Volume 8, Issue 2

October 2022

Greetings,

Teachers and staff are hard at work in the Cypress School District ensuring our students develop the skills they need to master grade-level standards and achieve school success. They also strive to create a positive learning environment where all students feel safe and excited about coming to school. This issue of our e-Newsletter highlights the many great things happening in our schools. We hope you will spend a few minutes learning more.

Sincerely,

Anne Silavs, Superintendent

Budding First Grade Scientists at Arnold

STEM units are an interactive and engaging way for students to learn the Next Generation Science Standards. For example, first graders recently learned about light by observing objects through a lightbox. They discovered that the presence of light in a space causes objects to be seen in that space. Objects cannot be seen if there is no light to illuminate them, but the same object in the same space can be seen if a light source is introduced. Furthermore, the ability of an object to give off its own light causes the object to be seen in a space where there is no other light source present. Students enjoyed working together with partners during the lesson to conduct investigations and record their findings to share with the class.

Having Fun with Fluency at King!

“Elbow to elbow and knee to knee, I’ll read to you and you read to me!” Students in Mrs. Berry’s first-grade class use EEKK to practice their oral reading fluency. During EEKK reading time, partners sit facing each other, nearly elbow to elbow and knee to knee, while listening to one another read and helping each other decode difficult words. Partner reading provides students with the opportunity to show what they know and to feel proud of the progress they have made in reading. It also affords students extra reading practice to further develop their decoding skills. As a special treat, sometimes students even get to EEKK read in the dark with flashlights!

Working and Learning in Small Groups at Landell

Teachers at Landell work with students in small groups to provide targeted instruction matched to each student's needs. During weekly grade-level team meetings, teachers review student assessment data, identify areas where students need additional help, and plan instruction accordingly. While the teacher works with a small group, the other students work independently in small groups with their peers. To support the success of small groups, teachers create classroom management systems and establish student behavioral expectations that ensure productive learning outcomes for everyone.

Positive Expectations Yield Positive Results at Luther

Luther students learned about the school’s behavioral expectations during PBIS Day. Each class visited seven campus locations, including the library, lunch area, office, playground, and parking lot, as well as restrooms and hallways. At each location, teachers displayed the appropriate PAWS poster and explained how the students could Practice kindness, Act respectfully, Work responsibly, and Stay safe in that setting. Students also learned how they could earn PAWS tickets by following these expectations and how they could spend those tickets on prizes and rewards at the school store. The day ended with Luther the Lion leading the students in the school’s PAWS cheer.

Making Someone’s Day at Morris

In Mr. Kelley’s fifth-grade classroom, making someone’s day is one of several important principles. Students decided to demonstrate this principle with the project “Morris Cleanup Day.” They noticed that Joe, the school’s custodian, needed some extra help picking up trash along the school’s perimeter. Equipped with latex gloves, they walked along the school fence line picking up trash during their recess, filling nearly two 13-gallon trash containers. Joe was thrilled with their efforts and expressed great appreciation for all their help. Students learned that when you go out of your way to make someone’s day, it often makes your day, too!

Halloween Fun at Vessels

Students at Vessels earn points at school for demonstrating respectful and responsible behavior throughout the school day. They also have the opportunity to redeem the points they earn for prizes and special school activities. In October, students who earned at least 25 positive behavior points were treated to a Create-A-Ghost Party. Everyone had a spooktacularly good time creating their ghosts and having fun with classmates. This activity is one of many fun-filled school events planned for students to promote a safe and positive school year!