FHSD Elem Curriculum Newsletter
August 2014 - Welcome to the New Year!
Welcome Back and Introduction to new ELA Content Leader
Welcome back to the 2014-2015 school year! I am looking forward to working with each of you as the new Elementary English Language Arts Content Leader. My name is Carrie Hepburn and I have taught the last ten years in the Francis Howell School District at Castlio Elementary. I had the privilege of teaching second grade, third grade, and second and third as a SEGA teacher. I have served on multiple committees building and district wide such as: School Improvement Planning, Literacy Evaluation Committee, Gifted Action Team, and units of study revisions team to name a few. As far as curriculum I have had the opportunity to write multiple curriculums over the years such as: Health, Science, Social Studies, and Communication Arts. I love education and everything it has to offer and consider myself a continual learner. If you have any questions do not hesitate to contact me at carrie.hepburn@fhsdschools.org, or 851-6341.
CURRICULUM EXPECTATIONS AND TIME GUIDELINES REMINDERS
Time Guidelines
Units of Study: 160 minutes minimum - most will want/need more time than this minimum. Units of Study/ELA should use a balanced literacy approach which includes whole group lessons, a workshop approach to reading and writing, vocabulary and word work, small group instruction, and independent reading and writing time.
Math: 75 minutes - using FHSD curriculum and Pearson EnVision Math
Intervention: 30 minutes minimum - as established by building and PLC.
These are the planning guidelines to ensure the intended curriculum is taught. Teachers may use their professional judgment when an adjustment to these guidelines needs to be made.
Math Curriculum Requirements Reminder
Teachers should keep in mind that students learn mathematics best when they have the opportunity first for CONCRETE manipulations, then move into creating and using REPRESENTATIONS, then finally get to the ABSTRACT (CRA). The EnVision math lessons are set up to progress through new concepts in this way. It is very important for students to move through all of these steps in order to ensure full conceptual understanding. Realizing that different students may progress at different rates, it is important to always have the manipulatives and opportunities for drawing/recording available even if the class as a whole has moved to a more abstract way of doing things.
The following components (found in Pearson EnVision) must be included in all FHSD classrooms during the math block (75 minutes minimum).
1. Daily Common Core Review Provides students with daily practice of previously learned concepts and skills to help them develop fluency and maintain these skills. Can be completed during any part of the day.
2. Problem-Based Interactive Learning (PBIL) Engage students in an exploration of the key concept of the lesson. This should be done BEFORE the Visual Learning Bridge or Visual Learning Animation.
- This should be a hands-on activity, and is outlined in each lesson of EnVision. Be sure to set the purpose and connect to students’ prior knowledge before beginning the problem.
- Pose a situation (included) that should be challenging for most students and encourage them to look at it from multiple perspectives and/or use innovative strategies.
- Allow students to share their strategies with the class; allow others to agree or constructively critique.
- After students have shared solution plans and strategies, as a teacher, facilitate a classroom discussion about the mathematics of the activity. Help students see connections to other things they have learned and prior knowledge from other subjects or grade levels.
3. Visual Learning Bridge (and Visual Learning Animation)
- The Visual Learning Bridge is a pictorial, step-by-step bridge between the Problem-Based Interactive Learning Activity (PBIL) and the lesson exercises that use representations and more abstract (aka “traditional) learning. It helps students focus on the key concepts of the lesson while highlighting the connections among different parts of the concept. It is especially helpful for visual learners, students with language struggles, and English Language Learners.
- The Visual Learning Animation can be used to present the visual Learning Bridge in a more visually engaging way for students. These animations provide more detailed questions to help promote a deeper understanding of concepts.
4. Close/Assess/Assign homework Each class lesson ends with a Quick Check (including at least one constructed-response item that asks students to explain concepts presented) that can be used to determine the level of understanding from the previous components of the lesson and guide teachers to prescribe differentiated instruction.
5. Keep in Mind and Use the 8 Mathematical Practices Think about the practices you are encouraging students to use during the lesson. Help them see the practices by using the Mathematical Practices Handbook pages in the student edition along with the supporting posters and math practices animations early in the year. Refer back to them often during the year so students stay aware of the practices they are using.
6. Use Writing to Explain Again, there are specific exercises that encourage students to do this. This gives teachers an insight to students’ reasoning, arguments, and generalizations about their math and can help teacher adjust instruction as needed. Many teachers use a math journal for students to log all of their thinking specific to math.
