Deretchin Digest
February 2026 Edition
A Note From Mrs. Oliver
WOW! It is hard to believe that we are already in the month of February! This is the perfect month to celebrate our students for continuing to demonstrate their LOVE for LEARNING! We are extremely proud of all of their hard work! Our amazing teachers have many exciting lessons and events planned this month that our students will definitely LOVE!
As always, thank you for your continuous support in helping us to build a caring and supportive school community.
Sincerely,
Tina Oliver
*Please take a look at our "T & L Talks" video for this month on the button below. Tina and Leia would "love" for you to check it out! 💖🐾
Upcoming on the Deretchin Calendar
February 2-6- School Counselor Appreciation Week
February 3 - Spirit Night Republic Grille
February 6- PK-3rd Kindness Assembly, 8:30, 4th-6th Kindness Assembly
February 7- Sci://Tech Expo: Elementary Science Festival, 7:00 AM-3:00 PM
February 10- Crossing Guard Appreciation Day
February 12- 3rd grade program 6:00, Spirit Night at Deretchin: Cake Pop Wagon
February 13- Staff Exchange - Student Holiday
February 16 - No School
February 18- Coffee with the Counselors, 9:00
February 19- PTO Meeting in cafeteria, 8:30
February 26- 2nd grade field trip
February 27- Go Texan Day, Spotlight on Kindness Ceremony, 9:15 in cafeteria, Deretchin Rodeo, 5:00-8:00
SMART Tag Parent APP
Please sign up for the SMART tag™ Parent App, as the district is no longer providing Bus Hubs to notify parents of bus delays. This app offers real-time updates on your child’s school bus, including arrival alerts, and notifications for delays or route changes.
It's a reliable and convenient way to stay informed about their child's transportation. Simply download the app, register, and link your child’s student ID to start receiving updates. The following link will provide you with instructions on how to register.
PTO Information
It’s Rodeo season y’all! Deretchin Rodeo is Friday, February 27th, 5-8pm. Tickets for Rodeo go on sale February 2nd. Wristbands are required for all children 3-17 years old. Adults are free. For more information visit our Rodeo Website.
We also have our Spring Silent Auction happening this month, 2/23-2/27. You can preview items now. We have some amazing items and adding more every day!
Please join us for our February General PTO Meeting on Thursday, February 19th at 8:30am. You can RSVP here.
Michele Nicol
Deretchin PTO President
Counselor's Corner
Character Pillar of the Month: KINDNESS
Habits of the Week:
Be caring and helpful.
Say encouraging words to others.
Celebrate others’ successes.
Think about how others feel-show empathy.
UPCOMING DATES:
2/2/26 - 2/6/26 National School Counseling Week
2/2/26-2/6/26 Kindness Week
Please view our flyer for our poster contest (here).
2/6/26 Kindness Assembly
2/18/26 Coffee with the Counselors
Presented by Taylor Bart Conroe ISD District Mental Health Specialist
“Flipping the Switch on Anxiety”
9:00 AM-10:00 AM Deretchin Elementary
Please RSVP (here) ahead of time, so your sticker is ready to go.
2/19/26 Community Event
Special Screening of Screenagers: Next Chapter
Click here to view the trailer
When: Thursday, February 19th
Time: 6:30-7:30 PM
Location: The Jett Center
19043 David Memorial Drive, Shenandoah, Texas 77385
Click here to register for the event and to see upcoming Community Events.
2/27/26 Spotlight Ceremony on “Kindness” 9:15 AM in the cafeteria
3/3/26 McCullough Counselor Visits for 6th graders
Pre-K News
February has arrived, and we will be diving into the world of communication and sharing. We will be crafting writing pieces and exploring letter names and sounds. In math, we will be embarking on an adventure to master number sense and measurements. Science will take us into the realm of physical science, while social studies will have us exploring geography. Let's not forget to spread some love—Happy Valentine’s Day to all!
Kindergarten News
Happy February Kindergarten Families!
We are looking forward to seeing your student's LOVE of learning continue to grow this month. In language arts, we will be reading about how to help in our community, and then begin a unit on historical kings and queens. In math, we will work on using comparative language to compare two groups of objects. Students will work on telling which set is "more than' and which set is "less than". We will also be reviewing money (penny, nickel, dime, and quarter), and continue working on joining and separating numbers. In science, we will finish our unit on weather and then learn about rocks, water, and soil. In social studies, we will learn about historical figures and presidents. Thank you for all of your support. It's going to be a wonderful month in Kindergarten!
