Mammoth Mailing

Dear Winfield Elementary Families,

I hope this letter finds you all well and that you’ve had a fantastic start to the school year. As we settle into the month of October, I want to share with you some important updates, exciting events, and celebrations happening in our Winfield Elementary community. The fall season brings new opportunities for learning, creativity, and growth, and we are thrilled to continue supporting your child’s educational journey.

Important Dates for October:

• Thursday, October 3rd: Schools Closed for Professional Development
• Tuesday, October 8th: After-School Clubs Begin for Grades 3-5
• Thursday, October 17th: Fall Festival from 5:30-7:30
• Friday, October 18th: Schools Closed for MSEA Convention
• Thursday, October 24th: Kindergarten Parent Night (Please RSVP)
• Tuesday, October 29th: Fall Picture Day with Classic Photography
• Thursday, October 31st: Schools Close 3-hours Early at 1:00pm for First Marking Period Ends
• Friday, November 1st: Schools Closed for Professional Development

Academics Update:

This month, our students are diving deeper into their curriculum, and I couldn’t be more impressed with their progress! From exploring new math concepts to engaging in reading comprehension activities, their hard work is showing. Please continue to support your child by reading together at home, discussing what they’re learning, and encouraging them to stay curious.

Additionally, looking forward, Parent-Teacher Conferences are scheduled for Tuesday, November 19th. Stay tuned for more details about sign-ups and conference format in the coming weeks from your child's teacher.

Safety Reminders:

As we enter the fall season, it’s important to remind everyone about school safety, particularly regarding drop-off and pick-up procedures. Please:

• Ensure that students exit from the curbside of the vehicle.
• Follow all traffic rules and be cautious of students walking.
• Refrain from parking in bus lanes or blocking crosswalks.
• Ensure you are using sidewalks and crosswalks when coming and leaving school.

Your cooperation helps keep all our students safe. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

Uniform Reminders:

This is a friendly reminder that Winfield is a uniform school. Students are expected to be in uniform every day, except on designated "dress down" days. These special days will be communicated to families in advance, and you will receive a phone or text reminder prior to the dress down day.

Supply Need:

Please remember to send a pair of headphones with a microphone to school for your child. These are needed for our new AMIRA phonics web-based program to ensure students can fully participate and benefit from the lessons. If you have not already done so, please send these in as soon as possible. The link for recommended headsets is here:

Office Depot: https://www.officedepot.com/a/products/531539/Logitech-H111-Over-The-Head-Binaural/

or

https://www.amazon.com/Nenos-Microphone-Headphones-Noise-Canceling-Comfortable/dp/B08TCLHX9H?th=1

Fall Festival & Costume Guidelines:

Our Fall Festival on October 17th is always a highlight of the season! Families are encouraged to come to the event from 5:30-7:30 for a fun-filled evening.Our Fall Festival will include games, crafts, and seasonal treats. Parent volunteers are welcome!

On October 31st students may choose to not wear their uniform and wear costumes for the day, but please keep in mind the following guidelines:

• Must follow a storybook character theme, which should connect to a book character.
• Costumes should be school-appropriate (no weapons, violence, or overly scary themes).
• Masks that cover the entire face are not allowed for safety reasons.
• Shoes are required (no slippers).
• We recommend comfortable outfits since students will be in costume during class time, with easy access for using the bathroom.

As always, thank you for your continued partnership and support. Together, we create a positive and inspiring environment for all of our students to thrive. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions. I’m excited to see what the rest of the month has in store for our school community, and I look forward to celebrating all of our students' achievements along the way.

Warm regards,

Dana Bisker

Principal
Winfield Elementary School

Fall MAP Test Administration

For Elementary School

• The Fall MAP testing window is currently open and runs through Friday, October 4 for students in Grades 2-5 (MAP Reading test only).

• STCs should be using the reports in NWEA (see STC Training PPT) or the MAP Participation Report in Power INFORM to monitor MAP Participation.

• Note About Home & Hospital Students: Students enrolled in the Home & Hospital program should test at their homeschool if they are medically able to do so. If students are not medically able to test in their homeschool, they will not participate in MAP testing. There is no paper version of the test, and Home & Hospital tutors will not administer the online test in a non-BCPS setting.

