Catalayah Elementary

**REMINDER**

Catalayah's picture day is October 14th. Please don't wear green!

We will let you know when they are ready to view and order online.

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE

🔥🚒 FIRE SAFETY DAY AT CATALAYAH! 🚒🔥 One of our favorite days of the year! ❤️ A HUGE shoutout to the Claremore Fire Department for spending the day with our students and teaching them some VERY important lessons about fire safety! Our students learned: 🔥 What a firefighter looks and sounds like in full bunker gear & SCBA—and that they are NOT scary, they are there to HELP! 📞 When to call 911, what counts as an emergency, and who answers that call 🛑 Stop, Drop & Roll 🚨 Why smoke detectors are so important and when to check/change the batteries 💨 How to crawl low under smoke 🏠 Get outside, go to your family meeting place, and STAY THERE! One of our favorite parts is watching the firefighters put on all of their gear so our Zebras can see exactly what they might look and sound like during an emergency. ❤️ BIG THANK YOU to the Claremore Fire Department for taking the time to teach our kiddos information that could truly save a life! Now the big question… did your little Zebra come home talking about your family meeting place?! 👀🏠🔥 If not, tonight is the perfect night to pick one together! ❤️ #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

🏃‍♂️❤️🦓 HAPPY NATIONAL COACHES DAY! 🦓❤️🏃‍♂️ Let’s take a second and give Coach Hughes a BIG THANK YOU! 👏 Coach Hughes does such a great job encouraging and inspiring our kiddos to get moving, stay active, work hard, and make healthy choices! Whether he’s leading the fun in PE, cheering students on as they try something new, or putting in those extra miles with our Catalayah Running Club, he is always helping our Zebras become stronger and more confident! He celebrates their accomplishments, encourages them to keep going, and reminds them that doing your best is always something to be proud of. ❤️ We are so lucky to have Coach Hughes leading, encouraging, and cheering on our little Zebras! Thank you, Coach Hughes, for all you do for Catalayah! 🦓❤️🏃‍♀️ #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

We still have our 2025-2026 yearbooks leftover!!! You can stop by the office anytime, especially during the Parent teacher conferences this week and next week!!

$10, CASH OR CHECK

Thursday Oct 8, evening 4-7
Tuesday Oct 13, evening 4-7

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Did you get the Newsletter yesterday?!?! Don't worry- if you didn't I have attached the link below!!!

Parent Catalayah Elementary Oct. 5-9, 2026 Newsletter

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE

September Staff of the Month.

Each month, our staff gets the chance to recognize the amazing people they work alongside by nominating their peers for Staff of the Month!

We choose one certified staff member and one support staff member each month to celebrate. ❤️

There are SO many people at Catalayah who go above and beyond every single day—helping students, supporting coworkers, jumping in wherever they’re needed, and making our school such a special place to be.

This is our chance to give a little extra recognition to the people who make a BIG difference!

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE

😂 Well… apparently our staff members have some pretty interesting backup careers! We asked some of our students what they think our staff would be doing if they didn’t work at Catalayah… and their answers did NOT disappoint! 😂❤️ From doctors and lawyers to paleontologists, circus performers, professional mermaids, jacket holders and more… apparently Catalayah is FULL of hidden talent! 😂 Now we want to hear from YOU! 👀 What do you think our staff members would be doing if they didn’t work at Catalayah?! Kids really do have the BEST answers. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Claremore Public Schools wants to partner with parents and guardians to accomplish our District goals for ALL students: to raise student achievement, close the achievement gap, provide educational equity, and ensure a safe educational environment.

One way we do this is through parent-teacher conferences. Although you can request a conference at any time, the district schedules four evening dates each year for conferences.

October 8th is the first opportunity for conferences across the District.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS with all the dates for the 26-27 school year: https://www.claremore.k12.ok.us/article/97447

Chef Ryan is ALWAYS bringing something fun for us to try—and most of the time, it’s something many of our students AND staff have never tried before! And today was absolutely no different… 🦑 SQUID INK DYED PASTA. 🦑 Ummmm… WHAT?!?! 😂😂 Don’t worry—it was really just delicious pasta with garlic and butter…but that BLACK pasta definitely had everyone doing a double take! 🖤🍝 We LOVE that Chef Ryan gives our students the chance to step outside their comfort zones, try something new, and have a little fun with food along the way! Thanks, Chef Ryan, for keeping us on our toes…and keeping us wondering what in the world you’re going to have us try next! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Happy Custodian Day to our amazing Ms. Adelina! ❤️

The list of things she does for Catalayah every single day is LONG—and somehow, she does it all with a sweet smile on her face! 🥰

We are so thankful for all the ways she keeps our school clean, cared for, and running smoothly. We appreciate you more than you know, Ms. Adelina!

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE

📚 Your Partnership Matters - October 8, 2026

Your child’s education is a team effort, and you are an important part of that team.

