All-Star Announcements
What's Happening at Venable in September 2019
September is Attendance Awareness Month
Back to School Night is Sept. 19, 5:30pm
During Back to School Night, your child will show you around his or her classroom, demonstrate routines, and give you a peek into some of the work he or she is already doing at school. Other areas to visit include the library, art room (where you can sign up to view your child's art on Artsonia), iSTEM lab, Spanish room, and music/PE.
Kindergarten families will have a different structure: drop off students on the back playground for supervision anytime before 5:50, and then head to your child's classroom at 5:50pm for a more formal teacher presentation (about 20 minutes). Then visit any of the other open locations around the school.
At 6:30pm, we will have a brief welcome from Dr. Kershner and ribbon-cutting to celebrate our new playground equipment. This will be immediately followed by our annual Back to School Picnic on the blacktop. PTO will provide chicken and paper products. Families are asked to bring sides and desserts to share within their grade level (these can be dropped off on the blacktop prior to visiting classrooms). See this week's flyer for more details.
Students at work around the school
"Listen to your teacher"
How to show empathy
Kindergarten copyright
Math helps us learn about each other
Diving back into multiplication
Enough said
Gifted Education Changes in CCS
Who - Where - What of Gifted Education
This year gifted resource teachers (Karen Minor and Susan Northington) will provide all students with high quality services in general education classrooms on a regular basis. Students will receive differentiated experiences that enrich and extend the standard curriculum. Both the classroom teacher and the gifted resource teacher will tap into students’ interests and talents, asking all children to stretch their thinking as critical and creative problem solvers.
Classroom teachers and gifted resource teachers will collaborate in planning curriculum, identifying resources, and differentiating instruction to address the needs of all learners.
Through shared decision-making, they will monitor student progress and address individual needs. Together they can put a plan in place that has gifted resource teachers working with all students in a multitude of ways. They will communicate and collaborate while focusing on each student’s academic growth.
When of Gifted Education Identification
While we still have the ability to identify younger students, the first major identification for gifted services will occur during 3rd grade. In addition, the division will establish a process for collecting and evaluating student portfolios and teacher observation notes. At all times we will examine our work through the lens of equity, paying special attention to students from historically underrepresented populations.
- All 1st through 3rd graders will complete prescribed critical and creative thinking activities to add to their student portfolios.
- Kindergarten through 3rd grade teachers will keep notes on the advanced thinking they observe.
- The division will expand its universal screening of all students to two grade levels — all 2nd graders will take a nonverbal ability test and all 3rd graders will take a nationally-normed ability test
- 2nd through 8th graders will take MAP, an achievement test.
- Identification meetings and decisions will take place two times per year.
Super Star Crew 2019
Upcoming Events in September
Sunday, Sept. 8
- Charles Alexander (AlexZan), and other members of the Charlottesville 12, provide interviews regarding their experiences integrating Lane High and Venable Elementary on the 60th anniversary of that event, 1pm on the front steps of Venable.
- PTO Meeting, 6-7pm
Wednesday, Sept. 11
- Fire drill #3
- Minds in Motion put-together performance, 1:30pm in the auditorium
Monday, Sept. 16
- Morning bus evacuation drills
- EBL begins for select 1st and 2nd graders
- Visiting artist Sarah Yoder with 4th grade art classes
Thursday, Sept. 19
- Lockdown drill #2
- Back to School Night and Welcome Back Picnic, 5:30-7:30pm
- School-wide Morning Meeting, 8:05am
- Family Garden Workday, 9am-12pm
- Professional Learning Day for Staff - NO SCHOOL for students
- Walk to School Day and Walk-A-Thon