Food Drive! Food Drive!

Parents, Its that time of year! Food drive -- Right now we are in 3rd place and we want to be in 1st place. Please send your cans and non-perishable items in!!! We want to win!

Red Ribbon Week

Red Ribbon Week 2013 and Bully Prevention Month The theme for this year’s celebration is Believe, Achieve, Succeed! Friday, October 18, 2013- Deadline for decorating the classroom door! Bully prevention theme. Student’s creation and effort. Can be based on story or theme of class choosing Decorate the outside of the door. Choice to cover or not cover the glass- it is up to the teacher! Monday October 21, 2013- The Places You’ll Go! Wear a shirt from a destination- such as a city, a state, a park, a country; examples- I hear New York, Alaska, Mount Rainer National Park, etc Red ribbons for students and staff Red ribbon to tie on a tree as a class Read or tell story about Red Ribbon Week on broadcast <>Tuesday, October 22, 2013- One School, One Goal, Bully and Drug Free Scottie Spirit Day- wear your favorite Highlands T-shirt Wednesday, October 23, 2013- Dream Big! Pajama day is back!! Wear your pajamas- no see through, short or inappropriate characters allowed Need sturdy shoes for arrival, dismissal and recess Thursday, October 24, 2013- Your Future Starts Today! Wear college t-shirts! make our reaching for the starts banner- hands for Prek-1 and stars for grades 2-5. Write or draw their future goal (occupation) on the hand or star turn in to the clinic by the end of Thursday!! Will ask parents to assemble banner on Friday Friday , October 25, 2013- Reaching for the Stars! Wear red Rally to conclude the events 8:30 am for all students “march” around the park to the basketball court. Chants, cheers and songs are welcomed. Signs and banners Great! Singing the “drug free” songs in the pavilion Announcement of door decoration winners- award prizes! Tuesday, October 29, 2013- Mix It Up at Lunch day Details coming from Mrs. Rothberg

Coming Up This Week

There is a test this Thursday over Place Value. I put a review sheet on Edmodo. If you don't have access to Edmodo, please let me know and I will get you the parent access code to get set up. Remember that we have popcorn Friday each week.

1st Nine Weeks Ending

The end of the 1st grading period is Friday: October 18, 2013. Report cards will go home the following Thursday.

Walk to School Day

Parents and Students, Keep in mind, Wednesday is "Walk to School" Day. If you do not live within the area there will be locations that you can meet to walk school. More information will be sent home.

Edmodo

Dear Parents, I have switched over to using Edmodo. Please make sure that you sign up for an Edmodo account on http://www.fbisd.edmodo.com I like Edmodo because it is a way that I can communicate with my students and teachers in a private environment. It has the fundamentals of tomorrow's communication in everyday life. It allows students to sit behind a computer and feel comfortable with technology so that they are not afraid of it. If we don't teach students to use social media in a safe way, our students will learn it on their own in an unsafe way. Please use the directions below to sign up for an Edmodo account. You should have received an Edmodo Parent code at Open House.

Student and Parent Account Set Up by ruben_rocha5762

A informational letter on Edmodo went home recently to inform you of Edmodo and its uses. FBISD is piloting the use of Edmodo and its use is covered by your students digital citizenship form. Below you will find a copy of that letter for your review. If you need to access your code, you may also have your student login and find it that way.

Edmodo Parent Letter Instructions2 by tara_rocha5762

Below is the Parent Training for Edmodo: Please take the time to watch it to get information on how to use it to check assignment, notes, etc. for your student.

Fall Parent Teacher Conferences

Just a reminder! Parent teacher conferences will be held this Thursday, Oct. 3. I sent home confirmations of appointment times this afternoon. If you did not get yours, please let me know. I look forward to meeting with you. Thursday: October 3, 2013 What: Parent Teacher Conferences - EARLY RELEASE: 10:55 AM Where: Highlands Elementary School When: 11:00 am - 5:00 pm

Problem Solving

I was asked to share the problem solving method that we use in class. It is called the four square method.

Welcome to a New School Year!

I am very excited to be teaching 2nd grade again. We are going to be learning a lot this year and I look forward to this school year.

Vocabulary Words: Money Unit

I just wanted to send you the new vocabulary words for what we are studying this next week. Thank you for working with your child at home. Topic 5 Vocabulary Cards

Topic 16 Vocabulary Words

We are starting a new unit this week and will be looking at number 1-100 on a number line. Below are the vocabulary words for this unit. Really the only word that is in this unit is Number Line. Vocabulary Cards - Topic 16

Picture Day!

