Building Bulldogs
Winter 2024
Welcome to the Winter Edition of Our Curriculum Newsletter! As we reach the midpoint of the school year, our classrooms are buzzing with activity as teachers and students dive into their studies. Winter brings a special focus on learning and growth, and we're excited to share the highlights with you. From fun projects to thought-provoking discussions, there's so much happening in our classrooms. In this edition, we invite you to take a peek into the exciting world of learning. Let's embrace the winter season as a time for learning and growth!
"App"etizers
Magic School
MagicSchool is an AI website that can help teachers plan lessons, differentiate instruction, and write assessments.
FigJam
FigJam is an online collaborative whiteboard.
Infogram
Infogram is a way to make data more visually appealing.
Curriculum and Instruction Updates
Hour of Code
ADS hosted BHS students for our Annual Hour of Code in December. Mr. Honig, our new Engineering Teacher, brought over some of his students to work with Kindergarten and Fourth grade students and then with the Third grade students. Mrs. Gorecki organized the morning so that everything ran smoothly. One of the High School students was surprised to see that he was in a photo from when he was in Third grade in Ms. Porter’s (Legregni’s) class! Like many teachers, she keeps the class photos from all of the years she has worked at ADS. Once again, both groups of students had a wonderful time working together and making connections!
Writing through the winter at ADS
Students at ADS stayed warm this winter by writing about a variety of winter topics such as: snowmen coming to life, stories about favorite winter activities, and how to make hot chocolate. Check out their wintery writing here!
January 12th PD Sessions
January 12th was a busy day with professional learning! ADS teachers participated in a jigsaw showcase and a foundational skills turnkey training session. RBS and BHS Humanities teachers worked with Patty McGee to learn more about skills-based instruction for literacy.
AI For Educators Book Club
AI is changing education at this very moment! Teachers and administrators from across the district gathered together for the first book club meeting about the book AI For Educators by Matt Miller. During this meeting, we began exploring and discussing questions such as:
- How is artificial intelligence impacting education?
- What are the pros and cons of the use of AI in the classroom?
- What safeguards do we need to put in place to ensure the ethical use of AI in the classroom?
- How can teachers use it to make planning and instruction more efficient and effective?
- How can students use it to maximize their learning?
Teachables: Articles and Ideas for your Classroom!
Google Classroom Tips for 2024
Matt Miller, author of several books, including Ditch That Textbook, offers new tips to use Google classroom effectively and efficiently for 2024.
Opportunities
RBS/BHS Ed Camp on Monday 2/12
Have a great instructional strategy you'd like to share with other teachers? Consider being a presenter at our RBS/BHS Ed Camp on Monday February 12 during the delayed opening professional development time. What is an Ed Camp? Ed Camps are informal sessions by and for teachers, where the focus is on collaboration, making connections, and instructional design. This year, a major focus is on MTSS strategies such as jigsaw, station rotations, and reciprocal teaching. However, you can choose to present on something other than that if you would like. Click the blue link below to sign up:
Classroom Spotlight
Physics Phenomena
Dr. Allen's bulletin boards are covered with physics projects depicting Physics phenomena in everyday activities.
Math messages
Ms. Phillips left messages for all her students when they returne in January.
Anchor Charts to support literacy
Ms. Elwertowski created these anchor charts to help support students with important concepts in reading and writing.
Synonym Rolls
Analyzing environmental data
Ms. Tarr’s students got practice in learning to read challenging data graphs- this one had two vertical axes! Way to go 8th Grade Science!
ADS students create winter art
Students in Ms. Casey's class created a variety of winter art to decorate the hallways.
Days of the Week
Ms. Goldsmith facilitated a schoolwide performance of the "Days of Week" song in Spanish.
Students at RBS work with literacy consultant
Students in Mr. Kurpick's English class worked with Patty McGee when she came to their classroom for a demo lesson.
Unpacking complex texts
Ms. Baum helped her students understand complex texts by teaching them analyze structural choices made by Harper Lee in To Kill a Mockingbird.
A little something sweet.....Red Velvet Sugar Cookies
Who could resist a sweet treat for Valentine's Day? This recipe will yield just 6 cookies . Or Double it if you need to!