From the Desk of Mrs. Francis
Students came back from holiday break ready to learn! Kudos to our students for their awesome effort during our winter benchmarking period. Their hard work is paying off!
Next week, teachers will participate in our second Data Day of the school year. During these meetings, grade level teams will analyze current student achievement data in order to effectively plan for instruction. This type of planning requires teamwork, and leads to powerful changes for our students. Guardians will be notified if their child is in an intervention group for math, reading, or writing.
In addition, our most recent faculty meetings were centered around analyzing RICAS scores. As a team, we celebrated successes and identified areas of need to improve student outcomes. I am proud to be part of a team that is committed to continuous improvement for our students!
Thank you for your ongoing support! We look forward to continuing our partnership with families as we enter the second half of the year.
Best,
Courtney Francis
SFE RIDE Report Card
In 2018, as part of the state’s updated system of school accountability under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), the federal education law, Rhode Island created a new Report Card platform to show how schools are performing.
A major component of the Report Card platform is School Accountability. Within the accountability tab, you will find the data that are used in evaluating school performance, from traditional measures like test scores, to broader measures like chronic absenteeism for students and teachers.
Parent Tips for Building Math Skills at Home
Communicating with Children Using Math Language
Talking About Math:
Talking about mathematics with your child – whatever his or her age – helps strengthen his or her mathematical reasoning and understanding. Some ways to keep the talk engaged and focused while you support your child include:
Revoice - Repeat what you heard your child say, then ask for clarification (e.g., “So you are saying it’s an odd number?”).
Repeat/Restate – Ask your child to restate your reasoning (e.g., “Can you repeat what I said in your own words?”).
Reason – Ask your child to apply his or her own reasoning to someone else’s reasoning (e.g., “Do you agree or disagree? Tell me why.”).
Adding On – Prompt your child to participate further (e.g., “What more would you add to that?”).
Think Time – Wait several seconds (try five) to give your child time to think (e.g., “Take some time to think.”). You may be surprised by how hard it is to stay silent in that time!
Everyday Mathematics:
Daily Decisions
We all use mathematics daily in what we do. Involve your child in using numbers to solve problems and make those everyday decisions with you. For example:
- “Do we have enough plates and utensils for all the guests coming for the birthday party?”
- “We are doubling this recipe. How much of all the ingredients will we need?”
- “We are fertilizing the lawn. The fertilizer bag covers three square meters. How many will we need?”
- “This store is selling the game you want for 20% off of $27.00. That store is selling the same game for $19.99. Where should we shop?”
Growth Mindset in Math
In general, a growth mindset is the belief that intelligence and ‘smartness’ can also be learned and that the brain grows from experience and effort. The opposite, a fixed mindset, is the idea that you are smart, or you are not. In math, that translates into “some people are good at math, and some are not.” Did you know that praising efforts rather than intelligence or results can impact your child’s ability to persevere in challenges?! The goal is to have children thrive on challenges and see failures, not as a sign of low intelligence, but as a learning opportunity. Brain research tells us that making mistakes actually wires more connections into the brain! When a person has a growth mindset, they accept challenges, see their efforts as worthwhile, and are open to learning from mistakes. Students with a growth mindset achieve at higher levels than those with fixed mindsets. How can you help? Some simple ways:
- Adding “yet” when they claim they are “not good at this” (Respond: “You are not good at this yet.”)
- Ask questions that focus on their effort and choices and get them to reflect on satisfaction of that effort (e.g. What did you learn today? What mistake did you make that taught you something? What did you try hard at today?)
- Model this yourself as you share about your day
Source: EduGains. Permission granted to school leaders to include these ideas in communications (e.g. newsletters, websites) with parents/guardians.
Surveyworks Window is 2/27-3/10
- SurveyWorks is a statewide survey sent out annually to students, families, and teachers to hear from Rhode Islanders directly about their experiences in our state's public schools.
- SurveyWorks will be given to all students in grades 3-12, parents, teachers, support professionals and building administrators.
- The Rhode Island Family Survey is for all parents to complete. Parents of students receiving special education services will receive a single survey that combines the Rhode Island Family Survey and the Special Education Survey.
- Our chosen window is February 27th-March 10th. Please be on the lookout for Steere Farm's special code!
Outdoor Recess
Students will continue to have outdoor recess, weather permitting. Please ensure your child is dressed for these conditions, and have a coat, hat and gloves in their backpack. When it snows, students who bring in proper gear (snow pants, boots, gloves, etc.) are permitted to play in the snow!
PTA Meeting
The February PTA Meeting will be Wednesday, February 8th at 6:30 pm in the SFE library or via Zoom. Please join us, we have so much to plan for the second half of the school year!!
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2289417724?pwd=RUdZVXhSSzlzYmpreld0QmE4SWZEdz09
Volunteers Needed for Indoor Recess
Someone Special Dance Committee Members needed!
Stay in Touch!
Email: francisc@bsd-ri.net
Website: https://sfe.bsd-ri.net/
Location: Steere Farm Elementary School, Steere Farm Road, Pascoag, RI, USA
Phone: 401.568.1350
Twitter: @Mrs_Francis7