Welcome
to
Sendera Ranch
Tonight, parents will…
• know and understand their role in the Parent
Learning Community.
• know ways they can be involved with their child’s
classroom and school.
• understand the expectations of a student at
Sendera Ranch Elementary
NISD Beliefs
SRE Mission Statement
Sendera Ranch Elementary School, in
partnership with families and community,
will prepare students for a
lifetime of intellectual exploration,
personal growth and social responsibility.
In addition to stimulating and challenging
students academically, it is our
responsibility to help children learn to be
a person of integrity.
Commitments To Students:
1.structured learning environment
2.mutual respect
3.security-safe learning environment
4.compassion
5.open communication
6.open to new ideas
7.to be an invested member of the learning community
8.positive
9.respectful
10.loving
11.caring
12.strong educational background
13.teach to everyone’s strengths
14.opportunities for all to succeed
15.extra time and support, as needed
16.always have their best interest in mind
17.consistency
18.use up to date teaching methods
19.love and logic
20.clearly defined expectations
Commitments To Parents:
1.respect
2.keep them informed
3.make them feel like they are part of “the team”
4.listen to them
5.open door policy
6.safe environment
7.positive communication
a.newsletters
b.phone calls
c.emails
d.websites
8.encourage involvement
9.to be an invested member of the learning community
10. open to new ideas
11. develop relationships
12. consistency
NISD Grading Beliefs
• Grading and reporting are not essential to the instructional process
• Grading and reporting serve a variety of purposes, but no one
method serves all purposes well
• Grading and reporting will always involve some degree of
subjectivity.
• Grades have some value as a reward, but no value as a punishment.
• Grading and reporting should always be done in reference to a
learning criteria, never on the curve.
• There are 3 general types of learning criteria used in grading and
reporting – product, process and progress criteria.
(For more information see www.nisdtx.org – Parents – Grading
Guidelines)
Report Cards
• No report cards will be sent home the first six
weeks.
• Behavior scale is based on the daily behavior chart
in the student’s COWS.
• Academic achievement is based on process and
progress, rather than product and grades.
Pinnacle Internet Viewer
Now parents and students can be actively
engaged in the education process by
monitoring progress, missing assignments, and
attendance information. You should be
receiving something in the mail about this in
the next week.
AS A PARENT OF SENDERA RANCH
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, PLEASE HELP BY…
• Making sure your child is rested, on time, and
prepared for school each day.
• Knowing how your child is doing in school by
communicating with teachers by planner, phone, or
e-mail.
• Monitoring your child’s homework and make sure
study time is in a quiet place.
• Limiting TV viewing and read together daily with
your child.
• Being an active participant in your child’s
education.
“Ranch Hands” ~Volunteers
• Volunteers are ALWAYS welcome at Sendera Ranch
Elementary.
• You may volunteer services, time or supplies.
• You may volunteer here at school or in the comfort of your
own home.
• Thursday Morning Group at 8:00 – 10:30 am in the
Teacher’s Lounge.
• Daily opportunities for Library, Art or Cafeteria
• All volunteers must be approved by NISD
• See Amy Ahmed, Volunteer Coordinator, PTA
Transportation Change
• PLEASE write a note and put it in their
COWS.
• If there is a transportation change in the
middle of the day, contact the front office and
they will be sure that we get the message.
AMP it up!
Amplify the learning
with Art,
Music and PE!
Art Education
• We explore visual communication and problem
solving with art techniques and materials!
• We learn about art history, world cultures,
art/math and art/science connections!
• We create original artwork that is on display in the
hallways when we finish!
• We collect most of our artwork in a portfolio to
prepare for 2 Sendera Ranch Art Shows &the
Northwest ISD Art Show in the Spring.
ART (cont.)
• We explore, create and learn in the art room……
• Most of all, we have fun!
• For more information about the art program here @
Sendera Ranch Elementary, please visit Patricia
Chisholm’s website under the staff tab @ the
Sendera Ranch website!
The Music Classroom
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Students will be given the opportunity to sing and play instruments
alone and in a group.
Students will be taught music theory and be able to read and notate
music.
Students will be able to create their own compositions and improvise
their own melodies.
Students will learn about the history behind music and learn about
music from around the world.
Students will be given performance opportunities throughout the
school year.
Students HAVE FUN!!
Other Fun Happenings in Music
• Longhorn Choir
– Open to all 4th and 5th Graders
• 4th and 5th grade Recorders
– Starts in the Spring
• MIDI Piano and Guitar Lessons offered at several schools
in the district.
