Davidson Newsletter
October 2022
Principal's Corner
Dear Davidson Families,
Fall is here! We are almost one quarter of the way through the school year, and I want to share some information about math fact fluency. I promise that it's not nearly as scary as some of the costumes our children are going to wear in a few weeks!
Math fact fluency is the ability for students to quickly recall basic math facts. In the younger grades, addition facts are the focus, and in the older grades, we focus on multiplication facts. While we definitely teach number sense and a concrete understanding of WHY 2 + 2 = 4, it's important for these facts to become more automatic as learning progresses. When students develop automaticity with basic math facts, it frees up space in their brains for longer, more in depth math problems. Students are able to become more precise and accurate in math when they know their math facts, and they then become much more confident. We know a student is fluent in math facts when he/she can consistently recall a fact within 2 seconds.
This year, we have purchased flash cards for every 1st -5th grade student. (Kindergarten students are still learning the WHY of basic number sense and 1 to 1 correspondence.) First and second grade students are receiving addition fact cards, and third, fourth, and fifth grade students are receiving multiplication flash cards. These can be used at home in a variety of ways.
Here are some ideas:
- Play Memory- Pull out a set of facts to work on and play Memory just like the original game, only using math facts.
- Play Top It- (Older generations know this game as War) Two players are dealt an equal number of cards. They flip over the top cards at the same time. The person with the greater answer keeps both cards. Play until one person has all the cards.
- Family Member Quiz- A member of the family can quiz the student using the flash cards. Facts the student answers quickly go in one pile, and facts that are challenging go in a "Not yet" pile. Do the "Not yet" pile a couple of times during the practice session.
- Timed Practice- Keep a record of how quickly your student can answer a number of flash cards. Do timed trials each day and see how much faster he/she becomes over time.
- Independent Practice- Students can practice flashcards independently as well. They read it aloud and answer.
Students in 3rd grade are learning their multiplication facts this year. They will build their repertoire of facts throughout the year. For example, they may work on 2s one week, and 3s the next week. Feel free to take out the cards that students have not yet learned and focus on the facts the class is learning at the time. There are lots of fun ways to practice math facts together. You can YouTube even more ways to use flashcards at home. Practice should take 5-10 minutes maximum each day. If all Davidson students practice their math facts at home for even just 5 minutes/day, I am confident that our students will become more confident and proficient in math! Thanks for your support.
Creating tomorrow's problem solvers,
Sarah Andricopoulos, Proud Principal of Davidson
Community Engagement Corner
ZAG Fundraiser: Davidson’s Holiday Fundraiser, benefiting the Booster Club, has started! Return order forms and money to classroom teachers NO LATER than Monday, October 24th.
Jump Party: Students who showed growth from the end of last year to the first benchmark assessment in October will be invited to the Jump Party on Wednesday, October 19th. Thank you to the Lions Club for funding the Jump Party!
Flu Shot and COVID Booster Clinic: On Wednesday, October 26th from 1 PM- 3 PM free flu shots and COVID boosters will be available in the cafeteria. Bring your family/friends!
Attendance Challenge Reminder: Classes are awarded when have perfect attendance by extra recess and the privilege to sit with friends in a different class at lunch. Students with perfect attendance at the end of the month are entered in a drawing to win a Dave & Buster’s gift card for the student and family! Thank you to the Lions Club for the support.
Clothing and Food Needs: If your family needs food and/or clothes, please contact Emily Waldron, School Community Liaison at Emily.Waldron@tusd1.org or at 520-232-6803
Counselor's Spotlight
Hello families,
In Life Skills class recently we talked about internet safety and having a healthy relationship with technology. How much screen time is too much? How does it affect our relationship with others?
As a family I encourage you to talk about technology and how to keep screen time in safe and healthy amounts.
Julia Velasco-McGee, 520-232-6380, Julia.mcgee@tusd1.org
Kindness R.O.A.R Tickets
K-2 R.O.A.R Ticket September Total: 6,804 Goal:6,300
3-5 R.O.A.R Ticket September Total: 4,687 Goal: 4,800
Total: 11,491
October Goals:
K-2 R.O.A.R Ticket Goal: 5,500
3-5 R.O.AR Ticket Goal: 3,500 Total: 9,000
Mark your Calendar!
October Upcoming Events
October 3rd- October 31st- Classroom Sock Drive
October 5th- October 24th- ZAG Fundraiser
October 7th - No School- Grading Day
October 10th- 14th- Fall Break
October 19th- Jump Party
October 26th- Flu Shot and COVID Booster Clinic (1-3 PM)
October 28th- Trunk or Treat