April, 2013

Dear Families,

Happy Spring! April has been a busy month!  Cyndy (STEP Preschool Teacher) and Jay Raines (Technology Resource Teacher) had a healthy baby boy on April 11^th. Congratulations to both of them. 

Our third, fourth and fifth grade students are learning how to justify their thinking by going back into the texts they are reading and supporting their answers with evidence from the text.  This justification strategy will help students become critical readers. The fourth grade classes visited Gunston Hall and attended their fourth video conference with Social Science researchers on the Civil War. Fifth grade classes graduated from DARE today.  Many thanks to the PTO for purchasing the DARE t-shirts for our children.

Our kindergarten students continue to work on early literacy strategies.  They are also reading math word problems and solving those using pictographs.

First and second grade students are benefitting from the staff development their teachers have received on the writing workshop model.  We have seen great growth in the writing journals of these youngsters! Mrs. Stubbs’ first grade students have begun to pilot a Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) project. The children work in small groups of three and use technology to compare and contrast products before creating a new product. Our goal for next year, is to have all first grade students participate in a monthly STEM activity.  

Our April Gathering focused on respecting the learning rights of others in the classroom.  We continue to model anti-bullying behaviors through the use of our “power line”.  Meadowland children do not let bullies have the “power”.

Our school is piloting a new software tool, Indistar, which will be used to create a school improvement plan.  The Leadership Team is in the process of conducting 200 classroom “walk-throughs” to collect data as part of an instructional audit.  A “walk-through” is a short, focused, informal classroom observation.  It is a time to gather information about curricular and instructional teaching practices.  We will use the data collected from “walk-throughs” to specifically target staff development needs.

Parent surveys for school year 2012-2013 went home today.  Your input is very important to us, and will help us as we plan for next year.

Fondly,

Laura