Spicewood Elementary School Dear Families and Community,
Did you know that this week is National School Counseling Week? School counselors are truly superheroes.They are dedicated to the academic, career and social/emotional development of students, and seek ways to engage and inspire the heart of every child. This week we celebrate our amazing school counselor, Mrs. Kentopp!!
Tuesday is Spirit Night at MOD Pizza. The fourth grade team, special education teachers and Mrs. Haney will be there. Come enjoy great food and raise money for Spicewood PTA.
CELEBRATIONS
STEAM Day
This past Friday, students were able to experience another successful STEAM day. Not only did this day provide students the opportunity to explore and pursue interest in science, technology ,engineering, art and math, it also allowed them to engage in critical thinking skills. Kuddos to Mrs. Vance and Mrs. Haney for planning this incredible day! A huge thank you to our teachers, parent volunteers and vendors whose time and resources made this day possible.
PYP 101
This portion of Ms. Page’s newsletter is contributed by our PYP Coordinator, Jessica Vance.
“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existence.” –Albert Einstein
In PYP schools, the teachers’ structure new learning experiences and support students’ ideas about new experiences. These are fundamental to students’ knowledge, understanding, and conceptual development. We harness the power of provocations, curiosity and hands on learning experiences that provide opportunities for students to build meaning and refine their understanding through structured, guided and free inquiry.
From teacher professional development at the Apple store to a mixture of materials and design challenges, we’re always challenging our students and teachers to ask questions, share ideas and collaborate as they construct meaning for our complex world.
A Tinker Tray with an assortment of materials is used in the morning to provoke students thinking and creativity. What a great way to start the day!
Central Ideas guide student inquiries and questions. Teachers use them to plan for next steps in their instruction.
Resources like the weather station in our very own Teaching Garden allow our students to make real world connections & gather data to further their research.
Teachers need field trips too! Last fall, we took 12 teachers to the Apple store to learn more about app design and coding.
From books to other hands on materials, Ms. Reeb, our librarian, helps students develop their questioning skills with an inquiry station.
Students generate TONS of questions each and every day!
THIS WEEK’S NEWS
Join PTA (Parent Teacher Association)!
We are so close to achieving the Platinum Award! Spicewood Elementary PTA currently has 750 Members (88% representation of our student body). Help us reach our goal of 100% representation and join today. Together we CAN back the future!! Thank you for supporting Spicewood PTA.
Please participate in the 2019 Family Climate Survey
Parents, please take a few moments to participate in the 2019 Family Climate Survey today. Each day staff, students and volunteers at Spicewood Elementary work hard to ensure academic programs and the campus environment meet the needs of all children. You are a critical part of our success! The survey will only be available for a short time, please participate today. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2019_FamilySurvey
Adopt the Teaching Garden
Thank you to all of the families and groups who have signed up to take care of our Teaching Garden this year! But we still have some openings! Please consider adopting the garden for a week. This is a great opportunity for your family to be a part of this special addition to our school. It also allows you and your family a more personal, hands-on experience in the garden. Your weekly responsibilities will include: watering, weeding and maintaining the garden. As a reward for volunteering, you will be able to harvest some of the vegetables/herbs that are ready for picking and enjoy them at home! To sign up, please visit this page
Attention All Parents of 5th Grade Students
Now that we have entered the spring semester, the preparation for our students’ transition to middle school begins! Please see below for information and important dates regarding choice sheets, parent information night and instrument selections for students choosing band or orchestra as their elective. You are also encouraged to see Mrs. Kentopp’s Counseling website for additional information.
February 8th Choice Sheets will be due back
March 12th Parent information session for CVMS
6:00-7:00pm (CVMS gym)
March 30th Band instrument testing
8:00am-4:00pm (Band Hall)
One World, One Night
Would you like a chance to travel the world without buying a plane ticket? What would be better than to give our students and their families a passport to cultures around the world? Please join us for One World One Night on Tuesday, February 26, 2019 from 5:30pm – 7:30pm at Spicewood Elementary.
At the festival you will find tables hosted by fellow Spicewood parents sharing their cultures by exhibiting artifacts and traditional clothing, teaching crafts and games and providing culinary samples. Last spring the event featured Korea, China, Israel, Ethiopia, Philippines, India, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Italy, Peru, France, Bahamas, India, China, Ethiopia, Korea and Iran. This year we will also feature Taiwan! Each year the number of countries grow and we encourage all cultures at Spicewood Elementary to consider participating in this “One World One Night” Festival. It is a great way to introduce our students to cultures from around the world and embrace the IB education.
This event can not be possible without your participation, if you would like further information or are interested in participating in this event, please do not hesitate to email us at Spicewoodoneworldonenight@gmail.com.
Spicewood’s Spring Carnival
Mark your calendars! Carnival will be held on Friday, April 12th from 4-8pm and we will have food trucks, inflatables, a rock wall, petting zoo, carnival games, cake walk, and face painting!
DATES TO REMEMBER
Tuesday, February 5
5:00PM – 8:00 PM Spirit Night at MOD Pizza (11521 N Ranch Road 620, #450)
5:00pm – 800pm
Thursday, February 14
Valentine’s Day Parties
Monday, February 18
President’s Day – No School
Tuesday, February 19
District Professional Development for Staff- No School
Thursday, February 21
6:00PM General PTA Meeting #4
Wednesday, February 26
5:30PM – 7:30PM One World, One Night
Monday, March 4
8:00AM – 8:30AM Principals’ Pride (K-2)
Monday, March 4 – Thursday March 7
1st Grade Music Performance During Class
Tuesday, March 5
5:00PM – 8:00PM Spirit Night at Moonies Burgers
Wednesday, March 6
8:00AM – 8:30AM Principals’ Pride (3-5)
Wednesday, March 13
9:00AM – 2:00PM Kindergarten Round Up
Monday, March 18- Friday, March 22
Spring Break – No School
Thursday, March 28
5:00PM Gallery Night
Friday, April 12
4:00PM – 8:00PM Spring Carnival
Have a great week!
Sincerely,
Teyan Page
Proud Principal