October Newsletter
Dr. W.J. Creel Happenings
Dr. W.J. Creel Mission
Creel Families
We want thank you for your support of our community during the medical emergency on Friday. First responders were quickly notified, and the student was transported to the hospital. Due to this, you may have noticed increased first responders and law enforcement vehicles around campus. There were other students on the playground who witnessed the incident and our guidance counselors visited each classroom to check on the wellness of these students and staff members. As always, our school staff and district Student Services team are ready to assist should any student like to speak with someone about these events moving forward.
Thank you to the families that attended our Bingo For Books event last week! It was a fun night filled with reading tips, resources for families, and lots of joy as our students won books from the book fair! We look forward to another event like this in the future.
Also, at this time we do not have any clarity regarding the hurricane make up days following Hurricane Ian. We will communicate any information that we receive once we know more.
Feel Free to reach out any time if you have questions or concerns.
Thank you,
Creel Administrative Team
SAC
Please join us for our monthly SAC meetings beginning at 3:45pm.
Topic: Dr. WJ Creel SAC meeting
Time: Oct 17, 2022 03:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://brevardschools-org.zoom.us/j/87894816575
Meeting ID: 878 9481 6575
One tap mobile
+13017158592,,87894816575# US (Washington DC)
+13092053325,,87894816575# US
Curriculum Updates
PreK
PreK has begun a new Unit in the Benchmark curriculum learning all about Families and Friends! We are learning about what makes a home, the names of family members and comparing how they are the same or different. We are learning basic shapes and numbers and how to count one and one more to determine how many in all and which has more or less. We use manipulations and objects in our environment to learn and practice these skills!
VPK classes had some zoo animals visit our classroom. We learned that animals move by hopping, crawling, flying, walking, running, and slithering.
Kindergarten
First Grade
2nd Grade
Second Grade has begun our second unit of our reading program, Benchmark! This month we will be studying about what we can learn when we face challenges. Students will read fables and poems in order to analyze characters, plot, and theme. Students will form opinions about the value of different formats of literature. They will also practice writing these opinions. In math we are working in unit 4 and will begin unit 5 soon! In Unit 4 we’ve been working on solving one and two step addition and subtraction real world problems. In Unit 5 your student will learn how to determine the unknown in an equation. In Science we are completing our study of many different life cycles of plants and animals. We will begin learning about the human body parts and functions in the middle of October. We are looking forward to another awesome month of learning! Don’t forget to mark your calendars for our Second Grade Musical, “Nuts!
A Celebration of the Circle of Life” The show will be performed in the cafeteria on Wednesday, November 9, at 6:00 PM. We can’t wait to see our Second Grade Stars shine!
3rd Grade
4th Grade
5th Grade
Fifth grade students completed their Write Score assessment and their Quarter 1 benchmark test and we are awaiting scores. Fast progress monitoring results were sent home last week to give you a picture of where your child is right now academically and we will work on goal setting for the next round of testing in December. In ELA, we are analyzing characters and character traits as well as why we value certain qualities in people. We are also working to complete a teacher guided informational essay on the problem of light pollution. In Social Studies, we will study early exploration, Jamestown, Plymouth, and the New England Colonies.
In math, students have been learning decimal place value to the thousandths. For the month of October, 5th graders will be exploring adding, subtracting, and multiplying decimal numbers to the thousandths. Students should be practicing their math facts nightly to ensure success in 5th grade math. All 5th graders have an account with xtramath.org, which is an excellent way to practice and master addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts.
In science, we have been learning about precipitation and weather preparedness. We will continue this theme as we explore weather and climate. Near the end of the month we will start learning about plant and animal adaptations.
6th Grade
In math, we began Unit 3: Percents, Fractions and Decimals. Students can practice simplifying fractions using the greatest common factor, which they learned in Unit 1. Students also have math practice Monday-Thursday to review the concepts they are currently learning.
Title 1
Last week, families of students in VPK-2nd grade received student performance scores for the first progress monitoring of FAST assessment(s). This week, students in 3rd-6th grade will receive their score reports for both ELA and Math. The attached documents provide detailed information on the FAST assessments. If you have any further questions or concerns, please contact your child’s teacher to set up a conference.
La semana pasada, las familias de los estudiantes de VPK a 2 grado recibieron los puntajes de desempeño de los estudiantes para el primer control de progreso de las evaluaciones FAST. Esta semana, los estudiantes de 3 a 6 grado recibirán sus informes de calificaciones tanto para ELA como para Matemáticas. Los documentos adjuntos brindan información detallada sobre las evaluaciones FAST. Si tiene más preguntas o inquietudes, comuníquese con el maestro de su hijo para programar una conferencia.
Science at home!
There are so many exciting science activities planned for the month of October in our classrooms. Check out these activities that can be done at home that support grade level instruction.
