Curriculum Night
Talking Points
Important "Curriculum Night" Talking Points
Curriculum Night – This Thursday, August 23rd is an important evening as we welcome families to the table in order to discuss the inner workings of our classrooms. As you place the final touches on your content you wish to share, please consider yourself in the role of the parent/guardian. I also encourage you to prepare your commentary by looking through the lens of our ZCS Elementary Belief Statements (below). Please take time to review them to assist in framing your thinking.
Consider: What is it that you believe your parents need and/or desire to know? A growing focus should center on the curriculum and the dynamic of learning experiences for our students. Little to no priority should be given to lunch prices, start and end times of the day, etc… These items don’t reflect why families got a sitter and loaded the car to spend time with you. To guide thinking, I’ve borrowed a few items from our elementary principals' team and added them below. This isn’t a checklist, per se, but a compilation of what might be meaningful to infuse within and throughout your sharing. I readily recognize that your personal list is probably much stronger than mine.
- Related Arts Team- Our related arts team members' skills and talents will be on display for families as they guide some content related activities in the cafeteria for children. We will have Code-A-Pillars, Yoga, stretching, mindfulness activities, musical instruments, and other art opportunities. Parents will have the chance to interact with our experts as they do their thing!
- Brief overview of the day – I wouldn’t spend much time on a schedule, but think of this as an opportunity to answer the question of “Why do we spend so much of our day on _________?” Your schedule most likely reflects what is important to you and what you believe to be important for your learners.
- Workshop model – As we move to more consistency with the reading (as well as writing & math) units of study, what are some of the underpinnings that are foundational to this model? For example: (1) mini-lesson components -demonstrations/model, shared practice, and independent practice, (2) conferring with learners to determine next steps that are unique to individuals, (3) developing a love for reading and reading life, etc…
- Math – We focus on conceptual thinking, explaining why approaches and strategies work, focus on real life problem-solving, etc… (I’m sure your EDM set gives you a better list. Like I said, I’m brainstorming here…)
- Second Step - Don't forget to include the use of the Second Step curriculum as it pertains to our intentionality to support students not only academically, but in their social and emotional growth as well. The Second Step curricula is an integral part of instruction throughout all ZCS elementary and middle schools and was funded via a comprehensive counseling grant from Lily Endowment.
- Standards Based Student Progress Reporting – Please look at the documents below for specific grade level guidance. What do you think a parent needs to know to understand our report card, and what can they expect? What is mastery? How do we measure it? (Formative and summative assessments, how do you track the learning of their student?)
- Express how you feel about their children, as you convey what faith you have in their abilities and intentions – We know how much you love what you do, and we know how much you love these children. What are your hopes and dreams for the learners in your room this year? Do the parents get a sense of that when they meet with you this week? Infuse some language about your classroom agreements, SiEW, etc… What do you want your learners to have in their toolkit once they leave you at the end of the year? What are some of your expectations so that they can achieve that goal? We’ve said it a lot over the last year, “The hope of our parents is that their child would be known and known well.” How will you get to know them, and how will you use that understanding to “unleash their possibilities?”
- Homework: I wanted to share our position with homework. As a staff, we are committed to making learning fun, engaging, and interactive. During the 6 ½ hours students are will us at Eagle, students should be diligently engaged to develop their academic, physical, and social skills. Outside of nightly reading, homework should be kept at a bare minimum, if at all. Carefully filter what is expected of students as we are to encourage and support families’ goals and needs that encourage outside activity and engagement.
Feel free to share with me (and your colleagues) any items you feel especially important or valuable. I don’t want to dictate a list, but merely spark thinking to make this a meaningful experience for families. I have no doubt that the parents will see the beauty in the work you do!
ZCS Elementary Belief Statements
- Students: At the heart of all our decision-making is the fundamental recognition that our students are capable of great things and our responsibility is to fully develop their human potential.
- Teachers: To maximize the impact of our learning organization, meaningful and significant relationships within the school community must drive our professional practice.
- Teaching and Learning: Optimal learning occurs when students, teachers, and families are reflective and are immersed in a mutually beneficial relationship that embraces continual development.
- Environment (physical space and culture): A safe and inviting physical and emotional environment inspires innovation, risk-taking, and powerful learning.
- Relationships/Community: Building and maintaining positive relationships is the foundation for significant learning.
The document with the full belief statements in located below.