ROARING NEWS

Dear Baldwin Community,

 

Happy Holidays to all! I hope everyone is enjoying the winter break and the beautiful weather. I want to thank everyone for the tasty treats and precious gifts so many of you gave to me and the Baldwin staff. Your generosity and kindness are heartfelt by all of us. 

Can you believe that we completed the first semester of the 2011-2012 school year? I can't! This fall semester has flown by! I want to congratulate you and your children for a successful 18 weeks of learning.

Before we ring in the new calendar year, I want to recap a few of our first semester accomplishments. I have so much to share so please be patient and enjoy all that we learned and completed at Baldwin during the fall semester!

 

During this first semester, we were very busy learning and growing in many different ways. Our youngest Bobcats, our kindergarten and Pre-K students have been working on their reading, writing and math skills everyday and I have seen much growth in all of them. I especially enjoy listening to them read and share their stories.

 

In first grade, the students were very creative in their writing as they learned to interview and collect information to write biographies about each other. These learning tasks help the children develop stronger writing and reading skills as well as learn more about each other and about themselves. I witnessed one class going through the actual interviewing process and I was so impressed with the skills they used throughout the process. 

Our second graders ended the fall semester with their Market Day Sales. What a great experience for all of our second graders and their parents! The students had to create a product and then sell it to their peers. Each child took ownership of their product and showed so much pride throughout the event. After the first day of sales, many of the students sold out of their products so they had to go home and make more to sell the next day. They were so excited that they didn't even complain about the work they had to do in a few hours to be ready for the next day. The children learned so many lessons through this market day project that I know they will never forget and they will be able to transfer this learning to other areas. I am so proud of all of our second graders for all that they did for Market Days. I bet some of our first graders are already thinking about what product they will develop/create to sell next year. 

The children in third grade studied fraction names and symbols as well as learning the meaning of multiplication and division. If you have a child in third grade it is important for them to practice multiplication and division facts on a daily basis so that these become second nature to them. This will definitely help them in future years as well. In the area of reading, our third graders became experts in summarizing a plot's main events and explaining their influence on future events. All of these skills require your child to be higher level thinkers and problem solvers. I ask that you continue to ask your child questions that will get them to draw conclusions or make inferences about their reading selections.

 

In fourth grade, our students worked the entire fall semester on becoming better writers. They had many different types of compositions to write, which included writing across disciplines. They had research projects to complete and present to their classmates that covered many areas in social studies. The writing techniques they learned during the first semester such as providing evidence of the text/resources to demonstrate understanding were also part of their projects. Our fourth graders continued to develop their division skills by using division to solve problems that had no more than one-digit divisors and three digit dividends without the use of technology. They also studied more about earth and space by collecting and analyzing data to identify sequences and predicting patterns of change in shadows, seasons, and the observable appearances of the moon over time. All of this information is very complex, however, your child was able to master this and so much more in the first semester. Please keep encouraging your child to read and write on a daily basis as well as practicing their multiplication and division facts every day.

 

Our fifth graders had a full fall semester beginning with the camp trip to Camp Champions and learning how to switch classes and work with three different teachers. I believe they have matured so much since the beginning of the school year and have made many gains in their learning. During the fall semester in reading, the students had to synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts representing similar or different genres. These skills will continue to carry over as they work in science and math class because they must be critical thinkers and problem solvers of all they read and study. In mathematics, the students continued to develop their understanding of fractions to solve problems. They were expected to compare two fractional quantities in problem solving situations using a variety of methods including common denominators. Wow, just this skill alone required the students to use so much of their previous mathematics knowledge to understand the new information being taught. This was also important in science class. They had to use their prior learning of earth and space to know that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world and among the earth, sun and moon system. These are just a few of the skills and expectations that students in fifth grade were required to master in the first semester. I ask that you continue to work with your child to complete all of their homework and to continue to help them build their skills of responsibility and self-discipline as they get closer to becoming middle school students.

 

I just gave you a small glimpse into what our children were expected to learn in the fall semester and to reiterate how proud I am of all they have learned. We also had some major accomplishments in a few other areas at Baldwin.

 

In early December, our robotics teams participated in a qualifier tournament and they "ROARED!"

 

The Robo Ninjas-the 5th grade Girls' Team-won first place for their research project. They also received an invitation to compete at the invitational tournament at Westlake High School on January 21, 2012. This team placed 7th in the robot game. There were 30 teams that competed in the qualifier and most of the teams were made up of middle school students. Congratulations to our Robo-Ninjas; Way to Go Girls and Best of luck on January 21st!

 

But wait, it doesn't stop there! The 5th grade boys' team-the Terminators-received an "exemplary" rating (the highest) for robot design process, which was systematic, well-explained and had well documented improvement cycles, and for their mission strategy, which had a clear strategy to accomplish game missions. In the research project category, this team received and "exemplary" rating for problem identification (very clear, very detailed), problem analysis (extensive study and analysis by team) and innovation (original solution with the potential to add significant value). Additionally, the Core Values Judge commented on the respect that the Terminators had for each other. Congratulations to our Terminators!

 

Wait, the accomplishments don't stop there either! We had another team that also competed and did well. The 4th grade boys' team-Robotic Frogs-placed 3rd of all 30 teams in the robot game. The judges wrote "Outstanding" across the top of the robot design and programming evaluation sheet. This team was also credited for having a robot attachment that was innovative. Congratulations to our Robotic Frogs! We are so very proud of our three teams and are very grateful to the coaches that gave so much of their time, energy and wisdom to help our 4th and 5th grade students have such an amazing experience. These teams learned and practiced during the weekdays but also on Sundays for many weeks. Again congratulations to the three teams and their coaches!!

 

On another note, I want to thank the PTA committee that organized the "Care and Share" Turkey event this year. It was an amazing event that brought our Baldwin Community together to help some of our very own families during this Holiday Season. Your giving and caring spirit is something our children will remember for the rest of their lives and I know they will continue to share what they can with others in need. Thank you so much for all that you contributed in making this a memorable event for all!

 

Before the 2011 year comes to an end, I want to thank the PTA for their continuous support of our school and our learning. During the first half of this school year, our PTA gave so much of their time, talents and treasure to help us as we worked towards reaching our goals for this year. Some of the PTA members even worked during the winter break at Baldwin. The fifth grade students requested a Gaga Pit, which they played at Camp Champions and they felt all of our Bobcats would enjoy playing it too. One of the main reasons the students and teachers requested the Gaga Pit was because all students can participate in the game and athletic skills are not required. It is an inclusive game that will be monitored with rules and guidelines for all students to enjoy now and in the future. This past week the PTA built the Gaga Pit and it is now ready for our students to use during recess. If you are visiting Baldwin, you will find the Gaga Pit on the large playground close to the garden areas. Thank you for continuing to support not only the academics at Baldwin but also the overall well-being of our children.

 

I also want to thank the Boy Scouts that help build our solar shed and the garden areas. Thomas, a Boy Scout, working towards becoming an Eagle Scout led the project at Baldwin. He and his scout friends built and painted the solar shed, made 4 gardens full of soil ready to use, spread mulch surrounding the gardens, built a teaching table, and a granite path to the shed and playslab. It is a beautiful area that I know will be used by our children and teachers.