At Claremore Public Schools, we aim to partner with parents and guardians to raise student achievement, close achievement gaps, provide educational equity, and ensure a safe educational environment for every student.

One of the best opportunities to strengthen that partnership is through Parent-Teacher Conferences for PreK-8th grade families.

Conferences aren’t just for when there is a concern. They are an opportunity to:

❤️ Celebrate your child’s growth and successes
📚 Understand what your child is learning and where they may need support
🎯 Discuss academic goals and expectations
💬 Ask questions and share information that can help your child’s teacher better support them
🤝 Make sure home and school are working together toward the same goal: your child’s success

You can request a conference with your child’s teacher at any time throughout the year, but CPS also schedules four evenings specifically for conferences.

📅 Conferences are by appointment with your child’s teacher(s).

🔗 Appointment links are LIVE and will be shared by each teacher through Rooms. Families may also contact their child’s teacher(s) directly or visit:
https://www.myconferencetime.com/info/

Whether your child is thriving, struggling, or somewhere in between, the conversation matters.

We know schedules are busy, but a few minutes together can help build a stronger connection between home and school and keep your child moving forward. ❤️🦓

#CPSZebraPride

Mrs. Ratcliff’s fourth graders are bringing a little ART + MATH together for the cutest picnic project! They started by using tempera paint sticks to create colorful plaid patterns, focusing on vertical and horizontal lines, repeating patterns, and—of course—our primary colors! ❤️💛💙 Then came the watermelon! 🍉 Students used oil pastels on brown paper sacks to create their fruit before cutting, layering, and arranging each piece to design their very own picnic scene. Same colors. Same materials. SO many different creations! We love watching our Catalayah artists turn a few simple supplies into something completely their own! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

🐄🥛 MOOOOOVE OVER, REGULAR CLASSROOM… TODAY WE’RE LEARNING DAIRY STYLE! 🥛🐄 We were SO excited to have the Southwest Dairy Farmers Mobile Dairy Classroom at Catalayah today! ❤️🦓 Our students got an up-close look at dairy farming, how cows are milked, where our milk comes from, and why dairy is an important part of a healthy diet—including a LIVE milking demonstration! 🐄🥛 A HUGE thank you to Suzie for bringing Cheryl the Cow to Catalayah and giving our students such a fun, hands-on presentation! 🐄❤️ And a big thank you to Mrs. McCaw for getting this awesome experience set up for our Catalayah students! We LOVE when learning comes to life… especially when it comes with four legs and a MOOOO! 😂🐄🦓 Thank you, Suzie, Cheryl, Southwest Dairy Farmers, and Mrs. McCaw for making today udderly amazing! 🥛🐄❤️ #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Friday was Dolly Day and our PTO rocked it!!!! They pushed around the Dolly carts and made sure every staff member had a chance to pour themselves a cup of ambition and grab a snack!!! Thank you PTO!! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Have you been getting the Catalayah Newsletter each week??? If not, here is the link...... check it out, there is a lot of good information in it.

https://claremorenewsletter.edurooms.com/newsletters/catalayah-elementary/newsletters/catalayah-elementary-september-28-october-2-2026

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE

📚❤️ BIG NEWS FOR OUR CATALAYAH LIBRARY!!! ❤️📚

Mrs. Meyers has been working SO hard applying for grants to help bring something extra special to Catalayah — a Playground Story Walk! 📖☀️

And guess what?!

The Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded Mrs. Meyers and our library a $5,000 GRANT to help make this exciting project happen!!!

Our Playground Story Walk will give students the opportunity to read a story as they move along the playground, combining literacy, movement, fresh air, and FUN! We absolutely LOVE finding new ways to get books into the hands — and lives — of our little Zebras! 🦓📚

We are SO proud of Mrs. Meyers for all the work she has put into making this dream a reality, and we are incredibly thankful to the Dollar General Literacy Foundation for investing in our students and our school!

We can't wait to watch this project come to life!

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Every Thursday in Mrs. Haltmar’s 2nd grade class, the students get to switch things up and become the TEACHERS for morning math! 🍎✏️➗ We absolutely LOVE hearing the way they teach their classmates… because let me tell you, they’ve got their teacher down! 😂 The explanations, the teacher voices, the little reminders… apparently they really ARE listening to everything Mrs. Haltmar says! 👀😂❤️ Way to go, little teachers! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

📚 DROP EVERYTHING AND READ! 📚

Ms. Johnson’s 4th graders sure do enjoy their DEAR time! ❤️

During Drop Everything And Read, students get to grab a good book, find a comfy spot anywhere around the room, and just READ! Whether they’re stretched out on the floor, tucked into a cozy corner, or settled into their favorite spot, it’s all about getting comfortable and getting lost in a good book.

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Homecoming Week!!! Today was College Game Day.