April 13th, 2015

High Point News

Week of: April 13th, 2015

********NEWS*************************

Welcome Back!!!!
We hope that everyone enjoyed their well-deserved break!!!! Welcome back!!

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Congratulations!
Congratulations to Melissa Newman and her husband! They will be expecting their second child in October. We are so happy for them both!

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Science Day Feedback
Please click on the link below to give your feedback from Science Day. This survey will help us continue to perfect this wonderful hands-on day for our students.  Thank you for taking the time to complete it. 

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/C9LPQM5

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GA Milestones
GA Milestones for students in grades 3, 4, and 5 will begin this Thursday. A few things to note:

• Testing training will take place today for all test examiners (K, 3rd, 4th, 5th, ESOL, EIP, SPED, TAG, etc...) Please come during your specials time for the training. Proctors should also plan to attend one of the sessions. 
• All paper-pencil tests will take place on the first day of each new content area. Online assessments will occur on both days to maximum technology usage. 
• Please feel free to wear jeans and soft-soled shoes Thursday and Friday to create a quiet environment for our students who are testing. 
• All students in 4th grade will be taking the state assessment online. 
• Students in grades 3 and 5 will be taking paper/pencil unless they receive read-aloud accommodations. 
• Testing will be going on throughout the building. Please keep your classes as quiet as possible during transitions!!!
• All grade levels will receive their scheduled 45 minutes for specials. Be mindful that your scheduled time may have been switched with another grade level to align with the testing schedule. (K, 1st, 3rd, 4th)
• Lunch schedules have been switched for grades 3rd and 1st. Be aware of the revised lunch schedule and seating chart. 

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*******MATH CORNER*************

Strategies of Assessment for Learning: Where Am I Going? 

Strategy 2: Use Examples and Models of Strong and Weak Work

Help students sort through what is and isn’t quality work by using strong and weak models from anonymous student work, examples from beyond the school, and your own work.  Begin with examples that demonstrate strengths and weaknesses related to problems students commonly experience, especially the problems that most concern you.  Ask students to analyze these samples for quality and then to justify their judgements.  Use only anonymous work.  When you engage students in analyzing examples or models, they develop a vision of what the knowledge, understanding, skill, product, or performance looks like when it is executed well.

Model creating a product or performance yourself.  Show students the true beginnings, the problems you encounter, and how you think through decisions along the way.  Don’t hide the development and revision part, or students will think they are doing it wrong when it is messy at the beginning, and they won’t know how to work through the rough patches.  (From J. Chappuis, 2015)

Suggestions for Offering Feedback

You can develop codes to cue corrections which you write in the margins of student work to indicate what needs fixing.  For examples, for writing mechanics you can use acronyms such as CUPS (capitalization, usage, punctuation, spelling).  Place the code letters at the beginning of the line where the work needs editing.  The student then looks at the line of writing to figure out where the mistake is.  For math, you can invent a code that you can use as feedback on work and word problems.  If you invent the code with your students, it adds an opportunity for kids to engage in Strategy 2 (see above).

Common Core Math Lessons from NCTM

Make a Ten Card Trick: Practicing Combinations to Ten (Grades K-2)

Everyone loves a good card trick, and this lesson allows young students to learn a fun and impressive trick while simultaneously practicing and mastering the all-important combinations of ten. In this trick one student is a "mathemagician." He presents a deck of cards to his classmate, who removes three cards from the deck. After some fancy card work, the identities of the three cards are "magically" determined to everyone's amazement.

http://www.nctm.org/classroom-resources/lessons/Magic-Ten_-Practicing-Combinations-to-Ten-with-a-Card-Trick/

Petals Around the Rose (Grades 3-5)

A puzzle involving five dice and a non-standard pattern is used to promote problem-solving skills.

http://www.nctm.org/classroom-resources/lessons/Petals-Around-the-Rose/

*****WRITERS' GALLERY**********

The writers' gallery/pledge is hosted by Ms. Rutledge's class this week.

The writers' gallery/pledge will be hosted by Ms. Barnes' class next week.

******CALENDAR OF EVENTS*******

Monday, April 13th 
Muffin Monday
GA Milestones Testing Meeting During Specials
9:30 - Prospective Parent Tour

Tuesday, April 14th 

Pre-K In House Field Trip - Carpool Area
2:30 - Leadership Team Meeting
2:50 - Make-Up Testing Meeting in Media Center


Wednesday, April 15th 
Dr. LaCava Tours High Point
Talent Show Auditions After School

Thursday, April 16th

GA Milestones BEGINS!!! 
2:50 - PLCs
Talent Show Auditions After School

Friday, April 17th 
GA Milestones!!! 
Send your tickets down and change your Student of the Week!

******BIRTHDAYS! ****************

There are no birthdays to celebrate this week.