Good News!!!

I applied for a Donors Choose grant to help fund the Math Literacy Library that I started in the media center! It was funded! I am so excited and with these additional books we can expand and continue to add more math picture books to the collection!
If you have an idea or plan and need funds, Donors Choose is a great way to make your dream a reality. Let me know if I can help you write up a proposal because I would be more than willing to help.
Rest, relax and enjoy your fall break!

K-2 Updates

DIBELS -

• If a student arrives "after" October 18th he or she cannot be considered for the BOY (beginning of the year). New students can be entered in the MOY (middle of year).
• Use mclasshome.com class summary reports to determine which students should be progress monitored
• If a student moves to green during progress monitoring, you're not required to continue progress monitoring (you may continue if you like). Remember, the purpose of this process is to make good instructional decisions.
• Please not below the correct way to record scores on the literacy folders: Example: 31/50 raw score/goal
• Ignore all divided boxes on the literacy folders.

Math Update

• Essential standards for K-12 math was approved by State Board of Education in September 2009. This will assist us with developing "future-ready" math students!
• Please let me know if you need assistance with the new math textbooks. I'm here to help!

Vocabulary Strategies - Presented by Rosie Turner

Looking for activities to enhance vocabulary instruction? These are some ideas that Rose Turner, WSFCS SIOP Coach, presented at the CC meeting.

1. Use It or Lose it!

• Introduce new vocabulary to students
• Have students create sentences for their neighbor using new vocabulary.
• Have neighbors share their sentences.

2. Trade-Trade-Chat

• The teacher creates cards that display words, illustrations of words, or statements or questions related to content concepts.
• Students receive one card each and stand.
• Teacher gives directions for the trading and chatting (while music plays) to begin. When music stops ask your partner the question on your card or discuss what the word means.
• Then just repeat until students have traded and chatted with other students.

3. Words Around the World

• Post words along with their meanings in different locations around the school.

4. Verbal Visual Word Association

• First divide paper into four equal sections.
• Write your word in the top left box and any root words, etc.
• Illustrate the word in the top right box
• Write synonyms or phrases in the bottom left box.
• Write background experience related to the word in the bottom right box.
• Create an action to represent the meaning of the word
• Share out!

Testing Updates

• CogAt - 2nd grade - November 4-6
• ITBS - 2nd grade - November 18-20

This Week......

Assessments
As we near the end of first quarter, it is time to assess. You should have your first quarter writing prompt. Please administer the prompt before October 28th and provide students with grade level appropriate paper. Also provide students with additional paper to plan their stories. Remember for Kindergarten suggested time not to exceed 30 minutes and for first and second grade students should receive 45 minutes to complete their stories. Teachers remember to exchange papers for scoring and use the state rubric. Please put the graded stories in the K-2 literacy folders, but no score is recorded on the folder this quarter.
First and Second grade teachers need to administer the first quarter math assessment as well before October 28th. Please let me know if you need help or have questions.
Don't forget to record the percentile on the class summary report for DIBELS on the back of the K-2 literacy folders along with running record, high frequency words and BPA information.
I would like to collect your literacy folders and look over them. Please turn them in to me by Tuesday, Nov. 10th. Thanks!

Planning Days
Your next planning day will be up and ready for registration by the end of this week. Kindergarten and first grade we will be examining your DIBELS data and doing writing training. Second grade we will examine DIBELS data, discuss common reading assessments and begin to create reading assessments.

Dates to Remember
Oct. 19 - Wiki Technology Workshop
Oct. 20- Staff Meeting
Oct. 21 - Smartboard Training -Part 2
Oct. 22 - Touch Math Workshop - Part 2
Oct. 23 - All Red DIBELS students screened
Oct. 26 - CogAT Test Training - 10:15
Nov. 4-6 - Second Grade - CogAT Testing
Nov. 6 - All Red & Yellow DIBELS students screened

This Week.....

Comprehension Skill: Summarizing
Marzano Skill: Reinforcing Effort

Please remember to send me an email or put a hard copy of your progress monitoring plan in my box. Mrs. Hartman and Mrs. Flynt will also be assisting with this process and helping you reassess some students. I will continue to share new resources with you to assist with progress monitoring. Please share anything you find with everyone as well. Remember you can post a comment and everyone can read it! This is a great easy way for us to share ideas and strategies with one another.

Check out this site for activities and strategies to teach reading fluency.

http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/teacher_resources/literacy_pages/fluency.htm

Reminders:
Oct. 13 - AR Refresher/Help Session
Oct. 14 & 21 - Smart board Training
Oct. 15 & 22 - Touch Math Workshop
Oct. 16 - First Grade Field Trip
Oct. 19 - Wiki Technology Workshop
Oct. 23 - Reassess High Risk (RED) students
Oct. 27 - Report Card Technology Workshop

New DIBELS Resources

I hope everyone has a plan for progress monitoring! Remember to find a time in your daily schedule for interventions. Some teachers are doing additional whole class lessons. Some are using their guided reading time to reteach and work on phonics skills. Find what works for you and your students. If you need help please let me know. I found a few more resources and I will continue to search and share what I find with you.

Kindergarten teachers here is a great site that would be great for a whole class activity on the smart board or at the computer center to help reinforce initial sound fluency. Check it out!

http://www.earobics.com/gamegoo/games/pawpark3/pawpark3.html

This Week.....

Comprehension skill: Sequencing

Marzano skill: Classifying
I am going to place a copy of some graphic organizers that may be helpful as you teach this weeks skills.

Don't forget to go ahead and get those interventions in place for your identified students because we will begin progress monitoring next week!

"To be great we must collaborate!"

I hope your PLC meeting are going well and we can continue to learn from one another.

Guided Reading

This is just a reminder that if you haven't already please begin to meet with small groups. Students must learn to apply decoding and comprehension skills using text on their instructional level. Remember guided reading is part of balanced literacy instruction!

Thanks to everyone for all the hard work you put into preparing for curriculum night!

I found this great blog provided by the virtual learning consultant for North Carolina Virtual Public Schools. It contains ideas and great information about incorporating technology into our school and classrooms. Check it out!

http://www.thevlc.org/