W ELCOME TO B ACK TO S CHOOL N IGHT ! A UGUST 4, 2011 Ms. Shin Mrs. Smith Room 7/8

Q UESTION C ARDS Name Child’s name Telephone Question Put in basket

G OALS AND O BJECTIVES Create a safe environment for learning Joint communication with home and school Encourage responsible, independent behavior Meet academic and social needs through individual, cooperative group, and whole group experiences

WHAT IS THE COLLABORATIVE MODEL? Collaborative, co-taught model in which special needs students are mainstreamed with typical peers Students are taught their grade level curriculum General education and special education teacher share teaching responsibilities using various arrangements and group sizes, so each student’s educational potential is realized Accommodations provided based on individual need

S TRUCTURE OF OUR PROGRAM Students split into two heterogeneous groups (yellow group and green group) Mirror teaching Allows for smaller group instruction—all students benefit Varying levels of support provided within each group Switch groups every two weeks to ensure that both teachers are able to work with all of the students

B ENEFITS OF A COLLABORATIVE MODEL Smaller student to teacher ratio Increased student interaction More individualized instruction and attention for students Microcosm of the real world Develop empathetic skills and respect for differences Learn about tolerance and understanding Students see firsthand that everyone has their own unique strengths

C LASSROOM M ANAGEMENT Classroom Constitution Rewards Whole group: marbles (class party) Small group: table points (treasure box) Individual: Clips (Class Savings for Business Day)

M ATHEMATICS Math Expressions - Houghton Mifflin Publisher Website for parent information Homework helper

L ANGUAGE A RTS Houghton Mifflin Reading Series Continuing RTI Students are grouped according to their ability and learning needs Writing Paragraph Descriptive and Narrative Traits – Ideas, Word Choice, Conventions, Voice, Sentence Fluency, and Organization

H OMEWORK Daily Homework Physical Activity Reminder Binders Math Workbooks Math Logs

R ESEARCH ON H OMEWORK Homework should be done independently with appropriate assistance from parents or peers unless directed otherwise by teacher Should empower children to become independent learners Homework is corrected the following day and used as one measure of assessing understanding, so it is important for students to complete as independently as possible IUSD committee

H OW PARENTS CAN SUPPORT HOMEWORK Establish a time and place that enables your child to focus solely on homework Communicate concerns directly to the teacher in a positive, proactive way Provide support, but don’t do the work Assist with time management Discuss with your child how to limit the use of social networking sites, games, and other distractions during homework time

M ATH & R EADING L OGS Math Log Example Fluency Addition/subtraction Multiplication/division

APAAS Alternative Program for Academically Accelerated Students Please review guidelines on under Parent Resources => Gifted and Talented Educationwww.iusd.org District office is very strict on all deadlines, so it is important to review the information and keep the dates Teachers are informed by the district who is eligible for APAAS

I MPORTANCE OF SLEEP Young children require 10 hours Research shows that children’s brains are still developing until age 21 Much of the work done is during sleep Loss of one hour of sleep is equivalent to the loss of two years of cognitive maturation and development Every study done shows a correlation between sleep and school grades

P LANETARIUM FIELD TRIP

R EMINDERS Conference sign-ups Free and Reduced Lunch Applications for everyone (available on school website) See office for questions PTA Volunteer Form Donations to Activity Fund Healthy Snacks Birthdays Allergies

P ARENT V OLUNTEERS Sign-ups Field Day Jog-a-thon Cameras Special Projects Parent volunteer forms and guidelines Room parent

T HANK YOU ! Parent support Teamwork Building independence Looking forward to a great year!