Back to School Night St. John’s Parish Day School September 18, 2013 St. John’s Parish Day School September 18, 2013

Our Educational Philosophy / All Students Can and Will Learn. / All Students learn differently and are ready to learn at various places. / Children learn best by “doing”. / School should be a fun, exciting, and safe place to be. / All Students Can and Will Learn. / All Students learn differently and are ready to learn at various places. / Children learn best by “doing”. / School should be a fun, exciting, and safe place to be.

Ms. McClung / Taught 2nd and 3rd grade in Loudoun County, Virginia, and Washington, DC. / Served as the Assistant Dean of Students at The Madeira School. / Returned to the classroom because I missed working with children. / Taught 2nd and 3rd grade in Loudoun County, Virginia, and Washington, DC. / Served as the Assistant Dean of Students at The Madeira School. / Returned to the classroom because I missed working with children.

Ms. Wolf Taught in public and independent schools for 14 years. Worked as a classroom teacher and reading specialist (K-2) in West New York, New Jersey Public Schools. Most recently taught 1 st grade at The University School in Davie, FL. Taught in public and independent schools for 14 years. Worked as a classroom teacher and reading specialist (K-2) in West New York, New Jersey Public Schools. Most recently taught 1 st grade at The University School in Davie, FL.

Curriculum Overview: Reading / Literature Based Program: Houghton Mifflin Series and leveled novels. / Guided Reading Groups: Students are grouped by reading level or to work on a specific reading skill. / Whole Class Reading Instruction for specific/foundational skills: story elements, character study, making inferences, main idea / Students will build their fluency, strengthen decoding skills, and increase their comprehension. / Literature Based Program: Houghton Mifflin Series and leveled novels. / Guided Reading Groups: Students are grouped by reading level or to work on a specific reading skill. / Whole Class Reading Instruction for specific/foundational skills: story elements, character study, making inferences, main idea / Students will build their fluency, strengthen decoding skills, and increase their comprehension.

Curriculum Overview: Writing / Writing process is modeled and practiced by students. / Students will write a focused, logical, five sentence paragraph. / Grammar skills will be taught on a weekly basis. / Students will write in a variety of ways: narratives, friendly letters, poetry, nonfiction, etc. / Writing process is modeled and practiced by students. / Students will write a focused, logical, five sentence paragraph. / Grammar skills will be taught on a weekly basis. / Students will write in a variety of ways: narratives, friendly letters, poetry, nonfiction, etc.

Curriculum Overview: Spelling / Words Their Way/Word Study Program. / The program is based on students’ existing knowledge of words and their features (short/long vowel combinations, consonant blends, syllable junctures). / Goal is to understand the features, know the sounds, and its correct usage-not just to memorize words. / Students will be flexibly grouped based on their developmental level based on the Beginning of the Year and Mid-Year Spelling Inventory. / Words Their Way/Word Study Program. / The program is based on students’ existing knowledge of words and their features (short/long vowel combinations, consonant blends, syllable junctures). / Goal is to understand the features, know the sounds, and its correct usage-not just to memorize words. / Students will be flexibly grouped based on their developmental level based on the Beginning of the Year and Mid-Year Spelling Inventory.

Curriculum Overview: Math / Houghton Mifflin Expressions Curriculum. / Students will be broken into two different math classes based on Beginning of the Year Pretest. / Differentiated Instruction & Small Groups to meet the needs of all students. / Homework is to be completed on a daily basis. / Houghton Mifflin Expressions Curriculum. / Students will be broken into two different math classes based on Beginning of the Year Pretest. / Differentiated Instruction & Small Groups to meet the needs of all students. / Homework is to be completed on a daily basis.

Social Studies Units / Maps, Geography, Habitats / Native Americans / Scrapbooks will be completed in class. / NA regalia will be created at home. / Famous Americans / Written reports and ‘replicas’ will be completed in class. / Alaska / China / Maps, Geography, Habitats / Native Americans / Scrapbooks will be completed in class. / NA regalia will be created at home. / Famous Americans / Written reports and ‘replicas’ will be completed in class. / Alaska / China

Responsive Classroom / The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum. / How children learn is as important as what they learn: Process and content go hand in hand. / The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction. / To be successful academically and socially, children need a set of social skills: cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control. / Knowing the children we teach-individually, culturally, and developmentally-is as important as knowing the content we teach. / Knowing the families of the children we teach and working with them as partners is essential to every child’s education. / The social curriculum is as important as the academic curriculum. / How children learn is as important as what they learn: Process and content go hand in hand. / The greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interaction. / To be successful academically and socially, children need a set of social skills: cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control. / Knowing the children we teach-individually, culturally, and developmentally-is as important as knowing the content we teach. / Knowing the families of the children we teach and working with them as partners is essential to every child’s education.

