parent+evening

Tuesday, September 6th, 2011 Dear Parents,
 * Pre-Kindergarten Parent Information Night **

Thank you for coming tonight! My name is Grazyna Molik-Kubak. I have been teaching for 11 years and it is my seventh year at WIS.

I graduated from Wroclaw University and attained three Master Degrees. Two in Education and Education of Languages and one in Cultural Studies.

I chose Speech Therapy as a specialization of my Postgraduate Studies at Wroclaw University.

This year we will be teaching using the Primary Years Program, which is part of the International Baccalaureate program. We will have four units of inquiry throughout the year, where we will integrate Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science. We will follow IB Mathematics Scope and Sequence documents to make sure all necessary skills are covered for both age groups. We will use the Daily 5 as a method for teaching reading, writing and spelling..

The PYP is an approach to teaching that focuses on the development of the whole child and looks at all of a child’s needs – academic, social, emotional, etc. It also encourages students to become active, compassionate, and lifelong learners. This year, students will focus on four trans-disciplinary themes of global significance: • **Who We Are **– When we start school we learn to work well as a group.  We will try to discover the ways of creating good reationships in our classroom and within school community. The rights and responsibilities we have as students. • **How The World Works ** – Water and Sand. Looks, Sounds, Feels. An inquiry into properties of sand and water; into nature and its laws. • **Where We Are in Place and Time ** – We can use our neighbourhood in different  ways.an inquiry into orientation in place and time. • **How We Express Ourselves ** – We discover the world in a unique way. We will try to explore the sourrounding wolrd throughout music, visual Art and languages we know. These themes will be used to guide your child’s learning in several of the different subject areas. Each theme, or Unit of Inquiry, will take approximately six weeks to complete exept for the 'Work well as a group' unit which will last throughout the whole school year. We will focus on each student’s development in critical thinking, questioning and inquiry through experimentation, research and reflection where the students are encouraged to question and discover what they truly believe about what we are learning in class.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Primary Years Program (PYP) **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">In addition to the Language Arts work we will be doing linked to each Unit of Inquiry, we will also follow a reading and writing development program called the Daily 5. We will ease into the program slowly, integrating each option as seems best for the class. Eventually, the students will get a choice each day on which learning option they would like to focus on: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">• Read to Self (silent, individual 'reading') <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">• Read to Someone (discuss a book with a partner) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">• Listen to Reading (using a cassette or mp3 player to assist in reading or listening to a teacher read) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">• Word Work (recognition of letters and basic spelling games) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">• Writing <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The Daily 5 is a structure that will help students develop the daily habits of reading, writing and working with peers that will lead to a lifetime of independent literacy. While the students are working independently or with a partner on the above tasks, I will be working with individual or small groups of students on reading and writing skills.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Daily 5 **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Math **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The students work will be led by IB Mathematics Learning Continuums document, concerning: Data Handling, Measurement, Shape and Space, Pattern and Function and Number. We will adjust the content of lessons and hands-on activities to the respective age level. Some of the principal themes we will be focusing on this year include: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students will be evaluated based on their mastery of the skills being taught. Consideration will be given to each individual student’s level of English fluency. The report card contains the following categories: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Assessment is based on daily class work, tests, oral participation, my observations and projects (individual and cooperative). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The year is divided into trimesters, with three reporting periods. The first reporting period will be in November, the second reporting period will be in March, and the final reporting period will be in June. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The Pre-Kindergarten students have P.E. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. Our library time is on Tuesdays, so please help your child remember to return their books on this day. Only students who have returned their books will be able to check out new ones. I have attached a class timetable to give you an idea as to when things are throughout the week and hopefully make it a little easier to remember. Please note that there was a little change of the library day due to our librarian schedule. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Please review these rules and consequences with your child. The most effective behavior plan is one in which the student, teacher, and parents all work together. __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Classroom Rules __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">1. I listen to my teachers <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">2. I help my classmates <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">3. I share <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">4. I take turns <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">5. I clean up and take care of my belongings __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Possible Consequences __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">1. Oral warning/discussion of behavior: <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> 'one' – means a warning <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> 'two' – a double warning <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> 'three' means a time out (from 1-5 minutes) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">2. A time out in the classroom to give child time to think <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">3. Loss of some recess time <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">4. In severe or frequent instances, visit with Head of School __<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Rewards __ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Students discuss and model the required behaviour at the beginning of each day. The cathegories important for a day will be underlined (I share, I help, I liste to my teachers, I clean up...). Students get stars/points if they follow the criteria of the day. The points scored will be counted at the end of a month.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Sorting and Classifying
