From the Desk of Mr. Yoshida
Birdneck Elementary November 2018
A MESSAGE FROM YOUR PRINCIPAL
Hello Birdneck Family,
It is hard to believe that we just completed the first quarter of the school year and the holidays kick off with Thanksgiving next week. Thanksgiving is a time for us to reflect and let others know how much they truly mean to us. I am tremendously grateful to have the opportunity to lead our school community. I want to thank Mrs. Jordan for her support of the Birdneck vision and mission and all that she does to help with the improvement of our school. Thank you to our staff for your dedication to the safety and growth of our students and your attention to detail of teaching and learning and all of the behind the scenes support you give students. Thank you parents for being partners and sharing the awesome responsibility in helping all of our children grow academically, socially and emotionally. And a special thank you to our students for making us all so proud of you with your hard work and showing SOAR behaviors making Birdneck the best school in Hampton Roads.
Below you will find what students will be learning in the 2nd quarter. You can reinforce learning at home by having students read each night and asking them about what they are learning in school. Your conversations at home help to strengthen their knowledge of the curriculum and concepts they learn at school and helps them to build stronger connections in their schema.
Have an awesome day,
R.V. Yoshida : Member of the BIRDNECK FAMILY since 2016
UPCOMING EVENTS AT BIRDNECK
Nov. 14 – Report Cards Issued
Students will receive report cards for the first nine weeks. Parents also may monitor student grades, assignments and attendance at any time in Parent Portal.
Nov. 15 - PTA fundraiser Haygood Skate Rink 5:30-8:00
Nov. 15 – Workshop encourages families to engage in diverse learning opportunities
Parent Connection will host the next workshop, Culturally Responsive Practices, Thursday, Nov. 15. Students and their families are invited to bridge the gap between learning and lived cultures by focusing on authentic relationships, student experience and education as a way to strengthen student engagement. Dr. LaQuiche Parrott, director for the office of opportunity and achievement, and Dr. Nicole DeVries, director of K-12 and gifted programs, will share the strategic plan for how families can implement Culturally Responsive Practices and engage in diverse learning opportunities across the division. The free event will be held Thursday, Nov. 15 from 6:30-8 p.m., at Old Donation School. Registration is required. For more information, call the Office of Community Engagement at 263-1936.
Nov. 16 - Grades 3-5 Field Trip to First Colonial High School to see a play.
Nov. 17 – Registration now open for Beach Girls Rock! Workshop
The first Beach Girls Rock! workshop of the school year will be held Saturday, Nov. 17, from 8 a.m. to noon at Princess Anne High School. The event is open to female students in grades 5-8 and their parents. Students may register in their school counseling office.
Nov. 21 – Adjusted dismissal
Wednesday, Nov. 21 all school and administrative offices will have an adjusted dismissal. Visit vbschools.com for the list of hours.
Nov. 22-23 – Thanksgiving
All schools and administrative offices will be closed in honor of the Thanksgiving holiday.
November – Academy Information Nights
Throughout November, the division’s high schools will each host Academy Information Nights for their respective programs. A full list of dates is on vbschools.com. Online applications are now available and are due Jan. 9. However, since each program has specific requirements students should visit the applications process page. For more information, visit the Academies and Advanced Academic Programs on vbschools.com or contact the Department of Teaching and Learning via email at Brittany.Bowman2@vbschools.com.
Adjusted Dismissal Times
ADJUSTED DISMISSAL TIMES FOR STUDENTS
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS……... Group A…. 8:10 a.m. to 12:10 p.m
→ECSE Morning………….8:10-10:10 a.m………………
→ECSE Afternoon……..10:10 a.m. to 12:10 p.m………..
School Starts at 8:10 at Birdneck
Help Keep the Flu Out of School
Flu season typically occurs in the fall and winter months. With this in mind, our health services staff suggests that parents remind their children that one of the most effective flu-fighting strategies is regular and thorough hand-washing.
Flu Prevention Tips:
- Encourage all family members to cover their mouths and noses with a tissue when they cough or sneeze.
