The Hyattsville Herald
Hyattsville Elementary School's Newsletter: Vol:2020/Issue:4
End of first quarter...the start of amazing things...
It is hard to imagine that we are already at the end of the first quarter of the 2020/2021 academic school year! Our community, in spite of obstacles and the pandemic, continues to grow and thrive. Our students continue to progress and are adapting to online learning well. Though not always ideal for every student, our students are resilient and are adapting to this model of learning until we can return to the building at a time when everyone is safe. Our amazing staff and teachers continue to improve their skills and grow their capacity. This includes their knowledge and understanding of online learning as well as general instructional practices and pedagogy. Even though we are faced with distance learning and obstacles, we continue to progress forward in improving our practice; to improve our instruction; to improve student learning; to improve academic achievement. We continue to appreciate and ask for your support and thank you for all you do each and everyday for the entire community. It may sound repetitive but what sets Hyattsville Elementary school apart from the rest is that we are truly all in this together. It is through our mutual support, caring, understanding, and compassion that we will thrive! Strength in our diversity and power in our purpose.
Reminders
2. Schools will be Closed for students on:
Wednesday; November 25, 2020 for Thanksgiving Break.
Thursday; November 26, 2020 for Thanksgiving Break.
Friday; November 27, 2020 for Thanksgiving Break.
Friday; December 11, 2020 for a professional development day.
December 24- January 1, 2021 (Winter Break)
3. Schools are OPEN on Wednesday; November 11, 2020
4. Report Cards are released online via Family Portal on Thursday; November 19, 2020
5. Differentiation, accommodations, and modifications Family Information Night/Chat N Chew. Tuesday; November 17, 2020 @ 5:30pm. The Zoom link will be posted on ClassDojo prior to the event.
6. PTA Meeting Change: The PTA meeting for November will be moved from its original date to Thursday; November 12, 2020 @ 5:30pm. Join us then.
7. Free school lunches and meals for all families is due to expire at the end of December. Please make sure you fill out the Free and Reduced Meals application in this newsletter to have access to these benefits.
Personalized Education Plans
Attention Parents of 1st & 4th Grade Students
Prince George’s County Public Schools is committed to focusing on the academic and career goals of our students. One way in which we collect information on the career goals of our students is through the Personal Education Plan (PEP). The purpose of the Personal Education Plan is to help students identify their interests and strengths so that they can begin planning their career goals for the future.
A Google document will be provided to the parents of all 1st and 4th grade students in order to collect student responses. Once the responses are collected, I will enter them into our county PEP data base. The PEP questionnaire will take less than 15 minutes for you and your child to complete together. I am hopeful that completing the PEP will start a dialogue between you and your child about their career goals for the future.
For additional information, please contact Ms. Dawkins, Professional School Counselor.
Please encourage students to keep their cameras on...
Social and Emotional Learning
What is differentiation, accommodations, and modifications?
Based on conversations with our amazing families, we wanted to make sure that all our parents/guardians understood the basic differences between differentiation, accommodations, and modifications and who and when these can happen,
Differentiation is something all students can and should receive during classroom instruction, but not on assessments. It is actually the cornerstone of excellent teaching pedagogy. Differentiation changes the styles and methods of how an educator teaches their class based on who is in front of them. Most often, there is no change in the expectations of the grade level. Sometimes, a teacher may push students to the next grade level expectations through differentiation while still meeting the requirements of the current grade level. Likewise, there may be occasions when an educator will use remediation and scaffolding strategies to build students who are not ready for the grade level expectations in order to effectively meet them.
Accommodations are items that only some students will receive during classroom instruction and occasionally on assessments. Educators, at their discretion, can give any student an accommodation during classroom instruction only. Many teacher will use these to scaffold instruction and then slowly remove them so students can achieve. However, only students with specific types of education plans may receive these on high stakes assessments. Accomodations often take the form of extended time, checking for understanding, reduced questions, and other strategies to help students succeed and demonstrate their understanding.
Modifications are when an education plan is formally developed and changes what students are actually taught and what they learn. This is almost always done through the IEP or another formalized process.
Educators will often scaffold instruction with changes to expectations in order to build student's readiness to grade level expectations. However, this would fall in line with differentiation as the goal is to eventually meet grade level expectations by teaching the student foundational instruction that they may have previously missed. We often see this with our English Language Learners.
This is just a very short overview. However, based on your feedback, Hyattsville Elementary School will offer a session on differentiation, accommodations, and modifications for our families to increase their knowledge and understanding of what is happening in the classroom and why. This will happen on 11/17/2020 @5:30PM.
Forms, Forms, Everywhere I look there are Forms!
Please fill out the following forms
Free & Reduced Meals Application: We are asking that every single parent fill out the Free & Reduced Meals Application by clicking on the link below. Hyattsville receives Title 1 funding based on these applications and we do not want to lose out on these funds! Last year we received over $200,000- therefore please, fill out the form even if you do not think you will qualify. This program is open to all families and this application process is safe, private and secure.
