Transcript Opening Slide - Renton School District

Welcome Families!
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Please be sure to sign in and take some paper for
notes
Read the letter your student has written to you and
respond on a separate paper or on the back
Take home the Discovery Expectations agreement to
sign with your student and return to school
Who is Ms. Thordarson?
-I play piano and guitar, and I love
to sing jazz
-I love being active and outdoors
-I am a Husky fan and a Mariners
fan
-I earned my Master’s in Teaching
and Teaching Certification from the
University of Washington and My
Bachelor’s of Arts in History, with a
minor in Education, Learning, and
Society
-I have my ELL endorsement
-I believe that teaching is the best
job in the world
Grade level overview
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Math: Multiplication up to 3 by 2 digit numbers and
Division up to 3 by 1 digit, Interpreting Data, ProblemSolving, Decimals, Geometry, Variables and
Expressions, addition, subtraction, and multiplication of
fractions
Reading: Shared Inquiry, monitoring comprehension
Science: Land and Water, Electricity and Magnetism,
Astronomy, Variables
Social Studies: Washington State history
Health: Here’s Looking at You (Drug and alcohol
awareness), Second Step
Writing: Personal narrative, research-based writing,
descriptive, and opinion; rule-based spelling
New Common Core Standards
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Fewer standards, more rigorous
Meant to prepare students for the changing world
Starting at grade level, building based on need
Smarter Balanced Assessment
Links:
 http://www.thecurriculumcorner.com/thecurriculumcorne
r456/updated-4th-grade-i-can-ccss-posters-in-greenchevron/
Links for support
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Student (and parent!) friendly goals:
http://www.thecurriculumcorner.com/thecurriculumco
rner456/updated-4th-grade-i-can-ccss-posters-ingreen-chevron/
Common Core Standards home
Smarter Balanced Assessment
Discovery Program Philosophy &
Goals
Program Philosophy
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“The Renton School District believes that
students who have been identified as highlycapable should have the opportunity to
develop their strengths and talents through a
rigorous academic program which enriches
and extends the adopted curricula; honors
students’ unique gifts, interests, and learning
styles; and promotes higher-order, creative,
and critical thinking.”
Program Goals
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Provide:
– an opportunity for highly-capable learners to
interact with peers of like abilities in order to
promote a healthy self-concept relative to their
giftedness
– an environment which encourages divergent
thinking, creative problem-solving, and higher-level
thinking
– leadership and participatory opportunities which
will enhance the community and society
– opportunities for self-directed learning
Discovery Program Documents &
Expectations
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Form and signatures
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Print and return
Intervention plan
Discovery report card
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Standards based on 4-1 scale
Looking at what students can do consistently
over time (each trimester)
Assessed as a Discovery student
Teaching philosophy
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I believe that children are the best teachers
I believe that students should always be held to the
highest expectations, no excuses
I believe that imagination is one of the greatest
tools a student can use.
I believe that diversity should be embraced and
cultures should be explored
I believe that education is a tool for selfempowerment
Classroom expectations
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We are Self-Managers
Self-manager checklist
All work completed
Working the whole time and focused
Following directions the first time
Goal setting
Respect yourself and others
Kodiak Compliments
Consequence plan
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Students earn privilege choice time each Friday
 All
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work on time, neat, and complete by Thursday
No name? No credit.
3 Strikes system
 Strike
1: Warning
 Strike 2: Loss of 5 minutes privilege and reflection
 Strike 3: Loss of 15 minutes privilege (includes the 5
minutes from strike 1) and Action Plan
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Repeated disruptions/lack of work completion will
result in parent contact: Student may call home to
explain behavior
Communication with students
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Communication journals
Self-manager checklist
Recess time, independent work, after school
Writing conferences
Class meetings
Incident reports
Curriculum
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Envision and Investigations in 5th grade
 With
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fourth grade supplement when needed
Junior Great books
Science Kits
Washington State History and simulations
Second Step and Here’s Looking at You
Writing
Curriculum map is subject to change!
Assessment
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Formative (on-going)
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Classwork, homework, performance
assessments/projects, student conferences
Some classwork is not graded, but may have a
“check” grade
Some homework is not graded, only checked for
completion
Summative
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Quizzes, tests, MAP, Benchmark Assessment
System, SRI, Smarter Balanced
Homework policies
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Weekly work due Thursdays
January twice a week
 Tuesdays
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and Thursdays
No late work accepted—homework notices sent
home to be returned with completed work
Homework is posted electronically
Consists of reading every night (no set amount
because good readers read as much as possible!),
Khan academy, IXL, worksheets, projects, writing
pieces, reading responses
Student organization
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Self-Manager Checklist
Binders
Work folder
Monthly goal sheet
Planning sheet for recording homework and long
term work that needs to be worked on at home and
at school
Conference information
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Mid-October we will send out a letter asking for
preferred dates and times
Around November we will send home a letter of
confirmation for the conference date and time.
One night will be set aside for late conferences.
Contact information
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[email protected]
(425) 204-4732
Reminder- Classroom Newsletters are posted on the
website every Friday afternoon
Specialist times
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Monday: Music 10:00-10:45 with Ms. Skinner
Tuesday: PE 10:00-10:45 with Mr. Brotherton
Wednesday: Music 10:50-11:35
Thursday: Library 10:50-11:35 with Mrs. Davis
Friday: PE 1:35-2:10