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A PUBLICATION OF THE BACH ELEMENTARY PTO bach elementary school news OCTOBER 5, 2016 dear bach families, Our students have taken or will take NWEA assessments this fall in reading and math. This round of assessments will be completed by October 14th. Information we get from NWEA, reading benchmarks, and formative assessments help us understand how your child is learning. How does a teacher meet the unique needs of all students in his/her classroom? We differentiate! Differentiation is a term used to describe how a teacher adapts a lesson to meet the needs of ALL students. Teachers can differentiate by con- tent, process, product, or learning environment (Tomlinson, 2014). Differentiation by Content This type of differentiation occurs when teachers adapt what each student needs to learn. Content includes curriculum topics or themes and reflects our State Standards. For example, some students in a math class may be working on equivalent fractions, while other students are working on converting improper fractions to a mixed number. All students are working on fractions, but the specific fraction content they’re learning may vary. There are many examples of differentiation by content that occur during a regular school day. Differentiation by Process Process is how students make sense of content. For example, teachers may include within one lesson, a variety of activities to meet the needs of auditory, visual, or kinesthetic learners. Differentiation by Product Product differentiation is the most common form of differentiation. This occurs when teachers provide a variety of ways in which students can demonstrate their understanding of content or when students choose how they will demonstrate their understanding. Differentiation by Learning Environment Your child might learn best in a quiet environment while her friend learns best in a social environment, where she can talk about a concept. Perhaps one child prefers independent work while another prefers group work. Teachers provide for a differentiated learning environment through classroom culture and routines. Maybe your child needs additional support in reading comprehension? Maybe your child needs work on multiplication facts or science process skills? The fact is, every child needs something different and our goal at Bach is to give ALL students what they need in order to learn content, demonstrate their under- standing, and reach personal goals. —Alison Epler, Principal upcoming events Student Count Day Wednesday, 10/5 Farmer’s Market Fieldrip Franzen, Mr. B, and 5th Grade Wednesday, 10/5, 9:30-10 Chappell to Main Library Friday, 10/1 4th Grade to Lansing Tuesday 10/25 9-5:30 Early Release Day Wednesday, 10/26 Dismissal at 11:53 Picture Retake Day Wednesday, 11/2 9-11
Transcript of dear bach families, › wp-content › uploads › 2016 › 10 › bach...ambien, klonopin),...
A PUBLICATION OF THE BACH ELEMENTARY PTO
bach elementary school news OCTOBER 5, 2016
dear bach families,Our students have taken or will take NWEA assessments this fall in reading and math. This round of assessments will be completed by October 14th. Information we get from NWEA, reading benchmarks, and formative assessments help us understand how your child is learning.
How does a teacher meet the unique needs of all students in his/her classroom? We differentiate! Differentiation is a term used to describe how a teacher adapts a lesson to meet the needs of ALL students. Teachers can differentiate by con-tent, process, product, or learning environment (Tomlinson, 2014).
Differentiation by Content
This type of differentiation occurs when teachers adapt what each student needs to learn. Content includes curriculum topics or themes and reflects our State Standards. For example, some students in a math class may be working on equivalent fractions, while other students are working on converting improper fractions to a mixed number. All students are working on fractions, but the specific fraction content they’re learning may vary. There are many examples of differentiation by content that occur during a regular school day.
Differentiation by Process
Process is how students make sense of content. For example, teachers may include within one lesson, a variety of activities to meet the needs of auditory, visual, or kinesthetic learners.
Differentiation by Product
Product differentiation is the most common form of differentiation. This occurs when teachers provide a variety of ways in which students can demonstrate their understanding of content or when students choose how they will demonstrate their understanding.
Differentiation by Learning Environment
Your child might learn best in a quiet environment while her friend learns best in a social environment, where she can talk about a concept. Perhaps one child prefers independent work while another prefers group work. Teachers provide for a differentiated learning environment through classroom culture and routines.
