October 2025 Pinnacle Prep Newsletter

October 2025                                                                

Welcome Autumn!

September marked an inspiring start to the school year, filled with curiosity and growth. Students wholeheartedly embraced new challenges, engaged in a diverse array of hands-on activities, and demonstrated genuine excitement for exploring new literature and concepts. Each classroom was alive with discussion and collaboration, as students worked together, posed insightful questions, and made meaningful connections between lessons and their own experiences. The vibrant energy and enthusiasm displayed in September suggest that we are poised for an exceptional year ahead at Pinnacle Prep School.

Notes from the Science Classroom:

Students enthusiastically participated in Be A Scientist Day, delving into the discoveries and innovations of influential scientists and inventors throughout history. Each student selected a notable figure, conducted in-depth research, and created an engaging slideshow presentation to share with the class. The presentations sparked lively discussions and curiosity about scientific advancements.

Afterward, we transitioned into our next set of units, immersing students in the fascinating realms of Architecture, Engineering, and Materials Science. These units provide a hands-on introduction to the physical sciences, encouraging students to apply concepts through creative problem-solving. Alongside textbook readings and vocabulary development, students will be actively engaged in a variety of building challenges—such as designing and testing virtual structures using Tinkercad—that foster innovation, collaboration, and critical thinking skills.

Our Robins explored the fascinating world of life cycles, investigating how plants and animals grow, change, and reproduce. They learned to identify the unique features that distinguish one organism from another, fostering observation skills and scientific curiosity. In addition to our science lessons, we discussed the different states in the U.S. and developed a sense of where we are located on the map, helping students connect geography to their everyday lives.

Individual learning plans have been a central focus, ensuring that each Robin receives personalized support and challenge. Our newest students have been practicing prereading skills such as letter recognition, phonemic awareness, and sight word identification through fun games and interactive activities. More experienced Robins are building fluency by reading from their textbooks, expanding their sight word vocabulary, and answering comprehension questions. This combination of group exploration and individual attention supports every Robin’s growth and confidence as a learner.

Towards the end of October, students will embark on the exciting process of planning their December Science Show projects. They will brainstorm creative ideas, select topics that spark their curiosity, and design a presentation that showcases the knowledge they have gained throughout the semester. This project will provide students with an opportunity to apply scientific concepts in engaging ways, practice their presentation skills, and collaborate with their peers.

Notes from the ELA Classroom:

🎃👻🧟

Robins:

The younger Robins have been practicing writing their name using proper letter formation and learning the letters and sounds of the alphabet. They have begun working on CVC words and how to stretch each sound into the next one until the word matches each picture. My veteran Robins continue to fluently read passages and answer 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’m so proud of your excellent effort! 👍

Owls:

The Owls are thoroughly enjoying our novel study, "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate DiCamillo! Students have been hard at work completing daily grammar practice in their Abeka books, and their spelling scores are amazing! Next, we will be learning how to identify articles, nouns, and verbs in sentences using the Winston Grammar program. Please remember to complete your Reading Log at home Mondays-Thursdays…Keep up the great work! 📚

                                

Falcons:

Falcons are engrossed in our first class novel study, "Aliens on Vacation," by Clete Barrett Smith. They are doing a wonderful job finding text evidence to support thorough comprehension! Additionally, students have been hard at work on Spelling, Winston Grammar, and Sadlier Vocabulary. They have also been using IXL to supplement areas where they need additional practice to accomplish mastery of grammar skills. Parents, please remember to sign both planners and reading logs daily... I am loving the independence and responsibility that our Falcons are showing this year!🤩

Eagles:

The Eagles are already halfway through their first novel study of the year, Gary Paulsen’s “Hatchet,” where they have been analyzing character actions and motivations, as well as interpreting feelings. They have mastered the Winston Grammar Basic Program, and we have moved on to the Advanced book, where we are currently studying noun functions. Sadlier Vocabulary lessons have been going smoothly, too! Students have been doing an impressive job of turning in their work on Google Classroom.  Parents, please remember to sign both planners and reading logs daily...Thank you, Eagles, for putting 100% effort into each assignment–you are a dream to teach! 😊

Notes from the Math Classroom:

Robins:  The Robins have finished their unit on place value and rounding numbers to the nearest 10 and 100. They are now learning to compare and order numbers in ascending and descending order, and will soon begin adding and subtracting two-digit numbers with and without regrouping. Many Robins did a wonderful job recognizing, reading, and writing numbers up to 100. They are now practicing counting objects and writing the matching numbers, while continuing to work on comparing and ordering. The Robins will also keep practicing their math facts regularly to build fluency.

Owls: The Owls have completed their unit on place value and rounding numbers to the nearest 10, 100, and 1,000. They are now learning to compare and order numbers in ascending and descending order. Soon, they will begin working on addition and subtraction with and without regrouping. While some Owls are focusing on memorizing their times tables, others are ready to move on to multiplying two-digit by two-digit numbers.

Falcons: The Falcons have completed their unit on number theory and place value. They are now working on number theory and fractions, focusing on finding the greatest common factor (GCF), the least common denominator (LCD), and comparing and ordering fractions. Next, they will move on to adding and subtracting fractions with like and unlike denominators, as well as multiplying and dividing fractions. Some Falcons are concentrating on multiplying and dividing larger numbers before moving on to explore fraction concepts in greater depth.

Eagles: The Eagles have completed a unit on expressions and equations, where they learned how to translate and evaluate algebraic expressions, equations, and inequalities. They also practiced solving equations involving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Currently, they are focusing on solving equations using the order of operations. Next, they will begin a chapter on integers, where they will compare and order integers and apply them to problem-solving. Other Eagles recently completed a unit on right triangles and trigonometric ratios (sine, cosine, and tangent), as well as a review of surface area and volume. They are now working on polynomials, learning about monomials, binomials, and operations with polynomials, before moving on to quadratic equations and functions.

Notes from the Humanities Classroom:

October will be bringing cooler weather and it will finally begin to feel like fall!  Hooray!! We have finished our Civil War unit for the Eagles, Falcons, and Owls.  All of the students were fully engaged and learned so many things about the history of our country that includes both the good and the bad. We tackled the topics of the causes of the war, the events during the war, the results of the war, and the key individuals of the war. Now that we have finished our unit, we are ready to start our Novel studies.

The Eagles will begin the novel Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson. The Falcons will begin the novel The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick, and the Owls will begin the novel I Survived the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 by Lauren Tarshis. As we read through our novels, we will have discussions and make connections to what we have learned about the Civil War. The students will also do vocabulary work and comprehension work to help hone their reading skills. At the end of the novel, there will be a project to represent the book they read. We will be doing most of the reading in class, and the students will only read at home if they are absent or the class gets behind in their work. I look forward to reading these novels together!!

The Robins have been diligently working on phonics, letter recognition, letter sounds, reading comprehension and handwriting. We spend our time together practicing the skills that they are learning with Mrs. Hill.  

Last month, we worked on the social skills of patience and understanding. This month, we will be working on Communication: Starting and joining conversations, listening to others, and expressing feelings using words. We will listen to stories and do activities to practice these skills. The Robins are working hard and doing great things!!