 

The Baldwin December Book Fair was a HUGE success. Thank you to everyone that volunteered to help us during the book fair week and thank you to all that shopped at the fair. I bought several books for my niece and nephew and they loved them. I also saw the glow in your children's eyes as they bought their new books. We will have another Book Fair in late February so start saving your change so that your children can add to their book collections. Thanks for your support!

 

As you just read, we have so much to be proud of at Baldwin! I thank you all for all that you did to help us accomplish our Fall semester goals and I look forward to a successful Spring semester at Baldwin! I wish everyone a Happy New Year and I will see you on Thursday, January 5, 2012!

 

Roaring with Pride,
Dr. Peña

ROARING NEWS

Dear Baldwin Community,

Since tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I thought I would share some of the things I am thankful for at Baldwin Elementary.

I am extremely proud and grateful to the children at Baldwin for their perseverance and willingness to share and learn with others. All of the children from PreKindergarten to Fifth Grade have been outstanding Bobcats in their academics and in their social skills. Since classes started in August, the students have been learning and applying new skills. They love to share their learning so stop by and visit with the children and they will show you how much they have learned thus far this year. 

I am also very thankful for Mrs. Stevens and the Baldwin Choir. The Baldwin Choir put on a excellent performance on November 10 honoring all Veterans. I want to thank everyone who joined us on that evening to show your support. The children sang some beautiful songs honoring all branches of the military. I have to say that the songs they learned and sang are not easy to sing and they did a superb job. Thank you Baldwin Choir for inspiring us with your beautiful voices!

I am also amazed at the number of volunteers that come to Baldwin. Everyday, Monday through Friday, you will find parents, grandparents, and community members giving of their time and sharing their talents with us at Baldwin. We have an amazing group of ladies that volunteer in the office every week and they never miss their shifts. I wish I could add them to the payroll. We are so lucky to have the extra help because Baldwin is a busy place. Throughout the day, I will see numerous volunteers in the volunteer workroom cutting, pasting, copying, and stapling for our teachers and office staff. I have also seen many volunteers reading with our children in the hallways, in the library and in the classrooms. The days we celebrated with Fall Centers, we had many parents and grandparents leading the activities in the different classrooms. Those were some fun days for all of us. Some of the volunteers have also been spotted in the literacy library checking in new books for our teachers to utilize in the classroom with your children. We would not be able to use these awesome resources if it wasn't for our literacy library volunteers! On any given day, you will also find volunteers in the library, helping to shelve all of the books the students have returned. Our children are readers at Baldwin, which means that we have many books everyday that have to be placed back on the shelves for others to check out. I am thankful for the library aides that come to help us in this way. These are just a few of the volunteers that come to Baldwin on a daily basis. There are many, many more and I we are very appreciative for all of the support!!

I would also like to thank all of the families that supported us with the Coats for Kids Campaign. Your donations helped us gather about 165 coats this year. There will be many children in the Austin area that will now have a coat to keep them warm during the winter season. Thank you for your generosity and thank you to the leaders that stepped up to oversee the coat drive!

The Care and Share Turkey Drive has started and will go through December 3rd. Your child's class has taken a feather or two from the turkey to see how our Baldwin Families can help other families that are in need this Holiday Season. There are also some feathers still available for anyone that would like to come and take one to fill the need that is listed on the feather. In advance, I want to thank you for your generosity and your spirit of giving. 

I would also like to thank the PTA and the Carnival Committee for hosting another fabulous Baldwin Carnival in October. The children had so much fun that they are now requesting a Spring Carnival. I don't think they realize all of the hard work that went into putting this amazing event together. I am thankful for the hard workers that put this together and for our PTA and their continuous support! Thank you for being a Baldwin PTA member!!

Oh, by the way, there have also been a few volunteers working on getting the Baldwin Yearbook together for this year. On any given day, you will spot them at Baldwin taking pictures of the children while they are learning or during some of our special events. Don't forget to order your yearbook online; that's the only way to purchase one this year and the deadline is December 1st. Thank you to our Yearbook Volunteers!

I would like to give one last thank you to the Baldwin Teachers and Staff! I am so grateful for their dedication and commitment to our children and our school. They are ready everyday to work with all of our students and they give so much of themselves so willingly. Thank you teachers, support staff, custodians, office staff, cafeteria staff, cafeteria monitors, and crossing guards. All of you make Baldwin such a special to learn and work!

Once again, I am thankful for all of our Baldwin Community and the daily support we are given! 

I hope everyone has a special Thanksgiving Holiday and that you are able to share your time with family and friends. 

Roaring with Pride,
Dr. Peña

ROARING NEWS

Dear Baldwin Community, 

I am so proud of the work our children are completing at Baldwin that I wanted to share some of it with you!

Ms. LeBlanc's students completed some research on spiders and then wrote some short reports on their assigned spider. This was a homework assignment, which gave parents an opportunity to help their child do some primary research and then write in complete sentences. I am very proud of the work this class turned in and shared with their peers. Ms. LeBlanc's kindergarteners showed so much pride in their work and truly are experts on spiders.

In first and second grade, the students have been learning to use the writing process. They planned a first draft by generating ideas for writing, developed drafts by sequencing ideas through writing sentences, revised drafts by adding or deleting words, phrases or sentences and published and shared with others. The students in Ms. Brady's class wrote their own personal narratives. A personal narrative is a story about you, written in 1st person (I, me) and about one small moment. These are displayed in the hallway by their classroom. Many of these personal narratives have "voice" and are very creative. These personal narratives covered topics such as, "the circus," "my first Texas Baseball game" and "My trip to Yellow Stone National Park." All of the stories are very interesting and I have learned so much about these second graders. 

In Mrs. Lerma's and Mrs. Tapia's first grade classes, the students wrote expository and procedural or work-related text to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes. The students in these classes also did some research on spiders and they wrote informational text to share with others. Their reports covered many aspects of a good research project and they used some excellent first grade writing skills. 

In Mrs. Lentz's first grade class, the students spent some weeks working on writing "small moments." The students read mentor texts to see how published authors stretch events in their stories, Mrs. Lentz modeled with her own writing and then the students each wrote several stories of their own. The students in this class chose one of their stories to publish and then edited their story. They met with their teacher in a writing conference to learn a little about revision and finally the students read their stories to an adult volunteer who typed it up for the students. The stories are now bound and hanging on the board right outside Mrs. Lentz's classroom. These stories are unique and show how much our children have learned about writing. 

Today I observed, Ms. Seitz's Kindergarteners writing in their math journals. They had to listen to the math story the teacher shared and paint a picture in their minds. The students then took that picture and drew it in their notebooks. The students then had to write the number sentence that matched the math story the teacher shared with the class. Wow! there are some amazing mathematicians in Ms. Seitz's class. 

In Mrs. Fuller's class, the students were discussing what Veterans' Day means to them. They learned that a Veteran is someone who loves their country and may have fought in wars to protect our country. The students learned the different Armed Forces the veterans may belong to such as the Air Force, the Marines, the Navy, and the Army. One student shared that he had seen the aircraft carrier "The Lexington" in Corpus Christi. The teacher shared photos of the aircraft carrier on the innovation station. Mrs. Fuller's class was very excited to be learning about Veteran's Day and our country. 

