Weekly Update

We need your support and partnership as we work together to meet our building goals! In June, we set building goals for this school year based on our spring 2022 data. I am happy to report that we met or exceeded those goals when we tested students in September of 2022. For this reason, we reset our building goals to be more rigorous based on that fall data. Below, you will see the updated goals for Wegner School.

This month students will take the MAP assessment so that we can see how we are progressing toward meeting our goals. This newsletter will focus on things you can do at home to help your child succeed at school. Families are children's first and most important teachers! We cannot do the important work we do at school without your continued support at home! We look forward to seeing how we are progressing toward our goals!

Ms. Kenney

MAP Growth is the most trusted and innovative assessment for measuring achievement and growth in K–12 math, reading, and Spanish reading. It provides teachers with accurate, actionable evidence to help inform instructional strategies regardless of how far students are above or below grade level. Wegner students will begin MAP testing on January 17, 2023.

Here are resources for families to learn more about the NWEA/MAP assessments:

English: https://www.nwea.org/family-toolkit/

Spanish: https://www.nwea.org/kit-de-herramientas-de-la-familia/

At Wegner, we use the following assessments:

Kindergarten: MAP Reading Fluency

1st-5th: MAP Growth Math; MAP Growth Reading; MAP Growth Spanish (dual language only)

Charge your child's school device (Chromebook or iPad.)

If your child comes to school with a device that isn't charged, he or she will need to use a loaner device to take the test. This can cause anxiety for students.

Make sure your child gets a good night's sleep!

Research shows that children perform better in school when they get at least nine hours of sleep at night. Please help children disconnect from technological devices (gaming systems, phones, etc.) and head to bed early!

Make sure your child eats a healthy breakfast!

Breakfast is provided at Wegner daily beginning at 8:15am. Consider sending your child to school early for breakfast on testing days!

Make sure your child attends school!

When children are absent from school, they have to make up the test when they return. Make-up tests are not done in children's homeroom. Children will test separately from their classmates. This can often cause anxiety for students which lowers test achievement. If your child is healthy enough, please send them to school everyday!

Set goals with your child!

Children do better in school when their families talk to them about their learning. Ask your child's teacher for their fall test scores and consider setting a goal for winter testing with your child!

Stay calm!

As adults, we always want our children to be successful on assessments. Staying calm and positive can help ease your child's testing anxieties and set them up for success!

Literacy skills allow students to seek out information, explore subjects in-depth and gain a deeper understanding of the world around them. Children who struggle to read effectively fail to grasp important concepts, score poorly on tests and ultimately, fail to meet educational milestones. How can you help your child at home?

• Read with your child every day! Older children can read to younger children or other family members to practice!
• Ask your child questions about what they are reading
• Ask your child to name their reading level and Power Goal
• Ask your child to talk about the skills being worked on during conferencing

The resource that our teachers use to teach literacy is American Reading Company (ARC). Within the components of the program, conferencing and/or small group instruction is implemented.

• Teachers meet with children one on one or in small groups throughout the week
• The focus of conferences is on individual reading goals for children
• Small groups and one to one conferencing allows teachers to know their students as readers at a deeper level
• Teachers focus on identifying the strengths and areas of needs for each child to help them grow as readers
  

Children are also assigned Power Goals. What are Power Goals?

• The MOST important skills that children need to learn within their color level
• Power Goals can change daily, weekly, or monthly depending on the progress of the child, and the depth of the skill they are mastering
• At school students work on Power Goals in small groups, independently, or one on with with an adult
• Children can and should practice their Power Goals at home!

Please use the information below to gain an understanding ARC, reading levels, and how to work on Power Goals at home! Help your child LOVE reading! Parents are “home coaches” who support their children through nightly reading. What is a Skills Card? Skills Cards are half-page, front and back, quick reference guides that summarize each level; including power goals, reading habits, and skills children need to learn and master.

Once you know your child's reading level, you can click HERE to find the skill card for your child's level. This will give you things you can work on at home!

