The Principal Chronicles
~INDIANA AREA ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ~ February 2022
East Pike - Horace Mann - Ben Franklin - Eisenhower
Dear Families and Community Members,
Erin Eisenman, Eisenhower Principal
Kevin Edmondson , Horace Mann Principal
Don Springer, East Pike Principal
Kelly Urbani, Ben Franklin Principal
IASD's Literacy Mission & Vision
The mission of the IASD reading program is to provide all students with an engaging learning environment rooted in the scientific evidence of reading best practices, which includes high-quality instruction in oral language, phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary,
and reading comprehension.
The vision of the IASD reading program is to demonstrate fidelity to the core reading program by providing scientifically-based reading instruction and expecting reading proficiency for ALL students.
The Foundations of Literacy ~ K-3
When we talk about foundations of literacy, three “PH” words often come to mind: phonological awareness, phonemic awareness, and phonics. We see these terms when we view grade level reading standards, reading research, and built into reading lessons found in many core reading series. Both phonological awareness and phonemic awareness are oral and auditory, and the focus is on the sounds in words. Phonics, on the other hand, focuses on the letters that the sounds represent. Phonics involves print, phonological, and phonemic awareness do not. While phonological and phonemic awareness are both oral and auditory, there are differences between these two terms.
Heggerty: The Journey to Reading begins with Phonological Awareness
The Heggerty Phonemic Awareness Curriculum provides students with consistent and repeated instruction, and this transfers to developing a student's decoding and encoding skills. All students participate in the lessons as part of the Tier 1 curriculum in PreK, Kindergarten, 1st grade,
and 2nd grade classrooms.
Daily lessons teach early, basic, and advanced skills such as:
Rhyming and onset fluency
Isolating final or medial sounds
Blending and segmenting words, syllables, and phonemes
Adding and deleting phonemes
Substituting phonemes
Wilson FUNdations Phonics
Is a recognized leader in multisensory, structured language programs, Wilson brings more than a decade of systematic and explicit instruction to the K-3 classroom. Based on the Wilson Reading System® principles, Wilson Fundations® provides research-based materials and strategies essential to a comprehensive reading, spelling, and handwriting program.
Wilson Fundations makes learning to read fun while laying the groundwork for life-long literacy. Students in grades K-3 receive a systematic program in critical foundational skills, emphasizing:
Phonemic awareness
Phonics/ word study
High frequency word study
Reading fluency
Vocabulary
Comprehension strategies
Handwriting (Print and Cursive)
Spelling
Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) Curriculum Overview
Core Knowledge Language Arts is our comprehensive language arts curriculum program for students in Grades 1 - 5. While teaching skills in reading, writing, listening, and speaking, Core Knowledge Language Arts (CKLA) also builds students’ knowledge and vocabulary in literature, history, geography, and science.
How you can support your child at home:
- If possible, read with your child daily; even 15 minutes of reading together each day can create a huge impact.
- You can read sections of the text aloud together. If your child struggles, you might try reading the text to them with expression, and then have them read it aloud back to you.
- Find moments to discuss what they are reading and discovering. Examples of questions you could ask: What stood out to you from what you read today? Were any sentences or words confusing? What was your take away from the author’s passage? What do you think the writer was trying to communicate? Do you agree with the writer’s ideas or descriptions? What connections can you make between what you are reading and your own life or other issues?
- Listen to your child read their written responses or have them share with a friend over video chat.
- We recommend reviewing this Protecting Kids Online article by the Federal Trade Commission addressing digital safety
Some of Our K-5 CKLA Learning Celebrations & Activities!
Greetings from the Royal Kindergarteners!
Students listened to fiction & nonfiction read-alouds about kings, queens, and royal families. Our little Kings & Queens learned of responsibilities & customs associated with royalty, too!
1st Grade Geologists
In CKLA, students learn about the geographical features of the Earth's surface, the layers of the Earth, rocks and minerals, volcanoes and geysers, fossils and dinosaurs! Oh, my!
Go West, Young 2nd Graders!
The Pioneer Days Learning Celebration included games that children would have played on their journey west like the cup & ball game, jacks, & pick up sticks. Students even made homemade butter and a covered wagon treat!
3rd Grade Day of the Vikings
3rd Grade students were introduced to the seafaring warriors from Scandinavia known as Vikings. Students also learned about the culture, beliefs, and everyday life of the Norse people!
Students received their Poetry Journal
Medieval Unit Activities
Medieval Unit Activities
Amplify CKLA is a unique core curriculum grounded in the science of reading, combining rich, diverse content knowledge in history, science, literature, and the arts with systematic, research-based foundational skills instruction. Our intentional approach to background knowledge invites students to dig deeper and make connections across content areas. Amplify CKLA enables students to build a robust knowledge base for accessing and unpacking complex texts so real comprehension can happen.
