Reading Update 10-29

Please click the link above to get this week's reading update.

Bob and Otto Contest

Ms. Joyce Sweeting's 1st grade class was selected as WLRN's 2007 One Picture Book, One Community Class Picture Book Contest winner! On Thursday, November 8th at 9:00 a.m., the book's illustrator will read the book to the students and have a short question answer for the group.

PTA Drive

Teachers,

Please make sure that you send the pink PTA membership forms home. As an incentive for classroom teachers, the classroom with 100 % membership, the teacher will receive a $50.00 gift certificate. We, Parkway PTA are striving to have 100% membership this year. Staff members at anytime you can put your membership dues in my mailboxes as well as the student/parent dues.

Thanks

S. Kerr

Reading Update

Please click the link above to access this week's Reading Update.

Math and Science Update

Please click the title bar to see this week's math and science updates.

Primary Math Study

Grade 1 and 2 Teachers,



On November 8, 2007 Pat Evans of the Saxon Primary Math Study will be here to observe you teaching the Saxon Math program. Please feel free to see me if you have any questions or concerns.



Cisely Scott

Mathematics/Science Coach



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Reading Update (Grades 3-5)

Benchmark Skills of the Week:

Continue working on the following benchmark items during your daily

instruction:

- Main Idea/Details

- Author's Purpose

- Cause and Effect

- Vocabulary

* Refer to the vocabulary task card in reference to multiple meaning words.

FCAT Writing Benchmark Focus:

- Ms. Carter will continue to pull all fourth graders for writing instruction.

- Fourth grade students will take an expository writing assessment on

Tuesday.

FCAT Reading Benchmark Focus:

- Follow Grade Level "Instructional Focus Calendar" based on Houghton

Mifflin series Theme 2

Date(s) to Remember:

- Reading PLUS - All students must utilize the computer

based reading program twice a week for 30 minutes a day.

- Accelerated Reader - Teachers, make sure that all of your students are

visiting the media center and are taking AR test daily. All students must

read and take 10 AR test by October 25.

- Expository Writing Assessment - Teachers, please place your scores in

my mailbox by Friday, October 19, 2007.

Reading Update (K-2)

October 15 --- Grade 1 Bob and Otto Contest due

October 16 --- Reading First Visitation



Elements of Reading Vocabulary Lesson 4

Houghton Mifflin Theme 4 Grades K-2





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Demo Lessons

Thank you to our Curriculum Support Specialists for a job well done during last week's demonstration lessons. They were intended to give every teacher an opportunity to learn some new techniques and strategies which will enhance student learning. We will be conducting Voyager training in the very near future.





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Clinic Usage

Due to health, safety and privacy guidelines, we must request that all staff use the clinic primarily for its intended purpose.

Please refrain from eating in that area and consider an alternative location, such as the nearby staff lounge.

If you need to review any files or documents for extended periods of time, please consider utilizing a different location in the main office or conference room.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation.

PMP Reminder

EXTENSION: Please initiate all PMPs and provide Ms. Johnson with copies of page 1 for each individual PMP by Wednesday, October 17, 2007.

In addition, thank you to the teachers who submitted to me their original lists.

October 8 PD Survey

For those of you who participated in the Voyager Training, please click the title bar and complete the five minute survey.

Reading Update (Grades 3-5)

Word of the Week:

esteem - 1 : to think of in a particular way : consider

2 : to think very highly or favorably of

Sentence - Keira is thrilled to have been put in charge of a ceremony

honoring a teacher that the students esteem as a guide and role

model.

Benchmark Skills of the Week:

Continue working on the following benchmark items during your daily

instruction:

- Cause and Effect

- Vocabulary

* Refer to the vocabulary task card in reference to multiple meaning words.

FCAT Writing Benchmark Focus:

- Ms. Carter will continue to pull all fourth graders for writing instruction.

FCAT Reading Benchmark Focus:

- Follow Grade Level "Instructional Focus Calendar" based on Houghton

Mifflin series Theme 2

Date(s) to Remember:

- Reading PLUS begins this week. All students must utilize the computer

based reading program twice a week for 30 minutes a day.

- Accelerated Reader - Teachers, make sure that all of your students are

visiting the media center and are taking AR test daily. All students must

read and take 10 AR test by October 25.