A couple of reminders: On Thursday, November 10th our Baldwin Choir will be having a Veterans' Day Program in the cafeteria at 6:30 p.m. Please join us for this concert to honor our Veterans. Also, don't forget that Friday is a student holiday. Your child has the day off from school. 

Roaring with Pride,

Dr. Peña

Roaring News

Dear Baldwin Community,

 

Our fifth graders had a roaring time at camp this year! They refined their team work and leadership skills while they were out there completing their daily tasks and covering the curriculum. The students returned with so much more energy and have been able to apply their learning from camp to their daily classroom learning. I am very proud of our fifth graders and their commitment to learning. I want to thank our fifth grade parents for allowing your children to go on this overnight camping trip with our teachers. It is such a great way for our children to get to know each other better and to continue building on their leadership skills.

 

Speaking of leadership skills, we are getting ready to start up our "first" Baldwin Student Council. We will have elections in each of the third, fourth, and fifth grade classrooms on November 8th. Along with the Student Council we will be incorporating the leadership program through the Rotary Club. We have some Rotary Club representatives that will meet with our student council and the sponsors to help the children develop their leadership skills. The student council members will also be the representatives for the Prek, Kinder, 1st and 2nd grade classes. I am looking forward to working with our Student Council to hear what the students feel we should focus on at Baldwin to make it an outstanding school!

 

The Coats for Kids Campaign started off with a bang and we have collected a box full of coats and scarves. We had a group of choir members that put on a short skit to kick off the campaign and then we had the Daisy Troop that presented the scarves they made to the coats for kids drive. Thank you to everyone that has contributed thus far. The collection ends on November 3rd so do some spring cleaning now and go through your closets so that you can donate any coats that no longer fit you. There will be someone that will use your donated coat this fall and winter. Your donations are greatly appreciated.

 

The PTA Reflections program will come to an end on Friday, November 4th so don't forget to submit your work by that date. This program is a perfect way for our children to demonstrate their creativity and skills around the theme of Diversity. We have a few entries and we sure would like to see more. We know our Baldwin Bobcats are very talented and what a better way to showcase this talent. The guidelines and information for each type of entry can be found in the foyer of the school in front of the office. Please talk with your children about this wonderful program and encourage them to participate.

 

We had another successful Baldwin Carnival this year! It was two weeks ago and the children are still talking about all of the fun they had and the good food they got to eat. I had about a dozen and 1/2 cascarones cracked on my head. I had a blast trying to escape those that were after me for that purpose. I want to tell all of the carnival volunteers that our event was a great success because of them. It was their hard work and commitment that made this event so memorable!! Thank you again to Mrs. Kelsey Friedman, Carnival Coordinator, and all of those that worked behind the scenes to get all of the booths ready and to those that worked tirelessly on that day and night. You all are amazing supporters of our children and Baldwin. I am looking forward to next year's carnival.

 

As we enter the month of November, we will also begin our collection for holiday support for our families in need. This year, we will have a Turkey with feathers that will display the needs of our Baldwin community. Please keep an eye out for the turkey and the procedures we will follow to help those in need. In advance, I thank you for being such a supportive community!

 

The Accelerated Reader cut-off date for this month is this Friday, November 4th. Please check with your child to see how many points they have earned and perhaps they can do some extra reading to complete a few more tests before Friday. We will recognize our next Rainbow Readers on November 10th. We will hold this recognition on that Thursday because the children don't have classes on November 11th.

 

Tomorrow, Monday, is Halloween and it is not appropriate for our children to come to school in their Halloween Costumes. However, it is "Crazy Hat" day so help your child get their hats ready to wear on Monday. We will also be celebrating the 50th day of school by dressing up in our 50s outfits on Tuesday, November 1st. We sure do like to have fun at Baldwin!

 

For more information on upcoming events, check the Baldwin Weekly Roar!!

 

I want to congratulate the third graders because they have been working very hard to learn all about multiplication and division. They have also been learning their multiplication facts to 12. Keep up the good work. I am also very proud of our fourth graders. This past week they shared their personal compositions during their writing celebration in the library. Their stories were well written and they showed so much pride in their work. Thank you to our children for being outstanding Bobcats!!

 

Roaring with Pride,

Dr. Peña

ROARING NEWS

Dear Baldwin Community,

 

Congratulations to ALL! We have now completed the first 9 weeks of the 2011-2012 school year. These first nine weeks have flown by!

 

We started the year with an increase in enrollment, which allowed us to add three more teachers so that our class sizes would not be so large in first, second and third grades. Although change can be difficult to work through, our children, parents and staff at Baldwin did an extraordinary job during this time. Through all of the changes, the children were resilient and showed such pride for their fellow classmates and their new teachers. I want to thank everyone that helped us through these changes.

 

During the first nine weeks of classes, I observed high levels of learning at all grade levels and in our special areas. I noticed different kinds of writing at each grade level and am just amazed with the stories the children have created. I learned so much about our first grade students by reading their timelines that were posted by each classroom. I also enjoyed getting to know our youngest Bobcats by studying their individual posters that were displayed. The students in the upper grades have been doing some amazing work in mathematics and science. I even heard a fourth grader asking his math teacher to teach him more about algebra. I am so proud of our children for being so inquisitive and hard working.

 

The art work that Mr. Mader and his students have been displaying is outstanding. This year's Baldwin Choir has been working extremely hard with Mrs. Stevens and their beautiful voices have been ringing through the building. During PE classes, the children have been working on so many different skills that they are able to incorporate into their daily routines of play and competition. Our Bobcats also do a fabulous job sharing these skills during our Wellness Wednesday activities.

 

On Friday, we recognized our first group of AR awardees for this year. I signed over 65 certificates for this first round of recognitions and I want to sign many, many more as we progress through this school year. Please continue to encourage your child to read their AR books and to keep visiting our beautiful library to check out books to read.

 

The 2011-2012 PTA Reflections Program has started and the entry deadline is November 4th. This year's Reflection theme is "Diversity Means..." Children can express what diversity means to them in one of six categories: Visual Arts, Photography, Literature, Film Production, Musical Composition, and/or Dance Choreography. However, they are not limited to just one category-they may enter as many as they'd like. Your child should have received a packet in their Wednesday folder that included an entry form and other important information regarding this program. If your child would like to participate, please pick up the guidelines for the category they are interested in; guidelines are available in the school foyer near the front office. I look forward to seeing our Bobcats' talents.

 

This Friday, October 21st is our Second Annual Baldwin Carnival. There are many booths and fun activities that are planned for children of all ages, including us big kids!! The carnival is scheduled from 5-8:30. I will be there climbing the rock wall and cracking a few Cascarones on a few folks. I guarantee you will have a fun evening with your family and friends. Please make plans to attend!

 

I want to take this time to thank all of the Baldwin Parents for the gifts you gave to the Baldwin Staff a few weeks ago. We are very grateful for the kindness and generosity you shared with all of us.  

