FHSD Elementary ELA Newsletter
December 2017
Important Upcoming ELA Dates
Assessment Wall: November 29-December 20
Aimsweb: December 4-15
ELA Benchmark (2nd-5th, Required)-November 29-December 20
Mastery Connect Data Entry for ELA Writing Assessments: November 29-December 20
Kindergarten & First Grade Reading Summative: November 29-December 20
Gates Reading Assessment: October 24-27
Learning about Lucy with Others
Curriculum Writing Update
- K-3 ELA curriculum writing is in progress, approximate completion date in late January 2018
- K-3 ELA curriculum is represented by a teacher for each building and grade level
- K-3 science and social studies curriculum writing begins in February, completion dates by the end of this school year
- K-3 implementation of new curriculum for ELA, science, and social studies 18-19 school year
- Summer of 2018 Francis Howell hosts the Writing Homegrown Institute
- 4-5 curriculum research begins the second semester of the 17-18 school year
- 4-5 curriculum writing for ELA, science, and social studies in 18-19 school year
- 4-5 implementation of new curriculum for ELA, science, and social studies in 19-20 school year
- Elementary Physical Education classes will be teaching health, curriculum cycle begins this year
If you are interested in the elementary curriculum plan from 2017 until 2024, check out the information and feel free to contact Carrie Hepburn or Sherri Lorton with any questions.
Social Studies Information
Guidance Counseling Curriculum Writing Opportunity
Applications are being accepted for Guidance Counseling curriculum writers until Friday, January 5th. The step 1 days this semester are Thursday, February 27th, and Tuesday, March 6th.
PE and Health Curriculum Writing Opportunity
Applications are being accepted for PE/Health curriculum writers until Friday, January 5th.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten 2nd Quarter ELA Assessments
- Second Quarter Sight Words: November 29-December 20
- Aimsweb: December 4-15
- Assessment Wall: November 29-December 20
Second Quarter Writing Summative at the end of Unit 2. Students write about something they have done with their family. (required for MC entry, assessment may look different if you are piloting Lucy)
Kindergarten's ELA Assessment and Cheat Sheet Document-Document includes a direct link to the assessments within Mastery Connect (no searching required) and outlines each assessment by quarter.
First Grade
- Second Quarter Reading Assessment: November 29-December 20
- Aimsweb: December 4-15
- Assessment Wall: November 29-December 20
Second Quarter Writing Summative: Write an opinion piece about a favorite fairy tale. (not required for MC entry, assessment may look different if you are piloting Lucy)
First Grade's ELA Assessment and Cheat Sheet Document-Document includes a direct link to the assessments within Mastery Connect (no searching required) and outlines each assessment by quarter.
Second Grade
- Second Grade Second Quarter Reading Benchmark: November 29-December 20 (required)
- Aimsweb: December 4-15
- Assessment Wall: November 29-December 20
- Second Quarter Writing Summative: Students will write a Native American informational writing piece. (required for MC entry, assessment may look different if you are piloting Lucy)
Second Grade's ELA Assessment and Cheat Sheet Document-Document includes a direct link to the assessments within Mastery Connect (no searching required) and outlines each assessment by quarter.
MAP Writing Prompt Information
DESE provided some information of what they learned when they scored the student writing:
Too much copying and close paraphrasing of source
Not paying attention to all parts of the prompts (lengthy prompts-DESE is making adjustments since students seemed to focus on one part of the prompt, missing other essential parts)
Students did not develop voice (pretty dry writing)
Issues with Informational/Explanatory Prompts
Pulling material in order, it appears in sources instead of creating original organization
Not revisiting the main idea to maintain control
Problems with Opinion Prompts
Failing to form an opinion
Issues with Narrative Prompts
Summarizing instead of telling a story
Over-relying on dialogue
DESE needs to see students write original pieces, to demonstrate their actual writing abilities.
Third Grade
- Third Grade Second Quarter Reading Benchmark: November 29-December 20 (required)
- Aimsweb: December 4-15
- Assessment Wall: November 29-December 20
Third Grade Second Quarter Summative Writing: Students will write about an ecosystem they have researched. (required for MC entry, assessment may look different if you are piloting Lucy)
Gates Reading Assessment: October 24-27
Third Grade's ELA Assessment and Cheat Sheet Document-Document includes a direct link to the assessments within Mastery Connect (no searching required) and outlines each assessment by quarter.
Fourth Grade
Fourth Grade 2nd Quarter ELA Assessments
- Fourth Grade Second Quarter Reading Benchmark: November 29-December 20 (required)
- Aimsweb: December 4-15
- Assessment Wall: November 29-December 20
Fourth Grade Second Quarter Writing Summative: Students will write a literary essay. (required for MC entry, assessment may look different if you are piloting Lucy)
Gates Reading Assessment: October 24-27
Fourth Grade's ELA Assessment and Cheat Sheet Document-Document includes a direct link to the assessments within Mastery Connect (no searching required) and outlines each assessment by quarter.
Fifth Grade
Fifth Grade 2nd Quarter ELA Assessments
- Fifth Grade Second Quarter Reading Benchmark: November 29-December 20 (required)
- Aimsweb: December 4-15
- Assessment Wall: November 29-December 20
- Fifth Grade Second Quarter Writing Summative: Students will write an argumentative essay. (required for MC entry, assessment may look different if you are piloting Lucy)
- Gates Reading Assessment: October 24-27
Fifth Grade's ELA Assessment and Cheat Sheet Document-Document includes a direct link to the assessments within Mastery Connect (no searching required) and outlines each assessment by quarter.
The Reading Strategies and The Writing Strategies Books
How do the Lucy Calkins Units of Study fit within a Balanced Literacy Framework?
Hattie's Updated List of Factors Influencing Student Achievement
In this article, you will find Hattie’s 2017 updated list of factors influencing student achievement.
In 2017, Visible Learning Plus published an updated list of factors that impact on student learning, along with how much impact that each factor had.
These factors include things that:
- Teachers, school leaders, students or parents can control
- Teachers, school leaders, students or parents can influence
The factors also include things that:
- Are outside of teachers’, school leaders’, students’ or parents’ control
Elementary ELA/Social Studies Content Leader
Email: carrie.hepburn@fhsdschools.org
Location: 1405 Hwy D, Saint Charles, MO, United States
Phone: 636-851-6341
Twitter: @CarrieHepburn