THE
BROADVIEW ELEMENTARY
NEWSLETTER
VO L U M 6 : F E B RUA RY 2 0 1 7
PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE
Hello parents,
The third
quarter has
begun and we
are currently
getting ready
for the testing
season with our
intermediate
students. Our students have been working diligently
over the last couple of months and will continue
through ‘crunch time’ to get prepared the Florida
Standards Assessments (FSA). Testing begins on
February 28th with our FSA Writing Test for 4th
and 5th graders. Please work with your children at
home to help them practice for the upcoming
Testing.
Check out the FSA Website at fsassessments.org,
specifically the Students & Families tab. There are
resources and testing information located in the tab.
Another way to help your child at home is to ensure
that they are using our iReady program on a
consistent basis for at least 45 minutes a week at
home in both reading and math.
We are very proud of our teachers! They have
been going above and beyond to get all students
prepared this year and are expecting great results.
We would love your support.
Our school will also be our Science Night on
Thursday, February 16th at 6:00 pm for parents
of students in grades 3-5. This year’s theme is
“Everything about the Earth.” The Museum of
Discovery and Science will have 20 hands-on
stations for students to participate in. Local middle
schools have also been invited to attend and set up
stations for our students.
On March 1st, we will be starting our annual
American Heart Association fundraiser. Students
will be bringing home their letters and packets to
raise awareness about living a healthy lifestyle. We
will be collecting money until March 23rd when we
will have our culminating event (Jump Rope for
Heart). Students can also register online to donate
this year. Students that donate at least $5 this year,
will be receiving zoo animal key chains! Please
support the American Heart Association this year
during our fundraiser.
Excellence is expected because We CARE to do
our BEST!
UPCOMING EVENTS
February 2017
• February 16: Science Night 6pm-7:30 pm
• February 20: No School-Presidents Day
• February 28: FSA Writing Test (grades 4,5)
• March 1: Spring Pictures
• March 1-March 23rd: American Heart
Association Fundraiser for Jump Rope for
Heart.
The World of Preschool
Head Start will begin their unit on Trees. This unit will focus on helping
children develop an understanding of the characteristics of trees and their role in
our world. The children will use literacy skills, math and the arts to investigate
and express what they know about trees.
Mrs. Wiskoff's and Ms. Burciaga's Specialized Preschool classes are so
excited to be starting our new thematic unit on Our Earth, Our Home. We will
explore topics such as weather, seasons, what is found on the Earth, and ways
that we can hep keep our Earth clean. The children will be focusing on the
letters G, R, S, T in the Letter People component of the DIG curriculum. We
will also begin a unit on solid 3D shapes. We invite parents to continue to use
the Letter People App at home, as well as visiting online sites such as
ABCYA.COM, PBSKIDS.ORG, ABCMOUSE.COM, to continue to
reinforce the skills learned at school. Mrs. Daniels and Ms. Brooke’s Intensive Preschool classes will be
working on the Family/friends unit. We will be learning about different
family member what we do as a family, and how to be good friends.
Dear Parents, Kindergarten Corner
We’re already in the 3rd quarter of the school year and excited to see the progress our Kindergarten students are making! It is important that you are reading every night and having conversaAons with your child about the stories you read to help him/her with reading fluency and comprehension.
Reading/Language Arts:
•
Students will ask and answer quesAons about characters and seLngs in the story. What is the problem and the soluAon of the story. •
They will also write and illustrate about what happens first, next and last in the stories they read in school and at home. Social Studies
As part of Black History Month studies, students will research and write interesAng facts about an African American.
Phonics/Phonemic Awareness
•
IdenAfy the middle sounds (vowels) in words.
•
Blend C-­‐V-­‐C Words (3 leWer words i.e. pig, cat, dog)
Math
•
AddiAon
Science
•
DisAnguish between real and pretend
We are also planning a Field trip to Children Museum during this month.
