Weekly Spartan Blog, January 28-February 1, 2013

Spartan PRIDE

Supporting our school community core values.

We are approaching the end of the 2nd trimester of the school year.  With February 22nd less than a month away, it is important for students to stay focused on producing quality work and the pursuit of excellence in the classroom.  Keep working hard!

We have a busy week planned with three major activities.   1) The area Science Fair is being held at BHSU on Friday, February 1st.  The Science Fair project is a great activity that gives students and parents a great opportunity to work together on a meaningful project.  The scientific method has application in all areas of life and will prove to be a useful skill set in the future.   2) 6th grade students are poised and ready for the Paper Bowl which is held on Thursday, January 31st.  Again, the partnership with parents is a key to the success of the this activity.  Parents as Partners doesn't just happen once a month in our school library.  We are seeking opportunities on a daily basis to involve parents in their child's education.  3) The 7th grade students and staff are headed for the Rapid City Stock Show on Thursday, January 31st.  This activity is connected to the multidisciplinary unit organized by the seventh grade teachers.

The middle school community is gearing up for a student assembly titled "Together, United."  The activity is being planned for Wednesday, February 13th at 8:30 a.m.  Parents are welcome to attend.  The purpose of the assembly is to help students understand their role in our school community and the importance of being yourself.   During the middle school years, students wrestle with the question, Who am I?  It is our hope that students can answer this question with confidence as they move through adolescence.  And equally important, is the goal that they honor the differences they see in others.  Diversity is what makes us better together.

And finally, be sure to join us on February 4th for the Parents as Partners meeting held in the SMS Library from 6-7 p.m.  This month we will continue to discuss the many changes in education and the impact on our schools.  The discussion may include additional information on the Common Core as well as the new South Dakota School Accountability Model.  

Have a great week!
SB

Upcoming Activities: Feb. 4                                    Parents as Partners Meeting, 6-7 p.m. in SMS Library Feb. 5.                                   Team Leader Meeting, 7:30 a.m. in Conf. rm Feb. 6                                    8th Grade NAEP Test Feb. 6                                    PD 2 p.m. Early Release Feb. 7                                    Faculty Meeting, 7:30 a.m. in SMS Library Feb. 13                                  Building Leadership Team Meeting, 3:15-4:30 p.m. in SMS Library Feb. 13                                  Together, United Student Assembly, 8:30 a.m. in HS Auditorium Feb. 15                                  1 p.m. Early Release for Professional Development Feb. 18                                  We will have school.  Make up day for Snow Day Feb. 20                                  6-8 gr. CC math meeting, 3:20-4:00 p.m. in the SMS Library Feb. 22                                  End of 2nd Trimester Feb. 25                                  6-8 CC ELA meeting, 3:20-4:00 p.m. in the SMS Library Feb. 27                                  Building Leadership Team Meeting, 3:15-4:30 p.m. in SMS Library Feb. 28                                  Team Leader Meeting, 7:30 a.m. in Conf. rm. March 1                                8th Grade Dance, 5-7 p.m

When you truly believe in something, and you carry it in your heart, you accept no excuses, only results.          

                                                                                                 -Ken Blanchard

Weekly Spartan Blog: January 14-18, 2013

Spartan PRIDE

Supporting our school community core values.

Parents as Partners Meeting Minutes

January 14, 2013

The January Parents as Partner's Meeting was held on Monday, January 14th.  The focus of the meeting was  to share information about the transition to Common Core Standards.  We had over 20 parents, students and staff in attendance.  I have shared some of the highlights from the meeting below.  I have also included a parent brochure and an introductory PowerPoint on my school website.  Our next Parents as Partners Meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 4th from 6-7 p.m. in the SMS Library.

Why Common Core Standards?

The COMMON CORE STATE STANDARDS INITIATIVE (CCSS)

Preparation: The standards are college and career ready.

Competition: The standards are internationally benchmarked, ensuring our students are globally competitive.

Equity: Expectations are consistent for all – and not dependent on a student’s zip code.

Clarity: The standards are focused, coherent, and clear.

Collaboration: The standards create a foundation to work collaboratively across states and districts.

