Patriots Press
February Issue
A Note From the Principal...
As our student population continues to grow, we have noticed an increase in our number of car riders. Specifically, we have noticed a consistent increase in our number of car riders arriving on campus close to the 8:15 am tardy bell. The expectation is that our students be in their classroom ready to begin the day at 8:15 am, not walking into the school or in the hallways at 8:15 am. We strongly encourage parents who drive their kids to school to arrive on campus no later than 8:05 am as this will ensure you have ample time to go through our car rider line and for students to make it down to their classrooms prior to the tardy bell at 8:15 am.
Please note, we typically have a lull in our car rider line between 7:55 am to 8:05 am. Because we have fewer car riders arriving at that time, parents move through the line rather quickly. Please consider organizing your morning routine to arrive during this window where we have fewer car riders. I also encourage those who can, to consider placing your student on the bus as buses consistently arrive on campus in plenty of time for students to get to their homeroom prior to the tardy bell.
Thank you for your attention to this matter as we strive to create an orderly and efficient morning routine while protecting our valuable instruction time.
Regards,
Steven Bookhart, Principal
Congratulations Mrs. Caligan for being named Teacher of the Year!
EOG Proctors Needed
Spelling Bee
Read Across America Week- February 27-March 3, 2017
A NOTE FROM THE PTO PRESIDENT….
It’s hard to believe that we are rapidly heading towards spring break and eventually the end of the school year. It’s this time of the year when our PTO board starts looking towards the next school year and that’s where you come in. Our PTO board and members work tirelessly to make Patriots a great school and I don’t know of a better way to directly affect your child’s experience at school than to be an active part of the PTO.
During the Math & Science Night (March 7th) and Spring Fling (April 28th) we will have tables set up so that you can see the volunteer opportunities available and be able to get more information. In fact, you’ll be able to sign up on the spot!! I would encourage you to take a moment and see where you get involved as a PTO member and help us keep making Patriots the best school in the state.
If you have any questions about the PTO or what we do, please feel free to contact me at president.patriots@gmail.com.
Chad Maynor-PTO President
MOTHER/SON OUTING – Lindsay Gryziec, Vice President
TILE WALL – Lindsay Gryziec, Vice President
SWEETHEART DANCE – Kyndal Chase, Secretary
TEACHER APPRECIATION SNACK – Marina Freeman, Hospitality Chairperson
We’ll be showing our appreciation for our teachers on February 21st after school by hosting a PTO sponsored snack. Our theme for this snack is “Hollywood”. If you would like to help provide snacks for this event, please go to our Signup Genius:
If you have questions you can feel free to contact me at hospitality.patriots@gmail.com.
CORNHOLE TOURNAMENT – Sarah Johns & Teresa Fragola, Major Fundraising Chairpersons
Answer this month's trivia question:
Spring Fling will be April 28th!
Kindergarten News
Kindergarten has been busy at work this month! We all LOVED making the learning connection between our Hudson PBL and our field trip to the Aviation Museum. Kindergarten designed chairs that were comfortable and buoyant! We hope you were able to attend the Night at the Museum as well!
In Reading we have been reviewing our reading strategies: lips the fish, stretchy snake, eagle eye, chunky monkey and tryin' lion. Ask your son/daughter to explain how to apply each strategy to an unknown word! We have also introduced genres: fiction, non-fiction, biographies, and poetry.
In Math we have finished our unit on 2D and 3D shapes. Thank you for sending in objects from home for the shape museums! The students loved sharing their bags of 2D and 3D shapes. We completed our Animals on the Loose PBL. We had to make a secure enclosure for our animals using unifix cubes. We used our knowledge of animals and shapes to build the enclosures. We are now working on addition and subtraction. We are learning the math vocabulary: addition, adden, plus, sum, how many in all, subtraction, minus, difference, and how many left over.
In Writer's Workshop we finished our Small Moment Stories Unit. Please continue to write small moment stories at home. The more the students write the better writer they will become! We are in the middle of our "How to" Unit. We have completed many fun "How To" projects at school that we have written about: how to make a bird feeder, how to pour a glass of lemonade, how to tie your shoe, how to make brownies and many more!
In Science we finished our Weather Unit. We loved being weather watchers! We have started a new unit, Geography! We have learned about positional words, compass rose, landforms on earth: plain, mountain, valley, pond, lake and river. We will be continuing our leaning with landforms in water and map & model projects.
First Grade News
First grade had a wonderful 100th day of school! We shared our fabulous 100th day projects and participated in various activities to show all we have learned this school year. This month, we have enjoyed sharing our timeline projects and showing how we have changed and grown throughout the years.
