Curriculum Night

This Thursday, August 20th, is an important evening as we welcome families to the virtual "table" in order to discuss the inner workings of our classrooms. As you place the final touches on the content you wish to share, please consider yourself in the role of the parent/guardian. I also encourage you to prepare your commentary by looking through the lens of our ZCS Elementary Belief Statements (below). Please take time to review them to assist in framing your thinking.

I plan to send out a message to families ahead of Curriculum Night sharing logistics and setting the expectation that you are indeed talking about curriculum on curriculum night. We want to make explicit the purpose of your time together. To address any other matters (likely COVID-19 or other safety topics), Martha and I will be offering a form for parent questions that we will address either individually or collectively the next day. We will also be clear that this is not an opportunity to ask questions regarding specifics about their child, but this would be better communicated in a less public setting. Instead, we will encourage them to send you an email or set up a separate time to speak via phone.

If you'd also like to share out the form that Martha and I will be sending, here is the direct link below:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=YxT1X2jfNEaULqThiXcOqpdm2m5h6ZZKve5luQTNI09UQ0lSVFFLWTQ3NDdBVVZIQUNRUlhCNDAwUi4u

This is an unusual year and as we (elementary leaders) have continued our dialogue about what this change in format looks like, we have evolved our thinking. As we considered having open forum Zoom meetings without a specified agenda, we are concerned about the possibility for them to potentially become contentious, awkward, or in violation of confidentiality laws. In lieu of this, we are planning for some more controlled options to communicate with families. In the days ahead, we will be working with our certified non-classroom staff to figure out the best options for connecting with families for their specific area of specialty, Additionally, Martha and I will be sharing out with you a link for questions that you can provide to families at the end of your powerpoint to submit any lingering questions. We will then address these either individually or in a more public setting, like in the family newsletter. Even our district leaders had a moderator with pre-screened questions for their YouTube Live sessions this summer, so we want to lean into providing families with a forum for voicing their concerns that does not put anyone in a difficult position.

• This event will be similar to last year but done via digitally via Zoom.
• K-4 Classroom Teachers will still "present" their information and it will be done in their classrooms.
• Times are:
• 5:30 - KDG
• 6:00 - 1st Gr.
• 6:30 - 2nd Gr.
• 7:00 - 3rd Gr.
• 7:30 - 4th Gr.
• Last but not least, Kyle will be available to support if needed. He will be attending our Monday 8/17 staff meeting. There will also be an in-person Zoom Tutorial offered at Eagle Elementary. This is optional but if you'd like to attend, please click the button below to RSVP.
  
• Please feel to reach out to me with any questions!

Thank you to those of you who have already shared thoughts about the new online structure. Some ideas are:

• Use a waiting room
• Share your screen for your presentation.
• Record the Zoom so that you can share for those who can not make or join later in the year
• Be sure to ask parents to mute themselves as they enter.
• Set up procedure for questions (put them in the chat box, etc.)

As you plan for the night, consider what is it that you believe your parents need and/or desire to know? A growing focus should center on the curriculum and the dynamic of learning experiences for our students. Little to no priority should be given to lunch prices, start and end times of the day, etc… These items don’t reflect why families are carving out a chunk of their evening to spend time with you. To guide your thinking, I have included some ideas below. This isn’t a checklist, per se, but a compilation of what might be meaningful to infuse within and throughout your sharing. I readily recognize that your personal list is probably much stronger than mine.

• Share about you- You can begin building relationships with parents on a positive note by sharing a bit about yourself as a person- personally, educationally, professionally. What inspired you to become an educator? What brings you joy and fulfillment in your work each day? What do you believe to be true about children? I have no doubt your passion and love for children will be evident!
  
• Brief overview of the day – I wouldn’t spend much time on a schedule, but think of this as an opportunity to answer the question of “Why do we spend so much of our day on _________?” Your schedule most likely reflects what is important to you and what you believe to be important for your learners.
  
• Workshop model – As we move to more consistency with the reading (as well as writing & math) units of study, what are some of the underpinnings that are foundational to this model? For example: (1) mini-lesson components -demonstrations/model, shared practice, and independent practice, (2) conferring with learners to determine next steps that are unique to individuals, (3) developing a love for reading and reading life, etc…

Note* - If you reference the Units of Study or receive questions about our adopted curriculum for reading and writing workshop, I kindly ask that you not refer to them as "Lucy Calkins Units of Study" or simply "Calkins." I know it may sound picky, but I think it is important for us to reference the units more along the lines of Units of Study developed by the "Teachers College Reading and Writing Project at Columbia University." This gestures toward credibility that extends to a team of high quality educators and a university steeped in research rather than a single individual who happens to be the director.

• Math – We focus on conceptual thinking, explaining why approaches and strategies work, focus on real life problem-solving, etc… (I’m sure your EDM set gives you a better list. Like I said, I’m brainstorming here…)
• Second Step - Don't forget to include the use of the Second Step curriculum as it pertains to our intentionality to support students not only academically, but in their social and emotional growth as well. The Second Step curricula is an integral part of instruction throughout all ZCS elementary and middle schools and was funded via a comprehensive counseling grant from Lily Endowment.
• Goals for the year- What are your hopes and dreams for the learners in your room this year? What do you want your learners to have in their toolkit once they leave you at the end of the year?
• Communication- This is the critical work as we lean into our belief about parents as partners. Consider the power of your words when you communicate via email, newsletters, etc... Also consider our dialogue regarding our standards-based report cards we had at the start of school. What do you think a parent needs to know to understand our report card, and what can they expect? What is mastery? How do we measure it?

Feel free to share with me (and your colleagues) any items you feel especially important or valuable. I don’t want to dictate a list, but merely spark thinking to make this a meaningful experience for families. I have no doubt that the parents will see the beauty in the work you do!

• Students: At the heart of all our decision-making is the fundamental recognition that our students are capable of great things and our responsibility is to fully develop their human potential.
  
• Teachers: To maximize the impact of our learning organization, meaningful and significant relationships within the school community must drive our professional practice.
  
• Teaching and Learning: Optimal learning occurs when students, teachers, and families are reflective and are immersed in a mutually beneficial relationship that embraces continual development.
  
• Environment (physical space and culture): A safe and inviting physical and emotional environment inspires innovation, risk-taking, and powerful learning.
  
• Relationships/Community: Building and maintaining positive relationships is the foundation for significant learning.

The document with the full belief statements in located below.

Below are slides that you're welcome to use to help you communicate Second Step and SBRC Student Assessment