The Leopard Tale
April 17, 2020
Principal's Points
Andre’ Parents,
Our Leopards have successfully completed another amazing week of Learning at Home. We are so thankful for our parent/teacher partnership. “It takes a village…” has never been more accurate! Hopefully this week, you were able to access a mini lesson to help support the learning in each content area. Our hope is that the mini lesson will assist your child with completing the assignment that will be graded. As I shared in my video last week, teachers are not asking students to complete anything they are not able to do independently, so please reach out to your child’s teacher if your child is struggling in any way. It is important to us that we are meeting the needs of all students and that they are feeling successful while away from Andre’. The large group teachers are also sharing links to art, music, p.e., and Spanish content. No grades for these areas will be collected, but instead should provide for great opportunities for engagement and fun. Large group activities are a great way to turn lemons into lemonade! We miss our Super Hero Leopards and can’t wait to see you soon!
Grading Information
Dear CFISD Family,
With the extension of Learning At Home through May 1, 2020, we want to provide you an update on grading for the 3rd and 4th marking periods. We are committed to support the learning of every student impacted by this situation. In order to ensure learning gaps are not intensified, CFISD will continue utilizing every resource available to help your child succeed.
Please review the details below regarding the 3rd & 4th Marking Periods:
3rd Marking Period (MP3)
Report cards will be available through the Home Access Center beginning April 20, 2020.
Students who failed Marking Period 3 will have additional opportunities to recover their grade for a maximum of a 70.
4th Marking Period (MP4) Grading Process
No grades were taken for MP4 before April 13, 2020. Prior to this date (March 23-April 9), students, parents, and teachers have been able to gain familiarity and stability with remote learning options and digital platforms.
Beginning the week of April 13th, teachers will be delivering lessons over selected TEKS in addition to the Learning At Home curriculum. The lessons will be selected to deepen student learning and facilitate the understanding of challenging concepts. Teachers will continue to check in with students and provide office hours in order to respond to parent and student needs.
Grading Guidelines Beginning April 13, 2020
·
PK-1st Grade
o Teachers will record the weekly completion of selected learning assignments in each content area from the Learning At Home curriculum (curriculum packet or online).
o Students will complete 6 selected learning assignments for the 4th marking period in each content area (ELAR, Math, Science, Social Studies).
Grades 2-5
o Teachers will take one grade per week in each content area from the Learning at Home curriculum (curriculum packet or online) which has been provided. The grade will be taken from the weekly lesson delivered.
o Students will receive a weekly grade in each content area (ELAR, Math, Science, Social Studies).
o All grades will be weighted equally.
Grades 6-12
o Teachers will take one grade per week over the teacher delivered lesson. The weekly lesson will be aligned with the Learning At Home curriculum (curriculum packet or online), Advanced Placement curriculum, or course TEKS.
o Students will receive a weekly grade per course for the 4th marking period.
o All grades will be weighted equally.
Lone Star College Dual Credit Courses
o Dual Credit courses resume online April 13, 2020.
o No grades will be taken before April 13, 2020.
o Grades will be taken in alignment with the course syllabus for Lone Star College.
o Grades recorded in the CFISD gradebook will follow guidelines provided above for Grades 6-12.
Final Exams
There will be no final exams for the Spring 2020 semester.
Weekly grades during the 4th Marking Period will provide teachers with the opportunity to monitor student progress and understanding of the TEKS. All Seniors (Class of 2020) in danger of not earning credits for graduation will be academically monitored during the period of remote learning.
We know that nothing can replace in-person instruction and interaction between students and teachers. While our buildings remain closed and professional staff work remotely, we remain committed to supporting student learning. We encourage all students to engage daily in the Learning at Home curriculum.
As always, if you have specific questions about your student’s education, please contact the appropriate staff member on your student’s campus.
Learning at Home
Please click the link below to access CFISD Learning at Home.