Kindergarten: (Animal and Plant Characteristics)
Take a nature walk outside and observe different plant and animal species. Have your child describe how they are alike and how they are different in the way they look and in the things they do.
First Grade: (Parts of Plants) Look around outside for a few different types of plants. Have your child identify the stem, roots, leaves, and flowers. Plant a few seeds in a small cup to observe the different stages of growth.
Second Grade: (Human Body Parts and Functions) Gather craft materials from around the house to make a diagram of the human body. Discuss the functions of the skeleton, muscles, brain, stomach, heart, and lungs.
Third Grade: (Animal Classification) Take a trip to the pet store to look at different types of animals. Determine which classification each animal belongs to. (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, or arthropods)Fourth Grade: (Reproduction of Flowering Plants) Use different types of fruits and locate their seeds. Observe how their seeds are dispersed in nature, such as: hooks, wings, wind-born, eaten, etc.
Fifth Grade: (Weather and Climate) Pick two different locations on different hemispheres of the Earth. Track their weather for a week and discuss the reasons for the similarities or differences. Include air temperature, barometric pressure, humidity, wind speed and direction, and precipitation.
Sixth Grade: (Describing and Graphing Motion) Compare your 40 yard dash time to a professional football player. Measure out 40 yards and use a stopwatch to time how many seconds it takes to run that distance. Use the formula s = d/t to calculate your speed.West Shore Jr. /Sr. High School Informational Meetings for families of 6th Graders
West Shore will be hosting parent and student informational meetings about the school, curriculum, and application/enrollment procedures on Tuesday, October 25 and Wednesday, October 26, 2022, at 6:30 p.m. in the gymnasium. Interested parents and students are welcome and encouraged to attend one of these meetings. West Shore is located at 250 Wildcat Alley in Melbourne near the Melbourne Courthouse.
Applications for the 2023-2024 school year must be completed online.
Parents can access the application by following the link Open Enrollment or visiting the Open Enrollment page on the Brevard Schools website.
From there you will follow all the prompts to apply on the Family Dashboard. A $30.00 non-refundable fee will be required for all applications.
For more information, please feel free to contact our school office at 321-242-4730.
TIMELINE
October 25 and 26, 2022 – Parent Informational Meetings in the West Shore Gymnasium at 6:30 p.m.
November 1, 2022 – Application window opens
December 2, 2022 – Application window closes at 11:59 p.m. – NO EXCEPTIONS
December 12, 2022 – Lottery draw takes place
December 12-16, 2022 – Seat Offering or Waitlist Status Notification via Family Dashboard
January 27, 2023 – Deadline to Accept or Decline offered seat via Family Dashboard
New World Reading Scholarship
Learning to read begins at home through everyday interactions with children, long before they attend school. Your continued support of literacy development as children enter elementary school and progress through the grades positively affects their reading ability. We are pleased to provide these Family Activities with easy-to-follow instructions to help your child practice foundational reading skills. We invite you to view the short Family Videos for tips on how to use the activities to help your child grow as a reader. Using the Family Activities at home can help your child develop language, link sounds to letters, blend letters and word parts to read and write words, and read for understanding.
Spirit Wear Link
Looking for new CREEL shirts or accessories? Our Creel school spirit store is live and ready to order from! There are over 20 designs, many colors, and multiple type items to choose from. All orders will ship directly to your home address. Any order over $50 receives free shipping.
Purchase your custom school spirit wear apparel and Spiritwear Direct will ship the products right to your door.
Picture Day
Volunteer Application
The fee of $35.00 is waived for Brevard Public School Volunteers until further notice!
Volunteers must:
- Complete the online volunteer application.
- Complete the Fingerprinting at BPS/Educational Services Facility - Office of District and School Security.
- Successfully complete a VECHS Level II background check.
- Get approved by the Office of District and School Security to serve as a BPS volunteer.
- Applicant will be notified upon of approval of application.
Volunteer Application: https://apps.raptortech.com/Apply/NjE6ZW4tVVM=
Upcoming Events
Monday, October 10th
- Student Holiday/Teacher Work Day
Wednesday, October 12th
- Dominos Spirit Night, 4:00-8:00 p.m.
Friday, October 14th
- Report Cards Issued- please be sure to review your child's report card and sign and return the envelope.
- Early Release day- students are dismissed at 2:00 p.m.
Monday, October 17th
- SAC Meeting, 3:30 p.m. on Zoom
Thursday, October 20th
- Parent Conference Night,
Friday, October 21st
- Early Release Day - students will be dismissed at 2:00 PM
Contact Information
Email: oberbeck.sarah@brevardschools.org
Website: http://www.brevardschools.org/CreelES
Location: 2000 Glenwood Drive, Melbourne, FL, USA
Phone: (321)259-3233