• Note About Online Learning Program students: Students enrolled in the Online Learning Program must test at their homeschool. They are loaded into NWEA, assigned with the STC as the classroom teacher-of-record. Schools must contact these students and inform them of the testing schedule.

October Fun Friday Attire

• 10/4: Wear Your Favorite Color

• 10/11: Wacky Hat Day

• 10/18: Jersey Day

• 10/31: (Thursday) Storybook Character

As we kick off our PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program at Winfield, students have been charged during the month of September to learn about and display the civic virtue: Responsibility.

The following students have been identified as displaying this leadership quality by making responsible choices involving the completion of their schoolwork, making decisions and accepting consequences, or requesting help with a problem. Congrats to our Woolly Winners for the Month of September:

Pre-K:

Draedon Mason

Fedora Eborka

Kindergarten:

Jahcia Dennis

Blessing of God

1st grade:

Kaleb Crosby

Kamau Wilson

Royal Omazu

2nd Grade:

Tristan Thompson

Navon Manning

Franxinne Padlla

Marcelo Ramos

3rd Grade:

Grace Johnson

Jayceon Dennis

Momoreoluwa Olowoyile

4th Grade:

Ethan Tabe

Favour Folaranmi

5th Grade:

Daniella Adewumi

Messiah Todd

Greetings, my beloved Winfield family! I am beyond thrilled to share what my ISDM students (3-5) have done thus far and our rousing plans for the 2024/2025 school year. We had a strong start when our class along with the other two ISDM teachers, Gregory and Riggs joined forces to help integrate our students into general education. Last year it was apparent that all our students needed to be taught tolerance and community. I took the liberty to read books to my students about inclusive and diversity! Inclusion, Empathy, and Compassion are the words that will lead us to this beautiful manifestation. On September 5, 2024, along with my ISDM colleagues we made cheese pizzas on National Cheese Pizza Day to share with general education classrooms and administration. This project was successful, and it was a touching sight to witness our ISDM students' interaction with our general education students. They got the chance to introduce themselves, give handshakes, and hugs. Enyi got the whole fourth-grade class to chant his name while he exited with a dance!

We are also making waves in the classroom! We have covered addition, addition word problems, and starting subtraction. In Phonics we have covered vowels/sounds and this week, “M” is the magic letter. One of our favorite parts of the day is reading! We use popcorn reading to read our stories aloud and we also enjoy traditional practices such as sitting on the carpet for me to read my students a story. I am excited to continue to use our life skills portion of our program to interact with the entire school community. It is also my goal to visit each classroom with my Sugar Plum Geniuses and read books of inclusion and community to close the gap of exclusion! I want to thank Ms. Bisker, Mrs. Hodge, and all our wonderful teachers for being a great support for the ISDM team!

The Pre-K students are off to a great start. We began our first unit Connecting with School and Friends. They have been learning routines and how to get along in school. Every day we read a story and have discussions. Some of their favorite stories have been Pete The Cat: I Love My New Shoes, Owl Babies and Can I Play too? . Also, they are learning the different parts of a book and rules about print. In science we have been exploring our five senses. During math we are counting and working with numbers 1-10

The kindergarten students are doing a great job adjusting to kindergarten routines! Each classroom is working on building their school family. Ask your child to teach you a breathing technique he/she has learned to help stay calm. We look forward to a fantastic year together!

In ELA, the students have been working on asking and answering questions about key details in a text, identifying the characters and setting in a story, and staying actively engaged in group reading activities. Students have been practicing basic features of print, like how to follow text from left to right, top to bottom, and page by page.

During the month of October, we will begin identifying the main topic and key details in a text, identifying the relationship between the illustrations and the text, and using a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to tell a single event and compose an opinion piece.

Last month in Math, students worked on identifying and writing the numbers 0-5, building sets of 0-10 on ten frames with manipulatives, as well as creating and extending simple patterns. In October, we will begin unit 2. We will cover topics like comparing sets of objects using the words more and less, showing different ways to make 5 and 10, writing the numerals 0-10 and two-dimensional shapes.