 

I also want to thank the many, many volunteers we had during these first nine weeks of classes. Please continue to read the PTA website and the Baldwin Weekly Roar for updated volunteer opportunities.

Roaring with Pride,

Dr. Peña

Roaring News

Dear Baldwin Community,

 

We started our 2011-2012 school year with a Roar! We have had two amazing weeks! During my classroom visits, I have observed children learning routines and procedures and being very active participants. We have grown over 100 students from last year, with 645 students registered to date. I have been working with the district's Human Resources department to see if we will gain any additional teachers due to some of the high numbers at some grade levels. They are still reviewing the district's enrollment by campus and they will be informing us of our status this week. I will share this information as soon as I receive it.

 

Due to the growth in enrollment at Baldwin, we decided that we needed to try new dismissal procedures. Since the initial implementation of the new procedures, we have made a few more adjustments and these seem to be working better for everyone. If you are picking up your child through the car-pool lane in front of the school, please place your car sign on the passenger side window or the windshield so that we can get your child to you quickly and safely. Our safety patrol members are now helping us with dismissal and it is important that they see the names of the child and the teacher on your car signs. This will also help us keep the traffic moving through the pick-up lane. I appreciate your patience and support with the new dismissal procedures.

 

I also want to remind everyone to review your child's daily agenda and his/her Wednesday folder. We will be sending important information through these two means of communication. Also don't forget to read the Baldwin Weekly Roar for weekly updates and for upcoming events. We don't want you to miss any of the school events so be sure to stay informed. A big thank you to Cathy Cox for working with the Baldwin Staff to get the Baldwin Weekly Roar out to everyone! Mrs. Cox is a parent of a fourth grader and I appreciate all that she does to help keep everyone informed.

 

Have you seen the NEW Baldwin PTA Website? It looks GREAT and we have Mr. Neil Spake to thank for developing this new site for us. Alongside Mr. Spake was Renae Donus who helped him gather all of the information that we wanted everyone to be able to access. Mr. Spake is the parent of a fourth grader and Mrs. Donus is the parent of a first grader. I am very grateful to both Neil and Renae for the great work and for their time and talent. They have created a super, dynamic website for all of us to use!

 

On a different note, I want to encourage all families to join the PTA this year and to participate in the new Baldwin HEB card program. The funds that are generated through the HEB card program will help the school tremendously. Keep an eye out for this information so that you can register.

 

This week we will be hosting Back to School Night for Grades 4 and 5 and Special Areas. Please join us on Thursday evening to learn more about the 4th and 5th grade expectations and to get a glimpse of what your children have been learning thus far. You will be so proud of them! I look forward to seeing you on Thursday.

 

Roaring with Pride,
Dr. Peña

Weekly Roar

We had another excellent week at Baldwin!

Our Baldwin Choir held two performances: one last night and one this morning for the whole student body. Their program "Fun in the Sun" got all of us excited about summer and even brought back a few memories. However, we know that we must finish our last 7 weeks of classes before we get started with our summer vacation. I am so proud of our First Baldwin Choir and Mrs. Stevens our music teacher and choir director. They have set a high standard for our future choir groups. I want to thank all of our parents for supporting our choir throughout this school year and we hope that you will encourage others to join the choir next year.

I also want to take this opportunity to congratulate our 2nd and 3rd graders that participated in the Math Pentathlon tournament on Saturday, April 9th. The results are as follows: Pentathletes: Christopher A., Aiden B., Dawson B., Gavin B., Gabriel C., Rachel C., Annie D., Alexander G., Cynthia H., Madeline M., Abi M., Greyson O., Paul S., Alyssa S., Connor S., Vishwak T., Dylan W., and Jayden W.

Honorable Mention: Sophia C., Noah H., Reha K., Katherine K., Isabella J., Matthew M. and Blake R.
Bronze Medal: Jack B.
Silver Medal: Patrick D., Atticus K., and Lake S.
Gold Medal: Sebastian M. and Ashton W.

I am very proud of our Math Pentathletes and their Coaches! Thanks for all of your hard work! We will be recognizing our Pentathletes on Tuesday, April 19th during morning assembly beginning at 7:35 a.m. Hope to see you there!

This week Brooke G.  from Ms. Lentz's first grade class came to read to me because she earned a "Double Wow!"  She is a great reader! Way to go Brooke and keep on reading! I also had the great pleasure of attending an "Author's Tea" this morning in Mrs. Lentz's class. Her first graders invited their parents and family members to come hear them read some of their favorite writing pieces. The students read to their family and friends and enjoyed some orange juice, donuts and grapes. Some of the students shared their work with me and I was amazed with their creativity and skills. I am so proud of our first graders and Mrs. Lentz!

Some of the other first graders in Mrs. Lopez's class and Ms. Leblanc's class have also been improving in their writing skills. They have created some books and these are on display in the hallway. I met up with one of our Kindergarten parents this morning who was reading the first graders' books and she commented on how great they were. She was very impressed with the first graders' writing. Way to go first grade!!

On another note, I want to recognize two third grade young ladies from Mrs. Burns' class: Rachel C. and Triana S. On their own, they decided that they wanted to collect some funds to send to the Red Cross to help with "Japan Relief." It is not a big operation but they are doing their best to collect donations to help out in some way. If they decide to expand their efforts, we will let you know so that you can make a contribution too. Thank you to Rachel and Triana for thinking of others and trying to help out in some way!

This Tuesday, April 19th, the Baldwin PTA will be holding a General PTA meeting at 6:30 p.m. and we need everyone to attend because we will be electing the PTA Board for the 2011-2012 school year. Please make plans to join us! Everyone's voice and vote counts!

When you visit the HEB on Escarpment and Slaughter Lane, ask the employees to sack your groceries in a paper bag. You may get one of the paper bags our students' decorated in honor of Earth Day!

One last thing, our PreK students have been studying about the Earth and what they can do to take care of our resources. Keep an eye out for some creative art work that our youngest Bobcats will be displaying in the next week!

Roaring with Pride,
Dr.  Peña

Hello Baldwin Community,

This past week was a fabulous week at Baldwin!

We had our first Family Fitness Night on Thursday and what a night of fun it was for all! We had different stations for the children and their parents to experience.  Some of the stations were: basketball, tennis, yoga, nutrition, karate, and kayaking.
All of the children that attended seemed to be having a great time.  I want to thank the parents and friends that came out to help us at each of these stations: Sarah Urbanski, Leslie Ivey, Brandon Maribal, Jeffrey Rockwell, Melissa and Jack Baker, Grant Dorsey, Jamie Dorsey  (Mrs. Dorsey's children) and our very own teacher Mrs. Cherry Lee. I also want to thank the following businesses for coming to share their time and talents with our families: Circle Tennis Club, i9 Sports, Austin Diagnostic Clinic, Total Speed and Fitness, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and My Gym Children's Fitness Center.   Also, thank you to Coach Grumbles, the science cadre and our parent volunteers for helping organize this fun event.