Maybe your child needs additional support in reading comprehension? Maybe your child needs work on multiplication facts or science process skills? The fact is, every child needs something different and our goal at Bach is to give ALL students what they need in order to learn content, demonstrate their under-standing, and reach personal goals.
—Alison Epler, Principal
upcoming events
Student Count DayWednesday, 10/5
Farmer’s Market FieldripFranzen, Mr. B, and 5th GradeWednesday, 10/5, 9:30-10
Chappell to Main LibraryFriday, 10/1
4th Grade to LansingTuesday 10/25 9-5:30
Early Release DayWednesday, 10/26Dismissal at 11:53
Picture Retake DayWednesday, 11/2 9-11
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bach elementary school news / october 5, 2016
October PTO Meeting Date Change!Our regular October PTO monthly meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 19, from 6:30-7:30 p.m. in the Bach Multi-Purpose Room. Childcare will be provided in the Media Center for school-aged children. In November, we’ll return to the usual third Thursday of the month, November 17.
Keeping in touch with Bach!We sometimes hear comments from families like “I didn’t hear about Picture Day!” or “How did we miss Bike to School Day?” The PTO coordinates with teachers and staff to help make sure important school messages get communicated often and through different media. These include:
» Urgent all-school messages needing immediate attention such as school closings sent via School Messenger email and sometimes via telephone and/or text messages.
» All-school emails about event changes, school incidents, major event reminders.
» Mrs. Epler’s weekly email message sent to all families on Sunday evenings.
» Bach PTO Newsletter sent electronically to all families every other Wednesday morning. These are archived on the Bach PTO website at http://bachpto.org/newsletters. Need a paper copy? Email [email protected].
» Bach PTO Website at http://bachpto.org includes a calendar of events, information on SCRIP, links to volunteer sign-ups, etc.
» Flyers sent home in your child/ren’s backpacks (check those backpacks!)
» Emails from teachers and Room Parents about classroom activities
» Mrs. Epler’s Twitter feed @Bachprincipal that shares news and images of Bach’s activities. Subscribe here: https://twitter.com/BachPrincipal
» Bach Elementary PTO’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BachPTO that shares event reminders (for things like Picture Day, Bike to School Day, etc.)
Sometimes it feels like there are too many channels of information. Our goal is to make sure no one misses out. Concerned you’re not receiving emails? Check in with Kim Kauffman in the Bach office to make sure all is well.
At Bach School we are dedicated to creating an environ-ment that inspires learning. We strive to challenge each student to achieve full academic potential and maintain consistent standards for socially responsible behavior. We believe education is a share responsibility of the staff, students, parents, and the community. We value children as unique individuals and recognize their ethnic diversity and various learning styles as strengths.
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bach elementary school news / october 5, 2016
Being Thoughtful Stewards of Our EnvironmentBach teachers and staff have worked hard to achieve Evergreen Status for our school: we com-post, recycle, and try to find simple ways to reduce trash. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that a child bringing a sack/brown bag lunch to school every day throws away about 67 pounds of waste each school year! It can be hard to find a balance between ease of use for little hands, convenience, and being as kind as we can to our planet. Here’s an article that offers some suggestions for how we can choose some options to reduce trash and waste and make packed lunches even healthier.
http://www.ecocenter.org/green-your-school-lunch
Want to help Bach do even more for our environment? Contact John Beeson at [email protected] to learn more about the Environmental Stewardship Committee.
PTO Sponsored After School ClubsThis year the PTO is trying a new opportunity to offer after school clubs for free. We want to expand the opportunities for students to become involved in their school with no financial barriers. This fall/winter we will offer the following: Math Club, Newspaper Club and Service Learning Club. These will be led by a volunteers. We are looking for leaders who are self motivated to lead these after school clubs. Volunteers will need to comit to one day a week for 8 weeks beginning October 24th and running until the week of December 12th. If interested in leading Math Club, Newspaper or Service Learning Clubs please contact Emily Preston Rahim at [email protected]. Please indicate the day of the week you would be available to lead this club. Two volunteers for each club would be ideal.