Homework began in September. Please see the homework packet in your child’s Take-Home Folder for their weekly homework assignments. We are also asking that children read or be read to for at least 10 minutes every night. Your child will complete homework Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Turn in their homework packet every Friday or the following Monday to be checked and receive credit.

Important Reminders:

*Label all belongings

*Bring your blue folder daily and check/remove papers every night

*Bring a snack and water bottle daily

**Bring in a complete change of clothes in case of an emergency

*Return your library book on your assigned library day

Thank you for a great start to the 2024-2025 school year! You first graders have come prepared and ready to learn. We appreciate seeing so many families coming out to support us for Back to School Night.

In math, we are working on quickly recognizing how many objects are in a collection (up to 10), without counting from 1, exploring number combinations that add up to 5 and 1, and counting by 1s, 2s, 5s, and 10s.

In ELA, reading books about making new friends and taking on new challenges. We will become familiar with new words and different activities about school. Children will also learn how to tell a story and tell one about a special moment in their lives.

In phonics, we review letters and sounds and use them to blend unknown words. Additionally, we will work on identifying rhyming words and final consonant sounds in a word.

Your child is encouraged to practice addition and subtraction facts within 10 to build fluency. Additionally, it is encouraged that you read with your child each night for about 15-20 minutes. You can ask your child questions about the story they have read to build their comprehension. Please check your child’s blue folder for homework each night. Teachers can be reached via email. Please allow 24-48 hours for a response.

We look forward to our trip to Clark Elioak’s Farm on Friday, October 11th.

If you plan to volunteer or chaperone any field trips this school year, please complete the BCPS volunteer application and training as soon as possible. Go to www.bcps.org. Click Parent tab, scroll to Family and Community Engagement, then choose BCPS Volunteers. This must be completed each school year that you volunteer or chaperone. It will remain on file until June 2025. Email or send the completed application and certificate to your child’s teacher. Thank you in advance!

We are adjusting to the new school year. Thank you for sending your child prepared and ready to learn and thank you for your support! We were happy to see many faces during Back to School Night and look forward to our partnership this year.

In math, we are determining how many more are needed to get to 20, identifying numbers as odd and even, and comparing numbers. In ELA, we identify the central idea, story elements, and retell stories using the beginning, middle, and end. In phonics, we review the sounds and use the corresponding spellings to write words that are dictated. Students are encouraged to practice addition and subtraction facts within 20 to build fluency. They are also encouraged to read nightly. Students should ask and answer questions about what is being read. Homework should be completed nightly. Please check your child’s blue folder. Teachers can be reached via email. Please allow 24-48 hours for a response.

Additionally, if you plan to volunteer or chaperone any field trips this school year, please complete the BCPS volunteer application and training as soon as possible. Go to www.bcps.org. Click Parent tab, scroll to Family and Community Engagement, then choose BCPS Volunteers. This has to be completed each school year that you volunteer or chaperone. It will remain on file until June 2025. Email or send the completed application and certificate to your child’s teacher.

Our third graders have been working hard during these last few weeks. They have been connecting with one another during morning meetings and working hard on newly learned skills.

In math, we have been working on building our knowledge of addition and subtraction patterns. They are learning to use these known patterns to help them to solve word problems and double-digit addition and subtraction. The students are also learning about place value and how to use tools in the classroom to help them with their work.

In advanced math, we have been working on building our knowledge of multiplication and the different strategies we can use to solve problems. They are learning to use these known patterns to help them solve word problems and complete number puzzles using doubles.

In ELA, we have been exploring the new reading curriculum. This curriculum is jam packed with vocabulary, writing and reading comprehension skills. They have been learning about different points of view and how to make predictions within a story. We are currently working on writing our own personal narratives by learning and understanding the writing process.

The third-grade teachers are excited to see how these students grow and learn over the next few months, with all the new content we have to offer. We look forward to having a productive and fun school year.

