Mrs. Hill’s September Newsletter 🍂🍁🍂 Shooting Stars💫: We began the year with an “All About Me” project—their beautiful posters are displayed in the hall! Then we had a blast doing activities that revolved around Kevin Henkes's “Chrysanthemum.” The younger Stars 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 Stars will begin to read passages fluently and answer questions that boost their comprehension. We are enjoying exploring various literacy work stations, as well! Remember to practice your sight words and sign off on Reading/Sight Word Logs at home Mondays-Thursdays... I’m so proud of their excellent effort! 👍 Nebulas🌠: We began the year with an “All About Me” project, and then completed a “Book Talk Magazine” project about their summer reading. They did an excellent job! The Nebulas will begin our first novel study, "The Cricket in Times Square" by George Seldon, on Mon., Aug. 31. Students will be required to complete 2 pages of daily grammar practice in their Abeka books. Next, we will be starting the Sadlier Vocabulary program. Book work will be completed during the week, with quizzes on Friday (Spelling will be addressed here). Each student will be updating their planner daily so they know what needs to be completed in order to be prepared for the following day’s lessons. I’m looking forward to a wonderful year with these smart cookies! 📚 Comets ☄️ We began the year with an “All About Me” project, and then completed a “Book Talk Magazine” project about their summer reading. They did an excellent job! Their beautiful posters are displayed in the hall! Next, our first novel study, "The Giver," by Lois Lowry, will begin on Mon., Aug. 31. Writing assignments are embedded in the unit, with a final 5-page essay to follow upon completing the novel. Students will be required to complete 2 pages of daily grammar practice in their Abeka books. Next, we will be starting the Sadlier Vocabulary program. Book work will be completed during the week with quizzes on Friday (Spelling/correct word tense will also be addressed here). Each student will be updating their planner daily so they know what needs to be completed in order to be prepared for the following day’s lessons. I know this year will be the year where so many stars are born...NEBULAS!🤩 Supernovas💥: We began the year with an “All About Me” project, and then completed a “Book Influencer” project about their summer reading. They did an excellent job, and their creative posters are displayed in the front hall! Our upper middle schoolers will begin our first novel study, "Tuck Everlasting," by Natalie Babbitt will begin on Mon., Aug. 31. Writing assignments are embedded in the unit, with a final 5-page essay to follow upon completing the novel. Students will be required to complete sections of “The Skilled Reader” on a daily basis. Next, we will be starting the Sadlier Vocabulary program. Book work will be completed during the week with quizzes on Friday (Spelling/correct word tense will also be addressed here). Each student will be updating their planner daily so they know what needs to be completed in order to be prepared for the following day’s lessons. This year is going to be the one where each Supernova bursts with creativity and individual growth! 😊 Ms. Jaya Shooting Stars: The Shooting Stars started the year with lots of excitement! They reviewed their addition and subtraction facts and are now working on Place Value, learning how each digit in a number has its own place and value. Students are practicing writing numbers in standard, expanded, and word form and will soon begin rounding numbers to the nearest 10 and 100. Some of our Shooting Stars are also working on tracing and writing numbers while building a strong foundation in counting and writing numbers. The Nebulas: The Nebulas started the year by reviewing previously learned concepts and are now exploring Place Value up to the Billions. They are practicing writing numbers in standard, expanded, and word form, as well as comparing and ordering larger numbers. Next, the Nebulas will begin a unit on Money, where they will learn about different coins and bills, practice making change, compare and round amounts, and strengthen their problem-solving skills. They will then move on to adding and subtracting larger numbers, estimating values, and applying these skills to solve real-world problems. The Comets: The Comets have had a busy and exciting start! One group has been exploring decimal place value, exponents, decimal operations, expressions and equations, and problem-solving. They will soon move on to multiplying with decimals and solving problems using scientific notation. Another group is working on place value through the hundred billions, decimal place value through the thousandths, rounding numbers, and comparing and ordering numbers. They will then move on to solving addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division problems using estimation. The Supernovas: The Supernovas had a strong start to the year, reviewing important concepts before moving on to new challenges. Some students completed a unit on Place Value up to the Billions, including writing decimals in standard, expanded, and word form, while also practicing larger multiplication and long division. They are now working on Expressions and Equations, exploring order of operations, equations and inequalities, and operations with equations. Some Supernovas are working on Pre-Algebra. They completed a unit on Variables, Expressions, and Equations, focusing on variables, exponents, comparing and ordering integers, and adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals. They will next learn to simplify variable expressions and equations and solve equations using addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. News from the Science Lab August In Ms. Elizabeth’s science class, the Shooting Stars have been working on learning phonics as well as the water cycle, weather, and the planets. Students are doing great at drawing pictures of what we discuss and read about in class. The Shooting Stars are working on writing sentences to explain their science illustrations. Our Nebulas are working on sorting organisms as vertebrates