Don’t forget to send in those Box Tops for Education!Box Tops for Education is a nationwide program that allows schools to earn up to $20,000 per year by collecting the Box Tops logos from hundreds of grocery items. Each “Top” is worth 10 cents that Bach can use for books, computers, anything we need! That might not seem like a lot, but if each student collects just 25 Box Tops, we’d earn almost $1,000! Look in your child’s backpack for a collection sheet (or tape them to a piece of paper…or just send in a bag!) and return it to your child’s classroom teacher by Friday, October 14. The classroom that collects the most Box Tops will earn an additional recess!
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bach elementary school news / october 5, 2016
check out the pto mural!The PTO mural looks fantastic already and shows what great involvement we have at Bach. If you have lost your cut out sent out a few weeks ago we have extras on the table in front of the mural. The mural is to artistically show how amazing our Bach community is.
Some people volunteer in very small ways by making tamales for the Heritage Festival, or they bring in napkins for a class party, or perhaps a family cuts out box tops and sends them in -all of that is PTO participation that we want to celebrate! It is often overlooked how important all the small things are and the mural gives us the opportunity to give voice to these acts.
The PTO believes we can we can find ways in which all families feel like they can be a part of this amazing school. Please have your child color their cut out corresponding to their classroom and turn it in to the office if they have not done so already. We will cut it out and add it to the mural.
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bach elementary school news / october 5, 2016
Community Events
FREE Tutoring, Homework Help, and Writing Programs at 826MichiganHave you ever wondered what’s behind the doors of the “Robot Supply and Repair Shop” at 115 E. Liberty Street? There’s a lot more than just robots! 826Michigan is a non-profit organization that offers tutoring, workshops, and drop-in writing opportunities free of charge for school-aged children.
Tutoring, homework help, and academic support are available to students ages 8-18 in many subject areas including beginning spelling, earth science, foreign languages, writing, etc. Free evening and weekend workshops aim to foster creativity, improve writing skills. These are taught by volunteer writers, artists, educators, and pub-lishing professionals from the community (and they welcome new volunteers, too!). Drop-in writing times for ages 6-10 help younger students hone their writing skills.
Want to learn more? 826Michigan is holding an open house on Monday, October 10 from 5:30-7 p.m. at 115 E. Liberty. Learn about their programs, sample their writing activities, check out their comfortable space, enjoy snacks, and more! Can’t make it to the open house? Contact Catherine Calabro, 826Michigan’s Education Director, with questions about Tutoring at 826michigan: [email protected] or 734-761-3463 or visit https://www.826michi-gan.org.
Ann Arbor District Library Offers Free Homework HelpNeed additional homework help? On many Mondays, Wednesdays, and Sundays, students in grades K-12 may visit the Downtown Branch of the Ann Arbor District Library for free homework help provided by volunteers for the University of Michigan Chapter of Circle K. No appointment needed—just drop by! For more information, visit
http://www.aadl.org/events/33777?search=circle+k.
Be Green! Recycle that old Halloween costume!Are last year’s Halloween costumes still hanging around? Trying to find the right pieces for this year’s creations? The Ann Arbor District Library is offering a HALLOWEEN COSTUME SWAP. From October 1-23 drop off gently used costumes an accessories at any Library Branch. Costumes for all ages/all sizes are welcome! On Sunday, October 23 from 1-2:30 p.m. visit the Downtown Library Branch Multi-Purpose Room and Secret Lab to pick out a new costume for this year! A kids’ craft will also be offered, free of charge. More information here: http://www.aadl.org/node/324183
Medication Take-Back Day Saturday, October 8Did you know that every 10 minutes a child visits an emergency room due to medication poisoning? On Saturday, October 8 from 10 a.m.—2 p.m. at Pioneer High School, Ann Arbor Police and the University of Michigan is holding a “Medication Take-Back Day.” Accepted items include pills, capsules, and patches for pain medications (hydrocodone, oxycodone, tramadol, codeine, fentanyl, morphine, etc.), sedatives/sleeping medications (Xanax, valium, ambien, klonopin), antidepressants, ADHD medications, muscle relaxants, pet/veterinary medicines. No needles, syringes, lancets, or liquids will be accepted. Questions? Contact Kristin Bennet at 734-998-0455 or [email protected].
