Fairview-Marguerite Elementary

November 13th- S.T.R.E.A.M Family Night 5:00-7:00

Yearbooks will be going on sale October 19th. Parents have the option to purchase a yearbook ONLINE from Jostens by using a debit or credit card, ApplePay, PayPal, Cash App, or a 4 payment plan. You can also send the order form back to school. The school only accepts cash payments.

Order Forms will be sent home October 14-15th. Reserve it because we only purchase 175 yearbooks.

If you have any questions, email Mrs.Shepard... shepardt@hcboe.net .

The school year is off to a wonderful start, and we are grateful for the support of our parents, guardians, families, and community members in helping make it a success. We look forward to strengthening our partnership during Parent-Teacher Conferences on October 12th and 13th. Please continue checking your student's communication folder regularly for important updates from both the teacher and the school.

Mark your calendars for our upcoming S.T.R.E.A.M. Family Night on November 13th! Students and families are invited to join us for an evening of engaging, hands-on activities focused on Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, and Math. We hope to see you there as we learn, create, and grow together!

Pre-K has had an amazing start to the school year! We have been having so much fun learning together! We are so proud of our students because most of them are already able to write their names without a name tag! We have seen so much improvement in all of our students! Thank you for your continued support at home!

What We Have Learned in September

In September, we learned more about our new school, made new friends, and had fun learning our colors. We have already learned how to write the letters C, M, A, S, T, E, and P and identify the sounds they make. We also learned how to write the numbers 1 through 7. We have been working on the sight word (the) as well!

We are working very hard on learning how to write our names. Please practice name writing with your child at home. Once your child masters this skill, they will be able to add a star to their skills chart! Everyone is doing an amazing job with this skill! Thank you for your help at home!

What We Will Learn in October

In October, we will continue building connections with our new friends and learn about our environment. We will also learn all about pumpkins! We will learn about the letters B, O, and H as well as the numbers 8, 9, and 10.

Attendance Reminder

Attendance is very important in Pre-K! We understand that your child may occasionally need to miss school because of an appointment or illness. Please make sure to provide a doctor’s note or write a parent note to excuse your child’s absence. Too many unexcused absences may result in removal from the Pre-K program.

Ways to Help Your Pre-K Student at Home

• Practice writing their name.

• Practice identifying the letters in their name.

• Identify the letter and number we are learning each week.

• Practice writing the letter and number we are learning each week.

• Begin practicing how to put on a jacket independently, including pulling out the sleeves and zipping it.

Important Dates

October 1st: Pumpkin Patch Trip

October 2nd: Pumpkin painting

October 5th-9th: FALL BREAK (No School)

October 12th-13th: Parent Teacher Conferences

October 30th: Halloween Treat Trail

Happy October, Kindergarten Families! We have an exciting month ahead filled with learning, fall fun, and our Pumpkin Patch Field Trip!

Pumpkin Patch Field Trip

Our kindergarten classes will be visiting the pumpkin patch on Friday, October 16th!

Class Shirts: Your child will have their kindergarten class shirt before the field trip. Please make sure your child wears their class shirt to school on October 16th.

Permission Slips & Money: All permission slips and field trip money must be returned by Monday, October 12th for students who will be attending the field trip. Please make sure everything is turned in by the deadline.

More information about the field trip will be sent home as we get closer to the date.

Snack Donations Needed

We are beginning to run low on classroom snacks and would greatly appreciate any snack donations you are able to send in. Individually packaged, kindergarten-friendly snacks are especially helpful. Thank you for helping keep our snack supply stocked!

Phonics

We are continuing to practice using the letter sounds we have already learned to blend and decode words. During October, we will also learn several new sounds:

n • h • s • f • v • z • p • b

Please continue practicing letter sounds and blending at home. A few minutes of practice each night makes a big difference!

Reading

In reading, we will be learning about the different people in our lives, including our families, friends, and other important people in our communities. We will listen to stories, have discussions, build vocabulary, and make connections to our own lives.

Writing

We will continue working on SRSD Opinion Writing. Students are learning how to share their opinion and give reasons to explain their thinking. We will continue practicing the TREE strategy to help organize our ideas.

