The School Scoop
The New East Elementary Newsletter - February 2016
From the Principal's Office
As the end of the 2nd trimester comes there is much to celebrate. Students and teachers are working hard and experiencing multiple levels of success.
Mid-year reading benchmark assessments are complete and showed positive change in every grade level, increasing the number of students getting closer to scoring at or above grade level in reading. As is the case every year, a few new students will be identified to be eligible for READ plans, thus providing them with the necessary supports in reading.
The FLOODING MODEL of reading is a new approach to support our struggling readers. The model connects and aligns reading intervention to core classroom reading instruction in the classroom. The literacy coordinators and intervention staff "flood" the classroom to support reading for all kids in the classroom. This looks different in each grade level as it is based upon the number of students and type of need. Generally during small group reading instruction in each grade level, one would see 3 - 4 additional adults in the grade level providing additional support and instruction in reading. Tiffany Trevenen, our Literacy Coordinator and Reading Specialist, is leading this shift in our approach to supporting students that struggle in reading.
Our INSTRUCTIONAL COACH, Kristin Allen, continues to support teachers during co-planning and coaching cycles. She is instrumental in helping them provide appropriate instruction to students of all levels in each classroom. By helping teachers become more proficient in best practices, Kristin helps teachers create student-centered goals that help increase student achievement. She also supports teachers in integrating technology, such that students can access highly engaging learning in digital way.
The SCHOOL LIBRARY has a new feel this year. The library is a center for students to gather and work. As resources become available we hope that we can expand the functionality of the library. One library tech, Jonathan Waters, is providing his own brand of 21st century learning through a concept called “Makerspaces”. Makerspace is a do-it-yourself space where students gather to use tools and materials to create, invent and learn together. This hands-on learning experience provides students the opportunity to try innovative learning activities involving technology, creative arts, math and science concepts.
Please don't hesitate to give us feedback. We want to know how your student is doing with their learning. Please share with us your questions, compliments and concerns. We want to know how things are going. If you'd like to meet with me feel free to call the school secretary to schedule a meeting. She has access to my calendar and schedule an appointment. Classroom teachers are available via email or their classroom phone extensions. Or you may also text or call me on my cell phone at 970-326-8110. I am happy to visit with you anytime.
Thank you for entrusting us with your children everyday. We love working with your students. It is an honor and privilege.
~ Sarah Hepworth, Principal
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What's Happening This Month? - Mark Your Calendars
- Valentine Candy Gram Sales until Feb 12th
- Feb. 9th - PAC Meeting at 5:20
- Feb. 11th - "Cherish the Little Things" Children's Art Show at the Center of Craig from 3 - 6pm
- Feb. 12th - Children's Art Show from 2-6pm
- Feb. 12th - Valentine's Day Parties at 1:10 pm
- Feb 13th - Children's Art Show 10am - 8pm
- Feb 15th - No School, President's Day
- Feb 18th - Parent iPad Night at CMS 6:00 - 7:00pm
- Feb. 18th - School Board Meeting 4:00pm & 6:30pm
- Feb 19th - No School, Elementary Work Day
- Feb. 22nd - Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:00 - 7:00pm
- Feb 23rd - After School Tech Camp (Session 2) 3:30 - 5:00p,m
- Feb 24th - Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:00 - 7:00pm
PAWS Behaviors
1. Practice Respect
2. Act with Kindness
3. Work Together
4. Stay Safe
Ask your student to say the PAW Chant or sing the PAWS Song. Students Kindergarten through 5th grade can earn PAWS Tickets throughout each week and be eligible for a drawing for special recognition on Fridays during our PAWS Assemblies. When the school earns a total of 3000 tickets, students will get root beer floats during lunch.
Parent Teacher Conferences
Letters were sent home last week asking parents to indicate their preferences for specific times. Please complete the form and send back to school as soon as possible. Letters will be sent out the 3rd week of February.
PAC Meeting for Parents
CMAS Standardized Testing in March
CMAS PARCC
Colorado is a governing member of a multi-state assessment consortium called the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC). Involvement in this consortium allows the Colorado Department of Education staff, along with staff from the Colorado Department of Higher Education and Colorado educators, to collaborate with individuals from across the U.S. to develop assessments for English language arts and mathematics.
Beginning in the 2014-2015 school year, the new computer-based assessments were administered, in two separate windows, in grades 3-11 for English language arts (ELA) and math in grades 3-8 with three high school assessments for math. In an effort to reduce the amount of time students spend testing, the 2015-2016 PARCC assessment has been redesigned to fit into one window. This year, students in grades 3-9 will take ELA and math assessments beginning in March. These assessments are designed to measure our students’ attainment of the Colorado Academic Standards. a
CMAS SCIENCE & SOCIAL STUDIES
New state science and social studies assessments measuring the Colorado Academic Standards were administered online in Colorado for the first time in the 2013-14 school year. This year, students in grades 5th, 8th and 11th grade will take the science assessment in April. This year for social studies, schools across the state in each district were randomly selected by Colorado Department of Education. East was NOT selected to participate in the social studies assessment.