Welcome to 4th grade! Fourth grade teachers have been focusing on teaching students how to be responsible as they prepare for fifth grade. In doing so, we are holding them more accountable for completing and keeping up with assignments and encouraging students to take the opportunity to repair and return assignments that they did not do well on. Students should complete their homework each night, which will review the concepts and skills learned in class. Our morning meetings have been centered around ways to be responsible and make good choices. In math, we focused on multiplicative comparisons in the standard grade 4 classes, and geometry and measurement skills were taught in the grade 4 advanced class. In our science unit, “Turtle Trouble,” students are determining how injuries impact the behavior, reproduction and survival of plants and animals. In ELA, we are finishing Module 1 “What makes us who we are?” The students are publishing their expository essay about how their environment shapes their identity. Over the course of Module 1, the skills focused on are central message, main idea, and text structure. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us via email. We thank you for your support and partnership this year in helping your child to achieve success!

During the month of September, 5th grade students were becoming familiar with routines and expectations of their respective classrooms. Wearing their uniforms, bringing their blue folders in daily and demonstrating a positive attitude towards learning.

In math, our first unit focused on multiplication strategies for multiplying 2- and 3-digit numbers using strategies such as area models, ratio tables and the standard algorithm. The application of these strategies were applied to finding the volume of rectangular prisms. Other concepts taught were balancing equations and applying the order of operations to them.

In science, our first unit focused on biodiversity and how living and non-living things interact within a given ecosystem. To support this unit, we went on our first field trip to Patapsco State Park to explore nature and explore the forest ecosystem.

Welcome to a new academic year 2024/25.

My name is Korede Balogun and here are some changes that have been made in ESOL:

· ESOL {English for Students of other languages} will no longer be used to describe the program, instead, English Language Development {ELD} is the acceptable term that is currently in use for the subject.

· ELL or English Language Learners will no longer be used to refer to students who have another primary language other than English, instead they will be referred to as multilanguage learners (MLL).

Our vision for the multilanguage learners at Winfield is the same as that of BCPS which is to create a school system to ensure that all educators, leaders and community partners collaborate to support the academic and social emotional needs of Multilingual Learners (MLs) so that they access opportunities, learn, and achieve at high levels in all content areas and become college and career ready to thrive in their futures and become responsible global citizens. Let us work together to make this vision a reality.

This year we have set the audacious goal to check out and read 15,050 books. That’s about 35 books for each student! I know that we are going to reach that goal, and we are off to a tremendous start as we launch this year’s book adventure: Sailing Away with The Book Pirates. Look for more information about the Book Pirates to come home soon!

We have also had a very successful Back-to-School Book Fair! Thank you for all that supported the Book Fair because of your generosity we will be adding new books and equipment to our Library Media Center and building up classroom libraries throughout our learning community. Our Spring Book Fair will be held in May this year, if you would like to volunteer to help out please reach out and we can get the ball rolling on the volunteer process for you.

During Quarter One in Library Media Information class, we will be turning our focus to a supremely important topic of Digital Citizenship and Online Safety. Each grade level will be learning about what it means to be a good Digital Citizens and what our rights and responsibilities are as it relates to our actions in the digital world.

Fun Fact About Reading and Mental Health:

Did you know that reading for just 5 minutes a day is as valuable to mental wellbeing as walking 10,000 steps and eating five portions of fruit and vegetables!

Source: The Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2024/03/26/five-minutes-reading-blues-away-queens-book-club-study/#:~:text=The%20study%20found%20reading%20for,help%20people%20feel%20more%20connected.)

Welcome to the new school year! I congratulate all the families new to Winfield families for their hard work/diligence in getting their children's immunization records into the school in a timely fashion! Due to this diligence, we did not have to exclude any students this year for immunization non-compliance on September 16th! Great work!!

On another note, for this school year, COVID illness now falls under the respiratory illness category. It is being treated as any other respiratory illness. If someone is diagnosed with COVID, they would stay home until fever free for 24 hours (without any fever reducers) and feel better.

Please reach out to me with any questions you may have: 443-809-4711 or lnewmark@bcps.org

Wishing everyone a healthy and productive school year!