Important Information
Stay Connected
We want to stay connected with you! Please visit our website at www.cfisd.net, select schools and facilities, elementary schools, and then Andre’. This will take you to our website. We will also regularly post photos and news on the Official Andre’ Facebook page. To locate our page, search @CFISDAndre. Make sure you follow us on Twitter, @CFISDAndre, as well.
Group Pictures and Yearbooks
We have had several calls and questions about group pictures and yearbooks. Please rest assured that we will make sure students and parents receive purchased pictures and yearbooks. All pictures and yearbooks will be delivered when we return to school in May. If we are unable to return to school in May, we will have a pick-up system in place. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Notes from the front desk
Counselors' Corner
Hello parents and students,
We know how difficult and uncertain these times are right now. Please know that as a counseling team, we are here to assist you as best as we can. While we may not have all the answers, we will always do our best to help. If you need anything, our contact info is below.
Monthly, Mr. Finnerty and Ms. Hooper go to your student’s class and do a guidance lesson based on the Core Essential Value of each month. Here is a link https://coreessentials.org
to view the activities and videos to each month’s core essential value. The core essential value for April is Humility – putting others first by giving up what you think you deserve. This week, please view the video below with your student.
CFISD Counseling has also set up a Facebook page with activities and resources available to CFISD families. To check it out, search “CFISD Counseling” on Facebook.
We miss you all and hope that you are safe!
Brian Finnerty (1,3,5) 281-463-5548
Jessica Hooper (PK,KG, 2,4) 281-463-5564
Words from the Library
Greetings, Andre’ Leopards!
I have been missing you and our weekly time in the Andre' library, but I am so excited to have this opportunity to share virtual read alouds with you.
This week I am sharing videos of authors reading their own books, but I am looking forward to sharing my own read alouds of books with you next week! Please click the link below to enjoy this week's author read alouds.
Take care,
Mrs. Mangum
Get Moving!
Come and join Coach Fleming as we participate in the Family Fitness Daily Movement. I challenge you to participate in the activities each day during commercial breaks of your favorite T.V. shows and sitcoms (link provided below). Check other documents for clarity, added challenge and demonstrations by yours truly!! Complete them alone for some added practice then challenge, your families to join you!! Make it fun, and don’t forget it is encouraged to get at least 60 minutes of daily activity to help support healthy lifestyles.
Just a few tips/suggestions
Can be done in your backyard, living room area, or any family designated areas.
Don’t have a fitness mat- use a towel
Don’t have weights- get a gallon or jug and fill with water
Don’t have tires- assembly your two towels in two circles on the floor.
Make sure to lift feet as so towels don’t move
Remember to consume room temperature water if needed. This allows the negative toxins to continue and flow out instead of going into shock with cold water.
Most of all, HAVE FUN, and remember to continue WASHING HANDS and practicing SOCIAL DISTANCING!
***Family Fitness Daily Movement- week 3 April 19th-25th
***The Garden Fresh lesson of the month is the Strawberry. Check out the power point and find a way to add it to some of your meals.
HITT Family Workout
•Follow along with Coach Fleming!
•Can be done with entire family.
•No weights necessary-but feel free to have them.
•Quality over Quantity
•Can be done 2-3 times a day-3 days a week
•HAVE FUN!!!
Spanish Lab Fun
¡Hola amigos!
For Spanish class, we are learning about common foods. If you can please guide your student to repeat after each food.
En la clase de Español estamos aprendiendo sobre “La comida”. Si puede guiar a su hijo/a repetir después de mí, se lo agradecería mucho.
- La comida
- El agua
- La leche
- El Jugo
- La manzana
- La naranja
- El Plátano
- Las Fresas
- Las uvas
- La sandía
- La pera
- La lechuga
- El tomate
- La zanahoria
- El maíz
¡Gracias!