- Vaccinate your child for seasonal flu when the vaccine becomes available in the early fall to protect against flu illness.
- Should your child display any flu-like symptoms while at school, he or she will be referred to the school nurse.
- For the safety of others, students and staff with flu-like symptoms will not be able to stay in school. Should a student display flu-like symptoms, his or her parent/guardian will be contacted.
- Additional information on the guidelines school nurses will follow to minimize the impact of seasonal flu can be found on vbschools.com.
Math Focus Quarter 2
The 2018-2019 school year ushers in the full implementation of the 2016 Math Standards of Learning! VBOs, content specifications, pacing guides, assessments and supporting documents have been updated to be in alignment with the 2016 standards. Here is a glimpse of what the instructional focus will be during the second quarter.
Kindergarten:
Students will return to Numeration for numbers up to 20. This will include comparing and ordering sets of objects, reading, writing, counting and representing numbers up to 20 and decomposing numbers. Students will begin to study numeric patterns and dig into the Data unit by collecting data and reading and interpreting graphs.
Grade One: Number Sense comes back into focus for first graders as they move into Numeration, Part 2. This will include skip-counting, grouping objects into tens and ones, ordering and comparing numbers as well as patterning. Addition and subtraction with story and picture problems, basic facts and understanding equality comes into focus during the Computation and Estimation unit.
Grade Two: Students will begin the second quarter of the year with Geometry. Identifying, describing, comparing and contrasting plane and solid figures, as well as exploring symmetry will be the objectives of the unit. Next, how to measure length, weight, volume and temperature will proceed during the Measurement unit. The second quarter will come to a close during the Computation and Estimation unit, with students continuing to develop fluency with basic facts and solving single step story problems.
Grade Three: Grade three students will move into Measurement by exploring values of coins and bills and making change. Understanding time, including elapsed time and equivalent periods of time, as well as reading temperatures are also in the Measurement unit. Students will revisit Computation with Whole Numbers, this time focusing on multiplication and division models and strategies. Students continue to develop their fluency with multiplication and division facts of 0, 1, 2, 5 and 10.
Grade Four: Quarter Two begins with Geometry including the study of geometric representations, plane and solid figures and quadrilaterals. Patterning is also incorporated in the Geometry unit. Next, grade four students will move into the Rational Number Numeration unit and learn about fraction equivalence, comparisons and models. Students will also explore decimals as a rational number. Students will continue demonstrating fluency in multiplication and division facts.
Grade Five: Numeration and Computation with Rational Numbers encompasses the entire second quarter for grade five. This unit will include the study of rounding, comparing, ordering, multiplying and dividing decimals. Students will solve single and multi-step problems with decimals and fractions.
Literacy Focus Quarter 2
HERE IS A GLIMPSE OF THE FOCUS OF LITERACY INSTRUCTION DURING QUARTER 2. AS WE MOVE INTO QUARTER 2, THE DEPTH OF INSTRUCTION INCREASES.
KINDERGARTEN – The following priority objectives will be the areas of focus this quarter:
• Retell familiar stories using beginning, middle and end.
• Identify simple facts and information relevant to a nonfiction selection.
• Write in a variety of forms, including writing to inform/explain, to offer an opinion and to narrate an experience (personal narrative).
When entering classrooms, observers should see students engaged in reading, writing/drawing and discourse centered around retelling stories using beginning, middle and end and identifying topics and facts in nonfiction texts. In addition, the science and social studies topics Economics and Patterns in Nature will be addressed through the lens of language arts.
FIRST GRADE – The following priority objectives will be the areas of focus this quarter:
• Retell stories and events using beginning, middle and end, including key details.
• Ask and answer who, what, when, where, why and how questions about what is read.
• Retell nonfiction texts, identifying the main idea and important details.
• Gather and generate ideas in writing.
• Focus on one topic when writing.
• Revise by adding descriptive words when writing about people, places, things and events.
• Write in a variety of forms.