Read Across America Week Activities February 28-March 4 2022
Ben Franklin Activities
East Pike Activities
Eisenhower Activities
Horace Mann Activities
PA Invention Convention: Hershey PA
- 6 Fourth Grade State Finalists
- Finished 2nd in the State !!
- Only District in the state to have all their projects selected to present.
- Worked collaboratively on teams to construct inventions
- STEM, Collaborative Learning, Problem Solving
- Aligned with our CKLA Language Arts Curriculum: "Eureka" - Inventions and Inventors History of Inventions
Volume City Engineer Math Activity
Read Across America Celebration!
Horace Mann will be celebrating our love for literacy during "Reading Across America" week February 28th-March 4th. Each day we will show our spirit by exploring new books and genres, competing in book trivia challenges, and participating in dress-up days. Check out our themed days below and try out some new books with us this week!
Monday February 28th: "We positively Love Books"
Wear a shirt with a positive message or color.
Tuesday March 1st: "Reading Colors Our World"
Last name starts with ......
A-D wear RED
E-H wear ORANGE
I-L wear YELLOW
M-P wear GREEN
Q-T wear BLUE
U-Z wear PURPLE
Wednesday March 2nd "Favorite character Day"
Show spirit by dressing up like your favorite character from your favorite story.
Thursday March 3rd "Team Up With a New Book"
Show your spirit by wearing your favorite jersey and accessories supporting your favorite team.
Friday March 4th "Cozy Up With A Good Book"
Show your spirit by bringing in a fluffy friend and wearing your coziest pajamas.
Each School is Celebrating Reading/Literacy in the Month of March!
Talk with your child about the following:
What Dress Up Days are happening at your school for Read Across America Week?
What are you learning about in ELA/CKLA?
Give me an example of a new word you learn this week
Is you class having any special guests in during Read Across America Week?
UPCOMING EVENTS
February 18th
Act 80 Day - No School for Students
February 21st
Parent & Teacher Conferences, 10am - 6pm
Outreach Committee Meeting, 5:00 pm
Buildings, Grounds & Transportation Committee Meeting, 5:30pm
February 28th
Audit and Finance Committee Meeting, 5:30 pm
Read Across America Week Begins
March 4th
Read Across America Week Ends
March 7th
Academic and Extra-Curricular Committee Meeting, 5:30 pm
March 14th
Policy & Personnel Committee Meeting, 5:30 pm
Regular School Board Meeting, 7:00 pm
March 16th
APTT Parent Night at all schools
March 17th
Ben Franklin/Eisenhower PTA Meeting 6:00pm
*To attend Committee or Board Meetings virtually or in-person,
please visit www.iasd.cc for more information!
Contact Information Reminder
We know life can be full of changes. If your contact information should change, be sure to be proactive and take steps to stay in the loop! We would like to offer the following reminders:
You can always update your contact information in the parent portal, which will allow you to continue to receive notifications (if you are signed up for them) specific to your child(ren).
For the BrightArrow mass notification system, you must contact the school to change your contact information. You may add an additional email address or phone number from the BrightArrow section of the parent portal but you can not change existing information from there.
You must contact the school.
We take communication with our families and stakeholders very seriously. We hope you are enjoying our monthly e-newsletters which are packed with valuable and interesting information. The calendar and “upcoming events” section on the district website are another great resource to see what events and meetings are taking place around the district. You can even subscribe and import events directly into your personal calendar!
Stay connected! We are all in this together!
EAST PIKE ELEMENTARY
Website: www.iasd.cc
Location: 501 East Pike Road, Indiana, PA, USA
Phone: 724.463.8567
Facebook: Facebook.com/indianaareaschooldistrict
Twitter: @IndianaAreaSD
HORACE MANN ELEMENTARY
Website: www.iasd.cc
Location: 205 South 5th Street, Indiana, PA, USA
Phone: 724.4638560
Facebook: Facebook.com/indianaareaschooldistrict
Twitter: @IndianaAreaSD
EISENHOWER ELEMENTARY
Website: www.iasd.cc
Location: 1460 School Street, Indiana, PA, USA
Phone: 724.463.8566
Facebook: Facebook.com/indianaareaschooldistrict
Twitter: @IndianaAreaSD
BEN FRANKLIN ELEMENTARY
Website: www.iasd.cc
Location: 95 Ben Franklin Road South, Indiana, PA, USA
Phone: 724.465.5637
Facebook: Facebook.com/indianaareaschooldistrict
Twitter: @IndianaAreaSD