2013 2014 school plan

School Plan 2013-2014

Brent Elementary School

Brent’s Vision

At Brent, we bring together a diverse learning community of students, staff and families to provide an academic, ethical and personalized foundation for success in a global society. The goal is to nurture self-motivated and joyful learners who are creative and critical in their thinking and highly capable in their communication.

Communication

• Tues News

• Weekly Communication Email from Classroom Teacher

• Communication Folder

• Progress Reports*– Families will receive a short mid-advisory progress report (4 times per year).

• Class Syllabus*– Families will receive a class syllabus at Back to School Night. Syllabi will include a long-term

curriculum plan, as well as first semester field trips, teacher contact information, as well as other classroom expectations.

• Grade levels Web sites*– Each grade-level team will have a website. It will be used to update parents and students on

homework, calendar information, homework policies, teacher contact info, etc.

*New for 2013-2014

Principal Young Office Hours (PS3-5)*

-One day/month I will dedicate a morning, 8-9am for parents to meet with me.

• PS3/PK4

• K/1

• 2/3

• 4/5

*New for 2013-2104

Staff Office Hours*

• All classroom teachers, Specials teachers, SpEd teachers, and Specialists (Reading, Instructional Coach) will dedicate 30 minutes/week, to host “office hours.”

• Will occur from 8-8:30am, or 3:30-4pm

• Pilot project for 2013-2014, more info by end-of-year

*New for 2013-2014

PS and PK: Reggio Inspired

• The Reggio-Emilia approach is based on the idea that young children learn best through hands-on, meaningful experiences.

• Children have control over the direction of their learning.

• Children are able to learn through touching, moving, listening, seeing, and hearing.

• Children develop relationships with other children and with material items in the world.

• Children are encouraged to express themselves in limitless ways, through words, movements, music, drawing, painting, building, etc.

K-5: Responsive Classroom

• Morning Meeting*

• Closing Meeting

• Guided Discovery

• Logical Consequences

• Calm Down Space

• Buddy Classrooms

*Morning Meeting will occur after an initial 10-15 minute morning work period.

Healthy School Initiatives

• Healthy Choices-DC Healthy Schools Act– No candy/sugar products will be handed out to

Brent students.• Birthdays– No candy/sugar products will be brought in for

birthdays so as to be in alignment with the Healthy Schools Act.

• Salad bar– Mon, Wed and Fri (3rd-5th)

• Recess: 45 mins/day (PS-1), 30 mins/day (2-5)

K-5: Field Trip Experiences

• Expectations*– All classes take a minimum of 5 field trips during the year that support

curriculum instruction. Four out of those five trips must consist of:• At least 1 field trip to a nature or historical site• At least 1 trip to an art gallery• At least 1 trip to a performing arts program• 1 “Capstone” Field Trip in the Spring

– Field trips are mapped out in advance for each semester to correspond with curriculum units.

• In-class Pre- and Post-Field Trip Work– Students prepare for field trips through classroom instruction– Students have an opportunity to reflect on field trips– Students incorporate learning from the field trip include future classroom

activities

* New for 2013-2014

K-5: Museum Studies

School-Wide Museum Exhibit Nights (2)• Fall: Social Studies Focused

• Spring: Science Focused

K-5: Readers/Writers Workshop

• Mini Lesson

• Conferencing

• Sharing/Reflection Time

K-5: Growing Readers

• Book Shopping

• Guided Reading Groups

• Strategy Groups

K-5: Growing Writers

• Writing Process

• Writing Units

• Grammar*– Grammar instruction will be a combination of embedding skills

into Strategy Lessons as well as explicit skill instruction. Students will be expected to master specific skills in each grade.

* New for 2013-2014

K-5: Word Study

• Word Study- “Words Their Way”*– Students will be required to learn and spell grade-

specific lists of common words known as “Sight Words.”

– Greek and Latin Roots: 4th and 5th grade

• Vocabulary– Students will be required to learn “Tier 2” 5-8

vocabulary words during each unit of study.

* New for 3rd-5th grade in SY 2013-2014

K-5: Investigations Math

• Varied Learning Experiences– Individual, small group and whole class learning

experiences.– Students will be required to take a weekly math fact quiz

and will track progress throughout the year (2nd-5th)*• Higher-Order Thinking– Activities that help develop spatial and number sense.– Students demonstrate and explain their strategies.– Students work fewer computations, but more problems

that require higher-order thinking.

* New for SY 2013-2014

K-5: Investigations Math

• K-2 Assessment– Formally at beginning and end of school year,

informally throughout school year.• 3-5 Assessment– Students assessed formally at beginning and end

of school year.– Students take the A-Net assessments 4 times per

year.