and invertebrates. They are also diving deeper into classifications of plants and animals. Students are better understanding how organisms interact with one another and differ in their parts and functions. The Nebulas are also diving deeper into how animals adapt to their environment and change over time. The Comets are working on distinguishing differences between plant and animal cells, learning more about the basic building blocks of life, and understanding how cells work in our bodies. Students are becoming more confident participating in experiments, building diagrams, and developing their own conclusions from what we are visualizing. The Supernovas are diving into the fun aspects of chemistry like the Periodic Table of Elements and chemical reactions. Students have learned that chemical equations must be balanced because products are not created or destroyed in a reaction. In learning about electron and proton interactions, students are better understanding historical models for atoms and how we have viewed chemistry over time. As a fun start to classes, all groups helped Ms. Elizabeth with a lab about DNA extraction from strawberries where they got to participate in adding reactants to visualize strands of DNA. During August, students were learning through hands-on activities, building diagrams, and working on explaining what happens during experiments. Mrs. Willfong September 2026 I am so excited to be at Pinnacle Prep, and I have truly enjoyed getting to know your children over the past few weeks! We have been spending time building relationships, establishing classroom routines and expectations, and getting comfortable in our learning environment. It has been wonderful getting to know each student and seeing their unique personalities, strengths, and interests. This year, our school will be placing a strong emphasis on reading and writing across all classes. In Humanities for all students and age groups, we will incorporate reading, writing, and grammar into our daily learning. Students will have regular opportunities to read and discuss texts, strengthen their comprehension and vocabulary, practice grammar skills, respond to prompts, and develop their writing through a variety of activities and projects. I will be emailing you our current Google Classroom codes for each class if you would like to see the daily learning materials and assignments. Please feel free to chat at drop-off or pickup, or reach out by email if you have any questions. I look forward to a wonderful year of learning with your children! Shooting Stars We have been learning our classroom and school expectations, raising our hands, walking safely in the hallways, and taking responsibility for putting away our supplies. We read and write each day to practice prediction and comprehension skills. We then move into our word-family work and writing practice. Writing is an important part of our daily routine. We are currently working on writing the date each day and building confidence through repetition and practice. What We’re Learning: AB Word Family This week and next, we are focusing on the -ab word family: cab grab crab lab dab nab drab tab We use these words throughout our lessons for repetition and reinforcement. Students practice writing the words in their journals, using them in sentences, and spelling them. Starting after Labour Day, we will move into the -ad family: bad lad dad mad glad pad had tad In addition, we will begin looking at our community and how we fit into it by looking at location, maps, and our state. Beginning next week, I will introduce our King or Queen of the Week on Fridays! Each week in my class, one Shooting Star student will be recognized for demonstrating growth, integrity, resilience, or kindness. I am looking forward to a wonderful year together! Nebulas In Humanities, we will be integrating grammar and writing throughout the week: - Monday/Wednesday/Friday: Grammar instruction and practice - Tuesday/Thursday: Journal prompts and writing What We’ve Been Learning: Students have already completed several activities exploring themselves and their place in the world, including: - A personal timeline - A personal map showing their place in the world: city → state → country → continent → planet - Cardinal directions These activities can be found in each student's journal. What We’re Learning Next: Early Humans and Societies We are now diving into our first major unit: uncovering the past through society, culture, and technology. Students will use their textbooks along with supplemental materials to explore early humans and the past. Comets In Humanities, we will be integrating grammar and writing throughout the week: - Monday/Wednesday/Friday: Grammar instruction and practice - Tuesday/Thursday: Journal prompts and writing What We’ve Been Learning: Our first few weeks have included several activities designed to help students reflect on themselves and their place in the world. Students have worked on: - Reflecting on their place in the world - Letter writing to future self - A digital autobiography project These activities have given students opportunities to practice writing while also sharing their experiences, interests, and perspectives. What We’re Learning Next: We are now preparing to dive into our first major unit: United States Geography. We will be utilizing our textbooks, along with supplemental material, to continue building their reading, writing, research, and communication skills. Supernovas: We are excited to begin our first major unit and continue building our classroom routines and learning community. So far, we have been reflecting on each person’s place in the world, letter writing, and digital autobiography projects. We will continue our daily grammar lessons and journal reflection to start class each day and build on these established writing and comprehension skills. We are diving into our first unit on Texas geography. We will use our textbook and supplemental materials to explore the geography, regions, and unique features of our state, then continue with U.S. geography. This unit will give students opportunities to strengthen their understanding of maps, geographic concepts, and the place they call home.