Melissa Nored, Librarian

Digital Citizenship Week

Last week all of Katy ISD celebrated Digital Citizenship Week. The theme for the week was Think Before You Post, and at the elementary schools, we focused on becoming “Super Digital Citizens.” We all need be reminded to consider the consequences of what we say or post online and the effects it might have on others, as well as, our own online reputation. Students were challenged to think of ways they could show kindness to others when you are playing a game or talking to friends online. During library and class time, students brainstormed and discussed what it takes to be a Super Digital Citizen.

I shared the Digital Survival Toolkit with 4^th & 5^th grade students, and the loved the visual example of squeezing all the toothpaste out of a tube – once it’s out, it’s impossible to get it all back in. I believe students are beginning to understand that once something is posted on the Internet – a photo, a tweet, an email, a comment, a chat – they have little to no control over who sees that post and where it goes. Ask them about Dr. Bell’s experiment! Students also signed a pledge to be a Super Digital Citizen and use the Internet safely, responsibly, and respectfully. Ask your student what else was in the toolkit!

Kindergarten through 3^rd grade talked about private information versus information that it is ok to share. Older students were amazed at how far Dr. Bell’s tweet went and how many people viewed it – 35,322 views in one week! 

Using the Internet carefully and respectfully is vitally important for our young people. Students also created Super Digital Citizens and created bookmarks. Check out these examples:

Cimarron appreciates your support as we teach and encourage your students to use the Internet safely and responsibly. Our curriculum for Digital Citizenship comes from a terrific website: Common Sense Media. Check it out – https://www.commonsensemedia.org This site has fantastic resources for talking with your student about Internet safety as well as terrific reviews for movies, books, games, and apps. I have included a link below to one of their Family Tip Sheets – Common Sense on Digital Life – that is full of great ideas. Please read with your family. If you missed them, check out the great posts from last week at #cecheetahs and #thinkb4upost.

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/sites/default/files/uploads/pdfs/k-5-familytip-digital_life_043015.pdf

Thanks! Mrs. Melissa Nored, Cimarron Library Media Specialist

3rd Grade Team

In third grade we have been learning about communities in social studies. The students were given certain guidelines of items that were to be included in the project, but were give freedom to present the information any way they wanted. The students were extremely excited about this activity and really got into it and took it an ran with it. It was awesome to see their creativity and how they wanted to include so much more information than the minimum guidelines. It was awesome to watch their excitement of learning!

Carla Otero-Art Teacher

Kindergarten: Discovering Tempera Paint!

 

This school year, our Kindergarten students have been painting with tempera paint for almost all of their art projects. It is just a joy to see how they mix colors, how they choose different size of brushes, and how they discover all the possibilities that painting brings to them.

We are learning about the Elements of Art. We have covered lines and shapes.

I am so proud of their scenes with houses (rectangles, triangles, squares), flowers (circles and ovals), and "the big round Sun".

 For our next project we will be using oil pastels! I am sure we will have a blast! 

Landon, 4th Grade Student

Give Me My Life

Inspired by Graham Denton’s “Give Me Wings” which was studied during 4th grade Focus Poetry, Landon penned his personal, heartfelt sentiments about having the freedom to celebrate life on his own terms.  I am delighted to share his masterpiece, so others may dare to dream.  ~Deanna Krenek, 4th Grade Teacher

“Give Me My Life”

By Landon N.

There, let me outside and have my wings,

So I can see the world, feel the wind, see stuff,

So let me see my true life like you!

So let me look in the heavens and the ends of the earth.

Let me meet new friends like you did once.

So let me see true light, and you can come, too, if you like.

So if you can hear me, show me the world, everybody’s world!

Show them and me from stars up above, from earth below,

What it looks like!

So if you can lend me a wing or two,

So I can live my life! I want to live!

So show me a park or anything your heart desires,

Or show me my life,

So come here and give me the best two wings you’ve got.

So wait, what? You will give me wings? Really? Yes! Yeah!

Come fly with me, okay?

Now I see true life. It is now revealed.

Kindergarten Team

Building Strategic Readers in Kindergarten

This week our Kindergarten Cheetahs started learning about reading strategies.  

“A strategy helps us read,” says Rylie in Miss Gurney’s class. 

The first strategy we learned about is Eagle Eye. 

Kerah from Miss Fait’s class knows that, “Eagle Eye helps us look at the picture for clues.”  

The students learned that the picture can give lots of clues to what they words could be on the page.  Maci from Ms. Clark’s class shows below one the posters that she can refer to while she reads to help her remember!

These Cheetahs in Mrs. Scharr’s class are helping each other to use Eagle Eye when they buddy read together!

Miss Fait is wearing her reading tool belt and getting ready to use her Eagle Eyes!

In this video, Chase from Mrs. Yezak-McDonald’s class explains who Eagle Eye and how it helped him read his book!

Next week, the Kindergarten students will learn lots more strategies that will help them decode the words in a book! They are looking forward to it!

Erick, 4th Grade Student

Science Fun

Yesterday was awesome. There was a big Science experiment. We were melting things. The first thing was ice. The second was chocolate chips and the third was a glue stick. 

Fourth was gummy candies. Fifth was marshmallows and last was water.

It was AWESOME!

First we were melting them and waiting. The melting and waiting was 5 minutes. My favorite thing to melt was the marshmallows. They looked like milk.

It made me so excited that I couldn’t stop talking.

By: Erick