When entering classrooms, observers should see students engaged in reading, writing (including revising) and discourse focused on retelling both fiction and nonfiction texts, and asking and answering questions about reading and writing. Unit 4 will include an integrated performance task. In addition, the science and social studies topics Economics and Animals will be addressed through the lens of language arts.
SECOND GRADE – The following priority objectives will be the areas of focus this quarter:
• Ask and answer questions about what is read in order to demonstrate understanding of key details in a text in fiction and nonfiction.
• Locate information to answer questions in fiction and nonfiction.
• Summarize stories and important events with beginning, middle and end in the correct sequence in fiction and nonfiction.
• Describe characters, setting and important events in fiction and poetry.
• Identify the theme or main idea in fiction and nonfiction.
• Explain the author’s purpose in fiction.
• Write in a variety of forms, including writing to inform/explain, to offer an opinion and to narrate an experience (personal narrative).
• Revise writing for clarity.
Students will continue to build on and apply their knowledge of reading strategies to increase comprehension of text. In fiction, the focus will be on using knowledge of story structure to summarize, identify theme, describe characters, setting and important events, and explain the author’s purpose. In nonfiction texts, students will work to summarize text, including important ideas and use this information to identify the main idea. Students will have the opportunity to explore fiction writing with a focus on telling more and adding details. Reading and writing will be connected through content integration around the topic of weather. Students will be reading text related to the content topics of American Indians and Matter. The quarter will culminate with an integrated performance task about weather in Unit 4.
THIRD GRADE – The following priority objectives will be the areas of focus for this quarter:
• Identify the main idea or theme and the major events and details that support the main idea or theme in fiction and nonfiction.
• Describe character development and compare and contrast settings, characters and events.
• Summarize both fiction and nonfiction text with an emphasis on including key details.
• Determine important information to support main idea, opinions and conclusions in nonfiction texts.
• Draw conclusions and make inferences based on nonfiction text.
• Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.
• Use an inquiry process to write a short report.
Quarter 2 begins with a performance task centered on narrative writing, which was the focus of instruction in Quarter 1. Instruction focused on application of reading strategies continues in fiction, with an emphasis on identifying main idea or theme, summarizing and character development. In nonfiction, students will grapple with determining importance this will be to support their ability to identify main idea, summarize and draw conclusions about a text. Students will have opportunities for guided and independent practice in a wide variety of texts, including text related to the content topics of Ancient Civilizations and Simple Machines. A Being a Writer Narrative Performance Task is embedded into Unit 3 which will address communication, media, reading and writing objectives.
FOURTH GRADE – The following priority objectives will be the focus for this quarter:
• Draw conclusions and make inferences about text.
• Summarize during and after reading and include supporting details.
• Explain the author’s purpose.
• Describe character development.
• Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to the task, purpose and audience.
• Use a variety of prewriting strategies.
• Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage and mechanics.
• Collect and integrate information from multiple resources including online, print and media, in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
While reading, students should stop to think about text, drawing conclusions and explaining the author’s purpose. Students will be writing fictional texts at the beginning of the quarter and move into nonfiction writing toward the end of the quarter. Additionally, the social studies and science units may be explored through the lens of language arts. At the end of Unit 3, students will have the opportunity to complete a Being a Writer Narrative Performance Task which will address communication, media, reading and writing objectives. This rigorous task will provide students the opportunity to apply reading and writing strategies learned in Quarters 1 and 2.
FIFTH GRADE – The following priority objectives will be the focus for this quarter:
• Draw conclusions and make inferences from text, including inferences about character and theme.
• Identify the main idea or theme and major events and details that support the main idea.
• Draw conclusions and make inferences from text, including inferences about main idea.
• Ask and answer questions about what is read.
• Explain the author’s purpose.
• Write personal narratives and write fiction.
• Organize writing to convey a central idea.
• Include supporting details that elaborate the main idea in writing.
• Revise writing for clarity of content and publish a writing piece to share with an audience of peers.
• Use precise and descriptive vocabulary to create tone and voice.
