BCE Bobcat Bits
Fall 2016
Big Cypress Elementary Bobcats are Honest, Kind and Responsible!
Mission
VISION
MOTTO
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In this issue.....
- Principal's Message
- Grade Level News
- Related Arts News
- Counselor's Corner
Greetings Bobcat Families!
I am so proud to be the principal at Big Cypress Elementary where we have THE best students, parents, and staff!
Thank you for all your support if you were able to attend our Curriculum Nights and Family Literacy Night. We appreciate your involvement with your child. We have a monthly parent breakfast featuring a different grade level. This is an opportunity to get more information about grade level specifics and meet other parents, plus provide us feedback about our school on how we can improve our services. Our next breakfast is for 5th grade parents on Friday, January 6th.
How about the PTA sponsored Harvest Festival? We had such great attendance, and a special kudos to those staff members who helped with our games! Our PTA Holiday Shop is from 12/9 to 12/16. PTA is also hosting a holiday Family Night on Dec. 16th at 6:00 pm. We are looking forward to our annual Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (STEAM) Night in May. It is wonderful to be a part of a school that offers unique activities that promote family involvement.
Our School Advisory Council (SAC) meets the last Tuesday of every month. This group discusses and approves the School Improvement Plan which can be accessed on our school website http://www.collierschools.com/bce . In collaboration with SAC and our staff, we revised our school mission and vision statements, and added a BCE motto. We also updated our BCE pledge that we recite daily on the morning news.
As we prepare for Florida Standard Assessment (FSA) testing 2nd semester, we reflect on 2015-16 results. We are proud of our 5th grade science scores increasing 11 percentile points. Our focus this school year is our overall gain scores which also include our lowest 25% in reading and math. We are working hard to be recognized as an “A” school.
Kind regards,
Diana Little, Principal
Grade Level News
What's Happening In Kindergarten
We have been very busy so far this school year in kindergarten! Each class has established rules, procedures, and routines. We are now working hard on identifying letters, the sounds that letters make, and practicing our sight words. We encourage all parents to work with their children at home on these skills. Materials were handed out at Curriculum Night to use as resources to practice these skills at home. If you need additional copies, please contact your child’s teacher.
We also are encouraging parents to allow their kindergarten child(ren) to access iReady from home! The iReady program is used daily in the classroom. This program pinpoints individual student reading needs and adjusts lessons to help your child improve their reading skills. iReady has its own ongoing progress monitoring process that generates reports to show whether or not each child is on track to achieve the end of the year goals.
During writing the students are working on forming letters correctly, sounding words out to begin spelling words on their own, remembering to use a capital letter at the beginning of each sentence, using spaces between their words, and ending each sentence with a punctuation mark. Each child is at their own stage in the writing process. We encourage parents to work with their child(ren) on these skills.
Also, during math we have been working on calendar skills, counting and writing our numbers to 20, and exploring 2D shapes. Your child is learning to identify various shapes and they are learning how to describe each shape’s attributes. For instance, a square has four sides with each side being the same length. These are skills that you can help them master at home.
All of the kindergarten teachers have enjoyed getting to know the students and their parents. We are looking forward to watching the students grow and learn each day. Your continued support at home is truly appreciated!
What's Happening in 1st Grade
Writing sentences and paragraphs
Working on reading with iReady
Reading on my own
Hello from 1st grade! We are excited to be in our fourth month of school. We have been working hard on learning our sight words, practicing decoding strategies, and reading fluently. All these skills combined will help us become better readers and comprehend the stories that we are reading. By the end of the school year, all first graders will be expected to have mastered all 220 sight words and be reading independently on a Level I book.
In Math, we have been focusing on building number sense through counting and comparing quantities, and through composing and decomposing numbers. Students were also introduced to the mathematical tools, processes, routines, and ways of working that will be used throughout the year. We started with counting, moving on to comparing quantities, then to combining two quantities, and ending with students finding different two-addend combinations of the same number.
Thank you to the parents who came to the 1st grade Breakfast and families who attended the Harvest Festival. Please remember to read with your child every night and we are looking forward to the rest of the year!
What's Happening in 2nd Grade
Second grade is off to a super start, although we have been here for three months, it feels like school just started yesterday and here we are already into our 2nd grading period. We have covered an enormous amount of material in every subject and we have barely scratched the surface.
In writing we are finishing our second unit and have already learned about five different genres: realistic fiction, expository text, dramas, literary nonfiction, and informational text. Within those lessons we practiced seven phonics skills, learned 46 new high frequency words, 48 amazing words, 29 vocabulary words, and we have covered an average of three learning goals or Florida Standards per lesson. In writing we have worked on narrative, informative, opinion, and poetry writing all while learning to use proper grammar, spelling, punctuation, editing and revising to improve our work.