First Grade News
Dear Parents,
Happy February! We have an exciting month ahead in first grade, filled with engaging activities, new learning experiences, and special celebrations. Here’s what we’ll be working on throughout the month:
Social Studies
In February, we will dive into learning all about our great state of Texas! We’ll explore Texas customs, state symbols, and some of the important historical figures who shaped our state’s history. This will be a fun opportunity for students to connect with our state’s past and present.
Language Arts
In language arts, we will be learning about fairy tales. This unit will introduce students to fairy tales, where they will learn about the elements of fairy tales that distinguish them as a unique type of fiction that still has elements of character, plot, and setting that are found in other types of fiction.
Math
In math, our focus will be on comparing and ordering 3-digit numbers. We’ll explore place value concepts and work with numbers. Your child will develop a stronger understanding of how numbers are organized and how to compare their sizes.
Science
In science, we’ll study how plants, animals, and humans use rocks and soil. We’ll learn about the different types of rocks and how they are important to the environment.
Valentine’s Day
We will be celebrating Valentine’s Day with a class Valentine exchange! Please check with your child’s teacher for any specific details on how to participate in this fun event.
We are excited for the month ahead and look forward to all the learning and growth that will take place. As always, thank you for your continued support at home!
Warmly,
The First Grade Team
Second Grade News
Brrr! February is starting with some chilly days! We hope you all stay warm and healthy. This month we celebrate love and kindness. We can’t wait to set kindness challenges for our students throughout the month. Please look for the upcoming information about this month’s field trip. Thank you for your continued partnership. We look forward to more learning, growing, and celebrating together in the weeks ahead.
Our readers will be learning different ways to spell common vowels, as well as focus on adjectives. Students will also review subject and predicate to learn about different parts of sentences. We will be reviewing the ‘le’ and ‘al’ spelling patterns and be introduced to the ‘tion’ spelling tree. Our reading unit will be a non-fcition science unit learning about the digestive system in the human body. We think your children are going to love this unit! We are working hard on increasing our reading stamina, editing our writing for correct punctuation, and answering questions in complete sentences.
This month our mathematicians will continue to practice adding and subtracting double digit numbers using various strategies. We will be reviewing our geometry skills with a fun project, before introducing students to the topic of fractions. Please be sure to help your child practice addition and subtraction facts to 20 by heart.
In social studies, students will begin their history unit by looking at items from the past and making a timeline of their life. Students will learn about important historical figures who have had an impact on American life. Our scientists will be learning about the weather this month. We will have lots of data to start our unit measuring the temperature and rainfall.
Third Grade News
In language arts, third graders will begin Unit 7: Native American Regions and Cultures. Students will read a variety of informational and literary texts to learn about different Native American groups, their regions, traditions, and ways of life. Throughout the unit, students will practice important STAAR reading skills, including identifying main ideas and key details, making connections across texts, and using text evidence to support their answers. Writing tasks will focus on responding to texts clearly and explaining ideas using information from what they read.
In math, we will be wrapping up our unit on extending multiplication. This includes two step word problems and multiplying with 2-digit numbers. Please make sure your child is practicing and memorizing their multiplication facts! We end the month with learning about equivalent fractions with denominators of 2, 3, 4, 6, and 8 using a variety of objects and pictorial models, including number lines. Students will explain that two fractions are equivalent if they are both represented by the same point on the number line or represent the same portion of the same size whole for an area model.
In science, students will compare and describe day-to-day weather in different locations at the same time, including air temperature, wind direction, and precipitation. Students will also investigate and explain how soils such as sand and clay are formed by weathering of rock and by decomposition of plant and animal remains. They will also model and describe rapid changes in Earth's surface such as volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and landslides.
In social studies, we will continue our unit on History. We will learn about individuals who exemplify good citizenship and individuals who have discovered scientific breakthroughs or created and invented new technology that affected life in various communities in the past and in the present.
The students have been practicing so hard, and we hope to see everyone at the 3rd grade program on Thursday, February 12th!
Fourth Grade News
The first month of 2026 flew by and we have a lot going on in the month of February!
In math, we will spend the majority of the month circling back to fractions. The students will learn to compare fractions, determine if two fractions are equivalent and also make equivalent fractions, add and subtract fractions with the same denominator, and use benchmark fractions to compare and evaluate reasonableness of fractions. The last part of the month we will begin our measurement unit which will take us all the way through spring break.
