Catalayah Elementary

Mrs. Casey's 2nd grade class had so much fun playing this domino game at the end of their coin unit. They were learning how to match coin values while using various coins to make the amounts. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

It's.....SCHOOL NURSES DAY!!!! We appreciate all Nurse Shea does for us!! Catalayah wouldn't be the same without her. If you see her around today make sure and tell her how much you love and appreciate her! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

198,235... That is the number of free meals our School Lunch Superheroes have served up this school year. Happy School Lunch Superhero Day!

It's SCHOOL LUNCH HERO DAY!!!! Our ladies that provide breakfast and lunch for our kiddos are AMAZING!! They are truly a blessing to Catalayah!!! Thanks for all you do ladies!! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Welcome our newest Catalayah Zebra to the family!!! Mrs. Hutchins and her sweet baby Charley Dru who joined us yesterday!!!! She is adorable and we can’t wait to meet her! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Teacher Appreciation Week!!! We have some amazing teachers at Catalayah. Be sure to Thank a teacher this week!!

What is a modern-day school librarian? At CPS they are media specialists, teachers, hope givers, a safe haven, the IT help desk, and more. Three of our district media specialists tell us more about themselves and their craft. ▶ https://youtu.be/syYlGGJh1Ac

#CPSTechTipTuesday will demonstrate how to convert an Adobe PDF document to an editable Microsoft Word document. PDF documents are great for sending files to individuals and keeping the formatting consistent. However, a downfall is that you cannot edit the file. Using Microsoft Word, you can open a PDF document and edit it as needed. #CPSZEBRAPRIDE ▶ https://youtu.be/-AH6yWXx6oI

We have some exciting news we wanted to share with you!!! Can you guess what it is?!!?? Click the link below to watch the video! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sf6w0yOYh2M #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Our Runner of the Week is Rhianna Thomas!!! Mrs. Seidel has been choosing a student each week who has been running, showing a good attitude and earning feet for their necklace. Keep up the good work!! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

**Staff Spotlight** Ms. McCracken, 5th grade teacher I went to High School at Caney Valley in Ramona, OK. After High School I went to college at Roger's State University and Cameron University. It's amazing how creative and unique my students are, and the questions they ask blow me away. I love encouraging them to learn, explore and grow as human beings. I have been teaching for 5 years, all at Catalayah. My first four years in 2nd grade, and this year I started as a virtual teacher before moving to 5th grade at the end of September. In my free time I like to bake cookies, hike, kayak, play video games, and do any kind of craft. I met my fiance', Chris, in 2012 and we have been engaged for almost a year. He works for Reasor's as an assistant manager. If I was a book character I would want to be Samwise Gamgee from The Lord of the Rings because he is an amazing friend and encourager. My favorite quote is "There's some good in the world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for."- J.R.R. Tolkein One thing I would like to do that I have never done before is I would love to explore New Zealand and see all the amazing sites there- especially The Shire! I have really developed a love for yoga during the pandemic. It helped me stay sane and motivated when we had to end the school year early last year, and now I can't stop! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

IT'S NATIONAL LIBRARIAN DAY!!!! Catalayah has one of the BEST Librarian's around. Share your favorite memories about Mrs. James!! "I love so many things about being an elementary school librarian. Each day is different. Each day I get to talk with students and teachers about books. Each day I get to read aloud to students and show them how wonderful books can be. Each day I get to share my love of reading. Each day I learn something new!"- Mrs. James

It’s National Library Month and CPS wants you to get to know the names and faces of those who work with our students every day in our school libraries. A librarian or a more modern name is Library Media Specialist seems to have a book recommendation for everyone. With 20,000 titles in a library, there is always something for everyone. This week we will find out some of our CPS Library Media Specialist’s favorites. Andrea James, Catalayah 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗻/𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀? That is an especially difficult question. I have so many favorites. My favorites to read aloud are those that try to engage the students during the story. Books that make them want to check that book out immediately after I've read it. I have come across many like that over the years. a couple of the more recent ones would be Stuck by Oliver Jeffers, and a story with a wonderful message about feeling included, called The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗮𝗹𝗹-𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸? To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴? Things Seen from Above by Shelley Pearsall