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bach elementary school news / october 5, 2016
We are so happy to be well on our way in the new school year! This newsletter contribution is to summarize the major curriculum goals for each grade level. I will also include my own additions to what I feel is the grade experience in Mrs. Bishop’s Music Classroom. I welcome feedback, volunteers, and questions!
Kindergarten In a word, BEAT. Specifically steady beat! We make a big deal out of steady beat as it is a large component of the move-ment and rhythmic activities for the rest of their lives! That is not overstating it. Also, we work hard to find and use our “head voices” in Kindergarten. They already have developed a routine for warming up voices and finding a good siren sound. Once the Kinders can do this, they can develop better control for more advanced singing. Third, we sing, sing, sing developing a repertoire that helps the students enjoy a community feel as we enjoy music together. We will also play instruments, enact stories and songs, and listen to music from Orches-tras to the far corners of the world!
First GradeNow we are ready to finesse our musical vocabulary and experience! In first grade we work on making connections with melodic and rhythmic concepts. We continue to expand our repertoire and to challenge ourselves with reading our first pitches and rhythmic notation. These students are ready and raring to tackle the “older kid stuff.” The timing is really perfect as it parallels the emerging readers of text in the classroom. Music has its own system paralleling reading text with directionality, phonemes, syntax and symbolic thinking. It is so fun to see this emerging!
Second GradeThis is the year of independence! These students get to hold their own textbook of music that requires of each child a mental engagement to keep up with the recordings or choral reading or singing. The music has road signs (repeat signs, form markers, first and second endings) and multiple verses. We learn about the organization of pitches into a scale by note names and by solfege (Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do). It’s a big year in that way! In addition Second graders get a more thorough experience with dance. We
study Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker (I danced as a child), folk dancing, and even mod-ern (think Martha Graham). Participation is required and hardly an issue. We have the kind of fun that makes everyone not want to miss out!
Second Grade Humanities will be a new curriculum this year as the Science and Social Studies Curriculums have changed. I will be as interested as you are to see where that leads us! Stay tuned. I will keep you updated.
Third GradeMusic can get hard! Let’s say, challeng-ing in a fun way! We still play games and dance. In fact my favorite songs at this grade are really funny! I guess it’s that emerging sense of humor! However, we up the ante with harder rhythms and melodic note reading. We compose with online notation software, and learn to recognize the instruments of the fifth grade instrumental music program by sight and sound. I love to discuss the concept of being ethnomusicologists. We can explore music from around the world or from throughout history!
Third graders’ text reading and writing capability gives them more indepen-dence in expressing themselves about the music we are hearing.
Fourth GradeTalk about independence! This is the year of RECORDER! Yes, this $5.50 plas-tic tube can do a lot to foster musical passion. I know this because parents love to tell me how many times they’ve heard “Hot Cross Buns” at home. I think “Old MacDonald” is also a favorite. We will take all the hard work from the previous years and put it into practice. I use Recorder Karate as motivation. The students have enjoyed collecting belts! (Ribbons on elastic bands) I also love to have them compose Recorder Etudes on the online notation software.
Fourth grade is also the year in which we sing more in harmony, other languages, and develop a stronger understanding of the singing voice. To demonstrate these expanded performance skills we undertake a musical in collaboration with the classroom teachers. Sets, props, and costumes are all a part of the experience. This will most likely happen in December of this year, so if you have a fourth grader watch for information soon!
