September 17, 2013
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Kara Bartkus
Annette Borowiec
Shannaedi ElFadili
Celia Garza
Katrina Johnson
Amanda McGlothlin
Jeannie Seymour
Crystal Weber
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Website www.alvinisd.net
* Please visit this website for important information (student handbook,
calendar and dress code).
* Please visit teacher webpages for current events.
Email
* (first initial, last name@alvinisd.net)
* Limited information pertaining to child as teacher’s
respect student confidentiality
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Mary Marek Phone: 281-245-3232
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Conference time: 1:10-1:55
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Tuesday folders
* Used to send important information home
* Used as “one-way” communication
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Student daily binder and academic planner
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Grades and attendance are posted on the TEAMs Parent Self Serve. This
website is a resource for parents/guardians to view their child's grades,
attendance and discipline information. Email notifications can also be set
to receive notifications whenever an absence is posted or for low grades
or missing assignments.
Register to activate your portal through the Alvin ISD website or by going
to https://teamsapp.alvinisd.net/selfserve/NewUserRegistrationAction.do
Alvin ISD Elementary Grading Guidelines:
 With the Reading/Language Arts K-2 report card being based on a
continuum of learning rather than based on a 0-100 grading scale,
multiple opportunities should be given for a student to master skill prior
to documentation on the report card. This documentation will be noted
as 3, 2, 1.
Evaluation Key for Reading and Language Arts
3 Proficient
2 Working on
1 Not Proficient
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Homework is reinforcement of skills learned in class.
Math
ASTROS- Monday-Wednesday
Science/Social Studies
Assignment over topic for the week - Thursday
Reading
Minimum of 20 minutes daily
Homework is checked daily.
Students will be expected to do the written work on their own and ask for
help only after they have given it their best effort.
***It is YOUR CHILD’S responsibility to complete daily homework assignments
and get their planner and reading log signed daily. ***
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Spiraling Curriculum-Each nine weeks we will revisit concepts learned
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Concepts Include
from the previous nine weeks and build on those concepts.
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Related addition and subtraction problems (word problems)
Non-standard units of measurement
Money
Time to hour and half hour
Comparing and ordering numbers
Place value (hundreds, tens, and ones)
2D and 3D shapes
Graphing
Skip counting (2’s, 5’s, 10’s)
Composing and decomposing numbers
Fractions (halves and fourths)
Fact Families
Algebraic Reasoning (8 + ____ = 10)
Working at Home
◦ Keep your ASTROS homework that is sent in Tuesday Folders to review.
◦ Have your students show their work on their homework, not just their
answers. (Underline questions, circle important data, write if they are
adding or subtracting, draw pictures to check their answers)
Format:
60 minute block of time
Students are working independently, or in partners, in Literacy based work
stations
Teacher is working with small groups
Purpose:
Students are able to practice skills that were introduced in class or in small
groups
Teachers are able to work with small groups to enhance reading skills and
strategies
Goal:
To instill a love of reading in all children
For students to read with meaning
Build fluency and comprehension
To make at least one year’s growth based on the DRA
Guided Reading Levels
DRA
Goal
C/D
3-4
Beginning of Year
E
6-8
Beginning of Year
F
10
Middle of Year
G
12
Middle of Year
H
14
Middle of Year
I
16
End of the Year
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DRA Level 3
◦ “I like oranges,” said the boy. “Do you?”
◦ “No,” said the girl. “I like apples. Do you?”
◦ Repeated text with picture clues
◦ DRA Level 4
◦ “Where is my hat?” said Ben.
◦ Ben looked under his bed. “It is not here,” he said.
◦ More sight words with picture clues and
comprehension questions
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DRA Level 16
◦ Birds make nests in the spring. Mother robin finds mud and twigs and
leaves. She makes a round nest. She puts soft grass inside the nest.
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Monkey and his mother lived in the jungle. One day Monkey wanted to
take a walk to look for butterflies.
◦ “Don’t go too far,” said his mother. “There are lots of animals who eat
monkeys.”
◦ “Don’t worry,” said Monkey. “I won’t go too far.”
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Level 16 can be either non-fiction or fiction
Story lines or information are more complex
More focus on comprehension
First grade sight words should be mastered at this point
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Writer’s Workshop This Year
• Where Writer's get ideas
• Writer's Workshop
procedures and expectations
• How to use different writing tools
• Telling stories in illustrations
“Spelling”
Typical Schedule: (in class activities)
Make, Say, Check, Write, Mix
Look, Say, Cover, Write, Check
Making Connections
Buddy Study
Buddy Test
Students will come home soon with a list of 10 words: 5 words are
chosen from a list using a specific spelling concept, 5 words are
chosen by the student from a list of High Frequency Words.
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Making connections through knowledge, strategies,
skills, and vocabulary to other learning area such as
reading, writing, and math concepts.
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Whole group discussions and lessons
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Variety of Topics
 Communities
 Timelines, maps, graphs
 Historical figures
 Folktales and Legends
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year your Scientist will cover the
following Topics:
Introduction to Science
Weather/Seasons
My World (Soil, Rocks, Natural Sources of Water, Conservation
and Recycling)
Matter
Energy and Forces (Forms of Energy, Motion and Magnets)
Living and Nonliving
Animals (Characteristics and Life Cycles)
Plants
Interdependence (Ecosystems and Food Chains)
Project Based Learning
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Working independently and building stamina
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Learning mouse control
Enhancing fine motor skills
Practicing basic computer functions
Learning how to manipulate and operate various computer programs and devices
Enhancing reading, math and phonemic awareness skills
 Each week students will be visiting the computer lab as well as using the
classroom computers to continue education.
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Some of the technology integration used in the classroom includes
Promethean Board
SMART Promethean Activslate
Promethean Activote
PC Computer/laptop computer
Flip Video camera
Samsung Galaxy Note and Kindle Fire devices
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Your child will be interacting with several of the websites listed below. Please
feel free to use the following online website resources at home. Click on the
link and it will take you directly to the webpage.
Book Adventure - http://www.bookadventure.com
Starfall - http://www.starfall.com
Kids Spell - http://www.kidsspell.com
Storyline Online - http://www.storylineonline.net
Tumble Books – http://www.tumblebooks.com
Seussville - http://www.seussville.com/
Online Story time http://www.barnesandnoble.com
National Geographic for Kids - http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/
NASA for Kids - http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html
ABCya - http://www.abcya.com/
PBS Kids - http://pbskids.org/
Dance Mat Typing - http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/
Internet Safety - http://www.netsmartz.org/Safety/SafetyTips
Thank you for attending tonight.
Please email any questions,
comments and concerns to your
child’s teacher.