Bay Vista Bulletin
February 2021 Edition
Second Semester is Underway
We are a few weeks into into the second semester of school and we are happy to have so many students back in the building for face-to-face learning. Those who have returned have done an excellent job acclimating to the change. We still have 90 student learning online and they are doing a great job as well!
I am excited that this week starts the 1st week of Black History Month. A wise man, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., once said, “We are not makers of history. We are made by history.” During this month, we plan to celebrate those individuals that paved the foundation for us to continue to build on. During the month of February, I look forward to sharing (on our morning news show) different historical and current African American figures making a positive impact on society.
Students and teachers are busy preparing for the state's FSA which will be taken in April and May. Teachers are also busy with parent conferences. At this time, you will be notified if your student is a potential retainee. Retention meetings are held in May using our last set of student data.
There are THREE opportunities for meeting credit this month, including: PTA Board Meeting on 2/1 at 5:00, SAC Meeting on 2/1 at 6:30, and the Virtual Family Literacy Night on 2/8 at 6:00. More info on how to join these virtual events is below.
The acceptance period for fundamental and magnet schools begins on February 15th and ends on February 19th at 5 p.m. Parents with incoming siblings to Bay Vista and all our out-going fifth graders need to log back on and accept your assignment during this time. You will need your parent portal login and password.
Our third grade students will take the FSA ELA test at the beginning of April. Our fourth and fifth grade students will take the FSA Writing Test at the beginning of April also. Teachers have been preparing all year for these tests and our students have been working hard. Specific testing dates will follow at a later date.
Thank you to all of our families for helping make our morning and after car line and drop-offs/pick-ups as safe and efficient as possible. Things have been running smoothly this past week!
Have a wonderful February!
Donna Hall
Principal
PTA Teacher/Staff Luncheon - Food Volunteers Needed---
PTA is looking for volunteers for the February Teacher/Staff Luncheon. Please click on the Sign-Up Genius link if you would like to contribute to February Teacher/Staff Luncheon. The luncheon will be held Wednesday, February 3, 2021. As we are still practicing COVID protocols, please send all items in disposable containers as we cannot guarantee they will be returned. Please drop all items off in carline with your child the day of the luncheon.
If you have any questions, please email the PTA @ BayVistaPTA@gmail.com
SIGN-UP GENIUS LINK: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/30E0C4AADA92CA2F94-bayvista
BUCS SPIRIT DAY on Friday 2/5
To support out Tampa Bay Bucs before they head to the Super Bowl, we will have a Bucs Spirt Day on Friday, 2/5. I look forward to seeing our Jaguars in their favorite Bucs gear or in red and white!
Virtual PTA Board Meeting, Monday, 2/1 at 5:00 - Earn February Meeting Credit for Attending
PTA Board Meetings – All are Welcome!
PTA Board Meetings are the first Monday of every month from 5-6 PM and our held virtually on Zoom.
Join all meetings via the below Zoom meeting link:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2689848459?pwd=eG9EVjNaZThMWGlmVEd2TStFVk82QT09
Meeting ID: 268 984 8459
Passcode: 2iwRQR
Parents must be present for the duration of the meeting to obtain meeting credit.
Virtual SAC Meeting, Monday, 2/1 at 6:30 p.m.- Earn February Meeting Credit for Attending
All are welcome to join us for our SAC meeting for the first Monday of each month from 6:30-7:30 p.m. Meeting dates, times, and Zoom link are listed below.
- Feb 1, 2021 06:30 PM
- Mar 1, 2021 06:30 PM
- Apr 5, 2021 06:30 PM
- May 3, 2021 06:30 PM
Join Zoom Meeting Link:
https://zoom.us/j/96837291383?pwd=YWZvUmg4eUFQTWlJNi9LbVluL0t0QT09
Meeting ID: 968 3729 1383
Passcode: 8p4TYK
February Parent Meeting: Virtual Family Literacy Event - Parents can participate any time between 2/7 at 12:00 p.m. through 2/8 at 9:00 p.m. to earn February Meeting Credit!!
