Cougar Tracks
Jarrell Elementary Newsletter - February 26, 2024
Greetings JES Community!
We want take to this opportunity to thank two very important parts of our school community - our transportation department and our PTOs and volunteers. Our bus drivers ensure that our students arrive at school and home in the afternoons safely everyday. Over the past two years, JISD has added brand new buses to the line-up and provided our bus drivers with the training and support they need to be their best! Thank you to our transportation department for all you do!
At JES, we have a small but mighty PTO. This small team coordinates fundraisers so our staff and students have enriching experiences like field trips, Dino George, SkyDome Planetarium, petting zoos, field day snowcones and more! Thank you for all you do for our school community! If you would like to join, our next meeting is coming up soon!
The week before spring break is full of exciting things like Read Across America Week, STEAM Night and the most exciting event - SKYDOME PLANETARIUM on Friday, March 8th.
As always, we are here to support you and your child in any way we can, please so not hesitate to reach out!
with gratitude,
Lara Hutchinson
Principal
THIS WEEK!
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26th
3rd/5th TELPAS Reading and Writing (Bi-lingual/ESL students)
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27th
4th/5th Reading Interim - Mid-year assessment
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28th
2nd/4th TELPAS Reading and Writing (Bi-lingual/ESL students)
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29th
3rd grade Reading Interim - MId-year assessment
UPCOMING EVENTS - Read Across America Week
MONDAY, MARCH 4th - Wear crazy socks
3rd/5th TELPAS Listening and Speaking (Bi-lingual/ESL Students)
TUESDAY, MARCH 5th - Wear a hat
2nd/4th TELPAS Listening and Speaking (Bi-lingual/ESL Students)
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 6th - Wear something that reps your culture
THURSDAY, MARCH 7th - Wear bright colors
STEAM Night 5:00 - 7:00
FRIDAY, MARCH 8th - Wear cougar blue
3rd 9 Weeks Ends
SKYDOME Planetarium
Black History Month Celebration
Our students have been learning all month about the positive power of community, diversity and celebrating our heritage.
Our PK-2nd grade students read about Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King Jr., and Rosa Parks. 3rd grade learned about Ruby Bridges and Harriet Tubman while out 4th and 5th graders created a biography poster of a historical figure.
In music, our students learned about jazz and its history, and in art, our students created cityscape quilts.
FRIDAY, March 8th is a school day!
Just a friendly reminder that Friday, March 8th is now a school day, so our students can be home on the eclipse day, April 8th. Check out the information and resources to make the most of this day below!
Learning with my FAMILY!
During the year, families with kindergarteners have been receiving brightly colored canvas bags filled with activities and supplies that parents can use to support their children as they practice basic academic skills. This new resource is called the Learning with my Family Activity Bag. Many of our parents asked for ways to work with their children at home in hopes of encouraging and supporting their developing skills and we wanted to honor their requests. Our kindergarten teachers selected several skills to practice and the activity bags were created.
Each bag contains English and Spanish instructions for one or more activities, supplies to complete the activities, and a parent feedback card. The beginning of the year bags supported parents as they helped their children learn to:
draw different types of lines to strengthen writing skills, and
identify and count 0-10 to support number sense.
Our middle of the year bags will:
expand the number sense awareness all the way to 20,
develop alphabet awareness - upper and lower case letters, and
increase sight word recognition
Be on the lookout for a JES Learning with my Family Activity Bag.
Attendance Matters! Our goal is 97%!
Let's have our best week yet! Or goal is 97% everyday! Your child's attendance is the most important factor in their success in school!
As always, if your child is running a fever or having diarrhea or vomiting, he/ she must stay home for 24 hours.
Important Daily Deadlines!
7:30 a.m. The back doors automatically lock, and you will need to drive around and walk your child in to the building. PLEASE DO NOT DROP-OFF STUDENTS AFTER 7:30. They must be signed in by a parent or guardian.
1:30 p.m. ALL transportation changes must be made by 1:30 by emailing or calling Stephanie Garcia at (512)-746-2170 or stephanie.garcia@jarrellisd.org.
2:30 p.m. Any student checking out early for an appointment, must be picked up prior to 2:30.
PE FUN and Goal Setting
We have had a great time the past couple of weeks jumping rope and talking about ways we can make our hearts stronger. Congratulations to all the students who were able to sign the hearts on our wall for completing 5-100 jumps in a row! There were only four students who completed the 3-minutes jumping rope. Congratulations!
3rd Grader-Armani Martinez
4th Grader-Josh Viera
4th Grader-Gracelyn Smith
5th Grader-Primrose Stewart
February 12-23 - Rhythm sticks/Speed Ladders to music
February 26-March 8 - Basketball
Please remember to send your child in tennis shoes on their P.E. days.
PRE-K
This week in pre-k, we will be learning that an adventure is an exciting or unusual experience, that can be near, far, inside, or outside; people have cultural similarities and differences (such as food, clothing, celebrations); and sharing is a way to help others.
