All About Academics: K-8

As we approach the spring thaw, things are heating up in classrooms district-wide. Our spring newsletter is chock-full of information regarding what your children are learning in kindergarten through eighth grade. We have included curriculum unit updates for K-8 content areas and loads of clickables for more information. Enjoy!

Students have just recently finished (or are finishing up) the following units:

Elementary

Kindergarten

Reading: Super Powers: Reading with Phonics and Sight Words

Writing: Writing for Readers: Writing Readable True Stories

Fundations: Tapping, Blending and spelling three-letter words with short vowels, Distinguishing long/short vowels, C or K spelling rules, and Reading Trick Words Fundations Unit 2 Letter & Fundations Unit 3 Letter

Heggerty: Home Letters: Heggerty Week 15-22

Grade 1

Reading: Learning About the World: Non-Fiction Text Sets

Writing: Non-Fiction Chapter Books

Fundations: Glued Sounds (ank, ink, onk, unk, reading and spelling words with ng, nk), consonant blends (blending and reading words with 4 sounds), New Sounds: R controlled vowels: er, ir, ur, Vowel Teams: ai, ay, ee, ea, ey, oi, oy, oa, oe, ow, ou, oo, au, aw) Suffix: s, ed, ing. Segmenting and blending 5 sounds. Reading and Spelling Trick Words Fundations Unit 7 Letter, Fundations Unit 8 Letter, Fundations Unit 9 Letter, and Fundations Unit 10 Letter

Heggerty: Home Letters: Heggerty Week 19-24

Grade 2

Reading: Tackling Longer Words and Longer Books

Writing: Writing About Reading

Fundations: R Controlled syllables (er, ir, ur), Double vowel syllable types, Review ee, ea and ey, Multisyllabic reading and spelling. Reading and Spelling Trick Words. Fundations Unit 9 Letter, Fundations Unit 10 Letter, Fundations Unit 11 Letter

Heggerty: Home Letters: Heggerty Week 19-24

Grade 3

Reading: Character Studies

Writing: Literary Essay

Fundations: “y” and suffix spelling rule, Pluralizing for words ending in “y”, Consonale -le syllable review and exception, tion/sion, R- controlled syllable combining and, writing Uppercase Cursive letters Fundations Unit 7 Letter, Fundations Unit 8 Letter and Fundations Unit 9 Letter.

Grade 4

Reading: Reading History

Writing: Bringing History to Life

Sadlier Vocabulary Workshop: Defining words, work with synonyms and antonyms, sentence completion, word associations, work with Latin/Greek roots, words in context

Sadlier Grammar Workshop: Plural nouns, contractions, comma, Verbs: past tense, future-tense, helping, main, irregular.

Grade 5

Reading: Argument and Advocacy: Researching Debatable Issues

Writing: Research- Based Argument Essay

Sadlier Vocabulary Workshop: Defining words, work with synonyms and antonyms, sentence completion, word associations, work with Latin/Greek roots, words in context

Sadlier Grammar Workshop: Adverbs, complex sentences, fragments, Verbs: linking, phrases, irregular

Middle School

Students are currently working in the following units:

Grade 6

Reading: Non-Fiction Research Across Text Sets

Writing: Argument Writing

Grade 7

Reading: Essential Research Skills: Argument

Writing: Argument Writing

Grade 8

Reading: Dystopian, Moving Into Night & The Human Experience

(In preparation for their Washington D.C. trip and visit to The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)

Writing: Literary Essay and CAPSTONE Essay.

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in English Language Arts?

Contact Kim Paladino: Kimberly_Paladino@Greenwich.k12.ct.us, head to our website, or click on the banner below.

In the grades listed below, students are working on topics related to:

Elementary

• Kindergarten: My Place & Me
• Grade 1: Our Needs as a Community & Geography
• Grade 2: Remembering the Past
• Grade 3: Colonial CT & Indigenous People
• Grade 4: Social Responsibility
• Grade 5: The American Revolutionary War

Middle School

• Grade 6: The Americas (Middle America, South America) and the Caribbean
• Grade 7: Sub-Saharan Africa
• Grade 8: Expansion of the Early Republic, Slavery, Sectionalism and the Civil War

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in Elementary Social Studies? Contact Tara Fogel: tara_fogel@greenwichk12.ct.us. Want to learn more about what your child is learning in Middle School Social Studies? Contact Tom Healy: thomas_healy@greenwich.k12.ct.us, or head to our website.

Elementary

Please look for the family letter that comes home before each chapter. These letters provide context, learning targets, and success criteria for the chapter.