- Our Virtual Family Literacy Event will offer more than a 24-hour window to access an interactive Nearpod. I am hoping this extended window to participate offers maximum flexibility for all!
- Families may engage with the Nearpod at their convenience from Sunday, 2/7 at 12:00 p.m. through Monday, 2/8 at 9:00 p.m. to earn February meeting credit.
- Our Literacy Team has planned an exciting virtual event for you to engage in literacy/reading with your students. Parents/Guardians should participate in the Nearpod fun with your student(s).
- Questions will be embedded in the Nearpod for you to complete which is how you will earn your meeting credit.
- I will share the Nearpod link on Sunday 2/7 at 12:00 p.m. and families will have until Monday, 2/8 at 9:00 p.m. to participate and submit their correct answers to earn meeting credit.
This is sure to be a fun activity that families can enjoy with their students!
Kindergarten News
We started a new unit in writing. We finished “list books” and are working on books where we teach friends “how to” do something we can di. We are learning the transitional words; first, next, then and last. So far, making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches is what we do best.
In reading, we are focusing on nonfiction books and being able to retell the main topic and key details. We continue to practice our reading strategies.
In math, we have been practicing measuring using links, cubes, Legos, and other math manipulatives. We also practice comparing objects using math vocabulary of; longer, shorter, taller, shorter, heavier, and lighter.
For science, we revisited safety procedures and the five senses. We will get back to physical science now and learn how things move.
First Grade Frolics
During the month of February, first grade will continue working in Module D in Reading and Writing, describing connections between symbols/monuments throughout the United States. We will continue writing opinion pieces with a lead, details, and a conclusion. This will prepare us for our second district wide writing assessment.
Thank you to all the families that attended our writing curriculum night. We appreciate your continued support of our Jaguars.
In Math, students will be moving into subtraction within 20 and graphing.
In Science, we are working on our unit called Sort It Out. We will move from pushes and pulls into changing motion. Mid-February, we will begin learning about living and nonliving things.
Second Grade Updates
Science:
February begins with the science unit entitled Altering Materials. Students will be introduced to some vocabulary words they may find tricky. The word alter is used and may be more difficult for students to understand than the word change. The words change and alter will both be used throughout the unit. The words physical and chemical changes will be used to describe the types of changes. Students will hear the words reversible and irreversible, as well. This will help students understand that some changes are permanent, and some changes can be taken back to their original form.
More basic changes in materials can be covered like bending, twisting, folding, tearing, cutting, and breaking/ smashing. As students begin to understand the changes just listed, we will move on to dissolving, rusting, burning, and decaying. The idea of changing states as way of altering materials will be covered in this unit. Knowledge of solids, liquids, and gases will be important for students to understand how water is altered. The properties of the objects in this unit will be changed in different ways.
This unit offers a lot of hands-on fun while learning!
Math:
As we head into February, we will be spending time learning more about measurement. The following standards will guide our learning!
- Students will measure the length of an object to the nearest inch, foot, centimeter, or meter by selecting and using appropriate tools such as rulers, yardsticks, meter sticks, and measuring tapes.
- Students will also measure the length of an object twice, using length units of different lengths for the two measurements; describe how the two measurements relate to the size of the unit chosen.
- Students will estimate length using units of inches, feet, centimeters, and meters.
We will be measuring objects our classrooms to help us master these goals!
Third Grade Happenings
Science News
Third grade is wrapping up our study of Physical Science. Physical Science included topics on magnets, friction, states of matter and how scientist can measure matter. Some classes will be finishing up in the lab. This lab included many hands-on investigations about volume and mass. Our final branch of Science will be Life Science. We will start by learning about plant structures (parts of plants), the function of each part, and how scientist classify plants.
Reading/Writing
In Module D, we will be reading about African-American history and important people who have influenced major events from slavery to civil rights. We will focus on their outstanding attributes and contributions.
In writing we will continue working on opinion writing based on adding techniques to support our point of view.