In math, we will be learning that data (information) can be represented using tally charts and bar graphs.
In literacy we will be learning words can be separated into two parts (onset and rime) and blended back together; each letter of the alphabet has an order of strokes to correctly draw its shape; the letters of the alphabet follow a specific sequence; and thoughts and ideas can be represented using symbols, words, and pictures.
KINDER
1st GRADE
Reading: We will continue with our fairy tale unit in reading We will continue making predictions using the text features, the characteristics and structure of the read aloud to correct or confirm our predictions. We will continue to use graphic organizers to retell and identify elements of our fairy tales. We will also be comparing our fairy tales for similarities and differences.
Writing: Students will be working through the writing process to create a narrative retelling their favorite fairy tale.
Phonics: We will continue to read from our readers and answer questions about key details in the text. We will continue to read and spell words with ‘g’ as in got and ‘ge’ as in germ. We will review three sounds for /t/ as in ‘t’ for top, /t/ as in ‘tt’ for sitting, and /t/ as in ‘ed’ for asked. We will continue to add suffixes to root words as in wet, wetter, and wettest. We will continue distinguishing between statements and questions for identifying the correct punctuation and capital letters at the beginning of our sentences. We will add exclamation points to some of our sentences to show strong emotions, such as excitement. We will also review the three sounds for /d/ as in ‘d’ for dot, /d/ as in ‘dd’ for add, and /d/ as in ‘ed’ for filled. We will be tested over these spelling words on Monday: chips, much, catch, fetch, marsh, shine, flash, and how. New spelling words will go home on Monday. The new words are: jumping, jars, germ, gem, charged, fringe, magic, and your.
Math: We will be reviewing our unit over place value, comparison, and addition and subtraction to 40 to prepare for our unit assessment. Students will be using strategies to solve the addition and subtraction problems up to 40 by looking at the ones and tens, drawing pictures, and using math manipulatives. Students will also use these strategies to solve word problems.
Science: We will begin our unit over sorting and classifying living and nonliving things based on whether they have basic needs and produce offspring.
2nd GRADE
3rd GRADE
3rd grade has a productive week ahead! This week in reading we will be wrapping up our 7th unit with writing an argumentative essay about life on the international space station! In math we will also be wrapping up our 5th unit on fractions and starting our next unit over personal financial literacy! In science we will be starting to learn about weather and different patterns throughout the united states. Students will be having their practice reading STAAR on Thursday! Looking forward to a great week!
4th GRADE
In math we are finishing up Unit 5 over fractions and will be taking our end of unit assessment this week. In science we will continue Unit 8 by collecting and analyzing data to identify sequences and predict patterns of change in shadows, seasons, and the observable appearance of the Moon over time. In language arts we continue to analyze nonfiction text features and find main ideas of topics related to weathering, erosion, and types of rocks. We also continue to practice writing responses that include text evidence to prove our answers. In social studies, we continue our unit in the Republic of Texas.
5th GRADE
This week in ELA, we have a busy week with the Reading Interim on Tuesday and starting our new unit 7 on Native Americans and The United States. At the same time, we make inferences and use evidence to support understanding and evaluate details read to determine key ideas. Additionally, this week, we will introduce an Argumentative Essay, where we will identify the claim and evidence.
After initiating the addition of fractions with uncommon denominators last Friday, this week in math, students will extend their skills by seamlessly incorporating the subtraction of fractions with uncommon denominators into their learning journey. Get ready for a week of expanding mathematical horizons!
As we bring our Ecosystems unit to a close, we’ll deepen our exploration of fossils and evidence from the past. Moving ahead into our next adventure, the Organism Structures and Functions Unit, students will delve into the differentiation of inherited traits and learned behaviors.
Library
Wanted! READERS!
This week we will be starting a school wide initiative called "Get Caught Reading". If students are "caught reading" they will earn a ticket for a chance to win a prize. Each day during Read Across America Week (March 4-8) we will be pulling tickets and giving away prizes.
Just a friendly reminder that as the JES counselor, I am always available should you have any questions or concerns related to your child.
Please contact me if you would like me to check in with them or offer extra support. I can be reached at 512-746-2103 or via email: Marilyn.alvarez-brya@jarrellisd.org
Jarrell Elementary School
Lara Hutchinson, Principal
Jaclynne Bizzell, Assistant Principal (Pre-K - 2nd)
Lupita Viveros, Assistant Principal (3rd - 5th)
Marilyn Alvarez, Counselor
Terry Kurtz, Registrar
Stephanie Garcia, Administrative Assistant
Kendra Field, Receptionist
Amanda Yanez, Attendance Clerk
Audrey Zuniga, Nurse
Website: jes.jarrellisd.org
Location: Jarrell Elementary School, County Road 313, Jarrell, TX, USA
Phone: 512-746-2170
Facebook: facebook.com/JarrellElementarySchool
Twitter: @MrsHutch_JES