Every school year In AISD each school chooses a Teacher of the Year as well as a Teacher of Promise. As you already know, Mrs. Julie Burns, third grade teacher, is Baldwin's Teacher of the Year for 2011. We just recently announced Baldwin's Teacher of Promise for 2011:  Mrs. Mechele Dorsey, Kindergarten Teacher. The "Teacher of Promise" recognition program is for novice teachers (zero years experience) who are demonstrating "promising practice" in their classrooms. The Office of Educator Quality asks campus principals and Lead Mentor Contacts to nominate a novice teacher who is demonstrating an overall grasp of the components of good teaching.  Mrs. Dorsey has been doing an outstanding job with her students and overall on our campus. She provides her students with hands-on, creative and meaningful lessons. She has established strong classroom procedures and routines and positive relationships with all of her students. Please stop by to visit her classroom and to congratulate her for this great honor and her great work with our children! We are very proud of Mrs. Dorsey and so happy that she is a Baldwin Bobcat!

If you are at Baldwin this week, please visit the yellow wing to see some of our first and second grade work that is on display.  As you enter the yellow wing, you will first see on display work from Ms. Cheaney and Ms. LeBlanc's classes. These students recently studied Texas and measurement and their learning is on display. The students created Texas Maps as they learned the topography of Texas. They also drew a picture of themselves showing the different measurements of their bodies such as their arm lengths and waist sizes. Mrs. Lentz, Mrs.Perry and Mrs. Fuentes had their students write some poetry and there are some very creative poems on display. The students in these classes learned about different types of poetry and then they each created their own poems. Mrs. Brady's students have been discussing Earth Day and they created some booklets on ways to help take care of our Earth and those are hanging by their classroom. Mrs. Forotanrad and Mrs. Lee's classes wrote some reports on an animal that they researched. There are some very interesting facts about the animals they researched and wrote about. In the orange wing, our third graders created some interesting art work with three dimensional shapes, which is the concept they were recently studying in math. Their creations also include an explanation of their work and the 3-D shapes they used.

Another display that you must see at Baldwin is the art work by some of our fourth graders. As you go up the main staircase in our building, you will be amazed with the beautiful art work that is on display. It took my breath away! I stood their for at least 7 minutes taking it all in! Fourth graders have been learning about Japanese carp, called Koi. Students began with a detailed anatomy drawing of a fish, carefully labeling the body parts and fins. Next, each student learned how to draw a koi from a side view and a bird's eye view. Scales were added to the fish and carefully decorated. Final versions of the koi fish were carefully scratched onto gold scratch board and the background was embellished with waves, bubbles, cherry blossoms and Japanese characters. Way to Go fourth graders and Mrs. Rutledge!

On a different note, I need your help if you drop-off and/or pick up your child at Baldwin. It seems that the traffic flow in the front of the school is not going as smooth and as safe as we need it to. I am once again asking everyone to please stay in the right lane when dropping off and picking up your child. I realize that the right lane may get long at times but it is important for the children's safety that we follow this rule. We will begin blocking the left lane just past the parking lot entrance so that we don't have anyone coming through in the left lane and trying to cut across to the right lane when there is a gap in the traffic. This presents a very dangerous situation so we need everyone to follow the rules. We will continue to do our best to get every child on and off the vehicles as quickly as possible. Thank you for helping us with this very important matter and helping us keep all of our Bobcats safe everyday!


Roaring with Pride,
Dr.  Peña

Roaring News

Hello Baldwin Community,

Last Saturday, our Kinder and First Grade Math Pentathlon Team participated in the Division I competition. I am so proud to announce that our Kinder-First Grade team did an outstanding job! We will recognize the following students at morning assembly on Monday:
 

Honorable Mention - Ashley B., Cara G., Justin H., Alexander R., Matthew T. and Nathan V.
Bronze Medal - Stephen C., Andrew D., Kennedy H., Sara H., and Maha M.
Silver Medal - Griffin K., and Maddy S.
Hall of Fame - Allyson B., Jacob K., Matthew M., and Cristian V.

Hall of Fame is the highest award and means the children scored a perfect score - i.e. won all their games. Their names will go into the Math Pentathlon Hall of Fame permanent records.

I would like to thank the two coaches, Mr. Paul Hart and Ms. Andrea Musat for their commitment to our Kinder and First Grade children. They helped instill such great confidence in our young children and have provided them with great learning opportunities. Also a big thank you to Linda Alvarez, our Math Pentathlon Organizer and all of our volunteers that come out every week to coach our different grade level math pentathlon teams. Without their help and hard work we would not have this great after school program.  Please join us in honoring our winners on Monday at morning assembly.

At today's morning assembly we honored students that have earned 25 or more points within the designated time period in the AR program with certificates and ribbons. When the last name was called, we had a stage full of first through fifth graders. Other students who had earned some points but not quite the 25 were given ribbons in their classrooms. Thank you for encouraging your children to read AR books and for taking the tests to earn their points. I am seeing more and more children reading and participating in the program. Thank you to Mrs. Kim Tillisch for providing us with such beautiful AR certificates!

Also today, 8 first grade students from Mrs. Lopez's, Mrs. Beeler's and Ms. LeBlanc's classes presented their "Restaurant Project" to Mrs. Lopez's class. These eight students, who are identified GT in the area of math, were given an assignment of creating a Restaurant so that they could show their skills in counting money, giving change, adding and subtracting costs, and incorporating their writing, listening and speaking skills. The students named their restaurant, created menus: child, adult, and dessert and then opened their restaurant to the rest of Mrs. Lopez's class. Mrs. Lopez helped her students transform their classroom into the students' restaurant. The eight boys took turns in playing the roles of waiters, chefs, money counters and hosts. All of the students learned so much from the boys' project. Their next assignment is for them to use the measurement skills they have studied around the school and create some school maps. I can't wait to see their measuring and mapping skills. Keep up the great work!

This week I noticed some creative writing displayed in the Prek and Kindergarten wing. Be sure to stop by the Prek and kinder classroom areas and to read the stories the students have written. The Prek and kinder students have learned so much since August and their writing is a great example of this learning and growth.

This week I also caught a glimpse of Ms. Cheaney's first graders working in the computer lab. They were typing some of their work into a word document. I am so proud of the way our students take pride in their work and in our school. This class was taking good care of the equipment in the lab as they did their best to type their work. The next time you are at Baldwin, take some time to walk around the school hallways to enjoy the beautiful art work and the great student work that is displayed!

Today, at the Parent-Principal coffee hour we discussed our district's budget crisis and the impacts it will have on our campus. I explained the 2011-2012 projected number of students and teachers for each grade level. Our enrollment is expected to increase so at this point we will be reduced only one teacher unit. I reminded parents that our student to teacher ratios will also increase next year, which means a few more students in every class. Next year, we can go up to an average of 23 students in all K-4th grade classrooms. I also shared details of this year's school's budget and the different areas these funds were allocated. Along with this, I showed the group the amount of money our PTA has supplemented us with to date. The PTA has helped us with about $31,000. I wanted to show that without our PTA's support we could not have accomplished all that we have thus far. Along these same lines, I shared next year's preliminary budget and the areas that the funds have been allocated. Again the amount of money we receive to run the school on a day to day basis is minimal and we will continue to need our parents' support every year. Below is a link to the five documents that we discussed this morning. Feel free to email me with any questions, concerns and/or ideas. Also don't forget to visit our district website for specific updates on next year's district's budget.

