Dos Rios Elementary
Weekly Rocket News * March 19, 2018
Principal's PLC-Connection
Dear Dos Staff Family,
I hope you have all had a phenomenal spring break! You all have certainly deserved the time off.
Wednesday PD 1:00-3:30 Dos Library
ALL STAFF: 1:00-1:30 Staff Surveys
Certified & Paras 3rd-8th: 1:30-2:30 District AZMerit Informational
2:30-3:30 Building Informational
Dearest Students (and Teachers),
In two weeks you will take your AZMerit test for math, reading and writing, and after that you will take your AIMS test. I know how hard you have worked, but there is something very important you must know.
These tests do not assess all of what makes you special and unique. The people who create these tests and score them do not know each of you like I do, and certainly not the way your families do.
They do not know that some of you speak two languages, or that you love to sing or draw. They have not seen your natural talent for dancing. They do not know that your friends count on you to be there for them, that you laughter can brighten the darkest day, or that your face turns red when you feel shy. They do not know that you participate in sports, wonder about the future, or sometimes you help with your little brother or little sister after school. They do not know that you are kind, trustworthy, and thoughtful… and every day you try your very best.
The scores you will get from these tests will tell you something, but they will not tell you everything. These tests do not define you. There are many ways of being smart. YOU are smart! You are enough! You are the light that brightens our day and the reason I am happy to come to work each day. So, in the midst of all of these tests, remember that there is no way to “test” all of the amazing and awesome things that make you, YOU.
All I ask is that you do your personal best and do not give up. You have been working for this since Kindergarten and are ready! I believe in you!
"Together We Can..."
Principally yours,
Mrs. Annamarie Dowling-Garrott
Top Pilots
Weekly Launch Codes
Week-at-a-Glance
Rising Rocket Club
Making Math Matter
Mathematics Teaching Practices: Elicit and Use Evidence of Student Thinking
Effective mathematics teaching elicits evidence of students’ current mathematical understanding and uses it as the basis for making instructional decisions. This attention to both eliciting and using evidence is an essential component of formative assessment. Leahy and colleagues noted that “teachers using assessment for learning continually look for ways in which they can generate evidence of student learning, and they use this evidence to adapt their instruction to better meet their students’ learning needs. A focus on evidence includes identifying indicators of what is important to notice in students’ mathematical thinking, planning for ways to elicit that information, interpreting what the evidence means with respect to students’ learning, and then deciding how to respond on the basis of students’ understanding. A focus on evidence begins with a clear understanding of what counts as an indicator of students’ mathematical thinking and requires that teachers attend to more than just whether an answer is or is not correct.
Elicit and Use Evidence of Student Thinking
Effective teaching involves finding the mathematics in students’ comments and actions, considering what students appear to know in light of the intended learning goals and progression, and determining how to give the best response and support to students on the basis of their current understandings. Teachers also use the evidence gathered after the instructional session to reflect on the lesson and student progress and then identify next steps in planning future lessons and designing interventions. The actions in the table below summarize what teachers and students are doing in mathematics classrooms that use evidence of student thinking to assess, support, and extend learning.
Staff Night Out
Friday, Mar 23, 2018, 05:00 PM
Claim Jumper Restaurants, West McDowell Road, Avondale, AZ, USA
RSVPs are enabled for this event.