News from Mrs. Drudy's Class
We exist so children can excel.
The Week at a Glance
Weekly Concept: Different Places
Essential Question: What makes different parts of the world different?
When we return from the holiday break, we’ll be learning all about different discoveries. We will talk about what we know about the planet Earth. We will also talk about the other planets in the solar system.
For those kiddos that wish to get a head start with our upcoming spelling list, I've included the list. These words are also uploaded into Spelling City.
Spelling Words: silent letters wr, kn, gn, mb, sc
Phonics Words:
1. comb
2. crumb
3. scene
4. scent
5. gnat
6. sign
7. knife
8. know
9. wrist
10. writing
11. cube
12. music
13. don’t
14. eat
15. very
Challenge Words:
16. wrapping
17. knuckle
18. wrinkle
19. gnawed
20. science
NWEA/MAP® Growth™
Enclosed in today's Friday folder, you will find your child’s MAP® Growth™ test results. These tests not only determine your child’s instructional level, but also measure their academic growth throughout the school year (and from year to year) in Math.
As you probably remember, MAP Growth tests from NWEA® are unique in that they are adaptive tests taken on a computer or tablet. This means the test became more difficult when your child answered a question correctly, and when your child answered a question incorrectly, the test became easier. Ultimately, your child took a test specifically targeting their learning level. In addition, since the information presented on the test is aligned with the State of Indiana’s curriculum, it is the same information that your child should have already been exposed to in school.
Your child’s MAP Growth results are represented as RIT scores. Like inches on a ruler, the RIT scale measures in equal intervals, regardless of a student’s grade—and it remains stable over time. As a result, we can accurately measure students’ growth in between tests and understand if they are performing on, above, or below grade level. RIT scores enable teachers to recognize where to focus attention to optimize your child’s learning and to monitor their progress.
Your child's Student Growth Report references MAP Growth Normative Data. Normative data is calculated using anonymous test results from more than 10 million students around the country. Knowing the top, middle, and bottom scores of all these students combined allows teachers to compare where your child is to other students to help them grow.
I hope you find these reports informative. If you have questions, don’t hesitate to contact me.
For more information about MAP Growth, visit: NWEA.org/Parent-Toolkit.
Holiday STEM Day
As you've probably already heard, we gathered with students from the other second grade classes for a holiday-related STEM day on Wednesday. STEM, I'll remind you, stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. Just a sampling of the day's activities included designing and constructing a shelf for the elf, building the tallest tree with cups, using electronic geoboards to mimic holiday-related images, etc. As the pictures below illustrate, the students had a fabulous time...and they addressed many, many academic standards without them even realizing it. In nearly every case, students were meeting the following standard:
- "Pose questions, make observations, and obtain information about a situation people want to change. Use this data to define a simple problem that can be solved through the construction of a new or improved object or tool."
Keeping Those Skills Honed
"What can my child do to keep his/her skills honed over the holidays?" The most productive thing is read, read, and read some more! I would also recommend time spent on ixl. Your child should have his or her login and password memorized. Click here to sign in. Similarly, your child brought home an Elf Watch Journal that chronicles our Elf on the Shelf's shenanigans in our classroom. At the back of this journal are math problems that your child can work on over the holidays. I do not need these back.
Holiday Special Snack
We'd like to send a great big, "Thank you!" to all of you generous parent who provided snack items for our special holiday snack. It certainly made our last day before break festive!
Share Topic (for the week we return)
Goals for the New Year: As we say, “As good as we are, we can always get better.” What goals do you have for yourself as we move into the new year? These might be things you wish to improve or accomplish at home, school, church, sports, clubs, etc.
Student Council Food Drive
We did it!!!!!! Our food drive was an astounding success. We not only achieved our goal of collecting 1,000 items, we exceeded it by bringing in a total of 1,531 items to give to our local food pantry!The efforts of our students--and their families--toward spreading kindness in our community is more than commendable and is an excellent way to demonstrate what our featured LifeSkill of caring truly looks like. On behalf of our LES student council IMPACT Ambassadors, we thank you! Be sure to take a peek at some of our pictures from yesterday's #grinchforgood food drive culminating activity. The kiddos squealed with delight as they watched Mrs. Sourbeer, our Mystery Person, Deputy Day; Mr. Winchell, and I get creamed with pies in our faces.
Related Arts Schedule
Monday: P.E.
Tuesday: P.E.
Wednesday: P.E.
Thursday: Music & Computer Lab
Friday: Art and Library
**Remember, repeated failure to wear gym shoes to gym class could ultimately result in an after-school detention.
Coming Up:
December 24-January 4: Winter Break (no school)
January 7: School Resumes
Tallest Tree
Making Rudolph
Make-a-Tree Maddilyn
Window to her World
Merry Music
Best Buds!
Fond Farewells
Festive Friends
Ugly Sweater Day
Taming Their Sweet Tooth
Eating Ethan
250 Items!
500 Items!
750 Items!
1,000!!!!!!!
About Us
Email: tammy.drudy@uc.k12.in.us
Website: http://www.uc.k12.in.us/liberty-elementary/liberty-elementary/
Location: 501 Eaton St, Liberty, IN, United States
Phone: 765-458-5521