If you haven’t already, please make it a rouAne to read to your child every night. Ask quesAons about the stories, regarding characters, seLng, and the events in the story. Encourage your child to sound out cvc words and pracAce those high frequency words. This will make your child a beWer reader.
As always, do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher with quesAons or concerns.
It’s Fantastic in 1st Grade!
Wow! We are over halfway done with our year and on the downhill slide toward second grade. But
don’t let your child’s work slide down as well! It is important that you monitor their classwork and homework
daily in order to ensure that your child continues on with due diligence and effort.
Reading reminder! Your child must be reading daily! It is so important that your child reads every
day, practicing the skills we have talked about in class. If he or she gets stuck on a word, don’t be in a hurry to
tell it to them. Struggling through decoding words is important, so allow your child to sound it out, reread, and
try to figure it out all by themselves.
In math, we are diving into graphing and then… double digits! Please reinforce what is taught at home
by practicing with your child. A great idea: you can use pretzel sticks as
tens and marshmallows as ones. Say a number between 10 and 100 and
see if your child can make the number using the pretzels and
marshmallows. Have your child model 2 different numbers. Then,
work together to figure out if the numbers are less than, greater than, or
equal. HAVE FUN with math!
Supplies! We need supplies! We are running out of glue sticks,
and could really use a bunch to get us through the rest of the year. Next
time you’re at the Dollar Store, consider picking up a pack. And… if
you child does not have his/her own earbuds or headphones, consider
picking those up too. Students use laptops every day, and will continue
to do so as they grow at Broadview, so please make sure they have this
necessary supply. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
ESE Corner
Technology does wonderful things for all kids, but if your child has a learning disability, you may especially
appreciate its benefits. It’s a bonus that kids view technology as “cool” and “fun,” and they typically learn it
very quickly.
Depending on your child’s needs, consider using:
* Computers. If you don’t have one at home, visit your local library. Computers can help your child with
reading, writing, math and more. All our students have access to I-Ready at home, which is a fantastic resource
for both math and reading. Some other resources include khan academy online, Learning Ally, etc. Ask your
teacher for their recommendations!
• Tablets and smart phones. It’s wonderful when devices can be used on the go. They can do simple things, such
as provide reminders and check spelling, or complicated tasks, such as assisting with speech. There are ample
Apps out there for all areas including, but not limited to, social skills, speech/language, learning, etc.
• MP3 players and iPods. These give kids access to recordings of podcasts and books. Some have programs that
help kids with social skills.
2nd Grade Splash
•
•
•
In Reading
We are:
Working with Literature
Ask and answer such questions as who, what, where, why, and how to demonstrate
understanding of key details in a text.
Recount stories, including fables and folktales from diverse cultures, and determine their
central message, lesson, or moral.
Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges.
In Language Arts
We are:
•
•
Using regular and irregular verbs
Writing informative/explanatory pieces
In Math
We are:
•
•
•
•
Fluently adding and subtracting within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties
of operations, and/or the relationship between addition and subtraction.
Understanding that the three digits of a three-digit number represent amounts of hundreds,
tens, and ones,; e.g., 706 equals 7 hundreds, 0 tens, 6 ones. b. The numbers 100, 200, 300, 400,
500, 600, 700, 800, 900 refer to one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, or nine hundreds
(and 0 tens, and 0 ones).
Reading and writing numbers to 1000 using base-ten numerals, number names, and
expanded form.
Comparing two three-digit numbers based on meanings of the hundreds, tens, and ones
digits, using >, +, and < symbols to record the results of comparisons.