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0Bz-W5XqjZPKRMWRhOGRlNzctZjcwNC00NDcwLWJmN2ItMmYyMzcxOTQ4NjJj&hl=en

This next Thursday, we will hold our First Family Fitness Night from 6-7 p.m. Please make plans to come to Baldwin as a family to learn more about staying healthy and fit. It will be an evening of fun for all!

Next week, on Monday-Wednesday, our fifth graders will be taking the Math and Reading TAKS tests. Just a friendly reminder to our fifth grade parents that we need our fifth grade students to get plenty of rest this weekend and throughout the week so that they arrive to school on time and ready to do their best on the tests. Also, fifth grade students will not be able to eat with their parents or guests on testing days. For the rest of us, I ask that we show our support to our fifth graders by wearing our school t-shirts, or our school colors on testing days. Go Bobcats!

Roaring with Pride,
Dr. Peña

Roaring News

Hello Baldwin Community,


The return to school after spring break was not as difficult as some might imagine. We actually had a busy week, which made our week fly by!

We had spring individual and class pictures this past Wednesday. The children and teachers were so excited to take their class pictures. With the help of our amazing volunteers and office staff, we were able to pull this off without any difficulties. Thank you to the parents that came to help us on that day and for keeping the tight schedule flowing. There were many smiles and happy children, which is what we always want to have at Baldwin. If you didn't send in your money for the individual and/or class pictures, you can still send it in next week. But don't wait too long because after next week we won't be able to accept the money.

We conducted a lock-down drill on Thursday, which went just as planned. All of the children and staff responded quickly and everyone was in their safe positions within minutes. Prior to the drill, the teachers spoke with the children about this activity and why it is important for us to practice. Be sure to ask your children about the drill and keep encouraging them to follow the rules and procedures that are expected at school. We will continue to go through our different safety practice drills every month so that everyone knows the emergency procedures we need to follow at Baldwin.

Friday was Kinder Rodeo Day and what a fun day it was for all of our kindergarteners. All of the kinder students sang about 7 songs related to Texas or Cowboys. We had a full house of parents and grandparents on Friday morning for the Kinder performance. Right after the performance, everyone enjoyed a serving of "Cowboy" Beans and Cornbread. A big thank you to Baldiwn parents, Mr. and Mrs. Flores, of Flores Mexican Restaurant for donating the delicious beans and to our very own Baldwin Cafeteria Staff for making the delicious cornbread. In the afternoon, the kinder students and their teachers enjoyed some rodeo fun and games. All of the classes rotated through some stations, which included pinning the horns on the longhorn and the spur on the boot, a bean bag toss, races on stick/wooden horses, an obstacle course around some cacti, and dancing the Chicken Dance and the Cotton-Eyed Joe. We had such a blast. We have some pretty good singers and dancers in kindergarten. Thank you to our Kinder teachers for providing such great learning and fun!

Please mark your calendars for the Parent-Principal Coffee that is scheduled for next Friday, April 1st. It will be at 8:00 a.m. in the cafeteria. Make plans to drop off your children and to stay for the coffee. We will be discussing the budget impacts for next year and I would love to see a full house.

Roaring with Pride,
Dr. Peña

Roaring News

Hello Baldwin Community!

It has been two weeks since my last blog and I have so much to brag about! 

I'll begin by congratulating our fifth graders that made up the Baldwin Volleyball Team and competed on March 5th at the University of Texas against UT volleyball players. Our very own, Ms. Irma Webber, former UT volleyball player, coached the students through the three games. Our Baldwin Bobcats roared on the court! They won 2 out of 3 games! We are so proud of team!

In and around our school, through the Kindergarten wing all the way up to the fifth grade wing you will find lots of creative writing on display. One example of this great writing is in the blue and yellow wings. The kindergarteners and first graders studied and wrote about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. The students' summaries of each of these Presidents are unique and interesting. During the last part of February and into the first week of March, our third graders studied and wrote about African Americans that have made contributions to our world. This writing included some interesting facts about each of the people they studied. All of the children's work that is displayed shows great writing skills that the students have been learning and are now utilizing in their writing. 

Another example of great work that I observed the last two weeks was in a Kindergarten class. Mrs. Dorsey's Kindergarten class wrote their own "I Spy" book that focused on 2-Dimensional and 3-Dimensional shapes they have learned throughout the year. One morning I observed Mrs. Dorsey's class and Ms. Seitz's class working together using the I Spy book on the innovation station. The students were using high level math vocabulary to describe the shapes and the positions of the shapes they were locating in the book. Way to go Kindergarten! Keep up the great work!

I want to recognize Ms. LeBlanc's first grade class for singing such a beautiful song at morning assembly on March 3rd. They sang a song about George Washington that described his life and contributions. Thank you to our first graders in this class for gracing us with their beautiful voices and for teaching us all about George Washington. 

On Friday, March 4th, Baldwin hosted its' first "March Mathness" and it was a great success! Each class had parents, friends, and family members teach a 40 minute math lesson that pertained to real-world math. We had the different classes at each grade level rotate through the different grade level sessions so most grade levels were able to participate in 4-6 different hands-on math lessons. The lessons ranged from making pizzas and learning the fractional pieces of sliced pizzas, math penthatlon games, understanding different measurements for sewing, using math websites, learning how to keep your own checking account, and using measurement to know the weight of a turtle. Yes a turtle! I held a 56 pound turtle that one of our parents brought as part of his math/science lesson. I was only able to hold it for less than a minute while the teacher took a picture. What an incredible experience! The entire morning on March 4th was dedicated to these kinds "March Mathness" activities which were so much fun. I heard children, parents and teachers commenting on what a great time they had at each session and how much they had learned. They can't wait for next year's March event and neither can I! Thank you to the many volunteers that came out on that day to help us make this a great success!

This past Friday, we had another "first" at Baldwin. The second graders held their first "Market Day" and what a day it turned out to be! Each of the second grade students had to create their own product to sell at the market. This project was part of the economic unit our second graders studied. The students prepared a product and then sold their goods at the market to other Baldwin students. Some of the products I saw on that day were lava lamps, airplanes, bracelets, bookmarks, pencil toppers, hair ribbons, face painting, and key chains. Parents and volunteers came in on that day to assist the children with the selling of the product and the exchange of money. This event was such a great success that our second graders made a little over $1,700.00. I am so proud of our students because they showed so much professionalism and pride! 

When we return from spring break, we will only have nine weeks left before this school year is over. Can you believe that? I can't! This year has gone by very fast for me. 

The last nine weeks are always very busy for everyone. We will be getting ready for the TAKS tests that will be administered in April and May and for all of the memorable spring time events such as rodeo days, family fitness night, field days, and 5th grade completion ceremony. We will continue to need volunteers to help us with these events so please keep an eye out for these invitations. 

I hope you have a restful and fun spring break. I look forward to seeing everyone on March 21st. 

Roaring with Pride, 

Dr. Peña

Roaring News!

