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| Class News | |
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Dear Families, It was such a pleasure to see you all at Open House. The children were very excited to share their classroom with you and to get it ready for visitors! It always amazes me how much pride they take in their space. We have been so busy the past few weeks. We have introduced materials, discussed ways to use different materials in our learning, how to take care of them and make sure that we can truly be a learning community. We have shared our Hopes and Goals for the upcoming school year and talked about the rules and expectations for our classroom. I’ve attached our classroom rules as well as our Meeting Rules – please ask your child to explain and model these for you. While we have been working on building our classroom community and will continue to do so, we’ve also started our unit on Long Ago and Fayston History. Students will connect the past to the present through classifying and sorting objects, looking at similarities and differences, describe how school life has changed and stayed the same over the years, as well as collect information about Fayston’s past through interviews and photos. We’ve also started Reading Groups. These groups will look closely at the different strategies that children are using as they read as well as those that we introduce to them. The small-group format allows students to work on a variety of reading skills and strategies appropriate for them. Some instructional strategies include: choral reading, silent reading, phonological awareness, sight word practice, phonics, comprehension, fluency and vocabulary development. We have some very exciting events coming up. Next week, we have an All-School Hike at Mad River Glen. Children will need comfortable shoes, sunscreen, hat, appropriate clothing (layers), a water bottle, a healthy snack and a bag lunch. On Friday, our class will be making applesauce. Please bring in 2 or 3 apples to share. Our field trip to the Shelburne Museum is on Thursday, October 11th. Please make sure that you’ve sent in the Field Trip Notice as well as the admission fee ($4.5 per person, including chaperones). UPCOMING EVENTS: - Wednesday, Oct. 3 ~ All-School Hike at Mad River Glen - Wednesday, Oct. 10 ~ Early Dismissal at 11:50 a.m. - Thursday, Oct. 11 ~ Field Trip to Shelburne Museum (all day) - Oct. 25 ~ Picture Re-Take Day |
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| MATH NEWS! | |
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Dear Families, As we begin our math, I thought that I would spend a few minutes to check in and let you know a little bit about our math program. Mrs. Goldhammer and I will be sharing some children during math time. This allows us to meet the children’s individual needs even better. I will be your child’s math teacher this year. At Fayston Elementary, we use a math program called Investigations. The main goals of this program are: - To offer students meaningful mathematical problems - To emphasize depth in mathematical thinking rather than superficial exposure to a series of fragmented topics - To communicate mathematics content and pedagogy - To substantially expand the pool of mathematically literate students Given these goals, children will have the opportunity to explore and investigate a given topic as well as visit and revisit basic math skills and concepts. A large part of our math curriculum is problem solving. I use a problem-solving approach based on everyday situations. By making connections between their own knowledge and their experiences in school and outside of school, children learn basic skills in meaningful contexts so that mathematics becomes “real.” Students will have the opportunity to express their mathematical thinking through drawing, writing and discussion. This helps students develop flexibility and confidence in approaching problems, fluency in using mathematical skills and tools to solve problems and proficiency in evaluating their solutions. We also have frequent practice of basic skills. Instead of practice presented in a single, tedious drill format, children practice basic skills in a variety of engaging ways. In addition to completing daily mixed review pages, patterning on the number grid, and working with addition and subtraction families in different formats, children will play games that are specifically designed to develop, review and enhance basic skills. An instructional approach that I use frequently is to revisit concepts regularly. To enhance the development of basic skills and concepts, children regularly revisit previously learning concepts and repeatedly practice those skills encountered earlier. The lessons are designed to take advantage of previously learned concepts and skills and to build on them throughout the year instead of treating them as isolated bits of knowledge. In math, children will be encouraged to investigate their own strategies and approaches to solving problems. Children will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of concrete materials and appropriate technology, including calculators, as a natural part of their everyday mathematical work. We will use mental math, hands-on work and tasks that require paper and pencil. Students will work in a variety of groupings – as a whole group, individually, in pairs, and in small groups, and they will have an opportunity to move around the classroom as they explore mathematics in their environment and talk with their peers. The curriculum is one that explores mathematical content beyond basic arithmetic. We know that basic arithmetic skills are only the beginning of the mathematical knowledge children will need as they develop critical thinking skills. In addition to basic arithmetic, we are going to learn concepts and skills in the following topics – the number system, collecting and sorting data, 2-D and 3-D geometry, time and money, addition and subtraction and measurement. This curriculum not only revisits skills and concepts frequently, it also builds upon them. So much of the work is based on hands-on learning and discussions with peers, therefore, it is not easily sent home and is difficult for a child to make up. Attendance is very important. Time is such a valuable thing. Assessment plays a critical role in teaching and learning, it is an integral part of the Investigations curriculum. Assessment is an ongoing process. Much of the assessment is done through talking with students, observing them work and looking closely at their work. There are end-of-unit assessments, which are designed to assess their understanding of the most important mathematical ideas of a unit. We also do a mid-year and end-of-year skills assessment to monitor which skills we are solid and which we may need to review. Homework is a great vehicle for connecting school math with students’ everyday lives. Homework is a way to practice, review and enrich classroom work. Math homework will be given 2-3 nights per week (including a Game Night which is lots of fun!). Homework is expected to be handed in the next day. If the homework is too difficult, it is important to let me know. Homework should take a maximum of 10 – 20 minutes. If it is taking more, and you feel that your child has been consistently working hard, it is absolutely okay to stop and simply write me a quick note. The exception to this is math game night. Depending on the game, the number of people playing, it may take a bit more time. This is meant for fun. Math homework will not start until next week. Homework may include: – Number games that may be played more than once to give students multiple opportunities to clarify mathematical ideas and reinforce basic facts – Problems to solve that ask students to use their prior knowledge of math skills and ideas – Tasks such as collecting data or taking measurements to be used solving a problem in class – Facts to practice to become competent in estimating, and accurate and fluent computation I hope to provide you with ample opportunities to monitor your child’s progress and to participate in your child’s mathematics experiences. Throughout the year, you will receive Math News to keep you informed of the mathematical content your child will be studying in each unit. “Math News” will give you an idea of what children are doing in class, explain how this is connected to children’s lives, describe some of the homework children will be doing, and provide ideas for you about how to expand on the math that is being done at school. - For more information on the Investigations curriculum, I urge you to check out the website at: http://investigations.terc.edu/families/forfamilies.cfm. I really value any input that you have about what’s happening in math or with your child in particular. While I may not have the opportunity to meet with you during conference times, I would love for you to send me an e-mail (jboyden@faystonelementary.org) or to call and we can set up a conference time to discuss your thoughts, concerns and ideas. I look forward to working with your child this year. I am excited about the great ideas that we have yet to discover and the places that we will go. |
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