In Science
We are:
•
•
•
•
•
Comparing changing patterns that repeat (weather, day to day, season to season)
Observing and measuring the Sun’s energy
Learning about Evaporation
Investigating air
Learning about the preparations for severe weather
3rd Grade Flips for Success
This school year is going by very quickly! Third graders are getting prepared for the FSA (Florida Standards Assessment) coming up in March. These next few weeks we will be practicing all standards and test taking strategies to help students succeed on the test. Students will be coming home everyday with homework containing FSA type questions and must be using all strategies learned in school, such underlining answers found in the story. Parents are encouraged to visit the following website:
http://www.fsassessments.org/
There is a link for “students and parents”. The students can take training tests and there are resources for parents. Parents may want to schedule conferences with their child’s teacher to Jind out other ways to support their child academically and emotionally. We want all students to be conJident with their work and do their best on the test! 4th Grade Continues to Move in the “Write” Direction
Throughout the month of February students will be focusing on the following material:
Integrated Literacy:
In Reading, students will be comparing and contrasting similar themes, topics, and patterns of events in stories, myths,
and traditional literature from different cultures. In Science, students will learn and be able to identify the physical
properties of common earth-forming minerals, including hardness, color, luster, cleavage, streak color, and recognize the
role of minerals in the formation of rocks.
Writing
Less than 20 days away until the Florida Standards Writing Assessment!!
Fourth Graders will be reviewing both types of writing, Informative and Opinion.
The focus will be on the components of an essay. Whether it is an informational or
opinion essay, students should be writing 4 paragraph essays that consists of the
following:
P1. Introduction about the topic
P2. Main Idea one/ with three supporting details
P3. Main Idea two/ with three supporting details
P4. Conclusion
When completing writing homework please ensure that students have the following components, as well as, writing
complete sentences with correct spelling and punctuations.
Math:
In Math, students will learn all about decimals. Based on their previous knowledge of place value, students will be
learning how to read, write, and say decimals. In addition, students will be able to find the relationship between decimals
and fractions, as well as, solve multi-step story problems involving decimals. Parents: As a reminder, please have your child utilize the I-Ready website for Reading and Math 15 minutes a night. It
will be tremendously beneficial in preparing your child to meet promotion criteria. If you have any questions or
concerns, please contact your child’s teacher.
5th Grade Focus
Science: Throughout February, the fifth graders will be learning how to describe
characteristics (temperature and precipitation) of different climate zones as they
relate to latitude, elevation, and proximity to bodies of water. The students will also
be able to recognize that some of the weather-related differences, such as
temperature and humidity, are found among different environments, such as swamps,
deserts, and mountains.
Mathematics: The students will be using a pair of perpendicular number lines, called axes, to define a coordinate system
and identifying a given point in the plane located by using an ordered pair of numbers, called its coordinates. In
addition, the fifth graders will be representing real world and mathematical problems by graphing points on a coordinate
plane and interpreting coordinate values of points in the context of the situation.
Reading/Writing: In preparation for the end of the month Florida Standards Assessment in writing, the students will be
provided with articles linked to various topics. In response, the students will be writing essays to express their opinions
on the article’s subject matter. During the Florida Standards Assessments, please ensure that your child receives a restful
night’s sleep.
As always, the fifth grade teachers value and thank you for your support!
Guidance Check In
Dear Parents:
The character trait for the month of February is Honesty, which means to take responsibility for one’s conduct
and obligations, and to be loyal so people can trust you. People who are honest have integrity and the moral
courage to do the right thing and to stand up for their beliefs even when it is difficult to do so.
We ask that you continue to encourage honesty with you child!
• How can you tell if your child is being dishonest with you?
Look for the following signs:
- Defensiveness
- When people are making stories up they often look down. When someone is telling a story that is
honest and true they look up like they are remembering it just as it happened.
- The long pause
- Body Language – when someone is being dishonest, they are often nervous and have physical
twitches or they will touch their face.
Title One Tidbits
We will be sending home the Annual Parent Evaluation Survey in the upcoming weeks. Please complete and
return back to school. We greatly appreciate and value your input!!
Title I will be hosting another exciting Title I Parent Training Academy meeting on Thursday, March 16, 2017,
at Boulevard Heights Elementary from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. The meeting theme is "Science" You will receive
valuable information regarding science and all the fantastic strategies and resources to help your child soar in
science!