Students enjoyed discovering what they have in common! When they figured out what they had in common, they wrote that fact on an index card and used all of the index cards, along with their LIFESKILL of perseverance, to create a friendship tower!
Hello, families! We are having a wonderful first full week of school!
Field trips: Please see the field trip letter going home in this week's communication folder. You will need to log on to Parent Portal to complete a field trip permission form, as well as, pay for your child's trips. As you fill out the form, make sure you complete each blank/box, in order to move forward with the process. Please contact Mrs. Robinson in the front office, if you have any questions!
Field Trip Payment Instructions
- · Log into Parent Portal
- · Select Student Fees
- · All fees will be selected, unselect any fee you are
not paying.
- · Go to your cart to make payment (If you are paying
partial payment, there is a blue partial payment button) click on the button
and input the amount you are wanting to pay and then update the cart.
- · Return to checkout and the updated amount will be in
the cart ready for payment.
Transportation: If your child's transportation has changed (or is ever is different than usual throughout the school year), please send a note with your child to school.
Passwords: As soon as passwords are finalized, your child will have his/her password sheet stapled into his/her agenda. Thank you for your patience!
Communication folders: Graded work will start going home in next week's communication folder. Please sign the communication log once each week, to note that you have viewed the items inside. Please keep the communication log in your child's folder. The folders will need to be returned Fridays or Mondays.
Mastery Connect: Several math and ELA assessments will be given online this year, using a new site called, "Mastery Connect." Please see a message from our administration, regarding this new tool below:
A key to effective instruction involves using ongoing formative assessment data to gauge students’ progress and guide classroom instruction. In an effort to most effectively assess students’ mastery of the South Carolina College and Career Readiness Standards, several schools in Richland School District Two have been utilizing an assessment tool called MasteryConnect. MasteryConnect empowers teachers with a method to monitor student performance and access a bank of assessment questions aligned with grade level standards and rigor expectations. We are excited that our Bookman Road teachers in grades 2-5 now have access to this resource!
What is MasteryConnect?
MasteryConnect is an online teacher tool and student assessment platform. It allows teachers to efficiently and effectively determine what your child knows and doesn’t know based on standards. Students can take a variety of different assessments and get results instantly. The results are displayed by standard, so while students will still get an overall percentage on any assessment taken, the focus is on the mastery level of each standard. In most cases this is displayed by 3 colors red (remediation), yellow (near mastery), and green (mastery). These colors help teachers, students, parents, and leaders know exactly where your child is on the learning continuum and respond to that data. Based on this information, teachers are able to make adjustments to their lessons as it may be appropriate. Data may suggest that the teacher is ready to continue as planned, the teacher may need to re-teach the lesson, or the teacher may need to group students and differentiate instruction based on individual student needs.
What is Mastery Learning?
Mastery Learning refers to teaching in alignment with our South Carolina standards and providing feedback during the learning so that students can “master” a specific skill and/or concept. Teachers therefore, are able to assess not just using long end-of-unit tests, but also short, quick daily assessments so that students get more immediate feedback, and more learning can take place.
We are continuing to expand our resources to better “light the way” in academics. We are excited to have access to this resource and are anticipating greater levels of student engagement and academic success! Looking ahead to next week: Students will continue studying human systems, industries, natural resources, and major cities of South Carolina. Just a reminder: they will receive their first social studies study guide Wednesday, September 4. It is due Wednesday, September 11 (the day we will go over it in class). As mathematicians, the children will wrap up their Topic 1. They received a study guide Wednesday, August 28. It is due Wednesday, September 4. Students will have their first math test Thursday, September 5. They will then kick off Topic 2 with addition and subtraction properties and meanings. Be sure to check out our Topic 2 family letter below. As writers, students will continue working on their narrative writing unit. In reading, students will continue building their reading stamina and discussing how to choose a "just right" book. They will also take their reading inventory tests, which will determine their lexile levels for the first nine weeks. The children will have their first spelling pre-assessment. It will contain all of the kindergarten high-frequency words. These will be checked for accuracy and go home next week with a letter explaining how we do spelling in third grade. Students will also complete their MAP reading test next week.
Open House: I hope you'll be able to join me at Open House, Thursday, September 5 (6:00 - 6:45). I will be highlighting some important points from my Open House booklet. If you are unable to make it, no worries! You'll receive a paper copy in your child's communication folder Thursday, September 12.
Thank you again for all of your support and enthusiasm! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
