September 2025 Pinnacle Prep School Newsletter

 

Finishing the first few weeks of school can be both exciting and challenging. During this time, students adjust to new routines, get to know their teachers and classmates, and learn how to manage their time and assignments effectively. It’s a period full of growth opportunities, as everyone settles into the rhythm of the academic year. By the end of these initial weeks, most students have found their footing and are better prepared to tackle the rest of the semester with confidence. We at Pinnacle Prep School are grateful to work with your children and watch them thrive and flourish!

News from the Science Lab:

In August, our Owl, Falcon, and Eagle students have each been researching a famous scientist or inventor to present for our Be A Scientist Day on September 12th. Throughout this project, students have developed research skills by gathering information from books, articles, and reputable online sources. They have learned to take notes, organize key facts, and synthesize information to create their own presentations. In addition to their research, students are designing creative visual aids such as posters, models, or digital slideshows to enhance their presentations. The experience encourages public speaking, critical thinking, and collaboration, as students will share their findings with peers and teachers on Be A Scientist Day.

Starting in September, our students will participate in a unit on STEM architecture and engineering. This unit introduces the fundamentals of architectural design, including understanding blueprints, shapes, and structures. Students will investigate concepts like balance, stability, and load-bearing through hands-on activities, including building bridges, towers, and other structures using everyday materials. They will engage in group problem-solving tasks that foster creativity and teamwork. The unit will also highlight real-world applications by exploring how architects and engineers design buildings and infrastructure to meet community needs, with a focus on sustainable and environmentally friendly practices. By the end of the unit, students will have the opportunity to showcase their own engineering projects, demonstrating what they have learned in a culminating event for the school community.

In conjunction with the STEM architecture and engineering unit, students will have the chance to explore digital design through Tinkercad. Tinkercad is a user-friendly, web-based application that enables users to create 3D models and designs. Students will learn the basics of computer-aided design (CAD) by experimenting with shapes, building virtual structures, and visualizing their projects in three dimensions. Tinkercad encourages creativity and problem-solving as students can test different design ideas, make adjustments, and see the immediate results of their changes. This experience not only builds digital literacy skills but also prepares students for future studies in engineering, architecture, and technology.

Notes from the ELA Classroom:

Robins:
We have started off the year in the BEST way possible! Some Robins are in school for the first time, and have been practicing writing their name and learning the letters and sounds of the alphabet. My veteran Robins are already fluently reading passages and answering questions that boost their comprehension. We are enjoying exploring various literacy work stations, as well! Remember to practice your sight words and complete your Reading Log at home Mondays-Thursdays... I am looking forward to having a wonderful year with these bright kiddos! 😊

Owls:
Owls dove right into our ELA objectives by turning in their Summer Reading projects and completing a "Read All About Me" poster. We have already begun our first novel study, "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate DiCamillo! Winston Grammar and Spelling lessons will also begin this week. Please remember to complete your Reading Log at home Mondays-Thursdays...I am very impressed with how well our Owls have started off the year with enthusiasm and ready to achieve their literacy goals! 😊

Falcons:
These Falcons were busy this summer, reading "Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters," as well as completing a book of their free choice. The projects and tests showed that their comprehension is right on target-- I love displaying such beautiful work in the hallway! Spelling, Winston Grammar, and Sadlier Vocabulary will begin this week, along with our first class novel study, "Aliens on Vacation," by Clete Barrett Smith. Additionally, students have been working on a Superhero Literacy Escape Room and they are getting used to typing and turning in assignments on Google Classroom. Parents, please remember to sign both planners and reading logs daily... I am anticipating great things from the Falcon group this year! 😊

Eagles:
 What a fantastic start to the year! Our high-soaring Eagles read "Out of My Heart," by Sharon Draper and typed interesting summaries and book reviews over the summer. Additionally, these bright students read a book of their choice and completed a 1-pager that is prominently displayed in our Wall of Fame! We have already begun our first novel study of the year, Rick Riordan's "Greek Gods" and will begin Winston Grammar and Sadlier Vocabulary lessons this week. I have really enjoyed Writing Workshop with this group, as they have worked on describing themselves with three vivid vocabulary words and given detailed examples of each one. Google Classroom will be KEY this year when turning in assignments and receiving feedback from me. As a supplement, students have been working on a Literacy Escape Room as a fun way to remember all the ELA skills they learned last year. Parents, please remember to sign both planners and reading logs daily...I feel confident that these Eagles have what it takes to remain at the top of the food chain! 😊

Notes from the Math Classroom:

Robins

The Robins began the year by reviewing their addition and subtraction facts and are now diving into place value up to the hundreds. They are learning how each digit in a number has its own special place and value, and how to show numbers in standard, expanded, and word form. Soon, they’ll practice rounding numbers to the nearest 10 and 100. Some of our Robins are also working on tracing and writing numbers from 1 to 10 as they build a strong foundation in math.

Owls

The Owls started the year by reviewing previously learned concepts and are now exploring place value up to the hundred thousands. They practiced writing numbers in standard, expanded, and word form and moved on to comparing and ordering larger numbers. They also enjoyed an exciting unit on money, where they learned about different coins and bills, practiced making change, compared and rounded amounts, and strengthened their problem-solving skills. Next, the Owls will begin a unit on adding and subtracting larger numbers, estimating values, and applying these skills to solve problems.

Falcons

The Falcons have had a busy and exciting start! One group has been exploring place value up to the billions, decimals, and problem-solving strategies, and is now moving on to the order of operations before diving into Number Theory and Fractions. The other group wrapped up their unit on place value to the millions and is now learning about money—recognizing coins and bills, making change, and rounding amounts—before shifting their focus to mastering multiplication and division facts.

Eagles

The Eagles also had a strong start this year, reviewing important concepts before moving on to new challenges. Some students completed a unit on place value up to the billions, including decimals in standard, expanded, and word form, while also practicing larger multiplication and long division problems. They are now working on expressions and equations, exploring order of operations, equations and inequalities, and operations with equations. Other Eagles have been reviewing square roots and the Pythagorean theorem, and are now tackling special right triangles and trigonometric ratios (sine, cosine, and tangent). Next, they’ll begin an exciting unit on polynomials and linear equations, where they will learn to add, subtract, and multiply binomials.

Notes from the Humanities Classroom:

August and September bring new friendships and old friendships together as we participate in activities to get to know each other better. The students came back with a desire to learn and grow! The Eagles, Falcons and Owls have started the Civil War unit. We are discovering the events that led up to the war, how the North and South grew apart, why The Underground Railroad is so important, the timeline of events, the outcome of the war and the roles of the important people involved. There is so much to learn about this time in our history and how it has shaped us today.

The Robins have been working hard on reading for fluency and comprehension. We practice everyday and I am already seeing some improvement. Not only do we read, but we also focus on social skills that will help them to be more successful in their daily interactions. For example, we have emphasized the importance of school rules and why we need them. We will extend this to places outside of school and how rules keep us happy and safe.

What a great start to the 2025-2026 school year this has been!!