Elementary Essentials

We hope to be announcing the resource that was selected soon.

Many questions continue to arise regarding the texts that teachers have available to use with students. The next series of Literacy Briefs will help to review the different types of text and how to use them with students. Below is the first video in the series:

LITERACY BRIEF 8 – Text Types: Overview and Authentic Text

Alphabet Tracing Cards are now available to download on the ELA website. You can find them in folders for kindergarten and first grade.

The following votes were received from teachers: 58 - 1st grade, 3 - 2nd grade, 41 - 3rd grade, 3 - 4th grade, and 3 - 5th grade. Kindergarten was not surveyed because they teach letter formation as part of daily phonics instruction and use the workbook for practice. See summary of the responses below.

The survey revealed that most teachers find the practice pages useful and are using them for instruction and practice. The district will continue to print these pages for first and third-grade teachers. The practice pages will be sent to schools at the beginning of the school year. There are additional handwriting resources on the ELA website.

Here are some commonly questions asked by teachers and responses to those questions:

First Grade

Q: Why aren’t the practice pages bound together?

A: The pages were intentionally left loose. We want students to be able to write on a flat surface rather than dealing with a left-hand binding or a thick packet that alters the placement of the hand.

Q: Is there an electronic version of the practice packets are on the ELA website?

A: Yes, they are available on the ELA Website in the Handwriting folder

Q: Can we have more practice pages?

A: Once you have explicitly taught all of the letters, the goal is to hold students accountable for letter formation in assignments where they are writing text. We will work on uploading more practice pages to the website.

Q: What is the order of teaching the letters or a scope and sequence to follow?

A: The pages that you were sent are the order that the letters should be taught. We will work on scope and sequence documents to be accessed on the ELA website.

Q: Is there a lesson plan structure for teaching handwriting?

A: Following the same routine each time you teach a letter is best practice.

• Explicitly teach the letter formation and stroke talk (provided on the ELA website) while students watch you model.
• Students then complete guided practice as the teacher watches students to make sure the stroke is formed the correct way. Provide corrective feedback on letter formation.
• Students complete the practice page with that letter. It is critical that students focus on the quality of the letter formation during this practice.
• Teacher encourages students to transfer the letter formation to writing throughout the day.

Q: Are there videos of how to form the letters?

A: We currently don’t have videos for students to watch regarding letter formation. It may be a possibility in the future.

Thank you to all the teachers that responded to the survey about handwriting. Have a restful Spring Break!

Check out the new and improved Enrichment section of the math repository! Activities for 1st through 5th grade are organized by standard or in bundles by Eureka module, including directions and answer keys. It’s never been easier to find just the right activity to extend student learning in math.

Some of the standards/activities in IXL can be made available to students in Spanish. This option can be used as reinforcement for students who need additional practice. It is important to note that the student may not understand math terminology in Spanish in IXL, since classroom instruction has been in English. The goal for all ELs is to both develop their English-language proficiency, while at the same time elevating their math skills.

For guidance regarding the proper use of the Spanish option in IXL, refer to your ELL teacher and/or building MTSS math specialist. For instructions on how to use the Spanish option, see the following video. Click here!

Lots of information in the Science newsletter from KSDE! KSDE Science Newsletter

It includes:

• An opportunity for elementary teachers to provide feedback on documents, while learning more about the standards. This is a paid opportunity for the summer of 2024, and will take place synchronously & virtually on June 24-26, from 8am-noon, approximately 16 hours.
• Access to Science Practice Tests in Kite, which more closely resemble the rigor of the NGSS standards that students will see on the KAP Summative Science Assessment.
• National Academies Gulf Research Program.
• Book study, collaboration meetings, and more!!!

The Science Dept. could not be more thrilled to have school in session on April 8, 2024, and be able to provide students with amazing learning opportunities. On April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America, passing over Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

A total solar eclipse happens when the Moon passes between the Sun and Earth, completely blocking the face of the Sun. In Olathe, a Deep Partial Eclipse of magnitude 90.7% will be visible. The Partial Eclipse begins at 12:37 pm through 3:11 pm, experiencing the maximum eclipse at 1:54 pm when 90.7% of the Sun’s surface will be covered by the Moon. The next total solar eclipse that can be seen from the contiguous United States will be on August 23, 2044.

Solar eclipse viewing glasses will be provided for every student and staff member in the Olathe Public Schools. Teachers have access to educational classroom activities to enhance students’ experience of this unique event via the Science website.

Please check out the social studies newsletter for important social studies related items. Social Studies contest #4 can be found in the newsletter. Enter for chance to win! I hope each of you has had an amazing week. Please reach out if I can assist or support you. Thanks for all you do! ~Julie

We have several tech training sessions scheduled for March and April! Please visit the Professional Learning website for session information.

March 5: Engaging Students with Nearpod Interactives (Part 1)

March 19: Designing with Adobe Express (a GREAT alternative to Canva!)

April 16: Engaging Students with Nearpod Interactives (Part 2)

April 23: Adobe Express and Generative AI

The Department of Technology Advancement and Training is mapping our summer professional learning opportunities, and we need your feedback! Complete our Summer Tech Training Feedback form to let us know what you would like to learn OR if you’d like to express interest in delivering a training session.

Questions or need tech training? Give us a shout at techtraining@olatheschools.org!