Thank you, Pinnacle parents, for your continued encouragement and support throughout our student projects and theater units. It was wonderful to see so many families engage with the learning process and celebrate student growth. If you were unable to attend conferences and would still like to connect with your child’s teachers, please feel free to reach out to the office. A strong home–school partnership is essential, and we truly appreciate your involvement. Our students worked hard and should be very proud of their accomplishments!
News from Mrs. Hozie’s Science Lab:
What an exciting school year we have had so far! This semester, our students completed hands-on science projects that encouraged curiosity, critical thinking, and problem-solving. Through these investigations, students practiced asking questions, collecting and analyzing data, and clearly communicating their results. They showed creativity, perseverance, and a strong understanding of the scientific process as they applied what they had learned in meaningful ways.
As we move into the next phase of learning, each group will be diving into new and engaging topics designed to challenge their thinking and spark curiosity. Eagles and Falcons will explore chemistry and coding, where students will investigate how matter changes, experiment with reactions, and begin using basic coding skills to solve problems and think logically. Owls will start studying the organization of life, learning how living things are classified and how cells, systems, and organisms work together to support life. Robins will focus on Earth’s landforms, exploring how mountains, valleys, rivers, and plains form and how Earth’s surface changes over time. These units will continue to build curiosity, strengthen scientific understanding, and help students connect what they learn in the classroom to real-world phenomena.
Curiosity + Creativity + Collaboration = Endless Learning!
Notes from Mrs. Hill’s ELA Classroom:
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Robins:
The younger Robins will be assessed on knowing each letter/sound of the alphabet when they return in January. From there, we will continue practicing sight words and CVC words in short reading passages. They will write brief sentences to ensure their comprehension, as well as make sure they remember how to make each letter using proper letter formation. When reading at home, please remember to STRETCH each sound into the next, rather than to say them in isolation. This will greatly aid their reading ability! My veteran Robins continue to fluently read passages and answer questions that boost their comprehension. They will be advancing to more challenging passages. Additionally, I will provide enrichment with various literacy work stations. Remember to practice your sight words and complete your Reading Log at home Mondays-Thursdays...I look forward to a wonderful second semester with my Robins! 🥰
Owls:
The Owls will begin their second semester novel, “Phantom Tollbooth” by Norton Juster. I feel confident that they will enjoy this classic book that cleverly intertwines literary elements as Milo embarks on the adventure of a lifetime! Students will resume Spelling–with tests on Fridays– and continue to complete daily grammar practice in their Abeka books. 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…I am looking forward to spending the second semester filled with challenges in ELA! 🥰
Falcons:
Falcons will begin their second semester novel, “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe" by C.S.Lewis when they return in January. I will reinforce the skill of finding text evidence to support comprehension, and they will also be completing writing activities that align with the story. Additionally, students will resume Spelling, Winston Grammar, and Sadlier Vocabulary. I will continue to use IXL to supplement areas where they need additional practice in order to accomplish mastery of grammar skills. Parents, please remember to sign both planners and reading logs daily… I know my Falcons will be ready for challenges and will work hard to achieve their literacy goals! 🥰
Eagles:
The Eagles will start off the semester with our new novel study, “The Lord of the Flies,” by William Golding. We will then complete a compare/contrast writing piece with the novel they read, “Hatchet,” last semester. We will continue working on the Winston Grammar Advanced book, and supplementing with IXL lessons and practice. Sadlier Vocabulary will resume, as well. The students will be required to complete reading at home, and do the accompanying novel work at school–flipped classroom style. Additionally, we will be spending 30 minutes daily WRITING in the classroom. Parents, please remember to sign both planners and reading logs daily… I know the Eagles will work hard to achieve my higher expectations this semester! 🥰
Notes from Mrs. Jaya’s Math Classroom:
Robins: The Robins will begin a new unit on Geometry, where students will explore both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional shapes. They will learn to identify, name, describe, sort, and compare common 2D shapes such as circles, squares, triangles, and rectangles, as well as basic 3D shapes including spheres, cubes, and cones. Students will also practice counting the number of vertices, edges, and faces of shapes, building a strong foundation in geometric concepts. In addition, the Robins will continue working on adding two-digit numbers with regrouping. They will also practice their math facts regularly to build fluency, accuracy, and confidence in their number skills. Owls: The Owls did a wonderful job on their recent projects, Design Your Own Flower Shop and Build Your Own Lemonade Stand. Students used creativity and real-world math skills to design a small business, including choosing a shop name, creating a logo, setting prices, and calculating costs and profits. They practiced budgeting, problem-solving, and entrepreneurial thinking, and their presentations showed strong mathematical reasoning. Students also worked on Fractions, learning to identify numerators and denominators, create equivalent fractions, compare fractions, and represent them on a number line. Next, the Owls will begin a Geometry unit focused on identifying and classifying 2D and 3D shapes, understanding their attributes, and exploring concepts such as area, perimeter, and symmetry. Falcons: The Falcons recently completed their Dream Vacation Project, where they planned an imaginary trip to a destination of their choice. Students researched flights, accommodations, food, and activities, created a budget, compared options, and calculated total costs to apply real-world math skills. In their presentations, they shared what made their destination unique, highlighted cultural or geographic features, and showcased maps, itineraries, images, and cost breakdowns. Next, the Falcons will begin a new unit on Geometry, focusing on points, lines, line segments, rays, angles, circles, and different types of polygons. Students will also explore parallel and perpendicular lines and learn the difference between similar and congruent figures. Eagles: The Eagles recently completed a hands-on Stock Market Project to explore how real-world investing works. Each student selected real companies, tracked stock prices over several days, recorded changes, and calculated gains or losses. They examined how news, product releases, and market trends can affect a company’s value. Through this project, students practiced organizing data, creating charts, analyzing trends, and learned key financial vocabulary such as shares, portfolio, profit, and loss. In their reflections, they discussed which investments were successful, which were not, and strategies for future investing, gaining a meaningful introduction to financial literacy. The Eagles also completed a unit on Fractions, focusing on addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of fractions; the order of operations with fractions; probability; and permutations and combinations. Next, students will begin a unit on Data and Statistics, analyzing different types of graphs and calculating mean, median, and mode. Some students will also start exploring the foundations of algebra, including variables, expressions, real-number problem solving, powers, and exponents.
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