagement during instruction.
Writing - a record of thinking
Inquiry - engaging in thinking, learning, and discussion
Collaboration - teamwork, sharing ideas, information, opinions, and responsibilities
Organization - managing materials, planning and prioritizing school, home, and social tasks
Reading - strategically gaining meaning, understanding, and knowledge from print and other media
What are some AVID Strategies we use at Youngblood?
Writing - Notes, Quick Writes, Learning Logs and Process Writing
Inquiry - Guiding Questions, Higher Level Thinking/Questioning, Research and Investigations
Collaboration - Group and Partner Activities/Projects, Peer Editing and Peer Tutors
Organization - Binders, Planners, Graphic Organizers and Goal Setting
Reading - Comprehension and Understanding Strategies, Note-Taking, Graphic Organizers and Vocabulary Building
-Cynthia Browning, AVID Coordinator
Digital Learning Updates
As we trek into the third nine weeks, we welcome you back to campus and 2023! Please remember to send your child to school with their device and charger each day. Devices should be stored safely in their laptop case/sleeve. Remember, school-issued laptops are treated the same as other instructional materials and must be handled with care. Keep it in a safe place and use it only for schoolwork.
During the month of December, we celebrated Computer Science Education Week. Many free resources are available for your child to build critical thinking and computer science skills by learning to code. While many of these activities may look like games, they can actually help students build these important skills that can help prepare them for future careers and opportunities.
https://csfirst.withgoogle.com/c/cs-first/en/curriculum.html
https://studio.code.org/courses
We have a few events coming up this nine weeks. First, we have Techno-Lit Nite on January 26th. This event will feature digital learning and literacy activities. We will have snacks and door prizes! Hope to see you there! Our second event will be a Book Fair in March. Students will be able to purchase books and other items through the Book Fair. Thank you in advance for your support!
Students can utilize Destiny Discover to explore our library catalog, place a book on hold, see print titles, and/or read eBooks. Students can access all of our digital resources through MackinVia. In MackinVia, students can read a digital magazine, read ebooks, and access our digital databases. Students can access Destiny Discover and MackinVia through the Alief HUB.
Remember to keep your library books safe and to turn them in on time. If you have overdue library books, please return them as soon as possible. Thank you!
-Geneva Browning, Library Specialist
Math Updates
It’s hard to believe that we’re already halfway through the school year. As we begin our third nine weeks grading period, I would like to touch on the importance of using manipulatives in math. Math is made up of multiple concepts and skills including numbers, operation, quantitative reasoning, patterns, relationships, algebraic reasoning, measurement, geometry, spatial reasoning, statistics, probability, and much more. Quite often, these skills can be unfamiliar, abstract, and even downright confusing to students. We want to “help students develop the ability and confidence to find their way around in each of these areas, see how they connect, and know what to do should they forget a fact or procedure.” Our main goal is to not only ensure students receive meaningful instruction, but they also have the academic support to help guide them in their accomplishments. Here are five reasons manipulatives can help us do just that:
1. Math Manipulatives help make abstract ideas concrete.
2. Math Manipulatives are useful tools for solving problems.
3. Math Manipulatives build students' confidence by giving them a way to test and confirm their reasoning.
4. Math Manipulatives help textbook pages come to life.
5. Math Manipulatives make learning math interesting and enjoyable.
Virtual Manipulatives: https://tinyurl.com/j4n95kyw
Free to use browser-based manipulatives
Ad-free virtual manipulatives are a great way to enhance at-home learning. Simply drag the manipulatives into position to see math concepts come alive!
If you would like to know more about math manipulatives and their uses, please join us during our Math Principal’s Coffee on Tuesday, March 21, 2023. You will be introduced to manipulatives and also have an opportunity to practice using them with grade level math content.
Please feel free to contact the Math Specialist/Instructional Coach, Lataviya Washington, via email (Lataviya.Washington@aliefisd.net) or phone (281-983-8020) if you have any questions and/or concerns after speaking with your child’s math teacher.
-Lataviya Washington, Fifth and Sixth Grade Math Specialist
Fifth Grade Reading/Language Arts and Social Studies Updates
Happy New Year Youngblood Wildcats!
We are happy to see our fifth grade students and families join us back for 2023!
As we embark on the the third nine weeks, students will continue to listen, read and view a variety of texts and media that present them with information about Earth and information about how people create and share different art forms.
Students will encounter realistic fiction, drama, informational texts, and procedural texts to build knowledge across genres. They will also build their vocabulary and synthesize topic knowledge, they will learn that there are many ways to protect the future of the world around us and learn about the powerful impact of various art forms.
Please continue to encourage your child to read at home at least thirty minutes daily and keep up with their school work. iStation is a great resource that can be accessed from a laptop/tablet on the Alief HUB to continue helping with word analysis, text fluency, vocabulary and reading comprehension.
In Social Studies, students will continue to understand the Creation of the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights and learn about Manifest Destiny.
-Joana Sagastizado, Fifth Grade ELA/SS Specialist
Sixth Grade Reading/Language Arts and Social Studies Updates
️Our sixth graders are currently exploring Module 5: The Great Depression. In this module, students will listen to, read, and view texts and media that present them with information about surviving tough times. The essential question that students are reflecting on and discussing in class is: What in our American spirit helps us survive tough times? The genre focus is informational text which provides students with opportunities to identify central idea/main idea, author’s craft, text structure, text features, and graphic features - to better understand unfamiliar texts. Students will also encounter historical fiction and video to build knowledge across genres. This in turn helps our students with comprehension, vocabulary, and broadening their worldview. As students build their vocabulary and synthesize topic knowledge, they will learn that tough times that are faced by an entire nation forge an identity that makes us who we are. Learning about the tough times we endured as a nation segues perfectly into our learning mindset focus - grit. Grit is all about attitude, and we want our Youngblood Wildcats to know that people with true grit show they can persevere toward long-term goals, no matter the struggles.
In Social Studies/World Cultures, our sixth graders are currently exploring the physical geography of Europe to determine its major land regions and climates. They’re also participating in the Willesden Project live streaming event on Wednesday, January 25th, during Holocaust Remembrance Week. In February, they will take a day-long visit to Alief ISD Center for Advanced Careers to participate in Junior Achievement’s BizTown Program. Students will be taught lessons in class prior to their visit in February. They will learn about financial literacy, community and economy, business management, philanthropy, and work readiness. The fun part comes with on-site simulation, putting those entrepreneurial skills into practice. Students really have a blast at BizTown and quickly learn the true meaning of free enterprise.
-Bridget Pegues, Sixth Grade ELA/SS Specialist
Science Updates
Happy New Year Wildcat Science Campers! We are trekking into our third nine weeks and lots of learning is happening in Science.
Fifth grade students started their Earth and Space unit right before we left for our holiday break, so they are in full swing of learning many interesting concepts. Topics studied in this unit include Changes to Land, Formation of Fossil Fuels, Earth’s Rotation, Weather and Climate, and The Sun and the Water Cycle. Students will take a mid-unit assessment in January and their Interim Assessment #2 in mid-February. After completing their Earth and Space Unit, fifth grade students will begin their final unit on Organisms and Environments to wrap up their studies before their spring Science STAAR test later second semester.
In sixth grade, our Science Campers have just started their Earth and Space unit. Students will study what makes up our Earth and what is beyond in outer space. Concepts studied in this unit include Layers of Earth, Tectonic Plates, Classifying Rocks, Celestial Objects, Gravity, and Space Exploration. Students will participate in many hands-on Explore activities to help them better understand these concepts. Upon completion of this unit, students will take their end of unit CBA (campus-based assessment) the end of February. Sixth grade students will then begin their final unit on Organisms and Environments the beginning of March and take their Interim Assessment #2 the end of March.
-Joan Henington, Fifth and Sixth Grade Science Specialist
STEM Academy Updates
Both fifth and sixth grade STEM Academy students will begin their spring PBL the last week in February. To kick off the sixth grade PBL, STEM students will take a field trip to Space Center Houston to learn more about Space Exploration to support their PBL topic the beginning of February.
Fifth grade STEM Academy students will take their field trip after our spring break in March as a follow up to their spring PBL topic related to animals and the interdependency between the living and non-living within their habitats.
STEM Academy students will have an opportunity to present their PBLs to their peers, parents, and other visitors upon completion later this semester. These PBLs offer our students the opportunity to utilize the 21st century skills as they work to collaborate, communicate, critically think, and use their creativity.
-Joan Henington, STEM Coordinator
TELPAS
TELPAS state testing will begin on February 21st for all ESL and Bilingual students. The Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing portions of the test will all be done online this year. The testing window closes on March 31st. Please encourage your students to do their best on this assessment. Results of this test, along with STAAR, determine your child's ability to exit from the program. To view sample questions, you may go to https://www.texasassessment.gov/practice-tests.html for practice and released tests.
Las pruebas estatales TELPAS comenzarán el 21 de febrero para todos los estudiantes de ESL y bilingües. Las porciones de escucha, habla, lectura, y escritura de la prueba se harán en línea. El plazo de las pruebas se cierra el 31 de marzo. Por favor, anime a sus estudiantes a dar lo mejor de sí en esta evaluación. Los resultados de esta prueba, junto con STAAR, determinan la capacidad de su hijo para salir del programa. Para ver preguntas de muestra, puede ir a https://www.texasassessment.gov/practice-test.html para las pruebas de práctica y pruebas publicadas.
-Sonja Nitsch, ESL Specialist