Math

We will begin a new math unit focused on:

Sorting • Classifying • Counting Objects

Students will practice sorting objects by different attributes, explaining how objects are alike and different, creating groups, and accurately counting the objects in each group.

Thank You, Families!

Thank you for continuing to practice at home and support what we are learning at school. We are looking forward to a wonderful October filled with lots of learning and fall fun!

First Grade News,

Hello! As October begins, we will be busy learning all kinds of new material across all subjects. In CKLA, we will be working on separated digraphs,(CVCe words) and plural nouns. In our knowledge building section of reading we will be working on how light and sound behave. In writing, we will begin informative writing.. In math, we will be working on addition within 20 and addition word problems within 20. Each night students are coming home with a reading passage. Please have your student read this passage to you every night and practice the power words on the page as well. Please sign and return that paper in his/her folder each day. Our field trip to the pumpkin patch will be on October 13. We hope all the students have a restful and fun fall break! Don't forget your parent-teacher conference on October 12 or 13.

First Grade Team

3rd Grade Math has been working hard and making great progress! We have been building our multiplication skills and learning how multiplication can help us solve problems we encounter in everyday life. Our Wildcats are becoming more confident mathematicians each day, and we are so proud of their hard work!

What We're Learning

This month, we will be focusing on building our multiplication fluency with our 0–12 multiplication facts. Students will be practicing their facts regularly so they can recall them accurately and efficiently.

While memorizing our facts is important, we also want students to understand how and when to use multiplication. We will be applying our multiplication skills to real-life problems and situations involving equal groups, arrays, measurement, and other everyday scenarios.

Students will be working on explaining their thinking, choosing appropriate strategies, writing equations to represent situations, and solving multiplication problems with confidence.

Why Multiplication Fluency Matters

Knowing multiplication facts fluently gives students the tools they need to become successful problem solvers. As we continue throughout third grade, multiplication will be used in more complex problems, including division, area, multi-step problems, and other mathematical situations.

Please continue practicing multiplication facts at home! A few minutes of practice each day can make a big difference. We encourage students to practice their 0–12 facts in a variety of ways, including flashcards, fact games, fact families, or simply practicing with a family member.

Tennessee Math Standards

Our learning is aligned with the Tennessee Academic Standards for third-grade mathematics, including:

• 3.OA.A.1 – Interpret factors and products in whole-number multiplication equations.

• 3.OA.A.3 – Multiply and divide within 100 to solve contextual problems involving equal groups, arrays/area, and measurement quantities.

• 3.OA.A.4 – Determine the unknown whole number in a multiplication or division equation.

• 3.OA.B.5 – Apply properties of operations as strategies to multiply and divide.

• 3.OA.C.7 – Fluently multiply and divide within 100 and know all products of two one-digit numbers and related division facts by the end of third grade.

• 3.OA.D.8 – Solve two-step contextual problems using the four operations and represent problems using equations with an unknown.

These standards emphasize not only knowing multiplication facts, but also understanding multiplication and applying it to solve meaningful problems.

Keep Practicing at Home!

We appreciate your continued support as we work toward multiplication fluency! Encourage your child to practice a little each day and celebrate their progress as they become more confident with their facts.

We are excited to see our 3rd Grade Wildcats continue to grow, learn, and become confident mathematicians!

Keep up the hard work, Wildcats!

3rd Grade Math

October is going to be a busy month of learning! We will begin opinion writing, review the reading skills we have learned so far, and continue helping students grow as confident readers and writers.

WRITING: OPINION WRITING WITH TREE

This month, students will begin opinion writing using our TREE strategy.

T – Topic Sentence: State your opinion.
R – Reasons: Give reasons that support your opinion.
E – Explain: Explain your reasons with details.
E – Ending: Finish with a strong conclusion.

Students will practice clearly stating an opinion and supporting it with strong reasons and explanations.

READING: REVIEWING OUR SKILLS

Throughout October, we will review all of the Reading Literature (RL) and Reading Informational (RI) standards we have learned so far.

Students will continue practicing skills such as main idea, theme, key details, characters, text structure, text features, point of view, vocabulary, and using text evidence.

As we review, students will practice using multiple reading skills with different texts to help prepare them for TCAP-style questions and tasks.

PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be October 12–13. We are asking to meet with every third-grade family to discuss your child's progress, reading data, and the Tennessee Third Grade Retention Law.

Phone conferences will be held on October 15 and will be 15 minutes long.

If you returned the purple conference form, your child has been scheduled for a conference. Please make every effort to attend your scheduled conference time. We look forward to talking with you about your child's progress!

THIRD GRADE RETENTION LAW REMINDER

The Tennessee Third Grade Retention Law places additional importance on third-grade reading performance. During conferences, we will discuss your child's current reading data, progress, and what the retention law means for third-grade students.

It is important that we meet with every family so that you understand your child's current progress and how we can work together to support continued reading growth.

HOW YOU CAN HELP AT HOME

• Read with your child each night.
• Ask, "What evidence from the text supports your answer?"
• Practice identifying the main idea of informational texts and the theme of stories.
• Ask your child to explain why they chose an answer.
• Have your child state an opinion and give reasons to support it.
• Review classwork and practice materials that come home.

Thank you for your continued support! We are looking forward to another great month of learning and growth!

4th Grade has been busy bees! We have been working hard and learning so much this month. Our Wildcats have been growing as readers and writers, and we are so proud of the effort they are putting in each day!

What We're Learning

In reading, we have been working on our summarizing skills and learning how to identify the theme in stories and poems. We are also practicing how to support our thinking with evidence from the text. Our goal is to become stronger readers who can explain not only what a text says, but how we know!

In writing, we have been really zeroing in on our informational writing skills. Students are working hard to organize their ideas, include important details, and explain their thinking clearly. We are excited to see how much their writing continues to grow!

September was such a fun month! From our field trip to Neyland Stadium to enjoying a long Labor Day weekend, we have made some wonderful memories!

Now we are looking forward to all that October has in store! We can't wait for Fall Break and, of course, the Treat Trail! We have lots of fun ahead!

Keep Reading at Home!

One of the best ways to help your child become a stronger reader is to read at home every day. We encourage students to read not only to themselves, but also to others!

Reading aloud to a parent, sibling, grandparent, pet, or even a stuffed animal can help students build their reading confidence, fluency, and expression. Even just a few minutes of reading aloud each day can make a big difference!

Keep Up the Hard Work, 4th Grade Wildcats!

We are so proud of everything our students are accomplishing! Keep working hard, keep reading, keep learning, and keep growing!

You're doing AWESOME, 4th Grade Wildcats!

Mrs. Coffey, Mrs. Herrington, Mrs. Martinez

4th Grade ELA

Where we’ve been:

For the past month we have focused mainly on adding and subtracting multi-digit numbers, using our understanding of place value to help with regrouping correctly. We also worked on multiplicative comparisons and continued to spiral back to concepts that were already taught, in order to be prepared for our first math benchmark assessment.

Where we’re going:

In October we will be working on multi-digit multiplication and division strategies. Students will further their understanding of multiplication and division through the use of partial products/quotients, the area model, and the relationship between multiplication and division. This is a very big area of fourth grade math, please work with your child at home on their single digit multiplication and division facts. There are a lot of free resources online that you can use but if you have specific questions please let us know.

How to help:

Please make sure your child is completing their weekly homework as it is a good review of the skills and concepts we have already worked on in class. In addition, please help your child practice their basic multiplication and division facts. If you have any questions please reach out via ClassDojo.

Math

During October, our main focus will be rounding decimals to the nearest whole number, tenth, and

hundredth. Students will build a strong understanding of why decimals round up or down rather than

simply memorizing a rule. We will use place-value charts, vocabulary, and number lines to help

students determine which value a decimal is closest to and explain their reasoning.

We will also continue reviewing previously learned place-value skills, including reading and writing

decimals, identifying the value of digits, and understanding how a digit’s value changes based

on its position. These skills will be reviewed throughout the month to strengthen students’ overall

understanding of decimals.

Social Studies

In Social Studies, we will continue exploring early Tennessee history before transitioning into

Tennessee during the Civil War later in October. Students will examine how differences among

Tennessee’s three Grand Divisions influenced the state's decision to secede from the Union.

