Deretchin Digest
March 2025 Edition
A Note From Mrs. Oliver
As we welcome the month of March, we are filled with excitement for the arrival of spring! The days are getting longer, and the promise of warmer weather is just around the corner.
I want to acknowledge that everyone at Deretchin is working hard! Our teachers and staff continue to give their very best to our students each and every day, and our students are making great strides in their academic and social development. Thank you for your ongoing support in reinforcing the value of education at home. Your partnership is invaluable to use, and we appreciate everything you do to support your children's learning journey.
Thank you for being such an essential part of our school community!
Sincerely,
Tina Oliver
Upcoming on the Deretchin Calendar
March 3- McCullough course selection for 6th grade students, 8:00 AM
March 7- Field Day
March 10-14- SPRING BREAK!!!!
March 17-St. Patrick's Day!
March 19- Coffee with the Counselors, 9:00 AM in cafeteria
March 21- 5th Grade Social, 3:30-5:00 PM
March 25- PTO Executive Board Meeting, 1:35 PM in lounge
March 27- General PTO Meeting, 8:30 AM in cafeteria
March 28- Kindergarten Graduation pictures, Spotlight on Discipline Ceremony, 9:15 AM in cafeteria
Counselor's Corner
Character Pillar of the Month: Self-Discipline
Habits of the Week:
Control your thoughts, words, and actions.
Think before you speak or act.
Wait to talk until the appropriate time-don’t interrupt.
Stay on task even if others around you are not.
UPCOMING DATES:
3/3/2025 McCullough Counselor Visits/course selection for 6th graders
3/5/2025 Character Club 3:30-4:30PM
3/19/2025 "Coffee with Counselors" 9AM-See flyer below to RSVP
3/20/2025 Tall Cop Hidden in Plain Sight The Jett Center 6:30-8:00 PM
3/28/2025 Spotlight Ceremony on Self-Discipline 9AM in the cafeteria
Pre-K & ECSE News
Kindergarten News
Welcome to another exciting month in Kindergarten. Here's a sneak peek into what we will be exploring together!
Exploring Genres of Text:
This month, our reading adventures will take us into the wonderful world of different text genres. We will delve into informational books about Texas, where students will learn fascinating facts about our state's history and culture. Additionally, we'll dive into the magical realm of Fairy Tales, sparking imagination and creativity in our young readers.
Writing Adventures
In writing, we will focus on developing our skills in informational and "how-to" writing. Students will practice crafting informative texts that explain topics clearly and concisely. We'll also explore the steps involved in writing "how-to" guides, encouraging students to think critically about processes and instructions.
Math: Coins and Operations
In math, our focus will be on reviewing coins and their values, helping students identify and understand the importance of different coins in everyday transactions. We will also continue practicing joining and separating numbers.
Social Studies: Texas History and Culture
Our social studies lessons will bring the history and culture of Texas to life for our students. We will explore the stories of the people and events that have shaped our state.
Science: Life Cycle and Plant Parts
Science will be all about the life cycle and the parts of a plant. Students will learn about the stages of growth in plants and the important roles each part plays. Through hands-on activities and observations, students will gain a deeper understanding of the natural world around them.
We are thrilled to embark on this month's learning adventures with our Kindergarteners. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in your child's education. Let's make this month a memorable and enriching experience for all!
First Grade News
Dear Parents,
As we welcome the month of March, we are excited to share what’s coming up in our first-grade classrooms! Here’s an overview of what the students will be learning this month:
Math:
This month, we will focus on three exciting topics in math:
- Numeration: We will be practicing counting and understanding numbers. Students will work with numbers up to 120 and explore place value, helping them to develop a deeper understanding of how numbers are structured.
- 3D Shapes: We will explore the world of 3-dimensional shapes, learning about spheres, cubes, cones, and pyramids. Students will identify and describe these shapes, and discuss their attributes.
- Fractions: We will introduce basic fractions, like halves and quarters, through hands-on activities. Students will learn to recognize and work with simple fractions in everyday contexts.
