Irving Update

Mrs. Brinker and our students have been working hard on mask and costumes that are "Wearable Art." We will be having a parade to display these costumes for families and friends on Friday, October 30th at 2:30p on the playground. We ask that parents line up around the edges of the blacktop and the students will parade on the inside to show off their creations.

It is hard to believe that the first quarter is almost over! Our students have been working hard to grow and learn each day. We are continuing to focus on our expectations, Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Be Safe. Thanks for your help at home with this. It is great to see how our expectations fit in with yours at home.

Yours in Education,

Connie Morgan

Principal

One of our school improvement goals here at Irving for the 2026-27 school year is to help our students improve their fluency with math facts. Each student in grade 1-5 will participate in Math Fact Lab for 45 minutes each week. This daily practice will help them master their math facts, which will help improve their math ability over all. This program has levels aligned to each individual student. When students pass a level they receive a certificate to come to the office for a prize, and their name goes on our "Level Up" bulletin board. You should have seen these coming home. The students LOVE to receive them and are proud of their accomplishments. You can help us by:

• Celebrating their achievements at home
• Hang the certificate up in your home
• Ask your child about what math facts they are working on
• Quiz them on their math facts at home- Addition-Subtraction- Multiplication-Division

Memorizing these facts is the foundation for success in Mathematics. Thank you for your help in making our students better and stronger learners.

At Irving Elementary School, one of our School Improvement Goals is to help students become stronger, more confident writers. Writing is an important skill that students use every day—not just in their ELA classrooms, but also in math, science, social studies, and throughout their lives!

Becoming a strong writer takes practice, and families can play an important role in helping children grow as writers at home. The good news is that writing practice doesn't have to involve worksheets or long assignments. Small, simple activities can make a big difference!

✏️ Fun Ways to Practice Writing at Home

Here are some easy ways to encourage your child to write outside of school:

• Keep a journal. Encourage your child to write about their day, a favorite activity, something funny that happened, or something they are looking forward to.

• Write a letter or note. Have your child write a note to a family member, a thank-you card, or a letter to a friend.

• Make a shopping list. Let your child help write the grocery list or make a list of items needed for a family activity.

• Have your child write an response to convince you of something.

  Have them choose something they really want: a later bedtime, a pet, pizza for dinner, more screen time, or something else. Encourage them to write a paragraph convincing an adult to say yes. Give at least two good reasons.

• Write about reading. After reading a book together, ask your child to write or draw about a favorite part, describe a character, or tell what happened in the story.

• Practice handwriting. Younger students can practice forming letters, writing their names, and copying words or short sentences. Older students can work on neat handwriting and building writing stamina.

• Make writing part of everyday life. Have your child help write recipes, birthday cards, reminders, captions for pictures, or directions for a game.

👨‍👩‍👧 How Parents Can Help

You do not have to be a writing expert to support your child! Here are a few simple ways to help:

1. Make writing a daily habit. Even 5–10 minutes of writing each day can help children build confidence, improve handwriting, and develop stamina.

2. Encourage your child to sound out words. Spelling is a skill that develops over time. Encourage your child to try their best rather than worrying about every word being spelled correctly.

3. Ask questions to develop ideas. If your child writes about a trip to the park, ask, “What was your favorite part?” or “What did you see?” These questions help children add details and expand their writing.

4. Encourage complete thoughts and details. As children grow, encourage them to move beyond short answers by explaining their thinking, describing events, and including details that help the reader understand their ideas.

5. Celebrate effort and improvement. Praise your child for trying their best, writing more than they did before, forming letters carefully, or adding details to a story. Confidence grows when children recognize their progress!

6. Let your child see you write. Children learn by watching adults. Let them see you writing a grocery list, making a card, keeping a calendar, or jotting down a reminder.

💙 Our Goal: Growing Together!

At Irving, we are working to strengthen students' writing skills by helping them improve handwriting, build writing stamina, organize their thoughts, and express their ideas clearly. These skills develop over time through consistent practice and encouragement.

Families can help by making writing a natural part of everyday life. Remember, writing doesn't have to be perfect to be meaningful!

Thank you for partnering with us to help every Irving Mustang become a stronger, more confident writer. Together, we can make a difference—one word, one sentence, and one story at a time!

All of us at Irving are working hard on learning and following our expectations, Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Be Safe. Students are rewarded with Mustang Money when they are caught demonstrating these expectations that can be used at our Mustang Mall. The mall is filled with prizes including toys, games and snacks. Students accumulate the money and classes are able to go to the Mustang Mall each week. We are always open to donations for our Mustang Mall if you would like to donate.

This month, our Mustangs in grades K–5 are focusing on the importance of following directions and making positive choices throughout the school day. During our Mustang Meetings, students are learning to be cooperative and responsive by listening carefully and following directions the first time they are given. Through discussions, activities, and real-life examples, we are helping our Mustangs build habits that lead to success in the classroom and beyond. Students who earn fewer than two T-codes (and no O-codes) for noncompliance will earn a special reward during our next Out of the Blue Day!

The Bloomington Bison are sponsoring their Stick 2 Reading program again this fall. Students will receive a Bison Bookmark to log 8 books that they read. The completed bookmarks are to be turned into the office by November 28, to receive a code for a free ticket when purchasing an adult ticket. Bookmarks will be returned to the student to take to Jimmy Johns for a free mini sandwich.

Help support our students reading AND the Bloomington Bison.

Email: morganc@district87.org
Text/phone: (309) 827-8091