Ms. Palacios ❤
Andre' Art in Action
Dear Parents and Andre’ Leopards,
The Cy-Fair ISD Elementary Art Curriculum for the 4th-Quarter
Curriculum Unit focuses on Creative Communication and Expression,
where the learner will create original artworks that communicate
using various Elements of Art! I plan to send you something new to try
each week to help you step out of your comfort zone and trigger
creative thinking! I added fun teaching tricks to the District's art
requirements! Take away the information that fits your family! Parents,
you are invited to try these fun ideas while working at home too!
This week try: DRAWING
*Try something different… use only one media or all your media.
(Marker, Crayon, Pencil, Colored Pencils, Oil Pastels, etc.)
*Markers are for outlining only at this age!
*Find a weird space: Put pillows in a closet, stairwell, or a bathtub.
(my kids did this when they were little)
*Blank paper encourages creative thoughts while coloring books don’t!
(Look around and draw from all you know!)
*Use charcoal from your grill to draw…smudge with your fingers.
(you might want to create this masterpiece outside)
*Hold your pencil sideways to sketch.
*Use a finger to smudge the pencil lines to add shadows.
(smudging = smearing the pencil to color in)
Art Extension
To extend your art projects and challenge our older leopards, try to use
one or more of the 7-Elements of Art listed below in your projects:
*Line: straight, curved, zig-zag, etc.
*Color: Primary (red, yellow, blue),
Secondary (violet, green, orange),
Hot (yellow, orange, red) or Cold (blue, green violet)
*Value: light and dark of a color (ex: navy blue, baby blue)
*Shape: 2D (ex: square, circle, rectangle, triangle)
*Form: 3D (ex: cube, cylinder, cone, pyramid)
*Space: up-close (ex: lower on paper) or far away (ex: up top on paper)
*Texture: feeling (ex: smooth, # lines for rough, dots for a sandy look)
Parents, enjoy watching your children create and don’t stress…art
should be FUN! Stay healthy and safe, Andre’ Leopards!
Love,
Ms. Selmser
Andre’ Art Specialist
Music and Melodies
Student Council
Box Tops for Education
Each student’s goal= 10 Box Tops in April!
Did you know that Andre’ receives 10₵ for every General Mills Box Tops for Education we collect? Please remember to scan your receipts for Box Tops from participating products. See the flyer below for information on how to download the app and scan receipts.
If each student turns in 10 box tops, our school will earn over $1,100! Wow!
PTO
PTO Parents,
Welcome to week 4 of Learning from Home. Although we are still in a time of 'unknown', the PTO is continuing to meet so we are prepared and ready when our students are able to head back to school.
Our next general meeting on 4/22 will be via zoom. We will announce all nominees running for the 2020-21 PTO Board. This will also be a time to add your name to the ballot if you have not done so already. Please check your emails for information about the PTO Board. (zoom link will be posted on facebook and sent in an email early next week)
During our May meeting, we will vote on the PTO Board positions.
Get emoji-tional with us and #ThankATeacher during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 4-8, 2020!
Even if we cannot thank them in person, we can send a message to them on our Andre' facebook page or Andre' PTO page.
https://www.facebook.com/cfisdandre/
https://www.facebook.com/Andre-Elementary-PTO-137458070208685/
Teachers change the lives of millions of children every day—their immense work and impact moves us beyond words, so we need emojis to say how we feel. Let’s all shower teachers in appreciation and share how we love, like, celebrate, and care for our teachers!
Calendar:
4/13- PTO Board Meeting
4/22- General PTO Meeting @ 5:00pm via zoom
5/4-5/8- Teacher Appreciation week.
5/12- General PTO Meeting @ 5:30pm location TBD
PTO Contact info:
Facebook: Andre’ Elementary PTO
Twitter: @AndreElemPTO
Website: https://sites.google.com/view/andrepto/home
Email: andreleopardpto@gmail.com
About Us
Email: andre@cfisd.net
Website: andre.cfisd.net/en/
Location: 8111 Fry Road, Cypress, TX, USA
Phone: 281-463-5500
Facebook: facebook.com/cfisdandre/
Twitter: @cfisdandre