**Staff Spotlight** Mrs. Ward, 1st grade Teacher I graduated from Missouri Southern State University!! What I love about teaching- I love when my students act like I am one of their favorite people..... even if it's only for a school year. Such a sweet and humbling feeling! I have been teaching for 17 years. I have been in Claremore for 6 years and all of those years have been at Catalayah. In my free time I enjoy staying home with my family... I'm old! My husband Brad and I have been married for 24 years. He works at RCB here in Claremore. I just love him so much! We have 2 kids, Zoe, who is a Senior at Claremore High School and our son Cole is at Will Rogers Jr High. If I could be any book character I would want to be Fancy Nancy because that girl is so boujee!! My favorite quote is- Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12 One thing I want to do that I have never done before is I would love to win the lottery and then just give it all away!!! Well, after I pay for Zoe's college!! More fun and exciting info about me is- I have brothers and sisters that are my own kids' age! My parents were foster parents to many sweet kiddos and have adopted four of them! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

Mrs. Newman’s kindergarten class took advantage of the nice weather last week and took their class outside for some learning. They learned about parts of the plant!!! It looks like they enjoyed playing in the dirt! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

How fun is this?!?! In Mrs. Seidel's PE class they did a little tball practice today!! What is your kids favorite thing to do in PE?? #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

**Staff Spotlight** Mrs. Edwards, Paraprofessional I graduated from Rogers High School. I absolutely love working with kids for so many reasons. I love helping them learn to read and watching them learn new concepts. I love when they learn something they have struggled with for so long and their faces light up when they master it. I love giving them positive feedback, encouraging them, believing in them and most of all, loving them. I have worked at Catalayah for four years. I love going to the lake with my family and friends during the summer. I love to fish and relax on our boat. I also love watching my son, Ayden, play soccer. During my free time, I spend time with my family, kids, grandkids and friends. I have been with my husband Todd for 18 years and we have been married for 12 years. I have 4 kids from 25 to 9 years old and 2 grandkids. My favorite inspirational quote- "Always remember, You are braver than you believe, Stronger than you seem, Smarter than you think, Loved more than you know, Never give up" #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

This week is National Library Week. What did your child bring home from the Library this week?? What are your favorite books to read?!? #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

National Paraprofessional Day!!! We have the most amazing Paraprofessionals at Catalayah. They go above and beyond every day for our teachers and our students. Catalayah wouldn't be the same without them. If you see one of our Paras today please take a second to tell them how special they are!!! #CPSZEBRAPRIDE

**Staff Spotlight** Mrs. Bennett, Reading Specialist I am a lifelong Zebra. I attended Claremore Public Schools K-12 and graduated in 1995. I received a bachelor's degree from Northeastern State University in Elementary Education in 1998 and a master's degree in reading instruction in 2003. I completed a Reading Recovery training program from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock in 2008. I am a certified Reading Specialist and Ready Recovery Teacher. I have taught for Claremore Public Schools for 22 years. I've taught third grad, first grade, Reading Recovery, and currently serve as a Reading Specialist. I am passionate about early literacy development and helping children learn how to use independent ready strategies successfully. My husband Lance is a Science teacher and Cross Country/ Track Coach at Claremore High School. We have two daughters, Zoe is a graduate student at the University of Oklahoma and will graduate in May with a Master's Degree in Social work. Clara is a third grader at Catalayah. In my free time I enjoy camping, hiking, reading and traveling with my family. I love the mountains and the beach. I am a college football fan and love cheering on my team, the Oklahoma Sooners!! One thing that I've never done that I would like to be able to do is speak Spanish. I have recently begun studying the Spanish language. One of my favorite quotes is, "Students don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." -anonymous #CPSZEBRAPRIDE