Our writing topics will mirror our reading topics with continued focus on opinion writing. We will continue working with students on finding evidence from their texts to support their opinions. Students will also continue to work on their grammar and punctuation skills in their writing.
Math
We are moving into our fourth unit in math. Our overall focus is fractions. Students will be learning about what a fraction is, including important vocabulary like denominator and numerator. They will also be learning about equivalent fractions as well as comparing fractions. A great idea for students to work with fractions is in baking/cooking. They learn quickly when they know they have to measure correctly for their food to taste good! Fraction can sometimes be a challenging concept so we will be reinforcing with homework and small group.
Fourth Grade News
ELA:
In ELA this month, we will be focusing on Civil Action in reading and writing. Our reading and writing lessons will be merged together this month. We will be writing opinion and informative essays fine tuning our skills as writers. We will also be starting another book report for the 3rd grading period.
Science:
In Science, 4th graders will still be continuing to focus on Physical Science. Students will be in the lab learning about Objects in Motion by creating catapults.
Math:
Fourth grade will be focusing on Geometry and Measurement. Students will be learning how to use a protractor to measure angels, reading protractors, finding the measure of unknown angels and line symmetry. We will also be learning how to identity and classify shapes.
Fifth Grade Updates
As we move into Module D, our reading and writing lessons are combined. Our reading will inform our opinion writing. Through reading various sources, students will be working toward creating an opinion essay where they decide whether they would have stayed at Valley Forge during the Revolutionary War.
Moving ahead in math, students will be introduced to the concept of multiplication as scaling or resizing, using visual models. They will understand the product in terms of the relationship between a quantity and a resizing or scaling factor. The related standard calls for students to do the reasoning without performing the computation.
Also, students will be solving word problems that involve multiplying fractions and mixed numbers. They will find a fraction of a quantity, area of a rectangle, and dimensions of a resized object.
Additionally, they will understand division with unit fractions.
What's Happening in Art?
“Hi there,” from art class! I’m very excited about the projects we are working on in art this winter. This month, our younger students are learning about symmetry, color schemes, and texture as we work on our Jim Dine Heart Art in honor of Valentine’s Day. The results for our in-person students so far been look “LOVE”-ly, and I’m sure the online students will turn in some awesome art for this as well.
Our older F2F students have been learning about Visual Movement and the artwork of Keith Haring. Keith Haring was a New York graffiti artist who did amazing cartoon paintings on buildings and on the subways. His art has become very well-known, and our in-person students are learning how to draw in his style. As we learn about visual movement, we are learning how to make the characters look like they are moving all around the page.
Online older students have had the chance to experience the artwork of both Jen Stark and Mondrian, and to make art in their style. They will later be learning about the differences between geometric and freeform shapes, and making some art with both kinds of shapes.
Next, in honor of Black History Month, our F2F 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, and 4th grade students will be learning about African and African-American art. This will include learning about tribal African art as well as modern African-American artists. We will be working on different types of tribal art in first, second, and third grade. In fourth grade, we will learn about the art of Kehinde Wiley, an amazing modern portrait artist who makes paintings of African-Americans in the style of the old European painters. We will then do our own self-portrait projects related to that.
In the meantime, the kindergarteners will be making pinch pots out of clay, which will then get fired. Our youngest students will complete those by picking their favorite color glaze and painting them.
Finally, our fifth-grade F2F students will at last get to paint their Clayguanas and Clay Seahorses from last year! When the pandemic happened last spring, I moved the unfinished clay projects to our garage (no easy feat!) Now that many of these students are back at school, this art can finally be completed… I am so happy this project is having a chance to come full circle!
Stay warm, and stay safe and healthy.
Upcoming Dates
- 5:00 Virtual PTA Board Meeting
- 6:30 Virtual SAC Meeting
2/3 Wednesday
- PTA Teacher/Staff Luncheon
2/8 Monday
- 6:00 Virtual Family Literacy Event
2/15 Monday-NO SCHOOL for students