In Art, the students began the year creating their own Art Portfolios with unique creative drawings. Students were given the chance to share their artwork with their class, prompting group discussion and positive presentation skills. The students also began learning about one Element of Art: Color, by practicing using “primary” colors, and how to mix those colors to create “secondary” colors.

Pre -K and Kindergarten - In the first unit, your child will move to the beat at different tempos, learn about the violin, try playing different rhythm instruments, and begin working on good breath control and posture for singing. Your child will learn traditional folk songs, musical games, and many poems. We will listen to songs from the Maori, Hispanic, and African American cultures. All along the way, we will move to the beat. Sometimes we’ll stay in place, but more often your child will walk, skip, gallop, and dance his or her way through the unit.

1st Grade - This first unit will introduce several important musical concepts. Through listening exercises, games, and art projects, your child will learn about steady beats, melodic direction, and musical dynamics. These building blocks can provide the foundation for a lifetime of music appreciation.

2nd Grade - In our first unit your child will learn some basics about beat, rhythm, and melody, including the pitches mi and so. We will also explore loud and soft sounds and the tone colors of different instruments.

3rd Grade - In this first unit, your child will learn to play a movement game and a counting game with music. Through poetry, they will explore the concepts of rhythm and beat, learning how rhythm is written in musical pieces by using a staff with measures, notes, and rests. Listening to and singing traditional melodies from different cultures will serve as an introduction to pitch (do, re, mi) and to the special sounds—tone color— of various instruments.

4th Grade - In our first unit, students will learn about beat, rhythm, pitch, melody, and meter signatures. Your student will also learn about melodies and will be able to recognize phrases and forms in songs from around the world.

5th Grade - In this first unit, students will learn and play songs and music representing the rich cultural heritage of the United States. They will explore the concepts of rhythm and beat, learning more complex rhythms and how they are written and used. Listening to and singing traditional American music will serve as an introduction to pentatonic scales, pitch, range, and keys, as well as to the special sounds—the tone color—of various bluegrass instruments. Musical texture will be reinforced through the creation of rhythmic pieces. Students will have the chance to get up and dance while learning the musical form, a piece of swing music.

Lastly, your student will explore how dynamics are used in marching band and orchestral music and explore theme and variations form.

Hello Winfield Family!

This month in PE we will be completing many exciting activities such as team handball, practicing locomotor movements, and holiday themed games near the end of the month. Please also remember to have your students wear their tennis shoes on days they have PE so they are able to safely and effectively participate. Thank you!

Thank you to all our Community Partners (Dr. Marlene Mahipat, Baltimore County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Union Bethel A.M.E. Church of Randallstown, Weekend Backpacks of Baltimore, LifeBridge Health/Northwest Hospital, Jesus House Baltimore, and Chinyere-Florence Emmanuel Foundation) who donated school supplies to assist our families with the preparation for the new school year. We are so thankful for your partnership.

We are looking for stakeholders to join the Community School Advisory Team. The team is led by the Community School Facilitator and includes administrators, staff members, families, students, community members and community partners. The goal of the Community School Advisory Team is to improve student achievement by enhancing the school’s instructional program and support services. The team will work together to develop a vision for the school and community, determine programs and activities for the school, implement and assess activities, and make budgetary decisions regarding the Concentration of Poverty Grant. The first meeting will be held on Wednesday, October 2nd from 5:15 – 6:15 pm in the Community School Resource Cottage.

The Community School Resource Cottage is open and has resources for families that include school supplies, shoes, school uniforms, non-perishable food items, toiletries, household items, winter accessories and more. If you need resources, please contact Cortly Witherspoon at cwitherspoon7@bcps.org to make an appointment.

Families and Community Members interested in volunteering must complete a new volunteer application and complete the volunteer training each school year. Please use the following link to complete the application and training. All completed volunteer applications and certificates must be turned into your child’s teacher or Volunteer Coordinator, Cortly Witherspoon.

Volunteer Application and Training Link: https://www.bcps.org/cos/communications/FACE

Upcoming Events:

Please join us for Winfield Elementary School’s annual Fall Festival on Thursday, October 17th from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. More information is forthcoming.