K-2 Elementary Teacher Newsletter
August 2021
Welcome Back
Welcome Back! I hope you are relaxed, recharged, and ready to start a new school year. I am so delighted that you are a part of our amazing learning community. I welcome and value your positive energy and dedication to excellence in education, and I look forward to working with and supporting each and every one of YOU throughout this school year. All signs point to an INCREDIBLE and productive school year! #BecauseofaTeacher
Maggie Gardner
Elementary Academic Coordinator
Beginning of the Year Course
This image located on your myPascoConnect dashboard will take you to the 2021 All Staff Beginning of the Year Course. District departments have come together to create one place for all employees to access to the most important information necessary in order to ensure a successful start to the 2021-22 school year. Each of the departments have contributed to the creation of this course and have created acknowledgment quizzes for you to take in order to verify you have reviewed the required and optional materials. Please take some time to explore this resource.
Curriculum Resources
As we reunite with our students this year back in the classroom, we will continue to use our learning networks aligned to our approved adopted resources; connections to focus standards; MTSS; and vetted assessments/resources for unit and lesson planning support. The Elementary/Secondary Learning Network is a live resource, which we monitor throughout the year and adjust every summer based on feedback from you, administrators, and coaches on what would make your work smoother.
Once again, this year, we understand that there is a likelihood that individual and potentially groups of students may need to be out throughout the year based on the status of COVID cases. Therefore, student facing courses were developed by Pasco teacher teams to continue the momentum with Canvas usage. These courses are aligned to our ELN/SLN and contain curriculum resources and some assessments. As always, we want to ensure the approved resources and curriculum are being used in the classroom, but the pedagogy and teacher craft is always alive and strongly encouraged, please use the aspects of core resources that best meet the needs of your students. When you need to make changes to the course to align for this purpose, we only advise that you unpublish modules/resources that you do not plan to use, versus delete. You never know when you may need a resource that is in the course, and once deleted it is hard for us to repair in individual pushed out courses.
OLL
Early Release 21-22 Overview
We are excited to share with you our plan for early release 21-22. All general education classroom teachers (including departmentalized teachers), ESE support facilitators, Speech Language Pathologists and academic interventionists will participate in professional learning workshop facilitated by school-based coach(es), admin and/or teacher leaders focused on Uplifting Literacy in Pasco County Schools. Specials/electives teachers will engage virtually with teachers in the same roles from other schools. Professional learning will be focused on the Teaching and Assessing Cycle and will be facilitated by District content leaders and/or teacher leaders.
Dates for early release are:
· September 8th
· October 6th
· November 10th
· December 8th
· January 12th
· February 2nd
· March 9th
Together We Learn ‘21 Session Recordings NOW AVAILABLE on the PD Hub
Together We Learn ‘21 themed "Summer Time and the Learning is Easy" took place July 26, 27, & 28. Just over 2,000 dedicated teachers, school staff, and leaders attended 223 sessions of virtual learning. If you were unable to attend or would like to revisit any session recording please visit the TWL page on the main landing page of the PD hub. Enjoy!
English Language Arts
Welcome back! We are excited to begin a new school year with you! We enjoyed seeing so many of you on Zoom during our Summer PD offerings aimed at Uplifting Literacy in Pasco County. Thank you for your time and dedication to this important work.
In these first few days of school, we know that you've been working hard to build relationships with your students and establish important classroom routines. Thank you for modeling a love of reading and getting your students excited about all they will learn this year!
We hope you've also had the opportunity to peruse the ELN. There you will find a variety of resources to support you with both planning for and implementing instruction.
As you're thinking about ways to engage all of our stakeholders, please know that there is a Parent & Family Connections button. Within this button, you will find parent letters that are aligned to the major learning for each module within our HMH resource.
As a reminder, you also have digital access to your HMH resources through myPascoConnect. The app is called, "Ed: Your Friend in Learning."
Summer PD Session Recordings:
Reading Endorsement
Mathematics
Zearn School Account Resources:
Click here to check out Zearn's new library of exclusive resources for school accounts. Find everything from orientation videos to in-depth recorded trainings and tips to share with parents/families.
2021-2022 ELN Mathematics Updates:
Click here to learn about the updates, revisions, and additions that have been made to the Mathematics ELN to better serve you and your students during the 2021-2022 school year.
New Great Minds myPascoConnect App:
In late July, access to Great Minds Eureka Math Affirm, Equip, and inSync switched over from Clever to ClassLink. We now have a new Great Minds icon on the myPascoConnect dashboard. Please look for the icon below on your myPascoConnect dashboard to access all Great Minds digital resources.
PMP News
As you and your school teams are analyzing BOY assessment data, reviewing current PMP status and making any updates to individual students in need of Tier 3 interventions in ELA (Reading and Writing) and/or Math, please ensure PMP status is updated in myStudent on the PMP/Interventions tab by September 21. Click here to access the Elementary School step by step user guide that will walk you through the process of giving a student a PMP and developing a progress monitoring plan.
Just a reminder that on the Elementary Learning Network, at the bottom of the page, under the Module Progress/Evaluating Learning tab is more information regarding PMP’s. Both Math and ELA pages include a Timeline of Events by Module, MTSS Tier 3 Decision Guides and Resource Maps, PMP (Tier 3) Timeline of Events for the Year and PMP User Guide.