Hello Baldwin Community,

This past weekend was a very busy one for some of our Baldwin Bobcats!

We had 14 students ranging from grades 2-5 that participated in the Austin Energy Regional Science Festival this past Saturday, February 26, 2011 at the Palmer Events Center.  Our Bobcats excelled at this competition. The following is a list of our Bobcats and what they earned at the regional science fair:
3rd Place-Andre S. and Jace K.

2nd Place-Naya T., Noah H., Blake R., Emily O., Lauren K., Julia A., and Alexandra J.

1st Place-Andrew B., Tasha A.., Grace G., Dylan C., and Matthew L.

We are very proud of our students and are grateful to their parents for their support!

I also want to recognize and thank the workers that came out on Saturday morning to help build the flower beds for our Baldwin Gardens. We had a small but strong group of teachers, students and parents that helped us with this project. A ROARING thank you to the following folks for coming out on Saturday:  Lesley and Judd Leach and their daughter Kate, Bob Wittmeyer and his son Robert, Jeff Avila and his son Aidan, Tim Tashjian and his daughter Laurel, Julie Burns and her son James, Gayle Grance and her daughter Kristin. Thank you for giving your time, talents and treasure to this project. All of us at Baldwin will put the gardens to good use.

We also had about 16 fourth graders attend a second writing camp at Baldwin. The students along with Mrs. Cruz and Mrs. Reaves reviewed the 6 traits of writing and had numerous fun activities and discussions that will help them on their TAKS writing test. The TAKS writing test will be tomorrow, Tuesday, March 1st. We are asking all Baldwin students to support our fourth graders by showing their school spirit and wearing their Baldwin Bobcat shirts. If your child does not have a Baldwin Bobcat shirt perhaps they can wear something purple.  Thanks for helping us support our fourth graders through this assessment!!

If you are a parent of a fourth grade student I ask that you help your child prepare for tomorrow's test by helping them get a good night's rest, eat a healthy breakfast and arrive to school on time. I also want to remind you that during State Assessments, parents are not allowed to eat lunch with their child. I also ask that you please not take your child out of school early on testing days; help us make sure that your child has plenty of time to complete his/her test. Thanks for your assistance with this important matter!


Roaring with Pride,
Dr. Peña

Roaring News

Hello Baldwin Community,

Just a friendly reminder that our fourth graders will be taking the TAKS Writing Test. next Tuesday, March 1st,  In order to be ready to take the test on Tuesday, we will need all of our fourth graders to get a good night's sleep, eat a healthy breakfast and arrive to school on time. Thank you to our fourth graders, their teachers and their parents for the hard work they have put into preparing for this important assessment.

Our fifth graders will be performing for us next Thursday, March 3rd. The performance, entitled, "Glo To The Xtreme" is guaranteed to entertain all ages. They will hold two performances on March 3rd: one will be in the morning at 8:15 for the students to see and the other will be that evening at 6:30 p.m. Please make plans to attend this performance by our fifth graders.

I want to inform you of an opportunity that our district is offering to parents. The district will be hosting free "Love and Logic" classes at  a school near us. What is "Love and Logic?" "Becoming a love and logic parent" gives you the tools to effectively handle challenging behaviors. It promotes a "win-win"  philosophy in which you show love and control in healthy ways; and your children learn responsibility and coping skills through problem solving. This program can help you build a loving relationship with your child, reduce your stress and prepare your child for the real world.  "Becoming a Love and Logic Parent" is appropriate for parents with children of any age. The program is eight-weeks long, offered in English and Spanish, with light refreshments, and in most cases, free child care. The classes will be held on Wednesdays, March 23-May 11 from 6-8 p.m. The English classes will be at Covington Middle School and the Spanish classes will be held at Allan Elementary. To sign up or for more information, contact AISD Parent Training Coach, Mariana Montejano at 414-3134. Don't miss out on this great opportunity!


Roaring with Pride,
Dr. Peña

Roarring News

Hello Baldwin Community,

Thank you to everyone that participated in parent conferences today. Most of the conferences today were led by the students and  I was amazed at how well they could explain their progress and their goals to their parents. The students had examples of their work to share with their parents and some even played games and/or completed centers together.  We appreciate all of the daily parent support! Together we will help all of our children succeed!

In my last blog, I mentioned all of the beautiful artwork that our students have been doing at Baldwin but I failed to recognize our art teachers Ms. Rutledge and Mr. Abbott. Thank you to both of our Art Teachers for teaching our children some incredible art skills and for displaying their talents.

This past Saturday, two of our fourth grade teachers, Mrs. Reaves and Mrs. Cruz, held a writing camp for fourth graders. I came by Saturday morning to greet the students and the teachers and they were all so excited to be at Baldwin, even on Saturday. The teachers started the camp by having the students go on a scavenger hunt through the school. The students were thrilled that they could go through the hallways and talk with their friends, which is not the normal procedure during the regular school day. The scavenger hunt led the students to find puzzle pieces that covered the traits of writing they were reviewing. I heard from the teachers that the students had some awesome writing to share before they left on Saturday, which was the goal for this camp. I am very proud of the students for giving up some of their Saturday to get some extra practice and I appreciate Mrs. Reaves and Mrs. Cruz for setting this up for them. Thank you to the parents of our fourth graders for bringing them and picking them up on time.  We will have another writing camp this Saturday, February 26th. We look forward to seeing the fourth graders here again!

Mrs. Beeler's first graders have started writing to their pen pals from Widen Elementary, our "sister" school. The first graders in Mrs. Beeler's class have been matched with other first graders from Widen Elementary and they have been writing to each other. The students' first writing correspondence has been posted on the bulletin board outside Mrs. Beeler's class. Kudos to Mrs. Beeler's first graders for participating in this type of activity and for making new friends!

Good News! We have some additional bike racks that were installed this past Friday. The bike racks are along the front drive of the school just past the library, which is the south end of the drive. I noticed last week that we had many bike riders and now we have more bike racks available for the students to use. As the weather cooperates, I hope to see more children riding their bikes to school or walking to school. Thank you to our parents for encouraging this type of healthy activity for our children.
 
Roaring with Pride,
Dr. Peña
 

Roaring News

Baldwin Community,

I want to begin this blog by highlighting some of the amazing work that is taking place at our school. First, I want to brag on the art work that our students have been doing in art class.  In the display case by the cafeteria, there is third grade artwork. They have been working on sewing small stuffed animals (animalitos). The third graders learned to thread his/her own needle and sew small stitches. Their work includes a running stitch, an outline stitch, and a blanket stitch. There is also some amazing first grade artwork hanging in the main hallway that leads to the cafeteria. First grade students studied the life and art of the famous painter Vincent van Gogh. From this learning, the children were able to create swirling, moving lines just like Vincent van Gogh's brush strokes. They also learned about the State Capitol building and drew the Austin landmark landscape in the style of van Gogh. Their work is titled: Starry Night, Austin Style. Next to the first grade artwork, there is a display of Kindergarten work. To celebrate Black History Month, the Kindergarten Classes learned about the legends of Anansi the Spider, an African Folk  hero of the Ashanti people of West Africa in the country of Ghana. Anansi is a wise and loveable spider. The Kindergarten children used horizontal, vertical, and diagonal lines to create Anansi's spiderweb. The webs were filled by using colorful markers to create line patterns that include curved, dashed, dotted, zig-zag, curly and spiral lines.

