All About Alloway
Alloway Township School's E-Newsletter: Spring 2019
We're on Facebook!
We are.....2019 Academic League Salem County Champions!
Spirit Week at ATS: May 6-10
Monday Star Wars Day
Tuesday Pajama Day
Wednesday Super Hero Day
Thursday Sports Fan Day
Friday Black & Gold Day
Once a tiger, always a tiger:)
Zoom-in on Pre-K
Both AM and PM sessions start with students’ choice of table top activities: reading theme-related books or various fine motor activities. Students are socializing with peers as well during tabletop time. During this activity time, instruction is focused specifically on facilitating, supporting, and modeling a variety of social skills.
When the music cues them, students sing and dance to the song Come to the Carpet for circle time. Circle time provides structured, explicit instruction on the content in the pre-K curriculum: language (letter/sound work, concepts of print, story of the week) and math (number work, counting, comparing, and shapes). Students participate during circle time in a variety of ways: taking turns, singing, moving, and chorally responding. Next, students enjoy a healthy snack and the instruction shifts to promoting health and reinforcing social skills again. The remainder of the pre-K session is spent at interest centers that rotate: writing, fine motor, gross motor/blocks, library, art, and imaginative play. Students learn through play, and each center is designed to promote learning through purposeful play.
Once a week, our art teacher co-teaches an art project in the pre-K class. All parents have been invited to observe some of our pre-K routines during a parent visitation week. We have many parents who come regularly to volunteer in the pre-K class. Students are given the Kindergarten Readiness Test in the Spring and that report is shared with parents and drives instruction for the remainder of the year. The class went on their annual trip to the Please Touch Museum, and the year ended with pre-K certificate ceremony.
Zooming Forward to 2019-20, there will be two programs to meet students’ needs. The 3-year-old preschool disabled program will be held in the AM session; the integrated 4-year-old program will be held in the PM session. Pre-K will move into a new room that has space more conducive to play-based centers and gross motor play, and Mrs. Owens, who holds dual certification in elementary education and special education, will be teaching both Pre-K classes.
Student Recognition Events
Honorary Salem County Freeholder
4A Breakfast
Citizens of the Month
K Graduation!
Math Showcase
Alloway Choice Awards
Zoom-in on Kindergarten
Every day is an action packed day in kindergarten. Language and math, the core disciplines of study, are taught in the morning when most students are most focused. With co-teaching, the structure provides for instruction that addresses every student’s level of preparedness for all math and language skills and concepts.
A typical math or language begins with a whole group mini lesson where students are exposed to the grade-level concept and/or skill. In language, teachers use Fountas & Pinnell (F&P) reading levels and other indicators to put students into homogeneous groups. While one teacher is conducting guided reading with small groups, the other teacher is floating from center to center to support the other groups. Depending on the task and the students, the teacher is doing a variety of things: checking for understanding, asking questions that extend beyond the skill/content, clarifying, reteaching, redirecting, repeating directions, and/or chunking a task. In math, the familiar format is repeated but with math concepts/skills instead. Class Dojo is used to reinforce positive, on-task behavior and to communicate with parents.
In January, we review data to determine which students may benefit from supplemental support in language arts. Students who qualify receive an additional twenty minutes of guided reading daily with our Supplemental Opportunities for Academic Resources (SOAR) language teacher. Parents whose students receive these services are notified about this Title 1 funded program.
We hosted a parent visitation to observe co-teaching in early May. The class’s spring field trip was to visit the Delaware Children’s Museum. Kindergarten culminated with a graduation ceremony and celebration during the school day in our gymnasium.
Zooming forward to 2019-20, we are slated to have one kindergarten class; however, the enrollment number is being monitored closely to determine if a second class is needed. The classroom is trading out traditional seating for a progressive flexible seating arrangement which is student-friendly.
Community Planning Night: Part 2
Zoom-in on 1st Grade
A typical math or language begins with a whole group mini lesson where students are exposed to the grade-level concept and/or skill. In language, teachers use Fountas & Pinnell (F&P) reading levels and other indicators to put students into homogeneous groups. While the teacher is conducting guided reading with small groups, students are tasked to do the following: read independently, work with words, and writing. In math, the familiar format is repeated but with math concepts/skills instead. Students learn cooperatively while in centers, and they develop critical social skills, too. Later in the afternoon, 1st grade enjoys Tiger Time. Students who can benefit from supplemental support in math and/or language receive that additional small group instruction. Students who are performing at grade-level standards and who can extend beyond the standards work with STEAM kits. Through DonorsChoose projects, donations from generous, supportive donors have outfitted 1st grade with various hands-on materials that allow for challenge, exploration, and discovery.
Our first graders love competition, and they have participated in digital competitions for foundational math and language skills. This year, both classes class competed and won titles for Salem County in the National SumDog math contest. Their spring field trip was to visit the Adventure Aquarium.
Zooming forward to 2019-20, the enrollment number indicates one 1st grade class which will be taught by Mrs. Turner. First grade is looking to expand the curricular resources for word work and replace the reading anthology texts with shared reading/aloud reading texts for whole class mini lessons on various reading content and skills.
Spring Events at ATS
Zoom-in on 2nd Grade
A typical math or language begins with a whole group mini lesson where students are exposed to the grade-level concept and/or skill. In language, teachers use Fountas & Pinnell (F&P) reading levels and other indicators to put students into homogeneous groups. While the teacher is conducting guided reading with small groups, students are tasked to do the following: read independently, work with words, and writing. In math, the familiar format is repeated but with math concepts/skills instead. Students learn cooperatively while in centers, and they develop critical social skills, too. During Tiger Time, students who can benefit from supplemental support in math and/or language receive that additional small group instruction through the SOAR program. Students who are performing at grade-level standards and who can extend beyond the standards engage in problem based learning.
Zooming forward to 2019-20, second grade is looking to expand the curricular resources for word work and replace the reading anthology texts with shared reading/aloud reading texts for whole class mini lessons on various reading content and skills. Mrs. Emel and Mrs. Strawderman will be our two 2nd grade teachers for the 2019-20 school year.
Alloway is Our Wonderland ~ Ice Cream Social 2019
About Alloway Township School
Email: contactus@allowayschool.org
Website: allowayschool.org
Location: 43 Cedar St. Alloway, NJ 08001
Phone: (856) 935-1622
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AllowayTownshipSchool