• Kindergarten: Count to 100: Next unit: Identify Two-Dimensional Shapes.
• Grade 1: Measure and Compare Lengths; Next unit: Represent and Interpret Data.
• Grade 2: Measure and Estimate Lengths; Next unit: Solve Length Problems.
• Grade 3: Understand Fraction Equivalence and Comparison; Next unit: Understand Time, Liquid Volume and Mass.
• Grade 4: Relate Fractions and Decimals; Next unit: Understand Measurement Equivalence.
• Grade 5: Divide Fractions; Next unit: Convert and Display Units of Measure.

Middle School

Middle schoolers are past the halfway point in their respective courses.

• Course 6: Algebraic Expressions and Properties; Next unit: Equations
• Course 6A: Algebraic Expressions and Properties, Next unit: Equations
• Course 7: Percents; Next unit: Probability
• Pre-Algebra 6 & 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation; Next unit: Real Numbers and the Pythagorean Theorem
• Pre-Algebra 8: Data Analysis and Displays; Next unit: Functions
• Algebra: Polynomial Equations and Factoring, Next unit: Graphing Quadratic Functions
• Geometry: Right Triangles and Trigonometry, Next unit: Circles

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in math? Please visit the support on our website for access to support videos and topics to practice. Contact Mike Reid: mike_reid@greenwich.k12.ct.us, or head to our website.

Spring means Science! Students in grades K through 8 are flying into their final units of instruction from April through June. We continue to refine our skills with data analysis, using evidence to support our claims and showing what we know through models.

Elementary

Students in Grades K through 5 spent this winter continuing to grapple with science and engineering practices and documenting findings in science notebooks. In April, all students finish their second instructional unit and move on to Unit #3. In the grades listed below, students are working on topics related to:

• Kindergarten: Finishing up Weather; Next Unit: Tools for Science
• Grade 1: Finishing up Sun/Moon/Stars; Next Unit: Survival
• Grade 2: Finishing up Land and Water; Next Unit: Interdependence in Ecosystems
• Grade 3: Finishing up Earth's Materials; Next Unit: Plant & Animal Adaptation
• Grade 4: Finishing up Electricity & Magnetism; Next Unit: Energy Transfer
• Grade 5: Finishing up Natural Resources; Next Unit: Climate

Students in Grade 5 will also be taking the NGSS Assessment in April/May.

Middle School

As our middle school students continue to spiral through content, they are getting more savvy in their science and engineering practices. Currently, students in the middle school classroom are in their third unit of the school year. Students continue to engage in scientific explanations, analyzing data and scientific argumentation based on findings.

Topics Coming Up:

• Grade 6: Thermal Energy and Climate: How do people use technology to survive in regions with extremely hot or cold climates?
• Grade 7: Cycling of Earth's Materials: How do energy and matter cycle within the geosphere?
• Grade 8: Adaptation Over Time: How do species change over time, and should we intervene?

Students in Grade 8 will also be taking the NGSS Assessment in April/May.

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in science?

Contact Tara Fogel: tara_fogel@greenwich.k12.ct.us, or head to our website.

K-8 ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages):

We have completed our annual LAS Links assessment for all English learners in grades K-12 in order to evaluate their progress in and mastery of English language acquisition. We are so proud of all of our students for putting forth their best efforts during the testing window.

In K-2 ESOL, we are reading books aloud on animals and learning how characters and settings are important to a story. Students have explored story mapping as a bridge to begin opinion writing. In ESOL, we try to reinforce/use Fundations that are taught in the general education classroom in both reading and writing.

In 3-5 ESOL, we are reading historical fiction books and are focused on learning to read for information. We continue to familiarize content specific vocabulary in science and math in addition to building linguistic fluency.

At the middle school level, multilingual learners in the beginning classes have been expanding their vocabulary and putting it to use in the form of writing a friendly letter. Students at the intermediate level participated in a biography unit for which they chose a person and presented the biography in a Wax Museum gallery presentation. Multilingual learners in the advanced level classes are learning about the original 13 colonies and developing their writing skills through a written presentation of colonial life.

K-8 Foreign Language in Elementary Schools (FLES) and World Language (WL):

In K-2 FLES, students are learning about their families and talking about things they like to do with them, all about the places in their community and the professions people have in it, as well as food and nutrition.

In 3-5 FLES, third grade students are learning how to speak about themselves, describe animals and the places they live. Fourth grade students are learning vocabulary to name and describe their favorite foods. Fifth grade students have finished learning to talk about their different classes and the objects they need in each, as well as beginning to complete the district wide LinkIt and AAPPL tests for language proficiency.

In grades 3-5 Native Spanish Language Arts, students are learning to read nonfiction passages in Spanish to locate facts and information and Identify supporting details in nonfiction selections. Some of these topics include text about animals as well as biographical picture books.

