Elementary 3-5 Teacher Newsletter
Bi-Weekly - Issue 2 - April 2020
Together We Learn Call for Session Proposals
Are you doing awesome things in your school or classroom?
Do you have innovative ideas to share with colleagues?
Pasco County Schools would like to take this opportunity to invite you to share your expertise with educators from around the county by presenting at our summer learning events
happening this July.
Our call for proposals is open to all staff who would like to host sessions to be held during Together We Learn which will take place from July 27th – July 29th with a target audience of teachers, coaches, school support staff, SRP, and school leaders.
Submit your proposal to present a session and join your colleagues in exploring best practices
happening right here in Pasco County!
Proposal deadline is May 8, 2020
Click here for more information and to submit your proposal.
Reading Endorsement
If you are currently pursuing your Reading Endorsement through the district pathway, please note that summer courses will be released the first week in May.
The state has waived all fees for certification exams through July 31st, which includes the K-12 Reading Subject Area Exam (035). Here is the link:http://www.fl.nesinc.com/testPage.asp?test=035. You can register now and receive a voucher during the appointment scheduling stage of the registration process to take the test once test centers are reopened.
If you have any questions, please contact readingendorsement@pasco.k12.fl.us
ELEMENTARY Grading Practices Survey
The Elementary Design Team would appreciate your time in completing the Grading Practices Survey linked here. This survey is designed to collect data around the current grading practices and beliefs at the elementary level and will assist in driving the work of the Elementary Design Team moving forward.
Thank you
ELA
As we continue to embark on our distance learning journey, I wanted to thank you for all you are doing to help our students continue to grow as learners. Please make sure you check out our Distance Learning ELA Module Reading and Writing Overview.
Do you ever wish you could share ideas across schools?
- Click here to join the Third Grade Teachers group
- Click here to join the Fourth Grade Teachers group
- Click here to join the Fifth Grade Teachers group
You will also want to add the App to your myPascoConnect dashboard, so your ability to have a conversation with any teacher is just a click away.
What Intervention materials do you have available digitially?
Resources for Tiers of Support
Tier 2 and 3 Resource Maps on the ELN
- RG Decodable Readers by Skill (books in pdf). 3rd, 4th, 5th
- RG Leveled Readers for small group (books in pdf) 3rd, 4th. 5th
- ReadyUp! (Levels A (Kindergarten) to F (Fifth)
- Foundational Skills Toolkits are available on Bookshelf
- Instructional Routines on ELN
- SmartyAnts (click here for a webinar to learn more)
- IRLA conference
- Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Primary Curriculum
#PascoStudentsSpeak @PascoLiteracy
#PascoStudentsSpeak will be May 4th-May 8th
Monday, May 4th-Motivational Monday
What could you do to make this a more caring world?
Quotes about change
- How will you impact/change the world in your future career?
- Where is a place you wish to visit in the world and why?
- Share a memory about a teacher that has had a positive impact on your life?
Friday, May 8th- Fearless Friday
- Share your voice about a change you want to see in the world. We would encourage our 4-12 students who were school representatives (or class representatives) to record and share their speech. (in lieu of TEDx)
Math
We have received lots of questions regarding why there are some lessons where we did not require "Must Do" problems within the Problem Set. There were lessons that required tools or manipulatives that we knew students may not have at home, especially for Geometry and Measurement. We did not want students and parents to worry if they did not have the materials needed and we definitely did not want families to feel like they needed to go out to stores during Social Distancing to buy the tools/materials needed. Thanks for asking these awesome questions! Keep them coming!
Want to learn how Zearn can make Math more accessible for all learners? Click on the link below to access the Zearn webinar Zearn Math: Commitment to Accessibility. It is important to note, this webinar is different than the Pasco Zearn webinars offered during Weeks 1-4. This short webinar focuses on the following topics:
- Following the concrete to pictorial to abstract framework, which teaches students to understand math concepts in intuitive and tangible ways
- Incorporating the Universal Design for Learning principles, which ensures multiple representations and means of engagement, action, and expression are available to all learners
- Committing to inclusion and diversity, which enables all students to feel a sense of belonging
- Building accessibility features into the digital lessons, which helps all students use technology more easily
Grade 5 only: This typically is the time of year where elementary schools would be administering the Grade 6 Advanced Mathematics assessment as an additional data point when recommending students for Grade 6 Advanced Mathematics. This assessment is written at a very high complexity level, therefore, it is not recommended during Distance Learning in order to prevent additional stress on students, parents, and teachers. We also recognize that the Grade 5 Mathematics FSA will not be a data point this school year.
We are recommending elementary schools use a preponderance of evidence through the data points we currently have. The data points below should be considered when recommending students for Grade 6 Advanced Mathematics:
- Grade 3 and Grade 4 Mathematics FSA data
- Grade 5 Quarterly Check data, as well as Quarterly Check data from previous years (available through myProgress, Scoreboard Reports within Performance Matters)
- Grade 5 Quarters 1-3 Mid- & End-of-Module Eureka Math assessment data
- Quarters 1-3 and Distance Learning conversation data, observation data, and facilitation grid data
Middle schools will have access to an additional diagnostic assessment as students transition back for the 2020-2021 school year. This assessment aligns with and was created from the Core resource for Grade 6 Advanced Mathematics. It focuses on essential coherence standards from K-5 Mathematics needed for Grade 6 Advanced Mathematics. This assessment will be optional and is only recommended if an additional data point is needed.