Fifth GradeFifth Grade is the year that Instrumental Music begins. Every student participates in learning to play a band or orchestra instrument. Ann Arbor is fortunate to be able to provide a musical instrument for every child! We meet twice a week for 30 minutes. Students are carefully matched with their instruments first and then taught the great care it takes to keep it safe. Students are usually bringing their instruments home by Halloween or so.
The Vocal Music Class tradition of early years is broken at Fifth Grade. In its place is Humanities. Humanities is the class in which lessons of Science and Social Studies are further explored in relation to the art of music. This looks like: studying and performing the music of the American Colonies, dancing folk and court dances of the Colonial era, singing songs that are instructional about geography or historical events, creating compositions or dances that express a visual of physics or biology, and more. It is always a challenge, but we do manage to present a repertoire of songs for the end of the year at our BIG Music Night that includes both the Instrumental Music concert and a choral music performance. These students will end the year ready for the bigger and better experiences of Middle School! (Sniff!)
For Your InformationEach grade level will perform once throughout the year. You will receive word of these via email or note. Also, I arrange a Cultural Field Trip for every grade. We have seen some amazing performances with Wild Swan Theater and by the UMS offerings! Throughout the year various grades perform and participate in daytime assemblies other than their grade level concert. For instance, we have already had the Opening Day assembly and the Constitution Day assembly. Coming soon will be the Thanksgiving Assembly. In January there will be the Martin Luther King, Jr. Assembly. Some years we also have assemblies for March Is Reading Month or Earth Day. And lastly, is our End of the Year Assembly at which our community deservedly celebrates our friendship and hard work with promise for the future.
Music is everywhere. Music should be everywhere. I am grateful to share it with you!
Music NotesFrom Mrs. Bishop “Spotlight on Curriculum”
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bach elementary school news / october 5, 2016
thanks for participating in bike/walk to school day !
Special THANKS to the Community High School Jazz Band for creating such a festive atmosphere!
2016BACH
FUNRUN
SAVE THE DATE
More information and pledge envelopes will be coming home soonIf you have a question that just can’t wait - email us! [email protected]
Money raised is used to pay for field trips, theater productions, author talks, teacher supplies, and to sponsor more than ten family events each year. These programs would otherwise go unfunded.
Head over to Conor O’Neill’s any time on Sunday, and a portion of your bill will be donated back to Bach!
Sunday’s amazing obstacle course provided by our friends at Wolverine Strength and Conditioning. Locally owned and operated. Visit them today at a2xfit.com
WALK, JOG OR RUN TO RAISE FUNDS AT OUR
BIGGEST FUNDRAISER OF THE YEAR! Friday, October 28 (run during school) & Sunday, October 30 (1-4 p.m. obstacle course run)
T hank you for making your purchases using SCRIP and for helping
the Bach School community at the same time!
Conveniently, we have cards IN STOCK for many of our popular stores!
GROCERY SCRIP SPOTLIGHT: Do you shop at Arbor Farms Market ? If so, you can support PTO! At checkout, simply tell your cashier to credit your purchase to Bach Elementary PTO. That’s it! Bach PTO earns 3% on each purchase. Each year Bach families raise approximately $10,000 by participating in our grocery Scrip program and purchasing the things they normally would buy from their favorite supermarkets. If you have any questions about Arbor Farms Market’s Scrip program or any other grocery Scrip program, please contact the Bach School Scrip Coordinator at [email protected]. Thanks for your support
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bach elementary school news / october 5, 2016
Cyber Awareness and Internet Safety:
What Families Need to Know
October 20, 20167:00 pm
Forsythe Middle School Auditorium1455 Newport Rd
Ann Arbor MI
95% of teenagers use the internet.Understand how to use it safely.
Questions: [email protected]
NOTE: Some content may not be appropriate for younger children
• This session is intended for parents and caretakers• Will address online predators, sexting, digital reputations
and other relevant issues
