K-2 Elementary Newsletter

Peek into the Modules:

Kindergarten: Students will wrap up module 3 and launch into module 4 where students will answer the Essential Question, “How can I be my healthiest me?” In this module, students will continue building their knowledge about our communities by learning the essentials of healthy living, like eating well, exercising, and practicing good hygiene- helping them form healthy habits to carry throughout their lives.

Grade 1: Students will engage in learning for module 5 where students will answer the Essential Question, “Why do light and dark come and go?” In this module, students will continue building knowledge about relationships as they learn about the relationships between the Earth and Sun, rotations and time of day, and rotations and seasons.

Grade 2: Students will engage in learning for module 5 where students will answer the Essential Question, “What are the qualities of a good leader?” In this module, students are building knowledge about the unique qualities of characters who, like humans, have made mistakes and learned from their mistakes. Students will learn valuable lessons from the actions of these characters.

Module Assessment Updates:

Thank you to everyone for the amazing work you are all doing to Uplift Literacy in Pasco County Schools. We have greatly appreciated all your feedback, thoughts, and efforts in helping to shape the best way forward for all our learners and teachers as we implement new resources and new standards. To reduce the stress that may be present with the required module assessments, we are moving forward with a shift in the number and scope of required module assessments. The REQUIRED module assessments to be administered/recorded via myProgress are listed below and additional details on recording the performance task within each of these modules will be included in the administration guide.

The remaining module assessments are still available; however, the data entry due date for those assessments will be open until the end of the semester they are assessed. Please used them as needed within the PLC cycles as common formative assessments or to support you in measuring proficiency and mastery of standards of your learners.

With every adjustment we know there will be more questions and we welcome them and are here to support you. Please don't hesitate to reach out to our ELA Team who love supporting your schools, your staff and ultimately your students.

Required Assessments

Kinder= Modules 3, 5, 7

Grades 1-5th= Modules 5, 7 and 9

Module Assessment Modifications

We understand there is some concern with some of the wording on the Module Assessments with LAFS Standards language being used instead of the language of the B.E.S.T. Standards. We are looking closely at each module assessment and making those edits, as needed, to ensure alignment with the B.E.S.T. Standards. Any modifications will be noted in the Module Assessment Administration Guide that is released prior to each Test Printing Window.

DIBELS

Assessment Window: November 29th through December 16th

Training: Training for the remaining required measures will be provided to coaches during the Coaches Power Hour on November 18th. This train-the-trainer session will be recorded and the video will be released for your reference.

Progress Monitoring: Your schools will now have access to DIBELS measures for Progress Monitoring. Directions on how to enter the progress monitoring data can be found here

If you have any questions, please contact a member of the ELA Team and/or Larry Porter.

Revisit ELA PD:

Summer PD Session Recordings:

• ELA Overview of the Literacy Framework, New Instructional Materials, and ELN for 21-22
• Explicit, Systematic Foundational Skills Instruction (K-2)- Scope and Sequence and the Science of Reading​
• Strengthening 3-5 Vocabulary and Communication Skills

Zearn Celebrations!

Zearn recommends 3+ digital lessons per week or 90+ digital lessons per year. Research shows that students need to complete 60 or more Zearn digital lessons per year in order to see meaningful impact on student achievement or significant change in growth.

We want to give a HUGE shout out to Bexley, Pasco eSchool, and Lacoochee! Each of these schools have over 75% of their students logging in weekly!

The Elementary Math Team will be hosting their second evening virtual PD session of the 2021-2022 school year on 11/2/21 from 5:00-7:00 PM. This session will focus on Core Action 2: Employ instructional practices that allow all students to learn the content of the lesson & Core Action 3: Provide all students with opportunities to exhibit mathematical practices while engaging with the content of the lesson. Information regarding the specific indicators within these Core Actions can be found below. Please be sure to register, myPGS Course #4225 Section #30808. Participants will receive stipends and 2 inservice points. We look forward to seeing you there!

Core Action 2:

• The teacher makes the mathematics of the lesson explicit through the use of explanations, representations, tasks, and/or examples.

• The teacher strengthens all students’ understanding of the content by strategically sharing students’ representations and/or solution methods.

• The teacher deliberately checks for understanding throughout the lesson to surface misconceptions and opportunities for growth, and adapts the lesson according to student understanding.

• The teacher facilitates the summary of the mathematics with references to student work and discussion in order to reinforce the purpose of the lesson.

Core Action 3:

• The teacher provides opportunities for all students to work with and practice grade-level problems and exercises. Students work with and practice grade-level problems and exercises.

• The teacher cultivates reasoning and problem solving by allowing students to productively struggle. Students persevere in solving problems in the face of difficulty.

• The teacher poses questions and problems that prompt students to explain their thinking about the content of the lesson. Students share their thinking about the content of the lesson beyond just stating answers.

• The teacher creates the conditions for student conversations where students are encouraged to talk about each other’s thinking. Students talk and ask questions about each other’s thinking, in order to clarify or improve their own mathematical understanding.

• The teacher connects and develops students’ informal language and mathematical ideas to precise mathematical language and ideas. Students use increasingly precise mathematical language and ideas.

Save the Date- Science Academy

We had a successful launch of the 2021-2022 Science Academy evenings in September. Thank you to those who were able to attend and engage in growing our thinking around hands-on exploration in Science. If you were unable to attend, you can access the resources and recording HERE.

· November 10th (3-5) REGISTER

· November 17th (2nd) REGISTER

· February 9th (3-5)

· March 9th (K-2)

Q2 Kindergarten and 1st grade- Additional SFC Content

Q2 content is available for the K and 1 MyLearning Science courses. Follow the directions in the email sent during the first week of October to upload the content into your class or watch this quick video to walk you through the steps of getting the Q2 modules from the Commons in MyLearning imported into your course.

Mystery Science-

You now have access to Mystery Science on your Discovery Education dashboard. DE purchased Mystery Science and has given us free access for the 2021-2022 school year. If you open DE using the app on MPC and scroll about half way down your DE dashboard, you will see Mystery Science located under ‘curriculum packs’. You can access this document as a tool to identify Mystery Science activities aligned to your grade level Science standards.

Need some help on how to better use your TCI resources – please watch this brief video for a high level overview.

Also check out their Current Connections tab- for ideas to support required instruction.

November 2 – Election Education/ Ocoee Education

Highlight the importance of language and semantics, and offer grade level appropriate activities that reflect student development, around the 1920 Ocoee Election Day, which

includes as many sources (primary and secondary) as possible to build a K-12 understanding of this Florida historical event. A K-12 crosswalk for this event along with other resources to help build teacher knowledge on this event may be found here.

We are excited to announce a new mindfulness program that we have purchased for every school called Inner Explorer! Inner Explorer helps preschool through high school students develop and embody self-awareness, self-control, resilience and compassion. As you know, these are critical skills for success in school and success in life. As a result of participating in this mindfulness-based SEL programs, students increase their academic performance, have fewer behavior issues, and experience less anxiety and depressive symptoms, as well as a greater sense of wellbeing.

This video does a great job explaining the program deeper, as well as giving an overview of how easily Inner Explorer can be integrated into your class. The best part? There is no planning needed on your part! You simply log in, push the play button, and you’re ready to go with your daily mindfulness practice! Keep an eye out for instructions for your school so that you can get started with your own class.

• ELA K-5: Roshonda Royster - rroyster@pasco.k12.fl.us
• Mathematics PK-6: Tracy Miller – tamiller@pasco.k12.fl.us
• Science K-8: Lesley Kirkley – lwade@pasco.k12.fl.us
• Social Studies K-12: Tina Stavrou-Klem - astavrou@pasco.k12.fl.us
• Art & Music: Tom Viking – tviking@pasco.k12.fl.us
• PE & Health: Matt Wicks – mwicks@pasco.k12.fl.us
• SEL: Lesley Wilson - lrwilson@pasco.k12.fl.us
• Reading Prof. Dev. & Learning: dvarcard@pasco.k12.fl.us
• K-12 Literacy Intervention: clough@pasco.k12.fl.us
• K-12 Mathematics Intervention: janderto@pasco.k12.fl.us
• Instructional Coaching: jdblair@pasco.k12.fl.us