Grade 4Room 147Kerri-Lynn O’Neill

Welcome to Curriculum Night

Please find your child’s seat and write him/her a note.

*Please remember to sign up for your child’s November conference if you have not already done so.

About Me

Raised in Newington, CT now live in Wethersfield, CT with my husband Tom and 14mth old daughter Paige

BS in Elementary Education MS in Elementary Education 6th Year Degree in Educational Leadership 21’st year in teaching (14 in West Hartford) Taught grades K, 1,2,4 and 5 District Wide Curriculum Specialist Principal Reggio Magnet School of the Arts

Behavior Management

Student created rules based several picture book read alouds and class discussions

Logical consequences Respect, Responsibility, Ready to

Learn PBIS- Positive Behavior Instructional

Supports (School Wide Behavior Plan) Tickets

SRBI, RTI, and Your Child

SRBI-Scientifically Research-Based Intervention is CT’s version of RTI-Response to Intervention

Use universal screenings (AIMSweb) to identify children in need of additional classroom support– Parents will receive copes of AIMSweb information this

year 4-6 weeks, consistent re-evaluation Student may require assistance from outside

tutors (fluency lab, reading comprehension, Math Garden)

What are the Common Core State Standards (CCSS)?

K-12 national academic standards in mathematics and English language arts/literacy adopted by CT State Board of Education in 2010

Establish what Connecticut students should know, be able to do and understand as they progress through grades K-12

Will be fully implemented in grades K-5 over the next two years

How will the Common Core impact our work at each grade level?

Grade K, 2, 4• Focus on ENGLISH/ LANGUAGE ARTS with

revised curriculum units this year

• Student progress measured by unit assessments, classwork, and other classroom performance measures

• Report card indicators reflect new standards

• Current mathematics curriculum in place -- revisions planned for 2013-2014

How will the Common Core Standards impact what your child is learning this year?

Our revised curriculum provides:

•Balance of literature and literary non-fiction

•More time reading increasingly complex text

•Opportunities for discussion/academic discourse

•Wide range of writing tasks appropriate to purpose and audience

•Writing to inform or argue using text evidence

•Literacy as part of science and social studies/history with increased focus on academic vocabulary

Will your child take the Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT)?

• Students in Grades 3-5 will take the CMT in spring 2013 and 2014

• National assessments based on Common Core Standards are in design/pilot stage for implementation in 2014-2015

Read Aloud

Students can comprehend more sophisticated texts when read out loud to them

Introduced to different types of reading materials (Nutmeg Books)

Provide opportunities for student discourse

Reading Block

Picture books to practice reading comprehension strategies and response questions

Time for Kids and National Geographic to teach non-fiction reading skills

Whole group, guided reading, and independent activities

Story Town Reading Program used as a tool to address the Common Core

Independent Reader Response

Independent Reading

Independent reading is at your child’s “just right” reading level

Books used for Reader Response and other response activities in the classroom

Provides independent practice of reading comprehension skills and strategies

Math

Whole group, small group, center activities

Pre and post test each unit to drive instruction and provide individualized attention

Math Trailblazers and West Hartford Objectives— aligned with State curriculum standards and CMT's

Basic fact practice

Homework

30 minutes of nightly reading 40-60 minutes of homework each day Individualized math fact practice-15

minutes Spelling words Vocabulary Practice Specifically chosen to meet individual

student needs and abilities Drives instructional decisions in the

classroom

Homework Help

Provide a quiet, consistent place for homework to be done

Expect that homework be done independently and nightly

Check homework for completion at student’s best ability14

Homework Expectations

Competed nightly/weekly at home Ready to be checked and corrected

on Fridays Neat and clean Best effort and work

Writer’s Workshop

Direct, guided lessons to teach new skill Students given time to practice and

apply skill in their own writing Peer and teacher conferencing to check

up on skill use Process writing Share with classmates Writing prompt practice-timed writing

skills, variety of genre

Handwriting and Grammar

Handwriting-Zaner Bloser Cursive

Grammar-Story Town Reading Program–Focused on basics of grammar instruction, sentence structure, parts of speech, mechanics, etc.

Science and Social Studies

Switch back and forth throughout the year

Social Studies: US geography, map skills, explorers, biographies

Religious Holiday- Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur

Science: water cycle, ecosystems, light and sound, rocks and minerals

Supported with content area literature at students independent reading levels

Technology

Classroom computers Use of Computer Lab every other

Friday Type to Learn and SuccessMaker SmartBoard

Projects

Teach time management Foster creativity and unique approaches

to learning In school and at home components

Book Cover State Poster Explorers PowerPoint Biography Living Museum Artifact Boxes

Wolcott Reminders

Seasonally appropriate clothing Healthy snacks Transportation changes

Field Trips

Ecoventure Trips– Westmoor Park-Freshwater

ecosystems– Westmoor Park-Marine Ecology Trip– Westmoor Park- Field to Forest Trip

– Hammonasset State Beach-Salt marshes

Questions?