The Hidden Gem
El Carmelo Elementary School May 20, 2020
Caught You Reading
How Many Minutes a Day is Your Child Reading?
Class Placement
As we approach the end of this school year, it is natural for you to have questions about your child’s classroom placement for next year. Even through school closure, and virtual learning, teachers, specialists, and I are beginning a careful and thoughtful process of creating balanced classrooms for next year by engaging in conversations within grade level clusters. Placement recommendations are not completed in isolation; in fact, this is one of the most collaborative events for our teachers and staff each year!
Our teachers and support specialists spend several hours designing student groupings that consider the following factors:
- The needs of the individual child.
- Compatibility: Are there relationship/friendship possibilities for each child?
- The need to create balance within each classroom and among classrooms at every grade level.
- Learning Needs: Does each class reflect the range of learners, from independent to needing special support? Does each class reflect the range of academic performance levels?
- Social Relationships: Will the social dynamics of the class work to foster a positive learning environment?
- Language Acquisition: We have over 100 English Learners on campus. Are there students who can communicate with new English speakers in the classroom?
- Parent Impact: Ensuring that each classroom has parent volunteers.
We take the classroom grouping process seriously, always trying to put the best educational interests of the children first. We expect parents will trust and respect the judgment of school staff in making classroom placement decisions. Teachers meet several times to construct balanced groups of children and work with our specialists to inform their recommended groups. Once our teachers have agreed on their recommended groups of students, I review them, and I assign the teacher’s names to those groups.
If you have specific information you would like to provide about your child’s learning or social/emotional needs, complete our Optional Parent Input Form. The information you provide to me will be shared with your child’s current teacher to consider for placement, and it will be shared with your child’s future teacher for a smooth transition into their next grade level. Here is more information about PAUSD’s board policy on class placement.
Thank you for always working in partnership with us, especially during these unprecedented times.
Be Well,
Danaé
Movement at Home
Resources for Parents
PARENT SUPPORT GROUPS
Do I Need to Worry about My Child Falling Behind? May 26, 2020 from 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Parenting During Uncertain Times - Parent Support Group May 27, 2020 from 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
El Carmelo Elementary School
Email: elcarmeloattendance@pausd.org
Website: https://elcarmelo.pausd.org/
Location: 3024 Bryant Street, Palo Alto, CA, USA
Phone: (650) 856-0960
Twitter: @elcarmeloschool