Social Studies:
We are excited to dive into the remarkable state of Texas! Students will learn about the state's rich history and traditions, exploring how Texas became the unique place it is today.
Science:
In science, we will study living and non-living interactions. Students will explore the differences between living and non-living things and how they interact with each other in the environment.
Language Arts:
In reading, we will continue to explore fiction and develop strategies for solving hard words as we encounter them in increasingly challenging texts. Our goal is to build fluency and comprehension through various activities and discussions.
The first week of March is Read Across America Week, in honor of Dr. Seuss’s birthday! This week will be filled with fun reading activities, dress-up days, and lots of Dr. Seuss books that bring his stories and rhymes to life.
In writing, we will focus on opinion writing and learn to support our opinions with reasons and examples. This will help students express their thoughts more clearly and effectively.
In phonics, our focus will be on r-controlled vowels and diphthongs to help students refine their reading and spelling skills.
Classroom Reminders:
- Spring Break: Don’t forget that Spring Break is just around the corner! We hope the students enjoy a restful time.
- Reading at Home: Keep encouraging your child to read daily. It’s the best way to improve fluency and comprehension!
Thank you for your continued support at home. We look forward to another month of learning and growth!
Warm regards,
The First Grade Team
Second Grade News
We thoroughly enjoyed making our poetry books last month and can't wait to see them published! We learned so much from revising, editing, and publishing our writing. We will use these skills in March, as we read and write persuasive and opinion pieces. These will include reviews of restaurants, candy, and movies. This month we will be learning about suffixes in phonics. Pay special attention for them when reading this month.
March also brings March Madness! We can't wait to start the battle of the favorite book in 2025! Each day each class will read two fiction books and vote on the favorite book. What will the final four be this year?
In math, students will begin to learn about multiplication and division concepts. We will not be using the symbols just yet. Students will be modelling, creating, and describing contextual multiplication and division situations in which equivalent sets of concrete objects are joined or separated. Our mathematicians will also review place value concepts to 1,200 using mathematical language. Please continue to practice addition and subtraction facts to 20 so students know these with automaticity.
Our scientists will record and compare how the structures and behaviors of animals help them find and take in food, water, and air; as well as how being part of a group helps animals obtain food, defend themselves, and cope with changes. Scientists will study life cycles in the classroom this month!
In social studies, students will be learning about Texas symbols and American Citizens, such as Paul Revere and Benjamin Franklin. Students will understand their positive impact in our great nation. Timelines will also be a unit of study that the children will enjoy exploring.
Third Grade News
In math, we are excited to be starting our Measurement Unit!! Students will focus on area and perimeter this month. Students still need to be practicing their Math facts at home to help them commit these facts to memory. We will be sending home information about “Multifrying” coming soon!
In science, we will focus on natural resources and ways in which we use them in our everyday lives. We will start a unit on organisms in mid- March to learn how many animals and plants must adapt to their environment in order for them to survive.
In social studies, we will continue to learn about how people change communities. We will be starting our Economics unit where we will be learning about scarcity and abundance, free enterprise and personal financial literacy. Followed up with some Scientific Breakthroughs.
In language arts, we will be completing the reading of Because of Winn-Dixie and students will be analyzing characters, finding their traits, and developing an understanding of how characters' relationships impact a text's plot and theme. Students will also be asked to read for longer periods of time, summarize the plot of a story, infer themes, make inferences and predictions, and use their context clues to solve tricky words. For writing, we will carry on with our Fiction unit. After spring break, we will begin our STAAR preparation unit, which will cover multiple genres.
Fourth Grade News
This month in math, will be all about fractions! We will identify fractions, mixed numbers, and improper fractions. We will also identify fractions on a number line, create equivalent fractions by multiplying and dividing, add and subtract fractions with like denominators, and compare fractions using a variety of methods. Please encourage your students to keep practicing their multiplication and division facts every day. Memorization of their facts will really help them in this unit.
In science we will continue to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy through food webs, including the roles of the Sun, producers, consumers, and decomposers. We will also identify and describe past environments based on fossil evidence, including common Texas fossils.
