Catalayah Elementary

🎄✨ Happy Holidays from Claremore Public Schools! 🦓❤️

As we wrap up another memorable semester, we want to take a moment to thank our students, staff, families, and community for the support, spirit, and Zebra Pride you show all year long.

May your holiday season be filled with laughter, rest, and time with loved ones. Whether you’re enjoying twinkling lights, warm meals, or cozy traditions, we hope this break brings joy and renewal for the new year ahead.

From our CPS family to yours, Happy Holidays and a Joyful New Year!

🎁 It’s a Great Day to Be a Zebra!
#CPSZEBRAPRIDE

🎄✨ ELVES ALL OVER CATALAYAH! ✨🎄 We’ve spotted sweet little elves popping up all around our school! 👀🧝‍♀️🧝‍♂️ From hallways to classrooms, these tiny helpers are spreading Christmas cheer, smiles, and just a touch of magic wherever they go (until they need a nap 😂) #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Our young scientists in Mr. Elliott's 4th Grade Science class have been digging deep into their fossils unit! After learning about the four different types of fossils—mold, cast, trace, and true form—students rolled up their sleeves and created their very own salt-dough fossils. But the adventure didn’t stop there… Once they were made, the fossils were carefully buried in sand, and our little paleontologists got to work! 🪣🔍 They excavated, brushed, and worked to preserve their discoveries—just like real fossil hunters! What an exciting, hands-on science experience! 🦕❤️ Catalayah kids learn best when they’re having FUN! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Our 3rd graders have officially joined the world of musicians—they’ve been learning how to play the recorder! From learning finger positions to mastering their very first notes, these students are sounding better every day. 🎵👏 🌟 Cool Recorder Facts the Kids Loved: • The recorder has been around for over 700 years and was popular during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. • It’s one of the best beginner instruments because it helps students learn breath control, rhythm, and reading music. • Recorders come in different sizes—from tiny sopraninos to big bass recorders—but the soprano recorder is the one most kids start with. • It’s one of the easiest instruments to carry… and one of the hardest for parents to ignore at home. 😉🎶 #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Our 3rd and 4th graders had an amazing opportunity to celebrate Cherokee Heritage Days right here at Catalayah! Students explored traditional Cherokee games, learned new skills, and had a blast connecting with the rich history of the Cherokee Nation. They rotated through several hands-on activities, including: 🎯 Game of Grace – A traditional Cherokee game where players try to catch and toss a wooden ring using two sticks. It was once used to help young people build hand-eye coordination and agility. 🏀 Indoor Marbles – Cherokee marbles (called digadayosdi) are played with large, smooth stones on a long court. It’s a strategy game that requires teamwork, aim, and a little friendly competition! 🎯 Blowgun Practice – The Cherokee blowgun, historically made from river cane, was used for hunting small game. Students tried a safe, kid-friendly version to test their aim and focus. ⭕ Ring Toss – Adapted from traditional Cherokee target games, ring toss challenges players to throw accurately and stay steady—just like hunters once did. Cherokee Heritage Days help students understand, honor, and appreciate the culture, traditions, and history of the Cherokee people—many of whom are part of our own school community. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

The lights, the trees, and the increased events on the calendar may have given you some clues that the holiday season is in full swing, and this call is no surprise to anyone; nonetheless, just in case you missed it, CPS will be closed for the holiday season. May you and your loved ones make memories that will fill your hearts and homes with joy this holiday season.

CPS Holiday Schedule
❄December 22, 2025 - January 3, 2025 - CPS Closed
❄January 5, 2025 - Staff Professional Development Day
❄January 6, 2025 - Students Return

Did you hear that the Wet Bandits were spotted at Catalayah?!? I love how much fun everyone is having with these dress up days!! Mrs. Cole and Mrs. Chaney were the Wet Bandits and their students were Kevin McAlister’s!! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Please stop by and check out Lost and Found!!! Items are right here by the front door. Items that are left will be donated during the break. Come by anytime today or tomorrow!

