Smithfield Elementary

December 13, 2010 – Volume V(17)

November 30, 2010

Issue Bin -

Opportunities This Week!

12/14 – PEIMS Data Quality Meeting – 7:45 – ?

               PTA Staff Luncheon

               PTA Association Meeting / 5th Grade Program – 6:30

12/15 – 5th Grade field trip

                1st Grade field trip

12/16 – Winter Parties – K & 5 1PM – 2PMish

                                                 1-4 2PM – 3PMish

12/17 – 8:30ish – 5th grade program – Cafe

                School Sing-A-Long

                 10 – Vocal Edition Performance

                 11 – Early Dismissal – School dismisses at 11

12/18 – BISD Rose Parade 5K – 8:30AM – Anyone?

Upcoming Opportunities!

12/20 – 12/31 – Holiday Break

1/3 – Professional Learning – Breakfast will be provided – the professional learning will begin PROMPTLY at 8:30

Other Items of Interest

Helping students develop reading plans for school breaks
A sixth-grade language arts teacher says she helps her students develop reading plans before lengthy school breaks. In this blog post, Donalyn Miller writes that students often are focused on their current book without a plan for which book they will read next. When developing plans, Miller asks students how much time they will realistically have to read and which books they might like to read next. Teacher Magazine/Book Whisperer blog (12/11)  

Minn. district considers dual-language immersion at elementary level
Officials in the South St. Paul, Minn., district are considering a dual-language immersion program in Spanish and English to meet the needs of elementary-school students, many of whom speak Spanish at home. The program would be aimed at supporting and providing bilingual instruction to both English and Spanish speakers and would have other benefits. “Both groups are being introduced to ethnic and cultural diversity early on,” one expert said. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (12/11)

3) How to use literature circles in the K-12 classroom

All K-12 teachers should adopt a version of literature circles in their classrooms, says Elena Aguilar, a school-improvement coach in California. She writes that the circles, which resemble book clubs, allow students to collaborate on book choice, engage in cooperative learning and socialize while discussing the books. For teachers interested in implementing literature circles, Aguilar recommends a website she created on the topic. Edutopia.org (11/30)

Survey: Parents are to blame for education problems
The majority of adults blame parents for issues in the country’s education system, according to a recent survey that found 68% believe parents are responsible. Of those who participated in the Associated Press-Stanford University Poll, 35% blamed teachers for problems. Most of those surveyed also said they were satisfied with their local public school. National Public Radio/The Associated Press (12/11)

6) How teachers, students and parents share responsibility for success

Teachers, students and parents all have roles in ensuring student success, says teacher Heather Wolpert-Gawron, who lists the top 10 responsibilities of each in three blog posts. For teachers, it is important to be experts in your field, make lessons engaging and relevant and be strong role models. Wolpert-Gawron writes that students must be their own advocates, ask questions and communicate with teachers. Families, she writes, are responsible for making sure students attend school ready to learn. However, a fourth party — policymakers and voters — must support education if students are to succeed, Wolpert-Gawron writes. Edutopia.org (12/03) Huffington Post, The (12/03) TweenTeacher.com (12/03)

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10) Ditch the daily lesson plan

Does the daily lesson plan have a place in the 21st-century classroom? Michael Fisher, a K-12 consultant and regular ASCD EDge contributor, doesn’t think so. Fisher makes the case that compartmentalizing learning into daily lesson plans locks teachers — and students — into a rigid structure that emphasizes formulaic teaching and learning. Instead, he asserts that teachers should dump singular-content lesson planning for creative, integrated and memorable learning experiences. Read the post and share your feedback.

• School of One upends traditional classroom learning
  The School of One learning system, based at three New York City public schools, aims to combine three key components: individualized learning, advanced technology and a flexible curriculum. Every morning, students answer questions that are calculated by a complex algorithm into the students’ daily learning plan. The plan then is carried out by various modalities — such virtual or live instruction, group learning and individual, computer-based study. MindShift.KQED.org (12/9)

Opinion: Why gifted programs may not work in inner-city schools
Education writer Jay Mathews makes a case against expending valuable resources on gifted programs in Washington, D.C., and other urban districts, based in part on the observations of a former inner-city Los Angeles principal who found that poverty and language barriers often distorted the designation of students as gifted. Mathews advocates instead for resources to be used to train educators to enrich classes for all students. The Washington Post/Class Struggle blog (12/9)

• Elementary schools promote college as the end goal
  More elementary schools are encouraging students to think about higher education from an early age by creating a college-going culture and partnering with area universities. One San Diego elementary school identifies classrooms with college names, and parents of young students at a New Haven, Conn., school will be given college-readiness checklists to make sure students are prepared. In other areas, elementary schools are arranging college visits and other programs to show students that college is a realistic goal. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (12/8)

Minn. teachers integrate movement, dance into curriculum
Some Minnesota educators are beginning to incorporate more movement, dance and the arts into classroom lessons, thanks to a two-year professional-development program. One high-school philosophy teacher asks students to consider the roles that emotion and reason play in analyzing art, and then students dance the salsa or the merengue as part of the lesson. Some teachers say students are better able to grasp the concepts of a lesson when movement is included. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (12/7) 

§  School of One upends traditional classroom learning
The School of One learning system, based at three New York City public schools, aims to combine three key components: individualized learning, advanced technology and a flexible curriculum. Every morning, students answer questions that are calculated by a complex algorithm into the students’ daily learning plan. The plan then is carried out by various modalities — such virtual or live instruction, group learning and individual, computer-based study. MindShift.KQED.org (12/9)

Opinion: Why gifted programs may not work in inner-city schools
Education writer Jay Mathews makes a case against expending valuable resources on gifted programs in Washington, D.C., and other urban districts, based in part on the observations of a former inner-city Los Angeles principal who found that poverty and language barriers often distorted the designation of students as gifted. Mathews advocates instead for resources to be used to train educators to enrich classes for all students. The Washington Post/Class Struggle blog (12/9)

§  Elementary schools promote college as the end goal
More elementary schools are encouraging students to think about higher education from an early age by creating a college-going culture and partnering with area universities. One San Diego elementary school identifies classrooms with college names, and parents of young students at a New Haven, Conn., school will be given college-readiness checklists to make sure students are prepared. In other areas, elementary schools are arranging college visits and other programs to show students that college is a realistic goal. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (12/8)

Minn. teachers integrate movement, dance into curriculum
Some Minnesota educators are beginning to incorporate more movement, dance and the arts into classroom lessons, thanks to a two-year professional-development program. One high-school philosophy teacher asks students to consider the roles that emotion and reason play in analyzing art, and then students dance the salsa or the merengue as part of the lesson. Some teachers say students are better able to grasp the concepts of a lesson when movement is included. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (12/7)

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