Elementary News
Thank you for your IMPACT on student learning!
Supporting Understanding-focused Learning
Module 2 Content Collaboration Sessions
Professional Learning Opportunity: Join teachers across WCPS to collaboratively engage in the Understanding by Design approach to planning for Module 2 of the WCPS PreK-Grade 12 Essential Curriculum.
Time: 4:00-6:00
Location: BOE Auditorium on 820 Commonwealth Ave
Kindergarten: Thursday, October 6, 2016Grade 1: Thursday, October 6, 2016
Grade 2: Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Grade 3: Tuesday, October 4, 2016
Grade 4: Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Grade 5: Wednesday, October 5, 2016
Register through ERO
Registration closes on September 27th with a limit of 25 Teachers per grade level
Maryland State Parks: Fourth Grade Students
Maryland State Parks will honor Every Kid in a Park passes for the 2016-2017 school year
Earlier this year, Governor Hogan announced that all 72 Maryland State Parks would honor the Federal Every Kid in a Park pass. Fourth graders and their families can access State Parks, as well as Federal sites, for FREE! Passes for the 2016-17 school year go live on September 1. Visit https://www.everykidinapark.gov/ to obtain a pass and find Federal parks to visit, for both families accompanying individual 4th graders as well as for field trip experiences for 4th grade classes. The pass grants entry for the student and three accompanying adults -- or an entire car for drive-in parks -- at more than 2,000 national parks, forests, wildlife refuges, and marine sanctuaries. The website also offers educators and parents activities, trip planning books, safety and packing tips, and other helpful information.
To find Maryland State Parks, go to: http://dnr2.maryland.gov/publiclands/Pages/parkmap.aspx.
Please take the steps to get passes for your 4th graders.
Constitution Day
September 17 is Constitution Day/Citizenship Day, commemorating the September 17, 1787, signing of the U.S. Constitution. In recognition, Congress has mandated that every educational institution receiving federal funding hold an educational program about this seminal document. To assist students and educators in their studies, theNational Archives and Records Administration offers key resources, such as “The Constitution at Work,” a match game connecting primary resources to constitutional articles, and “Exploring the U.S. Constitution,” an eBook that explores the roots of the three branches of government. Likewise, free online resources are available from the Library of Congress, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the U.S. Senate. This year is also the 225th anniversary of the passage of the Bill of Rights -- the first 10 amendments to the Constitution.
William Brish Planetarium
Scheduling for the William Brish Planetarium is Now Open! The new digital system is scheduled to be installed and ready for classes to begin by mid-October. Registration is open through next Tuesday, September 13th. Priority will be given based on the order in which requests are received and any requests made after Tuesday, September 13th will be honored in the order in which they are received as time allows.
Here are a couple things to remember:
- Visits and Buses are FREE for WCPS classes. Buses generally can pick you up at school at 9:00 a.m. and must be back to school by 2:00 p.m.
- There are now STEM Lessons for every grade level Pre K – 12. Almost all lessons are brand new this school year and most have students working in both the planetarium and the planetarium classroom. If you don’t see a lesson in which you are interested, you can build your own lesson through the registration document. STEM Lessons are generally limited to 42 students (due to classroom seating) while planetarium visits without the use of the classroom are limited to 64 students. Larger groups will need to split into multiple visits.
Transitioning to the Next Generation Science Standards
Requests for Science Materials
The following links can be used to request materials needed for Module 1 science instruction. We recognize that some classrooms/schools have overstock of consumable materials from the FOSS kits. We encourage everyone to use these materials before requesting more materials. Please let Tara Ellis know if you need help finding these materials in your school.
Kindergarten-Grade 2 Materials Request Form
4 As of Literacy Instruction
Math Fact Materials
Exciting news! The leveled facts assessments will soon be available digitally via School City. The implementation will begin in select schools for feedback before being made available district-wide. Our printing department will print the leveled "flash" cards for students to practice at home per individual school requests. Please be concise and purposeful with your order. They will not be filling orders for the paper facts assessments due to the change to the digital format.
More information on recommended usage will follow.