Unit Requirements Reminder
While these points have been reviewed during professional development and other meetings, we want to take the opportunity at the beginning of the year to remind everyone of the requirements for Units of Study:
- Use only the books provided for the unit, or those approved as additional options noted in the overview, for whole class lessons. Additional books should not be supplemented. There will be a process for teachers to request other books for approval in subsequent years.
- All assessments included on page one of each unit should be taken by all students, unless they have an Individual Education Plan or 504 that might have alternative testing options. They are common district assessments that should be taken by all students. The formative and summative assessments need to be entered into Mastery Connect.
- Read the overview and understand the intent of the unit.
- Students should know all objectives outlined in the overview.
- Plan lessons and preview books you will use. The district is not requiring that you use the lesson plans.
- Follow spelling and vocabulary.
UNITS OF STUDY INFORMATION
Unit Changes K-2
A group of K-2 teachers from various schools met this summer for units of study revisions. Their task was large, tighten up the reading and writing connection, add technology and reading strategies, along with incorporate quality instructional strategies (Classroom Instruction That Works). As you look through the units you will notice changes such as: each day has a lesson focus, the formatting in some units is easier to read, in K-1 new shared reading lessons that incorporate sight words, and technology opportunities for students has increased.
Unit Changes 2-5
The first page of the units of study were updated this summer, please check your copy to make sure you have the most updated first page. The assessment section was changed in the unit, reducing the amount of assessments per unit. The units of study assessments for grades 2-5 will be to two formative assessments and two summative assessments per quarter. Those assessments need to be entered into Mastery Connect.
Unit Materials 4-5
The units of study books for grades 4 and 5 were ordered in June. Currently they have not arrived, but will be in route this week. After sorting through the books they will be sent to the schools immediately. All of the books will not arrive prior to the beginning of school; the missing texts will be uploaded to HowellNET for teachers to access. We realize this not an ideal situation and apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you for your patience in this matter.
Readinga-z
Classroom teachers in grades K-3 will be receiving a readinga-z subscription for the school year. You should receive an email from readinga-z by August 1st with your username and password. If you do not please check your spam/junk email folder then contact your lit coach if you haven’t received any information.
CURRICULUM MAPS IN MASTERY CONNECT
The district has put together curriculum maps for each grade level. The curriculum maps are a wonderful resource for teachers. Each map is broken down into what is needed daily. The maps will be pushed out to teachers via Mastery Connect in the grade level PLC teams. When you receive an email from Mastery Connect stating you are added to a PLC team be sure to click on the link to join the team. Use the ELA or Math map to create your tracker.
The Math curriculum maps in Grades 1-5 all have DCCRs, Quick Checks, topic assessments, benchmarks, beginning of year, and end of year assessments to take for optional scoring. Kindergarten has all of these minus the quick checks. Math assessments in 3-5 are still being added to the maps, so you will get an email next week asking you to accept updates as they are made. You will update your map and sync your tracker to get these changes.
If you are wanting additional building-specific items for PLC, please add those into your tracker and not the map- do not create a separate map for the building and then create tracker from building map. If you do this you will not be getting the updates every time we push them out again.
The ELA maps have each unit broken into daily plans, along with the resources you need for that day. The required unit assessments will be included in the map. All formative and summative assessments should be entered into Mastery Connect. Also, the number of assessments in the units has decreased, be sure to check out the front page of each unit to see the required assessments for the unit. The decrease in required assessments was based on discussions with teachers and revision writers throughout last year.
Your Math and ELA maps have each topic broken into daily plans, along with the resources you need for that day. The required formatives and summatives for math will be included in the maps (typically the Topic Performance Events). Also included in the maps are assessments that are not required, but which your building may choose to give (multiple choice topic assessments, enVision benchmarks, etc.). I will be putting a document in your grade level math folder on HowellNET which includes all required assessments. This document will be available by August 1.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR MATH: ENVISION LESSON STUDY
Beginning of Year Fun Link
Responsive Classroom has suggestions for Keeping Morning Meeting and Greetings Fresh and Fun:
About Us
Carrie Hepburn: ELA/Units of Study ~ x6341; carrie.hepburn@fhsdschools.org
Location: FHSD District Learning Center, 1405 Highway D, St. Charles, MO 63304
Phone: 5328 6341