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Counting
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">2-D and 3-D Shapes
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Number Knowledge
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Measurement
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Patterns
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Strategies for Grouping and Separating Numbers (introduction)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Strategies for Adding and Subtracting Numbers (introduction)
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Assessment/Report Cards **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">V – Very Good – The student demonstrates a consistent understanding of the subject concerned, processes the subject matter well, and communicates the results of learning clearly and efficiently.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">G – Good – The student demonstrates an understanding of the subject concerned and processes the subject matter appropriately.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">D – Developing – The student is at the developing stage and is progressing toward competence in the subject area concerned.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">N – Needs Time – The student is able to meet individual expectations with considerable assistance. More time is needed to develop skills, concepts and/or behaviors.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Weekly Schedule **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Behaviour Policy **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">The Point Board **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Birthdays are important events in our classroom, and students are welcome to host a small celebration with food in the classroom where all students can be included. If you would like to have your child host a small celebration, please let me know at least a week before the day you would like to have the celebration (for planning purposes). We are able to have birthday celebrations from 12:00 noon to 12:45. We are not able to have celebrations during snack this year. Please make sure that you bring enough food for each student in the class (17). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">It is the policy of the school that students are **not** to bring **sweets** to school for snack or lunch. They give children the wrong kind of energy, which does not make them successful throughout the day. We will at times have celebrations with sweets, but it is asked that sweets are not brought with the child for snack or lunch.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Birthdays **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Food Policies **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Students are required to play outside until 8:20 every morning. They should not come directly to the room. At 8:20 the teachers will come outside to pick up their students and take them to the cloak room. Parents should dress students in accordance to this and make sure that they have raincoats, boots, hats, mittens, and coats when necessary. Students also have two recesses each day where they are expected to go outside and get some fresh air. Unless it is raining very hard students will be sent outside and again should have the proper attire for the weather. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">One of the folders that your child brought in at the beginning of the year has been assigned as their “Take Home” folder. This folder will be sent home containing some of the students work from class, notes from the school, notes from me, their communication notebook, or anything else that I find needs to be sent home. Please check it every night and return it back to school the next morning. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">In the school supplies list one of the items you were asked to buy were small notebooks. One of these notebooks will have “Communication Notebook” written on it. I will use this notebook to send you notes about how your child is doing. I will use it to share great successes and to share concerns. I would love for you to write back to me in them with anything you think or feel about what I have written. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">This year we will have a class wikispace where I will post the Weekly Newsletter, describe what we are doing in reading, math, and the Unit of Inquiry. This will be a great way for you to follow what is going on in the classroom and to get information about the school. It is under construction right now:) but soon will have all the major information complete. Here’s the wiki: <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">http://prekwis.wikispaces.com
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Morning/Recess Time **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Take Home Folders **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Communication Notebooks **
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Class Wiki **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">I am very excited for this school year and for working with your children. It has been a pleasure getting to know them this past week. They are a great group and I am excited to work with you towards their success. Please contact me if you have any questions, concerns, or if you would like to share anything. My email is <span style="color: #0000ff; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">molik-kubak @fem.org.pl<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">or you can send me a note in your child’s take home folder or communication notebook. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Thank you!
 * <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Close **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Grazyna Molik-Kubak