Helpful Websites:

http://www.readinglady.com/

Mathematics/Science Reminders

Vocabulary word
Arteries- blood vessels that carry blood away from your heart to other parts of your body.

Science Fair
Assignment 1- Approved problem statement and background

Math and science bi-weekly assessments were to be given last Friday. Please turn in your Edusoft bubble sheets

Reading Update (K-2)

First Grade - Bob and Otto Contest due October 15.

October 31 - Halloween Spooky Stories with Ms. Abner at Barnes & Noble.

Begin Elements of Reading Vocabulary - Lesson 4.

NNAT Training Meeting

As a follow-up to an earlier posting, there will be a mandatory training session for teachers in grades 1 and 4, as well as Ms. Rice, Mr. Philemy and Ms. Sanders on Monday, October 8 from 2:00 pm. to 2:30 p.m. For more information, please click the title bar above.

Third Grade Parent Meeting

The Third Grade Parent meeting has been scheduled for October 15, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. The meeting is designed to inform parents of the criteria regarding third grade promotion. The Reading Coaches will also be on hand to provide useful information. A flyer and the attached agenda will be going home as well as a Connect-ed message. To see the agenda, click the title bar.

Yahoo for Teachers

Yahoo Inc. is developing a free online service designed to make it easier for educators to create, find and share lesson plans, worksheets and ideas. Yahoo for Teachers will be accessible by clicking the logo above, will soon be open to the public.

The service will allow teachers to create and store lesson plans, worksheets and projects online rather than preparing class materials using a Word document, for example. Teachers can also search lesson plans posted by others and leave comments. Queries can be narrowed by grade, subject and state.

Computer Power Management

Beginning October 1, the district implemented new computer management procedures.

Please remember to power on and login to your computers every morning.

Conversely, at the end of the school day, please log off and power off your computers before you leave the building for the day.

NNAT Test

The Naglieri Nonverbal Ability Test (NNAT), which is a 30 minute, group-administered screening test for potential gifted students, will be given to all first and fourth grade students on Monday, October 15. While classes in other grades levels will follow their normal schedules, we will operate as a quiet building from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on that day. Students that are exempt from the test include children, who are already labeled as gifted or students in Ms. Jenkins Class, as well as a few other selected SPED students which we identified. Training sessions will occur next week as more information will be forthcoming.

Congratulations to Ms. Kerr

On October 2, Mrs. Sharonne Kerr, media specialist at Parkway Elementary, was a selected teacher in the Office Max “Adopt a Classroom” Program. Office Max came to the school and provided her with approximately $1200 worth of new items which Ms. Kerr will use with her students in the library. Some of the items include a portable printer, mail cart, desktop organizer and several other useful supplies.

Attendance Reminders

Thank you for adjusting to the new district system for student attendance. As a friendly reminder, please complete your attendance before 10 a.m. and please assist us in reinforcing to your students the need to provide documentation when they are absent. A child with excessive absences could have his or her credit withheld which may lead to retention in that grade level.

Our Attendance Review Committee will be analyzing the cases of students who have excessive "unexcused absences" in the coming weeks.

Social Committee

Please consider joining our Social Committee. Dues are $30 for full-time staff and $20 for part-time staff. Please see Ms. Wilkison or Ms. Hope for more information.

Reading Update (Grades 3-5)

Word of the Week:

plausible
1 : seemingly fair or reasonable

2 : appearing worthy of belief something that makes a

person try or work hard or harder

Sentence - Dad's explanation that the dog must have knocked over the vase

seemed perfectly plausible.

Benchmark Skills of the Week:

Continue working on the following benchmark items during your daily

instruction:

- Main Idea

- Author's Purpose

- Vocabulary

* Refer to the vocabulary task card in reference to multiple meaning words.

FCAT Writing Benchmark Focus:

- Ms. Carter will continue to pull all fourth graders for writing instruction.

FCAT Reading Benchmark Focus:

- Follow Grade Level "Instructional Focus Calendar" based on H-M series Theme 2

Date(s) to Remember:

- Reading PLUS is scheduled to start the week of October 8, 2007.

- Thank you teachers for making FCAT Challenge a success!

Morning Supervision

Beginning today, we will utilize our rainy day morning procedures on a trial basis for all occasions.

Students in grades 3-5 will remain between the two wings on the south side of the building, while students in grade 2 will remain in the cafeteria and all other children will wait for their teacher in front of the classroom door.