South Row School Curriculum Night September 2014

Tonight’s Schedule / Purpose PURPOSE: Understand the curriculum for your child’s grade level and the organization of their classroom. Tonight is a general curriculum meeting, it is not a night to conference with teachers. SCHEDULE: 5 – 5:25 Principal Presentation 5:30 – 6:15 K,1&2 Presentation 6:15 – 7:00 – Support Staff / Specialists available in classrooms 7 – 7:25 Principal Presentation 7:30 – 8:15 3&4 Presentation

Our Staff Secretary / Clerk / Nurse Classroom teachers Reading Specialists Speech, OT, Psychologist, Guidance Specialists – Art, Music, PE, Comp & Library Special Education Staff – ECC / LC / RR (2) Coaches IPSPs - - Paraprofessionals PSPs - - Aides Porters (Custodians) Café Staff ***Principal Designee – Deb Dubray

Building upgrades this summer Painting of offices, library, second lab, café, hallways Landscaping Classroom sinks upgraded General cleaning, waxing, etc Five classrooms received mounted overhead LCD projectors (Thank you PTO!) Café will receive mounted overhead LCD projector (Thank you PTO!!)

Calling in absences PLEASE CALL INTO THE OFFICE IF YOUR CHILD IS GOING TO BE ABSENT (978) X6 We will call you beginning at 9:30am if we do not have a call from you. I am looking into an address to report absences

Curriculum Overview Reading – Journeys / Guided Reading Writing – Writer’s Workshop / 6 Traits Math – Math Expressions Science – Foss Kits / Common Core Standards Social Studies – Common Core Standards Handwriting – Writing without Tears Spelling – Words Their Way Instructional Blocks Common Core State Standards

How YOU can support the curriculum? ATTENDANCE / On time to school. Check over your child’s homework. Read with your child daily. Skip counting, flash cards, games, and find math in daily living. (Money, clocks, measurement, etc.) Discuss family history, town history, and what makes a community. Daily Science– weather, nature, the stars, animals, etc. Have your child active daily. Promote healthy eating habits. Discuss what your child is learning in art, music, library, computers and physical education.

What if my child is struggling? What if my child needs a challenge? Daily differentiation to meet the needs of all students Small group instruction daily Universal Screening Measures / Progress Monitoring Individual Goal Time – Daily 30 minutes Reading Specialists Speech & Language, Learning Center, Resource Room, Early Childhood Center, OT, ELL School Counselor / School Psychologist Caring / Knowledgeable / Professional Staff Student Study Team / Response to Intervention

Social Competency Second Step Problem Solving, Understanding feelings / emotions Lion Pride P – Perseverance R – Respect I – Integrity D – Dedication E - Empathy Expected Behaviors – School Wide

Common Core overview Thinking skills Deeper into skills / Less coverage Career and college ready MA ADAPTED the Common Core to be: Massachusetts Common Core State Standards PARCC – next year / MCAS this year gr 3&4 Quick video…

Common Core ELA In classrooms, you will hear more about specific standards per grade level. But the major shifts from the MA standards to the MA Common Core State Standards: Reading Close Reading focus – Going back to the text Non fiction focus – Not just fiction texts Writing 3 Genres (4) – Narrative (Fictional), Opinion, Informative 6 Traits – Ideas, Organization, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, Voice, Conventions

Common Core Mathematical thinking

Common Core Websites core.pdf core.pdf Video -

SCHOOL-HOME COMMUNICATION Home Link –Weekly (through Ed Connect) Website – Changes Monthly Resource Guide – School Level Handbook – District Level **Please review appropriate sections

Home-School Communication Communicate with US. Keep your phone numbers / current on X2 and call us when you have questions or concerns. Let us know if there is something going on at home that could affect school.

How you can get involved. PTO – Volunteer to run an event Volunteer at an event Come to meetings Think about your own skill set and what you can offer (even from home). DIRECTORY – Link sent today for the family directory. Please fill it out by Saturday September 20 th. Ice Cream Social 4 th Grade Activities

PLEASE…… Get involved at South Row. Get excited about your child’s educational career and all the opportunities they have ahead of them. Check in at the office whenever you come to the school. Support your child(ren)’s teacher and the school. Ask questions / Contact me. My

On the back table MAPS How to access teachers’ X2 pages (specialist too) Specialist Info Adult Bathrooms are around the corner

THANK YOU! Go Lions!