Science
Quick Overview Videos
Look for registration information soon for our K-2 Virtual Science Academy evening on September 22nd from 5:30-7:30pm.
Social Studies
We hope that you and your families continue to be well and safe, and found time this summer to relax and recharge. As we launch a new year with a new set of challenges, we would like to thank you for your unconditional commitment to our profession and to your students. Thank you for being the teacher leaders you are… continuously learning and growing, reflecting and adjusting.
- Per Florida Statutes we have additional instructional mandates that must be met within our courses and documented within lesson plans. These instructional mandates are noted within your scope and sequence for each course and there is page within your ELN and updated calendars with teacher resources that will provide additional ideas that may support instruction on the specific topic.
- A few immediate instructional mandates that will begin our school year:
September is noted as American Founder's Month
September 11th is noted as Patriot's Day
September 15th - October 15th is Hispanic Heritage Month
September 17th - Constitution Day
- TCI K-5 Teacher Digital Resources
We are excited to be returning to our TCI digital resources for the 21-22 school year. All K-5 teachers will be rostered to digital accounts and will have access to engaging presentations; standard aligned texts; student journals; and civic inquiry tasks. Our TCI digital resources are the 2021-22 version, and have embedded SEL; Social Justice; and Required Instruction supports.
Pasco TCI Resources – Links for additional learning
- DBQ Online
We are excited to be continuing DBQ online for teachers and students to have on their myPascoConnect platform. DBQs enhance student's ability to think critically and express their thinking through well crafted writing. DBQs are also a great way to expose students to history through primary and secondary sources. This year there will be opportunities for both virtual and face to face learning to continue our work with DBQs.
Please, watch this 5-minute video on the first 3 steps for you and your students.
Getting Started Resources
Getting Started Video
Student DBQ Online instructions- please post and Send this link to Students. Great Saving tips!
Getting Started Resources
Classlink/Launchpad portal
https://mypascoconnect.pasco.k12.fl.u
Classes and Students will be rostered for you in DBQ Online
Click on Classes and assignments, you will see your classes listed. Additionally, your students will automatically be listed in your roster.
When students click on DBQ Online app in ClassLink, they will see their classes and assignments. Students can ignore the need to enter in a classcode.
Begin by creating assignments,
Need some more help?
Click here to schedule or sign-up for an upcoming webinar. or email dbqprojectpd@dbqproject.com
Civics Literacy Texts
Through a grant, OLL has purchased each school a number of texts from the states Civics Book List. Schools will receive a number of texts based on enrollment numbers as follows:
- 700 and below will receive 5 copies of each text
- 700 – 1,500 will receive 10 copies of each text
- 1,500 and above will receive 15 copies of each text
The books will likely come labeled for a specific grade level but are appropriate for a grand band as identified on the list linked below.
Here you can find what texts you will receive as well as the text included in the in the new ELA materials.
For Teachers with Academic Tutors
Instructional Coaching
Instructional Coaching Calendar and Events
Coaching Pool Interviews
The windows for staff interested in applying for the LD, ITC Literacy or ITC Math candidate lists in the 2021-2022 school year are as follows:
October 2021
Ad: Oct. 4-14, Interviews: Oct. 27 & 28
February 2022
Ad: Feb. 14-24, Interviews: March 9 &10
June 2022
Ad: June 4-14, Interviews: 27-29
*The interview process is conducted during evening hours from 5-7 virtually in the first semester. The second semester will be evening hour 5-7 in Building 2 of the District Complex.
For additional information please visit our Instructional Coaching page on the Pasco County Website!
SEL/Compassionate Schools
Don't forget about our Social Emotional Learning Network! This site is designed to be a resource that all teachers can use to support their implementation of SEL into their daily instruction. On the Network, teachers can click on the grade band that matches what they teach and find a wealth of resources including welcoming activities, ideas for collaborative structures, and optimistic closures they can use with their classes. There are also two calendars linked at the top of the home page that teachers can use to begin creating a compassionate environment from day 1 with their classes. Relationships are the foundation to success in classrooms. Here is another great resource to help teachers build and strengthen relationships with students immediately. Finally, please remember that I am here to support you. Please reach out to Lesley Wilson if you need any support!
Canvas Support
We are here to support you! The number one question we have received so far is about student-facing courses. Here is what you need to know:
- Student Facing Courses- When student enrollments populate, teachers and students will have access to myLearning courses connected with their school schedule in myStudent. Please allow for a 24 hour window to obtain access.
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.
- Elementary Programs: Maggie Gardner - mcgardne@pasco.k12.fl.us
- ELA K-5: Roshonda Royster - rroyster@pasco.k12.fl.us
- Mathematics PK-6: Tracy Miller – tamiller@pasco.k12.fl.us
- Science K-8: Lesley Kirkley – lwade@pasco.k12.fl.us
- Social Studies K-12: Tina Stavrou-Klem - astavrou@pasco.k12.fl.us
- Art & Music: Tom Viking – tviking@pasco.k12.fl.us
- PE & Health: Matt Wicks – mwicks@pasco.k12.fl.us
- SEL: Lesley Wilson - lrwilson@pasco.k12.fl.us
- Reading Prof. Dev. & Learning: dvarcard@pasco.k12.fl.us
- K-12 Literacy Intervention: clough@pasco.k12.fl.us
- K-12 Mathematics Intervention: janderto@pasco.k12.fl.us
- Instructional Coaching: jdblair@pasco.k12.fl.us