This month in math we will be moving into our problem solving unit where students will use various strategies to solve problems. Students will use strategies such as ten frames, number lines, part-part-whole mats, friendly numbers, fact families, equations, and drawings to help them solve problems. We will also learn how to solve problems with missing numbers as well as multiple steps. This unit will help students to continue to build their fact fluency within ten.
This month in reading we will begin our next unit which focuses on 'Making Reading Look Right, Sound Right, and Make Sense.' Students will pull on the strategies they already know, as well as new ones to make meaning, word solve, self-monitor, and self-correct. The strategies will also help with comprehension as well as reading fluently and with voice to convey moods or feelings. Read Across America week will be at the end of this month!
This month in writing we will continue working on how to express our opinions and to persuade readers. We will apply our knowledge of persuasive writing to write book reviews as authors.
This month in STEM we will begin our Rocks, Minerals, and Soils unit. In this unit we will look at the properties of various rocks, minerals, and soil. We will kick the unit off with a rock hunt on the nature trail. We will conduct experiments and make observations. We will compare the properties of different rocks, pebbles, sand, and soil. At the end of the unit, students will create a package for the toy "My Pet Rock." We will also participate in Engineering Week activities this month!
Second Grade News
February has definitely come in like a lamb! Does this mean lion type weather at the end of the month? We learned a that Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter. I guess we’ll see!
This month, the students have a half day of school the 17th. It is also a club / homeroom day. Please watch for information asking about lunches. The week of the 20th is engineering week. There will be a new challenge every day for the children to explore. It is great fun, and shows all the different kinds of engineering that happens in our world. Students go to the Arts Council Play at Hickory Ridge High School on the 28th. We will be gone from about 9am to 1pm. Please watch for lunch information for that trip as well. Permission slips should have already come home. This is a free event. The week of February 27th is Read Across America Week. We will highlight Dr. Seuss as well as the importance of reading in general. The last important date is the 28th as third quarter progress reports come home.
In February, it will be all about characters in reading. There will be predicting of character traits and character actions. Also, questions about what we can learn from our characters. Using this learning, we can connect characters to our own lives.
In writing, we will be exploring with adjectives and telling reasons for persuading. The students will also work on building excellent sentences and revising and editing with a rubric.
Finishing with measurement including the measurement of time will take the first two weeks of this month. Then the new unit will focus on collecting and graphing data. Working on word problems and continuing to practice counting money will take us through the end of the month.
In science, we are continuing our air and weather study with a focus on mechanical engineering. We are also doing the mini Science Fair Projects in class. For Engineering Week, we will focus on Aeronautical Engineering.
Have a great month !
Third Grade News
In STEM, we recently finished up our culture unit. We are now working on our unit about the universe. We are covering the sun, the moon, the planets, the constellations, and planetary motion. The students will soon be completing a research-based PBL in which they will research each planet and complete a Planet Passport in class. Engineering Week is also coming up on the week of February 20. The students will complete short PBL activities in small groups to get them excited about engineering.
In reading, the students are currently working on their mystery book club unit. The unit draws on previously learned strategies to develop deeper understandings of characters and plot including making inferences and revising ideas. Third grade also just finished the second round of MCLASS testing, which determines the students’ reading levels. We will communicate scores as soon as we can.
In math, we are currently working on our geometry unit. We have been studying polygon attributes and finding the perimeter and area of squares, rectangles, and rectilinear figures. Next, we will be moving on to our unit on fractions. Please continue to work with your child on his/her multiplication and division facts. We will continue to utilize these facts in our upcoming math units. Thank you for all your support!
Fourth Grade News
In math they are analyzing and comparing fractions, finding equivalent fractions and are using their skills at finding factors and multiples in order to identify common denominators in order to add and subtract fractions. Also, coming up for 4th grade is multiplying fractions and working with mixed numbers.
In science they are learning all about how the earth was formed, beginning with slow changes of the earth through erosion and weathering. From there, students will learn about fast changes, rocks and minerals and fossils. They will experience how tectonic plates shift and change the earth's surface in the STEM lab this month as well as hands on activities with rocks and minerals.
Students are researching and learning about famous African-Americans in observance of Black History Month. They are learning about civil-right activists, athletes, politicians, inventors and scientists.
5th Grade News
In fifth grade science, students have just completed their Genetics unit. We wrapped up our unit by extracting DNA from a Strawberry in the STEM lab. We will be moving into cells and how the major body systems work together. Students will be creating life size replicas of the major body systems as we learn about the major parts of each system. Next up...Ecosystems!