In science, we will model and describe slow changes to Earth's surface caused by weathering, erosion, and deposition from water, wind, and ice. We will also investigate and explain how most producers can make their own food using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide through the cycling of matter and also explore and explain how structures and functions of plants such as waxy leaves and deep roots enable them to survive in their environment.
In social studies, we will learn about the importance of the Texas Revolution, the
Republic of Texas, and the annexation of Texas to the United States. In doing this, we will analyze the causes, major events, and effects of the Texas Revolution, including the Battle of the Alamo, the Texas Declaration of Independence, the Runaway Scrape, and the Battle of San Jacinto. We will also summarize the significant contributions of individuals such as William B. Travis, James Bowie, David Crockett, Juan N. Seguín, Susanna Dickinson, and Antonio López de Santa Anna. The students will also be completing their Alamo projects this month. A letter about this project will be sent home at the beginning of the month and the project will be due on March 2nd. We can’t wait to see everyone’s projects and we hope you have a blast working on them!
In Language Arts, we are wrapping up our unit, Treasure Island: X Marks the Spot. The kiddos have enjoyed the creative mind of Robert Louis Stevenson as he took them on an adventure on the high seas filled with pirates, buried treasure, and strategies for survival. The students also enjoyed writing their own original adventure stories. What creative students we have!!
Our next unit is Poetry: Wondrous Words. Students will be reading and writing many different kinds of poems throughout this unit. Students will be given tools and strategies for approaching poetry as well as learning about poetic devices, such as the many types of figurative language that poets use to communicate effectively.
FIFTH GRADE NEWS
Language Arts
Students will analyze the major causes and events of World War II and examine America’s role in the war. They will evaluate informational texts and primary sources to understand key ideas and perspectives. Students will also practice identifying claims and evidence to prepare for writing an argumentative essay!
Math
Fifth graders are diving into an exciting geometry and measurement unit! Students will review area and perimeter while learning how to find the volume of different shapes. They will also explore unit conversions, including both customary and metric measurements, to strengthen their real-world math skills.
Science/Social Studies
Fifth graders will begin their life science unit, beginning with plant and animal structures and functions. We will then learn about how organisms interact with each other, including food chains and food webs. Students will soon experience an “Animal Day,” in which they will get to observe different lizards, frogs, a rabbit, and a guinea pig up close (no touching).
In social studies, students are continuing to learn about inventions and westward expansion in the United States. This unit will lead into our unit on the Civil War. We will learn about the major causes that led to the Civil War and effects of the war, including reconstruction.
SIXTH GRADE NEWS
Sixth grade is as busy as ever! We’ve hit the ground running with our learning and are looking forward to all the exciting things ahead for the rest of the semester, as our students continue their journey as Deretchin Dragons.
In science, we’re wrapping up our unit on space science. This unit has been a blast as we uncover how Earth’s rotation and revolution causes seasons, solstices, equinoxes, and tides! Now we are diving into Earth science. Learning about Earth’s layers, the atmospheres, and types of rocks. Next up, we’ll continue our global exploration in social studies, where we’re studying Russia. Students will learn about its unique geographic features like permafrost, tundras, and taigas, as well as the historical significance of the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991. Soon, we’ll be diving into East Asia, exploring everything from the Great Wall of China and the Silk Road to the region's distinctive geographic features and population policies.
In math, students will be working on solving equations and inequalities. They will learn how to use inverse operations to find unknown values, represent solutions on a number line, and explain their mathematical thinking using correct vocabulary. Students will also practice checking their solutions to ensure their answers make sense. You can support your child at home by asking them to explain how they solved a problem, what an inequality symbol means, or why a solution is true. Encouraging them to show their work and talk through their steps helps build confidence and deepen understanding as we continue developing strong problem-solving skills this February!
In language arts, we’ve revisited fiction and introduced narrative nonfiction into our studies. This month, we’re wrapping up our literature study of A Long Walk to Water. Students have been engaged in thoughtful discussions about the journeys of Salva and Nya, and we can’t wait to see how their insights evolve. Our upcoming unit will focus on argumentative writing, where students will learn to express their ideas with organization and clarity.
Thank you for your continued support. We’re looking forward to another month of growth, exploration, and exciting learning experiences ahead!
Music News
We have so many great things happening in the Music Department in this new semester!
