Elm Street News
January - the month of a thousand days ;)
January saw us moving into our 3rd round of RTI for Grades 3 and 4 / 2nd round for Grade 2, Winter DIBELS, ACCESS testing for our EL students, and NWEA MAPS testing in all grades. As you can see, January is a very big assessment month for us. Elm Street and Gardner Public School are very data-driven and use these assessments to help program for all students, as a school/student body and as individuals. We've seen some tremendous growth from our student body and are looking forward to an even better 2nd half of the year.
Reading
So how can you help your student at home? Encourage reading - picture books, novels, cereal boxes, recipes, road signs, etc. Read with them, read to them, read around them (model). Institute D.E.A.R time in your home - Drop Everything and Read. 20 minutes/day is the target. Building a love for reading now, will certainly pay off in the future.
MATH FACTS
"Math fact fluency leads to higher order mathematics.
Through automaticity students free up their working memory and can devote it to problem solving and learning new concepts and skills .” (Geary, 1994)
It is important that all students practice their math facts nightly.
Knowing math facts is the key to success as students progress in their academic careers and begin to solve more complex math problems. If students have to spend time focusing on facts, it will affect their performance in math. We encourage all students to spend a few minutes each day practicing math facts.
KEEP PRACTICING THOSE MATH FACTS!
INSTAGRAM, GOOGLE CLASSROOM, AND CLASS DOJO
Some teachers at Elm Street are using Instagram, Google Classroom, or Class Dojo to communicate with parents. It will be helpful if you access these sites to gain an understanding of what is happening in these classrooms. Teachers will be using cellphones, iPads and computers throughout the day to send out this communication.
If you ever have any concerns or questions, please reach out to the classroom teachers at Elm Street. All teachers have access to emails and will always respond within 1-2 school days. Working together as a team will enable all students to reach their academic potential.
Please, please, please - check your students bags before sending them off to school
Thank you for your support.
APPLE WATCHES / Fitbits/ Wrist "devices"
They all seem to have been the gift of the season. We love technology and are always looking for new devices that can be used in education, but the Apple watches can and have been very disruptive to our day at Elm Street and we ask that all students turn off their watches when they enter the building. Your support will be appreciated.
Upcoming Events at ESS or for ESS Students
Elm Street School Advisory - February 7, 7:45-8:45am
Elm Street Spirit Week - February 10-14
Monday: Pajama Day
Tuesday: Teachers dress like Students, Students dress like Teachers day
Wednesday: Mismatch Day
Thursday: Black and Orange- PBIS Shirt Day
Friday: Red and Pink for Valentine’s Day
Monday, February 24: 100th Day - wear 100 items
Character Education - February 12 (GHS sports teams)
Family Game Night - February 13, 6-7pm
All City Chorus Concert - February 13, 6:30pm @ GHS
Big Buddies/Little Buddies - February 14, 9:30-11:30am @ GHS
February Vacation - February 17-21
Remember To Bundle Up for Outside Recess
Cafeteria “My School Bucks” Computerized Payment System
VSA Cool Schools Art
We also want to thank one of our 2nd grade helpers, Aradia, for all she does for the RISE program and Mrs. Heath's classroom.