Students will also explore important Civil War events and battles that took place in Tennessee,

including Fort Donelson, the Battle of Stones River, the Battle of Franklin, and the Battle of

Nashville. Through short investigations, readings, posters, discussions, and possible learning

stations, students will examine each event and its significance to Tennessee history.

We are looking forward to another month of learning, exploring, and building on what we already

know!

In ELA, we are continuing to strengthen our reading comprehension skills through both literary and informational texts. Students are reviewing and practicing important standards, including point of view and central idea, while using evidence from the text to support their thinking.

In Writing, students are working on developing strong, well-organized essays. We are currently practicing and reinforcing the structure of introduction and body paragraphs, while also polishing our grammar, sentence structure, and overall writing clarity.

In Science, we are wrapping up our review of changes in matter, including physical and chemical changes. We are also beginning our next unit on forces and motion, where students will explore how forces affect the movement of objects.

Regular school attendance is one of the most important ways families can support their child’s success. Every day at school is an opportunity to learn, build relationships, practice routines, and grow! When students attend consistently, they are better able to keep up academically, feel connected to their classroom, and develop positive habits that support good behavior.

Missing school can make it difficult for students to catch up. Even a few absences can mean missed instruction, practice, classroom discussions, and important routines. Returning after an absence can also feel overwhelming for some children, which may lead to frustration, avoidance, or behavior challenges.

Families can help children develop responsibility for attendance from an early age. Try these simple strategies:

• Make attendance the expectation. Talk about school as an important responsibility, just like adults have responsibilities at work.
• Prepare the night before. Choose clothes, pack backpacks, and have everything ready to make mornings easier.
• Create consistent bedtime and morning routines. Well-rested children are better prepared to learn and manage their emotions.
• Let your child take ownership. Give age-appropriate responsibilities such as setting an alarm, checking their backpack, or keeping track of school materials.
• Celebrate consistency. Praise your child for getting up, getting ready, and showing up—even on days when they may not feel like it.
• Talk with us when there is a problem. If your child is struggling with anxiety, behavior, transportation, academics, or another issue that is making attendance difficult, please reach out. We want to help!

Showing up matters! When families and schools work together to make attendance a priority, we help students build the academic skills, positive behaviors, responsibility, and perseverance they need for success—both in school and beyond.

Building strong math skills is about more than memorizing answers. Children become more confident when they learn easy strategies that help them understand how numbers work.

Math Facts to 20

Help your child look for patterns and use facts they already know.

For example:

• 8 + 7 can be thought of as 7 + 7 = 14, then add 1 more = 15
• 9 + 6 can be thought of as 10 + 5 = 15
• 15 − 7 can be solved by thinking, “7 + what number equals 15?”

Helpful strategies include:

• Making 10
• Doubles, such as 6 + 6
• Doubles plus 1
• Counting on from the larger number
• Using addition to help solve subtraction

Building Number Sense

Number sense means understanding how numbers work together.

At home, ask questions such as:

• “What is one more than 14?”
• “What is one less than 20?”
• “How many different ways can you make 12?”
• “Which number is larger: 16 or 12?”
• “How many more do you need to make 10?”

You can also use everyday objects such as cereal pieces, blocks, coins, buttons, or toys to practice making and breaking apart numbers.

Multiplication Fluency

Children should understand multiplication before trying to memorize every fact.

Start with the easiest facts:

• ×0
• ×1
• ×2
• ×5
• ×10

Then help your child use known facts to solve harder ones.

For example:

6 × 7

Your child may know:

5 × 7 = 35

Then add one more group of 7:

35 + 7 = 42

Arrays, equal groups, repeated addition, and skip counting can also help children understand multiplication.

A Simple 10-Minute Practice Routine

Try this at home:

1. 2 minutes: Practice number sense.
2. 3 minutes: Practice one math strategy.
3. 3 minutes: Practice a few addition, subtraction, or multiplication facts.
4. 2 minutes: Review facts your child already knows.

Short, regular practice is usually better than long worksheets.

Most Important

Encourage your child to explain their thinking.

Instead of asking:

“What is the answer?”

Try asking:

“What fact do you already know that could help you?”

Accuracy and understanding should come before speed. As children become more confident and accurate, their math fact fluency will naturally improve.