In kindergarten, we are adding to our songs and games to reinforce steady beat and note reading skills. 1st graders will start working on their musical “How Does Your Garden Grow?”, which will be performed on April 2nd. 2nd grade is hard at work on their musical “Go Fish!”, to be performed on March 5. 3rd graders are excited to perform their musical “Swamped” on Thursday, February 12th! 4th graders are continuing to work on reading note names and counting rhythms on numbered beats. They are also working on sight singing, and learning the keyboard.
Happy February from the Band Directors! We are BEYOND proud of the 6th Grade Band students who participated in the Honor Band clinic and concert in January. We are continuing our preparation for the Band Benchmark that is taking place on February 21st at McCullough Junior High. All enrolled Band students are required to take the Band Benchmark. More information will be sent out from McCullough soon, including the sign up for times for the day of the Benchmark. Meanwhile, our 5th graders have been working incredibly hard to pick up more of their range and techniques for their instruments. Both 5th & 6th grade students are preparing solos and ensembles to perform in April. All of the kids are working so hard and we’re very proud of their hard work.
Ms. Chambers is very proud of the 6th grade orchestra students who performed in the Honor Orchestra concert in January. The performance was wonderful! February is a particularly busy month for the 6th graders, since they will continue to work on their benchmark music, which will be performed in late February at McCullough JH, as well as begin to look at solo and ensemble pieces they will perform in April. The 5th graders are continuing to work on new notes and techniques.
Intermediate General Music has had a great time working on their recorder, ukulele, piano and vocal skills and are beginning to combine some of these skills to play as ensembles in class.
Both the 3rd/4th Grade and Intermediate choirs are starting music for their spring concert. We are so proud of our 6th grade choir students who auditioned for the CISD Intermediate Honor Choir on Friday, January 30, 2026. Congratulations to the Deretchin choir students who qualified to sing with the Conroe ISD District Honor Choir that will perform on March 28, 2026.
Melody Childs-Music/Choir
Michelle Gastler-Music/Band
Zack Grahn-Music/Band
Avery Chambers-Music/Orchestra
PE News
Happy Healthy Heart Month!
February reminds us to think about the importance of our heart. The heart can only get stronger with exercise, and exercise improves every aspect of your life. Take time every single day to give your most precious muscle the love that it needs! Throughout the month, our PE classes will focus on activities that boost cardiovascular fitness such as running, engaging warm-ups and active games. Let's keep our hearts healthy and strong!
During the month of February, we will continue playing a variety of hockey type games. We will also begin our rhythm unit that includes dancing, lummi sticks and DrumFit. DrumFit is a great way to move and groove while getting your sweat on!
Please remember that safe, comfortable athletic style shoes are very important for your child to wear when they attend P.E. class. Flip flops, open-toed shoes, Crocs, boots, shoes with high heels, and slippers are not safe shoes. Please make sure that students come prepared with appropriate footwear so they can be successful in our class.
Stay active, stay healthy and keep moving!
Library News
I still would love to have volunteers to help out because I have a special project that I need some help with if you are interested. Here is the Signup Genius to volunteer for the third quarter: http://tiny.conroeisd.net/UmyFN. Some slots have been deleted due to adjustments I had to make due to our “Ice Day.” Also, look out for a special item in the Rodeo Auction, “Co-Librarian of the Day.” If you are the lucky winner, your child will get the opportunity to plan and teach a library lesson to their class. They also will get a $50 gift certificate for the Spring Book Fair. *Just a special note that your child has to be in 3rd grade or higher.
Happy Reading,
Cristofer W. Mattern
Deretchin Mission Statement
Deretchin Elementary School is a school for the community, promoting a safe and nurturing learning environment while developing the whole child and encouraging excellence in all we do.
Deretchin Shared Vision Statement
Deretchin Elementary is a community that builds on best practices in order to help our students reach high academic, social, and emotional goals. Our school collaborates with our parents and community to provide a safe and positive culture the embraces the diversity on our campus where everyone is equal and achievements are celebrated.
2026 Crossing Guard Day February 10th
Information
Email: toliver@conroeisd.net
Website: https://deretchin.conroeisd.net/
Location: 11000 Merit Oaks Drive, The Woodlands, TX, USA
Phone: 832-592-8700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DeretchinCISD/
X: @DeretchinCISD
The Conroe Independent School District (District) as an equal opportunity educational provider and employer does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in educational programs or activities that it operates or in employment matters. The District is required by Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as Board policy not to discriminate in such a manner.
For information about Title IX rights or Section 504/ADA rights, contact the Title IX Coordinator or the Section 504/ADA coordinator at 3205 W. Davis, Conroe, TX 77304; (936) 709-7752.