Math has been just as busy. We have been working on addition and subtraction to 45, time on the hour and half hour, naming, telling the value of and counting coins, word problems, geometry where the students described 2D and 3D shapes, and learning about angles, sides and vertexes. We are now back to word problems with unknown numbers.
Science, health, and Social Studies are moving along well also. With a very hands on approach the children are enjoying learning about what scientists do, the scientific process, and the tools that scientists use. We have learned about healthy habits and taking care of your body in health. In Social Studies we have learned what it means to be a good citizen, about our Constitution, the Bill of Rights and goods and services.
The second grade team appreciates that you have entrusted us with the care and education of your child for a large portion of the day. Please keep the lines of communication open. We want to hear about any question or concern that you may have. The best ways to contact us are through e-mail or just a short note in your child’s planner. We look forward to continued work with them and you.
What's Happening In 3rd Grade
It’s hard to believe we have already been in school for 3 months! We would like to thank the parents and guardians for their support in helping our students adjust to third grade. It’s quite a transition from 2nd grade. Also, thank you to all those who attended Curriculum Night/Student Led Conferences. It was great to see so many parents supporting their child’s education! Also, students enjoyed sharing some of their beginning of the year schoolwork. Your support in your child’s education makes all the difference!
In September, the third graders enjoyed a trip to Artis Naples (Philharmonic) to see a program called The Conductor’s Spellbook. Before becoming one of the world’s greatest stringed-instrument makers, young Tony Stradivarius finds a magical book of spells in Daniels Pavilion and uses it to control the orchestra. This was a great way for students to be introduced to classical music. What a cool performance!
In November, third grade classes attended the Watery Wonders program at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. While at the Nature Center, students learned about Florida’s aquatic ecosystems by dip-netting and collecting animals that live in the water at the filter marsh. They also tested the water’s temperature, salinity, and pH levels, and discovered which plants and animals live in different habitats by touring the museum and going on a nature hike. This was an outstanding learning experience!
This year, we are continuing to place a heavy emphasis on iReady, FASTT Math, and Scholastic Reading Counts.
- iReady reading instruction delivers engaging online lessons at each student’s reading level based on results from an online diagnostic test that was completed in the beginning of the year. iReady lessons relate directly to skills that were assessed in the diagnostic test. Teacher reports provide educators with informative data and resources for differentiated instruction for each child. We use this program daily! iReady will strengthen reading skills and will help better prepare our students for the FSA state test. We encourage the use of this program at home!
-FASTT Math is an online math facts program that we are using to achieve math fact mastery. It provides instructional sessions that are individualized for each student. Instruction focuses on targeted facts students need to learn. Students get fluent faster by practicing what they’ve learned in engaging and motivating games.
-Reading Counts is a reading level based independent reading program that tracks student success on books read in and out of school. Students should be checking out Reading Counts books from the media center to be read at school and home. When finished reading their book, they are able to take an online quiz here at school. Points are earned for books that are passed (70% or higher). Reading Counts can raise the reading achievement for all students!
Here are a few things that you can do at home:
1. Review your child’s work from the Wednesday folder. Have him/her correct assignments that he/she did not complete correctly.
2. Help with homework – help your child complete assignments correctly and make sure they are returning quality work to school.
3. Practice basic math facts. If your child is still struggling with basic addition and subtraction facts to 20, use flashcards, the internet, or practice books to develop proficiency. At this point third graders should not be using their fingers to add and subtract. These facts should be memorized. Also, third graders are expected to know the multiplication products of two 1-digit numbers by memory by the end of the year. Keep practicing!
4. READ, READ, READ! This is the most effective strategy that you can use to help your child academically. Read to and with your child whenever possible and make sure they are reading independently as well. Also, students can work on iReady lessons at home.
5. Check the student planners every day. This will help you stay informed as to what is going on here at school.
6. Praise your child for his/her accomplishments!
The third grade teachers will continue working with your children and each of you as we all strive to help each student reach his/her full potential.
What's Happening In 4th Grade
Our students are making a smooth transition into fourth grade and are on the road to mastery of the fourth grade standards. The students have set goals and are tracking their progress weekly.
