Newsletter for January 16, 2015

What We Learned This Week

Word Study

We learned rules for making singular nouns plural. Most one syllable nouns can simply add -s to make them plural (e.g., book to books). If the noun adds a syllable when we say it, we need to add -es (e.g., box to boxes). Most nouns ending in -f or -fe replace the ending with -ves (e.g., life to lives). Nouns ending in -y are a little tricky. Nouns ending in a vowel-y (Vy) simply add an s (e.g., key to keys). However, nouns ending in a consonant-y (Cy) replace the ending with -ies (e.g., baby to babies). Of course, there are many exceptions (e.g., chief to chiefs does not follow the -ves generalization) and there are many unique plural nouns that don't follow any generalization (e.g., man to men, mouse to mice, etc.).

We also studied four vocabulary words: hubbub, ancestor, prompt, and quarrel. These assessments will come home next week.

Reading Workshop

We reviewed comparing and contrasting and I conducted full length Developmental Reading Assessments (DRA) on all students. I will share this information in your student's progress report.

We are continuing our read-aloud, Fablehaven, by Brandon Mull.

Writing

Students composed personal narratives, which they revised and edited. I have them use green pens to revise (improve their writing by adding details, clarifying, using more specific vocabulary, showing not telling (creating a mental picture), and creating a mental picture using all five senses). Green pen distinguishes their revising from their draft and provides evidence of changes. Likewise, students use red pens to provide evidence of their editing (indenting, capitals, punctuation and spelling).

Students ended the week composing persuasive essays on whether or not we should have a class pet.

I will send all of these essays home once I have finished assessing them.

Math Workshop

We reviewed the first and second quarter math concepts of numbers in base ten and operations and algebraic equations and assessed these skills. I administered the assessment on Thursday, marked problems that were wrong and returned the tests to students to correct any errors. I have found this is very helpful in providing an accurate assessment of students' current ability and understanding as they are able to correct careless operational errors that might otherwise suggest they do not understand the larger concept. Too, it reinforces the importance of checking work. I will send these assessments home as soon as they are graded as well.

Students who did not earn 32 or more out of 36 on their fact fluency assessments must practice them at home. I have gone over strategies for addition (zero more, one more, two more, doubles, near doubles, sums to ten, and 7's 8's and 9's also known as make tens). I explicitly link subtraction to addition, rather than memorizing a separate set of operations. I have done the same with multiplication, emphasizing the vocabulary of basic facts as "groups of" (ones, doubles, fives, nines, tens, square products). We then look at how we can "be the boss of the numbers" by redistributing more challenging problems (e.g., 7 x 8 = (7 x 5) + (7 x 3). Finally, we explicitly connect division to multiplication strategies. Students who have not mastered their facts will need to learn them in order to be successful with multi-step problems and higher order concepts, primarily fractions, which we will start next week. They can use flashcards or empty grids, whatever works at this point. Reinforcing strategies is helpful, but finger counting is no longer an efficient strategy.

Science

As a culminating assessment, students worked in groups to demonstrate their understanding of states of matter by using solids and liquids to make a gas.

Students planned, making labeled diagrams after choosing from a long list of possible materials they've had experience with during previous experiments. 

Testing Information - PARCC Trial Run

Students in grades three and six will be taking the new state assessments online this year.  In order to ensure our students and our technological infrastructures are prepared for the new assessments, we will conduct a trial run on Thursday, January 22.  

During the trial, students will log into the new system and participate in a 30-minute mock assessment.  The entire session will take about 45 minutes for each group of students.  This will allow our students to become familiar with the format of the test and the computer-based tools available to them.  It will also help our staff become comfortable with their roles during the testing window and ensure our devices and network can properly run the testing programs.

Again, the January 22 trial will be a mock assessment.  It will not be used to record any academic or performance data for students.  It is simply a risk-free opportunity to ensure we are all prepared for the official state testing window beginning February 17.  Teachers and students will receive more information from each building’s test coordinator over the next week. If you have any further questions regarding this trial, please contact your child’s principal.

Important Dates and Reminders

Mrs. Geistfeld joined us this week to work on our art project for our upcoming fundraiser. It turned out lovely.

Updates and changes are posted in red.

See Kids Dream
Windermere fifth grader Max Gillum is working to raise $5000 dollars to benefit a local charity- he is on the front page of this week's suburban news!  He is working with a group called See Kids Dream.  Max is organizing a district wide dodgeball tournament for the elementary schools that is going to be held in February at Jones.  He is going to have k-1st teams, 2nd-3rd teams and 4th-5th teams.  Max is going to make flyers to go home to students.  There is even going to be a teacher team- it will be fun!  Max has already raised $2,250 so he is almost halfway to his goal of $5,000.  The flyers will be coming soon.  Here is the link if you want to read the article on Max: See Kids Dream

Background Checks 
Please click on this link to learn more about required school volunteer background checks:
www.uaschools.org/volunteer

Valentine's Day
Click on the following link to sign up for Ohio Wildlife Center supply donations: OWC Donations

Important 2nd Quarter Dates & Reminders

January 19, 2015 - No School Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
January 20, 2015 - No school, teacher grading day

Important 3rd Quarter Dates & Reminders

January 22, 2015 - PARCC Trial Run (See above.)
January 27, 2015 - Progress Reports sent home
January 29, 2015 - Early Dismissal/Conferences at 11am

February 2 through 13, 2015 - Ohio Wildlife Center donation drive

February 3, 2015 - State of the School event. From Superintendent, Paul Imhoff, 

Please join Upper Arlington Schools for the first annual State of the Schools event on Tuesday, February 3 from 6 until 7:30 p.m. at Upper Arlington High School, 1650 Ridgeview Road.

Upper Arlington is an exceptional community with residents who understand the value of a world-class education.  As educators, our staff feels privileged to work with wonderful students in such a supportive environment. The State of the Schools event gives us the opportunity to share the progress made on our commitments to the community as well as our vision for the future of education in Upper Arlington.  Students and staff from our schools are excited to share musical performances as well as the projects and initiatives that prepare Upper Arlington’s children to serve, lead and succeed.

February 4, 2015 - Early Dismissal/Teacher Development at 1pm
February 9 through 13, 2015 - Collection days for Box Tops for Education
February 13, 2014 - Ohio Wildlife Center visits: OWC Donations
February 16, 2015 - No School Presidents' Day
February 17 & 18, 2015 - Math PARCC
February 23, 2015 - English Language Arts State PBA
February 23, 2015 - AASCD

March 9 through 13, 2015 - PTO Book Sale
March 17, 2015 - 3rd Grade Musical
March 20 through 27, 2015 - No School Spring Break

April 2, 2015 - End of third quarter
April 3, 2015 - No School
April 6, 2015 - No School, teacher grading day

Important 4th Quarter Dates & Reminders

April 8, 2015 - Early Dismissal/Teacher Development at 1pm
April 9, 2015 - Spring Picture Day
April 13 through May 22, 2015 - District Writing Diagnostic Testing
April 14, 2015 - Progress Reports sent home
April 21 through 22, 2015 - English Language Arts State EOY
April 22, 2015 - Ohio Reading Achievement Assessment
April 24, 2015 - Kid Fest
April 28 through 29, 2015 - Math State EOY

May 1 through 29, 2015 - STAR Reading and Math Diagnostic Testing
May 9, 2015 - Wish Run
May 25, 2015 - No School Memorial Day

June 1, 2015 - Field Day
June 3, 2015 - End of fourth quarter/Last day for students, Classroom parties 12:05 till 1:05pm

June 9, 2015 - Progress Reports sent home