Free & Reduced Meals Application
Emergency Contact Form/ Family Card: This year, Hyattsville Elementary will have an electronic form to collect our emergency contact information as well as family cards. As we are unsure if we will be returning this school year for hybrid learning, it is best if we still collect this information now. Please click on the link below to fill out the 2020/2021 Hyattsville Family Card.
Watch For IT In December
Hyattsville Elementary School will host a Family STEM Night to help explain and begin to guide students and families through the process of a virtual STEM fair for this year. This event will take place on Tuesday; December 15. More details will be forthcoming.
Technical Support for devices
PGCPS heard from parents and guardians during the implementation of distance learning this past winter/spring 2020 – assistance was needed in the areas of technology, instruction, and other supports. Thus we have strategically designated locations throughout PGCPS where parents can receive assistance with technology, accessing and navigating platforms, and other troubleshooting beginning August 31, 2020.
Days/Times: Mondays and Wednesdays, 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Parents may call 240-696-3315 during these hours to receive live assistance.
Locations:
● Benjamin Tasker Middle School - 4901 Collington Road, Bowie, MD 20715
● Charles Carroll Middle School - 6130 Lamont Drive, New Carrollton, MD 20784
● Drew Freeman Middle School - 2600 Brooks Drive, Suitland, MD 20746
● G. James Gholson Middle School - 900 Nalley Road, Landover, MD 20785
● Gwynn Park High School - 13800 Brandywine Road, Brandywine, MD 20613
● High Point High School - 3601 Powder Mill Road, Beltsville, MD 20705
● Northwestern High School - 7000 Adelphi Road, Hyattsville, MD 20782
● Port Towns Elementary School - 4351 58th Avenue, Bladensburg, MD 20710
● Thurgood Marshall Middle School - 4909 Brinkley Road, Temple Hills, MD 20748
If you need a password reset, please complete the form below:
Free and Reduced Meal Applictaion
Free & Reduced Meals Application: We are asking that every single parent fill out the Free & Reduced Meals Application by clicking on the link below. Hyattsville receives Title 1 funding based on these applications and we do not want to lose out on these funds! Last year we received over $200,000- therefore please, fill out the form even if you do not think you will qualify. This program is open to all families and this application process is safe, private and secure.
Distance Learning Essentials
P.R.I.D.E. for Distance Learning Matrix v.1
Perseverance
*Attend all my classes
*Make time to watch prerecorded lessons and complete my assignments
*Check my assignment due dates
*Do what I'm supposed to do before I do what I want to do
*Try my best at everything
*If something is difficult, don’t give up- try again
Respect
*Take turns
*Remain positive and have a growth mindset
*Make only respectful and helpful comments
*Pay attention to my gestures and facial expressions
*Treat my school issued equipment with care
*Be supportive of my classmates
Integrity
*Use my technology appropriately
*Turn in only the work I have completed myself
*As for help when needed
*Follow all Classroom procedures and expectations
*Take ownership of my actions, both the good ones and the ones I need to grow in
Dedication
*Be prepared with all materials needed for class
*Attend distance learning classes on time.
*Complete and turn in assignments on time.
*Have my technology ready to go.
Enthusiasm
*Actively participate
*Be engaged in the learning and the assignments
*Help others who may struggle
*Produce creative, thoughtful, and neat work
*Check my work before I turn it in.
+Expectations for participation are to come to class on time, actively engage in instruction, complete assignments, and put forth your best effort.
Attendance
Teachers will take attendance at the beginning of each day in SchoolMax, please refer to their class schedules. At the elementary level, attendance will only be taken at the start of each day. This is an update.
On days when students are unable to attend scheduled classes due to illness, parent work schedule, and child care; parents must communicate the reason for the student’s absence via email or ClassDojo to the student's classroom teacher. All work assigned during the student’s absence remains required for submission. Live recordings and student assignments will be made available to students via Google Classroom.
For Pre-K - third grade students who are unable to check in during live instruction, parents must ensure that the check in is completed before the next instructional day. If parents are unable to check in that day, please contact your child’s teacher via email or ClassDojo so assistance can be provided. For 4th and 5th, the expectation is students will be able to login independently and will be able to attend all live sessions.
During distance learning only, technical issues such as broken equipment or internet outages must be immediately communicated to the student’s teacher and designated school staff via email or ClassDojo so support can be provided as soon as possible. If a student is unable to attend class due to technical difficulties, they will be marked absent, but will have a code of technical difficulties so the absence will not count against the student.
A student will be counted as present on Wednesdays, in our SchoolMax system, if the student does one or more of the following:
○ Submit an assignment to one of their teachers;
○ Engage in synchronous instruction or tutoring with an PGCPS teacher;
○ Meet online with a PGCPS teacher or service provider; or
○ Complete work in our supplemental online education tools where applicable (i.e. DreamBox, i-Ready and iread.