D33 uses Eureka Math as our curriculum resource in grades K-8, Algebra and Geometry. Eureka Math is aligned with the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and provides exemplary instructional materials that bring joyful rigor to learning. Eureka math provides teachers the tools to take their students beyond rote memorization to give them a deeper and more complete understanding of mathematics. In addition to Eureka, students also engage in supplemental resources. Our kindergarten students use ST Math and students in grades 1-8 use Freckle. Both of these programs are computer based and provide students with additional practice or enrichment in standards and skills unique to them as individuals. Here you will find resources for families specific to the Eureka resource. You can also visit the D33 Website for more information about our math curriculum.

Freckle (grades 1-5) and ST Math (K) are online learning platforms that allows students to practice math at their own level. Both programs continuously adapt to each student's individual skills, so each student is getting the appropriate challenge, whether they're working at, above, or below grade level. At Wegner School, children utilize the online platform for 20 minutes daily (15 for kindergarten) to enhance the math curriculum and provide each child with individualized practice.

The 5Essentials were developed by the University of Chicago Urban Education Institute, in partnership with Chicago Public Schools. Past research has shown that schools strong on at least three of the five essentials are 10 times more likely to improve student learning than schools weak on three or more of the five essentials. For families, we are focusing on the area of school to family communication. Our scores indicate that families would like more information about how their children are doing in school. Below are some ways that we will address that need this year!

• Monthly Newsletter from the principal with a focus on academics and happenings within our school
• Wegner Weekly from the principal that focuses on important information, upcoming dates, and student celebrations
• Communication from your child's teacher each time your child moves to a new color level in literacy
• Communication from your child's teacher each time an assessment is scored
• Monthly Notice of Concern for any child who is struggling academically or behaviorally
• Midterms for both academics and behavior on 10/17, 1/31, and 5/8
• Report cards at the end of each trimester

NO SCHOOL

Monday, January 16th - no school

Elementary Band and Orchestra Concert

Wednesday, January 25th - at LMS

For band and orchestra students only

Wegner Music Performance

Tuesday, January 31st

4th and 5th grade students

Wegner Choir

Wegner Ensemble

More information coming soon from Mr. Godoy

This month we have been studying different animal groups. So far we have learned about mammals, birds, and reptiles. Ask your child how they can tell if an animal is a mammal, a bird, or a reptile. We will continue to learn about animal groups next month.

In math, we have been comparing the length and weight of different objects. We have used connecting cubes, blocks, bears, balance scales, and other math manipulatives to figure out which is taller, shorter, heavier, or lighter.

In first grade we are learning about goods and services. The students created items to sell in our classroom store and will be buying from other classes as a fun interactive activity!

In math we are working on counting on or taking from 10 to solve for the total or for an unknown.

Second grade is still working hard on researching bugs in our informational text unit. We are wrapping up our science unit and heading into Earth’s Changes. For math, we are working hard on place value and adding and subtracting with 3 digit numbers.

Our hallway is filled with Gingerbread Men in disguise! Students did a great job of decorating their cut-outs! You can run, and run, as fast as you can, but you won’t catch our Gingerbread Men!

This month we have been staying super busy. Students are continuing working on their weather and climate research labs. They are becoming weather experts, ask them what they know about their chosen weather phenomenon!

We are also continuing working on Module 3 in our math unit. We are focusing on multiplying and dividing.

Throughout the month we have also been celebrating and learning about various holidays around the world and even celebrated with a grade level holiday party!

Fourth grade is beginning work on their research unit: animal adaptations. We will be studying how animals need to adapt physically, and behaviorally to their environments in order to survive.

Our winter celebration party was so much fun! We played Bingo with prizes and had an escape room challenge. It was a great end to 2022!

Fifth grade has started working on their research unit: Ecosystems. We have incorporated various tech activities to engage and excite students while learning and building their research skills. Students will be spending lots of time reading non-fiction texts to learn how to identify the main idea and then use that to present information on these topics.

In math we have moved onto working on long division. Students are learning how to divide so that we have single, double and triple digit quotients. KNOWING OUR MATH FACTS WILL REALLY HELP US BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS LEARNING!

We also were able to participate in Hour of Code this month. Students were able to go to the STEM lab and work with Mrs. Barsotti coding. They absolutely enjoyed getting a chance to show their “tech” side.

Finally, as the weather is getting colder, we would like to remind parents to make sure that they are wearing appropriate clothing to be outside. Should it be too cold to go outside, students still have their recess time, but it will be inside. They get to pick from a variety of activities in their classrooms to play. We have been trying to get students to not just play on their Chromebooks, but play games where they have to interact with each other. They really do have fun when they are able to work together!

All students will continue to practice the Studio Habits of Mind in the Art Studio. This means practicing behaviors that artists use as they create. These Habits include:, Envisioning, Observing, Reflecting, Understanding the Art World, Developing Craft and others.

Kindergarten artists are continuing to experiment with and learn about lines, shapes and colors. We are practicing with printmaking, collage and painting. In January, we will begin using our studio art centers! Kindergarten students will have more opportunities to choose their art-making supplies during class.

1st-3rd Grade artists will be learning more about how artists create space in their artwork. We will practice overlapping, placement and using foreground, middle ground and background in a work of art.

4th-5th Grade artists will continue practicing ways to generate ideas for their own art. They will be completing and preparing some artwork for display. We will discuss how and why artists share their work with others. Students will write artist statements that communicate important information about their own art to a viewer.

*Keep sending in empty cardboard tubes and cardboard boxes for our sculpture center! We appreciate your help!*

In December, Mrs. Barsotti and Mrs. Anderson teamed up to provide learning activities for students. Each grade level read winter themed books with Mrs. Anderson and participated in technology activities related to those books with Mrs. Barsotti.

Wegner students continue to develop skills in three main areas:

• Singing - Students are increasing their vocal capabilities through simple songs. They are becoming better at matching pitch and singing with a clear, projecting voice.
• Rhythm — We have been using rhythm sticks and our instruments to accompany a series of music reading activities, chants, and songs. In this way, the students are developing performance skills that allows them to create music with other people and sound harmonious.
• Movement — All students are now able to perform a simple dance or movement routine. They are growing in their abilities to move their bodies in a way that blends with what other students are doing and thus create an impressive choreography.

We have been working on jumping rope in PE. Our Kindergartners have started to learn jump rope for the first time. They are beginning to be able to make one jump and we will be continuing to work on more.

Grades 3-5 have begun working on jumping rope in groups and with partners. They have been learning to enter and leave a rope that is being turned by other people and have been able to learn some jump rope games.

Kinder and first grade will continue to identify emotions and the zones of regulation they fit into while focusing on what tools and strategies they can use to help regulate their emotions. Second and third grades will be focusing on how to deal specifically with anxiety, anger, and resolving conflicts. We are using the question “What is the size of the problem?” to help students gain perspective on emotional triggers. Fourth and fifth grades will be wrapping up their unit on nutrition and will move into body systems.

We hold to this idea each day as we provide support services to our students with disabilities.

The following thought to keep in mind comes from people who have disabilities or those who are involved with someone who does. Your child is a person first, always.

Disability does not define your child’s selfhood, any more than the color of his or her eyes does. Individuality grows from the rich soil of personality, experience, health, education, upbringing, and more. Know this for fact, and see it unfold in real time, as your child grows and matures. Having a disability is part of the mix, but so are your child’s strengths, humor, talents, and interests.

Students in kindergarten have been reading different leveled readers and writing sentences that match the story. In math we have been working on making teen numbers and playing games.

Students in first grade have been reading Jumanji and The Polar Express. We have done different activities that relate to the stories. First grade math students have been working on subtraction, problem solving, and playing games.

Second grade students have been working on a project with Ms. Barsotti. Students have been learning about daily life and bartering in Ancient Egypt. Math students have been working on subtracting three digit numbers and challenge word problems.

Third grade students interviewed a classmate and then wrote a paragraph about why he/she is unique.

Fourth graders wrote a persuasive essay based on the novel "The War with Grandpa" which we read. We also collaborated with Mrs. Barsotti to create a 3D design of their "Dream Bedroom."

Fifth grade students competed in their first WordMasters Challenge!

Speech/Language Services: Please keep reading and reading with your son/daughter. This is a great way to build vocabulary and experiences. Have fun reading…change your voice...get loud…whisper. HAVE FUN! My 3rd graders are currently reading “The Chocolate Touch” and they are loving it! We might have to have a little chocolate when we are done.

Math groups continue to work on skills that will be beneficial in the classroom.