The Holiday Shop is coming to an end. More shopping tomorrow and we WILL be open Friday morning until 11 for any make up shoppers or anyone that wants to shop again!!!

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Tuesdays Reading Tips with Mrs Basks #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Our 5th graders had a special visit from Scott with the City of Claremore Stormwater Office! He shared how stormwater affects our community—and why taking care of our environment matters more than ever. 🌎 Students learned that when it rains, all that water doesn’t just disappear… it flows into storm drains, which lead straight to our creeks, rivers, and lakes. That means anything on the ground—trash, oil, chemicals, even lawn fertilizer—can get washed into our waterways. 🚫🗑️ Scott showed real examples of how pollution travels through our town and what we can do to help: • Throw away trash properly • Pick up after pets • Never pour anything down a storm drain • Keep chemicals far from driveways and streets Our 5th graders are now stormwater protectors, ready to help keep Claremore’s water clean and our community healthy! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

We have been enjoying our 12 Days of Christmas Dress up days!!!! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Our 3rd graders took a fantastic field trip to the Will Rogers Memorial, and it was the perfect day to celebrate one of Oklahoma’s most beloved legends! Students enjoyed story time, a magic show, and a special visit from Cowboy Bart, who read his book and wowed everyone with his rope tricks! 🤠📚 The weather couldn’t have been better, so of course they explored the beautiful memorial grounds—and even squeezed in a roll (or two!) down the big hill! ☀️🍂 🎤 Cool Will Rogers Facts the Kids Loved: • Will Rogers was America’s favorite humorist—famous for saying, “I never met a man I didn’t like.” • He was a movie star who appeared in more than 70 films! 🎬 • He performed rope tricks all over the world and became known as the “Cherokee Kid.” • Will Rogers was born right here in Oklahoma and loved making people laugh with his jokes about everyday life. It was a day full of learning, laughter, and Oklahoma pride! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

🎉 Welcome Back, Ms. Mary! 🎉 Our amazing cafeteria leader is BACK and we couldn’t be happier! She has been out for a few weeks, and we’ve missed her so much. And get this… while she was off, Ms. Mary and her sweet family came up and decorated the entire cafeteria for Christmas! 🎄✨ How thoughtful is that?! We appreciate you, Mary, and we’re so glad to have you back at Catalayah! ❤️🤍🖤 #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Our food drive ends Friday December 12th. There are a couple of classes that are tied for the contest. Get those items in!!!!

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Real-World Math Meets Thanksgiving Fun! Mrs. Griffin’s 2nd-grade WIN group took a shopping trip adventure—right inside the classroom! 🛒🦃 Each student was given $25 to plan their own Thanksgiving dinner and had to fill their bag with at least 6 items. Sounds easy… until the math kicked in! 😅 There were gasps, giggles, and a few “uh-oh!” moments when shoppers realized they went over budget. A tough lesson, but such a good one—if you don’t have the money, you can’t buy it! Hands-on learning + Thanksgiving vibes = the perfect combo! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Reading Tips with Mrs. Basks

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE

If you’ve been hearing things like “flamingos eat upside down,” “wombats have cube-shaped poop,” “sunsets on Mars are blue,” or got a lesson on how Crayola was created, that’s because we celebrated Know-vember in the library! To showcase our knowledge students created a collage of facts on several topics. Picking their favorite fact(s) and illustrating it. Students in 3rd-5th grade took it a step farther and became experts on a topic of their choice. They teamed up and used our nonfiction collection to uncover fun and fascinating facts. They also learned how important it is to cite your sources. To wrap it all up, each group created a poster to showcase what they discovered. Great job Mrs. Meyers!! What a fun project. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

November Employees of the Month!!!

Mrs. Haltmar and Mrs. Dunham

Keep up the good work ladies!

#CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Here are some reminders for this week. Our food drive is still going on, dress up days and Holiday Shop starts this week!!! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE