October Monthly Newsletter
Montgomery Elementary
The translation feature is at the top left of this newsletter.
From the Principal
As the first quarter of the school year comes to an end and we wrap up parent conferences I hope all of you are feeling good about the progress our kids have made so far this year. The second quarter of the school year is so important and we are ready to challenge each and every one our students even more to work hard, learn and have fun.
Thank you for trusting us to work with your children each and every day.
From the Assistant Principal
The school year is in full swing and our Bearcats are doing and learning about some amazing things! Please remember that the school day starts at 8:15 and students are dismissed at 3:40 each day. At 8:15 each morning the car rider drop off will be blocked and all students coming to school after 8:15 will need to be dropped off at the front entrance of the building. Being to school on time each day is very beneficial to your child and helps him/her have a great day! If your child will need to eat breakfast, please have him/her at school prior to 8:15 so there is time to get through the serving line and eat before the day of learning begins.
As we move into October, I wanted to take some time to remind our families that October includes Fire Prevention Week. During the week of October 4- 8th students will be learning ways to stay safe, as well as, ways to prevent fires. We encourage you to continue these conversations with your children at home and create your family’s plan should you need to escape a fire at your home. Thank you for helping us make sure that our students are knowledgeable and safe.
Counselor's Corner
I am so excited to be working with your children each month on these skills. Please click on my Virtual Office below! There you can access:
- All the ways to contact me!
- Resources for you and your family
- Submit a referral form if you have concerns and want me to speak with your baby
- Home lesson plans to support our monthly Character lessons
Grades K-2 will be RESPECT
Grades 3-5 will be INDIVIDUALITY
We will also celebrate Anti- Bullying month this month and Unity Day! We will Unite against Bullying!
Excited that October is also RED RIBBON WEEK! MES stands against drugs and have a fun week planned. Please see our fun days below!
Gifted & Talented Updates
PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW TO WATCH THE GT INFORMATION VIDEO AND TO ACCESS THE GT PARENT RERERRAL FORM.
THE DEADLINE TO SUBMIT REFERRALS WILL BE OCTOBER 22, 2021. You will complete the form and return to me ( the Counselor) no later than this date.
If you have any questions or concerns about the GT process, please don't hesitate to call or email me.
Ms. Park
936-276-3608
Click the link below for our lunch menu
Pre-K
The Fall is an exciting time in Pre-K! Our letter focus will be on tT, iI, fF, and nN!! The letter name and the sounds will help us get ready for Kindergarten and learning to read. Learners will be playing matching games to help reinforce our letters and sounds!
Our Pre-K students are still practicing the lines, curves and strokes needed to write our letters and numbers.
Numbers 5 and 6, rectangle, and square are our skills for math!! Forming sets and recognizing same and different will create the mathematical learning for our students!!
We will also learn all about the weather and how it changes during the different seasons.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten is falling in love with learning! Reading our way through October, we will identify and describe characters and events and learn about verbs. Word study will include phoneme isolation and blending. In writing, we will dig into informational texts and writing sentences with capital letters and punctuation. In math, we will continue with numbers to 10 and compare objects by their measurable attributes. Social Studies will include exploring where we live and learning about our needs and wants. We will learn about different forms of energy and magnets in science.
First Grade
We can’t believe October is already here! We have been having so much fun in 1st grade!
In reading, we will be identifying and describing characters, comparing and contrasting between stories, and learning how to use text to help us figure out the meanings of words.
In phonics, we will be focusing on short e, short u, and l blends, as well as learning lots of new sight words!
In writing, we will be learning about “All About Books”, and how we can write our own books about things that we know all about!
In math, we will continue practicing our addition and subtraction, and learning about 2D shapes. We will also be introducing fractions!
In science, we will be learning about patterns of movement and soil. In Social studies we will be learning the difference between the past, present, and future. We will also be talking about changes in the different forms of transportation!
We can’t wait for another great month in first grade!
Second Grade
Thank again parents for participating in our fall conferences! We are so happy to share your child's success stories with you!
In October, we will be learning about the explorers and North American Indians in Social Studies.
In Language Arts, we will be studying the elements of Realistic Fiction with Variant Tales, reviewing nouns and verbs, spelling words with long vowels, and writing informational text.
In Science, we will be exploring force, motion, and energy with heat, magnets, and patterns of movement.
In Math, we will be moving into addition and subtraction with 2 and 3 digit numbers.
Please continue to read with your child and study their addition and subtraction facts.
We appreciate all that you do!
Third Grade
Happy fall! It’s hard to believe that it is already October. We have lots of exciting learning planned for our third graders. As reader’s we will explore literary texts, fables, and review informational texts. We will be asking questions as we read and determining what’s important. In Math we will continue to practice solving multi-step word problems. Build our addition and subtraction skills before moving into multiplication and its meanings. As historians we will dig deeper into education, communication, and transportation and the effect those have on our community. In Science we will explore forms of energy, force and motion. It’s an exciting to be a third grader!
Fourth Grade
Our classes are really falling into place here at MES.
In Science, the students are studying electricity, conductors & insulators. We are also investigating forces such as gravity, friction & magnetism. These are fun topics to explore! Ask your child what new things they are learning about force, motion and energy.
In Math, we are working on number sense through multiplication. Thank you for continuing to ensure that your child learns and stays sharp in their memorization of multiplication facts 0-12’s through daily practice. Fluent knowledge of multiplication facts will set your child up for success as we soon move into 2-digit by 2-digit multiplication. Get ready for some creative ways to multiply!
In Language Arts, we’ve been exploring informational text- in both reading and writing. Next, students will be diving into the fantastic world of fables and folktales! As always, our vocabulary is expanding and our spelling skills are growing stronger through weekly word work. We appreciate your help by encouraging your student to read a ‘good fit’ book at least 20 minutes every night.
In Social Studies, the students are busy learning about the first people of Texas. They are also studying notable explorers that made important contributions to our great state.
Fifth Grade
In Science we will be brightening up the classroom as we study light. Focusing on how light travels, reflects, refracts and absorbs. Then we will spend time understanding Force as it effects matter. We will focus on how to measure the change in force, what tools make it easier to decrease the amount of force we use, and the difference between balanced and unbalanced forces.
Social Studies bound, we will be looking at the formation of our government in the United States with the writing of the Bill of Rights. Once the United States becomes a country, we will learn about the westward expansion and the Louisiana Purchase as people move across the land and why they choose to do so. Then as we learn about acquiring land for the United States, we will learn about the many tensions we face as we study the War of 1812. Last we will learn the Star Spangled Banner, why it was written and what the lyrics actually mean. What an exciting time in U.S. History!
We are beginning our second unit in the Reader’s Workshop! In this unit, we will read stories in which we compare characters and analyze their relationships with each other. We are looking forward to this exciting unit, exploring what makes characters “tick.” It will be fun to discover how they make connections between the characters in the stories and people in real life!
Our Writer’s Workshop will be moving right along into our second unit of study. In this Writing Unit, we will explore the writing process through informational text. Our writers will have fun focusing on writing like a scientist! During this unit, we will continue to study and work towards our writing goals.
October is all about dividing in Math. Your student will work up to having 3 digit quotients, dividing by 2 digit divisors and dividing with decimals. Students will not only be performing the computations but also representing these skills in model form. More importantly, they will be applying this knowledge to everyday life scenarios to build their critical thinking and problem solving skills.
In Dual Language, we will begin working on our Dia de los Muertos projects at the end of the month. This is a very special time for us, because we are able to explore the cultural values across many different countries and compare and contrast various ways of life. We will connect our projects to our learning in Social Studies and create “altares” representing the lives of early Native Americans and explorers.
Nurse's News
Physical Education
Hello Bearcats!
Wow! October sure did get here fast! We are continuing to focus on healthy habits and maintaining our safe physical environment during physical education.
We are kicking off our running program this month. The students will be walking & running on the car rider line. They will be earning a key chain and get to add little feet for every ten laps that they complete throughout the school year.
