This Year's Overview

Dear Parents and Guardians,   

            Good Morning. I have highlighted our year in this letter.   It gives you a glimpse into our classroom and the expectations of you and your child. Parent participation is important to this year's success. I look forward to a strong home and school connection. Homework is extremely important.  It is an independent review and practice of the day’s lessons, as well as an important assessment tool.  It is the parents responsibility to check homework nightly and sign the student planner. 

            Students are being assessed formatively and summatively throughout each unit of study. Formative assessments are done during a lesson to check understanding.  Your children will self-assess and ask questions for clarification.  There will be peer and teacher assessments that generate feedback to further understanding and learning. Each student will set personal goals in each subject area based on the formative and summative  assessment outcomes. Rubrics are a great tool to help students know what they need to accomplish in a unit of study to meet the Common Core Learning Standards. We will be starting to do Fontas and Pinell Reading Running Records to make sure they are reading on their “Just Right” level. We will be taking our first math test soon and I have been impressed with their efforts and knowledge. The Science and Social Studies curriculum has the students excited and eager.  In addition, we are looking forward to educational trips to enrich our curriculum.  We will need at least three chaperones for each trip we take.  I know it is tough to fit these trips into busy schedules of work, younger children, and appointments, but it is important.  It is something your child will always remember. I will let you know about trips as soon as possible.      

            Throughout the year, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns.  I will get try to get back to you in a timely manner.  I will also be contacting you with any praise or concerns I may have.  Since this connection is so important towards the success of this year I have outlined some of the curriculum responsibilities of your child. 

Report Card Distribution:  November, March, June

 State Tests (see important dates in an above link)

• ELA NYS Test: April 2-4 window
• Math NYS Test: May 1-3 window 
• Science NYS Test: End of May window for Performance based testing and June 3rd (written)
• And there will be periodic city assessments 

Class Assessments

Formative and Summative assessments will be done during and at the completion of a specific topic/chapter. 

• On the Spot Assessments
• Discussions (Class, Small Group, and Partnerships)
• Tasks
• Projects
• Presentations (Oral)
• Published Works ( multimedia or written)

Reading

We will be using the New York City approved reading system, ReadyGen and components of Reader's Workshop.

Student responsibilities will be:

·      At least 25 books read with proof in their Reader's Notebook and Log  (Our class goal is 40 books per student)

·      Reading at least a 1/2-hour each and every night 

·      Working on their reading responsibilities nightly  (Post-its, Responses, etc.)

·      Talk to you about what they are doing in class (ask about the mini-lesson for the day)

Learning to:

·      work at reading independently, in pairs, or within a group

·      discuss and debate while being respectful to their peers

·      look at writing as readers and writers

·      question the text and the authors intent

·      Analyze, evaluate, and make connections with evidence to backup their thought process

 Speaking and Listening

·      While all of these show how your child functions within our classroom society, it also allows for their strengths as an individual to shine through

·      Listening and Viewing is graded on a students behavior in and out of the classroom. Examples of this is during peer presentations, cooperative learning, in the auditorium,  the lunch room, and outside (recess, drills, and projects, and on trips)

Writing

·      We will be keeping a Writing Notebook and following the Writer's Workshop Model

·      At least one published piece of work will be completed in each unit, in addition to On Demand Writing Pre and Post Writing

·      Even though you may not see these pieces until they are done, ask about them

·      The students’ writing will show growth throughout the year, let them make mistakes that we can grow from

·      Rubrics will be made for published pieces and shared at the beginning of the unit

There are four types of writing we will be focusing on : 1) Reading Responses/Interpretive Essays  2) Narrative pieces 3) Opinion/ Persuasive pieces 4) Informative pieces

Math

Go Math - studies are by topic to lead to more in-depth exploration. NYC has laid out the order we study the topics in and the length of time. The program allows for all levels of exploration and learning. We will also be compacting and engaging in the SMG

Social Studies 

·      At least one project or test will be assigned for each unit ( New York Geography, NY Native American Studies, NY Exploration, etc)

·      There is a library of trade books that goes with each unit. Books are provided for support only and will not have all the information being covered in class.

Science- New Science Standards and Curriculumn