At the middle school level, students are continuing to build their linguistic proficiency in navigating an authentic marketplace, understanding how to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and describing and introducing their friends. French students are building linguistic proficiency in the topics of activities and pastimes, school, and shopping through cultural comparison.

In 6-8 Native Spanish Language Arts students are reading fictional stories about school, short stories by famous Spanish speaking writers, and stories about family. In addition to this students are developing their writing from constructing paragraphs, retelling stories, and writing descriptive essays.

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in English for Speakers of Other Languages and World Language?

Contact Geoffrey Schenker geoffrey_schenker@greenwich.k12.ct.us, head to our ESOL or FLES websites, or click on the banner below.

Music

Congratulations to our Honors Ensemble students that recently performed with their respective groups. The Honor Choir, under the direction of Chris Powers and Robin Chenot kicked off our season with a performance and festival with our outstanding resident conductor, Sophia Papoulis. Students spent a day rehearsing Ms. Papoulis before putting on an amazing performance that included body movements and outstanding musical works. We were so lucky to have her here to work with our students.

The Honor Band, under the direction of Holly Brown and Michael Strange, featured our advanced band students across the district. The night was full of energy and music-making as their guest conductor, Meghan Cabral from Carmel High School (Carmel Central School District in Carmel, NY), worked with our students to perform engaging and challenging band repertoire. This opportunity builds relationships amongst the students in our band program in our K-8 schools. It is a wonderful chance for students to perform in a large, well-balanced ensemble, and be able to work with all of our talented music teachers across the district. It was a spectacular night!

The honors ensemble season was closed with our string students! The String Festival, directed by Aaron Lofaro and Jillian Corey, featured select string students in the district. Students got a chance to not only work with other string teachers and students across the district, but also with our guest conductors, Dana Saccomano from East Hartford Public Schools and Michele Anderson, from Westport Public Schools. The night concluded by highlighting our special Suzuki program at our Hamilton Ave STEAM school, and with a performance involving all the string students that performed that night!

This past week the GHS Electronic Music program, under the direction of Dr. Barbara Freedman and Jason Polise hosted their annual Composer’s Showcase. Students enrolled in the Electronic Music program get a chance to perform and have their work played for an audience. This time is particularly special as their friends and family get an inside look at their polished creation that they worked on in the class. Some of our composers perform their own pieces, while others coach an ensemble to play their work. This event is an intimate look at the audio engineering process and how a composition is brought to life!

Please join us later this month for the GHS Essentially Ellington Jazz Festival on March 23 at the Performing Arts Center. The annual Essentially Ellington High School Jazz Band Competition & Festival is one of the most innovative jazz education events in the world. In addition to the Competition & Festival in New York City each May, Essentially Ellington co-produces non-competitive, education-focused festivals designed to offer high school jazz bands of all levels the opportunity to perform the music of Duke Ellington and other seminal big band composers and arrangers at various locations across the country. Participating bands receive professional feedback from JALC clinicians and other jazz professionals in their own backyard. We are so lucky and excited to be hosting one of these festivals here in Greenwich!

Please review the schedule of the day! Our own GHS Jazz Ensemble performs at 8:50AM!

There are many other events happening now and throughout the school year in the Arts department. You can find a copy of the district performance calendar on the Arts academic page found here: https://www.greenwichschools.org/teaching-learning/academics/arts

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in Art or Music?

Contact Laura Newell laura_newell@greenwich.k12.ct.us, or head to our Arts website.

Professional Development

Interpreting Evaluation Results: Special Education Coordinators have been working with PreK-12 SESS staff (special education teachers, speech and language pathologists, and school psychologists, and other related service staff) on analyzing evaluation results. The focus has been on effectively utilizing evaluations in order to develop individual plans that are specific to our student’s needs.

Writing Revolution: Writing Revolution Training: Last year many of our K-2 Special Education Teachers took part in a two-day Writing Revolution Training. The Writing Revolution provides teachers with an evidence-based and proven instructional methodology, the Hochman Method. The methodology rests on explicit, carefully sequenced instruction, building from sentences to compositions. This year, many of our Special Education Teachers in grades 3-8 participated in the two day training.

Inclusion and Neurodiverse Education: Through our partnership with NYU PINE (Program for Inclusion and Neurodiversity Education), our professional assistants have been able to access online training modules to support their development in the area of inclusion. The PINE modules focus on celebrating neurodiversity, understanding and accepting differences, presuming competence, and focusing on student strengths.

Universal Design For Learning

The SESS department has been assisting elementary schools in creating an action plan to increase UDL (Universal Design for Learning) in their buildings. Through our partnership with NYU PINE (Program for Inclusion and Neurodiversity Education), our schools have developed a plan to implement strategies to decrease barriers for all students. Our district Inclusion Specialist, Rachel Rubin, has been supporting schools with the implementation of their plans.