One of my very favorite events is starting! We will begin practicing our cup-stacking skills and preparing for the annual district cup stacking tournament in November. We love when MES competes there! We have traditionally done very well!
We also have fire safety week in October. We hope that our firefighters will get to pay us a visit this year. We sure did miss getting to see them last year!
Art
We’ve been travelling around the world this year learning about the people, places, animals, and cultures to inspire our art! So far, we have visited Africa and Asia, and we are looking forward to many more worldly adventures! You can see all of our AMAZING creations on our digital art museum – Artsonia: https://www.artsonia.com/schools/school.asp?id=169945
PUBLISHING ART FROM HOME
Did you know that Artsonia stores all of the projects your student creates throughout their time here at MES in their "ePortfolio" creating a record of their growth as an artist? You can even add artwork yourself from home with just a few simple steps:
1. In a bright spot, take a clear digital photograph of the artwork.
2. Sign into your Artsonia Parent account.
3. Click the tab labeled "Upload Artwork"
4. Artsonia will walk you through the upload and editing process.
5. About 24 hours later, your child's work will be published in their portfolio!
Artsonia never deletes its published artworks, so your child's work is preserved forever.
**MES first started participating with Artsonia in 2018. You can still access the accounts and order merchandise for any student who has attended our school since then. For screen names and passwords of an older student who previously attended MES, just send me a quick email!
As always, thank you for your continued support! We appreciate all you do!!
Sincerely,
Miss Petty
Music
Autumn is in the air and lots of great things are 'falling' from the music room! We are continuing to work hard to master our music concepts, preparing for our 50th Day 50's Celebration, and our choir is rehearsing for their first performance for "Voices From Montgomery" the end of this month!
In class, 5th Graders are studying the different types of voices and how they are used in descants, parts, and rounds. They are also learning about the music and instruments of China. Music theory is the focus of 4th Grade as they study ascending and descending scales, major and minor chords, and melodic ostinatos. 3rd Graders are continuing to learn to read music through lines and spaces, melodic movement, and pentatonic scales. Beat, tempo, and rhythm all come together for 2nd Grade while playing, singing, and creating ostinatos. Rhythm is also the focus of 1st Grade as they discover the difference between rhythm and beat through playing, singing, and movement. Kindergarteners are being introduced to rhythm for the first time and learning how to feel and play both rhythm and beat in all kinds of music. Pre-K begins their exploration of high and low pitch as they learn to use their voices in different ways.
Our amazing MES Bearcat Choir has been working hard in rehearsals for their performance for "Voices from Montgomery" a historical tribute at the Old Montgomery Cemetery (next to Shipley's) on October 23rd at 2:15 pm. Please come by and support these awesome kiddos! It is a wonderful opportunity to hear some beautiful music and to learn about some of the super cool history of our enchanting town!
Finally, we will soon begin our study of instrument families. So....If you happen to have any brass, woodwind, percussion, or string instruments that you would like to rehome, please let me know! They do not need to be in working condition. I appreciate having authentic instruments for the kiddos to see and feel as we study how each instrument works to make beautiful music for the orchestra!
I so appreciate having the opportunity to share music with each one of your kiddos! As always, please let me know if you ever have any questions, suggestions, or concerns. Thank you so much for your support of music and of all the arts in MISD and beyond! -Love, Mrs. Siple
“Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” ― Confucius
Library
The book fair was a great success! The money raised for the fair goes straight back to our students by getting the newest books they desire. We are also about to add items to our makerspace collection so students are able to explore and create in other non traditional ways.
The library is looking for a volunteer to help shelve books one day a week. If you are interested, please email Mrs. Kojis at kelli.kojis@misd.org.
During our library times, students will compare and contrast fiction and nonfiction books as well as exploring Digital Citizenship and what that entails.
MES Parent Teacher Organization
Please click the link below for the PTO Newsletter
Montgomery Elementary School
Website: https://montgomeryes.misd.org
Location: 13755 Liberty Street, Montgomery, TX, USA
Phone: 936-276-3600
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mesmisd/
Twitter: @mesbearcats