In writing, we have had the expertise of Mrs. Charles, our reading coach, in all the fourth grade classrooms to help the students with reaching those writing goals. Our math teachers are busy finding innovative ways to get those math concepts down and we have started our Mathletes program again this year. In Science, the kids have dissected flowers and owl pellets, they have learned about the food chain, healthy eating habits, and the life cycle. We even had a great visit from Dr. Luke Dollar, our very own fourth grade scientist. Dr. Dollar works with the Fossa in Madagascar and each year he visits some of our classrooms. This was our lucky year because Big Cypress was one of the schools he visited. The kids loved being able to talk with Dr. Dollar about his work with the Fossa.
We love our fourth grade field trips too. We work with FGCU and the Wings of Hope Program. Hopefully your child has come home with some valuable information about the Florida Panther. If not, be sure to ask what they’ve learned. In a few months we will be taking a trip to C.R.E.W. for a guided hike with the Wings of Hope people. The students learn all about native plants and animals. Then later in the year we will take a trip to Rookery Bay where the students will be able to test the back waters and learn about the animals that live in that area.
We have begun our Junior Deputy program with Corporal Soto. The kids can’t wait for the Junior Deputy day at the Collier County Fair.
Thank you parents for your continued support!
What's Happening in 5th Grade
The fifth grade teachers would like to thank all of the students and parents for a successful start to the 2016-2017 school year. It is the goal of the fifth grade team to work together with students and parents to help each child reach his/her full potential.
In math, students have been focused on learning larger number multiplication and division and have now moved on to addition and subtraction of fractions. It is imperative that students be fluent with basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division facts. If your child does not know his/her facts quickly and accurately, please be practicing nightly.
During language arts class, students are busy working on improving comprehension and increasing vocabulary. In addition to whole-class and small group instruction, students also use a computer-based program, iReady. This program aids in the improvement of comprehension and vocabulary by providing lessons at your child’s reading level. If possible, please encourage your child to work on iReady at home as well. The more we read, the better our reading comprehension and vocabulary becomes.
Fifth grade students have also been involved in the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program. D.A.R.E. is a program that unites our students and the Collier County Sheriff’s department in efforts to promote a drug and violence free lifestyle. We appreciate the hard work of the Deputies that teach the fifth graders. D.A.R.E. graduation will take place in December 15th. More information will come home soon; look for the invitation!
Please remember that the fifth grade teachers are always available for parent conferences to discuss concerns or provide clarification regarding your student or assignments. We want to see each student reach their potential and have a successful and happy 5th grade year!
Related Arts News
Full "STEAM" Ahead!
Greetings from our STEAM Lab! You may have noticed that we added an “A” to STEM. For those of you who may not be familiar with our class, STEAM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math. We started as “STEM” last year and now the district trend is to add the “A” for arts. We are here to support our classroom teachers by providing additional instruction in science. We also provide many opportunities for the students to exercise their engineering talents.
We have just finished our dry ice experiments. All students in kindergarten through fifth grade participated during their STEAM class. The students got to experience the many wonders of dry ice. This unit was hugely popular and extremely entertaining for the teacher!
You may be happy to know that our vegetable gardens have been planted and the young plants are growing quickly. The kids are enjoying monitoring the growth in our raised beds and our earth boxes.
My ultimate goal in our STEAM lab, in addition to supporting district curriculum, is to help foster a love of science in our students. These are our scientists, engineers and inventors for the next generation. We are going to need them!
Tech Talk
Students in grades 2-5 are also improving their typing skills using our new Typing Agent program. The engaging lessons encourage the students to work on their accuracy and words per minute.
Lastly, the Hour of Code will be starting soon. The kids always get excited about learning how to create games, animations and projects using computer code.
Identifying safe and unsafe websites
Learning about digital footprints
Deciding if the information is personal or private
Counselor's Corner
Greetings!
We had tremendous participation this year for our annual Red Ribbon Week during the week of October 24-28th. Our theme was “We have better things to do than drugs!” with fun activities occurring each day. We are still collecting the pink stars to place on our Kindness Tree in the front office, describing healthy activities that we choose instead of poor choices such as drugs.
The Peer Mediation program begins in early December. The peer mediators began their training November 15th. Congratulations to the 5th grade students who were selected to be our peer mediators this school year!
Peer Mediation is a school-wide conflict resolution program that allows students the opportunity to discuss peer conflicts and problem-solve for peaceful solutions. Mrs. Green supervises the peer mediations and the students know that they are not “in trouble” when they attend a peer mediation. Teachers, staff, students and parents can refer students to attend a peer mediation.
Grief and Loss, Family Changes and Social Skills counseling groups are again being offered this school year. These groups meet during the school day, one day per week for six weeks. A parent permission slip is required to participate. Please contact Mrs. Green for further information.
Our fabulous peer mediators!
On a closing note:
Remember to review our BE COOL school-wide conflict resolution program with your students: