Thursday, November 10, 2011

The next two Mondays you will have time to work as grade levels with Catherine Beals, math coach.  Bring your questions, copies of the standards, your map from June, text materials and any assessment or MTI materials you may want to use for this work.  You can use the conference area in the back of my office.
This Monday we will start with

• Kindergarten at 8:00,
• first grade at 10:30 and
• second grade from 1:00-3:30. 

The following week we will use the same time blocks.  If a grade level has a preference, let me know.


Now that you know your students, students are trusting you with information, you are seeing greater needs on their behalf and you are seeking help.  Please remember that I would like you to funnel all counseling referrals and student need requests through me.  We have people with different levels of expertise and various job descriptions to help but they are all itinerant and carry loads across the District.  I forward your emails and requests to the proper department.
 

I have been contacted by a couple of parents regarding homework.  These conversations were with parents who really try to support us and help their child with the assignments.  Most problems seem to center around our new math strategies.  Parents do not always know how to help, especially if you remove the option of using the algorithm.  I would like you to think about homework that you assign students.  Please make sure that it can be done independently or with little assistance.  You might also include supports or cheat sheets for parents with examples.  We will continue to look for opportunities to inform and train parents as to MTI strategies and rationale.  Sandy filmed students 'thinking about math' so that we can possibly post it on the website for parents to see.

Remember to alert the lunchroom if you class is planning a 'feast' during Thanksgiving week that may disrupt their normal service.  They order and plan for estimates and need to know if their numbers will be significantly altered.