Gearity PDS

I visit classes everyday to make sure that what we are teaching aligns to our District pacing and that we are using the District adopted curriculum. One of my colleagues shared that she provides families an overview of the main topics students are learning in each grade and tips for supporting their students at home. I plan to regularly provide a similar update, called the Peek at the Week, so you have a clear idea of what your children are learning in class.

Peek at the Week

Kindergarten

Reading - The key focus was on asking or answering questions, and retelling details in a story.

Math - the key focus was counting to 10 and comparing numbers.

Parent Tips for at home support: Read daily with your child, and ask who/what/where/why questions. Count objects at home and compare “more” or "less" with objects in the house or store.

1st Grade

Reading - the key focus was phonics instruction and nonfiction texts.

Math - the key focus was addition/subtraction to 20.

Parent tips for at home support: Read daily with your child and have your student ask & answer questions about the text they are reading. Use pictures or objects to help solve math stories where students practice counting on.

2nd Grade

Reading - the key focus was story structure, main idea, and characters.

Math - the key focus was place value and comparing numbers

Parent tips for at home support: Ask story questions such as “What happened first/next/last?” or what was the main idea. Practice spotting headings, bold words, and captions in nonfiction books or magazines. Practice skip counting and grouping objects in tens or hundreds (coins, blocks, etc.).

3rd Grade

Reading - the key focus was exploring fiction and nonfiction texts, focusing on describing characters and their actions, understanding word meanings in context, and identifying key ideas and supporting details.

Math - the key focus was on understanding multiplication and division concepts through repeated addition, equal groups, and arrays. Students also practice applying the distributive property.

Parent tips for at home support: Read a short story or article together, then ask your child:

“What lesson did the character learn?” or “What was the author trying to tell us?” Practice skip counting by 2s, 3s, 5s, and 10s to strengthen multiplication fluency.

4th Grade:

Reading - the key focus was reading informational texts to identify main ideas, supporting details, and explain relationships between ideas. They also practice citing evidence directly from the text.

Math - the key focus was on multi-digit place value, rounding, and applying multiplication and division strategies to solve problems.

Parent tips for at home support: When reading nonfiction texts, ask your child to explain the main idea of each paragraph and to point out details that support it. Use multiplication flashcards or math apps to build fluency with larger numbers.

5th Grade

Reading - the key focus was analyzing informational texts to understand different viewpoints on the same topic and evaluate arguments and evidence used by authors.

Math - the key focus was exploring how to write, interpret and evaluate numerical expressions.

Parent tips for at home support: Encourage your child to read two short articles or book excerpts on the same topic and discuss how the authors’ perspectives differ. Ask your child to explain how they solved a math problem; explaining the process builds deeper understanding.

3rd Grade Fall OST: Next week our 3rd grade students will be taking the Fall Reading OST on Wednesday and Thursday. Students who pass the Fall test (results come in December) will have met the 3rd grade reading guarantee requirement for promotion to 4th grade. Students are expected to score proficient in April so if they pass early that is great. Please make sure that your students goes to bed early on Tuesday and Wednesday night and eats a good breakfast the mornings of each part of the test. All families are encouraged to attend the Family Math and Literacy Night in November where you can learn at home strategies to help your students build on their school learning.

Attendance: We have seen an improvement in our absenteeism rate since last week so thank you for getting your children to school. Again, we can not teach an empty seat! I am sharing guidance from the Ohio Department of Health about the measles vaccine as there has been an uptick in the illness nationwide. When reviewing the graphic below please note that Ohio law requires 14 vaccinations for pre-K students and 10 for school age children.

Parent Teacher Conferences: The CHUH Schools schedule elementary conferences for the end of quarter 1 and quarter 3. Our Fall conferences will take place on October 23rd from 1pm - 7pm and October 24th from 8:30 - 11:45. Home room teachers will reach out in the next two weeks to schedule your conference. At the conference, the teacher will review your student's performance on beginning of the year nationally normed assessments and classroom based assessments. The teacher will also share information about your student's performance in class and discuss any supports that are needed to help them with mastering grade level standards. If you are unavailable during the conference dates, you can schedule a meeting with your children's teacher during their planning time throughout the school year. We are partners in your student's learning and look forward to developing a productive working relationship with your family.

PTA: Please consider joining the PTA! We are hosting an recruitment drive where the homeroom that has the most parents join the PTA will win an ice cream party. I just paid the $7.50 to join so the price is very reasonable. You do not need to attend all the meetings but we are asking that you consider volunteering for one of our PTA events this year. The next opportunity to volunteer is the Book Fair which will take place the week of the Math and Literacy Night! We need help with set up, the preview days, purchase days and break down. Thanks in advance!

School Supply Lists: Gearity Elementary

Food Service: You can see the monthly menus by clicking on this link.

Registration Information: New student registration can be completed online or in person. Find instructions, required documents, and contact information here. Please share the registration link with new neighbors or friends who may need help getting their children registered for the start of the school year.

Student Code of Conduct: Link to the Student Code of Conduct and Anti-Bully forms.

The District has adopted a plan for communications with persons with disabilities, which is available at the following link: Communication Plan. The plan establishes procedures to ensure that the District's communications with persons with disabilities, including applicants, participants, members of the public, and companions with disabilities, are as effective as its communications with others.

October 20th - 22nd Spirit Week!

October 23rd - No school Records Day and Parent Teacher Conferences in the PM

October 24th - No school Parent Teacher Conferences in the AM and Teacher PD

October 27th - Picture Retakes

October 28th - PTA Meeting (Planning the Book Fair)

October 29th - 3rd and 5th grade vision and hearing screenings

November 4th - Election Day (No School for Students and PD Day for Staff)

November 11th - Mobile Dentist

November 13th - School Market

November 17th - 21st PTA Sponsored Book Fair (Volunteers Needed)

November 19th - Family Math and Literacy Night

Email: p_mcnichols@chuh.org
Website: https://www.chuh.org/gearityprofessionaldevelopmentschool_home.aspx
Location: 2323 Wrenford Road, University Heights, OH, USA
Phone: 216-371-6515