Reading Specialist – Mrs. Suzana Adamo, Reading Annex- Media Center

All grades will be working on various skills during the second marking period. I will continue to reinforce comprehension strategies to increasing the students’ comprehension. This will be accomplished through guided reading as well as isolated instruction of strategies. The reading groups will also continually work on sentence structure and grammar to improve their essay writing.

Along with all the above the lower grades will focus on phonics and the structure of words. We will continually reinforce the short and long vowel sounds and consonant blends. This is accomplished through the use of various activities. Some of these activities include creating words with magnetic letters, dry erase boards and markers, letter beads, and stamps. Students will be working on word and picture sorts for sound discriminations of various vowel and consonant sounds. 

In addition to the above mentioned skills the upper grades will review various types of sentences, for example, imperative, exclamatory, and interrogative. We will be working on many different writing activities to create interest and spark creativity.

During the second marking period, students will be working on four square writing to help organize and elaborate their ideas into a well constructed essay. 

Read! Read! Read!

Resource Room Specialists - Mrs. Jeanne Hess, Mrs. Maria Maccarrone, and

                                                        Mrs. Mary Fernandez, RM. 101

                                                               

Language arts and math replacement classes are taught in the resource room.  Approaches and strategies are selected based on the student’s learning style and strengths and weaknesses.  We maintain open communication with the child’s classroom teacher and parents to ensure implementation of a comprehensive educational program.

To keep up with the current trend in education we also provide inclusion in various grade levels.  This model enables the student to remain in the general classroom while benefiting from the expertise of two teachers.  These teachers collaboratively instruct the students:  paying attention to learning styles, multiple intelligences and developmental levels to reach all students.

Speech/Language Specialist - Mrs. Francene Caputo, Rm. 103

The ability to communicate is perhaps the most important skill your child will acquire.  Communication skills permit children to make sense of their world, to express themselves, to establish relationships with others and to learn. Because these skills are central to success in school, early identification of a problem is crucial. Once identification is made using state dictated criteria, appropriate interventions, treatments and parent involvement will make the difference between frustration in school and a successful school experience. By the age of 5 a child should be able to carry on a conversation, hear and understand most speech at home and school, answer simple questions, and speak in a way that sounds like other kindergarten children. If you have any concerns please share them with me, as well as with your teacher. I am in the building every day. Feel free to drop me a note if you have something to share.

Basic Skills - Mrs. Linda Gallipoli, Rm. 103A

            

Marking Period Two News from Basic Skills Math

In the Basic Skills Instructional Program (BSIP), the children may play math games, work with hands-on manipulatives, explore interactive math tools and websites online, and solve pencil-and paper problems in order to practice mathematical skills and develop a deeper understanding of concepts. Close communication with grade level teachers is ongoing in order to make the program a success.  Students are generally pulled out in small groups two periods per week to reinforce math concepts that are presented in class.  In some cases, the BSIP teacher will go into the classroom and work with students during their regular math periods twice per week.

During the second marking period, students will continue working hard to strengthen their math skills.  Here is a breakdown of what each grade level will be studying both in their regular classrooms and in BSIP math.

• First graders have begun Unit 3 in Everyday Math.  Some skills they will focus on during the next few units are patterns, counting coins, telling time to the quarter hour, measurement, place value with tens and ones, addition and subtraction facts, and number stories.
• Second graders are moving onto Unit 4, which concentrates on addition and subtraction facts, number stories, and algorithms.  Unit 5 centers on 2-D and 3-D shapes, while Unit 6 deals with number stories and problems dealing with addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
• Third graders will be completing Unit 3, which focuses mainly on measurement, area, and perimeter.  Next, they will be studying multiplication and division, place value to the millions, working with decimals to the hundredths, and geometry.
• Fourth graders are beginning to work with decimals in Unit 4.  Next up will be multiplication and division algorithms and number stories, angles, and coordinates.
• Fifth graders in 5C, 5K, and 5P will be starting Unit 4 in Everyday Math, which concentrates on division.  In Units 5 and 6 students will be working with fractions, decimals, and percents.
• Fifth graders in 5D will be starting Chapter 4 of New Jersey Math Connects, the program Mrs. Dickens is piloting.  First, they will use division models to solve problems.  Chapters 5 and 6 will require then to evaluate algebraic expressions, explore function tables and equations, and follow the order of operations while solving number sentences.

To continue strengthening math skills at home, review math facts daily, whether they practice on a computer game, cell phone application, with flashcards, or orally, any practice is better than none.  Even quizzing students while you are driving students to one of their after school activities would be a great way to sneak some extra math practice into your routine.

In addition, you can also help your child by drawing pictures, making charts, or using real objects to count may help students better understand difficult math concepts,  Point out to them when ou use math in your everyday life so they make connections between the tasks they perform in school and something real.

                                                                 

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