In reading, we are working on our biography/autobiography unit. Students will be reading a biography to use for a book project as well as writing their own autobiography. During this unit, they will also be using texts from these genres to practice our skills of citing evidence to answer comprehension questions. Please make sure your child is spending some time reading at home as well as spending some time using iReady, our digital resource for reading skills and strategies.
Camp Thunderbird
Our Camp Thunderbird trip is rapidly approaching! Be on the lookout in early March for a packet with insurance and medical information as well as a schedule and packing list. We must have these forms in on time in order to take your child with us. Also, please make sure your payments are put to date. Check with your child's homeroom teacher if you aren't sure.
K-2 AU
STEM/Media
Engineering Week - The week of February 20 - 24 is Engineering Week. We will celebrate this week by having students complete various Aviation themed engineering tasks. Who can build the tallest tower that supports a tennis ball and withstands wind? Which class can hit the bullseye the most with the stomp rockets? These are just a few of this year's Engineering Week Challenges. Ask your student about it!!
Math & Science Night will be held on March 7, 2017 from 5 - 7:00 p.m. Bring your family to join in all the fun math and science based activities - make gross goo, mine for chocolate, visit the Carolina Waterfowl Rescue exhibit and many more adventures await you and your family.
Book Fair - The Spring Book fair is coming! Come enjoy Breakfast with Mom starting at 6:30 a.m and stay for the book fair which will open at 7:15 a.m. each day Monday through Friday March 13 - 17, 2017. The book fair will be open each day until 3:30 except Friday when we close at 2:00 p.m. Students will have the opportunity to preview the book fair on Thursday or Friday March 9 or 10. If you are interested in volunteering to help at the book fair, please contact mary.ferguson@cabarrus.k12.nc.us.
The 7th annual Iditarod Reading Challenge begins Saturday, March 4th. All students K - 5 will begin reading as much as possible beginning March 4th and will log those minutes along with classmates to see which class will be in the lead when the first musher crosses the finish line in Alaska. Grab some extra books so you are ready to read non-stop beginning March 4th!!! Great prizes await the class that finishes in first place!!
International Day - mark your calendar for Thursday, April 13th. We need people who have visited other countries or lived in other countries to present to our students about the culture and share their experiences. If you are interested in presenting, please contact mary.ferguson@cabarrus.k12.nc.us or jill.spencer@cabarrus.k12.nc.us. Or fill out this form and send it in with your child.
Music
Congratulations to the 2nd Grade on their wonderful concert!
Our next concert will feature our 1st graders and will be on Tuesday, March 14 at 6:30;
The program features songs about leprechauns, springtime bunnies and our beautiful earth! Let's Sing about Spring!!!!!
5th Grade Talent Show: Please start thinking about a performing arts talent that you could share in our annual 5th Grade Talent Show. Auditions will be held in early April, so start practicing! The show will be May 16 at 6:30.
AIG News
2017 International Day
Skate Night
Thursday, Feb 16, 2017, 06:30 PM
Frye's Roller Rink, Poplar Tent Road, Concord, NC, United States
1/2 Day of School
Friday, Feb 17, 2017, 08:15 AM
Patriots Elementary School, Holden Avenue, Concord, NC, United States
Engineering Week
Monday, Feb 20, 2017, 08:15 AM
Patriots Elementary School, Holden Avenue, Concord, NC, United States
Progress Reports
Thursday, Feb 23, 2017, 03:15 PM
Patriots Elementary School, Holden Avenue, Concord, NC, United States
Movie Night-4th Grade
Friday, Mar 3, 2017, 06:00 PM
Patriots Elementary School, Holden Avenue, Concord, NC, United States
Math and Science Night
Tuesday, Mar 7, 2017, 05:00 PM
Patriots Elementary School, Holden Avenue, Concord, NC, United States
Book Fair Begins
Thursday, Mar 9, 2017, 08:15 AM
Patriots Elementary School, Holden Avenue, Concord, NC, United States
1/2 Day of School
Friday, Mar 10, 2017, 08:15 AM
Patriots Elementary School, Holden Avenue, Concord, NC, United States
1st Grade Music Concert
Tuesday, Mar 14, 2017, 06:00 PM
Patriots Elementary School, Holden Avenue, Concord, NC, United States
Patriots STEM Elementary School
Email: mary.brafford@cabarrus.k12.nc.us
Website: http://www.cabarrus.k12.nc.us/Domain/17
Location: 1510 Holden Avenue, Concord, NC, United States
Phone: (704) 455-1882
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PatriotsElementary
Twitter: @Patriots_Elem