Picture Day is this coming Wednesday, Sept. 19.

Mr. Rocha Moves to Second Grade

I am looking forward to the chance that I have to try something new, as I move to teach 2nd Grade.  I've had a good run at 6th grade, but also really enjoyed working with the younger students when I worked as an aide in both Special Ed and the Bilingual programs.  Stay tuned for more information about the happening in my 2nd Grade classroom. 

6th Grade Awards

6th Grade Awards
Date: Thursday, May 31, 2012
Time: 8:30am
Place: Cafeteria
Students should be dressed for success, no Jeans or t-shirts.
PLEASE RSVP IF YOU ARE ATTENDING.

STUDENT ATTIRE SHOULD BE DRESSY BUT STILL MEET DRESS CODE. IF OUR LADIES WEAR DRESSES, PLEASE CHECK LENGTH AND SHOULDER WITDTH. OUR GENTLEMEN SHOULD WEAR A COLLARED SHIRT AND SLACKS (OR KHAKIS). WE ARE REQUESTING A “NO JEANS OR SHORTS” DAY. OF COURSE IF THAT IS NOT POSSIBLE, WE UNDERSTAND.

Final Exam Schedule & 6th Grade Gradution

5/24-Thursday

Students will have their 1^st period elective exam from 9:20-10:55am.  

5/25-Friday

Students will be in their homeroom and remain there all day.  

Students will take their 2^nd period elective exam from 9:20-10:55am, then after lunch they will take their Science final exam.

5/29-Tuesday 

Students will be in their homeroom and remain there all day.  

Math Exam from 8:15-10:00, then 11:45-12:30.  

Students will only go to their 2^nd period elective from 10:05-10:55am.  

Social Studies exam from 12:30-3:00pm. 

5/30-Wednesday 

Students will be in their homeroom all day.  

ELA exam from 8:15-10:45am.  

Early dismissal at 10:55am.

5/31-Thursday

Students will attend their awards ceremony in the cafeteria from 8:30-10:00am and then make their way back down to the 6^th grade hallway.  Parents wishing to take their children after 10:00am may do so.

Major Social Studies Project - Create a Zap (Website on Asia)

Last Friday, students were given an assignment to create their own website on Asia including elements such as Geography, Climate, Culture, etc. Students are using a free website on www.zapd.com. Click on the assignment for further instructions on how to create it. Students will be given one computer lab period to work as well as some additional class time, using our student computers to complete this assignment. This will be the last major grade in Social Studies. Students should reply to this assignment and include their blog url in the replay box To receive credit for the Zap students must:

 1. Copy and paste the link for their Zap to their Gaggle Social Studies Class Wall for comments and questions by other class mates.

 2. Make comments and questions on other students Zaps using the Gaggle Social Studies class wall.

 3. Email the link to your blog using Gaggle email AND reply to assignment in the Gaggle Homework Dropbox section, including the link to your Zap Blog in the body of the message.

A list of complete instructions can be found in the Gaggle Homework Dropbox that includes screenshots and step by step instructions for navigating the website. This assignment is due Friday, May 25.  Students went to the computer lab on Tuesday to work and will continue to work on the student computers in the classroom as time allows.  

6th Grade Dance

Just a reminder that the 6th grade dance tomorrow from 3:30-6:00. We are asking that parents arrive at 5:50 to pick up students.

All students should have turned in their permission slips and $6 donations.

1st Annual 6th Grade vs. Faculty Softball Game

As part of our incentive for students with good behavior we are hosting a sixth-grade against faculty softball game this Friday, May 11, from 2-3 pm. We would like to invite parents to join forces with our faculty team. If you are interested in playing softball against your child please respond by e-mail or just come to our good behavior activity on Friday. We are looking forward to having a good turnout. We have also invited students from grades 3-5 to come and watch us play. It will be a fun event.


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STAAR Testing

Please remember that STAAR testing is next week. The campus will be closed to outside visitors. Parents may not visit classrooms, drop off things, or eat lunch with students. Good luck to our STAAR testers! You will do fabulous.

More Gaggling

We are continuing to use Gaggle in our class. Recently students were given an assignment to create a travel guide on the three tribal groups of Africa that we have studied. "Imagine that you are a travel guide speaking to a group of tourists to Nigeria. The three tribes are Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo." I emailed students in their Gaggle accounts with specific instructions on how to submit this assignment to their Homework Dropbox in Gaggle. Again, I will be taking a grade for this assignment. Please make sure that your student has finished this assignment so that they receive a grade for it.