September

Humanities
Our classes are a wonderful mix of old friends and new friends. We are learning about each other
as we work together as partners and in groups, solve problems, and explore different ideas.

Austin ISD has combined Reading, Language Arts, and Social Studies into
one area called Humanities and has adopted a new language arts program. Our
new textbooks and literacy library books have just arrived! Students will
participate in Reading Workshop activities as we listen to, read, and explore a
variety of texts and media. Students will have opportunities to build their
vocabulary, analyze the author’s purpose, identify point of view, and recognize figurative
language in order to better understand unfamiliar texts.
During our Writing Workshop time, students respond to prompts and have many
opportunities for independent creative writing. We have completed our first story, Summer
Squiggles, and are working on publishing our next composition. In addition, we are learning
about parts of speech as we compose “super” sentences. The students look forward to sharing
their work with their friends and family.
In social studies, we are learning about the Texas Flag and
important symbols of Texas. We will begin our study of geography and
map skills as we learn about the four natural regions of Texas:
Mountains and Basins, Great Plains, North Central Plains, and Coastal
Plains. We will also learn about the Preamble during US Constitution
Week, beginning September 16thand study about what it means to be a responsible citizen.
Students will read and discuss articles from Studies Weekly, our social studies newspaper.
We have started our Interactive Notebooks, Journals, and Learner’s Toolbox spirals.
Your students did a wonderful job of organizing their binders. Class assignments and “anchors of
support” papers are kept in your child’s Student Binder. In addition, homework assignments and
occasionally special project assignments will be sent home in your child’s binder. The purpose of
homework is to practice skills, to develop study habits, study for tests, and if necessary, to finish
incomplete work. Students are encouraged to read nightly. Please review your child’s binder as
you discuss the many things your child did in school and help your child remember to bring the
binder to school every day. Thank you very much for your assistance.
The students are encouraged to check out and read books from the Bryker Woods
Library. The Cross students have their library time on Wednesday mornings from 8:50–9:35 a.m.
The Wallace students have their library time on Wednesdays from 12:45-1:30 p.m. Please
remember to bring library books to school on Wednesdays!
I look forward to helping your child develop academically and to working with you to
make this year one that your child enjoys. Your children are a pleasure to work with and thank
you for your help in getting the school year off to a great start.
Bonnie Cross
bonnie.cross@austinisd.org
512-841-2308