Tamarack Elementary

News form the Lodge November 2024

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Hello Winter...my old friend.

Greetings Tamarack Families,

Hope this finds you warm on these chilly (but sunny) days! Conferences are around the corner, here are a few notes on what to expect.

I will pull out all the Lost & Found for conferences in the main hall as you enter through the front doors (off the Kinnaman side parking lot). Following conferences, during the week of Thanksgiving, I will have it out undercover by the front office in case you didn't get a chance. Many items are also left from our turf field when evening and weekend events take place, I'm hoping this will provide an opportunity for others to check out what has been left behind. Students have access to the Lost & Found daily during their lunch/recess, it is in the cafeteria for this purpose.

Conferences are quick, but they are a good opportunity for you to share your child’s feelings about school, their interests and any insights in how to support them here academically and socially. Most importantly, your hopes for your awesome kid! Teachers will provide you with their most recent assessments, progress in subject areas, strengths and any needs that can be supported at home.

You are welcome to bring your child/children to the conference but you do not need to. Oftentimes, students want to share and/or can be engaged in the conversation based on their age and ability to take ownership, however conferences are about 20 minutes in length (very quick!). So you can decide what would work best for you during this opportunity to meet.

We will also have an Unforeseen Closure Form for you to sign, stating how you best want your child to go home if there is an unexpected closure. This doesn't happen often, but in the event (for example) a snow storm w/early release, it is required for us to have this on hand.

Additionally in the main hall you can meet and visit with our PE and Music Specialists, Mrs. Goldman and Mr. Majdrich. There will also be a table of resources from our school counselor, Holly Goritz and a short pencil/paper survey for families, to inform us on how we may improve and/or keep on keeping on.

Looking forward to seeing you all here and a big thank you to our Tamarack Community Group for providing a meal during conferences, we appreciate it very much! You can follow the group on facebook:https://www.facebook.com/tamarackcommunitygroup/

Curriculum, Assessments & Grading- overview

Some very good questions have come up around what standards are taught each year and with what materials. Here is a link to information regarding curriculum and grading in all elementary schools in the Hillsboro School District: https://www.hsd.k12.or.us/departments/office-for-school-performance/teaching-and-learning/curriculum

Additonally, here is information on Oregon Department of Education Standards based report cards: https://www.hsd.k12.or.us/departments/office-for-school-performance/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/elementary-report-card

Below is a very quick overview of the current curriculum we utilize. Our curriculum goes through an adoption process that includes students, staff in a piloting process and community members on a curriculum advisory committee. Know that we also bring in unique pieces, to increase student engagement and build prior knowledge around topics before we tackle them. Teachers will also support students with field trips, project based learning opportunities, guest speakers as well as with their own unique expertise and experiences.

Currently, Wonders through McGraw Hill is our Language Arts curriculum. We also utilize Heggerty and UFLI Foundations for early literacy skills (phonics and phonemic awareness), a balanced approach of both learning to read and reading to learn based on student needs and strengths.

For Math, Kindergarten through 5th grade we use Bridges from the Math Learning Center, this adoption has accompanying interventions to support specific math domains. Additionally, we use Building Fact Fluency (Zaner-Bloser). In 6th grade students transition to CPM (College Preparatory Math), for a bridge to middle school. We are currently in the midst of a math adoption process.

Amplify Science is our science adoption and most recently (being implemented this year) TCI (Teacher Curriculum Institute) will be utilized for Social Studies instruction. We also teach English Language Development to all students based on their individual skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening; communications skills; our ability to receive (listen, read) information in order to make meaning and share our thinking (speak, write).

There are three opportunities (sometimes more) for targeted small groups. In our English Language Arts 90 minute Block, during our 60 minute Math block and the again during WIN (What I Need) at the end of the day. WIN time can encompass a range of interventions to support growth as well as enrichment to build on existing skills. Our teaching teams work together to create groups that meet both.

We assess students regularly following the end of a unit of instruction and less formally daily. District wide we have three assessment periods (Beginning of the Year, Mid year and in the Spring). Once a student is in 3rd grade we begin state testing (Smarter Balanced Assessment) in Language Arts and Math. In 5th grade only the state also assesses Science. You will be notified of state testing times closer to the date. The English Language Proficiency Assessment (ELPA) is given to students beginning in February who receive ESL Services (English as a Second Language) Kindergarten through 6th grade until they gain proficiency in the four domains of speaking, listening, reading and writing.

This can feel like a lot of information! Know that we have a thoughtful schedule with a focus on chunking academic content times with breaks and differentiation based on your unique child. School should also be fun with an emphasis on community building ♥️