3rd-5th Grade Leveled Math*

• Six math classes: 3rd (2), 4th (2), 5th (1) and 6th grade math (1).

• Mr. Mangiaracina will teach the 6th grade math class.• All students will take a pre-assessment at beginning of

year.• The pre-assessment reflects end-of-year expectations.• Based on a assessment proficiency level, previous year

CAS scores, as well as teacher observations, students will be invited to participate in the higher grade-level class.

* New format for SY 2013-2014

Specials (PS3-5th)

• Art• Music• Physical Education• Chinese*• Library (PS3-K**)• Science (1-5***)

*Additional Chinese Class: 2nd-5th graders, one morning each week, 8-8:45am**Students in grades 1-5 have a 25 minute check-out period once a week.***Classroom teachers in grades 1-5 will be required to teach a 45 minute, weekly science block in order to support Mr. Mangiaracina’s lab science class.

Science/S.S.: 3rd-5th

• 135 minutes a week of science instruction*• 90 minutes (science) each week will consist of

a lab (taught by Mr. Mangiaracina), and the other 45 minutes will be taught by the classroom teacher.

• Classroom teacher will teach all S.S.

*new DCPS scheduling requirement for SY 2013-2014

K-5: Homework Expectations

Kindergarten:• NO HOMEWORK

First Grade:• Weekly homework packet that encompasses math,

reading and word work. Reading expectation is 10 minutes nightly

Second Grade:• Weekly homework packet that encompasses math,

reading and word work. Reading expectation is 20 minutes nightly.

Homework cont.

Third Grade-Fifth Grade• Nightly homework that includes: 30, 40 or 50 (3rd-

5th) minutes of reading and a math assignment.• Word work/vocabulary work assigned as needed.• Weekly math review packets (3rd-5th): past content,

current content, and future content. • Content homework (science & social studies)

assigned as needed.

Special Education Support

• 3 full-time Special Education Teachers (down from 4)

• 1 part-time Social Worker• 1 part-time School Psychologist

• Inclusion Program

• SST Process

• Individualized Education Plan

Brent’s Classrooms: SY 2013-2014

• PS-PK: 5 classrooms, including PS/PK multiage, 5 aides

• K: 2 classrooms, 2 aides• 1st: 3 classrooms, no aides*• 2nd: 3 classrooms*• 3rd: 2 classrooms• 4th: 2 classrooms• 5th: 1 classroom* New for SY 2013-2014

Kindergarten

• 24-25 students per class

• 30-minute Lunch with First Grade

• Morning and Afternoon Recess (45 minutes total)

• Specials: Art, Music, Library, P.E. & Chinese

• Daily Instruction:– 120 minutes of ELA– 90 minutes of Math– 45 minutes Academic Choice Time

First Grade

• 17-19 students per class (projection)

• 30-minute Lunch with Kindergarten

• Morning and Afternoon Recess (45 minutes total)

• Specials: Art, Music, Science, P.E. & Chinese

• Daily Instruction:– 120 minutes of ELA– 90 minutes of Math– 45 Science / Social Studies

Second Grade


• 60-minute Recess/Lunch with Third Grade


• Daily Instruction:– 120 minutes of ELA– 90 minutes of Math– 45 Science / Social Studies

Third Grade


• 60-minute Recess/Lunch with Second Grade


• Daily Instruction– 120 minutes of ELA– 90 minutes of Math– 45 Science / Social Studies

Fourth Grade


• 60-minute Recess/Lunch with Fifth Grade



Fifth Grade

• 16-20 students (projection)

• 60-minute Recess/Lunch with Fourth Grade



In-School Enrichment Opportunities

• BURST (Reading)

• War College (Reading/Math Mentors)

• Everybody Wins (Reading Mentors)

• Literacy Enrichment (Ms. Cruz)

Extended-Day Academic Enrichment Opportunities

• Math Academy (DCPS sponsored)– Twice a week, one-hour sessions.

• Extra Chinese Class: 2nd-5th graders, 8-8:45am, once a week (for now!)*

* New for SY 2013-2014

Afterschool Sponsored Clubs*

• Odyssey of the Mind (Grades 4-5)• Spelling Bee (Grade 1-5)• National Geographic Club (Grade 3-5)• Continental Math Club (Grades 2-5)• Brent Newspaper (Grades K-5)• Girls on the Run (Grades 2-5)• Young Women in Math (Grades 3-5)• Bird Watching Club (Grade 1-5)• Pottery Club (Grade K-3)• Cartoon Club (Grade 3-5)• Debate Team (3-5)• Ceramics (2-5)

*Subject to change

How Do We Get There?

Questions/Comments?

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2013 2014 school plan

Education

field trips students

assessment students

grade vocabulary students

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classroom instruction

postfield trip work

grade math class