Welcome

WelcomeCurriculum Night, 2014

Morning Meeting

Jane Morgan

Connor

Asher

Hope

Julia

Henry

Mackenzie

Willard

Nirelle

Hampton

Aidan

Christopher

Mary Hilton

Rush

Izzy

Palmer

Max

Anneke

Curriculum Night OverviewBoot CampReading WorkshopWriting WorkshopWord StudyLiteracy and Math CentersPre-First MathSocial Emotional LearningiPadsGOALWays to Get Involved

Boot Camp

August and SeptemberWe are starting pre-first with a refresher of the 26 letters of the alphabet. We are working on the formation of the letters and their corresponding sounds. We are joining consonants and short vowels to make word families. The students are becoming familiar with Handwriting Without Tears, Sweet Phonics, and Words Their Way.

Boot Camp

What is Reading Workshop

~ Reading Workshop helps children develop strong reading skills through the use of: mini-lessons, shared reading, read aloud, conferencing, independent reading, reading partners, and literature response. The ultimate goal of Reading Workshop is to develop life-long readers.

~ Reading Workshop emphasizes differentiated instruction in reading. It focuses on the teaching of reading strategies. The purpose of Reading Workshop is to foster independence among reading. There are important strategies that all readers mustbe able to apply to text in order to read and understand content. Some of the strategies are:ConnectionsPhonemic AwarenessAsking QuestionsComprehension

Expectations

~ Starting in mid-October, students will bring home books to read to you every night.

~ Keep reading to your child!

Reading Workshop

What is Writing Workshop

~ Writing Workshop allows students to be at various stages of the writing process atone time. It focuses on what children want to communicate. Student choice is important. Each student in the class is a working author. Teachers work with students independently to ensure differentiation.

~ Structure: minilesson, independent writing time, share time

~ While students are working independently, teachers will conference with individuals about their writing. Students gather work in folders over time thatculminates in a portfolio.

~ The Workshop setting encourages students to think of themselves as writers, and to take their writing seriously.

~ Grammar structures we work on in Pre-First are: punctuation at the end of a sentence,spacing between words, capitalizing the beginning of a sentence and the word I, andwriting a sentence as a complete thought.

Products

~ The Writing Folder

~ Published pieces/ Authors Receptions

Writing Workshop

Word Study

~ Doing things with wordsExaminingManipulating textComparingSorting

~ Goal: Guide and support students learning about sounds, structure, and meaning of words.

Word Study

Literacy and Math Centers

Students complete 15 20 activities during a five day rotation.

Literacy and Math Centers

Pre-First Math

This year we are following the Everyday Math program as we have in the past, butintegrating many Math in Focus strategies. In Math in Focus, the concepts and skills are intentional, designed to prepare students for success in more advanced mathematics. It teaches the same content as traditional mathematics programs just in a way that emphasizes understanding and flexible thinking. Math in Focuswill teach young children how and why math works. We will definitely share this exciting work on our blog throughout the school year. For the 2015 2016 schoolyear, we will use Math in Focus as our core math curriculum. There will be a ParentMeeting on the evening of Wednesday, March 25th with a Math in Focusrepresentative to further discuss the program.

Pre-First Math

Social Emotional Learning~ Responsive Classroom Used in the classroom to promote a healthy community through Morning Meetings, logical consequences, and problem-solving techniques amongst students.

~ Second Step This program is universal, classroom-based and designed to:Increase students school successDecrease problem behaviorPromote social-emotional competence and self-regulationThe program includes a weekly lesson with reinforcement activities.

Social Emotional Learning

iPads

G.O.A.L.Growth Opportunity for All LearnersAt Westminster, the Lower School is committed to meeting the needs of each unique learner. Developing and celebrating the life of the mind calls on the collective efforts of every stakeholder to ensure that all students meet their potential.

As learners, our students will encounter moments where they face challenges or yearn to be challenged. Regardless of where our children are on the continuum of learning, the quintessential learning experience requires consistent, deliberate and personalized support for our students and the adults (teachers and parents) who partner together to serve and guide them everyday.

As a result, G.O.A.L. time has been placed into our 6 day rotation calendar. For G.O.A.L. time, grade levels as a whole will be carefully reviewed to determine the areas in which each student can maximize their individual goals. Thus, deeper practice in a specific skill area can be regularly practiced. Each grade level receives somewhere between 100-120 minutes of deep dive practice in specific areas.

G.O.A.L.Some examples of G.O.A.L. support will include:Orton Gillingham spelling strategiesMath enrichmentVocabularyDuring G.O.A.L. time students will work with a grade level teacher to have additional practice in one of these areas.

Westminster faculty and staff will frequently monitor and review groupings to continue to maximize a students placement on their learning continuum. Groupings will generally go through a 5 week cycle: though these will be determined by need.

Nancy LambCoordinator of Specialized Student Services

Upcoming EventsSecret Storyteller - C Days at 1:40Town Hall Monday, October 20th at 8:30amFall Conferences Friday, November 14th

Closing Meeting