For more information and updates please visit my web site!
Musically yours,
Ms. Hayes
The primary goal for P.E. is the physical and social
development for all students.
The major content areas this year will include: motor
and manipulative skills, rhythms, health and safety,
physical fitness and skill development and games
related to both individual and team sports.
Safety First, Fashion Second!
Wear athletic type shoes to P.E.!
Flip –flops, platform shoes, heels, Croc type shoes or
slip-on style shoes are not safe for your children
during PE and recess time.
Help your child learn to tie shoes. It’s safer!
Wear shorts underneath dresses and skirts.
Library
Students visit the library once a week with their classes.
On each visit they will:
• Listen to a story or portion of a book
• Learn a research or library skill
• Hear about various authors and their books
• Have an opportunity to check out books
Students may also come to the library independently with their
teachers’ permission to check out books
During the 1st semester:
• Kindergarten & 1st grade students may check out 1 book each
• 2nd & 3rd graders may check out 2
• 4th & 5th graders may check out 3
Library cont.
• Book Fair – October 9 - 17
• Crossing Bok Chitto Community Read:
Everyone in the school community will have an
opportunity to read, reflect, and discuss this
book. The author will be visiting us on January
21. We will begin as soon as the books come in. A
copy of the book will be put in each classroom.
• Hang Your Hat on a Book – You will be
receiving details on this reading incentive
program very soon.
Family Communication
COWS (Binders)
Student Expectations – Feedback Sheet
Envelope for money or important notes
Left side of binder – LEFT AT HOME
Right side of binder – BRING RIGHT BACK
School work comes home daily
Weekly Newsletters on Thursdays
School wide information home on Thursdays
Report Cards home on Thursdays
Conferences
• We will have at least two parent/teacher
conferences this year. One in the Fall and one in the
Spring.
• Tuesday, October 14th and Thursday, October 16th
will be late night conferences with parents.
• Our Fall conferences will be completed by
October 17th.
Benefits of Homework
• Research has shown that the repetition and
practice provided by homework increases a
student’s knowledge and internalization of
concepts by 28%.
• Homework will be a practice of what was
already taught. Students should be able to
complete homework without parental
assistance.
• This provides the teacher another
opportunity to provide feedback for the
HW
student’s learning.
4 Guiding Questions for Instruction
What do we want your children to know?
How will we know when they know it?
What are we going to do when they do not know it?
What are we going to do when they do know it?
What do we want your children to know?
Reading
Your child will learn to read in
kindergarten! We will learn
through guided reading,
Reader’s Workshop, and
shared reading (poems, big
books, etc.)
Writing
We will write daily as a
group and individually.
We do Writer’s
Workshop, which
teaches children about
the writing process and
strategies to use when
writing.
What do we want your children to know?
Letter and sound recognition is one of the most significant early
indicators of reading success!
• We will be learning letters and sounds through:
– The Johnny Can Spell Program
– Our Thematic Units which integrate Writing,
Science, & Social Studies
• Please reinforce letter and sound
recognition at home.
Reading Logs
• Reading logs will be sent home soon!
• 15 minutes/night
• Students can be read to, read with help, or read by
themselves!
• Any reading material will work (books, newspaper,
magazines, etc.)
What do we want your children to know?
Math
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Patterning
Estimating
Graphing
Calendar Activities
Recognizing numbers 0-31
Writing numbers 1-20
Counting to 100
Math Stations
What do we want your children to know?
Science and Social Studies
The following thematic units will integrate Science and Social Studies:
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All About Me and 5 Senses
Apples & Pumpkins
Fire Safety
Thanksgiving, Native Americans, Pilgrims
Christmas Around the World
Transportation
Dental Health
Zoo Animals and Farm Animals
Insects
Thinking Maps
Circle Map
Bubble Map
Flow Map
Brace Map
Tree Map
Double Bubble
Multi-Flow Map
Bridge Map
Technology in Action
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Student laptops
Electronic Chalkboards
Data Projectors
Document Cameras
Distance Learning
Media Cast
CPS Receivers (think George Jetson!)
Eduphoria
PIV – Parent Internet Viewer
Larson Math
Daily School Wide Schedule
7:25
7:25 – 7:45
7:40
7:50
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7:50
2:45
2:47
2:50
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Building Open for Students
Breakfast
Students released to class
Students should be in their seat
ready to learn
Tardy Bell
Dismissal of Walkers
Dismissal of Car Riders
Dismissal of Bus Riders/Daycare
Questions
What questions do you have for us?
Thank you!