We absolutely loved all of the Alamo projects that the students created! This month in Texas History we will learn about the final battle of the Texas Revolution, the Battle of San Jacinto, which led to Texas’ independence through the signing of the Treaty of Velasco. We will also learn about the Republic of Texas and its struggles which ultimately led to Texas’ annexation to the United States and becoming the 28th state.
In reading, we have begun our Literary Nonfiction unit where students will draw on all that they know about reading narratives and about character development to learn about a person. Students will read a biographical text to learn about the personal story of a person, as well as about the time, place, and world in which he or she lived. Students will also focus on the person’s motivations and struggles, and how they may have had to overcome difficulties before achieving success. Students will also practice different reading skills with various texts.
In writing, students will use their note taking skills to extract important information from their biography books. From those notes, students will categorize the information and write an informational essay on the subject of their biography.
In grammar, students will learn the components of a complex sentence. They will practice distinguishing between complex, compound, and simple sentences. We will continue to work on homophones, capitalization, words with affixes, and other skills previously learned.
FIFTH GRADE NEWS
Math
Students in math will continue through Unit 8 solving for area, perimeter, and volume using decimal and fraction dimensions. We will also learn to convert between units of measure.
In our Advanced Math class, we will be getting into some 6th grade TEKS with ratios, rates and proportions!
Science/Social Studies
This month students will continue on our last unit of study, life science. The 5th grade life science unit will include biotic and abiotic, structures and functions of plants and animals, food webs, instinctual and learned behaviors, life cycles and how an ecosystem can change over time. We will have our Science QA on March 4. Students will also be taking the Science STAAR on April 23.
In Social Studies students will be continuing to learn about the Civil War. In the Civil War unit students will focus on the causes and effects, how the north and south were similar and different as well as the reconstruction era. We will have our Social Studies QA on March 6.
Language Arts
This month we will wrap up their argumentative unit and introduce the STAAR Prep unit where students will review all the genres and skills we’ve covered throughout the year. Students will participate in academic discussions, group activities, and STAAR challenges where they will have chances to earn incentives each week! STAAR test, here we come!!!
SIXTH GRADE NEWS
Sixth Grade Scoop
As we enter the month of March, we’re excited to share the latest updates and highlights from our sixth-grade classroom! This month is packed with opportunities for learning and new experiences as our students continue to deepen their knowledge across various subjects. We’re also looking forward to some fun events and special activities to celebrate the season.
In math, we’re wrapping up our study of two-variable relationships, which includes working with input-output tables and understanding the connection between independent and dependent variables. Next, we’ll dive into the concepts of area and volume. Students will learn how to model and apply formulas to calculate the area of rectangles, parallelograms, trapezoids, and triangles. For advanced math, students will be completing the geometry unit and moving on to triangle properties.
In language Arts, our focus has been on mastering argumentative writing. Students will continue to analyze the elements of strong arguments, such as intended audience, organizational patterns, and key ideas. They’ll practice expressing their ideas with clarity and organization, while also presenting a counterargument and rebuttal. We’ll also revisit material from previous units to reinforce genre-specific skills and prepare for the upcoming STAAR Reading test.
In science, we will be wrapping up our unit on Earth science. Students have enjoyed learning about Earth’s layers, the atmospheres, and types of rocks. In social studies, we will continue our exploration of Asia moving to southeast Asia and then traveling to North Africa!
Thank you for your continued support. We’re looking forward to another month with your students.
Music News
March Newsletter
We have so many great things happening in the Music Department this Spring!
In elementary music, kindergarteners are having fun with adding new songs and games to reinforce steady beat and note reading skills. Kindergarten is also working hard on learning songs for their Kindergarten Graduation in May. 1st graders are hard at work on their musical “Pajama Party!”, which will be performed on April 3, 2025, at 6:00pm. Please watch for more information about dates and audition sign ups for special roles. 3rd and 4th grade students continue to work on reading note names and how to count rhythms on numbered beats. They are also working on sight singing and learning to recognize notes on the piano. 4th graders are also learning about musical instruments of the band and orchestra in order to prepare them for choosing a fine art elective for 5th grade and possibly selecting an instrument later this semester. If you are interested in Band or Orchestra class in 5th grade, please keep an eye out for information about these programs.