We need them because:

¨ Disparate standards across the states

¨ Global, not neighborhood competition

¨ For many young people, high school wasn’t preparing them for college or careers

Why the CCSS Are Important:

¨ Prepare students with knowledge and skills to succeed in college and career

¨ Ensure consistent expectations regardless of a student’s zip code

¨ Provide educators, parents and students with clear, focused guideposts

¨ Offer economies of scale and sharing of best practices

Distinguishing Features of Common Core

The way we taught students in the past simply does not prepare them for the higher demands of college and careers today and in the future. Your school and schools throughout the country are working to improve teaching and learning to ensure that all children will graduate high school with the skills they need to be successful.

English Language Arts

In English language arts and literacy, this means three major changes. Students will continue reading and writing. But in addition to stories and literature, they will read more texts that provide facts and background knowledge in areas including science and social studies. They will read more challenging texts and be asked more questions that will require them to refer back to what they have read. There will also be an increased emphasis on building a strong vocabulary so that students can read and understand challenging material.

Mathematics

In mathematics, this means three major changes. Teachers will concentrate on teaching a more focused set of major math concepts and skills. This will allow students time to master important ideas and skills in a more organized way throughout the year and from one grade to the next. It will also call for teachers to use rich and challenging math content and to engage students in solving real-world problems in order to inspire greater interest in mathematics.

Parent Roadmap, Council of the Great City Schools

  Common Core Standards in English Language Arts 

• College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards

• Grade Level Standards for Reading, Writing, Speaking and Listening, and Language

• Literacy Standards in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects

READING:

Þ A progressive development of reading comprehension ensures students gain more from what they read. 

Þ An emphasis on text complexity and sophistication in grade level texts promotes necessary rigor

WRITING:

Þ Focuses on composing different types of writing:  

Þ Argumentative/opinion piece, Informative/explanatory writings,

Þ Narrative texts,

Þ Research projects (brief as well as sustained inquiry), Infuses use of technology in creation, refinement,

Þ and collaboration in writing. 

Includes an appendix of writing samples illustrating criteria required to meet the standards.

SPEAKING AND LISTENING: 

Þ Focuses on speaking and listening in a range of settings, both formal and informal –  academic, small-group, whole-class discussions.

Þ Emphasizes effective communication practices. 

Þ Requires interpretation and analysis of message as presented through oral, visual, or multimodal formats

LANGUAGE: 

Þ Includes conventions for writing and speaking.  Highlights the importance of vocabulary acquisition through a mix of conversation, direct instruction, and reading. 

Þ Requires vocabulary to be addressed in context of reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

  Common Core Standards in Mathematics

· Conceptual Development                     

· Fluency with Core Skills                           

· Meaningful Learning

STANDARDS FOR MATHEMATICAL PRACTICE:

Þ Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them

Þ Reason abstractly and quantitatively

Þ Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others

Þ Model with mathematics

Þ Use appropriate tools strategically

Þ Attend to precision

Þ Look for and make use of structure

Þ Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning

STANDARDS FOR MATHEMATICAL CONTENT:

K-5: Develop a strong concrete-to-conceptual foundation in number and operations, including fractions and decimals

6-8:  Develop a robust understanding of algebra, geometry, probability, and statistics
 

High School:  Apply mathematics and mathematical ways of thinking in novel situations, as college students and employees are regularly called upon to do.

 

Upcoming Activities: Jan. 21                                   No School, Professional Day for Staff, SMS Library Jan. 22                                   CC 6-8 Math Meeting, SMS Library, 3:20 p.m. Jan. 24                                   6th grade Band & Choir Concert, 7 p.m. Jan.  23                                  Common Core Training: Rapid City, Best Western Ramkota Jan. 28                                   CC 6-8 ELA Meeting, SMS Library, 3:20 p.m. Jan. 29                                   Scheduling Meeting, SMS Conf. rm. Jan. 30                                   Building Leadership Team, 3:15-4:30 p.m., SMS Library Jan. 31                                   Team Leader Meeting, 7:30 a.m. in Conf. rm Jan. 31                                   7th Grade Field Trip, Rapid City Feb. 1                                    Science Fair, BHSU Feb. 1                                    Capital Outlay Request Deadline Feb. 1                                    District Technology Requests Deadline Feb. 4                                    Parents as Partners Meeting, 6-7 p.m. in SMS Library Feb. 6                                    8th Grade NAEP Test Feb. 6                                    PD 2 p.m. Early Release Feb. 7                                    Faculty Meeting, 7:30 a.m. in SMS Library

Growth is the only evidence of life.

                                                                                       -Cardinal Newman