Elementary Math Office Hours: Mondays 9:00-10:00 AM
Science
Elementary Science Virtual Platform Information
The hand-ons on science opportunities within the DLP courses for K-5 Science are exciting. We recognize that not all of our students will have access to the supplies required to complete these activities. We have reviewed the courses and identified activities that require materials which may present a challenge to some of our learners. That information has been complied in a chart available at the link below to support you as you help students navigate their courses. If an activity requires more than glue/scissors, an alternative online simulation has been hyperlinked within the table. You can use this alternative simulation for any student who cannot complete the hands-on activity at home. Think of the online simulation as an alternate way to collect data, it is not a new assignment simply a modified way of completing the same assignment. Activities for weeks 1-9 are now color-coded by week and hyperlinked to alternate activity. We also provided organized copies of the activities referenced in the table with grade specific folders so you do not have to find them in the DLP to review.
A parent version of the table is being shared in two week increments through the parent newsletter. You can also access it at the address below:
***CHANGE****Science Team Office Hours
The Science team will be hosting virtual office hours via Zoom every Tuesday afternoon from 3:00pm-4:00pm. Secondary Science will be the focus from 3pm-3:30pm and Elementary from 3:30pm-4pm. You can use this link to join us at office hours if you have any questions, feedback or just want to connect: https://zoom.us/j/933136923
Social Studies
Thank you for all the schools who have participated in our Pasco Virtual Financial Literacy Month Challenge - just a reminder that the challenge will go through the week of May 4th. Pasco County Schools, in partnership with USF Stavros Center, is excited to host a weekly Financial Literacy challenge . These events are designed to help parents/guardians, employees, community members and students with financial planning matters and getting more information for starting a financially successful future. Our next, 25 minutes webinar will be provided on Wednesday April 29th at 4:00 PM- this will be live lessons on how to embed these resources with students or even with your own children. Teachers who attend sessions will be able to earn professional development points.
Resources may be found here with further details for the weekly challenges. Please encourage students and staff to shower our Pasco Schools Social Media with their images.
· · April 29th Zoom Webinar - Disney-Nomics & Financial Literacy in the News
https://pasco-k12.zoom.us/j/96060443183?pwd=MUpXVExyc1VKMENnWkhHZVltei9mZz09
Meeting ID960-6044-3183. Meeting Password. 8HCxs7
Military Kindness Outreach
Please consider this opportunity with your students:
Defense Communities Military Support Initiative were discussing the impact on the basic training units and how COVID19 will prevent families from attending Basic Training graduations. They are trying to connect schools with basic training units for all branches and offer to connect them with a school in our area to reach out with letters from school children in our counties to let the soldiers know that they are not alone and we appreciate what they are doing for us. For more information please click here.
Art - - Music - - PE
Physical Education: Elementary
Procedure: Develop a physical education module within the school based access canvas course and the physical education log and upload modified lessons
- To gain access to the school based canvas site, the physical education staff member should make a request to their school based administrator
- Lessons can be obtained from the district physical education canvas site
Art & Music: Elementary
Procedure: Art and Music lessons will be identified for access students and automatically added to the school wide access canvas course weekly
- To gain access to the school based access canvas site, the art & music teachers should make a request to their school based administrator
- Monitor student progress and communicate with students and parents
- Modify lesson as necessary for student population
Elementary Art optional Zoom office hours (Thursdays @ 1pm)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://pasco-k12.zoom.us/j/550545342?pwd=Q3ZVbFdMeE9UNjBkN3FaK0F0Qk5UZz09
Meeting ID: 550 545 342
Password: ArtK5
Elementary Music optional Zoom office hours (Thursdays @ 1pm)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://pasco-k12.zoom.us/j/746057278?pwd=WS8yYU1EQnNuMFFPTEFUbnRFS3dFdz09
Meeting ID: 746 057 278
Password: 022380
SEL/Compassionate Schools
Elementary Team Contact Information
If you have any questions or need any assistance please do not hesitate to reach out to any of us on the elementary team.
- K-1 Literacy Senior Instructional Specialist: Danielle Varcardipone – dvarcard@pasco.k12.fl.us
- K-6 ELA Senior Instructional Specialist: Courtney Lough – clough@pasco.k12.fl.us
- PK-6 Math Senior Instructional Specialist: Tracy Miller – tamiller@pasco.k12.fl.us
- K-8 Science Senior Instructional Specialist: Lesley Kirkley – lwade@pasco.k12.fl.us
- K-12 Social Studies Senior Instructional Specialist: Tina Stavrou-Klem - astavrou@pasco.k12.fl.us
- K-12 Fine Arts Program Coordinator: Tom Viking – tviking@pasco.k12.fl.us
- K-12 Physical Education Program Coordinator: Matt Wicks – mwicks@pasco.k12.fl.us
- K-12 Social Emotional Learning Program Coordinator: Lesley Wilson - lrwilson@pasco.k12.fl.us