We are coming to a close with preparations for the McCullough Band Benchmark and both 5th and 6th grade are continuing to work hard on solo and ensembles. All band students are required to learn a solo for band class and ensembles are optional. More information will be sent out soon in regards to the Solo and Ensemble contest happening on April 12. Band students are working on learning 1-octave scales in 5th grade, full range scales and scale studies in 6th grade. We will start working on our spring concert music in the next few weeks!
In orchestra, we are also wrapping up work on the 6th grade benchmark music, and they are also beginning to look at solo pieces. All 6th graders are required to learn a solo for class, and will have the option to perform that solo for a judge at the Solo Contest on Saturday, April 6 at Mitchell Intermediate, or perform it in front of their classmates. More information about that event will be coming down the pike as we get closer to that date.
Intermediate General Music has had a great time working on their recorder, ukulele, piano and vocal skills and are beginning to combine some of these skills to play as ensembles in class. They are also starting to work on earning “belts” for Recorder Karate and Stickers for their Piano Scales Chart.
Happy Spring from the CHOIR! Both the 3rd/4th grade and Intermediate choirs are starting music for their spring concerts and festivals. Please continue to check out the Choir Newsletter. It contains dates and links for upcoming opportunities for our choirs. I want to again say congratulations to the eight Deretchin choir students who qualified to sing with the Conroe ISD District Honor Choir that will perform on April 5, 2025! We are looking forward to your concert!
Melody Childs-Music/Choir
Michelle Gastler-Music/Band
Andrew Wilson-Music/Band
Alex Marte-Music/Orchestra
PE News
Our bowling unit during the month of February was an absolute hit! In February, the students also worked hard on running to improve their cardiovascular endurance. Ask your Deretchin Dragon if their class has won the trophy for having one of the highest average number of laps per student!
We are excited for our upcoming unit: Basketball. During our basketball unit the kids will work on dribbling, passing, and shooting, as well as playing many basketball games/activities. Back & Forth Basketball, BasketBowl, and Texas Shootout are always fan favorites!
March 7th is FIELD DAY and we are so excited for this super fun event. This is a wonderful time for the kids to travel to all the different stations and challenge each other in some friendly competition!
Reminder: Safe, comfortable athletic style shoes are very important for your child to wear when they attend P.E. class. Flip flops, open-toed shoes, Crocs, boots, shoes with high heels and slippers are not safe shoes.
Library News
Library News!!
The final quarter is upon us. The “Sign-up Genius” for the 4th quarter is good to go as well. Please sign-up here if you’re interested: http://tiny.conroeisd.net/VH8YP
Please note there are quite a few days in which there are no slots available. This is due to testing and we are a closed campus. Please also remind your children to start returning books. I still have students with books checked out from the first semester. The last day to check out books is Friday, May 2nd and all library books will be due Friday, May 9th.
If you have any questions feel free to email me at CMattern@conroeisd.net.
Happy Reading,
Cristofer W. Mattern
Library Media Specialist
PTO News
Thank you for making Rodeo such a success! It's been the busiest yet. We are excited for Field Day and then a much needed Spring Break. Please join us for our Spirit Night at Chipotle on March 5th and then the General PTO Meeting on March 27th.
Michele Nicol
President, Deretchin PTOEmail: president@deretchinpto.org
The Conroe Independent School District (District) as an equal opportunity educational provider and employer does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, or disability in educational programs or activities that it operates or in employment matters. The District is required by Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act, as well as Board policy not to discriminate in such a manner.
For information about Title IX rights or Section 504/ADA rights, contact the Title IX Coordinator or the Section 504/ADA coordinator at 3205 W. Davis, Conroe, TX 77304; (936) 709-7752.