November is going to be a very busy month! IMPORTANT DATES Tuesday, November 6th Water Audit with U of A in CATS Classroom (5th Grade) Wednesday, November 7th Living River of Words Program Pre-Visit in CATS Classroom (4th) Monday, November 12th No School - Veteran’s Day (observed) Wednesday, November 14th Field Trip: Santa Cruz Living River Program (4th Grade) Thursday, November 15th NO CATS – 3rd graders come Friday for field trip Friday, November 16th Field Trip: Desert Museum (5th & 3rd grades) Tuesday, November 20th NO CATS (5th graders come Friday,11/16 for field trip) Wednesday, November 21st NO CATS (1/2 day) Monday, November 26th Field Trip: U of A Mirror Lab & WET Activities (5th & 6th) Tuesday, November 27th NO CATS (5th Graders come Monday for Field trip) Wednesday, November 28th The Living River of Words Art Program in Class (4th Grade) Thursday, November 29th Tucson Museum of Art Program in CATS classroom (3rd Grade)
Curriculum
6th grade: Over the last month, we have studied the principles of flight by making roto-copters and hoopsters. This month, we will experiment with paper airplanes and make and fly kites. As a follow-up to our Sky School trip atop Mt. Lemmon, the 6th graders will visit the U of A’s Mirror Lab, where huge telescope mirrors are designed and made, on Monday, November 26th.
5th Grade: The 5th graders will join the 6th graders on the field trip to the U of A on November 26th; however, they will visit the U of A’s hydrology department to learn about water harvesting systems, recycling water, and other current water topics. Before that, the 5th graders will join the 3rd graders on a field trip to The Desert Museum on Friday, November 16th. This is not their normal CATS day, so there will be no CATS for 5th graders the following Tuesday (11/20). The 5th graders will continue our literature study of the novel, Tuck Everlasting. The story focuses on a family that is now facing immortality after drinking from a magical spring.
4th Grade: The 4th graders will have a very busy month. They will be participating in a special program through Pima County Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources called The Living River of Words. This program links science and art. We will study the newly recharged Santa Cruz River, and go on a field study to the river on Wednesday, November 14th. We will learn about where the water from the Santa Cruz comes from and then we will learn how to test the water quality. Then, we will continue with The Living River of Words Program by having an artist come into the CATS classroom to teach us more about sketching, drawing, and painting outdoor landscapes.
3rd Grade: The 3rd graders will also have a busy month. They will be going to The Desert Museum on Friday, November 16th, to learn about how animals adapt to arid climates. We will also do another art lesson in the CATS classroom with an artist from the Tucson Museum of Art on Thursday, November 29th.
A BIG thank you to everyone who has so generously donated class snacks, classroom supplies, and time chaperoning field trips. Your time and help are so greatly appreciated!
Classroom Needs To help us get ready for the holidays, donating stamps and/or $5 gift cards to Michaels would be very helpful! Or, you can contact me about specific arts and craft items your child can bring to CATS.
Important! Parents, please make it a habit to check your email at least once each week, before your child comes to CATS that week. Communication is challenging and email is one way for me to get important class information to you. Students should bring home their CATS communication folder and communication log every week. Please be sure to read your child’s log each week, discuss what your child is doing in CATS, and sign it every week. Also look for announcements and permission slips in your child’s CATS folder.
Field Trips and Funding Please consider donating your school tax credit in any amount up to $400 (for married couples, or $200 for individual filers) to the CATS program. Our main source of funding for field trips is through tax credit donations. So if we want to continue these great educational field trip opportunities, we must continue to replenish our CATS tax credit account.
Be sure to visit the CATS website (http://fwcats.weebly.com/ ) to see complete, updated lists of important events scheduled, so far, for this semester, pictures, monthly puzzle, and more!
Puzzle of the Month October: What makes more noise when it is dead rather than alive? Answer: Leaves November: A man had 35 cows. All but 10 died. How many cows does he have left?