CAN PARENTS REFUSE TO ALLOW THEIR CHILDREN TO TAKE THE TESTS?
In 2015, the state legislature passed a law requiring districts to develop policies allowing parents to excuse their students from participating in one or more state assessments.
Parents in Moffat County may choose to opt their students out of state testing. To do so, MCSD policy requires parents to contact their child's principal and request to complete the required parent refusal form. Without completion of this form, students will be scheduled to complete the assessments.
It is important to give our school time to plan for these assessments by initiate these conversations well before the testing window begins. An important part of the discussion with the principal is to decide if your child will attend school while his/her peers are testing.
CMAS PARCC Testing Times for 2015-2016
PARCC estimates that students will spend the approximate lengths of time below to complete all the sessions, or timed components, of the PARCC assessments in ELA and math:
- 8.25 hours in 3rd grade
- 8.5 hours in grades 4–5
Specific unit times and scheduling considerations can be found here.
Parent Teacher Conferences
5th Grade Students will be selling baked goods during conferences. Please take a moment to check out their sales stand and consider a donation.
MCSD DigiParent iPad Night - Understanding Core Applications
Thursday, Feb. 18th, 6-7pm at CMS
The iPad can be an incredible learning tool. Its light weight form factor, touch screen, long battery life, and ever-growing list of interactive apps and digital books make the iPad extremely functional and purposeful as a personal learning device. We believe it is currently the best technology tool for engaging students in their learning, for providing access anytime/anywhere to student work, and for connecting them to the resources they need for research, project creation, and class presentations. It is also an ideal tool for communicating with teachers and their peers.
While all of these benefits are readily apparent to us as educators, we recognize the iPad may also present challenges. Join our 3 part Parent iPad Nights to get tips on how to parent in the digital age and learn more about the possibilities of technology for students and parents.
MCSD DigiDog After School Tech Camp for Students (2nd - 5th Grade)
Tuesday, Feb 23rd 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm at East Elementary
The East instructional coach is hosting a DigiDog after school Tech Camps again this month for 2nd - 5th graders. Students will learn how they can use technology to investigate, communicate, collaborate, create, model, and explore concepts.
There are only 20 student spots available, so please only commit if your child is able to attend. You will be responsible for picking up your students at East at the end of the Tech Camp.
5th Grade iPad Parent Night a Success
iPad parent night was a huge success! Thanks to all those parents that came and learned about how ipads are contributing to increased student engagement and increased learning in the 5th grade classrooms.
Teachers and students demonstrated how the iPads are being used in the classroom, and the instructional coach and principal visited with parents about taking home iPads this month. instructional coach demonstrated about how parents can have security and control over what their students do at home with their iPad and fielded questions from parents. With permission from their parents, 5th graders began taking home their iPads on February 1st.
It is planned to continue the iPad initiative across the district and distribute iPads to students at other grade levels next year in addition to the 5th graders. Please feel free to come and talk with the principal should you have questions about the 4 year plan for technology and iPads. You can contact her via cell phone 326-8110 or in person by making an appointment with the school secretary.
Little By Little, Violent Video Games Make Us More Aggressive
New research suggests that hours of exposure to violent media like video games can make kids react in more hostile ways compared to ones who don't spend lots of time controller-in-hand, reigniting the debate about children and gaming
Ever since Columbine, in which two students went on a deadly rampage at their high school, television, movies and video games have been a popular target for senseless acts of violence.
Nearly 15 years later, that hasn't discouraged kids from playing video games, especially of the violent type. Approximately 90% of children in the US play video games, and more than 90% of those games involve mature content that often includes violence. The connection between violent media and aggression has also spawned a body of research that has gone back and forth on the issue.
Worries about how violence in virtual reality might play out in real life have led legislators to propose everything from taxing violent video games to proposing age restrictions on who can buy them. An ever growing body of research does actually support that violent games can make kids act more aggressively in their real-world relationships.
A recent study looked closely at 3,035 boys and girls who played multiple hours of violent video games per week. The study revealed an increase in aggressive behavior and violent tendencies for those that played violent video games high number of hours per week, compared to those who played fewer hours per week. When asked if it was okay for a boy to strike a peer if that peer said something negative about him, for example, these kids were more likely to say yes. they also scored higher on measures of hostility, answering that they would to respond with aggressive action when provoked even accidentally. The more long-term gamers were also more likely to fantasize about hitting someone they didn't like.
This article was an abridged version from time.com.