Tiger Insider
February 2022
JANUARY TERRIFIC TIGERS
February's PAWS-itive Character Trait Is...
CITIZENSHIP!
Principal for a Day
Tiger Point Tallying
WOW! We are really racking up the Tiger Points around here!
Kindergarten - 12,180
Grade 1 - 13,927
Grade 2 - 12,490
Grade 3 - 10,934
Grade 4 - 11,181
Grade 5 - 9,160
Grade 6 - 9,703
FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF 79,575 TIGER POINTS SO FAR THIS SCHOOL YEAR! KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, MES!
2021-2022 PBiS Goal
Did you know that as of February 11, 2022 87% of our students have one or fewer behavior referrals? 385 out of our 444 students have received one or fewer behavior referrals for discipline thanks to our school-wide support and commitment to PBiS (Positive Behavior Intervention & Supports)! Our students are making great choices and learning quickly to avoid repeating bad ones!
Our overall goal is to have 82% or more of our kids receive one or fewer minor/major behavior referrals this school year. We are on track to meet that ambitious and worthwhile goal!
LEARNING LOSS AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM
SNACK & TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED!
Learning Loss K-6 After School Program Form
If you have any questions at all, please call Erin Fonzo at (814)337-1659 or email at efonzo@penncrest.org
2022-2023 KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATION
MAPLEWOOD MOMENTS
Cyber Safety with Trooper Shick
GRADE LEVEL NEWS
Kindergarten
In February, kindergarten will begin a new reading unit-Avid readers. We want to become avid readers!
In phonics, we are viewing our vowel sounds and learning about blends. We are continuing to write or "How to" books and reviewing numbers to 20 and counting to 100! In science, we will be doing many STEM activities with all the special days happening in February.
Grade 1
In Reading and Phonics, students are using Non-Fiction books to continue studying words closely and learn strategies to solve unfamiliar words while reading.
In Writing, we are finishing up with creating our own non-fiction stories and sharing them with our classmates. The students have really done an amazing job at this and are impressing us daily with their writing skills!
In Math, students are learning about place value and will begin comparing numbers very soon! They have really been working hard on learning to read and write the numbers 0-120, along with counting by 10’s using a number chart.
Grade 2
Second grade is finishing up three-digit addition and subtraction this month and will be moving on to money. In reading, students are learning about nonfiction texts and text features and will be transitioning to main idea and details in fiction. In writing, we are finishing up writing nonfiction books and will be starting poetry in March. In phonics, we are finishing our unit on endings and multisyllabic words and will be starting to focus on vowel power and word building.
Grade 3
Reading- We are continuing our Unit on Character Studies and utilizing the novel, Winn-Dixie, to incorporate the strategies we are discussing during the mini lessons.
Writing- The students are currently in the process of writing their Informational Writing pieces. They have chosen a wide variety of topics that they have become experts on throughout this unit. When they finish their final pieces, they will share their stories with their peers during an authors' celebration.
Math- The students just completed the unit on division. We will be spending the next several weeks learning all about fractions and how to make equivalent fractions.
Word Study- This week our focus will be spelling words with the variant sounds of g and c.
Second Step- The students are working on how to solve peer-exclusion problems. The students learn strategies on how to cope with the problem of being left out and develop empathy for others who are left out and help students who are left out apply assertiveness to this common peer problem.
Grade 4
In fourth grade Science we are working on problems and solutions related to "Human Effects On Our Environment" including the negative effects of using fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas, and coal. Burning these fuels produce large amounts of carbon dioxide into our atmosphere creating Greenhouse gases which may be responsible for Global Warming. Oil spills kill plants and animals.
By using renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydropower we can reduce the levels of carbon dioxide. However, the infrastructure needed for renewable energy is costly to build.
As a society we need to decide to pay more for renewable energy thus having a positive effect on our environment or continue to use relatively inexpensive fossil fuels and not be so concerned with the environment.
What will the future hold?
In Social Studies we continue studying events leading up to the Revolutionary War. We are learning about the cost of freedom. In conjunction we are learning about Martin Luthur King Jr. and the Civil Rights Movement which included the same theme as our revolutionary history. It's all about equality and freedom.
We leave you with these words of the Declaration of Independence:
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."Grade 5
5th grade students are reading historical fiction novels and working in pairs or groups to discuss them and enhance their levels of reading. In math, we will be continuing to learn about patterns and graphing. Then, we will be talking about measurement and how to convert to different units. We have started preparing for our trip to BizTown by learning about an economy and banking. In writing, we are researching and writing informational pieces on our dream jobs. We will be filling out job applications, writing resumes, speeches, and friendly letters for BizTown. We also will be exploring advertising to compose some advertisements for our companies. In science, we are learning about and exploring space patterns and the solar system. We should have time to enjoy some fun activities. In social studies, we will look at communities and services for BizTown.
Grade 6
In reading and writing, students will read a variety of texts and listen to and view media as they discuss the Essential Question of the “Modern Technology” Unit - How is modern technology helpful and harmful to society? Students will consider concepts relating to how technology has benefited people and consider criticism about how it has changed our relationships to one another.
In social studies, students will be learning about The Great Depression, The Roaring Twenties, and the New Deal. They have an opportunity to learn how to dance the Charleston, and complete some other hands-on projects related to this era.
In math we are finishing up solving and graphing inequalities. Next we will be moving on to ratios, rates, and unit rates.
February is a busy month in Science! Students will begin the month by investigating the characteristics of the Earth’s 4 spheres. They will then review basic mapping skills, learn how to model landforms, and how to read a topographic map. As a culminating activity, the students will design and build a 3-dimensional map using salt dough and clay. On the 14th the students will be participating in Valentine’s themed STEM activities. The week of the 22nd is National Engineers Week. This year’s theme is Reimagining the Possible. Students will collaborate with the Smithsonian to understand why engineers are important. Then they will team up to tackle their own engineering design challenge.