Parent Workshops

The SESS team wants to thank all parents that attended our first CPAC Parent Workshop about understanding challenging behavior in young children. Please keep an eye out for an invitation to our next workshop which will take place in April and focus on advocating for young children with special needs.

Want to learn more about how we are providing special education and student supports?

Contact Joseph Baynes joseph_baynes@greenwich.k12.ct.us, or head to our SESS website.

The month of March signals college hoops and that in turn brings in March Madness: Tournament of Books, a school-wide reading program using brackets consisting of 16 picture books with a cohesive theme. Students and teachers alike are excited about reading and voting for their favorite picture books in the bracket as they follow their favorites move to Elite Eight, Final Four, and Championship! Themes this year range from Barnyard Animals to Chickens!

We are continuing to provide time and space to Grade 3-5 learners in keyboarding skills towards building efficiency and time management in completion of tasks that require expression in written words. It is our hope that increased efficiency will lead to becoming better communicators.

Library Media Specialists across all eleven elementary schools in Greenwich teach Digital Wellness to all of our students, K-5. While we focus on topics including, but are not limited to, Internet Basics, Responsible Use of iPads, Staying Safe Online, and Being Kind Online at the youngest levels up to Copyright, Digital Footprint, Personal and Private Information, Cyberbullying, Citations, and Website Evaluation at the beginning of the school year, we continue to reinforce these essential concepts throughout the year.

Spring also signals field trips. Working with the librarians at Greenwich Public Libraries, we are planning a visit to our local public library in the next few months, if we have not already done so this year. The First Grade Assured Experience is a great example of community partnership between Greenwich Public Schools and the Greenwich Library to provide all learners a common experience. During our visit, the librarians present a story time or book talk stories, and then give each student a library card of their own. This experience also aims to provide families information on accessing additional programming for their children.

And as always, your Library Media Specialists are at work in promoting literature appreciation in our buildings. From observing monthly themes such as Black History Month to promoting curiosity with displays revolving around topics like Snow to showcasing our latest additions to our collections, we are promoting reading through our displays, read alouds, author visits, and reading promotions.

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in Elementary Library Media classes? Contact Esra Murray: esra_murray@greenwich.k12.ct.us, or head to our website.

So many exciting things happening in the Middle School Library Media Centers as we head into these longer Spring days! Our students are immersing themselves in diverse stories and voices through our displays and celebrations of Black History Month (February) and Women's History Month (March) and also, are exploring a variety of activities through cross-curricular collaboration and Digital Literacy classes.

While using Ed Club to improve their typing skills, 6th grade Digital Literacy students at Eastern are also using Google Sheets to keep track of data, learning about their digital footprint and ways to keep their digital information private. They are evaluating websites to determine their reliability. Shortly, they will begin a research project where they will be utilizing the GPS Digital Research Tools and Noodletools, a digital citation and note taking tool, to keep track of their resources and take notes. To encourage reading for all students, the EMS Media Center bulletin boards are currently displaying a variety of new book purchases and March Madness books! Thank you to Mrs. Ginise for the wonderful bulletin board displays and to the parent volunteers.

At Central, Digital Literacy students are exercising their creative thinking and problem solving skills. In eighth grade, classes are working through a short unit using Adobe Photoshop, learning concepts such as Replace Color, Masking, Blending Modes, and AI Generative fill. Once students demonstrate proficiency with these concepts, they will then complete an inquiry project of their choice. In 6th grade, students have just started working on their prototype project, during which they will use the Stanford Design Thinking framework to identify a problem while developing a solution using Tinkercad and 3D printing to create a 3D prototype.

At Western, readers across the school are thrilled that the Scholastic Book Fair has arrived in the Library Media Center. They have been "previewing the goods" with great anticipation, and the entire reading community is ready for some fabulous new books. Students have also been playing a key role in bringing the LMC's genrefication project down the home stretch, working side by side with Ms. Ledina to determine how books can be categorized, and where those genres should live in our Library. We couldn't have made this new organization system work without direct and significant involvement from our key constituency! Lastly, 3Q Digital Literacy students in both 6th and 8th grade are working through the Research Unit of Study, which is aligned closely to core curriculum and Capstone work, and will be delving into lessons around Digital Citizenship shortly.

Want to learn more about what your child is learning in Middle School Library Media classes? Contact Pia Ledina: pia_ledina@greenwich.k12.ct.us, or Karen Ball: karen_ball@greenwich.k12.ct.us, or head to our website.

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Website: https://www.greenwichschools.org/teaching-learning/k-8-curriculum
Location: 290 Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich, CT, USA