1. How can YOUR child achieve GOLD this school year? Curriculum Night 2012 Thursday, September 20 th 6:05-6:45 and 6:50-7:30

2. Our Daily Schedule:

3. One way to achieve GOLD: Follow PBIS! S afe M aking good choices A ccepting responsibility R especting myself and others T rying my best

4. How else can your child can achieve his/her gold medal goal? Completing Homework assignments Applying Problem solving strategies Reading chapter books and nonfiction Arriving to class prepared Taking Responsibility

5. Background: Common Core & Essential Standards  For the past 25 years, WSFCS curriculum has been The North Carolina Standard Course of Study.  Starting this school year (2012-2013) the curriculum will be The Common Core Standards, which will cover English Language Arts, Math and Literacy. North Carolina has chosen its own curriculum in all other subjects so there are Essential Standards in Social Studies, Science, etc.  A major step was taken in setting clear, consistent academic expectations for our students by adopting the Common Core State Standards.  Common Core Standards are a first step to leveling the playing field to allow equal access to an excellent education for all children.

6. Why Common Core? To provide a more rigorous curriculum (fewer goals & objectives) Aligned with college and work expectations The standards provide clear, consistent expectations for what students should be learning at each grade in order to be prepared for college and career. To provide a deeper understanding of content -Students will be expected to apply and use the knowledge they acquire. Each year builds on the next so that by high school, young people are prepared for college or to enter the workplace. To standardize curriculum across the country.

7. How Common Core Standards are Different… New standards are fewer and clearer, allowing teachers to move students to a much higher level of understanding of the material being taught. Provides more emphasis on the use of knowledge Less worksheets and more showing Greater focus on real-world application More open-ended questions Problem solving that requires students to evaluate and determine best answers & solutions.

8. New State Testing Aligned to New Standards NC will continue to assess students annually  In Reading and Math for 3-8  In Science for 5 th and 8 th More electronic tests All subjects will have an end-of-quarter OR end-of-grade assessment Test format will include multiple-choice, short answer, and performance tasks Demo of New Assessments http://go.ncsu.edu/nctdemo

9. English Language Arts or ELA The study of Language Arts includes reading, writing, speaking and listening. 6 Shifts in ELA/Literacy Read as much non fiction as fiction Learn about the world by reading Read more challenging material closely Discuss reading using evidence Write non-fiction using evidence Increase academic vocabulary

10. Math The Math Standards emphasize that every student can be good in math, setting good math habits and strategies as top priorities for all students. Students should be able to: -Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them. -Reason abstractly and quantitatively. -Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. -Model with mathematics. -Use appropriate tools strategically. -Attend to precision. -Look for and make use of structure. -Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

11. Major Work of the Grade in Math Fourth Grade Major ClustersSupporting/Additional Clusters Operations and Algebraic Thinking  Use the four operations with whole numbers to solve problems. Number and Operations in Base Ten  Generalize place value understanding for multi-digit whole numbers.  Use place value understanding and properties of operations to perform multi-digit arithmetic. Number and Operations — Fractions  Extend understanding of fraction equivalence and ordering.  Build fractions from unit fractions by applying and extending previous understandings of operations on whole numbers.  Understand decimal notation for fractions, and compare decimal fractions. Operations and Algebraic Thinking  Gain familiarity with factors and multiples.  Generate and analyze patterns. Measurement and Data  Solve problems involving measurement and conversion of measurements from a larger unit to a smaller unit.  Represent and interpret data.  Geometric measurement: understand concepts of angle and measure angles. Geometry  Draw and identify lines and angles, and classify shapes by properties of their lines and angles.

12. Science Essential Standards for 1 st & 2 nd Quarter: *Animal Adaptation *Ecosystems *Food and Nutrition *Phases of the moon *Fossils Essential Standards for 3 rd and 4 th Quarter: *Rocks and Minerals *Forces and Motion *Magnetism *Light Reflection *Electricity

13. Social Studies Native Americans Revolution Civil War North Carolina History North Carolina Symbols North Carolina Geography Economics Government Financial Literacy

14. How Can YOU Help? 1. Talk with your child's teacher. The standards define how students should progress in their knowledge and skills as they move through each grade level. Read the standards and use them to guide conversations with your child’s teacher about their mastery of content and critical skills. Get started today by downloading the Common Core Standards (http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/common- core/) and The NC Essential Standards (http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/new-standards/) for your child's grade.http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/common- core/http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/new-standards/ 2. Prepare to see more complex reading assignments. Parents will notice that reading assignments under the new standards will become more challenging. Students will be expected to read and learn from more complex text. When reading, ask your child "why" and "how" questions to spark their critical thinking and comprehension. For reading ideas, download Appendix B (http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_B.pdf) at the Common Core website.http://www.corestandards.org/assets/Appendix_B.pdf

15. How Can YOU Help? (Cont’d) 3. Watch for testing changes throughout the year. To make sure every child is on track to meet the new requirements, teachers will begin to use more formative assessments and benchmark tests. Feedback will be immediate and will help teachers know when they need to change instruction to suit your child's growth and needs. Parents will continue to see end-of-grade and end-of-course tests; however, the way these tests are delivered and how they are constructed will change over time as the state moves towards online testing and incorporates the new standards. 4. Encourage your child to become a better problem solver. The new standards include both content and practice standards. The content standards are focused on what students are responsible for learning. The practice standards explain how students engage in the content to solve problems. Some concepts are introduced earlier and some have been eliminated to allow students to explore at deeper levels. Students should be encouraged to use multiple methods to solve problems. When working with your child, ask him/her to explain the process used to solve problems. The use of short-cuts or tricks should be limited to allow students to reason about the mathematics. To support mathematical understanding, students will be expected to explain concepts they are learning in their own words.

16. Available Online Resources Common Core Standards http://www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards/common-core/ PTA Brochure for Parents http://www.pta.org/4996.htm K-12 Standards in Science www.ncpublicschools.org/acre/standards North Carolina DPI- “READY” http://www.dpi.state.nc.us/ready/

17. Classroom Rules & Procedures

18. How can we stick to our gold medal goals? Spelling: Each word used in a meaningful sentence for HW. Due on Friday each week Reading: 20-30 minutes to achieve a chapter book and nonfiction each month Math: Nightly review of topics covered

19. How will we know if we’ve met our gold medal goals? Grades Online grade book (parent assist) Report card Daily/weekly/quarterly/yearly assessments, etc.

20. Supporting our Students “Ways Parents can Help at Home” (document) There are TONS of resources at the Curriculum Coordinator’s blog: http://bananapeele.blogspot.com – On the right under “Rockin’ Resources” http://bananapeele.blogspot.com Feel free to email with any questions or concerns

21. Let’s Work Towards Gold All Year Long! Each child is special to us at Moore school. We will continue to support and encourage each student on their “run” to success this year!