In addition, the social studies and science topics of Interactions in Action, Colonial Virginia, American Revolution and Electricity may be addressed through the lens of language arts. When entering classrooms, observers might see students engaged in reading, writing and discourse related to the priority objectives of questioning, drawing conclusions, determining importance and explaining author’s purpose. Students should be challenged by text-dependent questions and engaged in higher level thinking around text. A Being a Writer Narrative Performance Task is embedded into Unit 3 which will address communication, media, reading and writing objectives. This rigorous task will provide students the opportunity to apply reading and writing strategies learned in Quarters 1 and 2.
Science/Social Studies Focus Quarter 2
Kindergarten:
Science/Social Studies - Students will investigate how shadows occur, daily weather conditions and changes that occur over time. Students will demonstrate an understanding of direct cause and effect relationships in making decisions on wants and needs. Students will also learn about the roles of people who work in the community.
First Grade:
Science/Social Studies - Students will continue to use scientific inquiry skills to group animals based on needs characteristics and describing ways animals respond to seasonal changes. Students will learn about the role of money and basic characteristics of an economic system.
Second Grade:
Science - Students will use scientific inquiry skills such as classification and measurement to form an understanding of the basic properties of solids, liquids and gases.
Social Studies - Students will practice map skills to identify locations and geographic features on maps and globes. Students should continue to learn about important people and holidays.
Third Grade:
Science - Students will use scientific inquiry skills such as drawing conclusions, making inferences and applying scientific concepts to form an understanding of simple machines.
Social Studies - Students will use social studies inquiry skills such as using artifacts and geographic information to understand ancient Egypt and China. Students will use their understanding to compare and contrast civilizations and to make connections between time and place.
Fourth Grade:
Science - Students will use scientific inquiry skills to design investigations to help them form an understanding of structures of land and oceans.
Social Studies - Students will use social studies inquiry skills to analyze the impact of geographic features and analyze artifacts. Primary and secondary sources will be used to understand Virginia Indians.
Fifth Grade:
Science - Students will use scientific inquiry skills such as constructing models and drawing conclusions and making inferences to form an understanding of electricity.
Social Studies - Students will use social studies inquiry skills to analyze the impact of geographic features and analyze artifacts. Primary and secondary sources will be used to understand interactions between Native Americans and Jamestown Settlers, everyday life and the impact of culture on Colonial Virginia and the causes of conflict that led to the American Revolution.
VBCPS seeks community's input to shape the division's future strategic direction
VBCPS administration is giving the community the opportunity to weigh in and help guide the future of the school division. Staff is beginning the process of developing a new strategic plan, which will be in place from 2020-2025, and the first step is gathering input from the public via a Virtual Town Hall open from now until Dec. 28. Read.
Join our PTA
Support Birdneck Elementary students by joining the PTA. Our PTA is AMAZING! We collaborate together to create opportunities for our students and community to learn and have fun in the process. Don't miss out on the benefits from joining the PTA. Receive over $300 in savings... all for just $5 for a membership. Registration forms are available in our front office. Please know that becoming a member of our PTA does not obligate you to volunteer or do anything but does still help support our school. Our goal is to have 100% participation!!!!!!!!!
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Education Connection Resources
BIRDNECK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
BIRDNECK MISSION
We build relationships to encourage, inspire, and empower others to meet the challenges of today and to foster the love of learning.
BIRDNECK VISION
We are dedicated to nurturing an inclusive environment to ensure engaging, student-centered learning resulting in confident, independent learners.
BIRDNECK BELIEFS
We believe in a collaborative community in which teachers, administrators, students, and parents work together for student success.
We believe in creating a safe, nurturing, and positive environment in which all students can strive for excellence and achieve their individual potential.
We believe we will prepare our students for success by providing 21st century learning and developing within our students critical thinking, effective communications and problem solving skills.
Website: https://birdneckes.vbschools.com/home
Location: 957 South Birdneck Road, Virginia Beach, VA, United States
Phone: 757-648-2120
Facebook: facebook.com/birdneckes
Twitter: @BNESeagles