Curriculum Updates

After a busy two weeks, it's some for some updates from the wonderful world of curriculum!!

*Toni Bigham*

• General Information
• We learned from Ms. Bigham that the district is trying to move to an electronic report card.  They are wanting to create a K-2 committee and a 3-5 committee comprised of teachers, parents, people from EC, the Arts, etc.  If you are interested in volunteering send me an email and I'll pass on your information.
• As a district, we are slipping in math!!  We've been putting so much emphasis on literacy, we've been letting math fall by the wayside a little bit.  EVERY teacher should be using math indicators.  Thoughtful planning MUST occur.  Concepts must be re-taught AND discussed in PLC's.  We HAVE to start using Common Formative Assessments (CFA's) as a central part of PLC conversations.  Essential Questions (EQ's) are SO important... should be posted, discussed, referred to, and closed with (discussed more later).

*Deborah Hartman*

• Formative Assessment
• There are so many types of assessments, but we have got to start focusing more on formative assessment.  All Curriculum Coordinators are currently going through the online NCFalcon Formative Assessment modules.
• Formative Assessment means actively, continuously assessing your students not just weekly, but daily, to ensure that concepts are being understood.  If we wait until the end of a math unit to test students, and a student fails, it's too late!
• Assessment is part of the Teacher Evaluation Tool (Standards I and IV).
• CFA's - Help us compare our teaching with each other.  We can all think we're great in our heads, but we don't really know without CFA's.  They are designed to be used to change instruction, to make us better!
• After Quarter Testing, teachers should NOT be going over every single problem or every single passage.  That's punishing the kids with the test!  Use the data (which is a sampling of the curriculum) to inform your instruction... pinpoint the students who struggle with particular objectives.

*Kim Wesley & Deborah Gaither*

• Math Updates
• Again, we need to pick it up in math.  Indicators and Week-by-Week Essentials are our STRONGEST math tools.  Every single teacher should be using them!
• Essential Questions are one of the easiest ways to tweak instruction NOW.  Posting an objective or a topic is not enough... We should be posting QUESTIONS that our math lessons revolve around.  These questions should increase rigor and higher order thinking for students.  We should use them to open up a math lesson, we should refer to them during the math lesson, and we should wrap up our math lesson with our EQ's.  60% of what teachers say during math instruction are questions, and are not planned.
• We received a GREAT resource called "Good Questions for Math Teaching."  If you are interested in borrowing it, first come first served!

*Benika Thompson*

• Science Updates
• Discussed the District Science Fair, which is tomorrow! (Go Ava!!)
• STC Kits - refurbishment requests will be sent out in April.
• Teachers must stop doing science in isolation!!
• Do you preview vocabulary?  It's one of the only ways students can be successful in learning new concepts.

*Janie Costello*

• DIBELS Updates
• Students who achieve benchmark (green) have a higher probability of becoming successful readers.
• However, green does not necessarily mean students are safe!  Green is only the 50th percentile, so students at the cusp of green need to be watched carefully.  Remember, you can Progress Monitor whoever you'd like!
• Students who are poor readers at the end of first grade are not likely to ever catch up.
• We analyzed district data for MOY versus BOY... We're keeping green kids green, but we're also keeping red kids red

*Patti Grant*

• Social Studies Updates
• The district is looking at doing more combining of Social Studies and Science next year.  They realize the day is so stuffed, but we cannot skimp on these subjects!!
• One of the main concepts they want kids to know is the Five Themes of Geography:
• Place
• Movement
• Human-Environment Interaction
• Region
• Location

And that's all for today!!!  Have a wonderful week!

Don't Forget!

-February 22nd - WSFCS Science Fair at SciWorks

-Feburary 28th - March 4th - Read Across America Week!

-February 28th - Milkshake Chugging Contest... Wooten vs. Dixson vs. Peele (6:00pm at Chick-Fil-A)

-March 2nd - Dr. Seuss' Birthday!

-March 3rd - Multicultural Night

-March 17th - March Madness Dads' Basketball Game

Early Spring? Or Long Winter?

Yesterday, Punxsutawney Phil braved the cold to let us know whether to expect an early spring or a longer winter.  He didn't see his shadow, which means bye bye cold weather!  But wait...

Greensboro's "Woody the Groundhog" DID see his shadow, meaning six more weeks of winter.  But...

Lexington's "Lil' Bit the Hog" did NOT see his shadow, agreeing with Punxsutawney Phil that spring is just around the corner.

So what will it be?!  Capri pants and sandals or scarves and mittens?

All of this confusion got me thinking... Why do we so often worry about the things we cannot control?  Like the weather... Or if our team is going to win the Super Bowl.

Why don't we focus on the things we CAN control - like our reactions to present circumstances, our attitudes toward our lives and toward each other.  We can only play with the hand we are dealt, and we don't usually get to choose our cards ourselves.

So let's try to stay focused on the things in life we can control... I'll either be appreciating the crisp, cold air and the fire in the fireplace or embracing the warm sunshine and putting away my coats.

In the meantime... Bring it on, Mother Nature.

Don't Forget!

-February 2nd - 4th:  Moore Elementary Science Fair (Judging is TODAY... stay tuned for our winner!)

-February 18th - WSFCS Spelling Bee (Good luck to our school rep, Xavier!)

-February 22nd - WSFCS Science Fair at SciWorks

-February 28th - Milkshake Chugging Contest... Wooten vs. Dixson vs. Peele (6:00pm at Chick-Fil-A)

-March 3rd - Multicultural Night