April Newsletter 2015

Shoal Creek Elementary News
April 2015
A Message from Assistant Principal Graham:
Dear Families,
Spring has begun, and winter is finally over; warmer temperatures are not far off. It’s time for spring cleaning and preparing for the end
of the school year. It’s hard to believe that we have about six weeks of school before the end of the semester. It has been an awesome
year so far with many exciting opportunities for our students to continue to grow academically, socially and emotionally. Our school is in
full implementation mode with our school choice of Science Technology Engineering Arts and Math (STEAM). Mr. Toney and I have
been visiting classrooms and we are very proud of the STEAM projects that our dedicated staff and students are producing. The students
Dates to Remember
were able to participate in a STEAM Career Showcase on March 16th, where the community was invited in and students learned about
various careers. It was an exciting day for our school, if you missed it, you can go online to the following link at Rockdale News and read
4/6-10 Spring Intercession
(No School)
4/21-5/1
GA Milestones Testing
the article and see some of the pictures: http://www.joomag.com/magazine/the-rockdale-news-digital-edition-march-182015/0178839001426630739?page=14 The teachers continue to challenge our children each day in the on-going effort to prepare them
for College and Careers. We truly believe that it takes a village to raise our children and each of us (teachers, staff members and parents)
working together will create intelligent, independent, socially responsible thinkers that will be ready to lead the next generation. Thank
PTA Spring Carnival
2:30pm-5:00pm
you for all that you do as parents to support your child’s learning. In the next couple weeks we will be administering our new state
assessment Georgia Milestones, in grades three through five. While I always remind teachers and parents alike that this is just one
assessment and is not the focus of our teaching, it is an important gauge on how we are doing as a school and how well your children are
doing on grade level curriculum. The Georgia Milestones Assessment System (Georgia Milestones) is a comprehensive summative
assessment program spanning grades 3 through high school.
Georgia Milestones measures how well students have learned the
knowledge and skills outlined in the state-adopted content standards in language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. During
this time, it is important to get adequate sleep, eat a nutritious breakfast, and have a positive frame of mind the weeks of testing. Students
should not feel pressure from school or home. We have done an excellent job of preparing students to “show what they know.” We ask
only that students do their best work.
If possible, please avoid making doctors’ appointments during the testing window. For more information on Georgia Milestones you can
go to; http://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Assessment/Pages/Georgia-Milestones-Assessment-System.aspx
Thank you for being involved in your child’s education! Every time you attend school functions or volunteer in the school, you are
sending a message to your child that you value education. Your children are watching you and your actions speak louder than words.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Patrice Y. Graham
Assistant Principal
Hello SCE Family,
Thank you for attending the Parent Workshops for the 2014-2015 school year. Your attendance was very much appreciated. I hope you
received a wealth of information to assist you in helping your child in their education. Feel free to come volunteer and visit your Parent
Resource Center which is open daily from 7:05am - 2:10pm to serve your needs. School events are posted on the marquis on the front
lawn of the building and on our homepage. Like us on Facebook: Shoal Creek Elementary/RCPS. Thank you for your continued
support.
A Message from Prpal
5/1
Mrs. Danice C. Swift
Parent Liaison
Grade Level News
Kindergarten News
Hello Kindergarten parents,
Kindergarten students are still working hard in all areas. We are moving into the last few weeks of school, but will continue to
learn many new skills. Students should study their sight words every night and have mastered at least 55 sight words by the end
of the school year. Students should practice reading and writing sentences at home each night. Help your child look for sight
words in their environment. Please continue to encourage your child to write 2-3 sentences each night.
In Math, students will learn more about addition and subtraction. We will continue to work on word problems, composing
and decomposing numbers, etc. Please practice these skills with your child each night.
In Science, we will learn about Rocks and Soil. We will study the different types of rocks and soil that are in our area. We will
examine rocks and soil and will group them by their physical attributes. We will also recognize other earth materials such as
water and air.
The last few weeks of school will go by very quickly. Thank you for your continued support.
Kindergarten Team
Mrs. Bourdonnay, Mrs. Golden, Mrs. Hardee, Ms. Jones, Mrs. Leigh, Mrs. Stewart
First Grade News
First Grade is up for an exciting end of the year! In language arts and reading, the students are continuing to earn AR points. The
students will write their name on a star and will be able to move it across the first grade wall based on the amount of points they
earn. We are continuing to discuss main idea and supporting details of the various stories we read throughout the week. The
students will start an extended text lesson in each classroom that will allow them to explore books at a deeper level. First grade
will also continue to review all parts of speech. In math, the students are continuing to work on solving different equations, as
well as representing numbers by groups of tens and ones. In Science, students are learning about light and sound. The students
will explore light by identifying objects that block light, objects that allow some light to pass, and objects that allow all light to
pass. April 6th -10th is our Spring Break, and there will be no school. Expect paper work to come home during this month for our
final field trip to the Atlanta Zoo in May.
Thank you for all you do!