I also want to brag about the history projects the second graders completed a few weeks ago. Each second grader had to complete research on a past president and complete a written report that they then presented to their classes. The projects were amazing! I could tell that each student took so much pride in their work because their presentation boards had so much information and each child could explain their research in detail. I was fortunate to hear a few of the students presenting to their classes. I saw a student in Mrs. Lee's class present his report through a game he created. The game was a timeline of the life of the president he studied. Another student in Mrs. Lee's class created a cipher just like the president he had studied had done to send code messages. I am very proud of our second graders for the incredible projects and presentations they created. Way to Go Second Grade!!

Our fourth graders have been working extremely hard in their language arts classes. They have been writing and writing to get better prepared for the TAKS Writing test that will occur on March 1st. I want to say thank you to our fourth grade teachers and parents for encouraging your children to write from their hearts. The different writing techniques and strategies the children have been using will help them on the day of the test and beyond. We appreciate your encouragement and support!


I also want to thank everyone that participated in the PTA sponsored "Love Your School" No Hassle Fundraising Campaign. I don't know an exact total for this campaign but I do know that we are close to reaching our goal of $10,000. Thank you parents  for your continued support and love!

Don't forget Parent-Teacher Conferences are Monday, February 21st. I look forward to seeing you at Baldwin!


Roaring with Pride,
Dr. Peña

Roaring News

Hello Baldwin Community,

I want to begin this blog by thanking all of the students that participated in our "First" Science Fair at Baldwin. We had over 200 projects that filled up our cafeteria including class projects from our Kinder through third grade classes.  From these 200+ individual projects, 14 were chosen to advance to the next level of competition, which is the Austin Energy Regional Science Fair to be held February 23-26. We are very proud of all of our participants and we wish our 14 students from grades 2-5 that have advanced the best of luck. We can't wait to hear how it goes for them at the regional level. I also want to thank the parents of our students that participated in the science fair. for all of their support and the commitment you made to help your child complete a project this year.

I also want to give a "shout out" to our volunteers for helping us organize this huge endeavor. We had 2 teachers, Mrs. Grance and Mrs. Quiroz, along with two parents that organized our science fair. These ladies then reached out to other parents and friends that helped us set up and take down the projects. We also had volunteers come in and judge the projects for us and we are very grateful to them for giving their time and expertise. We could not have done this without your time, talents and energy.

I would like to take this opportunity to announce Baldwin's 2010-2011 Teacher of the Year: Mrs. Julie Burns. She is one of our third grade teachers. This morning at Morning Assembly we surprised Mrs. Burns with this announcement and with a beautiful flower arrangement. The Baldwin Staff voted for Mrs. Burns as our teacher of the year. We are so proud of her and the work she does everyday with your children! When you are on campus, stop by to see her and tell her congratulations! She ROARS!

This morning we also recognized all of the PTA Reflections participants. We had 50 participants and 14 of these advanced to the Area Level. Two of these students placed at the Area Level. This morning they were given a trophy and/or a medal for their accomplishments. I was so proud to see so many students standing on the stage with their trophies and medals. Thank you parents for encouraging your children to share their talents and gifts with others

I am very proud of Ms. Meixner's Kindergarten class. This morning their class name was drawn  to eat at the "fancy" table and they chose to pass this opportunity on to another class because they had eaten at the fancy table on Tuesday of this week. This gesture of kindness showed others how much they believe that we are a family here at Baldwin and that we should share these opportunities and experiences. Thank you to Ms. Meixner and her Kindergarten class for being so gracious and kind. Because they chose to pass this opportunity on to another class, Ms. LeBlanc's first grade class got to eat at the fancy table today. Ms. LeBlanc and her class then wrote a nice thank letter to Ms. Meixner's class expressing their gratitude. I love the way our children and our teachers take care of each other!

We had a general PTA meeting this past Wednesday and although we had a small turnout for this meeting, I do believe some very important decisions were made.  I encourage you to check out the PTA website to read more about the meeting. I hope we can have a better turnout at the next meeting.

I am going to take this opportunity to make a strong plea for tutors! We need your help with our Roaring Readers Club. We need mentor/tutors to sit with a child (first through fifth grade) for 30 minutes a day to help them increase their reading fluency and comprehension. The resource that we are using is an user friendly program that you would be able to follow. In fact, we have someone that will provide training before you get started. Please consider helping us with our struggling Bobcats. We all need a little help at times! You can sign up for a 30 minute slot by going  to mySignup.com to volunteer now! http://www1.mysignup.com/roaringreader_sclub . For more information contact Tawnya Savoy at tsavoy@austin.rr.com .

We will be having a parent-principal coffee on February 4th at 8:30 in the cafeteria.  I would love to see all of you at the Parent-Principal Coffee. We spend about 45 minutes talking about different concerns and/or sharing ideas on how to make Baldwin the Best School in Austin. I would love to see you at the coffee hour on Friday the 4th.

Roaring with Pride,

Dr. Peña
 

Roaring News

Hello Baldwin Community,

We got off to great start to our second semester at Baldwin! During the first week back from the winter break, the students in grades 3-5 had the pleasure of hearing some live jazz music. We were visited by some players from the Austin Symphony. We heard a vocalist sing some great songs and we saw and heard the following instruments being played: piano, saxophone, flute, drums, and electric guitar. Last week the students in Prekindergarten through second grade had the pleasure of hearing another member of the symphony; they learned and heard about instruments that are part of the percussion family. I could tell the students enjoyed the music because I saw them tapping their feet, moving their shoulders to the beat and even clapping the rhythms. We are grateful to AISD and the Austin Symphony for exposing us to these instruments and these sounds.

This past Friday, the fifth grade students were treated to some special sounds by the Gorzycki MS band, orchestra and choir. The Gorzycki MS Fine Arts department made a special visit to Baldwin to explain some of the great opportunities the students can participate in if they choose this school next year. We applaud the students and the staff from Gorzycki for a great performance. Your fifth grader will soon have to submit his or her choice sheet for next school year, so please help them complete this important form. If you have questions, please talk with Mr. Crowley and Ms. Webber.

Our first Science Fair is just around the corner. Please mark your calendars to come view the science fair projects on January 26 from 6-7 pm. I believe we will also have a special presentation from Mad Science that same night. It will be a fun night for the whole family. I hope to see all of you that night!

Back in November, one of our teachers completed her National Board certification and I believe I failed to announce this to our community. Congratulations to Ms. Brynne Ovalle, our PreK teacher! National Board Certification is a demonstration of accomplished teaching practice as measured against high and rigorous standards. National Board Certification is a means to professional growth and improvement. We are very proud of Ms. Ovalle for completing this amazing feat! When you see her at Baldwin, please take a minute to congratulate her for this great accomplishment!

We look forward to seeing you at Baldwin this spring semester. Thank you for your continuous support!

Roaring with pride,
Dr. Pena