11/14 Newsletter

Weekly Communication
This newsletter is our weekly communication with you to keep you up-to-date on the weekly curriculum, important dates, upcoming events, and various programs and announcements of things happening at school.
We look forward to communicating with you and building a positive relationship to help support your child and their education!
Important Dates
- November 15: Veteran's Day Assembly & POD SPIRIT DAY
- November 25-29: Thanksgiving Break
- December 2: Angel Gifts Due
- December 3: (Gamberutti & Capra) Safety Town Field Trip @ 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM.
- December 4: (Kothera & Solco) Safety Town Field Trip @ 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM.
- December 5: (Holmes) Safety Town Field Trip @ 9:30 AM - 11:00 AM.
- December 6: School Spelling Bee
š¤ FIELD TRIP CHAPERONESš¤
Please be sure to create an account and request a background check as soon as possible if you have not already so that it will be complete in time for you to chaperone the upcoming field trip.
You can follow this link: https://www.friscoisd.org/departments/community-relations/volunteer#:~:text=every%20single%20volunteer.-,Create%20a,-VOLY%20Account
Next Week's Curriculum
Week #15
Math- Adding & Subtracting Fractions
Science - Phases of the Moon
Social Studies - Key Figures of the Texas Revolution
Reading - Fiction Texts (Growing Big Ideas as Readers)
Writing - Literary Essay
Grammar - Capitalizing Titles
Spelling - Final Stable Syllables - (kle, gle, ble, cle, tle, ple, fle)
Homework
Homework will be given out on a Monday. It will stay in the Scholar's daily Folder to be turned in at the end of the week.
- Spelling (Tic-Tac-Toe)
- Choose 3 activities to complete for the week. They will be turned in with the spelling list page at the end of the week.
- Reading Logs:
- Read for at least 30 minutes each night. Fill in the reading log to be held accountable.
- Extra Practice Site: Boddle - ELA.
- Math:
- Math practice link
- Below is the video for the big 7 that we teach for division & fractions. I hope this helps! š
ā Lone Star Challenge ā
Lone Star Challenge
Calling all 4th and 5th graders at Smith!
This is an announcement about an upcoming academic program for 4th and 5th graders at Smith.
Do you have a passion for traveling the world⦠learning new material in Reading, Math, and Science⦠Or, History Around the World. Possibly, you enjoy studying about Inventions and Discoveries. If you do, youāre in luck! Smith Elementary is competing in the Lone Star Challenge against other 4th and 5th graders in our district and state of Texas.
4th and 5th grade students are selected from Smith to join the team and become experts over exploring the world.
Lone Star Challenge practices are held at school following Winter Break (in January) on Tuesday afternoons. Teammates are expected to prepare at home and during our practices for the competitions within our district and state through the end of April. These competitions include tests in Reading, Writing, History, Math, and Science.
If you enjoy studying history, or challenging yourself with new knowledge, email Ms. Johnson (johnsoncyn@friscoisd.org) or Ms. Mohrweiss (mohrweissc@friscoisd.org) for an application to try out for the team! Tryouts will be after school on Tuesday, December 3rd, following Thanksgiving Break.
Good luck!
š Useful Links š
š„ Reporting Absences š„
To Report an Absence/Tardy for your child, go to the Smith homepage and click on the yellow āReport an Absenceā button in the upper right corner and complete the short form.
š School Policy Updateš
Arrival & Dismissal Procedures
Our school day begins at 7:45 AM and ends at 3:05 PM. Please read the information below for important information regarding drop off and pick up.
Per district safely policies, our building is not open to students until 7:20 AM. Please do not drop your child off before this time, as they will not be supervised or allowed in the building until 7:20.
Students are released to their classrooms at 7:30, and the tardy bell rings at 7:45. Please make every effort to have your child at school no later than 7:40 so they have time to unpack, prepare for the day, and participate in our daily morning meeting that begins promptly at 7:45.
Our school day ends at 3:05. At that time, a teacher will walk the various groups to their dismissal areas.
K-1 and 2-5 Car Rider Dismissal Area Reminders!
If you have communicated that your child is a car rider, then your child MUST be picked up IN A CAR! Parents ARE NOT ALLOWED TO WALK UP to the car rider area to pick up their children. Any parents WALKING UP to pick up their children will be directed to change their dismissal location to walkers that dismiss from the gym at 3:15 PM.
Change in Dismissal
If your child is going home in any manner out of the ordinary you MUST send a note with your child at the beginning of the day or an email by 12:00 PM of that day. Your child will only be released to authorized adults (documented on the registration form). Request calls for last-minute pick-up changes can be accepted only until 2:00 PM, so we can ensure proper notification to students and staff. Pick-up or schedule change requests should not be left on teachersā voicemails or emails. If your child does not have a note, he/she will be sent home by the usual means. Please know that the safety of your child is always our priority.
Important Notice: Early Student Checkout Policy Update
To ensure a smooth and safe dismissal process, parents or guardians will no longer be able to check their child out from the front office after 2:45 PM. If you arrive after this time, you will be directed to pick up your child from their regular dismissal location. This change is necessary because last-minute check-outs can cause confusion and safety concerns, making it difficult to inform teachers and adjust dismissal procedures promptly.
**If you need to check your child out early for any reason, please do so BEFORE 2:45 PM.**
Specials Schedule for the Week
Breakfast
Make sure scholars have a healthy breakfast before beginning the school day.
Breakfast can be purchased at the school. If purchasing a school breakfast, please have students at school promptly at 7:30 AM so they may have time to eat before heading to the classroom by 7:40 AM. Our Morning Meetings begin at 7:45 AM on the dot.
Snack Info
4th Grade Team's Contact Info
Ms. Solco: solcoj@friscoisd.org
Mrs. Kothera: koteras@friscoisd.org
Ms. Capra: mcdonaldd@friscoisd.org
Mr. Gamberutti: gamberuttia@friscoisd.org
Mrs. Holmes: holmess@friscoisd.org