First Grade Team
Mrs. Barksdale, Ms. Dunlop, Ms. Rivers, Ms. Smith, Mrs. Thomas, Ms. Wright
Second Grade News
Greetings Parents!
Our Second Graders are wild about books! So we are thrilled about participating in the Annual Shoal Creek Elementary Reading
Fair. Our students will be sharing their favorite book through a storyboard display. This project covers several areas and
standards such as using oral and visual strategies to communicate, comprehension, spelling, applying strategies to gain meaning
from text, developing ideas in writing, handwriting, and oral reading fluency. In Math our students will be working on plane
shapes and solid figures. In Social Studies, our students will be working on the branches of government, In Science students will
be working on the states of matter.
Second Grade Team
Mr. Hardy, Ms. Morrison, Mrs. Pitt-Malone, Ms. Ruff, Mrs. Smith, Ms. Weber
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Shoal Creek Elementary News
Third Grade News
Our 3rd Graders are hard at work learning about heat and magnetism in science. We have been spending time in the Science
Lab doing experiments to gain further understanding of each topic. In math, our main focus has been working on fractions and solving
multi-step word problems involving the 4 operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division). If you have not already done so,
consider picking up a pack of multiplication and/or division flashcards to help your child memorize their facts. This is a very important
skill for children to master as they move to 4th grade. Social Studies is in full swing with learning about Historical Figures. Ask your
child if they can tell you what obstacles Franklin D. Roosevelt faced, and how he overcame these obstacles. Do you know why Eleanor
Roosevelt was called F.D.R’s “eyes and ears”? Ask your child to explain how she earned that nickname. 
Thank you for all of your support throughout the year!
Third Grade Team
Ms. Collinsworth, Mrs. Housworth, Ms. Moffett, Dr. Prease, Mrs. Rawhoof, and Ms. Shaver
Fourth Grade News
Pulling into the final leg of the race while still moving full steam ahed !!!!
We are into the final quarter and rapidly moving towards the finish line. We’re working on force, motion and simple machines in
science and measurement in math. While we are doing this we are also finding ways to begin reviewing information from earlier in the
school year within our classrooms. We encourage parents and students to practice on those areas that they feel they need the most help
with before Milestones begin next month. If you would like a list of standards please contact your child’s teacher or visit https://
www.georgiastandards.org/Pages/default.aspx to find the standard for your child grade level.
School/Home Connections
1. Encourage your child to read nightly for at least 30 minutes, do First in Math for at least 15 minutes.
2. Check your child’s agenda for homework and communications from the teacher daily.
3. Visit the school’s website for upcoming events.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” - Nelson Mandela
Fourth Grade Team
Mr. Cockburn, Ms. Gillespie, Ms. Jones, Mrs. Mickens, and Mrs. Roberts
Fifth Grade News
The 5th grade students have started their “Boot Camp” and will continue up to the Georgia Milestone Testing window. The Boot
Camp is a camp where students will work with various other 5 th grade teachers to learn other needed strategies that can assist them with
mastering the standards for the year. In addition to what they have been learning with their homeroom teachers, students will be learning even
more exciting and new research-based instructions to assist them with the standards from Q1-Q4. Students need to practice daily on various
math skills which include the following: Math: Operations and Algebraic Expression, Numbers and Base Ten (Place Value), Number and
Fractions, Geometry, Data Analysis, and Measurement. In writing, students have been working on Narrative, Persuasive,
Opinion/Argumentative, and Expository Writing. In Reading/ELA students have been working on all 10 standards in the Literary and
Informational Domains as well as learning English Grammar through Conventional Skills, and Speaking and Listening skills. Science is going
to be, “ground breaking” because we will be studying Earth Science on Landforms: Construction and Destruction. In Social Studies, students
must know and understand the news. Meaning, what is America’s role in the 21 st century world and what does it mean to be an Effective
Citizen. The following are some great websites for daily practice. www.tenmarks.com, www.learnzillion.com, www.ixl.com, and
www.livebinder.com.
Project: Reading: Students will be bringing home a letter outlining their reading project. This project will be due March 31, 2015.
This will be a fun project for the student.
Please view the Georgia Department of Education website for detailed information on all standards including the Georgia Milestone
State Test: www.georgiastandards.org.
Parents, thank you for your continuous support! Please view your child’s agenda daily and the school calendar for upcoming events.
The 5th Grade Team,
Mrs. Linda Adams, Ed.S, Ms. Emily Begue, Ms. Jessica Chandler, Ms. Jasmin Garcia, Ms. Kathleen Manzella, and Mr. Sid Reeves
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Shoal Creek Elementary News
Shoal Creek Elementary
2015-2016Kindergarten
Register your child now at:
Central Registration
1143 West Avenue, Conyers, GA 30012
Kindergarten Round-Up
May 7, 2015
8:00-12:00pm, 1:00-3:00pm, 4:00-6:00pm
Call 770-929-1430
To schedule your child’s Kindergarten round-up appointment.
Visit Our School Website at
shoalcreeksharks.com