Pay It Forward Week

We recently had one of our favorite annual events--Pay It Forward Week. PTA works with us to have a meaningful week where our students learn about paying it forward to someone who needs a boost. This year we honored the wonderful people who serve in the military. Our week was filled with a kick-off assembly (where we heard, in "kid terms",  from two current members of our military services) and daily activities to teach our students how small, random acts of kindness make such a difference to those who receive them. Our students made care packages that were delivered to Fort Hood in Killeen, TX for soldiers who were about to be deployed to Afghanistan. They also wrote holiday cards with words of cheerful encouragement, drew pictures, and signed their first name only, to be sent at the holidays. Students were focused during that week on kindness they could show during the week and throughout the year to help others. Here are some pictures from the week.

Spring Events

We have had a busy spring time at CCE! Our Multicultural Fair was very well attended and we were able to enjoy cuisines from four cultures as well as entertainment representing many cultures. Students were highly involved visiting the 19 informational tables and making sure their "passport" was stamped. This annual event has grown into an informational extravaganza for our families!
Last night we held our Gallery Night in conjunction with our spring Book Fair and had many visitors viewing art work and purchasing books. This year, every child had a painting displayed illustrating their increasing knowledge of the elements of art. It is a "treasure hunt" finding your child's special piece of art. At our PTA meeting, we elected officers for the 2013-2014 school year  and revealed the winners of the Teacher Treats part of the Silent Auction.
Next week is the second round of state-mandated STAAR testing for grades 3, 4, 5. On Tuesday, April 23, grades 3, 4, will take the math portion of the test; on Wednesday, April 24, grades 3, 4 will take the reading portion of the test; and on Thursday, April 25, grade 5 will take the science portion. We are expecting the scores from the first round of STAAR testing for fifth grade during the week of April 22. Our students are well-prepared for these assessments as our Round Rock curriculum is closely coordinated with the State standards, or the TEKS (Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills).
We know that it takes your help to have a successful school year, and we are honoring our volunteers on Thursday, May 2, 11:00 am, with a luncheon in the library. Teachers are reviewing their special recipes to prepare for honoring our volunteers! As May approaches, please check the calendar on our website for special grade level events we have planned.
In closing, we are sharing the special way our students showed their appreciation for our counselor, Jan McCall. There is a "counselor appreciation song" and individual notes written on small "guitars" posted on a wall in the first grade hallway.

Happy New Year and Welcome Back!

We hope that you had a wonderful holiday and break from your usual routine! It was very quiet in our school on Monday morning and that has carried into the week. It was fun to watch students arrive eager to see their friends and their teachers, and of course eager to learn! As we walked through the halls during the day, we were impressed with how quickly students fell back into their classroom routines and how they appeared to have grown and matured over the holidays!
The second semester is always full of fun learning experiences and exciting events that keep us all on our toes. School attendance is still one of our most important goals as we have to be present to learn! (If your child is sick, please be sure to let us know--there is a button on our website to click for an efficient way to report absences.) At school, students are involved in hands-on experiences, cooperative group work and critical thinking activities as a way of meeting grade level standards and keeping learning at high levels. We look forward to working with you, as a team, to provide the absolute best education for your children, our Canyon Creek Comets!

Upcoming Events
Tuesday, January 15-Report cards go home
                                Healthy Lifestyles, Pilates, 6:00 pm, gym
Wednesday, January 16-Science Fair Set-Up begins at 3:00 pm
                                      Judging begins at 5:30 pm
Monday, January 21-School Holiday

Winter Break Begins...

Today was such a fun day!  It was great seeing the children arrive with smiles on their faces in anticipation of the Winter Break right around the corner.  This afternoon the school was a "buzz" as classroom parties began to take place.  So many parents showed up to lend a hand -- we truly appreciate you all!  Thank you for sharing your children with us each and every day.  We hope all of our families have a wonderful holiday.  We look forward to seeing you all in January!

A note from Mrs. Moffatt and Mrs. Kasson

Dear Canyon Creek families,

In light of today's tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut we want to reassure you that we have District and campus protocols to follow for both drill and emergency situations.  We would carry out lockdown procedures in the event an intruder was in the building, criminal activity was taking place near our campus or if a dangerous animal was in or near the campus. 

Classroom teachers have specific instruction to follow in the event of a lockdown situation.  Staff members who do not have homeroom classes are assigned specific duties as well, which include calling 911, notifying appropriate District personnel, accounting for students, and activating parent notification procedures.   

Your children and their safety are very important to us.  We regularly practice our safety drills to insure we all know our roles and the parts we play in keeping our CCE family safe.  Our prayers are with the families involved in today's tragedy.   Give your children an extra hug this evening! 

Every Day at Canyon Creek

Every day at Canyon Creek teachers are teaching our Round Rock curriculum in their classrooms. As part of the teacher appraisal process, administrators are in the classrooms throughout the days interacting with students and observing instruction. Recent visits to classrooms have shown us numerous activities that have our students actively engaged in their learning. From the District spelling program Words Their Way to science experiments to building robotic structures with legos, we continue to be impressed with our teachers and our students!

Red Ribbon Week

 

Our Red Ribbon Week Assembly

We are nearing the end of our annual Red Ribbon Week at CCE. We have been proud and excited to be a part of this alcohol and drug abuse prevention program. Our theme, "Reach for the Stars!", has been a positive influence as we honor Red Ribbon Week and the American police officer, Agent Camarena, who was killed in the fight against the selling and distribution of illegal drugs. Every day this week has brought something special for our students and teachers--we even wore our pajamas on Wednesday to "put drugs to bed". It has been a week of making positive choices as we follow a healthy lifestyle.