Responsive Classroom: Classroom Practices / Morning Meeting - gathering as a whole class each morning to greet one another, share news, and warm up for the day ahead  o Greeting  o Activity  o Interactive Chart  o Share / Rule Creation - helping students create classroom rules to ensure an environment that allows all class members to meet their learning goals. / Our class rules is a ‘living and breathing’ document. / Morning Meeting - gathering as a whole class each morning to greet one another, share news, and warm up for the day ahead  o Greeting  o Activity  o Interactive Chart  o Share / Rule Creation - helping students create classroom rules to ensure an environment that allows all class members to meet their learning goals. / Our class rules is a ‘living and breathing’ document.

Responsive Classroom: Practices / Interactive Modeling - Teaching children to notice and internalize expected behaviors through a unique modeling technique. / Positive Teacher Language - Using words and tone as a tool to promote children's active learning, sense of community, and self- discipline. Focus on the child’s behavior: nonjudgmental. / Logical Consequences - Responding to misbehavior in a way that allows children to fix and learn from their mistakes while preserving their dignity. / Interactive Modeling - Teaching children to notice and internalize expected behaviors through a unique modeling technique. / Positive Teacher Language - Using words and tone as a tool to promote children's active learning, sense of community, and self- discipline. Focus on the child’s behavior: nonjudgmental. / Logical Consequences - Responding to misbehavior in a way that allows children to fix and learn from their mistakes while preserving their dignity.

Responsive Classroom / Students should feel: / school is fun / they are significant / they have a sense of belonging of this classroom community. / Students should feel: / school is fun / they are significant / they have a sense of belonging of this classroom community.

Homework / Homework will be assigned on a daily basis. / Math homework will likely be a Houghton Mifflin sheet (transported in HW folder). / Word Study HW should be completed in the Word Study Journal. / Grammar HW will be given once a week. / Homework will be assigned on a daily basis. / Math homework will likely be a Houghton Mifflin sheet (transported in HW folder). / Word Study HW should be completed in the Word Study Journal. / Grammar HW will be given once a week.

Homework / Students should read minutes nightly-part of this reading should be aloud. / All HW should be brought to and from school on a daily basis. / Using the ‘Homework/Take Home Folder’ / Students should read minutes nightly-part of this reading should be aloud. / All HW should be brought to and from school on a daily basis. / Using the ‘Homework/Take Home Folder’

Field Trips & Class Parties / Field Trips: / Native American Museum (fall) / BSO Trip (winter) / Benjamin Banneker Museum (spring) / Field Trips: / Native American Museum (fall) / BSO Trip (winter) / Benjamin Banneker Museum (spring) / Parties: / Halloween / Christmas / Valentine’s Day

Birthdays / All snacks must be “nut-free”. / We have 11/12 students in the class. / Birthdays are celebrated in Chapel on Thursdays. / Parents are welcome to attend and sit with their child in Chapel. / Please me to set up a birthday snack date (a few days prior). / All snacks must be “nut-free”. / We have 11/12 students in the class. / Birthdays are celebrated in Chapel on Thursdays. / Parents are welcome to attend and sit with their child in Chapel. / Please me to set up a birthday snack date (a few days prior).

Lunch and Snack / Students will go to Recess/Lunch from 12:00-1:00. / Students will have snack and our walk at 10:00. / Please send a healthy snack that students will be able to walk and eat. / If there is bad weather, we will take a morning break in class to have snack and ‘re-charge’. / Students will go to Recess/Lunch from 12:00-1:00. / Students will have snack and our walk at 10:00. / Please send a healthy snack that students will be able to walk and eat. / If there is bad weather, we will take a morning break in class to have snack and ‘re-charge’.